Original equipment manufacturer, Multotec says it has won a tender from Tronox’s Namakwa Sands to replace a trommel at the mine’s Primary Concentration Plant East (PCPE) at its Brand se Baai site, in South Africa.

Greta Mantell, Technical Sales Representative at Multotec Manufacturing, said the scope of supply included the trommel screen, screen panels and ancillary equipment which formed part of the installation at the PCPE.

Mantell said: “What was essential on this particular project was that the new Multotec trommel would replicate the exact process functionality of the old unit and provide the same level of operational performance and reliability as the old screen had for the past 12 years.”

In this application, the Multotec trommel screen is used to classify East mine run-of-mine (ROM) by size and discharge the oversize to the tailings conveyor. The undersize is processed as normal.

“Significantly, this screen is the only piece of equipment operating in the ROM processing circuit for which there is no standby or bypass alternative,” Multotec said.

Tronox’s PCPE uses sea water for its processes and this, together with operating in the harsh west coast environment, meant corrosion protection was a priority on the trommel. It has been supplied with replaceable polyurethane shell protectors as well as a high performance corrosion protection paint on all the non-rubberised surfaces. The trommel screen is fitted with Spalto polyurethane panels selected to ensure optimum throughput and wear life, according to Multotec.

With a focus on improving total cost of ownership, Multotec implemented its one-side fitting of screen panels on the trommel, and Mantell said this will facilitate quicker panel changeouts, saving on costs. As panel maintenance now only needs to be executed from the inside, safety will also be enhanced during this activity, the company said.

The new Multotec trommel is 7.2 m long and has a diameter of 2.5 m. The total mass of the trommel, including panels, is 12.5 t.

The new trommel was delivered on time and installation was done by the mine with Multotec handling the commissioning, the company said. Mantell said that after trouble-free installation, the trommel screen immediately operated at 95% of its design capacity and one day later full feed of 1,000 t/h was maintained.