Secure & Stable Operations

Grinding circuits are among the most complex and energy‑intensive areas of a minerals processing plant, where feed variability and manual control often force conservative operation. In this project, a mining operation partnered with Spartan Controls to apply Advanced Process Control (APC) to stabilize the grinding circuit, reduce process variability, and improve control consistency. By coordinating key variables and supporting operators with more predictable control, the site was able to operate closer to constraints while maintaining operational stability and long‑term sustainability.

Many operating facilities rely on aging DCS platforms that increase operational risk but can’t be replaced without disrupting production. In this project, an industrial facility partnered with Spartan Controls to modernize a legacy distributed control system while the plant remained live and operating. Through careful planning, phased execution, and deep operational understanding, the control system was updated to improve reliability, maintainability, and long‑term supportability—without compromising safety or uptime. The result was a modernized control environment that reduced risk and positioned the facility for future operational and digital initiatives.

Oil sands operations rely on accurate, trusted operational data to support production, reliability, and decision‑making, yet many sites struggle with disconnected systems and inconsistent data sources. In this project, an oil sands operation partnered with Spartan Controls to create a secure, trusted single source of truth for operational data. By aligning OT data architecture, improving data consistency, and enabling reliable access to information across the organization, the site gained greater confidence in its data while maintaining system stability and security. The result was a stronger foundation for operational insight, reporting, and future digital initiatives.

Secure remote access is essential for modern industrial operations, but unmanaged connectivity can introduce significant cybersecurity and operational risk. In this project, an industrial operator partnered with Spartan Controls to enhance remote access while strengthening security across OT networks. By implementing a structured, OT‑first approach to remote connectivity, the site improved visibility and supportability without compromising system stability or control integrity. The result was safer, more reliable remote access that enabled collaboration and responsiveness while maintaining confidence in the security of critical operations.

A minerals processing site was experiencing costly equipment trips due to missing and mis‑prioritized alarms. Spartan introduced proactive alarm configuration, adding critical alerts that allowed operators to intervene before failures occurred. The result was the prevention of approximately 60 equipment trips per year, translating into $900,000 in annual savings and improved operational stability across the plant.

At another site overwhelmed by irrelevant or improperly configured alarms, Spartan developed and implemented a structured alarm management strategy that removed obsolete alarms, improved prioritization, and aligned the system with industry best practices, leading to a 50% reduction in nuisance alarms and delivering more stable operations, clearer operator focus, and reduced unscheduled downtime.