Article AT/LEVEL/002-EN

ABB Measurement Products

Vale Totten mine | Sudbury Basin | Ontario | Canada

ABB LM80 laser level gauge avoids

overloading and jams of ore crusher jaws
at new Totten nickel mine

Measurement made easy

Introduction According to Jack MacIssac (above), Automation & Production

Vale, a global mining company headquartered in Brazil and
present in more than 30 countries, recently opened a new
nickel mine in Canada's Sudbury Basin in Worthington,
Ontario. Called the Totten Mine, it's the company's first
in this basin in more than 40 years.
Leader at the mine, ore levels in the crusher jaws can vary
from 8 to 15 ft (2.44 to 4.57 m).
"We control the speed of the conveyor belt based on
crusher ore levels to prevent jams and overload
conditions" says MacIssac.

Developed over seven years, the Totten Mine uses the
industry's most modern technology, automation, and
environmental practices. Environmental facilities include
three water treatment plants, enclosed material handling
facilities, and progressive closure planning.
"The ore level gauge* must exist in a rugged underground
area, characterized by high vibration and a damp ambient
atmosphere."
*ABB LM80 laser gauge

When the mine achieves full capacity in 2016, it will produce

2,200 tons per day of copper, nickel, and precious metals for For more information
20 years.
Further details of the LM80 laser level gauge are available for
In this nickel mining operation, the ore rides on a conveyor to free download from www.abb.com/level or by scanning this
crusher jaws. The jaws must receive an optimal amount of ore code:
at any one time to avoid overloading, jamming, and degraded
performance. In choosing an ore level measuring technology
to achieve optimum crusher performance, Vale engineers
looked for quick response and high accuracy.
ABB Measurement Products
Vale Totten mine | Sudbury Basin | Ontario | Canada

ABB solution
Vale engineers selected the ABB LM80 laser gauge to
measure ore levels in the crusher jaws. This laser level gauge
is a non-contact measuring instrument designed for granular
solid materials like ores. Based on pulsed laser technology, it
embodies speed and accuracy in a single, easy to use and
install product.

The characteristically narrow (0.2%) beam divergence of the

laser permits accurate aiming towards the target surface
without interference from surrounding structures.

The gauge's on-board microprocessor calculates distance by

multiplying the speed of light by the time it takes for an
invisible infrared laser pulse to travel to the targeted ore and Fig. 2: Technicians can swing the arm back to the operator platform to
back. A second, visible aiming laser helps operators align the perform maintenance on the level gauge.

measuring laser.

Fig. 1: ABB LM80 laser level gauge is installed on a swing arm above Fig. 3: A signal from the level gauge controls conveyor speeds to avoid
ore crusher jaws jams and overloading of ore

2 AT/LEVEL/002-EN | ABB Measurement Products | Vale Totten mine | Sudbury Basin | Ontario | Canada
To install the gauge, Vale engineers mounted it on an arm that Results
could be swung out over the jaw opening. This allows any
maintenance of the gauge necessary to be accomplished by The crusher jaws at the Totten mine now operates at optimal
simply retracting the swing arm back to the operator platform. efficiency, eliminating jamming and overloading.

Early in its operation, the LM80 gauge measured the base level
for the empty crusher jaws. A comparison of the measurement
of ore in the jaws with the base level provides the necessary
data to control conveyor speeds.
The LM80 gauge requires no software setup. It sends a
4 to 20 mA signal to a controller that continuously adjusts
conveyor speed. It also provides relay outputs for ore level
alarms.
MacIssac notes that the successful automation of the system
avoids manual operator intervention at the crusher. The
operator no longer needs be present at the controls.
Vale has since purchased two additional LM80 laser gauges
for similar uses, and is considering a trial for a LM200 model
gauge capable of measuring ore level at a 600 foot distance
for a different application.

Controller
Level
LM80

Speed signal

Laser pulse

Conveyor

Crusher jaws

Fig. 4: The controller regulates conveyor speed based on the ore level
signal from the ABB LM80 laser level gauge

ABB Measurement Products | Vale Totten mine | Sudbury Basin | Ontario | Canada | AT/LEVEL/002-EN 3
 Contact us

AT/LEVEL/002-EN 09.2014
ABB Inc.
Level Measurement Products
Tel: +1 418-877-8109
+1 800-858-3847 (North America)
email laserscanner.support@ca.abb.com

www.abb.com/level

Note
We reserve the right to make technical changes or modify the contents of this
document without prior notice. With regard to purchase orders, the agreed
particulars shall prevail. ABB does not accept any responsibility whatsoever for
potential errors or possible lack of information in this document.

We reserve all rights in this document and in the subject matter and illustrations
contained therein. Any reproduction, disclosure to third parties or utilization of its
Fig. 5: Totten mine contents in whole or in parts – is forbidden without prior written consent of ABB.

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Fig. 6: Totten mine – aerial view