Successful gray box modeling in Boliden Aitik

The project at Boliden Aitik, one of Europe's largest copper mines, has achieved significant breakthroughs in gray box modeling. This approach combines first-principles physics models with data-driven machine learning to create accurate, interpretable process models.

Traditional white-box models based purely on physics often struggle with the complexity of real industrial processes. Black-box machine learning models can be accurate but lack transparency. Gray box modeling strikes a balance, using physics where we understand the underlying mechanisms and machine learning where we don't.

At Boliden Aitik, these models are being used to optimize the ore grinding process, one of the most energy-intensive steps in copper production. Early results show improved prediction accuracy and actionable insights for plant operators.