Tag Archives: fluorspar

Sandvik Rock Processing navigates choppy waters to deliver Africa’s first SmartPlant

Automation, Comminution of minerals, Energy minerals, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A fluorite mine some 100 km outside Pretoria, South Africa, has become the first recipient of Sandvik Rock Processing’s first locally-manufactured SmartPlant™ in Africa.

Following its recent commissioning, the 300 t/h plant has already met process guarantees and reached nameplate capacity, according to the OEM.

To improve efficiency and productivity, a South Africa-based fluorspar producer went into the market for a new processing plant in 2020. The SmartPlant concept from Sandvik Rock Processing appealed to the customer for several reasons, but mainly because of the fast delivery time, flexibility and substantial cost savings it would offer the operation.

SmartPlant is a range of pre-defined Sandvik SmartStations that can be mixed and matched to meet individual customer needs for maximum productivity and performance, thus reducing wait time, maximising uptime and increasing profitability, according to Sandvik. Delivery generally takes about 22-30 weeks ex-works. Where there are peripheral design changes to the pre-defined SmartStations, lead times may be shorter than the standard 22-30 weeks.

According to Jaco Benade, Project Manager– Crushing and Screening at Sandvik, the deal was negotiated midway through the COVID-19 hard lockdown of 2020. The order was placed during Level 5 of the lockdown, with manufacturing commencing during Level 4. Despite the challenges brought about by the travel restrictions, compounded by the global supply chain disruptions, the plant was still delivered on time and within budget.

“A major talking point of the project was the short delivery time of 22 weeks ex-works at a favourable capital cost for the customer,” Benade says. “The SmartPlant concept allowed the customer to choose from the pre-defined SmartStations, combine and configure them to meet specific site and operational needs, with no extra design and engineering costs.”

While the designs are very much pre-defined, the SmartPlant still offered a great deal of flexibility for the customer, according to Glen Schoeman, Vice President – Sub-Sahara Africa at Sandvik Rock Processing.

“The modular approach of the SmartPlant meant that the customer could tweak design parameters such as height, capacity and liner profiles, amongst others, without much concern about cost deviations and time implications,” Schoeman said.

Regarding flexibility, Sandvik’s approach to the project was also a major plus for the customer. For example, based on its understanding of the customer’s budget and time constraints, Sandvik opted for the mine to commission a conveyor supplier of its choice, purely to shorten the time to production and reduce costs for the customer.

In line with Sandvik’s ‘safety first’ culture, the project was delivered with no lost time injuries, all the way from project inception to commissioning.

“Despite the arduous conditions on site, ranging from excessive heat to wet weather conditions, the project was completed with an impeccable zero harm safety record,” Schoeman says.

The new plant comprises a full suite of Sandvik equipment, including jaw and cone crushers, screens and feeders. Informed by customer needs, Sandvik opted for a much bigger front end of the plant, comprising a large tip area and bigger jaw crusher. The Sandvik CJ412 primary jaw crusher, which takes a 750 mm top size, is fed by a box bin and a grizzly feeder.

The plant also employs two Sandvik CH840i cone crushers for secondary and tertiary crushing, the very first units of the company’s 800i series range of cone crushers in Africa. Another first in Africa is the rotary feeder on top of the cone used to distribute material into the crusher.

“This is a fantastic approach,” Benade says. “The rotary feeder turns slowly, evenly distributing material around the edges of the crusher. This reduces pressure peaks in the crusher caused by uneven feed, a common challenge in crushing plants. The rotary feeder has passed with flying colours in terms of its performance at this particular site.”

The CH840i cone crushers come with Sandvik’s Automation and Connectivity System as standard. The system continuously monitors and optimises crusher performance and controls the complete lubrication system, increasing uptime and reliability. It can automatically adjust crusher settings to compensate for crushing chamber wear, ensuring consistent product size, according to Sandvik.

In addition, the SAM by Sandvik digital service supports operational excellence in the plant.

Benade concluded: “SAM by Sandvik brings people, activities and data together in an easy-to-use, seamless and collaborative way. It allows both client and OEM remote access to the plant. The system itself provides a holistic view of the plant, enabling the customer to make informed decisions and the OEM to respond proactively to any equipment health and performance issues.”

DELKOR’s MAXGen-equipped BQR flotation cells gain traction in mineral processing space

Base metals, Energy minerals, Industrial minerals, Metallurgy, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, Precious metals, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , , , , , ,

TAKRAF Group says it is registering strong demand for its new generation DELKOR BQR flotation cell, now equipped with the MAXGen mechanism for best-in-class metallurgical performance across a wide range of commodities.

Its MAXGen-equipped cells were first commercially applied at a cement works in India, in order to maximise limestone recovery. In other, more recent orders, the cells are being applied across a range of commodities with the technology selected for both its superior metallurgical performance, as well as DELKOR’s ability to provide a cost-effective and customised solution, the company said.

The string of recent orders includes 12 BQR flotation cells for a fluorspar processing plant in Spain. Here, the cells are equipped with eDART internal dart valves for the larger cells and external pinch valves for the small cell. eDART valves are known globally for their superior and safe design, TAKRAF said.

Five BQR flotation cells are also being used for the processing of iron ore in Honduras.

As part of an economically viable package, the cells were supplied with a reagent system and an air blower, as well as conductivity-type level sensors for accurate froth level detection and control, TAKRAF said.

The company also dispatched 11 BQR flotation cells for two gold mines in Australia.

Special features of this application included a dual outlet froth discharge box with dart plugs to divert the froth to different pipelines based on the metal grade of the froth. In addition, adjustable froth lips enable flexibility of froth discharge into the launders. Given the high ultraviolet (UV) levels of the environment, UV resistance paint was provided to protect the rubber lining, the company added.

In South Africa, four BQR flotation cells for iron ore recovery from a zinc, lead, silver and copper concentrator tailings stream were installed.

At this operation, a built-in cell by-pass system with external dart valves and a backpressure pipe were included in the flotation circuit. The bypass system allows bypassing of a cell for maintenance without having to shut the circuit down completely, while the rest of the cells can keep running with a proportionately reduced flow rate, TAKRAF explained. Backpressure piping ensures consistent slurry level management in the last cell, resulting in superior circuit metallurgical performance, meanwhile.

Finally, six BQR flotation cells were supplied for a nickel restart project in Australia. Features include a dual outlet froth discharge box with dart plugs, adjustable froth lips and a gearbox drive for the largest cell. UV resistant paint was also provided to protect the rubber lining.

Rajiv Krishnamurthy, Sales Manager – Europe DELKOR Products, said: “Our MAXGen mechanism is the result of extensive research and development. Our mechanism provides superior recoveries with higher mineral grade, along with faster flotation kinetics, which is achieved by generating favourable bubble size distribution and energy efficient hydrodynamics in the cell.

“Other outstanding benefits include the rotor and stator configuration, which enables the rotor to operate at a lower tip speed, reducing operational costs with lower power consumption and wear. These benefits also going a long way to supporting our group’s sustainability efforts.”

He concluded: “The demand for our new generation cells is testimony both to the excellence of our in-house developed technologies, as well as our global team’s commitment to providing our clients with a solution that exactly meets their needs. These projects are a great reference for DELKOR and serve to entrench our new generation flotation cells as a premier global flotation technology.”