Mineral / Mining Moisture Sensor

Why Mineral/Mining Operations Need Networked Moisture Sensors

Mining operations require real time, continuous, non-contact moisture analysis in order to properly run their processes and meet plant and regulatory goals. The need for accurate, fast, and networked moisture analysis and adjustment to online processes is critical for many production needs including:

• Raw mineral dumped by the backhoe or front loader onto the conveyor belt to be transported to the drying operations.
• Moisture content of conveyed product prior to entering the rotary dryer. Incoming moisture content is required for feed forward temperature control to the dryers. These moisture levels are often in the range of 5-15% but can be upwards of 50% depending upon stockpile storage that’s exposed to the environment. Dryer overloading can lead to wet product exiting the dryer and causing screening plugs, product backup, equipment shutdown, and excessive labor and downtime to clean out the equipment and restart.
• Final dryer exit moisture analysis is needed in case a further change is needed to the rotary dryer temperature setting or a change in flow rate to the dryer is required to reach moisture set point. Typical exit moisture is in the range of 0-5% for most mined materials.
• Further after dryer processes also require real time moisture analysis. These would include screening to meet particle size distribution (too much or too little water content affects the particle size).
• Finished product shipping weight. Because finished mineral/mining products are often shipped via barge or truck, excessive moisture can cause accidental overweight loading and result in road fines for truckers or, in the worst cases, a toppled barge. All loading must be lower than the transportable moisture limit (TML). Finna Sensors offers solutions that provides instantaneous operator feedback to assure product meets the TML before it is shipped.

Stop depending on a laboratory for moisture analysis that is time consuming and often inaccurate (product is exposed to the atmosphere at each sample handling step, taking it out of the real-time, real-environment through which it is processed). Instead, depend on real-time measurements that require no contact and provide continuous feedback so you can make the adjustments that are needed the moment they are needed. This minimizes waste, increases your efficiency, and makes your mining and manufacturing processes better and more connected than ever.