STEINERT GmbH

Terra Goyana Mining (TGM) benchmark themselves in mineral research, development, beneficiation and bauxite commercialization. Representing 5.5 % of national production, the company stands out among Brazil’s largest producers. With operations at the Barro Alto mine (Goiás) and an office in Goiânia, TGM maintains a strong presence in the international market, establishing commercial relationships with partners in South America, Europe and Asia. TGM is part of the Supergram group, which operates in various sectors, including commercial bauxite extraction. Through Bautek, a producer of calcined bauxite, the group strengthens the vertical integration of its product. The company is also present in Poços de Caldas, Minas Gerais/Brazil.

To ensure a competitive product, TGM faces environmental, social and especially commercial challenges. The goal is clear: Transform compact bauxite into a material with accepted calcium and aluminium content, to meet increasingly stringent market standards. With advancement in mining operations, the need for innovative technological solutions has become even more urgent.

In this scenario, the implementation of Sensor-Based Sorting (SBS) technology emerges as a solution to meet the market requirements. Previously, material classification was done through screening only, which resulted in the retention of anorthosite a more resilient lithology rich in iron (Fe) and calcium oxide (CaO) in the coarser fractions.

As the next step in the project’s development, the creation of a new, higher-value-added product was planned. The primary requirement defined was to ensure efficient impurity removal to reduce calcium contamination below 0.15 %. Additionally, increasing the aluminium oxide (Al₂O₃) content range between 62 and 63 % would be beneficial, as it would enable the production of a premium material.

To accomplish this objective, developing a beneficiation flowsheet for the screened material would be required. Conventional bauxite processing flowsheets involve stages such as comminution, magnetic separation, washing, dewatering or flotation. It was in this context that the partnership with STEINERT Latinoamericana, a company of STEINERT GmbH, Cologne/Germany, was established, providing sensor-based sorting technology, also known as “Ore Sorting”, to the forefront of operations. Unlike conventional methods, Ore Sorting enables dry separation applying sensors that identify the ore’s composition in real time. This solution not only enhances product quality but also eliminates the need for water and tailings dams, promoting a more sustainable and efficient operation.

With this innovation, TGM not only enhances its competitiveness in the industry but also positions itself as a benchmark in sustainable mining, aligning with best environmental practices and the growing global demand for more responsible operations.

The collaboration between TGM and STEINERT began in 2022 with testing to validate the technology’s efficiency. Samples were sent to the Testing Centre in Matosinhos, Minas Gerais/Brazil, where the STEINERT KSS | XT CLI equipment which are equipped with X-ray transmission, colour, 3D laser and magnetic induction sensors to enabled precise material analysis (Figure 4).

In the first round of tests, using 2 t of samples from 1″ to 4″, the results were exceptional: a customized configuration for each material type, with a standout combination of X-ray transmission (XRT) and 3D laser, ensuring highly efficient separation.

This initial success led to a second round of testing, focused on an even greater challenge: obtaining premium bauxite with high Al₂O₃ content while reducing contaminants such as SiO₂, Fe₂O₃, CaO and MgO, in a finer size fraction of 1″ to 2″.

After fine-tuning the process, STEINERT’s technology demonstrated its full capability to:

• reject particles with high iron content;
• significantly increase Al₂O₃ levels;
• reduce impurities to meet market standards.

The second test confirmed the efficiency of XRT technology in removing contaminants, achieving the desired parameters (CaO < 0.1 %) and reducing Fe₂O₃ contamination in the reject material, which showed levels between 7 and 22 %.

TGM’s strategy for directing Ore Sorter products reinforces the zero-waste concept, enabling the production of high-value bauxite and the commercialization of reject material for various industries, such as cement, ceramics and metallurgy. This expands both sustainability and the economic feasibility of the process.

One of the improvements proposed by the STEINERT Latinoamericana team during the initial phase of the pilot plant was the use of object formation optimization technology on its software to improve particle recognition and ejection accuracy. This optimization helped counteract the effects of fines in the feed material while meeting the requirement to adjust the processed material’s particle size to 1/2″ to 2″. As a result, data accuracy increased, result variability decreased, and plant productivity improved significantly.

With the proven effectiveness of Ore Sorting, TGM acquired its first STEINERT sorting system, replicating the excellent laboratory results on an industrial scale. TGM’s ore, derived from the leaching of anorthosite, contains high calcium levels, making separation a critical challenge. The use of XRT, which correlate the atomic density of the particles, proved to be the ideal solution for this scenario, enabling precise separation of bauxite from anorthosite and ensuring operational efficiency directly at the mine.

After more than a year of operation, the partnership between TGM and STEINERT has been strengthened. STEINERT provides continuous support, with remote assistance and regular technical visits to optimize processes and make personalized adjustments in line with new market demands.

“We rely on the excellent support from the technicians at STEINERT Latinoamericana who are in constant contact with me and the operators, always ready to correct failures – something common in any process, regardless of the time,” says Osmar Ribeiro, Beneficiation Supervisor at TGM.

During the assisted operation of the pilot plant, it was observed that the variation between the two predominant seasons in the region rainy and dry directly impacts the efficiency of separation due to changes in the material’s characteristics. In response to this challenge, the STEINERT global team actively worked to mitigate the production impacts and remains constantly attentive to provide support for the improvement of mineral operations. As a result, the companies have established a solid partnership based on technical collaboration and continuous project development (Figure 2).

TGM’s process is 100 % dry, using water only for infrastructure activities. This differ­entiator is fully aligned with the company’s ESG practices, reinforcing its commitment to more sustainable mining. With the implementation of the ­STEINERT Ore Sorter technology, TGM significantly increased the selectivity of the process, resulting in cleaner, higher-quality products that can be directed to new markets with more stringent requirements, without the need for wet beneficiation. Additionally, there was an increase in available reserves, as improving classification efficiency and ore recovery allows for better use of the deposit, thereby reducing future environmental impacts.

This technological evolution not only enhanced operational efficiency but also brought the company closer to one of its main goals: achieving zero waste production, consolidating a sustainable and profitable business model. This advancement is in complete harmony with STEINERT’s philosophy, which generally promotes sustainability through innovative technological solutions. These technologies not only optimize processes and reduce waste but also reinforce the commitment to the circular economy, efficient resource use and sustainable development, aligning with environmental preservation principles and the enhancement of industrial processes.

Today, the STEINERT Ore Sorter is a strategic pillar for TGM, providing not only efficiency and quality gains but also aligning with the internal project “Mine of the Future”, which represents the level of excellence the company seeks to achieve. This project incorporates features such as environmental responsibility, innovation and maximization of mineral utilization.

The success at Barro Alto is a clear example of how technology, when properly applied, can transform challenges into solid and lasting results.

Further information/Weitere Informationen:
STEINERT GmbH
www.steinertglobal.com

The Companhia de Ferro Ligas da Bahia (Ferbasa) is located in Ipueira, a municipality in the state of Bahia in the northeast of Brazil. Ferbasa operates one of the largest chromite mines in Brazil and is considered a pioneer in the use of sensor-based sorting (SBS) technology. The company processes chromite obtained from an underground mine. The extracted material is pre-concentrated using sorting technology that employs sensors, and is later used in the production of specialized steel alloys. With a processing capacity of 12,000,000 tonnes per year, the company has been using sensor-based sorting for 10 years, in a completely dry process that separates waste from high-grade chromite.

Eriberto Nascimento Leite, Mining Director at Ferbasa, is a firm believer in this “new” technology, which is actually not new at all. The technology is already familiar to those who have had X-rays or travelled through airport security. However, this is a technology that was completely new to the mining sector 10 years ago. Eriberto explains that SBS technology makes all the difference for Ferbasa; it allows the company to avoid unnecessary processing by separating a fraction of the high-grade material from the metallurgical process feed in advance.

The benefit of this, is removing the requirement for any additional processing. In that way, particles which are not economically viable are eliminated from the process beforehand. This process is referred to as Pre-Concentration. The pre-concentration of the material precedes comminution processes, which involve high energy consumption. Thus, only valuable material undergoes this process and moves on to the concentration steps.

Beneficiation refers to various methods or processes that aim to increase the concentration of specific minerals through physical and chemical methods. Simply put, pre-concentration improves the overall productivity of a minerals processing plant. At Ferbasa, the use of sensor-based sorting technology has enabled an increase in production, in addition to reducing costs in the subsequent processes, such as comminution and the use of inputs, such as reagents.

Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) and sensor-based sorting go hand in hand
“Today, at Ferbasa, sensor-based sorting technology helps us adopt ESG practices, reducing waste, maximizing production efficiency and contributing to the conservation of natural resources”, explains Eriberto Nascimento. Nowadays, it is not only the mined ore that is processed, but also the stockpiles, which contain considerable amounts of chromium. The treatment of these piles is only possible thanks to process automation and its high-capacity levels, which reach up to 180 t/h. Stockpile treatment has the potential to increase productivity in the mine. In terms of resource use, there is potential to reduce the consumption of water, energy, and chemical reagents primarily because sensor-based sorting is a dry separation process, unlike other pre-concentration processes such as dense media separation (DMS).

How all started: from curiosity to reality
Ferbasa has always used a pre-concentration process with the aim of separating lump ore, which has a high chromite content, from the low-grade ore that goes to the concentration plant. However, this used to be a manual separation process. Bartolomeu Fonseca, the former processing manager at Ferbasa, discovered an article about sensor-based sorting technology from STEINERT. In 2012, he prepared material to be sent for tests at STEINERT’s Test and Development center in Germany, and these were successful.

The first sorting system, STEINERT XRT, is still in operation – with 34,000 hours of runtime
Ten years ago, when the first equipment was being installed, Ferbasa’s employees were sceptical about its capacity to support the adverse conditions in the mine. This is why STEINERT Latinoamericana, a subsidiary of STEINERT GmbH in Germany, offered a “try and buy agreement”. Over the years, the equipment’s high level of durability has been verified, resulting in the first unit still being in operation today, with a total of 34,000 hours of runtime. “Looking back, it was not easy to apply the technology, but I decided to move forward because I believed that the technology could be effective. Now, already retired, I am very proud of the legacy that I have left to the company”, says Bartolomeu Fonseca. “I had the full support from the mining director at that time, Wanderley Lins, but it was my responsibility to make it work.”

Strong support from STEINERT Latinoamericana with its own test center
In 2014, during the commissioning of the first sorting system, STEINERT XSS-T, many obstacles were faced – as is common with innovation projects. However, as STEINERT GmbH had already established its Latinoamericana subsidiary in Belo Horizonte and employed service technicians to help with installation, STEINERT Latinoamericana started a partnership with Ferbasa.

STEINERT’s partnership with other companies has been paramount for the development of new solutions and technologies, contributing to the evolution of the industry and conservation of the environment. In addition, the company has been investing in research and development to continue to offer increasingly efficient and sustainable solutions.

The company currently has a team of 30 collaborators who serve several mining clients in Latin America, in addition to having a test center near the office in Brazil, enabling tests to be carried out with more convenience and efficiency for local clients.

From one to six sensor-based sorting systems in just five years
Ferbasa started operating the first equipment in 2014. By 2019, it already had six units installed for the processing of ROM and low-grade stockpiles.

The production benefits from flexibility of the sorting systems, which generate waste material, pre-enriched material, and high-grade material. The processing capacities are up to 120 t/h for particles of 1 to 3 inches, reaching up to 180 t/h for particles from 2 to 5 inches. In terms of the sizes processed, the combination of sensors facilitates the separation of particles up to 5 inches; an exceptional feature that reinforces the robustness and efficiency of the equipment for the detection and ejection of extremely coarse particles. In total, recoveries reach values of up to 90%, with upgrades of up to 1,5-3 times the feed levels.

Currently, Ferbasa applies sensor-based sorting technology to process 100% of their ROM (run-of-mine), using two units from STEINERT, the STEINERT XSS T and STEINERT KSS | XT L, in a two-step process. In the first step, waste material is rejected, and in the second, pre-enriched and high-grade materials are generated. The high grade-material meets the content specifications to be sent to the metallurgic plant, while the pre-enriched material is sent to another plant to follow other concentration procedures. Furthermore, the technology is applied in the processing of low-grade stockpiles, using two STEINERT KSS | XT L units in two steps to separate waste, pre-enriched material, and high-grade material. As a result, the low-grade stockpiles are processed in an economically viable way and with high sustainability gains.

Further information/Weitere Informationen:
STEINERT GmbH
www.steinertglobal.com

When cost margins were eating away the mine’s profits, Hildebrand Wilhelm, ore processing manager for QKR Namibia Navachab operations and his team started to employ a new technology in mining: sensor-based ore sorting should upgrade the gold grade and remove useless material that will not burden on the following processes and should result in cost savings.

Since 2016 two STEINERT XSS-T X-ray transmission bulk sorting systems are installed in a 200tph production plant to upgrade the low-grade stockpile material. “What has amazed us is, that the machine is very robust. We are getting a good reliability on the units and 80-90% running time is absolutely possible”, Wilhelm says. “I think it is a challenge to pursue new technologies in a very conservative mining environment. It is very important that you are confident of the people that you work with.” Navachab gold mine took risk and learned that with Steinert’s capabilities it was possible to innovate in the mining industry, and was able to cut processing costs. “We have set up the plants such that we get about a 25% mass-pull to concentrate and we get an average of 70% gold recovery with this kind of set up – that makes sense to us. That is a profitable operation. We treat the material to the XRT machines and in general we double the grade of our input material and that is where the value is generated because then with the doubled grade the material can be profitably treated by the processes that come after that.”

New MSF pilot plant with STEINERT KSS | XT CLI at Afritin

It is a combination unit, capable of handling a throughput of between 5 t/h and 100 t/h with a 1 m working width. The unit includes an X-ray transmission sensor (XT) to identify atomic densities, two optical sensors – a color sensor (C) and a laser sensor for 3D shape information (L) – and an induction sensor (I) that detects metals. The unit was developed as a response to increasingly complex requirements in material separation. “Steinert’s technology has taken a leap forward by offering multiple sensors on a single platform. This allows for higher classification abilities, higher processing capacities, higher recoveries and improved grades,” explains John Knouwds Steinert’s area sales manager for Africa. “Having the correct combination of sensors opens up further possibilities to clean up generated products beyond the extent originally required or to add sorting stages previously assessed as not feasible.” Specially developed Steinert software also allows for the design of new detection-algorithms, which can be implemented as needed to cope with new challenges.

For additional details please write to john.knouwds@steinert.de or meet John and our Steinert Team at Mining Indaba and DRC Mining Week.

Further information:
STEINERT GmbH
www.steinertglobal.com

In 2018 an industrial mineral mine in central Mexico installed its first Steinert ore sorter to improve the run of mine grade, which had gradually been decreasing with the aging of the mine. This first successful installation was followed by two more Steinert multi-sensor sorters which are now processing most of the medium- to low-grade ROM, producing a high-grade product, which can be sold directly to the market (Figure 1). This ore sorting plant has thus enabled the mine to extend its resources to include low-grade areas which were previously below cut-off grade. Further expansions of the ore sorting plant are planned.

STEINERT GmbH, Cologne/Germany, has developed a unique concept, called multi-sensor sorting or in short STEINERT KSS. The STEINERT KSS sorting system (Figure 2) applies that concept allowing the combination of one of the three main sensors (X–ray Transmission, X-ray Fluorescence, and NIR) with all the three additional sensors (Induction, 3D laser, and Color).

The main combination for mining is the X-ray transmission sensor added by a color, a 3D laser, and an induction sensor. This approach gives customers enormous flexibility to treat very difficult minerals like fluorspar, iron ore, polymetallic ores, gold ore and others. The sensors are fine-tuned to detect to many physical properties, such as density, size, volume, brightness, color, inductivity, and conductivity. In this case, the main differentiating properties are density, size and color.

Ore sorting is gaining acceptance in the mining industry with more and more sorting plant installations worldwide. This beneficiation technology can be applied as ROM pre-concentration, to generate a higher-grade and consistent grade mill-feed. Many installations process low-grade stockpiles to recovery of valuable minerals. The main advantages of waste rock sorting are cost reduction in transport, reduced milling cost, less fines/slimes disposal and savings on water consumption.

Steinert’s Mexican client is continuously facing challenges of inconsistent grades due to waste rock dilution in their ROM ore. The sorters can be set to produce various grades of products depending on market demand for A-grade product at a premium price or lower-grade products.

Nowadays there is an increasing emphasis on responsible mining relating to sustainability, preservation, and rehabilitation of the environment, as well prioritizing a fair division of economic and financial benefits for all stakeholders. Large mining groups are rethinking their traditional mining models by applying innovative technologies to adress responsible mining issues and also to improve their competitiveness.

The Sensor-Based Sorting (SBS) technology can play a significant part of this innovation process. The use of SBS technology provides better utilization of the ore bodies, extending reserves into lower grade areas, thereby extending the mine lifespan and extending the utilization of expensive catital such as the mine and process plant infrastructure. By eliminating waste rock from downstream processes, results in the reduction of energy, water consumption and chemical reagents. It also has a direct impact on tailings generation, once gangue is eliminated on coarser size fractions. All these benefits are contributing to the current social and sustainability demands of the mining industry.

For the transformation of the mineral sector, innovation must form the fundamental basis for the long-awaited change. The digital revolution is already a reality, the concept of Industry 4.0 is increasingly used in the mining sector, and new technologies for ore treatment are progressively more accepted, especially dry processing techniques such as SBS.

The implementation of the project started with tests carried out at STEINERT Test and Development Center in Germany. Shortly after testing, STEINERT Latin American Head of Customer Support, Edwardes Dias, commissioned the first sorting system in 2018. This successful ore sorting plant consisting of three machines will be extended soon.

“STEINERT’s mining division in North and South America cooperates for the customer’s benefit”, says Vinícius Souto, Head of STEINERT Mining in Americas. “We brought together mineral processing experts, solutions consultants, service technicians, and after-sales services – all within reach when the customer needs them.”

The requirements for ore sorting applications are growing, demanding complete and flexible solutions. Facing these demands, STEINERT provides remote support that simplifies commissioning, monitoring, and control of client facilities. Besides the remote service solutions, Steinert maintains inventory of spare parts to ensure the shortest possible response time for customer support.

Further information/Weitere Informationen:
STEINERT GmbH
www.steinertglobal.com