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Ultra Trace Talks Technology at AUSTMINE 2009
The theme for this year’s Austmine international tradeshow and conference, held in Adelaide on 10 and 11 November, was “The Technology Age of Mining.”
The theme for this year’s Austmine international tradeshow and conference, held in Adelaide on 10 and 11 November, was “The Technology Age of Mining.” It showcased how new technologies are set to make the next mining boom a very different one – bringing with it “a new focus on predictable cost, safety and quality outcomes”.
The 2009 exhibition featured innovative technologies and technology providers starting to transform the mining landscape. They demonstrated the show’s premise that: “A mining boom characterised by rapidly escalating costs and the growing realisation that resources needed to feed production growth - people, skills, materials and energy - are finite, is over. A new era beckons, one in which technology plays a central role in controlling costs.”
Amdel’s geoanalytical division in Western Australia, Ultra Trace - the largest single geochemical testing facility in Australia (currently utilising 18 robotic systems) - was certainly well placed to demonstrate the importance of technology and innovation.
Bureau Veritas Minerals Division Technical General Manager, Dr John Carter, presented a paper titled: “Automated Laboratory Systems”, highlighting Ultra Trace’s capabilities.
Ultra Trace, based in Canningvale, WA, first began developing technology specific for minerals analysis in 1998, and by 2000 had its first operational Robotic Sample Preparation Cell. The equipment proved so successful in handling repetitive laboratory tasks that Ultra Trace now operates three different types of robotic systems, that perform sample preparation and various sample analysis tasks. The benefits of the cells are threefold – improving production, quality and safety. Thanks to its robotic technology, Ultra Trace processes up to 3.5million mineral samples per year. The XRF department has grown to become the largest in the world, comprising 12 X-ray fluorescence instruments, seven robotic glass fusion cells, and five robotic TGA cells.
John further explained that the benefits of technology include: lower production costs due to reduced labour demands, decreased exposure to hazardous materials and mechanical components, improved operational and financial control, a reduction in errors, improved consistency, more efficient quality control, and more. Furthermore, “a robot never needs a holiday”.
John said there are also flow-on benefits to employment opportunities: “Robotics systems require higher skills sets because we are employing technicians, rather than labourers, particularly in the sample preparation areas”.
Ultra Trace was the first laboratory to implement a robotic pulverising cell capable of delivering 1000 samples per day – which was a massive boost in capacity, especially as its cells pulverise about 2.5kgs of mineral sample in a single stage. The cells illustrate Ultra Trace’s commitment to embrace the latest in technology and innovation – a commitment which helped it reach the top of the Australian Minerals testing market.
Following John’s paper was a presentation delivered by Nigel Radford, Consulting Geochemist, Newmont Mining Corporation, on the benefits of Automated Sample Preparation from a client’s perspective. Newmont has been a long standing client of Ultra Trace, and has been a strong supporter of innovation in the mineral analysis industry.
Bureau Veritas also featured a booth at Austmine 2009, manned by staff from Ultra Trace and Amdel. Bureau Veritas’ Senior Vice President for Australia, Steve McAllister, is also one of the board members of Austmine.
Austmine is a biennial, major international networking event for mining technology and service providers, and the world's mining and contract mining companies.
Staff from all divisions of Bureau Veritas and Amdel were represented at the conference, including: Bureau Veritas’ Senior Vice President Steve McAllister; Amdel’s John Carter (General Manager Technical), Greg Pattinson (General Manager Minerals East), Duncan Ruane (National Sales Manager - Minerals ), Chris Nunis (Chief Operating Officer), Jolie Mclaren (Sales Administrator), John Pizimolas (Business Development Manager – Mineral Processing Minerals Division); Labmark’s Mark Rodriguez (Customer Liaison Officer - Labmark) and Floris Van Ruhn (Customer Service Manager - Labmark); and Bureau Veritas’ Paul Keleher (General Manager – Development Manager, BV ITA), Kerry Morgan (Business Development Manager IRC Division), Claire Green (Occupational Hygiene Consultant, HSE Division) , and Simon Mortimore (Business Development Officer for Specialised NDT Technology, BV AIRS).
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