SAG MILLS
SAG Mill Control: It Shouldn't
be that Hard
An economically appealing method for improving operations is available without
the capital expense—get more out of a mill by applying the advanced control
capabilities in the existing plant control system
By Andrew Thornton
Optimal performance ol a SAG mill can be achieved by using an enisling Distributed Con'
Programmable Logic Controller (PLCs), There should be no need to turn tc third-party solutions.
Modern plant control systems (PCS)
whether Programmable Logic Con-
trollers {PLC) or Distributed Control
Systems (DCS), are extremely powerful
process control and automation en-
gines, in the mining industry these sys-
tems are used extensively for basic con-
trol functions, yet their use for more
advanced process control is surprising-
ly less common. This is wasteful of the
capabilities inherent in the PCS, as the
use of advanced control in the PCS to
stabilize and optimize mineral process-
ing piants can lead to significant eco-
nomic benefits.
SAG milling is arguably the most
commonly used method of comminu-
tion in mineral processing. So why are
so many SAG mills operating sub-opti-
28 E&MJ • APRIL 2010
S) or
mally and why are they considered to be
so difficult to control?
(Operators often consider the basic
controls provided during commissioning
are as "good as it gets," Those that do
seek improved performance often reach
for a packaged, third-party solution.
Few consider the capabilities that they
have already paid for—in their PCS,
The third-party package is an expen-
sive and unnecessary capital expendi-
ture. It adds yet another computer sys-
tem to the control ecosystem and
requires integration, maintenance and
expert proprietary knowledge.
Optimize underperforming assets and
remove the need for capital expenditure:
Optimal control of the SAG mill can be
achieved by using existing DCS or PLC,
It is commonly assumed SAG mill
control can only be successfully imple-
mented using "black-box" solutions;
this is just not true. Black-box solutions
are referring to advanced control algo-
rithms or solutions which are contained
in a separate computer, interfaced to the
PCS, Another common name is "off-the-
shelf" solutions, which is a misnomer
since these systems require a consider-
able amount of setup and configuration.
SAG mill control fundamentally
means managing the load in the mill by
adjusting the feed rate of ore to the mill
and/or manipulating the rotational
speed of the mill. The best way to meas-
ure load is to mount the mill on load
cells. The load cells are calibrated to
measure the totai weight of water, grind-
ing media (balls) and ore in the mill, but
not the weight of the mill itself. While
many mills today are mounted on load
cells, others employ bearing oil pressure
as a proxy measurement of mill load.
A control strategy recently imple-
mented on a large variable-speed SAG
mill at MMC's Century Zinc operation in
Australia is shown in the chart (found
on pg, 32). In this case, mill speed is
the primary manipulated variable used
to control mill load. While there is no
generic control strategy for SAG milling
there is a considerable amount of
reusable engineering.
In contrast to an expert or black box
system, the control loop approach vi/as
built using standard blocks, connected
as shown. This control strategy has
been in operation since January 2007
and controls the mill with minimal
operator involvement over 95% of the
time. (For more information on this pro-
ject, please contact the author.)
So. in summary: Why use the exist-
ing Plant Control System to improve
SAC mill control? Consider these points:
www.e-mj.com
 SAG MILLS

Mill Drives and Brakes Muscle Up

Recent years have seen a trend toward fewer comminution
machines per process line, particularly as grinding mills have
increased considerably in size. Today, autogenous grinding
(AG) milis as large as 40-ft in diameter with motor power in
excess of 20 MW are being ordered and installed as produc-
ers look for higher production and economy of scale in their
process plants. Semiautogenous grinding (SAG) mills up to
44-ft diameter with 35-MW gearless mill drives (GMDs) are
available.
In January, for example, a 1,210-ton AG mill—considered
to be the largest ever built—was shipped from the CITIC
Heavy Machinery plant in China to the Sino Iron project in
Australia. The mill, the first of five to be installed at Sino, has
a diameter of 12.2 m (40 ft), is 15 m {49.2 ft) long, and will
be powered by a 28-MW Siemens GMD. Siemens also sup-
plied the gearless drives for a 36-ft SAG mill with a rated
power of 15 MW and a 26-ft ball mill vi/ith 15.5 MW of rated
power recently installed at the Minera Los Pelambres copper
operation in Chile.
These large, powerful gearless drive mills require improved
control systems, ranging from the sophisticated controllers
that monitor and protect the mill's ringmotor and frequency-
conversion electronics from electrical damage, to the braking
systems that provide safe, controlled stops. And, as these
larger units replace multiple smaller mills and are often
installed at sites in remote locations, reliability and opera-
tional stability become increasingly critical factors m achiev-
ing production targets.
In order to improve mill performance ABB, in 2 0 0 9 ,
replaced its PSR GMD controller with the AC 800PEC version,
which it has used since 2 0 0 1 in converters and drives for
power transmission, excitation systems for motors and gener-
ators, and wind power applications. This upgrade, according
to the company, provides a number of improvements in relia-
bility, service availability and hardware simplification, as well
as faster testing and commissioning procedures.
One of the principal improvements offered by the new con-
troller is "power ride-through." If the main power supply voltage
drops below 8 5 % of normal, for example, or if a phase angle
deviation is detected, the controller can activate the ride-
through function, which immediately ramps down the stator
current to zero, followed by thyristor pulse blocking. The rotat-
ing mass of the mill load and the rotor inertia keep the mill
turning during the ride-through period, which is adjustable from
0 to 1 second, with 200 ms the default. As long as mill speed
remains above a specified level during the ride-through, the sys-
tem will release the thyristor pulses and will power the mill
slowly up to the previous speed when supply voltage returns. If
the voltage doesn't recover within the specified interval or if
mill speed drops too much, a fast shutdown is performed and
the system is disconnected from the electrical network.
Stopping large mills—either as part of a planned event or in
an emergency—also requires upgraded equipment. U.K.-based
Twiflex Ltd., which specializes in providing advanced braking
technology for industrial applications, recently delivered their
largest grinding mill braking system to Metso Minerals
Industries, Inc. for installation on gearless grinding mills
installed at Boliden Mineral's Aitik mine in northern Sweden,
the largest open-pit copper mine in Europe. An expansion pro-
The Twiflex braking system sh iit^ this large milito a full stop in less
than two seconds.
gram (Aitik 36) will raise production capacity from 18 million
mt/y to 36 million mt/y when completed this year. The project
includes a wide range of processing equipment at the new Aitik
concentrator, ranging from the large grinding mills to 52
Outotec TankCell flotation machines, three pressure filters and
molybdenum and gold recovery circuits.
At the Aitik concentrator, two 22.5-MW GMDs supplied by
ABB power 3 8 - f t ( l l , 6 - m ) diameter x 4 5 - f t {13.7-m) long AG
grinding mills.
Twiflex said its braking system is designed specifically for
grinding mill installations and provides both static and
dynamic braking functions. In static operation, the braking
system holds the mill motionless during liner replacement and
general mill maintenance. For dynamic operation, the system
can operate in two modes, stopping the mill from full speed
in an emergency or providing inching/creeping capability in
the event of bearing lubrication problems or power failures.
These modes, respectively, require steady, controlled applica-
tion of the brakes as well as quick activation to provide the
accurate stoppage required by the operator.
For the Aitik project, Twiflex supplied eight VMS-DP brake
calipers with pedestals plus a hydraulic power pack for each
mill. The VMS-DP caliper has an adjustable braking force
from 590 to 737 kN and is a floating-spring applied, hydrauli-
cally retracted brake suitable for disc/flange thicknesses from
117 mm to 130 mm. The brake can be used on installations
with a braking path of at least 7.6-m outside diameter or larg-
er, and 7-m inside diameter. The hydraulic power pack offers
versatile brake control as it allows both local and remote oper-
ation for inching and creeping duties through a control panel.
According to Twiflex, the braking systems installed at Aitik
can generate up to 38 MNm braking torque for each mill, act-
ing on a 12.97-m flange diameter. The VMS-DP calipers
weigh 1.85 mt each and are able to deliver 940 kN clamping
force. The system is able to stop a mill in less than 2 seconds.

30 E&MJ • APRIL 2010 www.e-mj.com

 SAG MILLS

• No capital expenditure.
Load • One system controls all of the plant
(no split responsibilities).
• No additional learning curve for oper-
ations and maintenance personnel.
Control strategies implemented in the
PCS can be developed and maintained
by existing plant personnel.
• No proprietary software or system
requiring specialist support.
• Control loop structures degrade grace-
fully^this is a natural consequence of
the loop "topology."
• Many modern DCS systems are
equipped with a third or fourth gen-
eration computer language that can be
used to implement complex logic
structures which human operators
perform.
• There is no need to deal with inter-
faces to separate computers. Com-
Load Setpoinl
plexity is reduced while robustness is
increased.

Andrew Thornton (andrew.thornton@

mipac.com.au) is a mineral processing
and advanced process control expert
Schemali: illustration of a control strategy recentiy implemented on a large uariable-speed SAG mill at MMG's and MIPAC's principal process control
Century Zinc Operation in Australia. engineer.

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