Saskatchewan Research Council adds full-scale laser sorter to mining industry services  

The Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) announced Thursday the addition of a full-scale laser sorter to the services it offers to the mining industry at its Saskatoon-based facility. 

SRC is Canada’s second largest research and technology organization with 1,400 clients in 16 countries.

SRC’s Minerals Liberation Sorting Centre is the only third-party, independent testing centre to offer bench-to-pilot scale testing and offers front-to-back solutions for mining industry clients in early exploration, later stage exploration, established mining, and post-mining stages, it said.  

The sorting centre now offers full production-scale sensor-based sorting services via X-ray transmission and laser testing services that the SRC said no other independent testing centre in the world can. 

“With the recent addition of a full-scale laser sorting unit, SRC will further strengthen its capability to run real-world scenario testing and deliver efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable sorting solutions to the mining industry in Saskatchewan and beyond,” Minister of Trade and Export Development Warren Kaeding said in a news release. 

Sensor-based sorting technologies are widely used in sectors such as recycling and food production, but in the mining industry specifically, it is changing how companies evaluate mine design and economics, SRC said.  

Using sensor-based sorting, a mining company can generate waste streams earlier in the process based on mineralogical differences detected by sensors, SRC said, adding that by removing waste early, particle ore sorting can increase feed grade to the mill, minimize operational footprints, reduce water and energy usage, and lower operating costs. 

SRC’s three-stage testing regime assists in selecting the most appropriate sensor-based sorting technology, progressing from mineral characterization to targeting and modelling and then to pilot-scale testing. Using this method, SRC said it has implemented sensor-based sorting solutions for various commodities, leading to significant improvements in efficiency and cost savings. 

“We can test all major sorting technologies on the market and have developed custom-made, sensor-based solutions for various applications,” SRC CEO Mike Crabtree said. 

 “Our interdisciplinary team, comprising geologists, mineralogists, and engineers, ensures a complete approach to sensor-based sorting technology integration, making it a reliable partner for mining companies looking to adopt these advanced sorting solutions.” 

More information is here.