Brisbane-based Partition Enterprises has partnered with US technology firm HID to deploy an RFID-powered testing system that is transforming mineral processing at coal mines across Australia and beyond.
The system uses a customised HDX E-rod RFID tag designed by HID, engineered to fit within an 8mm cube. Built for the harsh conditions of dense medium separation (DMS) processing, the tag integrates with Partition’s CurvePRO monitoring platform to deliver real-time performance data from mineral processing circuits.
The results have been significant. Traditional washability testing at mine sites required eight workers and roughly two months of laboratory analysis. With the RFID-based system, a single operator can produce findings in approximately 30 minutes.
Commercial deployment began five years ago at the Bengalla coal mine near Muswellbrook in New South Wales. Since then, the technology has expanded to 25 sites operating on annual lease agreements, with nearly 100% renewal rates. Installations now span Canada, the United States, Mozambique, and multiple Australian operations processing manganese, lithium, and coal.
Across more than 250 audits, the system has delivered average yield improvements of 6% per site. That translates to an average annual profit increase of AUD $10.7 million per site.
BUMA Australia, which operates the Meandu Mine in Queensland, is among the users benefiting from the technology. Rocco Prochilo from BUMA Australia said the system “enables real-time performance data capture,” replacing the long wait for traditional washability results and allowing simultaneous monitoring across processing circuits.
Ray Wood from Partition Enterprises highlighted the role of HID’s engineering support, noting that the customised RFID tags met strict quality requirements for durability in mineral processing environments. The ongoing technical support from HID was a decisive factor in the partnership, which began in 2020.
Partition has also developed a companion product called MatchPRO, designed to optimise cut points in DMS processing. Trial deployments at five sites identified potential annual yield improvements worth up to AUD $100 million, pointing to further growth as the technology matures.
The partnership signals a broader push to apply RFID beyond traditional supply chain and logistics applications. As mining operators seek faster, more accurate ways to monitor processing performance, embedded RFID solutions like the HID-Partition system offer a proven alternative to legacy laboratory methods.
With expansion already underway into non-coal minerals, the technology is positioned to become a standard tool in mineral processing operations worldwide.