CISA Vision Systems

This description of Metso Minerals Cisa Vision systems is for information purpose only and does not form a contractual engagement. Metso Minerals Cisa reserves the right to modify product features at any time without notice.

From the start, the development of software is driven by the idea that in order to operate a processing plant at peak performance at any time, it's necessary to supplement the DCS or PLC based conventional control system with several online "artificial intelligence" modules which reflect different approaches, working together seamlessly. The Fuzzy Expert module, the Soft Sensor module, the Optimizer module and the Neural Network module were developed first.

With the addition in 2001 of the OCS© Vision module (VisioFroth, VisioRock, VisioBall, VisioPellet, etc.), "artificial eyes" and the ability to analyze images and films in real time were added to the OCS© "brain".

The Vision module makes it possible to easily operate a large number of USB cameras (more than 40 per computer for froth vision), and interpret their images in real time with an unprecedented speed. The cameras are like many OCS© eyes measuring froth velocity, bubble size, color, stability, texture, rock size or pellet size, or counting steel balls. Behind the cameras, the Vision module consists of several specialized algorithms, namely VisioFroth, VisioRock, VisioPellet, VisioBall, etc.

VisioFroth measures real time froth velocity, bubble size distribution, color and other froth properties.

VisioFroth was launched at the end of 2001 and in less than 18 months was purchased by 14 customers in the minerals processing industry, generating substantial increases in metals recovery. The largest VisioFroth installations so far are at Freeport, Indonesia with 172 VisioFroth cameras and – currently being installed – at Minera Escondida Phase IV, Chile with 102 VisioFroth cameras.

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