ARBS
ACCURATE
ROCK
BREAKAGE
SYSTEM
Technology Overview
#ARBS stands for 'Accurate Rock Breakage System.' The process is grounded in the fundamental theory of particle fracture and rock breakage. Our equipment is meticulously designed to achieve minimal energy fracture at an industrial scale, producing a steep particle size distribution and providing precise control over the top size in a sophisticated manner. The short residence time in the machine allows for rapid adjustments to process parameters, offering unprecedented control over the comminution circuit, potentially revolutionizing the field.
Why does the world urgently need the ARBS Technology?
Conventional grinding circuits are usually very large, very expensive installations that consume a huge amount of electricity. The fracture mechanism used by most conventional mills is inherently imprecise, and these circuits are generally not suited to the type of process control that is taken for granted in most other modern industries. This results in limited and sub-optimal control over the particle size distribution of the milled product. This has several important consequences. First, there is usually excessive over-grinding of the particles and production of a high proportion of ultra-fine material. This not only consumes excessive energy but also impacts the downstream mineral recovery plants. Disposal of the ultra-fine material is also challenging, and this usually requires large slime dams, which have a very negative environmental impact.
Benefits of the ARBS process
Our modular technology and mill design are versatile and adaptable to all comminution circuits. Tested at various throughput rates in our pilot plant, the results are remarkable. Field tests reveal that #ARBS utilizes less than 20% of the energy required in conventional comminution, presenting a double win by promising significantly higher flotation recovery due to unique product characteristics.
The ARBS process addresses many of the known problems of conventional circuits. Energy consumption is far lower than conventional circuits and the fracture mechanism has demonstrated enhanced mineral recovery at coarser grind sizes. Together these two factors enable energy savings of up to an astonishing 80% for the equivalent mineral recovery. This low energy consumption creates, for the first time, a very real possibility to power comminution circuits from renewable sources. This is particularly important for mines in remote locations where reliable, high-voltage grid power is not available. The ARBS mill is also highly modular and potentially relocatable. This creates new opportunities for mining smaller deposits which require more flexible comminution and recovery infrastructure.
How ARBS contributes to better jobs in mining
The ARBS mill is highly automated, and the equipment uses precision fracture and process control. Extensive data is extracted at very high sampling rates, which permits an unprecedented level of near real-time analysis and process control. This enables a far more scientific approach to the comminution and recovery operations, and to optimizing recovery efficiency, energy usage, wear and predicting and minimizing maintenance requirements. Much of the analytical work can be performed remotely, which we believe would make the mining industry appeal more to an employee demographic that might not have previously considered it as an interesting career choice.
How ARBS contributes to better mining
The ARBS process is essentially a precision fracture process. The machine offers a level of control over the final particle size and the throughput rate that is simply not possible with conventional comminution and recovery circuits. This opens a host of new control and configuration opportunities in both mining and mine planning and in the recovery plants. Importantly, the process generates the minimum ultra-fine material, which means that the bulk of the waste ore can be dewatered and disposed of in-pit. This saves freshwater usage and reduces the size of the slime dams needed.
