Abstract
Autogenous (AG) and semi-autogenous (SAG) grinding mills are considered a mature technology, so why are we seeing a number of recent projects not achieving nameplate capacity and is SAG technology losing market confidence, particularly in financial circles? This paper presents a critical review of underperforming AG/SAG mills based on public domain information comparing design expectations with actual operational performance. Actions taken in operations to mitigate the issues and optimise mill performance are listed, including a high level discussion on capital and operating costs.
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