FLSmidth says it “is the largest manufacturer and distributor of screening media surfaces in the southern hemisphere, offering an innovative spectrum of proven products and new technologies, designed to reduce cost per tonne and increase revenue.” “Our competitive edge derives from the added value we’ve built into our extensive product range,” David Sibley, FLSmidth’s General Manager of Screen Media in South Africa says. “We’re the only company in the local market manufacturing a complete range of screening media products that each carry individual ISO accreditation. Underpinned by FLSmidth’s process knowledge base and on-going R&D, we’re able to support not only the screening media in customer applications Africa-wide, but also the complete screen systems. This offer is unique in the region.
“As part of our commitment to mitigating plant downtime and optimising processes, and in keeping with our core philosophy of being a single source provider, we’re playing an increasingly active role in the operation and maintenance of our equipment at customer sites throughout the lifetime of the equipment,” Sibley says. “Selecting the most appropriate screening media for a given application requires a high level of skill, while precise installation of screen media and maximum product availability are also very important to mitigate costs.
“Our field service team is in high demand, with team members trained to conduct plant surveys that determine the cost per ton and to work alongside customers to reduce costs, resolve issues and increase operating efficiencies. They also support maintenance contracts, offer site-specific solutions and are able to do any necessary repairs, provided the appropriate spares are at hand. Inventory management is part of this service and we can help plant personnel with their planning, to ensure that the necessary spares are ordered in good time.”
FLSmidth’s Supercenter in Delmas provides a full service when it comes to vibrating equipment; from the building of new machines to the refurbishment of existing machines back to original standards which includes full vibration testing and analysis, ensuring that the machine is running at optimum capacity. Situated near customer operations to provide localised services that ensure timely delivery and support, the Supercenter team has the skills to provide high-end technical support and a rapid response to customers in the area.
Under the Meshcape™ brand established in 1905, FLSmidth manufactures products that include woven wire mesh, woven screens, wedgewire, wire conveyor belts, perforated material and polyurethane (PU) modular systems and large castings. Fast turnaround is part of the services, with an average lead time of seven to eight days.
Its extensive range of customised polyurethane modular panels (PU) includes pin and sleeve and patented bolted pin system (BPS) which offer the advantage of fast change-outs of small sections. The BPS is attracting increasing interest, as it offers a secure fixing method for screening machines in the range of 4.8 mm to 10 ‘g’ force, enabling a high open area for best production capacity per machine size.
“The lightweight design configuration of the modular system was engineered to achieve significant power savings for customers,” Sibley comments. “At the same time, throughput is increased via a maximum open area, boosting the efficiency of the entire circuit. PU provides superior abrasion resistance in engineering applications and is recognised as one of the best and most versatile materials for screening surfaces.”
FLSmidth’s woven wire screens are manufactured in wire sizes from 0.71 mm to 20 mm to suit all existing types of installations. Its Meshcape™ woven wire mesh is a South African stalwart, produced using wire sizes from 0.016 mm diameter up to 1.6 mm diameter. The mesh is generally manufactured using stainless steel wire, but other materials are also used for particular applications. It is supplied in standard rolls and added value items in mesh counts down to 630 mesh in different material types.
The screening media range includes the most comprehensive and innovative range of high strength wedgewire products, with accurate apertures from 50 microns up to 10 mm, and profiled wire head widths from 1.0 mm to 4.75 mm. These products feature unique wedge-shaped wires that provide large open areas that allow materials to flow through the screen, substantially reducing pegging and blinding.
FLSmidth is the only company to locally manufacture wire conveyor belts used in automated applications in temperatures ranging from -90 ⁰C to 1 200 ⁰C.
Included in the product offering is perforated/punched plate using industry recognised presses and ancillary machines operated and maintained by a team of well trained technicians. This machinery can perforate materials with an ultimate tensile strength of up to 750 MPa, and in sheet/plate thicknesses from 0.2 mm to 20 mm. An extensive range of aperture sizes is available from 0.5 mm to 90 mm diameter, subject to material type and thickness. Slots, square, and oval apertures are within this capability, including raised face apertures for safety tread plates.
Complementing the screen media range is a new standard range of specialist ceramic pipes and bends for abrasive slurries, based on the success of recent installations harnessing SiSiC (Siliconised Silica Carbide) supplied in monolithic pieces.
“We’re the only company in Africa to offer this product,” says Sibley. “Basalt was originally used for these applications, demonstrating a comparative wear rate of 1. This was followed by the use of alumina carbide, with a comparative wear rate of 4. SiSiC delivers a comparative wear rate of 25; eight times better than anything in the market. It’s also possible to use thinner sections, which has cost saving implications. We have various installations across Africa that continue to perform beyond expectation, prompting the development of a standard range of SiSiC pipes and bends. For example, a gold mine in a remote area of Africa was replacing bends with steel and basalt units every four weeks. We installed the SiSiC piping 16 months ago and it is still running well, with no sign of failure.”
