Tag Archives: VisioPellet

Metso updates Optimus Pellet optimiser with digital enhancements

Automation, Comminution of minerals, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining, , , ,

Metso is introducing a new version of the Optimus™ Pellet optimiser to, it says, further strengthen its digital offering for traveling grate iron ore pelletising plants.

Optimus Pellet optimiser is a digital optimiser system which runs the pellet plants at maximum profitability full automatically. The upgrade contains new embedded process intelligence that can assist plant operators in making smart situational operating decisions and implement those decisions with modern advanced process control methods, according to the company.

The Optimus Pellet optimiser leverages a highly detailed thermodynamic grate model, which is now backed by operational data. It can control the relevant parts of the process, including gas fans and dampers, and indurating temperature profile, thus ensuring the processes run at the desired operating range. Moreover, it issues advice and warnings to operators to reveal important information about process bottlenecks that may otherwise go unnoticed.

Robert Schiemann, Senior R&D Manager, Ferrous and Heat Transfer at Metso, said: “As an advanced process control and expert system, the Optimus Pellet optimiser runs the pellet indurating plant automatically in the situationally best way to optimise the performance and, thus, the profitability of plant operation. It finds the optimal plant operating point and pursues it with advanced state-of-the-art control methods to ensure operational stability, optimal plant operation and efficiency. Our pellet plant process expertise forms the core of this unique optimiser. This functionality has been upgraded to increase the operational benefits even further.”

Optimus Pellet is part of Metso’s exhaustive suite of digital pellet plant solutions for iron ore pelletising plants that help improve process performance, production capacity and product quality, as well as reduce energy consumption, the environmental impact and operation and maintenance costs. These solutions include VisioPellet, Pallet Car Condition Monitoring System and Training simulator, among others.

Metso Outotec launches carbon-neutral and autonomous pelletising concept

Automation, Comminution of minerals, Environmental, Mineral processing, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , ,

Metso Outotec is launching NextGen Pelletizing™, a visionary concept for the next generation of pelletising plants that, it says, strive to be carbon-neutral and autonomous.

This concept is a part of the company’s Planet Positive offering focused on environmentally efficient technologies.

Attaul Ahmad, Vice President, Ferrous and Heat Transfer business at Metso Outotec, said: “NextGen Pelletizing is yet further proof of our strong commitment to building innovative pelletising solutions that are sustainable and contribute to climate targets. It offers significant benefits and will help the industry decarbonise, providing an 80-90% reduction in CO2 emissions.”

NextGen Pelletizing offers unmatched benefits, according to the company, including further energy reductions of 5-10%, production and availability increases of 10-15%, and improved product homogeneity and quality to support the transition of the steel industry.

The concept considers all relevant factors for energy efficiency, plant production and pellet quality to enable a holistic optimisation of the performance of the pelletising process, the company says. It follows a modular approach to minimise the sources of CO2 from the three carbon-intensive steps involved in pelletising and introduces further improved gas schemes, advanced combustion and burner technology (low NOx, hydrogen, and alternative fuels) as well as increased plant stability and performance through advanced process control.

Matthias Gabriel, Director, Ferrous technologies at Metso Outotec, added: “Pelletising is and will remain crucial in the future for the industry’s transition to green, carbon-neutral steel production. I am really excited about NextGen Pelletizing, which I firmly believe will completely revolutionise the way pelletising plants are built or operated in the future.

“The best part about NextGen Pelletizing is that it can be implemented fully or in parts, depending on the customer needs. And it can be easily upgraded in existing plants. Our experts will continue to evolve this vision with improved and innovative processes and tools.”

As the original inventor of the pelletising process, Metso Outotec’s NextGen Pelletizing also offers an exhaustive suite of digital solutions that help improve process performance, production capacity, and product quality as well as reduce energy consumption, environmental impact, and operation and maintenance costs, Metso Outotec says. These solutions include VisioPellet™ , Ferroflame LowNox burner, the Pallet Car Condition Monitoring System, and the Training Simulator, among others.

Metso Outotec has an installed worldwide base of over 120 pelletising plants.

Metso Outotec consolidates, adds to minerals and hydromet digital tools with Sense series

Automation, Comminution of minerals, IoT, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, Mining software, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Metso Outotec has reorganised its portfolio of intelligent instruments under the Sense series; tools that are designed to solve specific process challenges and enable optimisation for minerals and hydrometallurgical processes.

The market’s most comprehensive portfolio of intelligent instruments is part of Metso Outotec’s Planet Positive offering, the company said. Covering the entire flowsheet, Sense series instruments are suited for both new and existing operations.

“Metso Outotec Sense series includes specialised instruments that provide data for analytics and a better understanding of processes,” Veli-Matti Järvinen, Vice President, Automation product group at Metso Outotec, said. “They utilise the latest technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and neural networks for extra insight. These additional tools for process problem solving and data mining can significantly help improve production within customer operations.”

Included in the series are:

Metso Outotec FrothSense+™ – takes flotation optimisation to the next level with the latest technology and capabilities. It has completely new and redesigned software and hardware. It includes the best features from two legacy systems, FrothSense and VisioFroth™, and adds new capabilities such as froth height measurement, history analysis and AI with deep learning algorithms to detect flotation properties.

The new Metso Outotec RockSense™ product family will take comminution optimisation to the next level with better knowledge of particle size distribution (PSD) on the belt, the company says. RockSense consists of a renewed, two-level offering: RockSense 3D and RockSense 2D, formerly known as VisioRock™. They enable online, continuous on-belt coarse PSD. RockSense 3D also adds new capabilities with AI and deep learning algorithms to detect oversized lumps and foreign objects, for example.

Metso Outotec MillSense™ provides online volumetric charge analysis by direct measurement of charge position. It is now available, together with SmartEar™, as a bundle. SmartEar uses sound to give an additional measurement of charge impacts and liner wear. The bundle fuses acoustic, vibration and force sensor information for improved online analytics of mill operations. This enables new ways of optimising grinding performance, according to Metso Outotec.

In total, Metso Outotec intelligent instruments include more than 10 technologies to optimise the mining process:

  • RockSense 2D: An online particle size analyser system for rocks moving on a conveyor belt that uses 2D imaging technology;
  • RockSense 3D: Accurate, continuous on belt coarse particle size distribution and volume flow using 3D imaging;
  • MillSense: Analysis of toe and shoulder position and total volume of the charge. Enables load control and mill optimisation;
  • FrothSense+: New system with best features and capabilities for froth flotation analysis. It adds AI neural network, multiple regions of interest and froth height measurement;
  • CycloneSense™: An online measurement of hydrocyclone air core data enables measuring and visualisation of their performance.
  • LevelSense™: Using electrical impedance tomography, LevelSense improves the slurry level measurement of flotation cells;
  • CarbonSense™: An online measurement of carbon concentration in carbon-in-pulp and carbon-in-leach applications;
  • CellSense™: Tankhouse monitoring system that automatically measures electrolyte temperature and voltage in individual cells;
  • SmartEar: Online impact analyser uses sound to provide additional measurements of charge impacts and lifter/liner wear;
  • VisioTruck™: Advanced vision technology for estimating rock size distribution of mine truck loads;
  • SmartTag™: An innovative system for open-pit and underground mines to track ore from the mine to the processing plant, and beyond; and
  • VisioPellet™: A pellet size-control system that measures the size of green pellets using proven camera technology installed in a pelletising disc or drum.