Tag Archives: Flowrox

Neles looks for added mining and metals exposure with Flowrox transaction

Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining mergers and acquisitions, Mining services, Water management, , , , , ,

Just over a year after being spun off from Metso, Neles is looking to gain further exposure to the mining and metals industry with the planned acquisition of Flowrox’s valve and pump businesses.

Neles has signed an asset purchase agreement to acquire the valve and pump businesses of the Finland-based technology company, saying the transaction will “complement Neles’ offering and exposure” to the industry in question.

The purchase price of the valve and pumps businesses is €40.9 million ($48.3 million), payable in cash at closing, with an additional orders received-based earn-out consideration of up to €3 million for a one-year period after closing, also payable in cash.

Neles, itself, is due to be taken over by Finnish engineering firm Valmet after a previous failed takeover attempt by Alfa Laval.

“The mining and metals market is expected to have strong short- and mid-term growth for the next decade, driven by the increasing demand for metals, ore depletion and underlying investments into more efficient processing,” Neles said. “With good long-term fundamentals, service intensity and a different cyclical nature balancing out cycles from currently served industries, mining and metals is an attractive industry for Neles. The acquisition will enable Neles to better leverage growth opportunities in minerals processing applications.”

Flowrox specialises in flow and process control, filtration, environmental technologies and industrial automation solutions, with its valve and pump solutions including pinch valves, knife-gate valves and peristatic pumps, among others.

Olli Isotalo, President and CEO, Neles, said: “Diversification of our customer industries is a key component of Neles’ growth strategy. This acquisition is an excellent fit for Neles as Flowrox is a well-known niche player in flow control within mining and metals and it has the right offering and very strong competence and know-how. Going forward, we plan to continue developing the transferring businesses as a platform for growth in a strategic focus industry.”

Jukka Koskela, President and CEO, Flowrox, said: “In recent years, Flowrox’s operations have expanded in many areas through product development and acquisitions. Now it is time to focus. This business transaction will enable us to advance the remaining businesses to the next level. We see Neles as a great partner and a company who can further develop valve and pump businesses.”

In 2020, Flowrox’s valve and pump businesses had sales of about €30 million, with the businesses’ sales in the 2021 fiscal year 2021 expected to remain at the same level.

The profitability of the carved-out businesses is comparable to Neles’ in terms of adjusted EBITA margin, according to the company. The transaction also includes the Flowrox brand.

The acquired businesses employ some 110 people and have manufacturing in Finland, Australia, South Africa, and the US, as well as well-established sales channels in over 80 countries.

The closing of the acquisition is estimated to take place in November 2021.

Flowrox expands Central Europe reach with German subsidiary

Comminution of minerals, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, Water management, , , , , ,

Finland-based Flowrox has strengthened its operations in Central Europe by opening a new subsidiary, Flowrox GmbH, in Ratingen, Düsseldorf, Germany.

Jukka Koskela, President & CEO of Flowrox, said the new subsidiary was of strategic importance to the flow control, process automation, environmental and solid-liquid separation technology specialist.

“For years we have been operating in Central Europe through representatives,” Koskela said. “Our offering has recently expanded, and we also provide complete industrial solutions. That is why we feel it is crucial to be close to customers in this major market. By setting up a local operation in Central Europe, we can better support our customers and representatives with local projects, sales and services.”

Dirk Otto has joined Flowrox as Managing and Sales Director, Central Europe. Otto has a strong background in process technology and solid-liquid separation, according to Flowox. Before joining Flowrox, Otto worked with leading companies  in the field such as Larox, Clear Edge Filtration and Ipsen International.

With the opening of this new branch, Flowrox now has 10 subsidiaries located in Australia, Chile, China, Finland, Germany, Peru, Russia, South Africa, Sweden and the US, as well as more than 230 sales representatives in over 80 countries.

Flowrox CF-V pumps to deliver reliable performance in sumps and pits

Bulk handling, IoT, Mineral processing, Mining services, Water management, , ,

Flowrox has launched a CF-V centrifugal pump with a vertical cantilever design that, it says, is suitable for mining, minerals processing and other industrial operations.

The new heavy-duty CF-V centrifugal pump runs continuously in heavy-duty conditions, delivering reliable performance in sumps and pits, Flowrox says.

The pump’s wear-resistant components are fit for the most abrasive and corrosive slurries, and can handle flow rates through to 1,135 cu.m/h, according to the company.

A single Flowrox CF-V pump can reach heads up to 50 m and cantilevered depth to 3.6 m with suctions extension pipe, according to the company. Wet parts are either elastomer or hi-chrome and designed for ease of maintenance to minimise downtime.

The vertical CF-V pump is the second in a range of high-quality Flowrox centrifugal pumps, the company says, with the first in the range a heavy-duty CF-S horizontal centrifugal pump designed for continuous pumping of highly abrasive and dense slurries.

Flowrox says all of its products can be enhanced with “Smart” features, with Flowrox Digital Services able to increase any pump’s productivity through optimisation and online predictability.

Flowrox cuts large slurry knife gate valves down to size

Equipment maintenance, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, Water management, ,

Flowrox has come up with a new design for big slurry knife gate valves that, it says, eliminates the need for a cylinder tower and repositions two actuator cylinders to each side of the valve.

Knife gate valves are often found in mineral processing plants, tailings and slurry transport, as well as leaching operations.

The traditional actuator’s tower design usually works well with slurry knife gate valves, but only up to a certain size, according to the Finland-based company. “The bigger the DN, the higher will be the valve,” Flowrox says.

“Let us say we need a valve DN 1200,” the company said. “Using the tower design, it means the valve would be extremely high in open position: 5.6 m! Extreme heights also mean a higher centre of gravity. This makes the knife gate valve more difficult to handle, less stable during assembly and harder to access for maintenance. In other words, less safe.”

Flowrox slurry knife gate valves use a different approach for sizes from DN 900 to DN 1500.

The design eliminates the knife gate valve’s cylinder tower and instead repositions two actuator cylinders to each side of the valve, it said. According to the example above, a Flowrox DN 1200 knife gate valve now measures 3.6 m in a fully-open position: two meters less than the tower design.

The reduced height of the valve means the centre of gravity is positioned lower, Flowrox said. This makes the knife gate valve more stable and safer.

“It is not only easier to install, but also requires much less empty room above the valve,” the company said. “All maintenance access points are situated below 2 m from the ground making them easily accessible. Similarly, all other connections can be done on, or from the ground instead of high in the air.

In the case of the tower design, the service work typically needs to be done 3-4 m above the ground, causing a safety risk, requiring additional safety procedures and consuming more time.”

Another change lies in Flowrox’s knife gate valve body.

Conventionally, the valve body is made from two pieces and bolted together, which can lead to leaking and lots of bolting work during maintenance.

Flowrox slurry knife gate valve bodies are entirely cast in one piece, meaning there are no leakage risks through the body. It also results in a simpler and more robust construction, and less parts, which means savings in spare part inventories and maintenance time.

The company concluded: “Flowrox slurry knife gate valves are more compact, easier to install and much more accessible for maintenance. These valves DN 900-DN 1500 can handle pressures from 10 bar and down to 4 bar, depending on the size.”

Flowrox gets ‘Smart’ with new filter press

Environmental, Mining equipment, Sustainable mining, Water management, , , , ,

Flowrox has strengthened its solid/liquid separation offering by introducing its new Smart Filter Press™.

Since acquiring Swedish filtration technology company NovaTek AB last year, Flowrox has now launched three new filters onto the market.

The Smart Filter Press (SFP) has various new and innovative features and reaches up to 10 times higher capacity compared with conventional recessed filter presses of the same size, it says.

Matti Luoma, Commercial Product Manager of Flowrox, said: “Being truly automatic and designed for safety, our SFP represents the next generation of filter presses. Thanks to its unique smart features and several error detecting functions, this filter can reach over 98% availability without any operator involvement. Its sophisticated process cycle minimises the consumption of the utilities and spare parts.”

Typical applications for the Flowrox SFP include solid/liquid separation in flue gas desulphurisation and different process water recycling uses in metal finishing, electrochemical machining, concrete recycling, industrial effluent treatment and municipal sludge dewatering, the company said.

Part of Flowrox philosophy is to offer lifelong user support. “We want to ensure best possible performance of our filters by providing full support at delivery, installation, start-up, operation and maintenance; service through the entire life cycle.”