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By Alex Meystel, Diran Apelian

"In this paper, an outline is given for a theory of intelligent control (IC) of manufacturing processes (MP) based upon what all of them have in common: all MP's can be represented as distributed networks of sequential/parallel elementary ""lumped"" models; all elementary models are organized by definite input-output conditions, and by the set of constraints; all elementary models incorporate not only well defined physical knowledge, but also assumed physical knowledge, expert knowledge, expected knowledge to be obtained during the process from sensors, etc. This creates a hierarchy of elementary controllers coordinated by local coordinators of different levels up to a global coordinator. The latter verifies the adequacy of MP by using a holistic image of the process: depictogram. The structure of knowledge based controller is introduced, and the analytical/linguistic tools of control are presented. The concept entails a number of perspectives which are discussed in the conclusions.1. IntroductionIt is becoming increasingly clear to those of us in Engineering and Technology oriented fields that the so called ""service industries"" do not create wealth. Moreover, it is now accepted that manufacturing is the key to the creation of wealth from a socio-economic point of view. This appreciation of the importance of manufacturing is reflected by the transformations we are seeing in our factories, as well as the changes in both curricula and research activities of our universities. Though we find these changes to be in the right direction, there is yet much more to be done to advance the frontiers of manufacturing and materials processing as we approach the third rnillenium."

Jan 1, 1988

By M. Arnesen

Mining professionals recognize the need to continuously evaluate and refine mine planning standards and scheduling. We must examine our current reality, and evaluate the following: •How well do our planning standards represent the actual mining process? •To what extent do they support the requirements of the downstream mining activities? •How we apply them to operational management and control? In most operations, mine-planning standards are global averages. Little differentiation is madein quantifying key planning variables. Often standards used in the long-term, are applied to the short-term, and the standards and scheduling precedents are only reviewed occasionally. Mine-planning standards applied to production schedules are often only focused on the management of functional mining performance, and play no role in managing the requirements of down stream processing. Many mining operations are characterized by high levels of fluctuation, and typically incorporate a wide range of factors and adjustments to compensate for deviations from performance targets, in mining operations as well as for the other business areas. The reason for using global averages is because of a lack of understanding of the causes of deviations that occur through the process, and the impact that they may have on the performance of the business as a whole. Average standards and factors are often used to quantify the variability in a system. From these average values, measurement standards and performance targets are derived for the planning and execution environments. During the execution of a plan/schedule there will be deviation in actual performance and the planned ‘average’ standards. In reality the ‘average’ conditions seldom occur and the impact of variability and interdependency are seldom constant or predictable. The predictability of variability and interdependency is further complicated by the fact that mining conditions have a role to play in the actual production performance, and they too are variable. By developing the throughput knowledge of our production systems, we can better understand the nature of variability and the interdependency within the systems as well as the impact of interdependency between the links in our production chains. With this knowledge, planning standards and scheduling precedents can be better defined and sensibly differentiated. This will improve planning and management of ore utilization, mining production and the effectiveness of processing. As a result the business will be more stable and predictable and business performance will be improved. The purpose of this paper is to describe: •At a high level, the scope for refining and differentiation in mine planning standards, and incorporating geological and plant parameters into mine scheduling. This will improve planning and scheduling and the overall performance of the mine. Given our current level of scientific knowledge and the technological tools at our disposal we should be able to plan and schedule production so that we can manage pro-actively and improve business performance. In doing so we can also improve reconciliation and value tracking through mining and processing •The flexibility and functionality of the XPAC planning and scheduling tool that will enable a throughput management approach.

Jan 1, 2003

By Tristan H. Jones

Beginning in 1987, miniature dataloggers approved by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) were publicly available for sale. The principal among these was the model CR21XQM, manufactured by Campbell Scientific, Inc. These dataloggers had been tested and were deemed permissible by MSHA and thus could be installed in the return air of an underground coal mine. In 1996, production of all permissible Campbell Scientific dataloggers ceased due to lack of sales. Data collection with these dataloggers has been a staple of ground control research in the United States for decades, and, without them, or a replacement, the capability to monitor ground behavior is severely impacted. Since that time, any party requiring a permissible datalogger has needed to borrow one that was purchased during the production years. In order to fill this technology gap and ensure its own data-gathering capabilities, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has developed and refined its own miniature data acquisition system (MIDAS). On February 16, 2010, MSHA deemed the MIDAS to be permissible and approved it for use in the return air of an underground coal mine. The MIDAS is an intrinsically safe, 16- or 24-bit datalogger, compatible with a wide range of resistive, single-ended, and differential-type instrumentation. It contains enough data storage memory to operate for over a year with typical data rates and is efficient enough to do this on a single C-sized alkaline battery for that entire period. It is menu-driven and requires no programming knowledge to operate. It supports wireless or hardwired communication for datalogger setup and data download. This paper describes the design, field and laboratory testing, and capabilities of the MIDAS datalogger. While not as fully -functioned as the CR21XQM, it is the only new permissible datalogger available, and there is intent to make it available to the mining industry for purchase.

Jan 1, 2012

By Kimiz Dalkir

Some things to keep in mind? ! What is your role in knowledge management? ! What knowledge-related challenges are you facing today? ! How does important knowledge get shared in your organization? ! Can you name factors that enable/block innovation and organizational learning in your work context? A brief history of KM? ! Top-down / imposed ! Rigid / bureaucratic ! Slow deployments ! Expensive ! Unpopular: empty libraries, info-junkyards, low adoption rates ! Problems measuring success ! The result: traditional KM is not the answer

May 1, 2003

By Charles A. Weinstein

INTRODUCTION As a set of management practices, "Knowledge Management" (KM) has disappointed many of its early advocates. The core notion behind KM can be summed up in the oft- quoted adage, "If we only knew what we know." KM describes a set of tools, practices, and approaches for using data, information, and expertise-knowledge-resident in an organization to improve the performance of that organization. The idea was incubated, hatched, and grew among some the largest and most successful companies in the world. Some of these companies created "Chief Knowledge Officers." Many more collectively invested billions in a huge range of KM efforts, all designed to use their organizations' information and expertise to innovate, improve margins, sell, or accomplish any of a myriad of sound business goals. Some KM efforts were successful, and many were not.* Today, it is indisputably the case that KM as a named set of practices has fallen out of favor. Why, then, should KM be discussed at a conference on "Things that Actually Work" for plant operators? Because, in many instances, KM has actually worked. The practices that represent KM done right offer significant opportunities for plant operators to achieve real gains, especially in times of resource constraints and in the face of ever-increasing technical and commercial goals. The KM fad is all but over. The KM benefits continue to accrue to those who have applied the lessons learned from that fad, and implemented sound * Fair disclosure: I am not unbiased with respect to the potential impact of KM. Teltech has been a pioneer and leader in KM, both as a practitioner and as a leading consultant to other organizations.

Jan 1, 2004

Mine managers need useful data to support production and maintenance decisions; for example, to evaluate the performance of replacement components. Today, managers rely solely on past experience, supervisors, opinions, and time studies. Our paper describes the concepts and algorithms we are developing for an automatic, intelligent decision support system (IDSS) that will aid managers by reducing and analyzing large amounts of, monitoring system sensor data and report only key production and maintenance information.. IDSS contains a pattern recognition, subsystem (IDSS/PRS) prototype to report graphical trends in traditional time study elements. We are designing. and prototyping a knowledge representation subsystem, using Knowledge Craft Tools, that will learn and adapt to the dynamic mine environment and reason about the recognized patterns using representations of manager's knowledge, equipment, capabilities, and mine layout and operating procedures. This subsystem will reduce, large quantities of time study type information to key issues that interest different managers.

Jan 1, 1989

By R. V. Ramani, K. V. K. Prasad, M. Swaminathan

"Engineering design involves, in addition to numerical calculations, considerable amount of expertise and judgement. The expertise and judgement is required to conceptualize and idealize the problem, select a suitable mathematical model for the problem and to interpret the model results in terms of stipulated design constraints. In recent years, knowledge based systems (KBS) have provided the capability to integrate the qualitative experiential and expert knowledge with ~he quantitative knowledge for improved analysis and design of systems. A possible KBS architecture for mine ventilation system design was discussed by Ramani and Prasad · (1987). The expert system (ES) component of the KBS supports the analysis and interpretation phases of the ventilation design process with an algorithmic program used for the solution of alternate designs. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the data and knowledge needs for developing such a system and a formal means of their representation on the computer. A number of ES shells were evaluated to explore possible development and delivery environments for the system. A brief summary of this evaluation is also provided.INTRODUCTIONLuxbacher and Ramani (1979) have discussed the design process of mine ventilation systems and have provided the interrelationships that exist between ventilation, strata control, drainage and material handling systems and mining methods. They have also outlined the importance of correct analysis of the problem, choice of the right solution method and a rigorous interpretation of the solutions. The expertise required for analysis and interpretation phases was identified as the key element in developing effective and efficient ventilation system designs. Such expertise is embedded in the right choice of questions to be asked of the user as well as in directing the user to a wide array of alternative methods that may satisfy the design requirements. With advances in artificial intelligence applications in recent years, particularly expert systems, the integration of expertise into traditional mine planning and design algorithms has been facilitated. These planning and design aids, employing the integration of numeric and symbolic logic and called coupled systems, are powerful tools for engineers to tap the benefits of experts (Kitzmiller and Kowalik, 1985; Fenves, 1985). The purpose of this paper is to discuss the means of representing knowledge for the design of mine ventilation systems through the use of a coupled system. The KBS is visualized as consisting of the following components:"

Jan 1, 1989

By R. V. Ramani, K. V. K. Prasad, M. Swaminathan

Engineering design involves, in addition to numerical calculations, considerable amount of expertise and judgement. The expertise and judgement is required to conceptualize and idealize the problem, select a suitable mathematical model for the problem and to interpret the model results in terms of stipulated design constraints. In recent years, knowledge based systems (KBS) have provided the capability to integrate the qualitative experiential and expert knowledge with the quantitative knowledge for improved analysis and design of systems. A possible KBS architecture for mine ventilation system design was discussed by Ramani and Prasad (1987). The expert system (ES) component of the KBS supports the analysis and interpretation phases of the ventilation design process with an algorithmic program used for the solution of alternate designs. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the data and knowledge needs for developing such a system and a formal means of their representation on the computer. A number of ES shells were evaluated to explore possible development and delivery environments for the system. A brief summary of this evaluation is also provided.

Jan 1, 1989

By H. Son

The three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of as-built industrial plant models plays an important role in revamping planning, maintenance planning, and preparation for dismantling during the lifecycle of industrial plants. Recently, the 3D reconstruction of existing industrial plants was conducted using laserscan data to make surveying processes more efficient. However, the current 3D reconstruction process from laser-scan data is still limited due to the need for significant human assistance. Although a great deal of effort has been made to efficiently reconstruct 3D as-built industrial plant models, the presence of objects?such as equipment, pipelines, and valves of different sizes and shapes?in existing industrial plants significantly increases the complexity of laser-scan data and makes automating the reconstruction process more challenging in practice. The purpose of this study is to propose a knowledge-based approach for the 3D reconstruction of as-built industrial plant models from unstructured laser-scan data. First, pipelines were extracted from laser-scan data based on surface curvature information and knowledge about pipelines' sizes from existing piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&ID). Once entire pipelines were extracted, they were modeled based on skeleton features. Then, the remaining objects were clustered and grouped separately via the region grouping process. Afterward, clustered objects were retrieved and modeled based on global feature-based matching from the 3D database. Finally, the resulting model was checked to ensure that it was well-reconstructed according to the information regarding the relationships among objects abstracted from the existing P&ID. The preliminary results on actual industrial plants show that integrating knowledge into the reconstruction steps played an important role in the proposed approach and that this approach obtained accurate as-built industrial plant models from unstructured laser-scan data. The proposed approach could be successfully utilized to assist in many applications during the lifecycle of industrial plants.

Aug 1, 2013

By I. D. Nock, R. M. Parkin

Paper presented at a meeting on: Artificial intelligence in the minerals sector, held in Nottingham, UK, 20 April 1993 (original title: Knowledge-based condition monitoring of cone crushers). A large proportion of the electricity used by the quarrying industry is consumed in the comminution and sizing process. In most cases aggregate processing plants operate with minimum control features resulting in limited operational efficiency. Improved control is required to increase operational efficiency with concomitant savings associated with reduction in re-circulating load and improved resource utilisation. Development work has suggested that a combination of adaptive control and process condition monitoring could improve control of comminution plants. Many commercial process control and condition monitoring systems are available, but none were deemed suitable due to the domain specific characteristics of the application. An assessment of the particular characteristics of cone crushing concluded that the application was best suited to the use of small domain specific process control combined with bespoke condition monitoring. The processing power of the control system for the project is a function not of the academic requirement, but rather the economic and practical constraints imposed by the application. As a result of the constraints a high-end PC system has been designed in preference to a workstation. Within the research project work packages are sub-divided into novel wear sensor development, knowledge based control/condition monitoring and the investigation and mathematical modelling of the wear mechanisms inherent in cone crushing. Numerous strategies were considered to implement the control system outlined. The system currently under development is a modular design which utilises intelligent novel sensors to provide a variety of data inputs

Apr 1, 1994

By Ross I. Kelly

Carbonate rocks are widespread throughout Ontario and provide raw material for more uses than perhaps any other rock type. The principal carbonate rocks that are used by industry in Ontario are Paleozoic era limestone and dolostone. Limestone is a sedimentary rock that is composed mainly of the mineral calcite (CaCO,) while dolostone, also a sedimentary rock, is composed mostly of dolomite [CaMg (CO,),l. The majority of the province's limestone and dolostone extraction occurs from Paleozoic era rocks located in southern Ontario. Calcite and dolomite are also found in Precambrian marbles, calcite veins and carbonatites, however, utilization of these rocks by industry has been less common. Calcite and dolomite-rich rocks are utilized for a wide variety of uses including raw materials for cement and lime manufacture, chemical and metallurgical stone, fillers and construction aggregates (Derry, Michener, Booth and Wahl and OGS 1989a). For some uses chemical and physical requirements are very important. In the manufacture of glass, for instance, the chemical requirements of source materials are very important and very stringent. In other uses physical criteria such as whiteness may be more important. Although carbonate rocks are quite plentiful within the province, deposits that contain high concentrations of calcite or dolomite are somewhat limited. For that reason, this paper focuses on deposits that are known to, or may contain, a high percentage of calcite and/or dolomite. The paper emphasizes potential sedimentary limestone and dolostone resources, as these are the carbonate rocks most commonly utilized by industry in Ontario.

Jan 1, 2001

By John M. Gullbert

It is the task of this portion of today's session on the new meaning of regional tectonics in the search for ore districts to discuss known interactions of tectonics and ore deposition in the 'new global tectonics' context. I will speak particularly about known applications of the recent tectonic advances to ore finding. Stated yet another way, it's getting on in time toward the "put up or shut up" stage-¬and I would not be here if I thought that the new tectonics were not an effective present matrix for ore finding. Before delving into specific geologic relationships--and I propose to discuss mainly the evolution of an idea which may reveal the presence of a major copper deposit on mainland Mexico--I must note that there have been no published accounts that I know of which assert that a particular discovery has been made soley and specifically because of an interpretation based upon mechanisms directly linked to sea floor spreading or plate tectonics. It is nonetheless true" that several major exploration efforts are based upon such interpretations, and, as is normal when exploration ideas are involved, one does not wish to call attention to an advantageous position in a highly competitive business. Little might be expected to have been announced in so fast-moving and potentially lucrative an area. Another point which needs to be made is that people such as B. S. Butler (1933), Billingsley and Locke (1935 and 1941), Harrison Schmitt (1935), and more recently Mayo (1958) have been working for decades with the tectonic expressions of the emergent tectonics without recog¬nition of the driving forces or the unifying tectonic concepts

Jan 1, 1971

By Erich Bartel

The Kocks Rotation Mill - KRM- is an innovative elongation method for seamless tube production up to 4.5’’ diameter at production levels up to150,000 TPY. Using the principle of cross roll elongation, the machine rotates four rolls around the workpiece. A retained mandrel sets the wall thickness to a precision that exceeds existing industry norms. The KRM process performance has been truly excellent. Attributes include high billet weights, elongation of up to 9.5 in one pass, and eccentricity at or below +/- 5.0%. The flexibility of the process allows a wide range of steel grades to be produced at any wall thickness with little or no mill down time. Surface quality and yield are also greatly improved. Based upon the small foot print of the KRM rotor as well as the simple mandrel manipulation system, the installation cost of the KRM is significantly lower compared to other elongation methods. The reasonable cost of the machine, combined with greatly reduced foundation requirements, reduced ceiling height as well as simple utility connections reduce the initial investment for a new or upgraded mill. Finally, lower roll and mandrel costs allow high quality production at greatly reduces cost/ton.

Aug 16, 2017

By V. Apraxine, J. Lakaye, J. J. Saquet, P. Troch

Union Minière du Haut-Katanga owns concessions for extracting copper and associated metals in the high plateau region of Katanga. The concession is about 188 miles long by 44 miles wide and has three principal areas: Southern area-The Prince Leopold mine is an underground operation from which a copper-zinc sulfide ore is extracted. The mine and associated concentrator are at Kipushi. Copper concentrates are smelted and converted to blister copper at the Lubumbashi smelter at Elizabethville.

Jan 12, 1962

Some examples of the results of research projects, conducted in the KOMAG Institute of Mining Technology are presented. Special attention is paid to mining machines and equipment, and improving work safety and comfort of miners in underground workings. From numerous scientific and technical achievements of the KOMAG Institute within the last 2 years, a few design solutions have been selected for a presentation. Some results of European projects on innovative solutions are described as well, highlighting KOMAG?s role in the national and international research area.

Aug 1, 2013

By Perring CS, Barnes SJ

The nickel exploration boom of the late-1960s and early-1970s led to the discovery of numerous komatiite-hosted nickel sulphide deposits, associated with variably serpentinised bodies of olivine-rich cumulates. Subsequent research has shown the importance of volcanological processes to understanding the genesis of these deposits. Crucial developments have come through consideration of the fluid dynamics of magmas and magma-crystal mixtures, through observation of the dynamics and geometry of modern day basaltic lava flows, through application of theory and experimentation on the kinetics of crystal growth from magmas, and most importantly from extensive detailed field mapping of komatiitic sequences in the Yilgarn Block and elsewhere. From these studies has emerged a new integrated view of the volcanological setting of komatiite-hosted deposits, and a recognition that a complete continuum of deposit types exists. Nevertheless, komatiite associated magmatic nickel deposits generally fall into two overall types based on the nature of the sulphide ore. In the first type the bulk of the ore is either massive Fe-Ni-Cu sulphide or a variable mixture of massive sulphide and an ore characterised by olivine crystals in a continuous matrix of sulphide occupying between 30 and 75 per cent by volume of the rock (called Matrix Ore). Nickel grades of massive sulphide ore range from 2 - 20 wt% and those of the matrix ore generally fall in the range 1 - 5 wt% (average 2.5 wt%) Ni/Cu ratios of the sulphide fraction are generally >10.

Jan 1, 1996

By Woodhouse M, Drew GJ, Andrews DL

The Honeymoon nickel sulphide deposits are located 45 km south of Wiluna in the 2.7 Ga old Agnew-Wiluna greenstone belt in the NE of the Yilgarn Craton (Figure 1). Both disseminated and massive nickel sulphide deposits are present within the deformed and metamorphosed Honeymoon Well ultramafic complex and are hosted by distinctly different komatiitic lithologies (Gole et al, 1996). The deposit styles and host rock lithologies reflect formation in markedly different volcanic settings. Metasomatism has affected parts of the ultramafic complex, including sections of the sulphide deposits, and has had a marked impact on mineralogy and bulk sulphide compositions. The present indicated resource is 158 Mt at 0.71 per cent Ni in four deposits (0.4 per cent Ni cut-off, resources above 300 m depth, December 1995). This includes a massive sulphide resource of 2.5 Mt at 3.36 per cent Ni.

Jan 1, 1996

By W. G. Q. Johnston, J. S. Fox

"A semi-continuous belt of Aphebian magnesian extrusive and related sub volcanic rocks has been delineated by the authors over a distance of 150 kilometres in the central La Ronge lithostructural domain in Saskatchewan. They range in composition from peridotite to basalt and attain true thicknesses of up to 800 metres. For the most part, they are confined to a basal position in the La Ronge/Wasekwan metavolcanic sequence, and appear to have been extruded onto sialic crust. However, at Lynn Lake, Manitoba, in the eastern continuation of the domain, similar rocks seem to be found only at a relatively high stratigraphic level.Although metamorphism seems to have obliterated any quench textures that may have existed in these rocks, ultramafic pyroclastics, pillows and amygdules as well as intercalated, fine-grained clastic sediment attest to the volcanic nature of these rocks. Bulk chemical analyses indicate that these rocks are heterogeneous, with komatiites, tholeiitic picrites and even rocks with some of the characteristics of boninite all being present. The close temporal and spatial relationship of ""boninites"" and komatiites in the belt may suggest a high degree of Aphebian mantle inhomogeneity in the domain.Nickel-copper mineralization has been found in differentiated tholeiitic stocks within the La Range domain (e.g., at Lynn Lake), but none has yet been found in the ultramafic volcanics. However, the tholeiitic picrites do host one economic gold deposit - the Agassiz Mine at Lynn Lake .Because of the depleted nature of their mantle source, the ""boninites"" of the domain are not considered to be likely hosts for mantle-derived nickel sulphide mineralization. However, the opposite is true of the komatiites, and this points to the need for whole-rock geochemistry in setting priorities for nickel exploration in the belt. In contrast, all of the magnesian rocks of the domain probably have the same gold potential. Inasmuch as the geophysical response to gold mineralization in the domain is likely to be unpredictable, lake-sediment geochemistry, followed by base-of-till and/or alteration oriented lithogeochemistry, should be emphasized during gold exploration."

Jan 1, 1981

The Koongarra uranium deposit was discovered in August 1970 by Noranda Australia Limited. Denison Mines Limited acquired the rights of ownership in October 1980 and has continued the 'struggle' to bring the proposed mine, containing approximately 13 300 tonnes of U308 of Indicated ore and having a value of $1 billion (1984 dollars), into operation. During the 14 years that have passed, the owners have found it necessary to deal with numerous Federal, State and Territory government departments, aboriginal representatives, handle thousands of communications, attend and convene countless meetings and spend millions of dollars. This paper addresses the history, the requirements, the problems and the costs to date for what - no return.

Jan 1, 1984

By P. Soros

To accommodate the immediate and long term growth of the Hunter Valley, one of Australia's major coal producing regions, a third coal terminal was required in the Port of Newcastle, N.S.W. The initial capacity required was 15 million tons per annum, made up of 40 different blends, to be expanded to 50 million tons of 100 different blends, made up from 70 grades. Coal arrives in 3,200 ton unit trains, a total of 16,000 trains in a year.

Jan 1, 1986