Australia’s NextOre expects to install the first of its unique truck-load ore sorters at a domestic underground copper mine this year and has its sights on loader-bucket scanning to expand the use of the technology.
The company this week announced the launch of its “next-generation” OG3 sensor for mobile load sorting applications.
“With copper grades declining globally and miners under pressure to improve efficiency the magnetic resonance-enabled bulk ore sorting technology maximises metal recoveries while enabling significant reductions in energy, water and chemical consumption,” NextOre said.
“Designed specifically for underground haul trucks, the OG3 scans up to 50 tonnes of ore in under a minute, giving operators instant insights to make smarter, real-time decisions.”
NextOre commercialised MR-enabled bulk ore sorting technology originally developed by Australia’s CSIRO by focusing on conveyor belt material scanning. The company said it was expanding its footprint globally, with successful MR analyser installations in high-capacity operations such as First Quantum Minerals’ Kansanshi copper mine in Zambia and a 6500 tonnes-per-hour conveyor application in Chile.
“Our latest MR analyser provides a powerful, real-time tool that enables underground mines to optimise ore movement, reduce waste, and improve overall productivity without the need for costly infrastructure upgrades,” NextOre CEO Chris Beal said.
The OG3 sensor was based on a 3m-wide unit initially developed by CSIRO and specifically adapted for use with underground haul trucks. According to NextOre the unit is capable of analysing the grade of up to 50t of material in under a minute, providing mining operations with real-time data to inform ore routing decisions.
“Our goal has been to ensure that the sensor is easy to install, simple to operate and provides fast, actionable insights,” Beal said. “The higher the grade of the material the shorter the analysis time. Conversely, lower-grade material requires slightly longer scanning durations.”
