Investing in measurement and analysis technologies, adapting its organizational structure to deliver a service that meets market demands and recruiting highly qualified professionals with the aim of maintaining a high standard in the quality of service delivered, are part of the recipe with which Syntec has achieved extensive growth and customer loyalty.

So says Mario Neira, Director of Studies and Specialized Engineering of this Chilean company that solves complex problems by means of advanced technical studies and applying methodologies to demonstrate the physics of the problems, through technologies that avoid trial/error tests in the field and facilitate innovative engineering solutions.

Strengthening management

“Our mining customers have found that what we are looking for is to strengthen the management of the operation and maintenance units of productive plants,” he emphasizes.

Neira asserts that the directors of this firm, which has developed more than 900 projects in 12 countries, are involved in key phases of the development of specialized engineering, in addition to other tasks inherent to their role.

We started working on complex studies on physical phenomena related to material handling and strength of structures. One of the challenges that arose was to solve the problem of the availability of reliable geometric information, which led to the creation of the geomensura and geometric data acquisition unit. This information is an input that clients – in general – do not have and that is indispensable for the efficient execution of each project, he says.

He reveals that Syntec has acquired photogrammetry equipment, high-precision GPS for topography and scanners that allow for faster and more accurate field surveys and point clouds, generating from these digital twins or 3D models of reality (as built). In this way, Syntec has the capacity to provide survey services of different magnitude.

Increased confidence

César Sepúlveda, Finance Director and Structural Engineering Expert, highlights that between 2021 and 2022, we had a growth of 27% in projects awarded, while in sales we recorded a growth of 92%, which is due to the fact that our clients trust Syntec to develop larger projects. An example of this type of project is the service we are currently providing to an important mining company in the second region of Chile, for which the geomensura team has been working on field surveys for more than 6 months.

“So far in 2023, we are already experiencing 22% growth in projects and 61% growth in sales, which also represents the great support of our clients”, he adds.

Regarding specialist staffing, he says that Syntec was composed of three people in 2014, and that the company is currently made up of more than 50 highly specialized professionals.

Useful and modern testing and prototype unit

Juan Osses, Project Manager and Director of Syntec’s testing and prototyping unit, recalls that the facility was created to meet the needs of customers in terms of materials handling analysis. “We have 120 m2 where equipment operates for the characterization of granular materials with respect to their properties of: cohesion-consolidation, friction-adhesion, bulk density, granulometry, saturation humidity, angle of repose and discharge, and angle of overburden.”

We also make physical scale models of slurry transport caissons, and tests that measure the integrity of coatings. “We are addressing wear analysis, an important factor for the maintenance of mining equipment,” says Osses.

Mario Neira adds that our clients have noticed the increase in production, and how Syntec solutions contribute to the reduction of risks for people and the control or elimination of factors that cause failures in the processes. For this reason, today all mining companies with operations in Chile, Peru and several international companies rely on our advice.