Precision Automation at Ken’s Bore

In the rugged landscape of the Pilbara, Western Australia, the Onslow Iron project is setting a new standard for operational efficiency. At the heart of this project is the Ken’s Bore laboratory, featuring a turnkey, end-to-end automated sample preparation line designed and engineered by Rocklabs, powered by Scott.

Through a collaborative partnership with Mineral Resources (MinRes), Rocklabs has delivered a system that not only doubles throughput but redefines accuracy and safety in mineral processing.

The Ken’s Bore installation is an engineering feat that tracks the sample's journey from the blast hole to the final chemical analysis.

The transformation begins at the drill rig, where raw samples are collected in 5kg field bags, representing the untapped geological potential of the Onslow Iron project. These bags are introduced to the Rocklabs AMS Prep Line, an end-to-end automated environment where human intervention is replaced by high-fidelity robotics. The system initiates a rigorous comminution process, utilizing self-cleaning crushers and pulverizers to reduce the bulk material down to a representative 100g pulp. By automating this transition, the lab eliminates the variance typically associated with manual splitting and handles the arduous task of dust suppression and heavy lifting, ensuring that the physical integrity of the sample is maintained in a temperature-controlled, repeatable environment.

Once the sample is reduced to its final 100g canister, the system’s collaborative robots (cobots) manage the delicate handover to the analytical stream. The workflow bifurcates into two critical paths: one stream is prepared via fusion for X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) to determine elemental composition, while the second undergoes Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) to assess moisture content and volatiles. This high-speed processing allows the lab to move from a raw field bag to actionable data in record time. These results are then instantly transmitted to the geology team, creating a tight feedback loop that allows MinRes to adjust grade control and material movement in real-time—optimizing the entire 30-plus-year mine life through the power of precision-engineered data.