Capital Equipment News January-February 2024

identify the properties of each particle accurately and independently of the sorter’s capacity, achieving unparalleled precision and reliability in detection and ejection. Based on their specific requirements, the mining operation has the flexibility to either enhance the throughput of the sorter while maintaining consistent sorting efficiency or improve sorting precision without compromising the existing throughput. It is a true game-changer. OBTAIN™ proves advantageous for a fully operational mine by enhancing recovery rates and elevating product quality within the existing throughput. Conversely, mines with additional capacity facilitate increased throughput without compromising product quality. Furthermore, this innovative technology can unlock untapped value from low-grade ore, waste dumps, or materials previously deemed uneconomical for processing. OBTAIN™ will also add value to a mining operation with highly detailed and accurate data, such as precise online particle-size distribution of the feed. When combined with TOMRA Insight, it can provide the customer with detailed reporting on the performance of the sorter and its components to help them optimise the process and enable them to plan for predictive maintenance. The OBTAIN™ software has been developed for TOMRA’s XRT sorters. It will be available on new models, but an upgrade package will also be available for existing machines, providing a significant opportunity for customers already operating TOMRA XRT sorters to substantially enhance the sorting performance where it proves to be a suitable solution. TOMRA has partnered with two customers to test the new OBTAIN™ in working conditions. The software has been operating for nearly 18 months at the Wolfram Bergbau & Hütten tungsten mine in Mittersill, Austria, delivering consistent and reliable performance. The vicinity of the mine to TOMRA’s development team has made it a perfect testing ground for the first phase, as they have been able to monitor it closely. A second phase of testing to quantify the improvements has been carried out with a trusted, long-standing customer in a Magnetise application. The successful tests have shown that OBTAIN™ is ready to transform sensor-based XRT sorting in numerous applications. Mining operators interested in finding out if OBTAIN™ can power up their sorting results can book a demonstration with samples from their mine at the TOMRA Test Center in Wedel, Germany. What the future holds Both Machine Learning and Deep Learning have great potential to enhance further the benefits of TOMRA Mining’s sorting technologies for mining operations. The company is constantly exploring the possibility of these technologies and pushing the boundaries to offer technical solutions for sorting previously impossible applications for sensor-based sorters. At the same time, it can use Machine Learning and Deep Learning to improve the existing sorting technology, applying them to more areas of its activity, such as better customer support, deeper analysis of the sorted material for improved control of customers’ processing plants, and predictive maintenance and monitoring of the sorter’s components. b

TOMRA Mining introduced OBTAIN™ at Mining Indaba. It uses Deep Learning for high-throughput ore sorting, revolutionising precision and unlocking value.

TOMRA’s experience with AI dates back to 1993 when it employed Machine Learning and Deep Learning in X-ray transmission (XRT) and Near-Infrared (NIR) sorters.

OBTAIN™, leveraging Deep Learning, achieves single-particle precision, enhancing recovery rates, elevating product quality, and unlocking value from low-grade ore.

OBTAIN™ underWENT successful testing consistent and reliable performance, ready for transformative applications.

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