Svendborg Brakes supplied and installed 5 separate intelligent braking systems for belt conveyor upgrading via Kvaerner Metals in November 2000. Brake installation was supported by Svendborg Brakes' local representative, Eximtec Ltda., of Santiago. Kvaerner was awarded the contract for optimisation of the plant by the owners, Codelco, in 1999, including new secondary crusher installation, designed to increase plant efficiency by around 50%.

One of the requirements was that the conveyors could stop within a maximum distance of 20 metres regardless of product load. Hence all five conveyor drives are equipped with programmable SOBO V3 braking controllers, for which the operator can quickly and simply program stopping time and other functions on-site. The SOBO V3 braking controllers and hydraulic power packs are installed in cabinets to protect them nds of the Atacama Desert.

Braking torque installed on the five conveyors ranges from 250 to 500 Nm.

Brake specification includes standard Svendborg Brakes BSFI 200 spring-applied, hydraulically-released disc brake callipers on all five conveyor drives. All brake callipers include pad wear- and brake on/off indicators. Each calliper has its own hydraulic power pack controlled from the SOBO control panel and Codelco's PLC unit.

The SOBO (SOft Braking Option) principle is based on controlling the braking force with reference to the input speed signal from the shaft on which the brake is installed. The SOBO controller works on the hydraulic unit, to constantly adjust hydraulic pressure (and thus braking force) to generate just enough torque to reduce speed according to the deceleration ramp programmed into the controller. Braking force regulation is based on pulse-width modulation in which the hydraulic valve is modulated by an on/off signal at a ratio determined by deviation from a set point value.