FLS LoadIQ

Mill Scanning Technology

 Optimise mill loading with
smart sensor technology
When you’re working with raw materials, inconsistency is to be
expected. The ore body changes. Liners wear. And before you
know it, you’re losing efficiency in your mill. Optimal mill loading
ensures you’re making the most of all that grinding energy to
achieve the best possible results for the lowest possible cost.

What you need is state-of-the-art sensing technology that detects

all these changing conditions in real time and enables you to
adjust your operating parameters accordingly. Enter LoadIQ, the
smart load optimization tool for SAG and AG that enables you to
increase throughput by 3 – 6%.

Key benefits
■ Load optimization
■ Real-time feedback
■ Increased throughput
■ Reduced mill liner wear
Increase mill throughput without upgrading Optimise efficiency, instantly
your grinding mill
Historically, the road to steady grinding can be a long one,
You don’t need to upgrade your mill to increase throughput – based on operator trial and error. And every time the ore
you just need to make the most of the capacity you already changes, or the liners wear, or are replaced, the whole process
have. Our mill scanner technology monitors how full a mill is, must begin again. This not only means long delays between
where the charge is located, and where the cascading material finding the ideal load targets – all the while losing efficiency
is impacting the liner. Our LoadIQ software determines how the – it also means swings between overloaded and underloaded
load should be adjusted in real-time even as ore size and conditions, which are damaging to both production and mill
hardness, and liners wear to maximize efficiency. liners.

Take the guesswork out of setting bearing With LoadIQ, there is no long wait for feedback. LoadIQ will
pressure and load targets update bearing pressure / RPM limits and targets in real-time to
adjust for changing conditions and maintain maximum grinding
Earlier tools aimed at optimising mill load were not always efficiency. These updated limits can be sent to operators for
successful. They were judging volumetric load – how full the manual control, or they can be fed into any expert system for
mill is – by bearing pressure, a flawed measurement. real time optimization using OPC communication.

Bearing pressure doesn’t account for ore size changes Reduce liner wear
(interstitial spacing affecting density), and this measurement is
also confused by changes in oil temperature, mill direction, Liner wear is directly correlated to the ore trajectory in a
liner wear, and mill density. grinding mill for a given RPM. As the liners wear, the ability to
strike the toe at higher volumetric fills may not be possible. In
LoadIQ utilises cutting edge mill scanner smart sensor cases where this is true, the volumetric load will automatically
technologies to bridge these gaps and accurately measure be decreased until the toe is impacted, thus restoring maximum
volumetric filling and ore trajectory in real time. We then use efficiency. Conversely, with a new set of liners, the trajectory at
large scale data analysis and real time smart sensor data to high RPM will likely cause excessive liner strikes. In these
correlate maximum breakage rates to the incoming ore types cases, LoadIQ automatically reduces the maximum allowable
as well as the current liner profile. RPM such that the cascading ore is impacting the charge toe.

These correlations are used to establish automatic real-time

dynamic load optimization for any control system.

LoadIQ Limits

Traditional Limits

768 848 929 1,010 1,091

FLS — LoadIQ 3
How does LoadIQ help you
achieve optimal mill load?
LoadIQ is made up of smart sensors (i.e. the mill scanner technology) and AI-based software (i.e. an intelligent
web-based application that integrates with your expert system and operators).

LoadIQ

LoadIQ analyzes the initial limits and targets set by the

LoadIQ operators using plant data and real-time mill scanner
measurements. LoadIQ determines if the limits/targets should
be modified and sends the feedback to an expert system for
automatic adjustment, or to the operators for manual
adjustments of set points.
Dynamic Limits for
Load and RPM

Expert System

LoadIQ doesn’t change the expert system models or rules. It

Expert System
simply provides better constraints for the expert system to
operate under. This approach allows for quick and seamless
integration yielding the best possible benefits.

Set points

PLC

The grinding circuit will receive set point changes from the

PLC
expert system as it always has. LoadIQ does not interact with
existing tuned control loops or expert system. The current DCS/
PLC response will remain unchanged, but the results will be
better due to using dynamic constraints on the expert system.

Results: 2-11% increase in throughput

4 FLS — LoadIQ
 Smart solutions
The strength of this solution lies in the state-of-the-art hardware and software we apply.

Hardware

The mill scanner technology will accurately measure

volumetric fill, location of charge toe, and the location and
intensity of liner impacts.

■ Transmits wirelessly and installs in less than a day

■ Requires no batteries or charging (self-generating power)
■ Does not rely on a static position sensor or proximity sensor
■ Can detect a broken liner bolt for added safety
■ Has backup circuitry to ensure full functionality when primary
circuits fail. Alerts can be sent to the DCS to schedule repair
during next down day for seamless operation.

Software
■ Accessed using a web browser eliminating the need
for multiple client licenses
■ Measures ball charge, volumetric fill, impact intensity &
location, and charge toe position
■ Can automatically determine and adjust optimal load
targets and limits using OPC communication.

Grinding/Sag1 Grinding/Sag2 Grinding/Sag3

Vibrational Vibrational Vibrational

energy energy Volume energy

Volume Throw Volume

Throw Throw

Toe
Toe Toe

Volume Intensity Toe Throw Volume Intensity Toe Throw Volume Intensity Toe Throw

26.9 62.7 309 329 21.8 62.8 250 224 23.2 59.4 296 329

FLS — LoadIQ 5
 Quick Results

The installation of LoadIQ will have an immediate and LoadIQ continuously reads two key data points in the mill –
significant impact on your process. Typical results are extended the toe, which indicates fill level, and the throw, which indicates
liner life, increased throughput, and reduced power usage. The liner life. It also monitors the particle size of the material
charts below demonstrate a recent example from a client in entering the mill, enabling the intelligent software to calculate
Peru. This particular client had an existing expert system, but the optimum mill load target based on current liner and ore
was having difficulty achieving the target throughput and had parameters. The aim is to maximize volume while ensuring that
significant variability in mill loading and feed rates. With the input energy is used efficiently to reduce particle size, giving
addition of LoadIQ power usage dropped dramatically, while you optimum mill performance.
throughput increased by 10%.

107

Less
power 80
usage

54

27

0
13,668 14,533 15,398 16,264 17,129

468

11% throughput 365

increase

243

122

0
616 1,095 1,575 2,054 2,533

6 FLS — LoadIQ
Are you sure your mill has the
optimal load? Find out how our
LoadIQ can increase your
throughput. Contact us today.
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Contact us

FLSmidth A/S
2500 Valby
Denmark
Tel. +45 36 18 10 00
[email protected]

FLSmidth Inc.
Salt Lake City Operations
Midvale, UT 84047-5559
USA
Tel. +1 801 871 7000
[email protected]

flsmidth.eco/contact

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