Tag Archives: ECS/ProcessExpert

FLSmidth out to optimise closed-circuit grinding operations with KREBS SmartCyclone tech

Efficient operation and minimal downtime are crucial for maintaining productivity and profitability in grinding circuits and, to address these challenges, many operations are opting for the KREBS® SmartCyclone™ technology from FLSmidth, according to the OEM.

Abrie Schutte, Senior Applications Engineer at FLSmidth responsible for the KREBS pumps cyclones and valves product business line, says this innovative technology combines advanced monitoring and automation features to optimise closed-circuit grinding operations.

“SmartCyclone integrates various components and software to provide a comprehensive solution for grinding circuit management, and significantly incorporates roping sensor technology, wear detection technology, a wireless controller system and ECS/ProcessExpert® process control software,” Schutte says. “End-users have found that by leveraging these elements, maintenance planning is enhanced, wear reduced and there is an overall improvement in grinding circuit performance.”

The wear detection technology of SmartCyclone employs specialised sensors to monitor the wear status of cyclone components. This real-time information enables operators to proactively plan for part replacements and schedule maintenance activities, minimising unexpected downtime caused by component failures.

Schutte further explains that an automated monitoring system is a key feature of SmartCyclone.

“This is important as it allows operators to detect wear and troubleshoot issues from a centralised control room, eliminating the need for manual equipment inspections with a reduction in associated risks,” he says.

By promptly identifying and addressing potential problems, process disruptions are minimised, ensuring optimal performance of the grinding circuit.

The SmartCyclone system also includes a roping detection feature, which identifies and corrects disturbances known as “roping”. Overloaded cyclones or those experiencing roping can lead to increased bypass of coarse solids to the overflow and greater particle size variation.

“This accumulation of slurry can adversely affect downstream equipment, such as flotation cells,” Schutte says. “By monitoring and detecting roping, operators can confidently operate the plant closer to its limits, thereby increasing production capacity and improving mineral recovery.”

By integrating SmartCyclone with ECS/ProcessExpert software, the grinding circuit’s performance can be further optimised, according to FLSmidth. The system dynamically adjusts variables such as water addition, pump speed and the number of operating cyclones based on real-time data from SmartCyclone sensors. This continuous optimisation enhances particle size distribution, maximises mineral recovery and improves the overall efficiency of the grinding circuit, it says.

SmartCyclone offers a comprehensive solution for closed-circuit grinding operations, FLSmidth says. By leveraging advanced sensor technologies, automated monitoring and process control software, this system empowers operators to enhance maintenance planning, reduce wear and optimise the performance of their grinding circuits.

Schutte concluded: “With its ability to detect early warning signs, troubleshoot potential issues and dynamically adjust variables, SmartCyclone sets a new standard for smart and efficient grinding circuit management.”

FLSmidth’s digital R&D bearing fruit at the right time

As miners look for more digital solutions to ensure they can cope with the challenges that come with operating through exceptional circumstances like COVID-19, FLSmidth is leveraging decades of research and development to help them make this transition.

Terence Osborn, FLSmidth’s Director of Product and Account Management for sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, highlights that R&D is the lifeblood of the company’s new technologies. So much so, that it has some 80 projects underway to improve its mining-related offerings.

“The power of digital technology is certainly a key element of these efforts,” Osborn says. “Together with our Blue Box digital concept, based on our ECS/ControlCenter™, which is a cybersecure interface between our equipment and cloud data storage, we use our SiteConnect™ mobile app to monitor the performance of equipment and process plants in real time. The ECS/ControlCenter V8 process control platform sits at the heart of our digital vision, a key component in our growing portfolio of digital solutions and services that we call ENABLR.”

An example of this applied capability is an FLSmidth REFLUX® Classifier modular plant operating on a South Africa mine. Using SiteConnect, operations managers can have real-time access to over a hundred operational parameters on the plant. Data analytics linked to the cloud data can also generate time-based trends for instant viewing on the app.

“We have also developed SmartCyclone™ technology for our hydrocyclones,” Osborn noted. “This innovation uses sensors to detect wear and roping, a condition that reduces separation efficiency. By sending an alert when certain operating parameters are breached, the system ensures optimal efficiency is maintained, even as slurry conditions in the circuit vary.”

He highlights that the company’s machine-level solutions are offered as part of plant and process packages. At both plant and process level, there is also FLSmidth’s advanced ECS/ProcessExpert® solutions, which facilitate not just monitoring and control, but advanced optimisation enabled by state-of-the-art artificial intelligence technologies.

“It is important to remember that control systems need to be flexible, so that they adapt to customers’ needs and to their existing systems,” Osborn says. “With FLSmidth’s depth of expertise in software engineering and machine control, we can ensure that our machine-level systems connect with all market leading control systems – to seamlessly deliver the data that mines need for effective decision making.”

The company’s R&D pushes the boundaries of performance in a range of mineral processing fields. These include advancing its lamella plate technology in mineral separation applications, adapting its vertical roller mill for dry grinding in mining, and extending wear life of pumps with new polymers.