mining industry

When people say 'mining industry', most people immediately think of a quarry, dump trucks and noise. But those who are really in the know know that this is just the tip of the iceberg. The main battle for efficiency and safety often takes place at the level of technologies for beneficiation and separation of minerals from waste rock. This is where the fun begins, and at the same time, most of the mistakes in planning.

Magnetic separation: dealing with invisible forces

Take, for example, the beneficiation of iron ore. Many people think that a powerful magnet is enough. In reality, it all comes down to fine tuning. The strength of the magnetic field, the granulometric composition of the feed, the moisture content of the material - the slightest imbalance, and instead of a concentrate you get tailings with a high iron content. I myself went through this at one of the KMA plants: they brought a new separation line, and the technologists stubbornly tried to drive unclassified ore through it. The result was disastrous.

It is in such nuances that the professionalism of the equipment supplier lies. It's not about selling hardware, but about understanding the customer's process. Here, let's sayLONGI Corporation— their approach has always impressed me. They don't just ship magnetic separators off the assembly line. Their engineers first go to the site, look at the raw materials, at the existing circuit, and only then offer a solution. Sometimes this means upgrading just one node rather than supplying a new line. Rare in our time, meaningfulness.

On their website,https://www.ljmagnet.ruBy the way, there are no loud promises of a 'revolution in mining'. But there are specific cases of increasing extraction at already operating factories. It's much more valuable. The company, founded back in 1993, has clearly moved from simple production to complex technological solutions. When an enterprise has an area of ​​140,000 m2 and produces up to 4,000 units of equipment per year, this indicates serious capacity, but most importantly, when more than 60% of the staff have higher education, this indicates the potential for non-standard tasks.

The problem of the 'wet' process: where profits are lost

A separate headache is wet magnetic separation (WMS). It would seem that this technology has been proven for decades. But the loss of water, reagents, constant problems with drum wear and nozzle clogging... This is a constant struggle. Skimping on the quality of drum magnets is a classic mistake. A weak magnetic drive does not provide the required field gradient; the small class is simply not captured and goes into the dump.

We once tried at a gold mining plant to use dry magnetic separation for preliminary enrichment. The idea was sound: remove the magnetic fractions and simplify subsequent cyanidation. But they did not take into account dust formation and electrostatics. The installation turned into a source of constant problems with aspiration and even fires. I had to go back to the classics. The experience, of course, is negative, but valuable - now I always demand from technologists a complete analysis of the physical and chemical properties of the material, and not just its magnetic susceptibility.

In this context, by the way, productsLONGIfor dry separation always looked more thoughtful. Their designs include both dust suppression systems and static protection. It’s clear that they did it not just according to drawings, but with an eye to actual operation in the workshops. This is the very “practicality” that cannot be described in the technical data sheet.

Logistics and service: what is forgotten when purchasing

Another point that comes up sideways is the logistics of spare parts. You bought a state-of-the-art separator somewhere in Siberia, but its drive belt is non-standard, and you have to wait three months for it to arrive from the manufacturer. Downtime is more expensive than the equipment itself. Therefore, we are now increasingly looking towards localized production or, at a minimum, the presence of service centers in the region.

Here again I return to the exampleLONGI Corporation. Their production in Fushun is not just an assembly shop. They themselves produce key components, the same permanent magnets based on rare earth metals. This means the supply chain is shorter and more manageable. For a miner whose quarry operates in three shifts, such reliability often outweighs even some hypothetical “advancedness” of the European analogue.

Their history, which began in 1993, essentially ran parallel to the development of the mining complex in Eurasia. They have probably seen dozens of our typical mistakes and, I think, that is why their equipment is often devoid of “tricks” that are good in the laboratory, but unviable in a dusty workshop with a frosty winter.

Integration into process control systems: trend or necessity?

Now everyone is talking about digitalization and the 'smart quarry'. This is definitely important. But when it comes to enrichment equipment, you need to look soberly. Sensors on the separator that transmit data to the SCADA system are good. But if the separator itself is unstable, no number will help. First - reliable mechanics and physics of the process, then - digital control.

I saw attempts at one enterprise to install “smart” separators with a bunch of sensors. The sensors became clogged with sludge within a week, and the software crashed due to vibration. The engineers ended up working the old fashioned way - by eye and experience. The conclusion is simple: automation must be relevant and protected from harsh conditionsmining industry.

At the sameLONGIIn this regard, the approach is balanced. They offer options from basic manual models to fully automated lines with integration options. It's fair. Because not every mining and processing plant needs complete robotization. Sometimes it is more important to simply get a device that will work reliably for 20 years with minimal maintenance. And their statistics - 1,200 employees, many of whom are engineers - indicate that they can cover both of these requests: simple, reliable hardware, and complex automated systems.

Circular economy: the future is here

The last thing I want to talk about is the trend towards processing man-made waste. Old tailings ponds are essentially new deposits with ore already prepared. But the problem is that the material there is often finely ground, oxidized, with unpredictable properties. Standard equipment may not work here.

Working with such projects, you understand that you need not just separators, but flexible technological modules. The ability to quickly change modes and test different enrichment schemes on a small volume. This is no longer the level of an equipment supplier, but a technology partner.

Judging by the scale and direction of development,LONGI CorporationIt's just moving in this direction. Not just the sale of a unit, but participation in the creation of the entire technological chain for extracting value from 'waste'. This is the modern view ofmining industry- not only take from the depths, but also return into circulation what was once rejected. And in this sense, magnetic separation, as one of the cleanest and most energy-efficient technologies, will only increase its role. And success will be determined not by the power of the magnet, but by the depth of understanding of the entire process by those who create and maintain this equipment.