A Novel Approach to Optimizing Material Processing Yield

By Joakim KalvenesRohin Wood, and Jason Stewart
Blog Post

Material Processing Systems function like assembly lines but maintain a continuous flow of materials through multiple interconnected steps. Optimizing these systems typically focuses on maximizing the total yield by balancing the two key performance indicators of throughput and quality. This requires identifying the optimal operating parameters that will maximize yield given variations in raw materials and environmental conditions.

Previous solutions to optimization problems have traditionally involved two high-level steps. First, predictions are made on how each operating parameter will impact yield. Then, those predictions are used to formulate an optimization algorithm that recommends setpoints. These solutions have typically taken the following approach:

  1. A predictive model is built that maximizes accuracy by including as many variables as possible and using black box algos (e.g., gradient boosted trees, neural nets, etc.).
  2. These black box algos are then used to make predictions across a range of ore types and setpoints. Setpoints are then chosen with the highest prediction for each ore type (sometimes using heuristic or evolutionary solvers to expedite).

However, there are several challenges unique to material processing systems that these previous methods fail to address:

Challenges in predicting impact of each variable on yield:

Challenges in formulating the optimization problem:

To address these challenges, our patented process includes:

Incorporated into our solution for natural resource processing , our novel approach enables us to yield uplift than with past approaches. We can do this by correctly characterizing how physical processes change given changes in raw materials (e.g., copper ore). We can, therefore, continuously adjust to the correct recipe as the ore changes – and the more time spent at the best recipe for a given ore type, the higher the uplift.