The Sally Malay Project is located 120 km north of Halls Creek in the eastern Kimberley region. Since commissioning, ongoing improvements on the plant have resulted in recoveries now greatly exceeding the initial design targets. The continual optimisation endeavours of the Sally Malay metallurgy department included an automation project that was done in close collaboration with Mintek. In this team effort, several problem areas were addressed and the FloatStar advance control system was successfully commissioned to stabilise and optimise the flotation circuit._x000D_
The remote location of the Kimberley Nickel Mines operation, fly-in, fly-out roster and the current mining boom makes the acquisition of experienced flotation staff difficult. The implementation of an automated flotation control system reduces this burden and contributes to the training of inexperienced staff._x000D_
This paper illustrates not only the process control improvements achieved as a result of the installation of the FloatStar advanced control system, but also how it has assisted operational personnel with their understanding of the process._x000D_
FORMAL CITATION:Bennett, C, Knoblauch, J, Foggo, C, Strobos, P J J, van der Spuy, D, Dorfling, C and Smit, H S, 2006._x000D_
Automation of the Kimberley Nickel Mine flotation operation using an advanced control system, in Proceedings Metallurgical Plant Design and Operating Strategies 2006, pp 66-78 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).