Dr. Rob Farnfield, Head of Explosives Engineering at EPC-UK busted some rock at WipWare on October 10 and 11th. Tom and Thomas Palangio had a great visit with Rob, gave him a tour of the facilities and discussed future opportunities.

WipWare values our many ongoing relationships with businesses and business leaders in the mining industry all around the globe. It’s relationships like Rob that help WipWare grow and continue to be a industry leader in optical granulometry.

We look forward to continuing and expanding our relationship with Dr. Rob Farnfield.

Tom Palangio attended the Mines and Technology 2017 Conference in Toronto, Ontario. The conference was well attended. Tom was the Session Chair on “The Culture of Mining and the Challenge of Transition” and moderated a panel discussion at the conference around Culture and Mindset Innovation. Participating in the panel were Neil Clegg, Vice President of VIR Electric Inc; Peter Kondos, Senior Director of Strategic Technology Solutions with Barrick Gold Corporation and Nathan Stubina, Managing Director at McEwen Mining.

The Mines and Technology Event in Toronto last week was an ideal venue to hear about innovations in mining from the people doing the innovation. Tom Palangio, President of Wipware shown above with Andrew Reese, Global Industry Mgr. with Endress + Hauser from Switzerland.
Mines and Technology 2017 focuses on a range of topic areas that are of critical interest for the next-generation mine, especially in the areas of digital analytics, data and tracking systems on mines; the role of robotics in future operations and how innovation will be crucial for waste and resource management.

By: Paul Chivers

Blast prediction is tricky business. The variables are many and there are always unknowns. Achieving ideal fragmentation is critical to controlling costs for many operations.

BlastCast, a blast fragmentation prediction module recently introduced as a free enhancement to WipWare’s regarded WipFrag software, is another tool to help clients resolve fragmentation issues. Blast Cast works in conjunction with WipFrag data to help you forecast and move your fragmentation in the desired direction.

You start by entering the parameters of a particular blast. BlastCast will predict the resulting fragmentation in a particle size distribution graph. The next step is to measure the resulting fragmentation using WipFrag software to determine actual fragmentation. Drag the results into the BlastCast window to superimpose actual fragmentation over predicted fragmentation. Now you can adjust the Rock Factor slider to shift the prediction curve towards the actual fragmentation curve.

Once you have calibrated the model, you can experiment with other blast parameter sliders to see how changing the spacing might affect fragmentation or other scenarios. The more you use BlastCast, the more accurate it becomes.
An explanation of the various sliders in the BlastCast module follows:

By default, BlastCast accepts whatever size classes are set in the WipFrag Output Options.

Metric/Imperial Radio Buttons: Choose preferred unit of measurement.

KCO Model – Kuz-Ram Model Radio Buttons: Choose between KCO Model (Kuznetsov-Cunningham-Ouchterlony) containing three parameters – xmax, x50, and xB – based on the Swebrec Function, or, the Kuz-Ram Model, (Kuznetsov-Ramler) containing two parameters – xc and N – based on the Rossin-Ramler Function.

Blast Values Checkbox: Leave on most of the time. Locks top section of interface. When unchecked locks bottom section of interface. 

By: Paul Chivers

Photoanalysis system data can be used for process control or to track relative changes without calibration. However, if your goal is to replace manual sieving then calibration is required. The calibration procedure outlined below is taken from the Calibration Document which is available to photoanalysis system users after logging into the Customer Download Area of the Downloads section of the WipWare website.

Calibration is the final step for system installation and cannot occur until all hardware and software adjustments have been characterized. These include mechanical setup; optical adjustments; scale settings; trigger settings; image quality settings and edge detection parameters. If any of these variables change, the system will require recalibration.

STEP 1: Stop Belt (perform a crash stop)

Once a system has been characterized and the process is running normally calibration can begin. Note that calibration is only effective if the material is unaffected by external variables not related to normal production (i.e., slower belts, partial process shutdown, etc…).

STEP 2: Image Material

In Delta, snap an image of the material. Save the image as ‘Calibration 1.bmp’ and close it. Place a scale reference (ruler, card, paper … of known dimensions) on top of the material in the viewable area. In Delta, snap another image and save it as ‘Scale 1.bmp’ before closing it.

STEP 3: Take Material for Sieving

In Delta, open the live image view. Find and mark the upper and lower limit of the viewable material on the belt. Remove the entire sample for sieving. Do not use coning, quartering, or riffling. The whole sample must be sieved.

STEP 4: Restart Belt & Sieve

All information has been gathered and your process can be restarted. Sieve the material before proceeding to next step.

STEP 5: Set Scale Factor

In Delta, open ‘Scale 1.bmp’ and set the scale using the scale reference of known length. Because the image was opened from a file, be sure the ‘Source’ is set to ‘Image File’. Close ‘Scale 1.bmp’.

STEP 6: Set EDPs

Open ‘Calibration 1.bmp’. Open the Options menu to get to the ‘Edge Detection Parameters’ tab and take note of which EDP preset is selected for the camera you are calibrating (i.e., Camera 1). Change the ‘Source’ to ‘Image File’ and select the same EDP preset from the previous step.

STEP 7: Set Size Classes

Select the ‘Output’ tab and take note of which Size Class preset is selected for the camera you are calibrating. Change the ‘Source’ to ‘Image File’ and select the same Size Class preset from the previous step. Make sure there is no calibration preset selected. Hit Apply and OK to save your changes.

STEP 8: Get Delta Values

Hit the ‘Generate Net’ button. Hit the ‘Sieve’ button. Take note of the following values: n, Xc, b, Xmax, X50. Save the chart as ‘Delta 1.bmp’. 

STEP 9: Enter Data into Calibration Sheet (See image to the right)

By: Paul Chivers

Question: What should I use as a proper scale?

Answer: It is essential to include some type of scaling device in photographs for fragmentation analysis. It’s recommended to use any solid scaling device with a contrasting color to the material which can be laid down flat on the material in question. White is usually a good choice. 

By: Mark Wagner

Are you new to photoanalysis technology? Perhaps you have an installation, and would like to investigate other locations to improve efficiencies? Read on past the jump for some of WipWare’s most popular locations.

“Where would be an ideal location to install your technologies?” If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard that question, I’d be analyzing beach sand from my Caribbean vacation home. (To confirm that we can actually analyze down to that size, click here. To confirm that I do not have a nickel for every time I hear that question, I am still living in North Bay and it is getting chilly up here.)

I digress.

There are 5 main locations where photoanalysis technologies are installed, all of which have a similar theme of analyzing material after it has been reduced in size. I’ve listed a few (of the many) popular locations, from the mine to the mill:

Blast fragmentation: unlike conveyor belt technologies, blast fragmentation systems are providing particle sizing data that would otherwise be unquantifiable. As an example: I was working with a mining company in Canada, and when asked how they were determining blast performance, they responded with: “Well, we try to compare it just by looking at it”. By putting quantifiable values beside the material being dumped into the primary crusher, we eliminate any bias, and baseline the blasting performance.

Now, think for a second how much cheaper it would be, if you could do the majority of your material breaking in the blasting phase: Reduced crusher needs, less maintenance on equipment, and significantly reduced energy costs to name a few of the benefits of optimizing blasting procedures. That’s a lot of nickels…

Post-primary/Post-secondary crusher: Jaw. Gyratory. Cone. Whatever type of crusher you use to break down your material, if it’s primary, secondary or tertiary crushing, you should be looking into evaluating the performance of those crushers, in order to a) maximize liner life, b) make crusher gap adjustments, c) change worn out liners before oversize contaminates your stockpile, d) improve overall crusher throughput.

See, most crusher maintenance schedules are based on a fixed timeline, when in reality, many variables can affect the lifetime of the liners. Think ore hardness, size, etc.

In fact, going back to a previous blog post, you can actually begin automating that part of your process for maximum efficiency.

Screen breakages: If you need immediate screen breakage or wearing indicators, photoanalysis technologies can detect oversize material post screening extremely well. Aggregate producers, for example, see significant value in identifying out-of-spec material immediately after a screen failure has been identified.

SAG optimization: This is probably the location with the biggest potential return on investment, and is the most common first installation: Imagine controlling your stockpile blend based on continuous particle sizing information. Being able to optimize SAG feed can save an operation significant cost in a variety of areas:

Know when to feed from the coarser sides of the stockpile, or from the middle.

Improve overall throughput in a location that could otherwise be a significant bottleneck in a process.