3
banks, and 1 VisioFroth ™ camera installed for the first cell
of the first cleaner, and 2 VisioFroth ™ cameras installed for
the first cell of each secondary cleaner.
EXPERT FLOTATION FROM
VISIOFROTH™ TO ENTERPRISE DIGITAL
ONE ON PRODUCTION LINE
Mill control room operators operate flotation cells, relying
on the visual observation of complex and changing froth
appearances and online XRF assay readings to detect any
disturbance in the plant. If there is any variance of the pro-
duction target, then the operator identifies the causes, and,
based on their knowledge and experiences, they react. They
will adjust cell operating conditions and reagents to drive
production back to target.
To expert control complex flotation processes,
VisioFroth ™ needs to consolidate operators’ diverse empir-
ical references, often unreliable, into its quantitative bubble
parameters and characteristics, first and foremost the froth
velocity. This is a foundation to build expert flotation con-
trol and extend it to the mill enterprise expert control and
operating system, termed Digital One on Production Line,
the goal set to achieve.
Given that Doe Run’s Buick Mine operation has so
many varieties of ores processing in the mill, the interre-
lated variables (feed grade, mineralogy, flotation thermody-
namics and kinetics, reagents, and operational conditions)
contribute to instability of flotation, the ores change and
delay in assay reading also add to lost opportunity for
improving recovery.
Advanced automatic flotation expert control therefore
needs to operate the essences of floatation such as flota-
tion reagents, bulk and in particular Buick Mill’s 2nd mod-
ern reagent system of powerful selective collectors and
depressants. This is another foundation and coincides with
introduction and implementation of VisioFroth ™ and
development and applications of Digital One enterprise
mill expert control and operating system.
Air and frother are critical in generating acceptable
air and froth bubbles, both of which are always changing
and varying, and even more critical in imparting desir-
able bubble characteristics for flotation. Digital One needs
to include and adjust air and MIBC dynamically and in
real time to optimize froth characteristics and flotation
performance.
Heretofore, mill operators using and interacting with
Digital One can automatically adjust the level of flotation
cells and reagents including air and MIBC to get a desired
mass pull out of the cells, and with the confirmation of
XRF online assay readings (which are delayed about 15 to
20 minutes) to achieve grade and recovery targets.
VisioFroth ™, froth velocity, has a strong correlation
with concentrate tonnage flow (mass pull) from flotation
cells (Runge et al., 2007). The data from the cameras is used
Figure 1. Buick Mill Process Flowsheet
banks, and 1 VisioFroth ™ camera installed for the first cell
of the first cleaner, and 2 VisioFroth ™ cameras installed for
the first cell of each secondary cleaner.
EXPERT FLOTATION FROM
VISIOFROTH™ TO ENTERPRISE DIGITAL
ONE ON PRODUCTION LINE
Mill control room operators operate flotation cells, relying
on the visual observation of complex and changing froth
appearances and online XRF assay readings to detect any
disturbance in the plant. If there is any variance of the pro-
duction target, then the operator identifies the causes, and,
based on their knowledge and experiences, they react. They
will adjust cell operating conditions and reagents to drive
production back to target.
To expert control complex flotation processes,
VisioFroth ™ needs to consolidate operators’ diverse empir-
ical references, often unreliable, into its quantitative bubble
parameters and characteristics, first and foremost the froth
velocity. This is a foundation to build expert flotation con-
trol and extend it to the mill enterprise expert control and
operating system, termed Digital One on Production Line,
the goal set to achieve.
Given that Doe Run’s Buick Mine operation has so
many varieties of ores processing in the mill, the interre-
lated variables (feed grade, mineralogy, flotation thermody-
namics and kinetics, reagents, and operational conditions)
contribute to instability of flotation, the ores change and
delay in assay reading also add to lost opportunity for
improving recovery.
Advanced automatic flotation expert control therefore
needs to operate the essences of floatation such as flota-
tion reagents, bulk and in particular Buick Mill’s 2nd mod-
ern reagent system of powerful selective collectors and
depressants. This is another foundation and coincides with
introduction and implementation of VisioFroth ™ and
development and applications of Digital One enterprise
mill expert control and operating system.
Air and frother are critical in generating acceptable
air and froth bubbles, both of which are always changing
and varying, and even more critical in imparting desir-
able bubble characteristics for flotation. Digital One needs
to include and adjust air and MIBC dynamically and in
real time to optimize froth characteristics and flotation
performance.
Heretofore, mill operators using and interacting with
Digital One can automatically adjust the level of flotation
cells and reagents including air and MIBC to get a desired
mass pull out of the cells, and with the confirmation of
XRF online assay readings (which are delayed about 15 to
20 minutes) to achieve grade and recovery targets.
VisioFroth ™, froth velocity, has a strong correlation
with concentrate tonnage flow (mass pull) from flotation
cells (Runge et al., 2007). The data from the cameras is used
Figure 1. Buick Mill Process Flowsheet