Company Announcement - ZEISS announces it will be launching the MinSCAN mine-site automated mineralogy solution at SME Annual Conference & Expo (ACE) 2016, which takes place February 21-24, 2016, at the Phoenix Convention Center, in Phoenix, Arizona. Also on display at Booth # 411 will be ZEISS Axio Imager.A2m polarization microscope and ZEISS Primotech polarization microscope.

The ruggedized and portable MinSCAN mine-site automated mineralogy system on display is designed for use by mine-site personnel to perform mineral processing plant troubleshooting and daily plant monitoring. The system is designed as an integral part of a mine-site operational mineralogy program spanning sampling, sample preparation, data analysis and interpretation within a 48 hour timeframe. This solution enables a paradigm shift in the management of the performance of mineral processing circuits, enabling operational mineralogy programs to identify and correct such issues as overgrinding, undergrinding, excess sliming, and non-optimal leaching thermodynamics. The system can also help rectify variability in mineralogy causing variable recovery, dilution of concentrate due to flotation of gangue particles, and under-optimized mineral processing circuit parameters.

Data developed by the MinSCAN mine-site automated mineralogy system can also be used to identify long term process improvement opportunities and benchmark the plant’s performance against its average performance, enabling the separation of ore variability from circuit variability on target element recovery. Visitors to the booth can also see ZEISS Axio Imager.A2m microscope for advanced process development studies and in depth ore characterization use cases. Combining reflected and transmitted light polarization, ZEISS Axio Imager.A2m meets the toughest materials analysis challenges. With its intuitive operating concept and flexible interfaces for external communication and network connections, ZEISS Axio Imager 2 features a modular concept ensuring that the durable and robust system can cope with any future requirements. Its innovative design offers maximum stability and vibration-free work, optional automated functions for enhanced operating comfort, exceptional ergonomics for stress-free use and ZEISS’ world class optics. The ZEISS Axio Imager.A2m model on display features a manual stand and a light manager that ensures defined conditions and reproducible results at all times.

Also on show is the ZEISS Primotech, a compact and portable polarized light microscope used to perform QA/QC analysis of prepared polished blocks ahead of automated mineralogy as part of the operational mineralogy workflow. For process development, feasibility and exploration, Primotech is designed for use on thick, opaque mining samples and is ideal for examining thin to thick metallographic samples to analyze grains, and for multiphase analysis.