ORE SORTING
“ We are now providing actionable data for not just the mine engineer , but also the metallurgist and the plant operators ,” he said . “ Our reach has drastically expanded as we have devised more operation-specific datasets that can affect performance .”
Many readers from last year will be wondering where the company has been expanding its presence since IM last reported on the company ’ s developments .
In addition to the already known ShovelSense units at Collahuasi , Carmen de Andacollo , Antamina , Highland Valley Copper and Copper Mountain ( which also has two BeltSense units ), the company has added Constancia ( owned by Hudbay Minerals ), Antapaccay ( owned by Glencore ), Chino ( owned by Freeport ), Gibraltar ( owned by Taseko Mines ) and Red Chris ( owned by Newcrest Mining ) to the ‘ gone commercial ’ list .
It has just as many trials lined up for 2023 or already taking place , according to More , who reeled off a ShovelSense installation at Vale ’ s Salobo copper mine in Brazil , trials at Lundin Mining ’ s Zinkgruvan zinc operation in Sweden and Candelaria mine in Chile , work at Terrafame ’ s nickel mine in Finland , a planned installation at Vedanta ’ s Gamsberg zinc mine , another Teck Resources installation at QB2 in Chile , two planned ShovelSense applications at Antofagasta operations ( also in Chile ) and one at Marcobre ’ s Mina Justa mine ( Peru ). These additional nine installations in the first half of 2023 will ensure the continued acceleration of the market ’ s adoption of ShovelSense , the company says .
And , having trialled the first iteration of its ShovelSense Underground system at New Gold ’ s New Afton mine in 2021 , MineSense is now ready to install a second-generation solution at the mine for further trials
Another second-generation unit is also heading to Indonesia and the PT-FI-owned Grasberg block cave operation in Papua Province as part of a long-term development agreement MineSense has signed with Freeport-McMoRan covering the technology .
This will take the learnings from the initial deployment on a Cat R1600G LHD at New Afton , while incorporating a lower profile and the ability for its XRF-based system to carry out accurate readings in the wetter conditions found in many underground operations .
Both units are due to start trials in the June quarter .
Also moving on is the company ’ s plans to expand into the spectral sensing space .
MineSense previously declared it was looking into applying both multi-spectral imaging ( MSI ) and hyper-spectral imaging ( HSI ) sensors on its BeltSense and ShovelSense solutions , and More said the company is now further advanced in this pursuit .
“ Both of those technologies will be installed on our BeltSense units at Copper Mountain this year – MSI first , followed by HSI ,” he said . “ We are also well advanced on a ShovelSense option using these technologies .”
MSI ’ s main application would be differentiating between oxides and sulphides , whereas HSI analysis could target material classification elements related to hardness and mill efficiency , More added .
It is these new sensor developments , on top of digital advances , that will continue to allow MineSense to enter new commodity markets and expand its reach throughout the flowsheet .
Game-changing energy intensity reductions
With an extensive footprint from the rock face all the way through to tailings , it was only a matter of time before the Weir Group decided to enter the ore sorting game .
Having recently incorporated Weir Motion Metrics into the mix – now within the Weir ESCO division – it is embarking on a project that could have positive ramifications throughout the group ’ s wider offering .
Weir Motion Metrics is a developer of AI and 3D rugged machine vision technology . Its smart , rugged cameras monitor and provide data on equipment performance , faults , payloads and rock fragmentation ( read : PSD ). This data is then analysed using embedded and cloud-based AI to provide real-time feedback to the mining operation .
Initially developed for ground engaging tool applications , these technologies have recently been extended into a suite of products and solutions that can be applied from drill and blast through to primary processing . Weir Motion Metrics has , in the process , built up an impressive customer base and income stream .
Weir has outlined a £ 500 million-plus ($ 604 million-plus ) emerging digital market opportunity for the entity , with much of this hinged on rugged machine vision technology , its sophisticated digital platform and the ability to add ore sensing to its offering .
This became clear at the company ’ s recent Capital Markets Day during a presentation from Chris Carpenter , VP of Technology for Weir ESCO .
At this event , Carpenter said the company was combining Weir Motion Metrics ’ PSD capability with ore characterisation technology to explore high-value opportunities for its clients .
“ Ore characterisation technology , which is underpinned by sophisticated sensing systems , captures critical data on properties and composition of rock , including rock hardness and mineral and moisture content ,” he said . “ When coupled with Weir Motion Metrics fragmentation analysis technology , it has the potential to be a
The Weir Motion Metrics AI and 3D rugged machine vision technology platform could expand into the spectral space if the latest copper mine trial tied to material classification is a success
game changer , giving miners a full picture of the size and characteristics of rocks .”
Carpenter said the AI capability and digital infrastructure that came with the acquisition of Weir Motion Metrics – developed based on its rugged vision systems in both mobile and fixed applications – is proving incredibly important in furthering its ore characterisation work
“ Being able to pick up the data is one thing but being able to transport that data to the right people in a secure , accurate and timely manner is something different altogether ,” he told IM .
With a portfolio that includes LoaderMetrics™ , BeltMetrics™ , TruckMetrics™ and CrusherMetrics™ , Weir Motion Metrics and the Weir ESCO R & D team had several potential applications to start its ore characterisation journey with .
The company has settled on a BeltMetrics installation for its first trial at a copper mine , with Carpenter confirming the sensing solution under the microscope is currently positioned above a conveyor situated directly after the crusher in the flowsheet .
Weir Motion Metrics has also chosen to incorporate HSI into its PSD mix for this project .
Carpenter explained : “ When you think about ore characterisation , we are just moving from a visual spectrum base with Weir Motion Metrics vision-based systems to the expanded light spectrum for gathering data and making decisions . This is all being built on the established digital platform the company has .”
Safety , scalability and flexibility were three factors taken into account with the HSI decision , but Carpenter is also aware of the potential limitations in using such technology .
Mines will need to be willing to make some changes and invest in alternative infrastructure to leverage the full value of the solution the company is putting forward , with Carpenter
46 International Mining | MARCH 2023