Sensor-based ore sorting is the terminology used  in the mining industry. It is a coarse physical coarse particle separation technology usually applied in the size range for . Aim is either to create a lumpy product in ferrous metals, coal or industrial minerals applications or to reject waste before it enters production bottlenecks and more expensive comminution and concentration steps in the process.
In the majority of all mining processes, particles of sub-economic grade enter the traditional comminution, classification and concentration steps. If the amount of sub-economic material in the above-mentioned fraction is roughly 25% or more, there is good potential that sensor-based ore sorting is a technically and financially viable option. High added value can be achieved with relatively low capital expenditure, especially when increasing the productivity through downstream processing of higher grade feed and through increased overall recovery when rejecting deleterious waste.