Kazchrome, a subsidiary of ERG, has installed a state-of-the-art system for real-time elemental analysis at its Donskoy Mining and Processing Plant. This innovation marks the first of its kind in Kazakhstan’s mining and metallurgical industry, enabling instantaneous quality checks of the extracted ore. Traditionally, determining the elemental composition of raw materials on conveyor belts required taking samples and conducting chemical analysis, a process that took several hours. At Donskoy MPP, this process has been fully automated. Last year, the plant’s Crushing and Processing Plant No. 1 installed a “Sample Tower” system, eliminating the need for manual sampling. This has reduced the need for specialists to carry heavy samples and increased conveyor productivity by removing the need for frequent stops. The newly installed Geoscan-M system further simplifies raw material processing, providing real-time analysis of ore composition and moisture content directly on the conveyor belt. “The system is fully automated and all data is immediately transferred to the enterprise’s information system. Technologists, miners, and other specialists can instantly see the chromium content in the ore and adjust the enrichment processes accordingly. Besides minimizing technological errors, the system also enhances inventory accuracy,” said Project Manager Alexey Ganyushkin. The new analysis system can determine the content of five chemical elements and moisture in the ore (chromium, iron, calcium, silicon, and aluminum) in real-time, with a measurement error of no more than 1%. The analyzer can process up to 1,200 tons of ore per hour at conveyor belt speeds of up to 2 meters per second.
