ORE SORTING
Searching for synergy
Ore sorting and sensing have been proven in many applications , with the industry frontrunners benefitting from increased orebody knowledge , higher throughput , improved recoveries and numerous environmental benefits , among other advantages . Dan Gleeson checks in with some industry leaders to find out where the sector is heading next
The mining industry is in a bind when it comes to applying ore sorting solutions across its operations .
It has a plethora of options to choose from that leverage various sensing technologies , philosophical and operational hurdles to overcome when it comes to changing traditional flowsheets , very few consulting or engineering companies to engage with that look at all available solutions on the market , and limited options to trial these technologies out in the field .
Henry Kurth , Minerals Consultant and Chief Marketing Officer of Scantech International , is aware of this dynamic , having seen more than 30 new pre-concentration technologies come to light over the last 30-or-so years , all claiming to advance a stage , or multiple stages , in the mining cycle , particularly in the mine-to-mill stages .
According to Kurth , there has been an industry-wide prevalence to choose one technology and run with it without completing the required due diligence to ensure it is optimal for the operation at hand . He also says more work needs to be done on integrating solutions to obtain the highest operational impact , referencing the most recent work CRC ORE completed .
“ Different companies pitch their capabilities in different ways but , until CRC ORE came along , no-one tried to integrate them together ,” Kurth told IM . “ Sensing in a shovel was seen as a totally different application to sensing on a conveyor belt , which was seen as a totally different application to screening for coarse waste material , which was seen as totally
A Scantech GEOSCAN-M unit installed underground at a copper-gold mine
Hudbay has partnered with MineSense on a plan to trial the company ’ s ShovelSense XRF-based sorting technology at Constancia in Peru
different to software applications for preconcentration .
“ You need to combine and view all available technologies and their potential impacts . Even though each individual technology provides incremental improvement , combined , they can
40 International Mining | MARCH 2022