Plan right now and be certain your grinding circuit will be ready to achieve production targets. Starkey & Associates’ SAGDesign test ensures your mine will be well positioned to achieve scheduled production by offering uncompromising precision while meeting any company’s testing budget.

Inherently accurate, SAGDesign testing is based on ore from your mine, unlike other proprietary methods that use overcomplicated modeling based upon samples and results from somebody else’s mine. SAGDesign differs from these “black box” methods by being an open technology encouraging better dialogue and understanding between our clients and us – a level of transparency not seen since Autogeneous grinding was introduced in the 1950’s.

SAGDesign testing can be used at any phase of the design or optimization process, whether it is specifying the dimensions and power requirements for a new mill order, benchmarking, or predicting throughput in existing circuits. Founded upon John Starkey’s practical engineering experience, Dawson Metallurgical Laboratory’s expertise and Outotec’s backing, a straightforward first principles approach to mill design was created. SAGDesign testing is complimented by full service capabilities including onsite sampling supervision and an international network of equipment-ready and certified laboratories. It is also the only testing program in the world reliable enough to be used as the basis for Outotec’s throughput and grind guarantee for Outotec mills.

The SAGDesign test program can be scaled to your project budget. In most cases, analysis can be developed from existing drill core samples and requires only 10 tests to get a correct design, which is not only attractive from a total cost perspective, but dramatically reduces the turnaround time – no more waiting to get your order in the mill procurement and assembly queue, sacrificing months of productivity.

Before you make large capital investments and production planning decisions, make sure you find out the design characteristics for your ore body by utilizing the SAGDesign Test. When combined with supervised sample selection, no other test can provide better accuracy for the required grinding energy needed for SAG and ball milling. This gives you the peace of mind that you have the right information to procure properly sized grinding equipment or how to optimize your existing grinding circuit. In either case, speaking with us first is your best move to realize throughput targets now and in the future.

Starkey & Associates, the creators of the SAGDesign Test offer unmatched industry experience and full disclosure of calculations and equations. This patented technology was introduced to the market in 2004, and since then we have completed over 235 tests for some of the industry’s leading mining organizations including Barrick, Cariboo, Hecla Mining, High River Gold, Kinross, Phelps Dodge (now FMI), Polymetal, to name a few.

Critical to the process is taking the proper ore samples at the mine site and replicating commercial grinding conditions at one of our accredited testing laboratories. These facilities are ready to receive samples and are located world-wide including Australia, Canada, Peru, Russia and the United States. Regardless of the location you choose to send your samples, the tests are executed identically and are calibrated in three different ways to maintain the utmost levels of consistency. All testing centers are able to accommodate drill core taken deep in the ore body and later, upon receiving the final report, you will see how the SAGDesign’s unique linear calibration ensures accuracy on all ores - even the hardest.

After receiving the data from the laboratory, it is reviewed and analysed at our head office in Canada where the design information is compiled and the reports finalized.  For most projects, this information is ready for you in about two months from receipt of samples to finished report.

The quick-turnaround is advantageous to larger organizations issuing tenders because they are able to provide power and size specifications from the SAGDesign results in a timely manner to vendors.  They are also able to fast-track major projects by going directly to SAGDesign Testing instead of traditional testing methods that take many months to complete.  SAGDesign testing also allows positive confirmation of any previous design work.    

This enables your procurement department to accurately compare responses from multiple mill manufacturers – “apples to apples” and to select a mill vendor in time to meet the construction schedule for the project. 

Junior mining companies also benefit from the quick turnaround because testing costs are kept to a minimum – and lower than any other method. 

Finally, the cost of SAGDesign Testing is within any budget and the information is invaluable, especially considering the potential lost revenue from a circuit that does not perform to expectations and the subsequent impact on an organization’s revenue. 

Still not convinced?  Ask us about one mill manufacturer that will guarantee throughput and grind in their mills if the SAGDesign Test is used.