Curriculum Vitae
QUALIFICATIONS
B.Eng (Chemical & Materials) 1983 University of Auckland.
M.EngSc-Research (Metallurgical) 1990 - University of Queensland
SUMMARY OF PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE
I have worked on gravity separation jigs in numerous plants in
Australia and overseas continuously since 1987 to the present day
and have extensively worked on plants with jigs supplied by KHD,
Allmineral, Bateman, McNally, FCB and Kelsey. My principal area of
expertise lies in real-time process control systems and the
development of new instrumentation. Much of this work has been
conducted at remote mining locations where I have a demonstrated
ability to develop, manage, implement and commission small to
mid-sized projects under challenging industrial circumstances. I
also have extensive experience in process modelling of unit
operations, with particular emphasis on the mineral processing jig.
My background includes considerable knowledge of process engineering
and metallurgy in the mineral processing industry. This has involved
modeling of the underlying physical principles of unit operations,
particularly gravity separation devices. This work includes
experience with computational fluid dynamics packages (CFD), both
configuring commercial packages such as FIDAP, writing my own 3-d
discrete element model for multiphase liquid-particulate systems. It
also includes the development of specialized finite element models
for material flow and separation in jigs. This theoretical knowledge
is balanced by several years of experience with many empirical
campaigns of sampling jigs from laboratory scale to full commercial
scale and the statistical analysis of this data. I have designed and
programmed software in many different languages (C#, C/C++, Fortran,
Assembler, BASC, Visual BASIC, Excel VBA) and computing environments
(Intel x86, Microsoft, Visual Studio.NET 2003,2005, Unix). I have
also developed many PLC applications using ladder logic and
structured text in Mitsubishi and Schneider environements (including
interaction with SCADA systems such as Citect and HMI displays).
DETAILS OF TRAINING AND WORK EXPERIENCE
I received my engineering training at Auckland, New Zealand and
graduated from Auckland University as a Chemical and Materials
Engineer in 1983 with 1st class honours. My first employment was as
a process software engineer at New Zealand Steel for a period of 2
years (1984-1985). During this time I was involved in the
commissioning of major new infrastructure and testing of the control
software for the QBOP steel furnace and the smelters for pig iron
production. I left N.Z. Steel to work as a contract programmer at
the CRA copper mine on Bougainville island for a period of one year
(1986). During this time I was involved in the design of job
scheduling software for the mine workshops and later, for support of
a large number of personal computers at the site where I designed
and implemented a number of small database projects. I moved to
Brisbane, Australia in 1987 and undertook a Masters degree under Dr.
Geoff Lyman at the Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre (JKMRC),
University of Queensland. This
project involved the design, installation and commissioning of a
custom real-time control system for a large coal jig at Newlands
Coal near Mackay. As part of this project I also received a high
level of training and experience in the design, conduct and
statistical analysis of mineral sampling experimental trials. From
completing my Masters degree in 1989 until 1999, I was employed at
the JKMRC as a Senior
Research Officer. I have worked in a major role on several large
research projects. I jointly hold patents on jig control technology
with Dr. Geoff Lyman, and am responsible for the development of
several other innovative instrument technologies. These include a
novel method for measuring magnetic susceptibility in the mineral
sands industry, an automatic gas pycnometer for particle density
measurement, and computer programs for a 3-d discrete element model
of 2 phase liquid-particulate systems. From 1999 to 2001, I was
employed as a Systems Engineer for
JKTech
(The JKMRC commercial division) responsible for developing installing and commissioning ndustrial process computer control systems, including SCADA systems
such as Citect, and a variety of PLC's. for jig control. From 2001
to the present day I have been running my own sole trader consulting
and R&D business from Brisbane. During this period I have continued
to promote and consult on the operation and understanding of jigs in
the mineral industry with several companies including Anglo Coal
(Callide), Xstrata coal, Rio-Tinto Coal (Tarong), and the Bateman
Minerals jig group