Mexico's Second Largest Silver Mine Installs Durable Shovel Lights

Completion date: June 2019
Location: Guadalupe, Mexico

Project Details

Mexico's second largest silver mine produces over 25 million ounces of silver each year, making it the fifth largest in the world. Operators took advantage of a scheduled pause in operations at the beginning of 2019 to assess maintenance needs and perform updates on a variety of systems and equipment. As with all mines, access to adequate lighting is imperative to successful equipment operation.

Problem

Previously, the silver mine's shovels were outfitted with LED lights from a leading Phoenix competitor. These lights, installed on their Bucyrus fleet, had a promised lifetime of over 10 years. However, operators began to experience failures after only three months. These failing fixtures disrupted mining operations, increased safety risks, and caused frustration for operators.

Solution

The operators looked for a solution at a familiar coal mine in the north of Mexico, where the shovel lights have been running strong for years. They discovered that the major difference with the coal mine's shovels was that they were outfitted with Phoenix’s ModCom 2 lights. The silver mine's electrical team replaced their defective shovel fixtures with ModCom 2 Lo, Hi, and Max fixtures.

Since switching over to ModCom 2s, the operators have experienced zero machine downtime caused by lighting failure. Furthermore, operators noted a visible difference in performance from the ModCom 2 Max compared to the previous model from the competitor. The higher lumen output of the Max has increased visibility at the dig site, helping to improve operational efficiency, productivity and safety.

The mine operators plan to continue retrofitting their entire fleet of shovels with ModCom 2 fixtures. To learn more about the features of Phoenix’s ModCom 2, click here.