Optimization of grinding and flotation

process by the implementation of smart

systems
Romn Cruz Ortega
Minera Mexicana la Cinega, Mexico

Minera Mexicana la Cienega has three Smart Process Plant modules: the SAG
Milling and the Balls Milling projects, implemented from August, 2006 to January
2007 and the Flotation project from June 2007 to June 2008, with an ongoing
optimisation and logic verification in 2009.

METHODOLOGY
The implementation of the Smart Process System for the milling circuit required the execution of some
previous tasks. After the completion of these preliminary tasks the implementation of the Smart Process
Systems was carried out.
The previous tasks included changes in the circuit, a review of instrumentation and the execution of some
simulations. Specifically the following tasks were conducted:
Sampling and mass balance for the SAG-Ball mill circuit
Change the ball mill circuit from parallel to series

The original parallel ball mill circuit had a design problem in

the sump used to transfer mineral from the SAG mill to the
ball mill. This problem had the effect of variations in the
circulating load and instability in the product sent to the
flotation stage. By working with simulations using
JKSimMet software [5], was identified a change that make
possible to eliminate the mentioned problem. The change
consisted in the change of the ball mill circuit configuration
from a parallel to a series configuration. The new series
milling circuit is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1 New series milling circuit

Table 1 Automatic water feed calculation for the SAG mill

Flow
% Fresh Load
Mineral
Water to SAG
Pebbles
4.0
Unloading SAG

SAG mill Percent Solids

Feed/ Water ratio configuration
SG
Water and solids tph water lt/min % Humidity % Solids
2.8
110.0
73.9
4.0
1
38.2
637.5
100.0
2.8
4.4
5.2
7.0
72.089

In order to comply with the particle size required in the product for
the flotation process, two particle analysers PSI-200 were installed,
after collecting fines from the cyclones connected to the SAG mill
and the ball mill, in order to have real time data. Figure 2 shows the
calibration chart obtained from the software of the equipment PSI200 in which a good correlation between the data generated in line
by the equipment and the results of the laboratory can be seen

SINTONIA DEL LAZO DE CONTROL EN EL MOLINO DE BOLAS

Tuning
of the control Loops in the ball mill

Figure 2 Linear regression of the equipment PSI-200

for the fine grading samples to flotation

60

80
70

50

60

45
40

50

35

40

30

30

25
20

20
VP nivel de cajon

15

SP nivel de cajn

10

velocidad bomba
7:50

7:27

7:04

6:41

6:18

5:55

5:32

5:09

4:46

4:23

4:00

3:37

3:14

2:51

2:28

2:05

1:42

1:19

0:56

0:33

0:10

23:47

0
23:24

10
23:01

It was also necessary to complement the instrumentation

with: a control valve for the feeding of the SAG mill, a power
monitoring equipment is used to monitor the power
consumption on line for the ball mills, flow meters to monitor
the water in ball mills, control valves and pressure
transmitters for the cyclones. On the other hand all the
control loops that operated in the process are tuned to take
advantage of the instrumentation already in the process. In
Figure 3 the behaviour of the variable observed for the
sump level in the discharge of the mill after the tuning is
very stable.

Nivel Level
de cajon
Sump
(%)(%)

55

velocidad
bomba
(Hz)
Speed
of pump
(Hz)

Linear regression
between laboratory
grading & PSI-200

Tiempo
(min)
Time (min)

Figure 3 Tuning of the control loops for the sump level in mill
number two

For the implementation of the flotation Smart Process Plant Systems the following activities were
realised:
Back log information analysis on the use of reagents from the operators logs
addition of Aerophine to primary flotation lead cells

Addition of Aerophine on ml

140.00

A year of historical information was used to determine the best

balance in the addition of reagents like: cyanide of sodium, copper
sulphate, aerophine, xanthate and frother.
Using this information, a correlation between the (Pb and Zn) head
grade and the addition of each reagent was made in order to obtain
the amount of reagent to be used according to the ore grade of the
head.

130.00
120.00
110.00
100.00
90.00
80.00
-0.5

0.5

1.5

2.5

3.5

Head grade calculate g/t

Primary cell of Lead

addition of Aerophine to primary flotation lead cells

Figure 4 Correlation between the Pb head grade and

the addition of reagent aerophine

Adding the necessary instrumentation to the control loops

In order to install the smart process software it was necessary to
install some instruments and redesign some automatic control
loops. Flow metres and pumps were required for adding the
reagents in accordance with the tonnage fed in to the mills.
The analyser MSA (Multi-Stream Analyzer) and MEP (Multi
Element Probe) were recalibrated to assure the readings for each
element. Ten cameras of the Met-Cam system were installed to
be able to measure the froth velocity.

Figure 5 METCam System used to measure the froth velocity

in the flotation cells

Implementation of the Smart Process Plant System

The implementation of the Smart Process Plant System consists of four main stages:
Survey of the operators methodology to make adjustments to the process
Using the information obtained from the operators methodology to develop program logic
Implementation and fine tuning
Optimisation

Survey the operators methodology to make adjustments to the process for the Smart Process Plant
System

The first stage to implement the Smart Process Plant System was to
survey the operators methodology for the SAG and ball milling and
flotation logic programming; this logic is designed by interviewing the
personnel of the area to find out the best operative practices. Once the
information is reviewed and approved by the process supervisors, it is
represented in a logical diagram. An example of the addition of the
frother to the lead circuit is showed.

Figure 6 Logic diagram for control in the addition of

frother

Using the information obtained from the operators methodology to develop program logic
Once the logic diagrams are accepted by the operators and supervisors, the programming technicians design and write the
program needed in the Smart Systems Server. Once this program is on line it changes the set point for all the variables that
control the process.

Implementation and fine-tuning

Once the response times are re programmed, the
following stage begins. It consists in obtaining a finetuning analysing the behaviour of the variables during
the operation, the response times of the process in
respect to the manipulated variables, adjustments that
are made in the states of the variables and those of set
point. In the same way aspects that physically influence
in the behaviour of the process are corrected and
improvements are realised to complement the
development of the expert. Figure 7 shows the stability
that was reached in the process when the fine-tuning
process finalised.

MILLING SAG OPERATION BY IMPLEMENTATION AND FINE TUNING

250

1400
1200
1000

150

800
600

100

Power (Kw)

Feeding (ton / hr)

200

400
50
200

23:15

21:15
22:15

20:15

19:15

18:15

17:15

16:15

15:15

05:25
06:25

04:25

03:25

02:25

01:25

00:25

23:25

Tonnagesintonia
Fine Tuning
tonelaje
fina
potencia
sintonia
Power Fine
Tuningfina

21:25
22:25

20:25

19:25

18:29

17:30

16:30

15:30

13:30
14:30

12:30

11:30

10:30

09:30

08:30

07:30

05:30
06:30

04:30

03:30

02:30

01:30

00:30

Tonnage sintonia
Implementation
tonelaje
gruesaTuning
Potencia
sintonia gruesa
Power Implementation
Tuning

Time (min)

IMPLEMENTATION AND FINE TUNING IN THE ADDITION OF

REAGENTS

Figure 7 Stability of the process with fine tuning

30

25

Implementation Tuning
Xanthate Addition
variability: 11.27

In the case of the addition of reagents, improvements

in the stability and saving were observed due to a
better control, as shown in the following figure.

g/t

20

Fine Tuning
Xanthate Addition
variability: 9.06

15

10

0
0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

Samples

Figure 8 Xanthate addition in the Implementation and fine tuning

Optimisation

Optimisation of the Smart Process Plant Systems requires a period

of learning on the part of the operators, during this time it is
necessary to maintain a program of qualification for the personnel
of: operation, instrumentation and administrators of the system in
order to reach its maximum benefit.

Figure 9 Diagram with variables for the use of the Smart

Process Plant Systems SAG/Ball

A close communication between the administrative

and technical personnel of the system is needed to
maintain and solve setbacks in the operation of the
Smart Process Plant Systems

Figure 10 States of logic in the lead circuit

RESULTS, SAG Milling and the Balls Milling projects

Table 2 An increase of tonnes crushed when implementing the smart system in the milling circuit

PROJECTS GLOBAL RESULTS CHART

RESULTS
SMART
PARALLEL
SERIES
PARALLEL
SYSTEM
64.71
73.27
72.04
13.22
91.05
92.99
97.51
2.13

GRADING (% - 200 meshes)

GRINDING (ton / hr )

GRANDING % -200 IN TURN FEB 2006 A FEB 2007

100
Before Project
90
80

% -200 #

70
60
50

PARALLEL CIRCUIT
64.7 %

40

SERIESCIRCUIT
73.3 %

SERIES CIRCUIT WITH

SMART SYSTEM
72.0 %

30

After Project

20
0

200

400

600

800

1000

Shift

Figure 11 Comparison of grinding before and after the project

% INCREASE
SERIES

SMART SYSTEM

- 1.67
4.97

11.55
7.10

RESULTS, Flotation Smart Process Plant System

A Lead and Zinc recovery of 64.46% and 48.18% respectively, was obtained
Stability of the reagents addition was improved, and this helped to stay within the parameters of the monthly consumption budget
Decreasing spills of the main and scavengers tanks because of process stability
The percentage of use of the Flotation Smart System was:
PrimarySecondary cells Pb: 81.26%; Cleaner Pb: 91.95%
Primary Zn: 90.08%; Cleaners Zn 63.13%
Reagents Pb: 73.59%; Reagents Zn: 83.53%; and General 82.32%.
Table 3.Without Smart System & With Smart System
Variance
Without Smart
System

with Smart
System

% Diff

Without Smart
System

with Smart
System

Recovery Pb

62.29

64.46

2.17

129.26

104.72

Grade Pb

42.64

42.22

-0.41

75.6

56.97

Head Grade Pb

1.4

1.44

0.04

0.08

0.11

Tails Pb

0.25

0.22

-0.03

0.05

0.03

Table 4.Without Smart System & With Smart System

Variance
Without Smart
System

with Smart
System

% Diff

Without Smart
System

with Smart
System

Recovery Zn

45.63

48.18

2.55

136.04

95.15

Grade Zn

52.25

51.93

-0.32

25.55

21.02

Head Grade Zn

2.22

2.36

0.14

0.1

0.19

Tails Zn

0.53

0.44

-0.09

-0.04

0.03

CONCLUSIONS
By implementing the smart system in the milling area, a major SAG mill fed stability was obtained, thus
obtaining a 7.1% increase of the milling capacity. For the product sent to flotation, classification was
improved to less than 200 mesh by 11.5%.
As result of milling capacity, grade and recovery improvement, an extra 3.5% in net sales was increased.
A significant improvement in recovery of lead and zinc of 2.17% and 2.55% respectively, plus a considerable
reduction in the consumption of reagents was obtained.
Flotation circuits stability was significantly improved, for the grade and recovery in lead circuit of 18.63%
and 24% in variance respectively and for grade and recovery in zinc circuit of 4.53% and 40.89% in variance
respectively.
Additional benefits of the smart system installation:
Training and knowledge development for supervisors and operators
Higher economical incentives for the personnel because of the increase in milled tonnes recovered and
fewer costs
Opportunity for the operations personnel to analyse and integrate information for decision-making

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We want to thank the group of people who collaborated in the realisation of this project, executive personnel; Dr. Rodolfo
Espinosa, Ing. Joaqun Barba; line operators, Vernica Rodrguez, Heladio Gonzlez, Jorge Pinales, Nicols Guzmn,
Isidro Guzmn, Claudia Carrola. Translations support Omar Pinedo.