There is no such thing as' unchanging 'in the beneficiation plants of large mines.

The ore is changing, the water quality is changing, the temperature is changing, and the equipment status is changing. Any change may affect the effectiveness of mineral processing agents. If the medication plan remains unchanged, the indicators will eventually have problems.

Therefore, the most common daily task for beneficiation engineers in large mines is "fine-tuning" - adjusting the dosing plan according to various changes at any time. Today we will talk about this never-ending 'fine-tuning'.

The ore has changed, and the medicine needs to change accordingly

The source of ore in large mines is not fixed. Dig from this mining site today and from that mining site tomorrow. The composition, hardness, and mud content of ores from different mining sites may vary.

If the ore changes, the "temper" of the medicine will also change. The previously effective collector may suddenly become ineffective; The originally appropriate dosage may suddenly become too much or too little.

How should engineers respond? There are two ways.

One is passive adjustment: first add medication according to the original plan, find that the indicators have deteriorated, and then find the reason and adjust the formula. This method has a slow response time, and by the time the problem is discovered, the loss has already been caused.

Another approach is proactive prediction: before the ore enters the factory, it is already known which mining area it comes from and what its characteristics are. According to this information, adjust the dosage scheme in advance. This method requires the mine to establish a complete database of ore properties, with a large initial investment but also significant long-term benefits.

Which method should be chosen for large mines? The answer is both. Proactive prediction is an ideal state, but there will always be situations where prediction cannot be made. Passive adjustment is a fallback measure to ensure that the indicators can be controlled within an acceptable range no matter what.

The water quality has changed, and the chemicals need to change accordingly

Many people are unaware that water quality has a significant impact on mineral processing efficiency.

The hardness, salt content, and suspended solids content of water can all affect the effectiveness of pharmaceuticals. For example, calcium and magnesium ions in hard water can react with certain agents, consuming a portion of the agents and resulting in a decrease in effectiveness.

The water in the slurry is not always constant. Mineral processing plants usually use circulating water, and the wastewater is treated and returned to the system for reuse. The components of circulating water will gradually accumulate, and over time, the water quality will change.

The water quality has changed, and engineers need to adjust the chemical plan. It may be necessary to increase the dosage of the medication to offset the consumption, or it may be necessary to switch to a less sensitive medication for water quality. Some large mines regularly test the composition of circulating water and guide the adjustment of chemicals based on the test results.

The temperature has changed, and the medicine needs to change accordingly

The reagent room in the beneficiation plant has two different scenes in summer and winter.

The temperature is high in summer, and some medicines are easy to decompose. Huangyao is a typical example - as the temperature increases, the decomposition rate accelerates and the efficacy decreases. Operators may find that the same batch of medication is not as effective in summer as in winter.

In winter, the temperature is low, and the solubility of some medicines decreases, even leading to the precipitation of crystals. The concentration of the medicine is unstable, making it difficult to control the amount added. Some drugs can become viscous at low temperatures, making pipeline transportation difficult and even blocking pipe openings.

Engineers will adjust the storage and usage of chemicals according to seasonal changes. Pay attention to ventilation and cooling in summer, and shorten the inventory cycle; Add insulation layer to the medication pipeline and heat tracing to the storage tank in winter. Some mines will design different chemical formulas for different seasons to ensure stable annual indicators.

The device status has changed, and the medication needs to change accordingly

Mineral processing equipment is not always maintained in optimal condition.

The steel balls of the ball mill have worn out, and the grinding fineness will change. The impeller of the flotation machine is worn, and the inflation rate will change. The pipeline has scaled, and the speed of drug delivery will change. These changes will affect the effectiveness of the medication.

Engineers cannot wait for the equipment to be repaired before restoring the medication plan. They need to temporarily adjust the medication plan based on the current actual status of the equipment to minimize the impact of equipment performance degradation.

For example, when the grinding fineness is not sufficient, the mineral dissociation is not sufficient, and it is difficult for the reagent to contact the target mineral. At this point, it may be necessary to increase the dosage of the agent or switch to a more effective agent to compensate for the lack of grinding.

This kind of adjustment, which operates with illness, greatly tests the experience of engineers. Because they need to try their best to maintain the indicators without decreasing when the equipment performance is not ideal. Wait until the equipment maintenance is completed and the performance is restored before returning the medication plan.

The medicine itself has changed, and the plan needs to change accordingly

Even with the same supplier and brand of medication, there may be slight differences between different batches.

Changing the origin of raw materials, adjusting the production process, and storing for a long time may all lead to fluctuations in the performance of the drug. Large mines have a high demand and frequent procurement, and are almost bound to encounter differences between batches.

How to deal with it?

One approach is to require suppliers to strictly control batch stability. Narrowing down the allowed range of fluctuations to make different batches of drugs as consistent as possible. This is a solution to the problem from the source, but there are not many suppliers who can do it.

Another way is to do your own 'compatibility testing'. For each new batch of medication, try it out in a small area first, confirm that there are no problems, and then use it in large quantities. If any differences are found from the previous batch, adjust the medication plan accordingly.

Large mines usually use two methods together. We not only impose strict requirements on suppliers, but also prepare ourselves to deal with fluctuations.

How to find the reason for the fluctuation of indicators?

The ore dressing indicators have suddenly deteriorated, and engineers need to find the cause as soon as possible. One more day of difference in indicators leads to one more day of loss.

The process of finding the cause is like a detective solving a case. To identify the true 'culprit' among numerous possible influencing factors.

Is it a problem with the ore? Check which mining area the ore entering the factory today comes from and what are the differences from yesterday's.

Is it a problem with the medication? Check which batch of medication was used today and whether the batch number is the same as yesterday's.

Is it a problem with the equipment? Ask the operator if there were any abnormalities today and if there were any alarms.

Is it a human issue? Ask the dosing worker if there have been any changes in the amount added today and if there have been any adjustments to the method of addition.

Sometimes the reason is very obvious, and it can be easily identified upon investigation. Sometimes the reasons are hidden and take a long time. Large mines will establish a standardized "problem investigation process" to investigate step by step and avoid omissions. At the same time, record the process and results of each problem investigation to form a case library for future reference.

Where is the degree of fine-tuning?

Fine tuning is not the more the better. Frequent adjustments are inherently unstable.

The operator changed the formula today and the dosage tomorrow, and the entire system keeps changing. The state that had finally stabilized was disrupted by new adjustments.

Where is the degree of fine-tuning?

The principle is to adjust only when necessary. What is' really necessary '? The indicators are clearly deviating from the target range, or there are clear signs that they are about to deviate.

The principle is: the magnitude of each adjustment should be small. Take small steps and run quickly, changing only a little bit each time, observe the effect before deciding on the next step. Significant adjustments can easily lead to overcorrection, jumping from one problem to another.

The principle is: adjustments should be recorded. It is necessary to truthfully record the time, reasons, adjustments made, and the effects after the adjustments. Without records, there is no accumulation; Without accumulation, every adjustment starts from scratch.

Large mines usually set up an "adjustment authority" - the size of the adjustment is determined by the operators themselves, the size of the adjustment requires approval from engineers, and the size of the adjustment needs to be reported to management. This ensures flexibility on site and avoids the risk of losing control.

Fine tuning the 'system' behind it

Fine tuning may seem like an individual engineer's job, but behind it is actually a complete support system in operation.

The ore property detection system allows engineers to know where the ore entering the factory today comes from and what characteristics it has. The quality control system for pharmaceuticals allows engineers to know whether the performance of the pharmaceuticals being used is stable. Online monitoring system allows engineers to see real-time changes in various parameters. The production record system enables engineers to trace the root cause of problems.

Without these systems, engineers are like "blind tuning" - tuning based on intuition, and even after tuning, they don't know if the effect is good or not. With these systems, engineers can achieve "transparent tuning" - making decisions based on data, with feedback and validation after adjustments.

The transition from "blind adjustment" to "open adjustment" is an important indicator of the improvement of mineral processing management level in large-scale mines.

Endless' fine-tuning '

The beneficiation plant of a large mine does not have a day of "debugging completion".

The ore is still changing, the water quality is still changing, the temperature is still changing, the equipment is still wearing out, and the chemicals are still improving. As long as the mine is still in operation, fine-tuning will not stop.

Mines that can do fine tuning well may not necessarily have the most advanced equipment or expensive chemicals, but they must have an experienced team of engineers and a smooth operating support system. They can maintain stability in changes and hold onto indicators in fluctuations. This ability is one of the core competencies of large mines.