One of Emerson’s Principle Consultants, Lou Heavner, was recently asked a series of questions about process optimization in the mining industry. Here are Lou’s answers to the questions asked.
Metals, Mining, Minerals
Improving Tailings Management in Mining Operations
Andy Coxall joins podcast host Jim Cahill to discuss the challenges in tailings management, the problems with valves not suited for this severe-service application, and why severe-service knife gate valve technology such as the Clarkson KS1 is the best choice for these challenging slurry applications.
Improving Mining Shovel Performance
In an Engineering and Mining Journal Article, Shovel Service Suppliers Help Cut Costs, CO2, Emerson’s Tom Francisco joins other mining experts to describe ways to extend the life and improve maintenance practices on these critical assets for mining operators.
Transforming Mines, and Ore Processing Plants
Mining pits and ore processing plants avoid failure thereby reducing reactive maintenance cost, as well as avoiding unplanned downtime and associated opportunity cost. Reduced preventive maintenance means reduced cost and associated inspection manpower, freeing personnel up for other tasks. Finally, reduced preventive maintenance outage and associated opportunity cost.
Expert Advice for Implementing Analytics
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are rapidly changing the way organizations leverage analytics. These systems enable complex analysis that human beings simply cannot perform manually, making it possible to solve difficult problems and identify...
Tailings Valve Difficult Choices
Alek Duerksen’s Global Mining Review article, Making the Difficult Choices, describes the difficulties of tailing disposal and provides suggestions for choosing the proper automated isolation valves for this application.
Safe, Reliable and Efficient Crushing and Grinding in Mining Operations
In mining operations, the comminution process reduces the mined solid materials through crushing, grinding and other means. SAG and Ball mills are one of the most critical pieces of equipment for the process. Mining operators need to optimize grinding mill performance, and reliability to ensure tight shutoff.
Enhance Your Mining Water Management Strategies
Cristián Doerr notes that many industries have dealt with the corrosive issues of salt water for decades and have learned over the years where they can get away with standard practices, and where they are better off investing in more corrosion resistance.
Improving Mining Critical Asset Performance
To drive improvements in safety and reliability, it’s important to get real-time insight in the health of the critical mining assets. Not only can additional sensors provide early indication of asset performance issues, the use of preconfigured applications that use machine learning algorithms to continuously analyze process data and condition-based data can alert decision makers to act before failures occur.
Improving Mining Personnel Safety Performance
Safety is of paramount importance in mining operations—both personnel and process. But what role can today’s rapidly advancing technologies play? From a personnel safety standpoint, miners need identification of personnel in case of emergency with access control and record of working hours inside the mine.
Automating and Optimizing Copper Heap Leaching Processes
Mining and refining copper into the purity required poses safety, efficiency, and reliability challenges for global miners.
Optimizing Hydrocyclone Separation Processes
This hydrocyclone separation control and optimization application addresses the problems associated with roping, plugging, and undesired particle classification. It characterizes the different operating parameters of each cyclone. Having this information per cyclone allows the execution of efficient control strategies.
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The opinions expressed here are the personal opinions of the authors. Content published here is not read or approved by Emerson before it is posted and does not necessarily represent the views and opinions of Emerson.