PROCESS CONTROL John Chadwick looks at new ... - InfoMine

PROCESS CONTROL 

Process control 

John Chadwick looks at new technologies, recent examples of success in the plant, 

improving recoveries, reducing chemical inputs and outputs, and other advances 

aimed at making mineral processing more efficient 

“ Mintek is currently supporting more 

than 100 advanced process 

control (APC) installations 

worldwide, the largest concentration of 

which is on the African continent,” explains 

Dr Dave Hulbert, Manager of Mintek’s 

Measurement and Control Division. “Our 

Star Control System (StarCS) is a widely 

applicable software platform with modules 

aimed specifically at metallurgical processes. 

Mintek has developed specific solutions on 

the StarCS platform to address typical mineralprocessing 

control challenges in the areas of 

milling (MillStar), flotation (FloatStar), 

furnaces (FurnStar) and leaching (LeachStar).” 

Mintek’s first LeachStar system for gold 

circuits went to Anglogold Ashanti’s Mponeng 

mine near Carltonville, about 60 km from 

Johannesburg, recently. The LeachStar 

process control system was successfully 

integrated with the existing instrumentation 

of the mine’s gold treatment plant. Installation 

of this technology has resulted in improved 

plant stability and substantial savings in the 

use of cyanide and flocculent. 

“The installation of LeachStar enabled 

Mponeng gold plant to achieve two of its 

main objectives: a steady feed from the 

thickeners to the leach, and significant savings 

in reagent usage as a result of improved control 

and field measurement failure correction,” said 

Rudi Steyn, Plant Manager. “In the past, 

when the field instrument failed, the default 

condition was to add excess reagent. 

However, using LeachStar the default is 

based on that day’s historical process 

requirements, which eliminates spiking of 

reagents. An added bonus is that the new 

system has also greatly improved carbon 

management.” 

Gareth Smith, Control Engineer Leaching, 

Milling and Flotation at Mintek explains the: 

“LeachStar suite of controllers incorporates 

leading technology to optimize the performance 

of the various process units found on the 

gold circuits, including thickeners, leaching 

and carbon circuits.” 

Apart from being an expensive but vital 

28 International Mining AUGUST 2006 

part of the gold extraction process, the use 

of cyanide must, of course, be carefully 

monitored and controlled for safety and 

environmental reasons. 

Mintek recently commissioned a FurnStar 

MinstralTM control system for submerged-arc 

furnaces to optimize the smelting process on 

the new No. 4 furnace at Hernic 

Ferrochrome, near Brits in Northwestern 

Province, South Africa. The furnace, a closed 

unit that employs Outokumpu technology, is 

the largest ferrochromium furnace in the 

southern hemisphere, with a power rating of 

78 MVA. 

“All four of the furnaces at Hernic are 

now under Minstral control,” said Paul 

Brereton Stiles, head of Mintek’s Furnace 

Control in the Measurement and Control 

Division. “The first controller was installed 

on the 37 MVA No. 1 furnace in 1996, and 

subsequent installations followed on the 

second (37 MVA) and third (54 MVA) furnaces, 

and now the fourth.” 

“Hernic has, after ten years’ experience 

with Minstral, only the highest appreciation 

for the capabilities and benefits of the 

control system, confidence in the technology 

applied, and the after sales service. We had 

no doubt in trusting Minstral for controlling 

our newest and biggest furnace”, said 

Anglogold Ashanti’s Mponeng Gold Plant near 

Carltonville, about 60km from Johannesburg, 

where Mintek’s LeachStar advanced process 

control system for gold circuits has been installed 

with significant benefits to the client. 

Hannes Visser, Production Manager at Hernic. 

“With large transformers such as those on 

the Hernic furnace, and restrictions on 

excessive electrode movement, the ability to 

carry out effective differential tapping is a 

major advantage of the Minstral system. For 

a furnace of this size under balanced load 

conditions, differentially tapping the 

transformers can increase the power input 

by up to 1.5 MW, and under unbalanced 

conditions by more than 5 MW (10%), 

compared with conventional balanced 

tap-position control,” explained Stiles. 

The Minstral control system optimizes 

operation of submerged-arc furnaces by 

means of a patented resistance algorithm, 

enabling stable operation at optimal power. 

Typical benefits of Minstral control include: 

■ Improved power input (MWh) 

■ Lower specific energy use (MWh/t) 

■ Improved load factor 

■ Reduced electrode consumption 

■ Reduced electrode breakages 

■ Improved recovery.

“Minstral integrates 

with the existing plant 

automation infrastructure 

via a central PLC. The 

system uses measurements 

from the primary 

side of the transformers, 

which are inherently more 

accurate than other 

measurements and explicitly 

avoids the need for an 

electrode-to-hearth voltage 

measurement, which is both 

problematic and inaccurate,” 

concluded Stiles. 

There are over 90 

installations of the 

Minstral controller worldwide, 

with the latest 

including DSCL in India, 

Pechiney in France, and two at Assmang’s 

Cato Ridge plant in South Africa. Forthcoming 

installations will include units on the first two 

63 MVA furnaces at the Xstrata-Merafe 

Project Lion ferrochromium joint venture, 

which are due to be commissioned at the 

end of 2006. 

Also in southern Africa, Citect, one of the 

world’s largest, real-time intelligence and 

industrial automation software companies, is 

helping Namdeb, a partnership between the 

Namibian Government and De Beers, optimize 

its diamond recovery process. Citect worked 

with Namdeb’s plant and operations 

management to ensure a highly efficient, 

low cost extraction process – always important 

in diamond recovery, but especially so when 

you are the biggest exporter, with diamond 

exports accounting for more than 30% of 

Namibia’s total exports and 10% of its GDP. 

The Elizabeth Bay plant has a throughput 

of 3-4 Mt/y of diamond-bearing material. 

The company chose CitectSCADA to monitor 

and control the processes from the primary 

crushers to the diamond recovery plant. The 

Elizabeth Bay Liberation plant is now fully 

automated to reduce operating costs. In 

addition, the plant has implemented 

CitectSCADA Reports to improve production 

reporting. 

“Citect’s scalability facilitates future plant 

upgrades and expansion without requiring 

modifications to the existing hardware or 

software. Its’ single global database simplifies 

SCADA software management by allowing 

changes to be made at a single point that 

are immediately updated at all Citect stations,” 

says Ian Holl, Namdeb Project Manager. 

08/06 

In the control tower at Namdeb, from which 

Saskatchewan, Canada, 

facilities. A control system 

CitectSCADA monitors and controls the processes from upgrade at the Rabbit 

the primary crushers to the diamond recovery plant. Lake mill, the longestoperating 

uranium processing 

operation in Canada, will 

use I/A Series automation 

in the acid plant and 

powerhouse. These are 

the first implementations 

in a phased programme 

that will next deploy 

Foxboro controls replacing 

outdated equipment for 

the remaining milling 

processes. 

The Rabbit Lake mill 

currently processes 

uranium ore from the 

local Eagle Point 

The project consists of 45,000 I/O tags orebody. In future, the mill will also process 

and takes advantage of CitectSCADA’s fully uranium from the Cigar Lake mine. The new 

redundant distributed architecture. Namdeb Invensys automation system will replace 

also benefits from CitectSCADA’s distributed legacy controls for the milling processes. The 

trending system that handles large numbers implementation will include I/A Series 

of variables without compromising performance Version 8 hardware and software, distributed 

or data integrity. Citect’s own programming field mounted control processors in fault- 

language, Cicode, provides Namdeb with 

control of all the 

elements in its 

runtime system: 

tolerant configuration, all running on the 

real-time data, historical 

data, operator displays, 

sonic-drill.com 

alarms, trends, security 

and more. 

“Citect is very 

pleased to be part of 

this unique mine and 

its world-class project 

to enable the treatment 

SONIC 

of cemented, wet 

and/or clay rich ores. 

CitectSCADA enables 

Amazing Results 

Namdeb to monitor 

and control the 

processes to 

optimize operations,” 

Ideal for 

Mineral 

Exploration 

Our patented sonic drill 

is the only drill that can 

adds Wilhelm Swart, 

produce accurate, undisturbed 

Managing Director for 

core samples from 

Citect Africa. 

unconsolidated mineral 

Cameco, the world’s 

leading uranium 

producer, has again 

selected Invensys 

deposits. 

Process Systems to SONIC DRILL CORPORATION 

implement a Foxboro 

Phone: 1.604.854.1383 Fax: 1.604. 854.1384 

automation system at 

one of its northern 

114 West Magnolia Street, Suite 400-120, 

Bellingham, WA USA 98225 

TECHNOLOGY 

AUGUST 2006 International Mining 29


award-winning I/A Series high-speed mesh 

control network. The system will accommodate a 

variety of field I/O platforms; including HART 

combined analogue input and output 

signals, and serial connections to third-party 

devices. The I/A Series system will also 

interface with Modicon PLC systems using 

Foxboro’s latest redundant field device 

system integrator modules. 

The Invensys contract also includes 

configuration engineering assistance, start-up 

and commissioning field services and training. 

The Foxboro mesh network process control 

system backbone uses advanced commercial 

communications technologies in robust 

industrial configurations. Providing highavailability, 

self-healing network performance, 

the mesh architecture can connect thousands 

of stations at data speeds up to one gigabit 

between network switches. 

The Rabbit Lake automation project builds 

on the Invensys presence at Cameco’s facilities 

in Saskatchewan. The company’s largest 

uranium operation, McArthur River mine, 

has used extensive I/A Series automation 

since 1999. At Cigar Lake, Invensys is 

implementing a highly distributed control 

system for a new Cameco mine. 

Metallurgical control 

MIPAC has a strong reputation for providing 

end-user focused, process control, 

instrumentation and electrical engineering 

services throughout the mineral processing 

world. 

Plants which have been modernising or 

expanding by adding or upgrading smelters, 

waste heat boilers, acid plants, oxygen 

plants, etc. in a single project have been 

attracted to MIPAC’s proposals to integrate 

the control of all these related plants under 

one control system (end-user’s choice). 

Whilst individual package plant suppliers will 

resist the involvement of a third party to 

implement the control of their plant there 

are undeniable advantages for the end-users 

to have all of their related plant areas operating 

through a common control platform. 


The principal advantages of a Plant Wide 

Control System (PWCS) to the end-users are: 

■ Same ‘look and feel’ for operator stations 

(irrespective of the process), providing ease of 

training and flexibility in rotation of operators 

■ Standard configuration techniques across 

all plants, providing ease of maintenance 

and modification of logic across all areas 

■ Removal of project risk as the control system 

is supplied by a control system specialist as a 

fully integrated package 

■ Commonality of spares 

MIPAC has completed a number of large 

PWCS projects starting with the Sterlite 

Industries copper smelting complex in 

Tuticorin, India back in the mid 1990s and 

continuing with the Mount Isa Mines lead 

smelter and Ernest Henry copper concentrator. 

The latest project is the award-winning 

Mopani Mufulira copper smelter in Zambia. 

Mopani Copper Mines is a fully integrated 

copper production plant in northern Zambia 

and has underground mines, concentrators, 

a smelter and a refinery. Mopani adopted a 

PWCS approach proposed by MIPAC and 

Xstrata Technology as part of its major 

smelter upgrade project. This upgrade 

increases the plant capacity from 420,000 to 

650,000 t/y of copper. 

Tapping molten ferrochromium from the 

furnace at Hernic Ferrochrome in South Africa. 

MIPAC worked directly with five vendors 

from four countries and lead the design, 

specification, configuration and commissioning 

of a full plant-wide control system for the 

following areas: 

■ Isasmelt smelting furnace and waste heat 

boiler 

■ Oxygen and sulphuric acid plants 

■ Electric furnace 

■ Feed preparation and materials handling 

■ Services and utilities 

MIPAC also developed the plant-wide 

measurement and control standards for the 

whole project. MIPAC undertook the 

detailed instrument design for the Isasmelt 

plant and the waste heat boiler as well as 

completing the electrical design and 

procurement specification for an 

associated low voltage motor control centre. 

The client’s engineers (Mopani) were also 

trained by MIPAC in the maintenance and 

configuration of the control system. 

The technical highlights of the project 

include the strong focus MIPAC applied to 

delivering a simple, robust and consistent 

package to the operating and maintenance 

groups on site. MIPAC needed to transfer 

knowledge from multiple technology providers 

into a common control system and it needed

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to ‘fast track’ this activity as the control system 

was on the critical path for the project. 

Project costs were reduced through 

economical project implementation by one 

group with minimised design group interfaces. 

Efficient and cost effective ongoing 

control system maintenance was achieved 

through commonality of equipment and 

consistency of design. 

In mid 2006 MIPAC was also awarded the 

task of providing a PWCS solution for the 

planned upgrade to the Doe Run Peru La 

Oroya copper smelter, which will also use 

the Xstrata Technology Isasmelt technology. 

One of the world’s largest, most costeffective 

integrated zinc and lead smelting 

complexes was the first Canadian site to use 

Matrikon’s ProcessDoctor. Zinc concentrate is 

converted to zinc calcine by burning the 

concentrate in fluid bed roasters. After 

discharging from the roasters, calcine is 

cooled, passed through a ball mill and 

pneumatically transported to the leach plant 

where the calcine, leach solutions and return 

acid are mixed in agitated tanks and 

controlled to a varied pH from 1.7 to 3.8. In 

the first stage, zinc is dissolved into a clear 

sulphate solution for treatment in the zinc 

dust purification circuit. In the second stage, 

iron precipitates as goethite, and along with 

germanium and silica gently settles to the 

bottom of the solution. 

ProcessDoctor takes advantage of the 

latest data analysis technology to provide an 

effective tool to monitor and diagnose the 

health of control loops. Control operators 

and engineers are able to scan for poorly 

performing control loops and carry out 

diagnostic checks to determine the causes of 

poor performance. Maintenance efforts can 

then be focused on those control loops that 

have the greatest impact on plant profitability. 

“One of the critical steps in zinc production 

is the pH bump between the first and second 

stage,” stated a senior process control 

engineer on the project. “Lab tests have 

determined that this particular pH bump 

from 1.7 to 3.8 is the ideal profile to 

promote proper precipitation.” 

For this reason the acid leaching unit was 

chosen for a control audit using ProcessDoctor. 

Control data was collected to determine the 

potential to improve pH control. Low 

performance indices indicated a high 

potential to improve regulation. Performance 

assessment of the data revealed that 

controller tuning was the source of the 

problem. ProcessDoctor helped prioritize 


A MIPAC engineer 

working with an 

engineer from 

Mopani Copper 

Mines inside the 

Mufulira control 

room 

process control activities by focusing attention 

toward control loops that exhibited low 

performance indices. Appropriate tuning changes 

were recommended and then implemented 

based on ProceessDoctor’s loop diagnosis. 

“Nobody recognized that there was room 

for improvement in acid leaching control 

until we went in with ProcessDoctor,” said a 

senior control engineer. “We didn’t realize 

that the control was oscillating. Part of the 

problem was that the oscillations were not 

apparent on the DCS system. They only 

became noticeable once we plotted the data 

in a package with high-definition graphics. 

When you start doing performance 

assessment, this tool helps you ask the right 

questions. It gets you pointed in the right 

direction. And once you’ve made the 

changes, ProcessDoctor helps you assess the 

value of the changes you’ve made.” 

As a result of the ProcessDoctor control 

audit, changes were made in the control 

strategy. “Acting upon the recommendations 

of the control loop audit report, we managed 

to reduce pH variance in stages one and two 

of acid leaching by almost 90%,” stated the 

control engineer. 

The performance of control loops is the 

basis of optimal process operations. The 

stabilization of strategic variables is essential 

to bring a process to its maximum profitability. 

However, the large amount of control loops 

in a plant can make their tuning and 

management difficult. Without a rigorous 

follow-up at this level, industrial processes 

are generally not operated at their optimum 

and do not reach the expected yields. 

Another Algosys product, Control Loop 

AttendantTM monitors plants’ control loops in 

real-time, which allows the prevention of 

inadequate process operations and anticipation of 

equipment-related problems. Applications include: 

■ Process control management and 

performance monitoring programmes 

■ Control loop and benchmarking audits 

■ Prioritization and justification of 

maintenance and optimization interventions 

■ Predictive maintenance programmes 

■ Knowledge base development. 

Honeywell, a major player in this market, 

says its Experion Process Knowledge 

System (PKS) solutions address needs at all 

production stages. Its solutions help achieve 

consistent quality, higher yields, increased 

throughput, and reduced operating costs. 

Experion can satisfy a broad range of 

requirements for integrated process and 

discrete-machine control, including a full 

range of measurement and control products, 

advanced application solutions, collaborative 

production management systems, and 

comprehensive services and support. 

Honeywell can support process control 

with key applications and services, including: 

■ Consulting and benchmarking services 

■ Experion control technology 

■ Plant integration systems and services 

■ Advanced process control services and 

technologies 

■ Safety systems 

■ Systems to manage environmental 

impacts 

■ Network and integration services. 

Honeywell says that a standard 

Distributed Control System (DCS) solution 

only manages process, but its Experion PKS 

goes further by unifying assets, process, and 

people to improve business agility. “This 

proven, open, yet completely secure technology 

is built to scale, and helps manage 

everything from optimized yield to reduced 

maintenance costs by up to 30%.”


Experion integrates an advanced automation 

platform and innovative software applications 

to improve performance. The Experion 

platform provides innovative technologies to 

get the most out of a plant and to connect 

safely and securely with the business network. 

Like all companies, Alcoa struggles with 

the challenges of reducing waste while 

meeting demand and increasing plant 

efficiencies. A recent success was achieved 

with help from Pavilion Technologies. Since 

deploying Pavilion’s advanced process 

control (APC) solution on five kilns at the 

aluminium fluoride plant at Alcoa’s Point 

Comfort, Texas facility last year, Alcoa has 

decreased the amount of unreacted calcium 

fluoride by a factor of almost three and reduced 

the process variability in a critical downstream 

process by 75%. Alcoa anticipates benefits 

of around $3.15 million/y. Point Comfort is 

one the largest producers of aluminium 

fluoride in the world, and is also one of the 

world’s largest producers of alumina – an 

alumina refining capacity of 2.3 Mt/y. 

Pavilion’s solution addresses the production 

of alumina fluoride, which is used as a fluxing 

agent of aluminium smelting. The project 

goal was to reduce the amount of calcium 

fluoride left in the gypsum co-product that 

discharges from the kilns, thus maximizing 

the use of the raw material and enhancing 

the quality of the gypsum co-product. In just 

six months the company had deployed 

control solutions on five kilns and exceeded 

performance goals. As part of Pavilion’s 

ValueFirst initiative, Pavilion worked with the 

Alcoa team to evaluate how the kiln control 

application would contribute to Alcoa’s key 

business objectives. Based on the analysis, 

Pavilion guaranteed a 

return on investment in 

12 months. The project 

exceeded this goal. 

A new CSIRO-owned 

spin-out company, 

Intalysis, has hit the 

ground running with 

multiple orders from 

BHP Billiton and other 

resource companies. 

Intalysis was spun out to 

commercialise the Low 

Frequency Microwave 

(LFM) Moisture Analyser 

- an on-line analysis 

instrument that delivers 

continuous, accurate 

measurements of 


moisture in the most demanding bulk 

materials handling applications. It is being 

used by operators in the iron ore and coal 

industries to improve material handling and 

environmental performance. 

Moisture control 

The Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal (DBCT) in 

Australia installed two Intalysis LFM Moisture 

Analysers to provide real-time moisture readings 

of unloaded coal on plant conveyors. They 

were calibrated against extensive ISO 

sampling, with calibrations obtained for 29 

different coal types. The unit is specifically 

designed to deliver accurate, online 

measurements of moisture in continuous 

conveyor applications. BHP Billiton Iron Ore 

is investing in multiple units as part of its 

moisture control strategy for the Marra 

Mamba ore-types. 

The DBCT analysers delivered typical 

accuracies of 0.2-0.4%, (one standard 

deviation) across the DBCT coal types. 

Measurements were achieved at the highest 

tonnage rates (up to 9,000 t/h) and 

auto-switching of calibration curves via a 

plant interface was effectively demonstrated. 

Following a successful commissioning 

period, DBCT plans to use the analysers in 

control loops for automated water addition. 

Similarly, Callidan Instruments’ Moistscan 

moisture analyser range is widely used and 

has proven to be very compatible with 

applications within the nickel sector. Typically 

Moistscan achieves an instrument precision 

of 0.7% for products which have a moisture 

Example of an Algosys Control Loop Attendant 

application. 

range of 25% - 40%. Typical applications include: 

■ De-watering circuits such as for the input 

to kiln dryers 

■ Plant feedback by analysing the output of 

the kiln dryer 

■ ROM applications for metallurgical accounting 

■ Loading ports and train load outs for 

commercial and contractual purposes. 

One of the most recent examples of 

Moistscan’s accuracy was the analysis of its 

performance on site at Queensland Nickel 

(QNI). Located in Yabulu near Townsville, 

QNI is a subsidiary of BHP Billiton and refines 

laterite nickel ore to a range of nickel products 

as well as producing cobalt. 

It is important the ore is dried to a consistent 

moisture level as variations can lead to 

process instability and unnecessary losses. 

There is also a need for moisture measurement 

to obtain a mass balance and for metallurgical 

accounting purposes. The stockpiles are 

open to the weather and hence variation in 

moisture content on receipt at the drier. 

The Moistscan performance was verified 

by taking two samples from the conveyor 

and analyzing one sample in different 

laboratories. This was then compared with 

the one minute rolling average of the 

Moistscan analyser. The conclusion was that 

the Moistscan displayed an equivalent 

accuracy to that of either laboratory. 

NDC has introduced a new model to its 

established 710 Series of on-line analysers. 

The new CM710 moisture gauge has been 

developed to provide reliable performance in 

mining’s harsh operating environments. 

Mounted 250 mm above the product on 

the conveyor and able to measure over 

fluctuating product heights, and even 

discontinuous 

product flows using 

the optional High 

Speed Gating 

system, the patented 

non-contacting 

NIR (near infrared) 

reflectance 

(backscatter) optics 

are designed for 

best accuracy and 

maximum long-term 

stability without ever 

needing to be 

recalibrated. 

The CM710 

displays the product 

moisture content on 

its full colour OI and

measurement outputs are available with a 

choice of formats, from a scalable 

analogue output to full network 

connectivity (Profibus, Modbus Plus, 

DeviceNet, Ethernet) to enable integration 

into PLCs or SCADA systems to provide 

closed-loop control of the drying process. 

Introducing closed-loop control based on the 

stable drift-free output of the CM710 

enables users to introduce energy savings 

whilst maintaining uniform product quality 

and eliminating the need for routine grab 

sampling for off-line testing. 

Advanced technology 

Finland’s IMA Engineering specializes in 

process control in mining. It is one of the 

leading suppliers of on-line xfr analyzer 

systems for industrial minerals and of on-line 

Laser-Induced Fluorescence (LIF) analyzer 

systems for rock identification in mines. Mine 

control applications cover mineral crushing, 

sorting, piling and homogenizing control with 

QuarCon on-line, on-belt analyzers. Rock 

identification applications with OreSpex on-line 

LIF-analyzers cover bulk sorting and blending, 

dilution and reagent dosage control. 

�� OreSpex has also been also used to 

measure very low phosphor contents in iron 

ore. The results show stability in the 

measurements, allowing accurate detection 

in the processes. 

The IMACON 10 and IMACON 100 

on-stream elemental analyzers are used for 

dry powder and wet slurries. New features 

in IMACON 100 make it faster and easier 

to start-up and to work with. New software 

helps, especially the less-experienced 

users, to make it work and to maintain and 

service this on-line equipment. The new 

measuring cell is designed for both heavy 

and light elements, and it has either 

standard thin Kapton window or the new 

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08/06 

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AUGUST 2006 International Mining 35


exotic - durable - diamond coated Beryllium 

window. 

Machine health 

UK Coal has implemented a ‘Reliability 

Based Maintenance’ programme using 

Emerson Process Management Machinery 

Health Management technologies. In 2005, 

the programme prevented equipment 

failures that would have resulted in a potential 

production loss of almost €1.5 million. The 

AMS Machinery Manager combines predictive 

maintenance techniques with analysis tools 

to enable easy and accurate assessment of 

machinery health. At UK Coal, AMS 

AXIOS-MINERALS 

Consistent high 

quality XRF 

analysis 


Machinery Manager documents, trends and 

communicates all details of machinery 

health, using vibration analysis, infrared 

thermography, oil analysis, ultrasonics, and 

motor diagnostics. 

Early this year, Emerson Process Management 

and OSIsoft, the leader in performance 

management software, announced availability 

of the PI Protocol Converter which continues 

connectivity of OSIsoft PI System and client 

applications to Emerson’s DeltaV digital 

automation system, a key component of the 

company’s PlantWeb ® digital plant architecture. 

The new PI Protocol Converter gives 

DeltaV owners a variety of options to integrate 

Axios-Minerals - a new sequential WDXRF spectrometer 

designed designed to support the needs of users in the mining 

industry. industry. Ideal for applications in production control 

and R & D, the system is designed to operate in harsh 

environments, environments, providing consistent high quality data across 

the complete elemental range in concentrations ranging 

from ppm to 100 wt%. 

Confi Configured gured with an integral X-Y sample handler, Axios- 

Minerals offers rapid and flexible fl exible operation. Water cooling 

ensures unmatched stability. PANalytical SuperQ software 

combined with WROXI-standards makes method set-up 

and day-to-day measurement of up to 21 common oxides 

straightforward, even for inexperienced personnel. 

When environmental analysis is required the optional Pro- 

Trace package of standards and software delivers sub-ppm 

quantification quantifi cation of trace elements with the same ease-of use. 

PANalytical quality means maximum uptime, and a fi rstclass 

support and maintenance network further ensures 

peace of mind, wherever you are in the world. 

For more information on how Axios-Minerals can work 

for you, visit www.panalytical.com or contact your local 

PANalytical specialist. 

PANalytical 

PO Box 13 

7600 AA Almelo 

The Netherlands 

T +31 (0) 546 534 444 

F +31 (0) 546 534 598 

info@panalytical.com 

www.panalytical.com 

their PI System and DeltaV environments, 

ranging from a single PI DataLink connected 

to a ProfessionalPlus station in a small plant, 

to a full PI Enterprise Server integrated into 

the larger DeltaV system implementations. 

OSIsoft delivers performance management 

software. With more than 10,000 installations 

worldwide, OSIsoft's real-time data platform 

crosses IT and process boundaries to incorporate 

and display operational information. 

SKF’s CMPT Copperhead transmitter unit 

detects faults in mineral processing machinery. 

There are several types of vibration signal 

process analyzers to monitor machines 

operating below 40 rpm. Paired with SKF 

sensors or other industrial accelerometers, 

the unit can be applied to roll presses, kilns, 

travelling grates, screens, crushers, conveyors, 

fans and mills. The CTU digitally evaluates 

machinery vibration and provides a processed 

analogue signal to detect problems such as 

loose parts, imbalance, gear and bearing 

damage, and insufficient lubrication. The units 

feature built-in acceleration enveloping, velocity, 

and acceleration analysis configurations. The CTU 

can be connected directly to existing automation 

systems or be used as a stand-alone monitor 

and alarm. Multiple monitoring points can be 

interconnected to a PC. 

New alliances 

There is a recently formed worldwide strategic 

alliance between Pavilion Technologies and 

mining/process engineering company, Hatch. 

The latter says it will provide its customers in 

mining with industry-specific solutions powered 

by Pavilion8 APC and performance 

management software. “The combination of 

best-of-breed technology and Hatch industry 

expertise will further increase production, 

reduce costs, enhance product quality and 

reduce emissions. 

“Hatch and Pavilion bring the combination 

of highly respected industry expertise and 

leading edge technology,” said Tom Fiske, 

Senior Analyst, Enterprise Applications, ARC 

Advisory Group. “This partnership can help 

mining companies solve some of their 

toughest challenges and deliver value quickly. 

Progressive companies will benefit from the 

results-driven approach of these two firms.” 

Hatch’s capabilities include working with 

refractory and non-refractory ores and can 

extend processing through to smelting and 

refining. Leveraging Pavilion8 modelling, 

control, monitoring, analysis, visualization 

and integration technologies will provide 

many advantages. “Clients of both partners

Let Let us us unlock your gold resources 

and and add add the the lustre 

FFt rom the ore Bwana to bullion Mkubwa and mine fine in gold, Zambia, Bateman the Engineering tackles any goldprocessing 

clarifiers minimise assignment crud – from formation preliminary in the test work and studies to bankable 

documents, downst 50 raising ppm of project suspended funding solids. and complete turnkey projects, covering 

all the processes needed for the effective recovery of gold. 

A low CAPEX plant. 

A gold-process plant at a heap leach operation. 

Ball mills at a gold-process plant. 

A backfill plant on a gold mine. 

■ Ore handling and preparation 

■ Feed preparation – crushing, rod and ball milling, 

autogenous and semi-autogenous milling 

■ Leaching – heap and agitated vessel 

■ Pre-concentration – flotation, dense-media separation, 

gravity concentration, photo- and radiometric sorting 

■ Refractory gold-ore treatment – roasting, bacterial and 

pressure oxidation 

■ Carbon processes – carbon-in-leach, carbon-in-pulp and 

carbon-in-solution 

■ Leach-liquor recovery – counter-current decantation 

and filtering 

■ Gold recovery from solution – electrowinning and 

zinc precipitation 

■ Gold-bullion refining – electrorefining, acid digestion, 

calcining, smelting and slag treatment 

■ Cyanide recovery and destruction 

■ Materials-handling systems – conventional, overland and 

JPC (pipe) conveyors, feeders and backfill production systems 

■ Dust and air-pollution control systems – a comprehensive 

range including bag filters, scrubbers and cartridge filters. 

lexible contract structuring accommodates projects large 

FF and small, for example reimbursable, EPCM, lump-sum, 

fixed fee or joint ventures. 

e are minerals-processing and materials-handling 

WW engineers and project managers, with in-house 

technology and the design capability to handle the largest 

turnkey projects. The Bateman Engineering Group’s track 

record numbers over 1,000 successful projects in more than 

50 countries since 1980. This includes over 60 gold-process 

plants and major modifications to existing plants worldwide. 

Bateman Engineering N.V. 

For your gold-processing requirements call us at: 

Tel: +27-11-899-9111 

Email: gold@BatemanEngineering.com 

Web: www.BatemanEngineering.com 

– process plants that work


will benefit from the insight gained from the 

perspectives of other industries regarding 

adoption of new technologies, including the 

inclusion of model predictive control in 

greenfield projects” added ARC’s Director of 

Research, Russ Novak. 

Pavilion’s mineral and mining solution is 

powered by the multi-variable, model 

predictive capability of Pavilion’s optimization 

and control software. Pavilion’s software 

enables manufacturers to control and 

optimize key production variables, resulting 

in increased production, increased yield, and 

decreased energy consumption. 

Fluent, which claims to be the world 

leader in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) 


software and services, has entered into a 

partnership with DEM Solutions, a leading 

developer of DEM (Discrete Element Method) 

software solutions. The result of 10 years R&D, 

DEM Solutions’ EDEM software enables 

engineers across a broad spectrum of industries 

– including mining – to simulate and analyze 

the behaviour of particulate matter during 

processing and material handling operations. 

Typical issues in particulate process operations 

that the software is being used to address 

include bulk handling with conveyors, chutes 

and hoppers; particle grinding; agglomeration; 

mixing; and equipment surface damage. 

John Favier, CEO of DEM Solutions, notes, 

“We are delighted to be formalizing the 

relationship with Fluent into a development 

partnership. We believe there are significant 

synergies between the solutions provided by 

our two companies and that by working 

together we will be able to rapidly develop 

commercial products that will deliver new 

and unique capabilities.” 

Ahmad Haidari Process Industry Market 

Director at Fluent added, “In our continued 

commitment to deliver high-end functionality 

and advanced solutions to the marketplace, 

we are pleased to be entering in a development 

partnership with DEM Solutions so as to 

complement Fluent’s multiphase models with 

Discrete Element Modeling capabilities.” 

Fluent's software is used to simulate, 

visualize and analyze fluid flow, heat and mass 

transfer, and chemical reactions. Using this 

software, engineers build virtual prototypes 

and simulate the performance of proposed 

and existing designs, allowing them to improve 

design quality while reducing cost and speeding 

time to market. DEM Solutions’ EDEM software 

is used for simulation, analysis and visualization 

of particulate flows and provides highresolution 

information on particle kinematics, 

momentum, heat and mass transfer. 

The latest news from DEM Solutions is that 

two leading mineral processing research groups 

– the Mineral Processing Research Unit (MPRU) 

at the University of Cape Town and the Julius 

Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre (JKMRC) 

at the University of Queensland – are to benefit 

from the latest version of the company’s 

discrete element software, EDEM 1.1. 

EDEM 1.1 is the latest update of the 

company’s core DEM product which is used 

to simulate particulate handling and 

processing operations. 

“Crushing and grinding is a highly energy 

intensive process and rising energy costs 

mean that the mineral processing industry 

must continue to improve production efficiency. 

EDEM will provide us with an advanced DEM 

simulation capability for use in the analysis 

and improved understanding of the grinding 

action in mills, improvement of ball mills and 

other comminution devices. This will enable 

us to improve the operational efficiency of 

these devices and possibly more importantly, 

extend this knowledge to substantially 

improved grinding techniques” 

Favier, added: “Both MPRI and JKMRC are 

recognized centres of excellence within the 

mineral processing industry. Their incorporation 

of EDEM into their ongoing R&D activities 

will help accelerate the wider adoption of 

EDEM across the sector”. IM

PROCESS CONTROL John Chadwick looks at new ... - InfoMine

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