PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:
ROBERT E. MCIVOR
General Manager &
Chief Metallurgist, Grinding Systems

SLURRY PUMPING

• Trained and worked as Pump Application Engineer at Allis-Chalmers.
• Manager, Process Equipment (including slurry pumps) at Linatex Canada.
• Conducted numerous plant tests to measure slurry pump performance, at Cleveland-Cliffs and other locations.
• Participated in slurry characterization tests at the GIW test facility.
• Conducted numerous grinding circuit optimization studies involving cyclone feed pump performance measurements and modifications.
• Developed instructional manual on slurry pumping.

GRINDING MILLS & MEDIA

• Trained and worked as Grinding Mill Application Engineer at Allis-Chalmers and Dominion Engineering.
• Completed numerous projects from (rod, ball, AG/SAG and roller) mill selection, sale, and manufacture to field tuning and processing performance verification.
• Understudy of F.C. Bond, C.A. Rowland, R.R. Turner and A.R. MacPherson.
• Co-designed and built grinding test facilities and developed Grinding Mill Application Engineering Manual for Dominion.
• Conducted numerous investigations to select/optimize use of grinding media, several on behalf of Magotteaux Canada.
• Co-authored technical review of the effects of grinding media on downstream processes. Authored technical review on grinding media size(s) selection.
• Oversaw testing and process design of Vertimill installation at Hibbing Taconite.
• Developed instructional manuals on rod and ball mill power draw, power and charge level measurements, and Bond Work Index testing.

HYDROCYCLONES

• Trained and worked as hydrocyclone application specialist (as Manager, Process Equipment) at Linatex Canada. Instrumental in developing computerized modeling for cyclone selection. Ran pump/cyclone test circuit. Expanded the business by capturing a significant portion of the new equipment market.
• Developed and published methodology for grinding circuit cyclone selection (for new installations) and optimization (of existing installations).
• Carried out numerous projects to measure and optimize the performance of plant pumping/cycloning operations, including inclined cyclones, two-stage cycloning, and high-efficiency cyclones.
• Developed instructional manuals on plant cyclone performance measurement and optimization.

HIGH-PRESSURE GRINDING

• Conducted investigation into high-pressure pre-grinding (ahead of a ball mill) of granulated copper slag for use as underground backfill.
• Investigated several potential uses of high pressure grinding rolls at Cleveland-Cliffs, including the following.
  1. Pre-grinding ahead of a concentrate grinding ball mill.
  2. Replacement of rod mills.
  3. Replacement of crushing stages combined with pre-treatment for fine grinding.
  4. Supplementing pebble crushing in an autogenous milling circuit. Each of these studies included technical and economic evaluations of proposed installations. The latter materialized into the installation at the Empire concentrator.
• Authored a technical review of the state-of-the-art of high-pressure grinding technology in the metals mining industry.

GRINDING CIRCUITS

• Developed specialized modeling approach for optimization of both classification system and size reduction efficiencies in grinding circuits, namely the “Functional Performance Equation”. Published several related technical papers.
• Developed a complete, systematic engineering procedure for improving the performance of plant (conventional) grinding circuits. This was adapted into a 21 module training program, and has been applied by many engineers worldwide.
• Consulted/worked for numerous companies, including major grinding circuit optimization studies for the following operations.
  Les Mines Selbaie, Joutel, Quebec
  Kidd Creek Mines, Timmins, Ontario
  Dome Mine, Timmins, Ontario
  Gibraltar Mines, MacLeese Lake, British Columbia
  David Bell Mine, Marathon, Ontario
  Williams Mine, Marathon, Ontario
  Strathcona Mill, Falconbridge Ltd., Sudbury, Ontario
  Curraugh Resources, Faro, Yukon
  Quebec Cartier Mining, Mount Wright Concentrator and Port Cartier Pellet Plant
  Cleveland-Cliffs Inc, at Tilden, Empire, LTV, Northshore and Wabush

GENERAL

• Bachelor’s degree in Mining Engineering (University of Saskatchewan, 1971), Masters in Mineral Economics (McGill University, 1974), and Ph.D. in Metallurgical Engineering (McGill University, 1989).
• Member of CMP division of CIM, and SME, including several committees and editorial boards.
• Conduct comminution portion of Professional Development Seminar in Mineral Processing bi-annually at McGill University.
• Intermediate level of spoken French.
• Authored many technical articles on grinding and classification, as well as a complete instructional program for improving plant grinding circuit performance.
• Other areas of expertise include: plant sampling and test work, including statistical/quality control of data; financial analysis of plant investments; technical writing/reporting; project management; R&D project portfolio management; training and design of instruction; technology transfer.