Weir’s Kenneth Ulrich on AI and Digital Twins

Weir is a lead proponent of the use of artificial intelligence in the processing plant, with its NEXT Intelligent Solutions platform continuously evolving in line with machine-learning capabilities. In its Expert Q&A Series on AI and Digital Twins, Kenneth Ulrich, Head of Data and.

Weir: Processing plants are constantly managing inherent variability – fluctuations in feed, ore grades, rock hardness, mineralogy, etc. So, where do you think there is the most potential for AI to be deployed to help manage this?

What Happened

KU: Typically, operators run their equipment conservatively because variance is expensive. There is a natural asymmetry – if you trip the mill, that’s worse than underloading it.

• As a result, the mine has achieved 100% uptime of all operating cyclones, with no roping‑related shutdowns since implementation.

• This improvement has reduced the load on downstream milling equipment, extending wear life and lowering maintenance costs.

• These simulations predicted – and later confirmed – a significant improvement in classification efficiency, including a reduction in the P80 cut size and a more uniform PSD.

Key Details

So, there are margins everywhere and AI can be deployed to safely and effectively close those margins. For example, Weir’s NEXT Intelligent Solutions have been focused on finding improvements in comminution, particularly by modelling HPGRs and improving classification in the mill circuit.

• Prior to installation, Weir used circuit sampling data to model the expected performance of the CAVEX 700CVX hydrocyclones.

• Digital simulation and modelling played a central role in the project’s success.

• With the roping index monitoring in place, operators now receive early warnings minutes before a roping condition fully develops, allowing them to intervene proactively.

Why It Matters

There is obviously difference across these applications; for instance, HPGRs react much more slowly to changes in the feed, whereas the mill circuit has to deal with changes much more regularly. However, in each case, Weir takes a similar approach.

• Before the upgrade, roping events occurred frequently enough to reduce throughput and compromise PSD.

• The addition of the NEXT roping index monitoring solution has provided a quantifiable improvement in process stability.

What Reports Say

Coverage of the story so far points to:

• Continued reporting by International Mining as more details emerge