Avoid Costly Crusher Breakdowns
Ground Engaging Tools (GET) lost in ore stockpiles can cause production delays in mining environments. GET need to be identified and removed from ore before further processing. Traditional geophysical methods have limitations regarding investigation depth, object discrimination, and survey speed. The UltraTEM system overcomes these issues and enables efficient and positive identification of stockpile GET to greater depths than other technologies (thus allowing greater lifts). This new method has been tested and proven successful during production surveys in challenging environments.
The UltraTEM system can be deployed in two different primary configurations: (i) Moving Loop that focuses on rapid and efficient large-area searches; (ii) fixed loop for Ultra-Deep investigations of deep targets and for operation in geologically hostile terrain.
At the Citic-Pacific’s Cape Preston magnetite mine, GapEOD uses the UltraTEM system to detect GET that are lost in a magnetite stockpile to depths of at least 3.0 m for small-medium GET and up to 5 m for large GET. These surveys are done with the UltraTEM fixed-loop system and a push-cart receiver system. The system has been used to scan eleven different layers of the stockpile for a total scan area of 58 Ha. With a 3 m scan depth this translates to a volume of 1.7 million cubic meters of ore material scanned. In the process, over 50 pieces of GET have been recovered from the stockpile with no GET making it through to the crusher in the process. Detection depths for GET items is dependent on the size of the items of interest and geophysical background response of the ore stockpile. A survey trial is the best way to establish the detection thresholds for a specific site.
For more information on GapEOD’s UltraTEM GET technology and systems please contact us.