Case Study: RealTime Material Scanning Transforms Kiln Feed Consistency
Client Challenge
A mining client needed to blend two grades of stone, each with varying purity levels, to consistently achieve a 96% calcium mix before feeding material into their kiln. To maintain optimal performance, the kiln requires input stone with 4–4.5% impurities.
However, the client’s process moved material at extremely high speed, up to hundreds of tons per hour, traveling as much as 200 feet of linear stone per minute. Their traditional testing workflow required 45 minutes to prepare a sample and one hour to receive a data point.
Even at maximum efficiency, the lab could not keep pace with production. This lag created a significant risk: rich material, lowpurity “junk” stone, or improperly blended feed could enter the kiln before they had actionable data.
Our Approach
Eurofins QTA implemented a “notouch” realtime material scanning system which is a fundamentally different model from traditional inline XRF or roboticsbased sampling, both of which require extensive and costly sample preparation.
Our solution scans stone as it passes beneath the system, eliminating physical sampling entirely. During each pass, the system collects multiple rapid scans, then mathematically averages the data to produce a stable, accurate measurement. This prevents the “noise” that would occur if too few data points were collected during any single scan.
The Outcome
With Eurofins’ QTA automated, notouch system, the client started receiving new compositional data point every 60 seconds, aligning analytical speed with the pace of material flow.
This realtime insight enables operators to:
- Maintain the target 96% calcium blend
- Prevent offspec stone from entering the kiln
- Minimize variability and protect kiln integrity
- Respond immediately to shifts in feed composition
By replacing hourlong delays with minutelevel visibility, Eurofins QTA helped the client dramatically improve quality control, reduce waste, and optimize kiln performance.
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