A rocky start

When it comes to breaking rocks, Morenci already is breaking records, with its Crush and Convey team logging two of its best quarters since the rock hammer’s implementation.

“The rock hammer is not what made this happen,” Messick said. “But the rock hammer is a part of it. It’s a part in a much bigger picture showing how Morenci is changing its mindset and embracing a more open-minded, forward-looking approach to mining.”

But change like that doesn’t happen overnight.

Early on, Messick encountered reluctance from some team members, who presented numerous obstacles to this new direction. In response, he flipped the script, asking that instead of telling him all the reasons it couldn’t work, they tell him what was needed so it could.

His operators rose to the challenge.

Responding to their feedback, Messick said the site made several improvements to help ensure the remote rock hammer was up to the task. A high-speed fiberoptic connection eliminated lag between hammer and screens, additional cameras improved visibility, and microphones and speakers are in development so operators can listen for audible cues at the crusher.

Other solutions, such as haptic feedback, still are being evaluated.

In the meantime, the changes helped win over operators like Charleen Ochoa, Crusher Operator I-Morenci. A 20-year Freeport employee, Ochoa said the site’s effort to address concerns showed how valuable the change was, convincing her despite initial skepticism.

“It definitely took some getting used to,” Ochoa said. “But once you get past that and put in the time and effort to learn this new way, that’s when you start to see the vision. That’s when you start to see how much faster things go and how much more you can do.”

All features great and small

While most improvements may go unseen by anyone but operators, their impacts are felt across Morenci.

That’s a recurring theme at the site, said Rennie Clotworthy, Senior Engineer-Morenci.

He points to new load-indicating “smart bolts” at the crusher. Previously, the inability to gauge bolt loads led to breaks that posed safety hazards and impacted production, both issues mitigated by digital load readings.

“Morenci is a large, fast-moving operation with many moving parts, both seen and unseen,” Clotworthy said. “As a site, we’re determined to work collaboratively to implement changes, no matter how visible, that ensure we can continue delivering on our priority of safe production.”

While the site is evaluating remote capabilities at another crusher, Messick takes pride in stories like that, showing that no idea is too big or too small to consider. From hammer to screw, every improvement drives progress and fosters a culture of collaboration.

And success, he insists, comes from recognizing that a rising tide lifts all boats – even beyond Morenci.

Or, to put it another way, as goes Morenci, so goes Freeport.

“We’re out here to prove something,” Messick said. “Morenci is the largest producer for our North American operations, and the process improvements we make here can blaze the trail for other sites. That’s not just a point of pride for us – it’s a responsibility.”

Reinventing Morenci

Not all Crush and Convey’s recent success started at the crusher. Tim Messick, Crush and Convey Manager-Morenci, said some of the credit goes to Reinvent Mining’s drill and blast team for laying the groundwork – and then blowing it up.

Originally tasked with reducing rock size to improve leaching recovery from unprocessed ore, Danny Benavidez, Projects Integration Manager-Morenci, said his team decided to go big or go home. They started by making radical changes – such as nearly doubling their drill patterns from 380 holes to 600 – then reverse engineering their blasts to find the “sweet spot,” inadvertently delivering the mill some of its smoothest material along the way.