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Use the workflow below with the approved site procedure, risk assessment, OEM instructions and engineering acceptance criteria. It is a troubleshooting framework, not permission to bypass safeguards or operate outside documented limits. If readiness is uncertain or a safety-critical function is unavailable, stop the activity and escalate to the person authorized to release the next hold point.
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Start with a readiness gate, not a repair attempt
Commissioning is a high-risk operating phase because equipment, controls, procedures and people are being tested under changing conditions. The Energy Institute describes commissioning and start-up of new, modified or existing plant as “a high risk operation.” The first troubleshooting question is therefore not “what setting should we change?” but “is this system ready for this test?”
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Write down the equipment and process boundary for the activity: for example, a pump and its suction and discharge piping, a conveyor section, a grinding area, or the complete water circuit. Identify the approved commissioning procedure and revision, the test objective, the person authorized to accept progression, and the conditions that require a hold. Confirm that the system has been formally handed over from construction or maintenance and that interfaces with adjacent systems are understood.
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Check the five readiness domains
| Domain | Questions to answer before testing | Evidence to retain |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware | Are installation, alignment, lubrication, guarding, supports, valves, drains, access and housekeeping complete for the defined boundary? | Signed inspection records, punch-list status, equipment and piping checks |
| Controls and software | Are instruments installed and calibrated, control logic loaded at the approved revision, alarms and trips configured, and field signals visible where required? | Loop checks, calibration certificates, logic and cause-and-effect test records |
| People and organization | Are operators, maintainers, control-room staff and contractors trained for the test, with clear roles and communications? | Training and competency records, shift briefings, contact and escalation lists |
| Procedures | Do written instructions cover isolation, startup, normal operation, abnormal conditions, shutdown, emergency response and restart? | Controlled procedure revision, pre-job briefing and risk assessment |
| Documentation and open work | Are drawings, equipment data, permits and outstanding work items current, with each open item categorized and formally dispositioned? | Approved redlines, permits, punch-list disposition and hold-point release |
The Energy Institute’s operational-readiness guidance calls for systematic checks across these hardware, control, organizational, procedural and documentation factors, with issue handling and appropriate management approval. UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance likewise requires full written operating instructions and a risk review for commissioning.
Use a stop-and-escalate rule
- Stop if a guard, emergency stop, alarm, trip, interlock or other protection cannot be verified in the approved procedure.
- Stop if the equipment boundary, isolation status, energy source or test medium is uncertain.
- Stop if a leak, abnormal noise, uncontrolled movement, unexpected pressure, rising temperature or other condition exceeds the site procedure’s response limit.
- Stop if a safety-critical open item has no documented temporary control and authorized acceptance.
- Record the condition, isolate or make safe as directed, and escalate through the designated commissioning authority.
Do not use an informal workaround to achieve a reading or clear a punch item. HSE’s commissioning guidance specifically covers tracing pipework and connections, checking equipment condition, verifying alarms and trips, flushing and cleaning, testing ancillary equipment, calibration, and documented startup and shutdown protocols.
Stage 1: an individual machine will not run or runs abnormally
Individual-equipment testing is the first point at which a fault can be localized. Keep the system in its approved isolated or ready state while checking the installation. Compare every observation with the vendor manual and project acceptance criteria; there are no universal vibration, temperature, pressure or flow limits that can safely replace those documents.
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Use this sequence for any standalone trial
- Confirm the correct equipment tag, electrical or hydraulic isolation status, permits, lubrication and release from construction or maintenance.
- Check that guards, covers, access doors, drains, vents, valves and local stop devices are installed and in the required position.
- Verify the intended rotation or movement direction, coupling or belt condition, alignment and freedom from mechanical obstruction.
- Start only under the approved procedure, observe from a safe position, and record sound, vibration, bearing temperature, lubrication pressure, seal condition and current or load indications as applicable.
- Stop on an abnormal condition, preserve the evidence, and have the responsible mechanical, electrical or process engineer determine the next check.
Drive, motor or rotating machine symptoms
A motor that trips immediately may have an electrical, permissive, overload or mechanical cause. Check the trip indication and the approved electrical test records before resetting. If the machine starts but runs abnormally, verify rotation direction, coupling or belt alignment, bearing temperatures, lubrication, seals, guarding and local stop devices against the OEM criteria. A wrong rotation direction can damage pumps, fans, compressors or conveyors even when the drive appears to run normally.
Do not repeatedly reset a protective trip to “see whether it clears.” Capture the first trip code and operating state, then involve the authorized electrical or mechanical specialist. If a machine is mechanically free but the control system will not permit a start, move the investigation to the integrated permissive checks described in the next stage.
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Pump shows low flow or unstable pressure
Low indicated flow alone does not prove that the pump is defective. Work through the system in this order:
- Confirm suction and discharge valve positions, vessel levels, temporary hoses, strainers, vents, drains and the intended test configuration.
- Inspect for leaks, blocked lines, closed or incorrectly installed check valves, air ingress and construction debris.
- Verify that the flow, pressure and level instruments are calibrated, correctly ranged and displaying the same units expected by the procedure.
- Check pump rotation, lubrication, seal or gland-water supply and motor status.
- Compare measured head and flow with the approved hydraulic design basis and pump curve for the actual configuration.
- If the deviation persists, stop or stabilize the test and refer it to the responsible mechanical or process engineer and, where required, the OEM.
Never defeat a low-level, dry-run, pressure or other protection to obtain a higher flow reading. A pump can be healthy while the installed system is misconfigured, and a bad instrument can make a healthy pump appear to fail.
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When machines pass standalone trials but the line cannot start or stop correctly as a system, the likely fault is in sequence logic, permissives, interlocks, emergency-stop circuits, communications or field feedback.
Reproduce one failed transition
- Identify the exact step in the approved startup or shutdown sequence that failed, such as conveyor start, feeder permissive, pump enable or mill discharge confirmation.
- Record the command, the expected state, the actual state, alarm text, interlock status, timestamp and equipment tags involved.
- Check the cause-and-effect or sequence document for every permissive, including upstream and downstream equipment, lubrication, seal water, level, pressure, speed and emergency-stop conditions.
- Verify the field device physically. A control-room “running” indication may be a stale signal, while a genuine local stop may not have been reset.
- Test the corrected logic or signal in the approved no-load procedure, then repeat the complete sequence rather than declaring success after one partial start.
Verify signal paths and protection functions
HSE guidance calls for checking instrumentation, alarm settings, microprocessor signals and hardwired trips, including that field signals are displayed locally and relayed correctly to the control system. Test the complete path: sensor or switch, local panel, input or network, control logic, operator display, alarm and final action. Confirm that an emergency stop removes the intended energy and that reset requires the conditions specified by the procedure.
Common causes include a valve limit switch wired opposite to the drawing, a permissive using an uncalibrated level transmitter, an interlock waiting for a device that is not part of the current configuration, or a communication timeout hidden by an apparently normal screen. Correct the underlying configuration and retest; do not force a permissive or inhibit a trip simply to advance the sequence.
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Stage 3: water commissioning reveals leaks, poor flow or conflicting readings
Water trials are designed to expose installation, cleanliness, hydraulic and measurement faults before slurry and ore make the circuit difficult to interpret. Treat every unexpected water result as useful evidence about the installed system.
Trace the installed configuration
- Walk the circuit against the latest approved piping and instrumentation drawings. Confirm line routing, valve orientation, temporary blinds, drains, vents, overflow paths and vessel connections.
- Check that tanks, chutes, sumps, launders, screens, pumps and piping are clean and free of welding slag, rags, bolts, scale and other construction debris.
- Inspect flanges, expansion joints, seals, pump glands, hoses and drain points for leaks or spray. Make the area safe before approaching a leak.
- Look for blocked strainers, plugged nozzles, trapped air, closed vents, incorrect orifice plates and unexpected bypasses.
- Verify calibration, range, zero and units for flow, pressure, level, density and other instruments. Compare instrument values with a suitable independent observation where the procedure allows.
- Check pump performance against the hydraulic design basis at the actual valve lineup and water level, then review the water balance.
Interpret common water-test symptoms
| Observed symptom | Checks before changing process assumptions |
|---|---|
| Flow is lower than expected | Valve lineup, suction level, blocked strainer or nozzle, air ingress, pump rotation, instrument calibration and hydraulic design point |
| Flow indication disagrees with vessel level | Calibration and scaling, leaks or overflow, unrecorded drains or bypasses, trapped air and the time allowed for the system to stabilize |
| Repeated leaks or spillage | Flange and seal condition, pipe support and alignment, expansion movement, pressure transient, drain capacity and the approved temporary arrangement |
| Pump cavitates or loses prime | Suction configuration, available head, blocked suction path, air leaks, level control, venting and operation within the pump’s approved limits |
| Water does not reach a destination | Blockage, wrong line connection, closed or reversed valve, insufficient head, overflow route and equipment elevation |
Review gland-water supply, seal-water pressure and spillage routes where those systems apply. Do not “fix” an unbalanced water circuit by silently changing a transmitter range or bypassing an alarm; first establish whether the physical installation and measurement chain agree.
Stage 4: instability starts when ore is introduced
Do not introduce ore until equipment, no-load sequences and water acceptance gates are complete. Ore commissioning should follow the site’s approved ramp-up plan, with controlled feed increases and explicit conditions for holding or reducing rate.
Ramp feed in controlled steps
- Confirm the ore source, blend, moisture and size information available for the run, and verify that the planned feed is within the test and design basis.
- Start at the approved initial rate. Allow the circuit to respond before increasing feed, and record the reason and authorization for each change.
- Trend feed rate, mill load or power, sump levels, cyclone pressure and density, pump status, reagent addition, product flows, concentrate quality and recovery indicators used by the site.
- Take samples at the approved locations and frequencies. Preserve sample identity, time, operator, stream and conditions so results can be reconciled later.
- When instability appears, hold or reduce feed as directed, identify the first trend change, and change one controlled variable at a time unless an emergency response requires otherwise.
Separate process behavior from measurement and feed variability
A grinding circuit that surges may be responding to feed size, hardness, moisture, mill charge, water addition, classification or control tuning. Check instrument health and sample integrity before concluding that the process itself is unstable. Compare cyclone settings, density and pressure with the project’s approved operating envelope; the correct setpoints are plant-specific and are not established by a generic guide.
Reagent addition, concentrate quality, throughput and recovery must be interpreted together. A recovery change may reflect ore mineralogy or a different testwork sample rather than a mechanical fault. Use a metallurgical balance and matched time windows to compare feed, intermediate streams and products. If the balance does not close, investigate sampling, assay, flow measurement and inventory changes before adjusting reagent recipes.
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Typical decision branches during ore ramp-up
- Throughput falls while mechanical and control trends remain normal: check feed size, moisture, hardness, ore blend and blockages before changing a setpoint.
- Throughput and levels oscillate with a noisy instrument: verify calibration, impulse lines, signal filtering and control-loop configuration before retuning.
- Concentrate grade changes but mass flows are steady: verify sample identity, assay method, mineralogical or feed variability and reagent delivery.
- Recovery and grade both change after a circuit upset: establish the upset timeline and inventory holdup, then reconcile the balance over a stable period.
Stage 5: performance-test results are disputed or below target
Performance testing is not an informal extension of ramp-up. Use the contractual acceptance criteria established before the run and confirm that the plant was stable for the prescribed test period.
Validate the test before diagnosing underperformance
- Confirm the test date, approved procedure, acceptance criteria, required throughput, availability definition, product specifications and any permitted exclusions.
- Check that the circuit was at steady operation for the required period and that interruptions, feed changes, trips and maintenance events are recorded.
- Verify sampling points, sample-cut method, frequency, preservation, chain of custody and laboratory or assay method.
- Recalculate throughput, availability, concentrate grade and recovery from traceable raw data using the agreed calculation basis and metallurgical balance.
- Compare results with the defined design or test basis, including the feed characteristics and operating conditions for which the target applies.
- Document disagreements and obtain a formal technical determination rather than changing the acceptance basis after the result is known.
Check measurement integrity before changing hardware
A shortfall can originate in the plant, the feed, the measurement system or the test method. Confirm flowmeter calibration, belt-scale checks, density calculations, inventory estimates, sample representativeness and assay quality. A performance claim is only as strong as the records supporting each stream and time interval. If the circuit was not stable for the prescribed run, report the result as a non-compliant or inconclusive test according to the contract instead of presenting an unstable period as a definitive plant capability.
Compare troubleshooting options with a consistent decision test
When two interventions appear plausible, compare them on the same six axes. This prevents a quick but unsafe adjustment from outranking a slower, verifiable correction.
| Decision axis | Questions |
|---|---|
| Safety and authorization | Is the change allowed by the risk assessment and procedure, and who is authorized to approve it? |
| Stage and boundary | Does the proposed check address the stage where the fault first appeared and remain inside the defined system boundary? |
| Independent verification | Is the observation supported by a physical inspection or second measurement rather than one suspect instrument? |
| Engineering consistency | Does the action agree with drawings, OEM instructions, the hydraulic or metallurgical design basis and the approved cause-and-effect? |
| Reversibility and records | Can the change be safely reversed, and will the setting, approval, time and result be recorded? |
| Progression or acceptance | Will the result satisfy a defined hold-point, retest or contractual acceptance criterion? |
If an option fails the safety or authorization test, it is not a commissioning option. If it fails independent verification, treat the observation as unconfirmed and repair the measurement chain first.
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For every abnormal result, record the equipment tag and boundary, procedure revision, date and time, operating mode, feed or water condition, instrument values, physical observations, alarms and trips, sample identifiers, changes made, approving person and retest result. Attach photographs, trend plots, calibration records, marked-up drawings and laboratory results where relevant.
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Use a single action register for defects and open work. Categorize each item by safety impact, commissioning impact, owner, interim control, due date and disposition authority. Close an item only when the corrective action is verified and the affected test is repeated. This record protects handover quality and prevents a later team from unknowingly repeating an unsuccessful workaround.
Common troubleshooting traps to avoid
- Changing several variables at once: simultaneous valve, feed, reagent and control changes destroy the timeline needed to identify causation.
- Trusting a single indication: reconcile instruments with physical configuration, independent checks and material or water balance.
- Using production pressure to skip a gate: an incomplete water or no-load test usually makes ore diagnosis slower and less safe.
- Resetting trips repeatedly: the first trip code and operating state are often the most valuable evidence.
- Treating every metallurgical deviation as equipment failure: feed variability, sampling and assay quality can produce genuine changes in grade or recovery.
- Leaving temporary changes undocumented: a bypass, altered alarm, temporary hose or revised setpoint must have an approval, expiry and restoration plan.
Further technical references and specialist support
Chemical and Process Plant Commissioning Handbook (Elsevier, copyright 2021) provides broad preparation, implementation and closeout guidance for process-plant commissioning. It is not a mineral-specific troubleshooting manual, so use it alongside site procedures and OEM documentation.
For equipment-specific assistance, Metso describes mining installation and commissioning services that may include equipment and foundation inspection, pre-operational testing, electrical and automation checks, water tests, initial raw-material feed and start-up. PPM Global describes mineral-processing water commissioning, instrumentation and control checks, mechanical troubleshooting, process-loop integration and ramp-up support. These are provider descriptions; select support through the project’s approved procurement and engineering process.
HSE’s commissioning guidance states: “Full written operating instructions should be provided for all commissioning activities.” Treat that requirement, the Energy Institute’s readiness principles and the project’s own acceptance documents as the foundation for every troubleshooting decision.
Bottom line
Locate the first stage at which the fault appears, secure the system, verify configuration and measurement before changing process assumptions, and progress only through documented hold points. Standalone equipment checks, integrated no-load sequences, water trials, controlled ore ramp-up and contractual performance tests each require different evidence. Safeguards stay in service, site-specific limits come from approved engineering documents and manuals, and every correction is retested and recorded before the plant advances.
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