Gold Smelting Process Control Metallurgical Plant Operations Training

Learning Outcomes

• Apply gold smelting process control principles to monitor and adjust furnace operations.
• Analyse process data and implement corrective actions to maintain optimal smelting conditions.
• Evaluate safety and environmental hazards associated with gold smelting and implement control measures.
• Demonstrate proficiency in using process control instruments and interpreting readings.
• Implement quality assurance procedures to ensure the purity and yield of gold output.
• Design troubleshooting strategies for common smelting process deviations.

Target Audience

This training is designed for metallurgical plant operators, process controllers, and supervisors involved in gold smelting operations. It is also suitable for technicians and engineers seeking to deepen their understanding of smelting process control.

Prerequisites

Learners must have a basic understanding of metallurgical operations and be competent in communication and mathematical literacy at NQF Level 3.

Course Outline

Practicals

Overview

Hands-on practical sessions are essential for learners to safely operate smelting equipment, apply flux formulations, perform charging and tapping procedures, and troubleshoot process deviations under supervision. These practicals bridge theory with real-world plant operations, ensuring competence in process control and safety.

Practical Activities

• Furnace Start-up, Charging, and Melting — Learners will safely start up a furnace, prepare and charge feed materials, and monitor the melting process while adjusting temperature and flux additions. (8h)
• Slag Tapping, Pouring, and Bullion Sampling — Learners will tap slag, pour molten gold into moulds, and collect bullion samples for assaying while following safety protocols. (8h)
• Process Control and Instrumentation Calibration — Learners will calibrate temperature sensors, adjust control parameters, and troubleshoot instrumentation faults using PLC interfaces. (8h)
• Maintenance, Safety Drills, and Troubleshooting — Learners will perform preventive maintenance on furnace components, conduct safety drills, and troubleshoot simulated process upsets. (8h)

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course via daily exercises, scored practical assignments, and a final summative test at the end.

Practical Assignments — 30%

Practical assignments are observed and scored against a rubric during the practical sessions. Each delegate's practical mark is averaged into a single 100% score and contributes 30% to the final total.

Daily Exercises — 20%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 20% to the final total.

Final Test — 50%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 50% to the overall mark.

Final Total

Component	Out of	Weight
Practical Assignments (rubric-scored)	100%	30%
Daily Average (multiple choice)	100%	20%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice)	100%	50%
Final Total	—	100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

How it works

• Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
• Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
• You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
• If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.

Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates	Discount
5	3% off
10	6% off
15	9% off
20	12% off
25	15% off
30	18% off
50	30% off
75	35% off
100	40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.