March 2001Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
The operational difficulties within a mining environment have severe implications such as blockages within an ore pass which not only have financial repercussions but also the risk of loss of life. Further to this, the control of dust emission levels in the mining shaft is vitally important in order to minimise health hazard risks. One of the greatest contributors to this problem is when ore is passed down between levels and further increased tenfold when several ore passes are in use simultaneously. Should the skip or hoist be nonoperational or the chute (flask) be shut to control production outflow, the dust levels in each higher level can rise dramatically.
The solution was to provide noncontact level control in these passes which addresses all the problems above with the added downtime cost saving and the reduced visits of inspection crews suspended into the ore pass to investigate a blockage.
Installation and commissioning
The Krohne BM70A had to be installed in one of the most arduous environments. The measurement window was a 100 m long ore pass having a diameter up to 3 m. The only available positioning access was the mouth of the ore pass, which is in close proximity to the rail tracks of the diesel locomotives which pull the ore-laden carriages. The carriages are emptied at the ore pass mouth by a forwards and backwards 'jerking' movement over a cantilever mechanism. At this point any protruding instruments should be highly susceptible to severe damage. Previously installed instrument protective covers or shrouds were also found to be highly susceptible to damage and were therefore not used. The BM70A solution entailed suspending the instrument by four chains from a steel deck mounted over the mouth. The suspension height had to be varied such that the BM70A would be prevented from damage by the falling ore from the carriage and any adjoining ore passes. The BM70A local display was removed from the housing and retrofitted into a panel-mounted enclosure attached adjacent to the steel deck. This allowed operators to do in situ programming and commissioning of the BM70A and have a continuous local level indication.
Focusing the BM70A into the 'dog leg'- shaped ore pass proved more difficult than anticipated, due to zero light conditions and more so the varying diameter of the ore pass due to the rock outcrops. The Krohne software program 'Pc-Cat' was used as an alignment tool, to accommodate the varying degrees of reflections from the outcrops, which were made visible in the power spectrum as the BM70A was repositioned by varying the chain linkages attached to the steel deck.
Result
The maximum depth measured was 91 m, with an acceptable uncertainty due to the level status in the ore pass at the time of commissioning.
Oxygen measurement in beverages
Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
[Sponsored] Anton Paar offers a complete range of oxygen measurement instruments for total package oxygen (TPO) measurements, at-line quality control (QC), and in-process monitoring. These instruments help beverage manufacturers achieve accurate, reliable oxygen control at every stage of production.
Read more...Analysers achieve OIML R140/MID accuracy class A certification
Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
Qmicro by Sensirion has received the OIML R140/MID accuracy class A certificate No. TC12537 for its DynamiQ-X GC analysers for the analysis of natural gas and natural gas blended with hydrogen.
Read more...Sustainable water management Wearcheck
Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
Water sustainability is critical for the future wellbeing of people, land and marine ecosystems, and socio-economic development. WearCheck Water provides a range of water analysis techniques to determine water quality for various sectors, including mining, agriculture, domestic and the healthcare industry.”
Read more...Biofilm monitoring system Instek Control
Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
Alvim, through Instek Controls, provides innovative, high-tech solutions for biofilm and biofouling monitoring in industrial plants.
Read more...WearCheck Water earns AdBlue/DEF analysis accreditation Wearcheck
Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
WearCheck Water recently became the first laboratory in Africa to be officially ISO17025 accredited to test AdBlue diesel exhaust fluid by the South African National Accreditation System.
Read more...Streamlining strain gauge load cell integration Vepac Electronics
Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
Vepac’s data acquisition hardware provides an efficient and effective all-in-one solution for customers looking to simplify, enhance and optimise their strain gauge load cell systems.
Read more...Oxygen measurement in beverages Anton Paar
Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
[Sponsored] Anton Paar offers a complete range of oxygen measurement instruments for total package oxygen (TPO) measurements, at-line quality control (QC), and in-process monitoring. These instruments help beverage manufacturers achieve accurate, reliable oxygen control at every stage of production.
Read more...Sensors and controls for food, beverage and pharmaceutical Instek Control
Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
Included in Instek Control’s range is Anderson-Negele, which has adopted ‘Hygienic By Design’ as its guiding principle, with a particular focus on meeting the stringent regulatory requirements found in industries such as dairy, brewery or pharmaceutical.
Read more...Vertical labelling of test tubes in clinical laboratories Omron Electronics
Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
Werfen has implemented a new automated machine for the supply of reagents to drug toxicology laboratories, built by MACCO in collaboration with OMRON and Marini Pandolfi. It uses OMRON SCARA robots and advanced vision systems to ensure reagent quality through vertical handling and labelling process of test tubes.
Read more...Keeping a close eye on product quality and purity Endress+Hauser South Africa
Analytical Instrumentation & Environmental Monitoring
Colour measurements are necessary in many processes to avoid product losses and ensure safe production and batching.
printer friendly version