ORE SORTING
savvy supplier / OEM will listen to these mining companies to make a change .”
Avoiding mention of ‘ tailored ’ or ‘ customised ’ solutions during such a conversation and focusing on a ‘ workable ’ offering will allow these suppliers to gain a better understanding of the wider market opportunity , according to Holcroft and Kelly . Kelly explained : “ Some of the larger equipment makers already have a bonified business from other industries and mining may represent an opportunity for expansion . The proposition must be economic for them to put the development money in , and they have to know the opportunity is well defined . We , at CMIC , are looking to communicate to them an industry voice that informs for the commercial mining versions of this equipment .”
At the same time as appeasing vendor concerns , CMIC recognises that many companies are not yet willing to take the leap with installing sensor-based ore sorters at their operations .
Holcroft explained : “ We can see big advantages on a greenfield site with the use of bulk sorting on conveyors , but if you end up undersizing your processing plant because the assumed estimates from bulk sorting did not materialise , you can be cooked .”
Kelly added : “ The discussion in the larger industry is : what if it doesn ’ t work ?”
To build flexibility into the system in case the expected bulk sorting gains fail to materialise is
prohibitive from a cost perspective , Holcroft said . This is where the sorting community needs to offer assurances ahead of such a pivotal process flowsheet decision .
At the same time as CMIC is bringing together mining companies and the vendor community for an honest discussion about the direction of travel in the industry , it is seeing a convergence between the different types of sensor-based ore sorting solution providers .
Holcroft said : “ Particle sorting vendors , when we spoke to them , recognised there is a need for an integrated solution . They typically , in the past , said we will provide the sorter and you can figure out the balance of the plant . This doesn ’ t work well from a practical level .” This is changing . “ Now , the particle sorting guys are thinking if the bulk sorters at the front of the flowsheet do their job , they won ’ t have the throughput issue that some talk about downstream ,” she said .
Kelly thinks the industry would be willing to pay for such an integrated sorting solution if it makes economic , environmental and social sense to them , and if those benefits are proven , predictable and tangible .
“ If you are only sending high-grade ore to the plant , the value may be there ,” he said .
“ Depending on the commodity , miners either start with particle or bulk sorting and progress to explore the other option .
“ The key point is that the vendors recognise the two technologies can and , likely , should both be present in a sensor-based ore sorting strategy .”
Playing a major role
Steinert is part of that convergence conversation , with its particle sorting solutions providing many of the previously outlined ore sorting benefits at mines across the globe .
Lütke von Ketelhodt , Head of Mining for Steinert US , puts the company ’ s mining ore sorting growth in the last five years down to a multi-sensor approach that can solve even the most complex of sorting challenges .
“ This technology distinguishes us from the rest of the crowd ,” he told IM . “ We are able to achieve accurate sorting in applications and complex ore scenarios where others have previously failed .”
The core sensor behind Steinert ’ s KSS system is X-ray Transmission ( XRT ), but the addition of colour , laser and induction sensors have opened the application field , according to von Ketelhodt .
“ A lot of our clients are polymetallic ( Pb , Zn , Cu , Ni , Ag , Au ) mining companies where sulphide-based minerals are identified mainly by XRT sensor technology ,” he said . “ Other successful ore sorting applications include minerals such as manganese , fluorspar , lithium , tungsten , chromite and diamonds , which may use additional sensors to complement the XRT .”
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