PROGRAM
Program Overview
The conference general program will run for two days, from September 4th to September 6th, 2024, and will include papers presented and discussions. The conference program will be released soon.
The preliminary agenda for the two-day workshop is currently accessible.
This agenda will be periodically updated as additional information is confirmed and finalised. We encourage participants to check the most current schedule and session details regularly.
Short courses
The conference short courses will run on September 3rd, 2024, and the industry forums will run on September 4th, 2024.
Registration for short courses and the industry forum is now open. Please visit the Registration Page. For enquiries, please contact m.yahyaei@uq.edu.au.
Please note the conference registration does not include pre-workshop activities.
Registration fees
Normal registration for each short course: 500 AUD (Inc. GST)
Normal registration for each industry forum: 100 AUD (Inc. GST)
The 7th IFAC Workshop attendees receive 50% discount for short courses and 100% discount for Industry forum. For receiving your discount code, please provide the IFAC workshop registration confirmation to m.yahyaei@uq.edu.au.
The short courses will proceed if there are minimum of 15 registrations. If the courses do not go ahead because of low registration, full refund will be provided to paid registrations.
Basics of process control for metallurgists – Tuesday, September 3rd, 2024 – 9:00-12.00
The short course will cover process control basics, focusing on developing applied knowledge for mineral processing engineers. The short course is designed in four modules that can be tailored to the needs and the level of knowledge of the participants. Module one focuses on the fundamentals and basic components of control systems. Module two focuses on tuning PID controllers, and reviews applied methods common in the industry for tuning different control loops. Module three is an activity-based module for the participants to use Loop Pro simulation software and gain practical experience working with PID controllers and conducting tuning of PID controllers. Module four reviews common control strategies for different operating units in mineral processing plants, their pros and cons, and common problems observed in practice. Also, in this module, instrumentation and key factors in selecting instrumentation for process control will be discussed.
Course facilitator
Professor Mohsen Yahyaei from the University of Queensland will present this short course. He is an expert in mineral processing circuits, specialising in process control and automation. He holds a prominent position at the Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre (JKMRC) at the prestigious University of Queensland in Australia.
With extensive experience, Mohsen has conducted applied research, industry surveys, and process optimisation projects for various mining companies. He actively collaborates with major mining companies and equipment suppliers, fostering valuable partnerships in the field. Mohsen has demonstrated exceptional leadership skills by successfully overseeing large-scale research initiatives funded by industry stakeholders.
Data Analytics for Resource Engineering Professionals – Tuesday, September 3rd, 2024 – 13:00-16.00
Unlock the power of data analytics in today’s dynamic technological landscape. As a resource engineer, you’ll discover how to extract actionable insights from intricate datasets, driving innovation and informed decision-making. In this workshop, fundamental concepts related to data visualization, as well as the construction of advanced supervised and unsupervised models, will be covered with an emphasis on practical engineering applications.
Course facilitators
Professor Chris Aldrich and Dr Xiu Liu from Curtin University will present this short course. Prof Aldrich holds a Chair in Process Systems Engineering at the Western Australian School of Mines and has extensive experience in developing and applying machine learning methods in process engineering. Dr Liu holds a postdoctoral research position at Curtin University and specializes in machine learning in image analysis, process monitoring and fault diagnosis in the resource industries.
Mining 3 Industrial Innovation Forum – Wednesday 4th September, 2024 – 13.00- 17.00
Proceedings
The proceedings will be published shortly after the conference in IFAC-PapersOnLine
Plenary lectures
Advanced process control in mineral processing: Trends and Opportunities
Prof. Ian K Craig
Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering
University of Pretoria
Ian Keith Craig received the B.Eng. degree in electronic engineering from the University of Pretoria, the S.M. degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the Ph.D and M.B.A. degrees from the University of the Witwatersrand. He heads the control systems group in the Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering at the University of Pretoria (UP), featured in the April 2024 issue of the IEEE Control Systems Magazine. Before joining UP, Ian was part of the Measurement and Control Division of Mintek, where he was involved in designing, implementing, and commercialising advanced controllers for the mineral processing industry. His research interests include model-based control and optimisation in the process industries.
Ian was editor-in-chief of the journal Control Engineering Practice from 2005 to 2010 and the president of the International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC) from 2011 to 2014. He chaired the IFAC Foundation Board from 2017-2023 and is currently the IFAC Publications Management Board Chair. Ian is a Fellow of the South African Academy of Engineering and has received the Exceptional Academic Achiever award from the University of Pretoria five times. He has presented plenary addresses at a number of conferences, including the 5th IFAC Workshop on Mining, Mineral and Metal Processing, the Chinese Process Control Conference and the Control Conference Africa.
Social Program
Title : Conference Welcome Reception Cocktail
Session : 4 September 2024 (6.00pm-9.00pm) | Brisbane Customs House
Title : Conference Dinner
Session : 5 September 2024 (6.30pm-10.30pm) | Brisbane Customs House
