946 XXXI International Mineral Processing Congress 2024 Proceedings/Washington, DC/Sep 29–Oct 3
Total Cyclone Management
• Install auto valve on back-up cyclone in cyclone clus-
ters vs sensor on operating cyclone.
• Open back-up cyclone when detecting hard ore and
coarse grind, preventing roping and sanding
• out cells. The back-up cyclone can be a new profes-
sionally designed “regulating” cyclone for other mills.
• Use multiple variable control to maximize cyclone
pressure while opening the back-up cyclone.
• Protect the critical cyclone apexes and improve
cyclone management.
From Wemco I to Wemco II “Green” Flotation with
Controllable Natural Air Intake
• Digital One adjusts compressed air to optimize flota-
tion hydrodynamics, thermodynamics, and kinetics
together with MIBC, reagents and particles, a break-
through to boost flotation performance.
• Wemco I flotation machines therefore need to be
either replaced with ones using compressed air
or preferably upgraded to Wemco II should its
enhanced air intake be controllable by Digital One,
piloting of which now under way for Brushy Creek
and Sweetwater mills.
• Such Wemco II machine would have compressed-air
equivalent natural air intake but without air com-
pressor, a breakthrough in green technology.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors would like to thank Erwan Yap and Jeff McKay
from Metso, Gustavo Sampayo and Tarun Bhambhani
from Solvay for discussions and Victor Claremboux from
Doe Run for assistance while preparing manuscript.
REFERENCES
Mang, W., Steimel, A., Deml, A., Mangogna, B., Dix, J.,
Yap, E., McKay, J., and Romrell, C., 2024a. Digital One
Enterprise Expert Operating System on Production
Line at Doe Run’s Buick Mill—Expert Control of
Flotation, Grinding and Things (EoT). In 2024 SME
Annual Conference Technical Program. Phoenix: Society
of Mining, Metallurgy &Exploration.
Mang, W., Steimel, A., Deml, A., Hanning, R., and
Mangogna, B., 2024b. Processing Marcasite Copper
Ore with Iron Depressant, Hybrid Reagents, Advanced
Data Analytics, VisioFroth ™ and Breakthrough Expert
Control of Entire Flotation Plant—Fundamentally
Transforming Doe Run Buick Mill to Create Value
and Expand Ore Resources. In 2024 SME Annual
Conference Technical Program. Phoenix: Society of
Mining, Metallurgy &Exploration.
Mang, W., Steimel, A., Deml, A., Mangogna, B., Powell,
N., Claremboux, V., Constance, T., Sampayo, G., and
Bhambhani, T., 2024c. Development, Implementation,
and Implications of Second Modern Flotation Reagent
System at Doe Run’s Buick Mill. In 2024 SME Annual
Conference Technical Program. Phoenix: Society of
Mining, Metallurgy &Exploration.
Total Cyclone Management
• Install auto valve on back-up cyclone in cyclone clus-
ters vs sensor on operating cyclone.
• Open back-up cyclone when detecting hard ore and
coarse grind, preventing roping and sanding
• out cells. The back-up cyclone can be a new profes-
sionally designed “regulating” cyclone for other mills.
• Use multiple variable control to maximize cyclone
pressure while opening the back-up cyclone.
• Protect the critical cyclone apexes and improve
cyclone management.
From Wemco I to Wemco II “Green” Flotation with
Controllable Natural Air Intake
• Digital One adjusts compressed air to optimize flota-
tion hydrodynamics, thermodynamics, and kinetics
together with MIBC, reagents and particles, a break-
through to boost flotation performance.
• Wemco I flotation machines therefore need to be
either replaced with ones using compressed air
or preferably upgraded to Wemco II should its
enhanced air intake be controllable by Digital One,
piloting of which now under way for Brushy Creek
and Sweetwater mills.
• Such Wemco II machine would have compressed-air
equivalent natural air intake but without air com-
pressor, a breakthrough in green technology.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors would like to thank Erwan Yap and Jeff McKay
from Metso, Gustavo Sampayo and Tarun Bhambhani
from Solvay for discussions and Victor Claremboux from
Doe Run for assistance while preparing manuscript.
REFERENCES
Mang, W., Steimel, A., Deml, A., Mangogna, B., Dix, J.,
Yap, E., McKay, J., and Romrell, C., 2024a. Digital One
Enterprise Expert Operating System on Production
Line at Doe Run’s Buick Mill—Expert Control of
Flotation, Grinding and Things (EoT). In 2024 SME
Annual Conference Technical Program. Phoenix: Society
of Mining, Metallurgy &Exploration.
Mang, W., Steimel, A., Deml, A., Hanning, R., and
Mangogna, B., 2024b. Processing Marcasite Copper
Ore with Iron Depressant, Hybrid Reagents, Advanced
Data Analytics, VisioFroth ™ and Breakthrough Expert
Control of Entire Flotation Plant—Fundamentally
Transforming Doe Run Buick Mill to Create Value
and Expand Ore Resources. In 2024 SME Annual
Conference Technical Program. Phoenix: Society of
Mining, Metallurgy &Exploration.
Mang, W., Steimel, A., Deml, A., Mangogna, B., Powell,
N., Claremboux, V., Constance, T., Sampayo, G., and
Bhambhani, T., 2024c. Development, Implementation,
and Implications of Second Modern Flotation Reagent
System at Doe Run’s Buick Mill. In 2024 SME Annual
Conference Technical Program. Phoenix: Society of
Mining, Metallurgy &Exploration.