Gold processing plants across Central West NSW are continually changing. Conveyors are extended, chutes are replaced, pumps are upgraded, platforms are modified, pipework is rerouted and new equipment is installed around infrastructure that may have been operating for decades.
The challenge is that the engineering drawings available for an established plant do not always represent what actually exists on site.
For brownfield projects, even a relatively small dimensional discrepancy can result in fabrication problems, clashes, installation delays or additional work during a planned shutdown.
Hamilton By Design provides engineer-led 3D laser scanning, mechanical engineering, reverse engineering and CAD modelling to support gold mines and mineral-processing facilities throughout regional NSW.
Our broader Mining NSW engineering and 3D scanning services support mine operators, engineering teams, maintenance departments and contractors that need reliable existing-condition information before plant modifications are designed.
Engineering Starts With Understanding What Is Actually There
A common challenge in an operating gold processing plant is the difference between the original design and the plant’s current configuration.
Over years of operation, equipment may have been replaced, structural steel altered, platforms added and process lines rerouted. Maintenance modifications may never have been incorporated into the original drawings.
When another upgrade is required, engineers can therefore find themselves designing from incomplete or inaccurate information.
Engineering-grade 3D LiDAR scanning provides another approach.
Hamilton By Design can capture the existing plant as a detailed three-dimensional point cloud, providing a measurable representation of equipment, structures and surrounding interfaces.
For regional projects, our engineering-grade 3D LiDAR scanning in Parkes NSW demonstrates how this approach can be applied to processing plants, conveyors, transfer points, structural steel, pipework and access platforms throughout Central West NSW.
The objective is simple:
Scan the existing plant before designing the modification.
What Can Be Captured in a Gold Processing Plant?
Terrestrial LiDAR scanning is particularly useful where many different systems occupy a congested area.
A scanning scope can include:
- crushers and screens;
- conveyors and transfer stations;
- chutes and hoppers;
- feeders;
- pumps and pump bases;
- pipework;
- tanks and process equipment;
- structural steel;
- maintenance platforms;
- stairs and walkways;
- guards;
- motors and gearboxes;
- equipment foundations; and
- surrounding interfaces.
Multiple scan positions can be registered together to create a coordinated point cloud of the required area.
Hamilton By Design’s broader engineering-grade 3D laser scanning services across Australia are specifically directed toward producing engineering-useful information for mining, heavy industrial and brownfield projects.
Rather than treating reality capture as the final deliverable, the scan can become the dimensional foundation for the engineering project.
Mechanical Engineering for Mineral Processing Plant Upgrades
Once existing conditions have been captured, the point cloud can be brought into the mechanical design environment.
Hamilton By Design provides mechanical engineering for mining infrastructure, supporting equipment associated with extraction, mineral processing and materials handling.
Typical brownfield engineering scopes may include:
- conveyor modifications;
- replacement transfer chutes;
- hopper modifications;
- equipment replacement layouts;
- crusher and screen interfaces;
- pump arrangements;
- equipment support frames;
- maintenance access;
- machinery guarding;
- structural/mechanical interfaces; and
- plant retrofit projects.
This creates a practical Scan → Model → Design → Document workflow.
Instead of designing a new component independently and hoping it fits the existing plant, the proposed arrangement can be developed around captured site geometry.
That can be particularly valuable when fabrication is completed off site and installation must occur within a tightly controlled shutdown window.
Conveyors, Chutes, Hoppers and Transfer Points
Materials handling is one of the strongest applications for this workflow.
Gold-processing facilities depend on reliable movement of crushed ore and processed material between different stages of the plant. Transfer points can consequently become important areas for maintenance, wear management and future upgrades.
Hamilton By Design provides engineering support for bulk material handling in mining, including conveyors, transfer points, chutes, ROM bins, hoppers and associated steelwork.
For an existing transfer station, scanning can establish the position of:
- conveyor centre lines;
- head and tail pulleys;
- surrounding steelwork;
- existing chute geometry;
- platforms;
- handrails;
- drives;
- guards; and
- adjacent plant.
A replacement chute or conveyor modification can then be modelled within this captured environment.
This provides greater confidence that interfaces, access requirements and surrounding infrastructure have been considered before fabrication begins.
Reverse Engineering Existing Mining Equipment
Not every plant problem requires completely new equipment.
Regional mining facilities can contain equipment that is no longer adequately documented or has been modified throughout its service life. In other cases, replacement parts may be difficult to source or the original manufacturer may no longer support the equipment.
Hamilton By Design’s reverse engineer 3D scanning service combines reality capture with engineering judgement and CAD modelling to assist with large industrial assets.
Depending on the component, reverse-engineering projects can establish existing geometry and interfaces before a replacement or improved design is developed.
Applications in a mineral-processing environment may include:
- obsolete equipment components;
- worn chute assemblies;
- equipment bases;
- housings;
- fabricated structures;
- guards;
- ducting;
- support frames; and
- replacement mechanical assemblies.
The aim is not simply to copy an existing item. It is to understand how the component fits into the surrounding plant and develop an appropriate engineering solution for the required application.
Supporting Shutdown Engineering
Shutdowns provide limited opportunities to complete modifications to operating mineral-processing equipment.
Discovering that a fabricated component does not fit after the shutdown has commenced can result in significant pressure on maintenance and construction teams.
Hamilton By Design provides 3D scanning for mining shutdown projects to support plant upgrades, mechanical design, Scan-to-CAD modelling, structural verification and layout assessment before the shutdown begins.
Early scanning can allow engineering teams to investigate:
- equipment installation envelopes;
- structural interfaces;
- pipework conflicts;
- removal paths;
- maintenance clearances;
- access requirements;
- conveyor interfaces; and
- fabrication dimensions.
Proposed equipment can then be checked against captured existing conditions while there is still time to modify the design.
Scanning cannot remove every shutdown risk, but better existing-condition information can reduce the number of assumptions entering the engineering process.
From Point Cloud to Fabrication Documentation
Capturing the plant is only useful if the information can be converted into practical engineering deliverables.
Depending on the project scope, scan information can progress into:
- registered point clouds;
- existing-condition CAD models;
- SolidWorks models;
- STEP or SAT geometry;
- equipment layouts;
- general arrangements;
- sections and elevations;
- fabrication drawings;
- DXF files;
- bills of materials; and
- installation information.
Hamilton By Design also provides mechanical drafting services across Australia for mining, industrial and plant projects, allowing the project to continue from site capture through design development and into documentation for fabrication.
This integrated approach can be valuable for regional mines because the same project information can be carried through multiple stages rather than being repeatedly interpreted by separate scanning, drafting and engineering providers.
Australian Standards for Mineral Processing Engineering
The standards applicable to a project depend on the particular equipment, design scope and site requirements.
For mechanical and structural modifications within mineral-processing facilities, applicable Australian Standards may include:
AS/NZS 4024 – Safety of Machinery
Relevant to machinery risk reduction, guarding and safety considerations associated with mechanical equipment and conveyor systems.
AS/NZS 4024.3610 – Conveyors – General Requirements
Potentially relevant where engineering modifications involve conveyor systems, transfer areas, guarding and associated safety requirements.
AS 1657 – Fixed Platforms, Walkways, Stairways and Ladders
Important where equipment modifications affect plant access, maintenance platforms, stairs, ladders, walkways and handrails.
AS 3990 – Mechanical Equipment – Steelwork
May apply to steelwork associated with mechanical equipment and equipment-support arrangements.
AS 4100 – Steel Structures
Relevant where a plant modification requires structural steel design, alteration, support frames or strengthening.
AS 3774 – Loads on Bulk Solids Containers
May be applicable when assessing loads associated with bins, hoppers and other structures containing bulk solids.
Other Australian Standards, client engineering specifications and statutory requirements may apply depending on the equipment and project.
Standards should therefore be identified as part of the project-specific engineering scope rather than assuming the same standards apply to every modification.
Gold Mine 3D Scanning Across Central West NSW
Hamilton By Design can support gold mines, mineral-processing facilities and industrial operations throughout Central West and regional NSW, including areas around:
Tomingley, Dubbo, Narromine, Peak Hill, Parkes, Orange, Bathurst, Mudgee and surrounding mining regions.
Site work can be combined with off-site point-cloud processing, CAD modelling, mechanical engineering and drafting.
This model is particularly suited to regional brownfield projects where the central engineering problem is straightforward:
The plant has changed, but the drawings have not.
By capturing the existing facility first, engineers can develop modifications using information that represents the plant as it exists today rather than relying entirely on historical documentation.
Engineer-Led Reality Capture for Brownfield Gold Plants
Hamilton By Design combines practical mechanical engineering experience with terrestrial LiDAR scanning and CAD modelling.
For mineral-processing projects, that means the scanning process can be planned around the engineering problem.
If the project involves replacing a transfer chute, modifying a conveyor, installing new equipment or reverse engineering an existing asset, the scan can focus on the interfaces needed to complete that work.
The result is more than a point cloud.
It is a digital engineering workflow designed to help turn existing plant conditions into practical information for design, fabrication, installation and future asset documentation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Gold Mine 3D Scanning?
Gold mine 3D scanning uses terrestrial laser scanning or LiDAR to capture accurate three-dimensional information about mining and mineral-processing infrastructure. The resulting point cloud can be used for CAD modelling, plant modifications, equipment replacement, reverse engineering and existing-condition documentation.
Can Hamilton By Design scan an operating gold processing plant?
Yes. Appropriate scanning scopes can capture conveyors, chutes, processing equipment, structural steel, pipework, platforms and other infrastructure. Site access, safety requirements and operational restrictions need to be considered when planning the work.
Can you design the modification after completing the scan?
Yes. One of the main benefits of an engineer-led scanning workflow is the ability to continue from reality capture into CAD modelling, mechanical engineering, clash checking and drafting.
Can you scan conveyors and transfer stations?
Yes. Conveyors, transfer stations, chutes, supporting steelwork, drives, platforms, guarding and surrounding equipment are well suited to terrestrial 3D laser scanning.
Can 3D scanning assist with shutdown preparation?
Yes. Scanning before a shutdown can provide existing-condition information for equipment replacement, fabrication, structural modifications, access planning and installation interfaces before the shutdown starts.
Does Hamilton By Design provide reverse engineering?
Yes. Existing industrial and mining assets can be captured using 3D scanning and developed into engineering CAD geometry where reverse engineering forms part of the project scope.
Which Australian Standards apply to mineral-processing plant modifications?
The standards depend on the equipment and scope. Commonly relevant standards can include AS/NZS 4024 for machinery safety, AS/NZS 4024.3610 for conveyors, AS 1657 for fixed access systems, AS 3990 for mechanical equipment steelwork, AS 4100 for structural steel and AS 3774 where bulk-solids-container loading is applicable.
Does Hamilton By Design service Central West NSW?
Yes. Hamilton By Design supports regional NSW mining and industrial projects, with site-based reality capture able to be combined with off-site point-cloud processing, CAD modelling, mechanical engineering and drafting.
Planning a Gold Processing Plant Upgrade?
If existing drawings cannot be trusted, obtaining reliable existing-condition information before detailed engineering begins can significantly improve the quality of a brownfield project.
Hamilton By Design can assist with 3D LiDAR scanning, mechanical engineering, reverse engineering, CAD modelling and fabrication documentation for gold mines and mineral-processing plants throughout Central West NSW and regional Australia.
Scan what exists. Engineer what is required. Design it to fit.
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