Scheduling Setup: Ore Bins

Define the ore bins for the rock types associated with your project. 

Note: Ore bins are also referred to as "grade classes".

Ore bins can be defined either by a single element (the rock type will only ever have one product recovered) or by all products (which could be useful for more general destinations such as leeching or milling, where multiple metals can be recovered).

Note: Rock types and products are defined when you import a block model.

For each rock type (either for a selected element or all products) you can define the minimum and maximum metal grade, and the number of bins to make.

For example, in the image below, a grade class is configured for the "Rock 1" and "Rock 2" rock type that utilize the All Products Bin Type to recover up to four defined metal products (Copper, Molybdenum, Gold and Silver):

(Click to expand)

In the case above, we will make 25 bins recovering from Rock 1, where the following grade constraints are true:

  • TCU—0.1499 to 3.04 g/t

  • MO—0.001 to 0.0536 g/t

  • AU—0.002 to 0.0183 g/t

  • AG—0.01 to 0.672 g/t

A third rock type ("Rock 3") has a Selected Element Bin Type, for gold in the 0.05 to 0.855 g/t range:

(Click to expand)

To define an ore bin for all products:

  1. Display the Ore Bins screen.

  2. Review the Grade Classes (Ore Bins) table; all rock types display as a table row.

  3. Where a rock type can be processed to recover metals from (potentially) multiple elements, expand the Bin Type list to choose All Products.

  4. Review the Rock Types for All Products table on the right.

    For each Rock Type, the current Number of Bins expected is set, along with Minimum and Maximum grade constraints for all defined products.

    Note: The table displays with identical contents for all ore bins of the All Products type.

  5. For each Rock Type:

    • Set the Number of Bins to make.

    • Set the Minimum and Maximum grade constraint for each product (you can set zero for Min and Max to exclude a rock type).

  6. Save your settings.

To define an ore bin for all a specific element:

  1. Display the Ore Bins screen.

  2. Review the Grade Classes (Ore Bins) table; all rock types display as a table row.

  3. For the Rock Type to have a single element bin constraint, choose the Selected Element Bin Type.

    Note: This removes the rock type from all views of the Rock Types for All Products table, and adds it to views of the Rock Types for Selected Elements table.

  4. Review the Rock Types for Selected Elements table on the right.

  5. For each Rock Type:

    • Set the Number of Bins to make.

    • Choose the Element for which the grade constraint applies.

    • Set the Minimum and Maximum grade constraint for each product.

      Note: Set zero for Min and Max to exclude a rock type.

  6. Save your settings.

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