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Process automation worth its weight in gold

Memosens pH sensors improve processes at Agnico Eagle

Agnico Eagle's gold mine in Kittilä, northern Finland, is the largest primary gold producer in Europe. Initially, Agnico Eagle was not satisfied with its existing pH measurements. They were inaccurate and the calibration of instruments was taking up a considerable amount of time and resources. With Endress+Hauser's Memosens technology, they now have confidence in their pH measurements and reduced the time spent on calibrations and field repairs by up to 90%.

The Kittilä mine in northern Finland ©Endress+Hauser

The Kittilä mine in northern Finland.

The results

  • The time spent on calibrations and field repairs could be reduced from 2200 to approximately 240 labour hours per year.

  • The released time and labour resources can now be used for more productive tasks.

  • With the use of Memosens and Liquiline instruments maintenance activities no longer have to be carried out under difficult conditions in the field so that working safety could be improved.

  • Using the same measuring technology for manual and inline measurements led to complete data consistency and, thus, to more confidence in the measuring results.

  • The consumption of the expensive sodium metabisulphite chemical has been reduced by up to 50%.

Reijo Mämmioja

With Endress+Hauser's Memosens technology our maintenance efforts for calibrating the pH loops have been reduced drastically: we were able to decrease the time needed from 2200 to 240 hours per year.

Reijo Mämmioja, Senior Instrumentation Engineer
Agnico Eagle
Jussi Roukanen

With Memosens we are able to run the process at tighter limits and therefore more precisely and reliably.

Jussi Roukanen, Metallurgist
Agnico Eagle

Challenges

The primary chemical used in separation is cyanide, which due to its highly toxic nature places strict reliability and accuracy demands on pH measurements. An inaccurate or incorrect reading could result in a potentially hazardous situation.

Agnico Eagle was not fully satisfied with the functionality and reliability of their existing instruments at the time. Inaccuracies in pH measurements resulted in diminished safety and process efficiency.

Also, the calibration of instruments was taking up a considerable amount of time and resources. The company wanted to significantly boost process control with measurements. At the same time, they wanted to improve the maintenance of the measurement devices.

Our solution

  • The Memosens and Liquiline analysis platform is used as a solution for the challenges concerning pH measurements. The Memosens sensors perform reliable measurements even in extreme conditions and in demanding applications. The non-contact digital signal between the sensor and the transmitter is very reliable and is not disturbed by any external factors, such as moisture. Furthermore, the device facilitates preventive maintenance.

  • Correct calibration is the basis for reliable measurements and analysis. Thanks to the Memosens technology calibration is easier than ever before, and no longer needs to be carried out in difficult and hazardous field conditions.

  • Usage of a portable handheld device Liquiline To Go assures measurement data consistency: You can now use the same sensor technology in a handheld device as is in use in process online measurement.

  • The Memobase Plus calibration diagnostics and lab measurement software perfectly complements the Memosens-Liquiline platform. It allows for a connection between your computer and the Memosens sensor via USB port, giving you virtually instantaneous access to condition and diagnostics information.

  • The automatic cleaning feature on the instruments delivers measurable improvements in terms of both efficiency and staff satisfaction.