Saturday 26 July 2025 - 01:45

Date: 24 July 2025 , 21:49

News ID: 12205

NEWS SERVICE: MINES and MINERALS

Mines and Minerals

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

me-metals: 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.

According to me-metals cited from mining.com, 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 facility to offer bench-to-pilot scale testing, providing front-to-back solutions for clients in early exploration, later-stage exploration, established mining and post-mining stages.

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

“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.

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 chief executive 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.

source: mining.com

Canada mining industry