I. Application Scenarios

● Open-pit rock gold mine: The raw ore is pre‑processed on site, with surrounding rock and quartz vein gangue removed in advance, thereby reducing the scale of subsequent mineral processing.  
● Underground Gold Mine: Underground ore is directly fed into the sorting machine, reducing ore haulage volume and lowering transportation costs.  
● Old tailings: Sort low-grade stockpiled ore and tailings to recover valuable gold in a second stage.  
● Pre-treatment at the ore-dressing plant: When paired with crushing and screening production lines, it serves as a pre‑grinding quality‑control process.  
● Small-scale mining site: It replaces manual sorting, performing coarse sorting and impurity removal.

II. Scope of Application

1. Sorted materials: Natural gold ores and hard-rock gold ores; the target materials for sorting include gold-bearing ores, quartz vein gangue, country rocks, mud clumps, waste rock, and low-grade mixed ores.  
2. Applicable particle size: Dry separation: 3–150 mm; wet separation: 8–150 mm, supporting multi-stage particle-size classification and sorting.  
3. Core Objective: By removing gangue and waste rock, the overall grade of the raw ore is improved, reducing the processing load in downstream operations such as grinding, flotation, and cyanidation; this also lowers reagent, water, electricity, and labor costs. Ore recovery reaches ≥98%, with high separation accuracy and an extremely low carry‑over of valuable material.

III. Technical Parameters

Note: The above yields are based on a particle size of 1–5 cm (including 5% impurities).

IV. Operating Principle

The process is divided into three steps: material imaging, intelligent identification, and jet‑based sorting. The raw ore is fed uniformly by a vibrating feeder, spread in a single layer on the conveyor belt, and conveyed at a constant speed into the inspection zone. Specialized illumination provides supplemental lighting, while a multispectral camera captures images of the ore. An AI algorithm analyzes color, texture, and grayscale features to rapidly classify the material into qualified gold ore, waste rock, and interlayered rock. The control system then issues commands to activate corresponding solenoid valves, blowing waste rock into the tailings discharge port, directing high‑grade gold ore into the product outlet, and routing intermediate‑grade material back for secondary sorting.

V. Process Flow

Raw ore → Crushing → Screening and grading → Impurity removal → Color sorting → Return of finished gold concentrate, waste rock, and intermediate concentrate  
● Key preprocessing steps: The raw ore is crushed to the specified particle size using a jaw crusher and a cone crusher, then subjected to classification on a circular vibrating screen. Ores of different sizes are separated and color‑sorted, significantly enhancing sorting accuracy; at the same time, mud fines and fine ash are screened out to prevent lens obstruction and ensure reliable identification.  
● Core color-sorting process: The graded ore is conveyed by a transport system into the color sorter’s hopper. The equipment then activates its gold‑specific sorting mode, using advanced algorithms to identify and isolate gold‑bearing particles. The dual‑stage design combines rough sorting with fine sorting: the first stage removes large waste rock, while the second stage precisely separates interstitial material and low‑grade ore.  
● Backend Material Sorting: The high-grade gold ore product is directly fed into downstream processing stages such as grinding and flotation; tailings consisting of waste rock, gangue, and surrounding rock can be backfilled on-site or put to comprehensive utilization; and the middlings, which contain relatively low gold grades, are returned to the upstream crushing circuit for re‑sorting and recovery.

VI. Core Advantages

● Custom AI Algorithms: Specifically trained to address the varying color intensities and abundant associated minerals of gold deposits, it can detect subtle color differences, distinguish gold-bearing ores from pure white quartz veins, and exhibits strong resistance to interference.  
● Dry and wet dual mode: It is compatible with both dry and wet feed conditions; for ores with a moisture content of ≤15%, no additional drying is required—direct feeding into the separator is sufficient. It also accommodates diverse mining raw materials, whether from open-pit or underground operations.  
● Low-loss design: Flexible tracked conveying, with no severe impacts, maximizes the preservation of native gold particles and minimizes the loss of precious metals.  
● Efficient Cost Reduction: It completely replaces traditional manual sorting, boosting operational efficiency by several dozen times and significantly reducing labor costs; by removing waste in advance, it lowers the load on downstream mineral-processing equipment by more than 30%, while also saving reagents and energy consumption.  
● Stable operation: The machine features dust‑proof sealing, durable wear parts, and the ability to operate continuously for 24 hours, making it well suited for high‑intensity mining operations.

VII. Technical Advantages

1. Image Processing System  
Cutting-edge DSP and FPGA processing technologies, combined with color‑ and spatial‑based multi‑mode complex algorithms, deliver “color sorting + shape sorting” capabilities tailored to various materials. With freely configurable modes, you can select from a vast array of materials.  
2. Camera Acquisition System  
Imported high-precision camera lenses ensure image clarity and accuracy. Equipped with an imported, high‑precision 5400‑pixel high‑speed linear full‑color smart CCD, it delivers high‑definition recognition and rapid sorting.  
3. Self-priming nozzle
Equipped with a professional high-speed air valve, it delivers rapid actuation, low power consumption, and extended service life; reduces air consumption, achieves faster response, more precise impact, lower carry‑over ratio, and higher throughput; with a service life exceeding 10 billion cycles.  
4. Light Source System  
LED optical design system, with multiple light source options to accommodate various materials; addresses issues such as high temperature, significant power loss, and shortened lifespan that arise from prolonged LED operation; ensures long-lasting durability under stable temperature conditions.  
5. Feeding System  
An advanced material-feeding detection system is employed to ensure uniform material flow.  
6. Crawler Conveyor  
It employs a tracked conveyor system, delivering excellent color‑sorting performance and stable material transport, which effectively enhances the carry‑over ratio and sorting purity while also significantly reducing material breakage during the color‑sorting process.  
7. Wide range of applications  
Corresponding operating modes have been designed for different materials, enabling a single machine to perform color sorting on various types of materials.  
8. Simple and easy to operate  
Touchscreen displays from professional manufacturers, an intuitive human–machine interface, a clear and easy-to-read operation menu, and simplified settings enable customers to quickly master the various functions of the color sorter.

VIII. Application Value

● Quality Improvement and Efficiency Enhancement: Pre‑removal of a large volume of waste rock increases the average grade of the ore fed to the mill, thereby enhancing the overall recovery rate in mineral processing.  
● Cost savings: Reduce the processing capacity of grinding and flotation equipment, and lower the consumption of steel balls, electricity, water, and flotation reagents.  
● Reducing staff, saving worry: Automated sorting eliminates the need for labor-intensive manual sorting, addressing issues of low efficiency and missed defects inherent in manual sorting.  
● Green and environmentally friendly: Pure physical separation, with no chemical reagents added, eliminates secondary pollution from wastewater and waste residues, and allows for compliant disposal of tailings.

9. Color Sorting Site