ORE SORTING sensors including X-ray Transmission ( XRT ), its sorters have been used across many commodities , including industrial minerals , diamonds , base metals and ferrous metals .
The company has been making its case to mining and engineering companies to factor sensor-based sorting into projects from as early as the pre-feasibility stage , arguing that this can influence up- and down-stream equipment selection .
Metso Outotec recognises this point given the two companies , last year , announced the continuation of a non-exclusive cooperation to supply particle ore sorting solutions for the mining and metallurgical industries .
More and more firms are also leveraging TOMRA ’ s facility in Wedel , Germany , to test out the company ’ s sensor-based sorting solutions on drill core and other samples . An additional independent test centre at the Saskatchewan Research Council and another two at unnamed locations in Canada and Australia further its testing reach .
Such facilities are enabling TOMRA to make inroads with mining companies and engineering firms , yet Albert du Preez , Senior Vice President and Head of TOMRA Mining , says wide-scale industry acceptance has not yet been reached .
“ We ’ re still unfortunately at the point where there are only a few sectors viewing ore sorting as a ‘ standard ’ process ,” he told IM . “ Even in sectors where it is considered ‘ standard ’, it is only deemed so because they can ' t do without it . When miners have a choice about incorporating it , they are still reluctant to put it in the flowsheet because , in many instances , the relevant competences are lacking to evaluate it .”
Du Preez said the company is now past the point of convincing the industry its particle sorting goes beyond the lab into real-world applications , with hundreds of mining installations working across the globe .
“ I think our sorting solutions are now at a point where they are fit-for-purpose and robust enough to withstand everything that the mine environment can throw at them ,” he said . “ Now , going forward , it is a matter of further improving the accuracy and providing units for higher tonnage and throughput operations .”
The accuracy point is being addressed on a regular basis through the advancement of algorithms that can distinguish between various
The first solution TOMRA provided for underground sorting was installed at K + S ’ rock salt mine in Grasleben , Germany
elements of interest at mine sites . This has , in recent years , allowed the company to expand into different industries beyond its industrial minerals core , tackling high humidity conditions – such as those seen at Renison Tin ’ s operation in Tasmania , Australia – to dusty underground environments – such as at K + S ’ rock salt mine in Grasleben , Germany .
“ Any place where a human can walk around , you can install the sorters ,” du Preez said .
The only thing that now needs to be addressed by many of these underground mines is the logistics around installing a sorter underground . The mine plan must be adapted to make the most of the eject material as , for example , mine backfill .
“ So , placing a sorter underground is now
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