Tag Archives: Larox

Metso celebrates opening of new filtration tech centre with upgraded Larox PF 60 launch

Environmental, Mining equipment, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , ,

Metso has introduced the upgraded Larox® PF 60 series pressure filter at the opening ceremony of the new machining unit at the company’s Filtration Technology Center in Lappeenranta, Finland.

The Larox PF 60 series filter is part of Metso’s Planet Positive offering, thanks to its advanced features that decrease water and oil usage by up to 90% and 75%, respectively. In addition, it can reduce the need for installed electric power by 25%, Metso claims.

The filter has a compact and open design, which translates to less floor space required and a significant improvement in ease of maintenance. The structure has also been upgraded to meet the latest seismic standards. To ensure optimised lifelong performance, Metso offers a comprehensive service portfolio including remote support.

Jussi Venäläinen, Vice President of the Filtration business line at Metso, said: “The new version of the Larox PF 60 series filter marks a step change in the technological development of tower filters. It significantly improves safety, process efficiency and dewatering capacity in mining and other process industry applications, thanks to its novel technological solutions. This upgraded model is fully automated to enable flexible operation for process variations and is future-ready for different plate pack configurations to provide consistent and homogenous filter cake with efficient solids wash.”

The investment into a new machining unit at the Filtration Technology Center in Lappeenranta goes hand in hand with the development of the Larox PF 60 pressure filter and Metso’s ambition to offer customers the best and most responsible filtration technology available, according to Tero Tiainen, Director for Filters Manufacturing at Metso. “The highly automated machining unit significantly increases our manufacturing capacity and enables the production of high-quality filter components in a safer, more environmentally friendly manner.”

Besides the manufacturing of advanced filters used in various process industries, Metso’s Filtration Technology Center operates a globally unique Dewatering Technology Center, which is focused on solid-liquid separation, the OEM says. Metso has carried out more than 14,000 filtration tests and delivered more than 5,000 filters for various applications worldwide.

Sandfire welcomes new Larox filter press at Motheo copper mine

Base metals, Comminution of minerals, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, , , , , ,

Sandfire says it has successfully commissioned a Larox permanent filter press at its Motheo copper mine in Botswana, as part of a planned debottlenecking process.

On May 25, Sandfire announced that it had successfully produced first copper concentrate at Mothe, with construction of the mine nearing completion and equipment commissioning activities over 92% complete for the initial 3.2 Mt/y processing capacity.

During the initial ramp-up of the Motheo process plant in the September quarter of 2023, it was identified that the OEM filter press installed during construction was unable to achieve design parameters, the company explained in a July 22 release. An interim solution using mobile filter units was implemented, enabling the operation to safely ramp up the production of copper concentrate at planned rates and specifications.

In parallel, an $8 million capital investment secured the procurement, installation and commissioning of a Larox filter press from Metso to support the long-term operational requirements of Motheo.

Sandfire Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Brendan Harris, said: “Commissioning of the new filter press concludes a challenging period for the Motheo operations team, and I congratulate them on their hard work and ingenuity. The new filter press removes significant complexity at the ‘back end’ of our processing circuit and provides the capacity needed to test higher rates of production as we debottleneck the operation.”

copper concentrator-Metso

Metso to deliver new copper conentrator in Kazakhstan

Automation, Base metals, Comminution of minerals, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , ,

Metso has signed a contract for the delivery of a new copper concentrator to be built in Kazakhstan, banking some €85 million ($90 million) in its Minerals segment’s September quarter 2023 orders received in the process.

The company’s scope of delivery consists of the main process equipment for grinding, flotation and dewatering and includes HIGmill® high-intensity grinding mills, TankCell® flotation cells in different sizes in the 30 to 630 cubic meter range, Larox® PF pressure filters, HRT High-Rate Thickeners, an on-line sampling and analysing system, as well as field instrumentation and Proscon® automation for the whole concentrator plant.

The flotation cells, pressure filters and high-rate thickeners are part of the company’s Planet Positive portfolio, thanks to their superior energy and water efficiency, it says.

Metso books filter and pump orders from India iron ore projects

Comminution of minerals, Mine operation news, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , ,

Metso has been awarded orders to deliver concentrate dewatering filters and pumps to two iron ore projects in India. The combined order value exceeds €10 million ($11.01 million) and was booked in the Minerals segment’s June-quarter 2023 orders received.

Metso’s scope of delivery consists of the engineering, manufacturing and supply of several VPA pressure filters and filter feed pumps as well as spare parts.

Vijay Dhar, Vice President for Minerals Sales in the Middle East and India market areas at Metso, said: “We are pleased having been chosen to deliver the pressure filters to the two sites. The VPA filters are one of the most sustainable filters available and are classified as Planet Positive products because of their water and energy efficiency.”

Metso says its filtration portfolio consists of 15 different filter types and a comprehensive service offering for various mining and industrial applications, with more than 5,000 installations globally. The Larox® legacy is carried over in five filters in the portfolio. Over 80% of the Metso filters are part of the company’s Planet Positive portfolio.

Metso receives largest filter modernisation order in its history

Environmental, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, Water management, , , ,

Metso says it has been awarded repeat orders for filter modernisation, plate packs and related services from several major mining companies in the North, Central and South America markets.

In addition to filter modernisation, several larger modernisation orders for other types of dewatering solutions have been booked, according to the company.

By utilising Metso’s expertise and technology, customers will be able to increase uptime and achieve capacity improvements, Metso claims, adding that the value of the orders amount to more than €15 million ($16.4 million).

In the March quarter, Metso received the largest filter modernisation order in its history, totaling €10 million, while the company’s largest thickener modernisation order was also booked in this same three-month period.

Tomas Hakala, Senior Vice President, Beneficiation, Dewatering, and Hydrometallurgy Services business line, Metso, said: “The customer interest and need for high-quality filters, filter spares, and services are rising. We are very glad to confirm several repeat orders with our key customers. The new polymer filter plate factory in Mexico is an important investment, and it will increase our capability of meeting customers’ demands, simultaneously strengthening our strong position in mining concentrate and tailings filtration solutions.”

From the new factory, Metso will provide customers with shorter lead times and transportation distances, especially to the Americas, it says. The first filter plates are expected to be manufactured in the second half of 2024, and full production capacity is expected by the end of the first half of 2025. Once fully operational, the factory will have the capacity to serve the full filter portfolio.

Metso’s filtration portfolio consists of 15 different filter types and services for hundreds of applications. More than 80% of Metso filters are part of the company’s Planet Positive portfolio, primarily thanks to their efficiency in the recovery and reuse of water, the company says. It has carried out more than 14,000 filtration tests and delivered more than 5,000 filters for various applications worldwide. Many of the filters are sold under the Larox® product name along with Metso corporate branding.

Metso to deliver Larox pressure filters to Tosyali iron ore concentrator plant expansion in Algeria

Environmental, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining, , , , , , ,

Metso says it has signed a contract with Sinosteel Corporation for the delivery of seven Larox® FFP2512 pressure filtration units to Tosyali’s iron concentrator plant expansion in Algeria.

The contract value, which exceeds €10 million ($10.9 million), is booked in Minerals’ June quarter 2023 orders received.

Xun Fang, Head of Minerals Sales, Greater China at Metso, said: “This is a repeat order from Sinosteel, which operates as the EPC contractor for the Tosyali II Iron concentrator. According to our end client and the contractor, Metso was selected for our wide reference base in iron concentrate and tailing applications. We have previously supplied filters for Tosyali’s phase I project, and they successfully met the set performance targets.”

Metso’s filtration portfolio consists of 15 different filter types and comprehensive services for hundreds of applications. The Larox® FFP pressure filters, Metso says, provide a reliable and optimised dewatering solution with high-volume processing for concentrates, tailings and bulk applications.

Over 80% of the Metso filters – including the Larox FFP pressure filters – are part of the company’s Planet Positive portfolio, primarily thanks to their efficiency in the recovery and reuse of water. Metso says it has carried out more than 14,000 filtration tests and has delivered more than 5,000 filters for various applications worldwide.

Blackstone Minerals engages Metso for nickel, cobalt refinery plans in Vietnam

Base metals, Environmental, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , ,

Blackstone Minerals Ltd has announced the inclusion of Metso as the technology supplier for the definitive feasibility study of the company’s pCAM (precursor cathode active material) processing plant in its Ta Khoa refinery in Vietnam.

Metso is already involved in the design of the pCAM plant and will also conduct independent pCAM test work to validate the nickel and cobalt sulphates generated during the pilot program for suitability in pCAM generation, the OEM says.

Metso is currently designing the pCAM plant with Wood, providing experience and engineering technical support.

Scott Williamson, Managing Director at Blackstone Minerals Ltd, said: “Blackstone intends to leverage off Metso’s engineering services and know-how into the pCAM facility design, thus de-risking the project and confirming Blackstone’s intent to be a real player in the pCAM space. Securing another world leader to the Ta Khoa project is yet another jigsaw piece in the battery value chain puzzle. Blackstone continues to look forward to project success as it marches towards developing the greenest and most resilient nickel business in the world.”

Blackstone highlighted the OEM’s high value technology in the context of the pCAM facility design, such as the modular OKTOP® reactors (with industrial references for scaling-up pCAM precipitation processes), Larox® filtration technologies and Courier® HX continuous product quality analyser equipment to enable precision control and real-time optimisation.

“Metso has shown that precursors precipitated with OKTOP reactor technology are proven to meet the required chemical and physical properties for high-performance cathode active material,” it said.

Rudi Rautenbach, Director, Minerals Sales, Asia-Pacific, Metso, said: “We are confident that our experience in nickel processing and battery metals technologies will contribute positively to the project. Many of our offerings that are planned to be used in this project are selected from our range of Planet Positive products, which are demonstrably more energy or water efficient than the industry benchmark or Metso’s previous generation products in the market, to help our customers cut their CO2 emissions and/or to achieve other sustainability priorities. We believe these are all in line with Blackstone’s objectives towards developing the greenest and most resilient nickel business in the world.”

Metso says it provides sustainable technology and equipment for the entire lithium, nickel, and cobalt production chain from the mine to battery materials and black mass recycling with project scopes ranging from equipment packages to plant deliveries. Metso has its own pCAM testing facilities.

A February 2022 prefeasibility study on the 90%-owned Ta Khoa project outlined first concentrate production in in 2025, ramping up to nameplate design of 8 Mt/y in 2027. It expected a steady-state average annual nickel output (recovered in concentrate) of circa-18,000 t/y and steady-state average annual concentrate production of circa-225,000 t/y. The project also came with a steady-state refining capacity of 400,000 t/y, with first production of NCM811 precursor material commencing in early 2025.

Metso Outotec to expand filter assembly plant in Suzhou, China

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

Metso Outotec says it will expand its filter assembly plant in Suzhou, China, to respond to global market demand.

The plant expansion will not only double local capacity in China to deliver high-quality filters for mining and other industrial customers, it will also provide additional space for the assembly of flotation drive mechanisms and mill reline equipment, according to the company.

The extended production facility is expected to open within a year and reach full capacity during the first half of 2024. With the expansion, the number of personnel working at the plant is anticipated to increase to around 60 experts.

Tero Tiainen, Director, Filter Manufacturing at Metso Outotec, said: “Filters are used in mining and industrial applications to separate solids from liquids. In Suzhou, we produce several of the different filter types we offer in our global portfolio. Originally, filter assembly in Suzhou began in 2009, and it has been operating at the same location ever since.”

Chuncai Qiu, Suzhou Plant Manager, added: “In connection with the expansion, we will also update our procedures for simplified processing, modular manufacturing and lean management to enable fast deliveries to our customers. This, combined with our established engineering, sourcing and production expertise in Suzhou will provide our customers with enhanced service and product quality.”

Metso Outotec’s filtration portfolio consists of 15 different filter types and services for hundreds of applications. Over 80% of the Metso Outotec filters are part of the company’s Planet Positive portfolio, mainly due to their efficiency in the recovery and reuse of water, the company says. The company has carried out more than 14,000 filtration tests and delivered more than 5,000 filters for various applications worldwide. Most of the filters are sold under the Larox® product name along with Metso Outotec corporate branding.

Eldorado turns to Metso Outotec for dry stack tailings solution at Skouries

Base metals, Environmental, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining project news, Water management, , , , , , , , , , ,

Metso Outotec says it will deliver sustainable filtration technology for dry stacking of tailings to Eldorado Gold’s Hellas Gold Skouries copper-gold concentrator project in northern Greece.

Metso Outotec’s scope of delivery consists of the engineering, manufacturing and supply of several Planet Positive Larox® FFP3512 filters as well as installation and commissioning advisory services. The fully automatic, fast-opening filter press (FFP) combines the benefits of membrane technology and sidebar design with high mechanical and process performance, providing safe and sustainable high-volume dewatering of tailings at low operating and life cycle costs, according to the company.

Brock Gill, SVP Projects & Transformation for Eldorado Gold, said: “Skouries is a world-class project, and we are aiming for best-in-class sustainable technologies in the project design. For tailings management, the Skouries project will use dry stack tailings impoundment, which requires less space, reduces water consumption and maximises recovery of process water for reuse. Metso Outotec filters were selected as key and proven technology for the dry tailings facility not only because of their performance, but also because of their energy efficiency.”

Jussi Venäläinen, Vice President, Filtration business line at Metso Outotec, added: “Eldorado Gold and Hellas Gold were looking for a reliable partner to help ensure the safety and sustainability of the Skouries tailings dry stacking facility. We are pleased having been chosen to deliver this core technology for the project. Previously, we’ve supplied proprietary technologies for grinding, flotation, thickening and automation to Skouries.”

The value of the order is approximately €14 million ($13.8 million), according to Metso Outotec.

Metso Outotec says its filtration product portfolio is the largest in the field, with the company having carried out over 14,000 filtration tests and delivered more than 5,000 filters for various applications worldwide.

A 2021 feasibility study on Skouries highlighted a 20-year operation able to produce 140,000 oz/y of gold and 67 MIb (30,391 t) of copper.

Metso Outotec integrates filtration expertise into new Larox FFP3716 Filter Plant Unit

Environmental, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, Water management, , , , , , ,

Metso Outotec says it is launching a comprehensive Filtration Plant Units offering to maximise operational reliability in different types of dewatering applications where superior process performance combined with energy and water efficiency is required.

The offering consists of three major plant units around Metso Outotec’s Larox® PF and Larox® FFP, and Metso Outotec CC filter technologies, all designed for the dewatering of concentrates and tailings.

The latest addition to the offering is the Larox FFP3716 Filter Plant Unit, which represents the most advanced technology for the safe high volume processing of tailings, according to the company.

All Metso Outotec Filtration Plant Units are scalable and come as complete customisable solutions to meet even the most stringent customer requirements, the company explained.

Toni Kuisma, Product Manager, Filtration Plant Units at Metso Outotec, said: “We have been supporting our customers with filtration solutions for almost 100 years. Today, our selection of filtration technologies is the largest in the field, and their energy, emission and water efficiency is in a league of its own. The Filtration Plant Units combine all this knowledge to provide our customers with unrivalled dewatering performance.”

He continued: “We have also optimised the engineering and delivery process. The new plant unit concept provides the fastest time-to-volume for our customers. Special attention has also been paid to the units’ maintainability through, for example, advanced digitalisation. Their high level of automation enables easy optimisation and remote support.”

These units, which consist of advanced filters, screens, filter feed tanks, slurry pumps and conveyors, are pre-engineered for faster project execution. They are also coupled with process control system and various ancillary products and expert services, supported by the Metso Outotec Dewatering Technology Center (DTC) in Lappeenranta, Finland.

The integrated service offering provided by the company’s global network ranges from filter inspection and dewatering optimisation to spares and wears and remote support and Life Cycle Services.