Flotation machine monitoring
Flotation cell diagnostics: ultrasonic bearing checks on impellers and gearboxes, aeration system monitoring for reliable mineral recovery at concentrators.
Flotation cells: the heart of mineral recovery
Flotation machines are key assets at base-metal concentrators. They separate valuable minerals (copper, molybdenum, lead, zinc, gold) from gangue by differences in surface wettability.
Flotation performance depends directly on equipment condition: aeration intensity, impeller speed, seal integrity. Any deviation from the optimal regime cuts metal recovery and revenue.
Critical monitoring points
Impeller shaft bearings
The impeller shaft operates in harsh conditions: submerged in pulp, exposed to corrosion, vibration and hydraulic loads.
SDT340 checks bearing condition through contact points on the bearing housing. Multi-month trends support planned bearing replacement instead of emergency stops.
Flotation drive gearboxes
Many cells use gearboxes to set impeller speed. They run under constant load in high humidity and vibration.
SDT340 monitors:
- Input and output shaft bearings
- Gear mesh (pitting, scuffing)
- Noise level (changes indicate degradation)
Mechanical shaft seals
Face seals on the impeller shaft work in aggressive pulp. SDT340 detects early seal degradation by characteristic ultrasonic signatures before visible leakage.
Aeration system
Air lines and spargers are checked with SDT270 for leaks. Leaks reduce aeration pressure and disturb the flotation regime.
Lubrication with LUBExpert
On concentrators with dozens or hundreds of cells, systematic LUBExpert use delivers:
- Precise grease dosing per bearing
- No over-lubrication (pulp contamination)
- Documented grease consumption
- Shorter planned lubrication rounds
Artesis EMCM for flotation drives
Artesis EMCM is installed in motor control centers and continuously monitors all cell drives in a section. It detects:
- Rising load (impeller blockage, aeration faults)
- Motor bearing defects
- Abnormal operating modes
A central dashboard shows the entire flotation fleet on one screen.
Business impact
Concentrators running SDT + Artesis programs for flotation cells report:
- 55–70% fewer unplanned flotation outages
- Stabilized flotation process parameters
- 1–3% higher metal recovery by holding optimal regimes
- ~35% lower spare-parts spend on bearings and seals
Olympus — NDT and remote visual inspection
- Thickness gauging — casings, piping and vessels (39DL PLUS)
- Videoscopes — cavities and flow paths on outages (IPLEX One)
Catalogs: NDT · endoscopes · Olympus brand.
SDT for flotation machine monitoring monitoring
SDT Ultrasound instruments deliver full acoustic condition monitoring in dusty, noisy plants
SDT340 - Advanced Ultrasound Detector
The most advanced ultrasound detector for collecting, analysing and trending data
SDT270 — SDT Ultrasound Detector and Data Collector
Handheld SDT ultrasound data collector: 2 channels, up to 100 kHz bandwidth, built-in IR thermometer and laser tachometer, ICP accelerometer input, signal recording for analysis in UAS3. ATEX version available.
LUBExpert — SDT Ultrasound Bearing Lubrication Assistant
SDT instrument for precision ultrasound-guided greasing of rolling element bearings: tells you when to add grease and when to stop, follows routes from UAS3 and closes each task as GOOD, BAD or SUSPECT.
Artesis — continuous drive monitoring
Artesis EMCM analyzes motor current and voltage without sensors on the machine
Olympus — thickness gauging and videoscopes
When vibration finds a symptom, Olympus confirms metal, weld or internal cavity condition
Olympus 39DL PLUS — ultrasonic thickness gauge
General-purpose Olympus (Evident) ultrasonic thickness gauge, successor to the 38DL PLUS: 0.08–635 mm, up to 60 Hz update, single and dual element transducers, THRU-COAT, Echo-to-Echo, B-scan, up to 792,832 readings, IP67, 0.83 kg.
Olympus IPLEX One — 10th-generation videoscope
The 10th generation of Olympus (Evident) IPLEX videoscopes: Plus, Expert and Prime tiers on one hardware platform, Swoptix optics without withdrawing the probe, 3DAssist, 10.1" 1100-nit tablet, four light sources, up to 360 min runtime.
Ion Science — SF6, VOC and industrial leaks
Portable and fixed detectors for SF6 at substations, VOC on chemical sites and refrigerant leaks in HVAC
Ion Science Tiger XT — handheld PID detector for volatile organic compounds
Intrinsically safe Ion Science photoionisation detector for over 750 volatile organic compounds: 1 ppb to 20,000 ppm, T90 under 2 s, Fence Electrode technology against humidity and contamination, up to 24 h runtime and 120,000 logged readings.
Ion Science Cub — personal VOC monitor
111 g personal PID monitor from Ion Science: volatile organic compounds up to 5000 ppm with resolution down to 0.001 ppm, a TAC version for benzene, STEL and TWA alarms, up to 12 h runtime, ATEX and IECEx.
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