Separate - Enabling mass separation

Program 2: Separate

Enabling mass separation

Integration of operational strategies and engineering solutions to effect coarse separation in the dig and deliver interface. Projects focused on ensuring that approaches were optimised for net value.

This included advanced blasting design and fragmentation controls; bench scale down hole and top of hole sensors; screening for grade by size conditioned run of mine material; and on-line sensors for coarse material flows at shovel, truck and conveyor belt scales.

The aim was to generate new higher-grade feed streams through physical removal of low value components at coarse (10-1000 mm) particle size distributions after blasting and primary crushing.

The ultimate aim is to undertake coarse separation in-pit as part of dynamic short-term mine planning. This involved design of radical in pit crushing and separation equipment that could also improve digging and loading efficiencies.

  Projects
Project snapshot
  P2-001: Sensors for rock mass characterisation

icon pdf

  P2-002: Blast design optimisation for Grade Engineering

icon pdf

  P2-003: Orebody DNA

icon pdf

  P2-004: LIBS analysis for Geo-sensing

icon pdf

  P2-004: LIBS analysis for Geo-sensing - Close out

icon pdf

  P2-005: Simulation of Grade Engineering mining processes

icon pdf

  P2-006: Mineralogical Characterisation in a Cross-Belt Scanning Setting using LIBS Technology

icon pdf

  P2-007: Custom Blast Design Value Proposition

icon pdf

  P2-008: Heterogeneity Index for Ore Mixing

icon pdf

  P2-009: Elastic Limit Blast Design to Maximise the Grade Engineering Response - Close out

icon pdf

  P2-010: Valorisation of Grade Engineering by-products

icon pdf

  P2-010: Valorisation of Grade Engineering by-products - Close out

icon pdf

  P2-011: Alternative Size Separator - Close out

icon pdf

  P2-012: GE Sim Extension

icon pdf

  P2-012: Value Model for use of GE Simulation Software - Close out

icon pdf

  P2-013: DAS for non-tumbling ore mills

icon pdf

Research milestones

Sorting smlProgram 2 aimed to implement and optimise coarse separation as an integral part of mass mining to enable Grade Engineering. This involved deployment and validation of new and improved coarse separation technologies including blast conditioning; screening, sensing and gravity; and integrating this into efficient equipment utilisation. The aim was to maintain the cost benefits of high volume material movement while introducing an emphasis on active manipulation of payload quality.

Several important technical and commercial barriers had to be overcome to achieve these aims. The three main challenges were:

  1. Validation of suitable sensors for deployment on conveyor belts, capable of informing reliable grade-based separation decisions and defining the resulting value proposition for specific operations and ore types.
  2. Modification/redesign of current IPCC systems to accommodate bulk screening and sensor-based separation of feed streams to create a new value proposition. This involved close integration with Program 3 to simulate and optimise design of new In-Pit Crushing and Separation (IPCS) systems.
  3. Blasting is a key energy-efficient material conditioning process to drive coarse separation and Grade Engineering outcomes. Potential benefits of differential blast design were demonstrated in the first term of CRC ORE, but site deployment and validation was necessary to support routine adoption.

Addressing these challenges required close collaboration with METS companies and end-users to exploit, integrate and in many cases modify existing systems for new purpose.

Blast      sandvik in pit modified graphic

Program Coodinator

Program 2: Separate
Paul Revell

Paul Revell Headshot 2017

PROGRAM 2 RESEARCHERS

Aus Gov CRC logo reverse 01

 

Get in Touch

ADDRESS:PO Box 403, Kenmore Queensland 4069

EMAIL:
crcore@crcore.org.au

Our location