Tag Archives: slurry pumps

Metso Outotec wins major equipment order for Almalyk MOF-3 copper concentrator

6th June 2022Base metals, Comminution of minerals, Equipment maintenance, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, Sustainable miningCourier, FrothSense, HIGmill, Larox PF filters, Markku Teräsvasara, Metso Outotec, MHC hydrocyclones, Planet Positive, PSI500i particle size analyser, slurry pumps, TankCell®Daniel Gleeson

Metso Outotec says it has signed a contract to deliver key process technology to Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Company’s MOF3 copper-gold-molybdenum concentrator complex in Almalyk, in the Tashkent region of Uzbekistan.

The planned capacity of the plant, which is situated next to the Yoshlik-1 deposit, is 60 Mt/y, with the contract value exceeding €100 million ($107 million).

Metso Outotec’s scope of delivery consists of the basic engineering, manufacturing, and supply of the HIGMill® regrinding mills, TankCell® flotation equipment and high-rate thickeners, FrothSense+™ froth cameras, Larox® PF filters, slurry pumps and MHC™ Series hydrocyclones, as well as samplers, Courier™ 6X SL elemental on-line analysers and PSI500i particle size analysers, a state-of-the-art process control system, and installation and commissioning advisory services and spare parts.

Markku Teräsvasara, President of the Minerals business area at Metso Outotec, said: “We are very happy for being trusted with this landmark order.

“Special emphasis has been put on optimising metallurgical performance and energy efficiency of the concentrator plant. Our delivery will feature several Planet Positive technologies contributing to sustainable operations,” says .

KSB slurry pump capabilities grows with completion of Georgia facility expansion

8th April 2022UncategorisedGIW, KSB, slurry handling, slurry pumpsDaniel Gleeson

KSB says it has completed its multiphase, $44 million expansion at its Grovetown, Georgia, facility, with the expanded base now serving as the headquarters of GIW® Slurry Pumps.

In 2020, the KSB Group launched KSB Mining, a new market-driven organisation providing its leading expertise on centrifugal pumps — in slurry and non-slurry applications — to mining operations.

The first two phases of this expansion were approved in 2013 in response to growing market demand for larger equipment. Since then, the Grovetown facility has completed upgrades, added thousands of square metres to its foundry, increased furnace capacity, completed construction on a distribution centre and won approval for three additional phases of improvement. Now, with the project’s completion, KSB has quadrupled its capacity to mold castings over 9,000 kg,  increased its maximum pouring output by up to 30,000 kg, reduced the number of required shot blast runs by 50%, added special cleaning stations for large castings, implemented new technology and efficiency solutions and doubled employee locker room facilities.

Set to make its official debut in the December quarter of 2022, KSB’s expanded Grovetown facility is the culmination of over a decade of planning, construction, and improvement. The decision to forge ahead with the project’s completion, despite the pandemic and its economic fallout, is the latest example of KSB’s ongoing commitment to its founding purpose, it said.

As Wolfgang Demmler, President of KSB Mining, said: “Our customers in the mining industry are doing essential work to keep the economy afloat. KSB is more committed than ever to providing our partners with an uninterrupted supply of pumps and parts. Completing this expansion improves our ability to serve our customers, and we’ll stop at nothing to support the success of our clients’ operations.”

Multotec supplies 38 slurry pumps to Kazakh chrome project

28th March 2022Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore7D, Andre Burger, chrome, Gerhard Hendriksz, HD25, Kazakhstan, MD300, Multotec, slurry pumpsDaniel Gleeson

Mineral process equipment specialist Multotec’s global reach has recently been highlighted with the supply of slurry pumps to a chrome project in Kazakhstan.

According to Gerhard Hendriksz, General Manager, responsible for slurry pumps at Multotec, an order of 38 slurry pumps was delivered in mid-December 2021 through a collaboration of Multotec’s international business team and the company’s distributor in Kazakhstan.

“The pumps were produced according to the specifications provided by Multotec’s distributor, ensuring the units will deliver the required duty for the end customer,” Hendriksz said. “This includes being designed to withstand highly abrasive operating conditions.”

Certain chrome deposits in Kazakhstan boast some of the world’s highest concentrations of chrome oxide (Cr₂O₃) – up to 62% content – making the slurry particularly abrasive. The pump range Multotec delivered includes models from the HD25 to the MD300, in metal- and rubber-lined configurations to suit their respective duties.

A turnaround time of just 10 weeks was achieved, with Multotec leveraging its local supply chain that included foundry work, machining and other suppliers, as well as collaboration with Multotec’s technical partner, 7D, based in Perth, Australia.

Andre Burger, Production Manager, responsible for pumps at Multotec, emphasised that a close working relationship with the end user and Multotec’s Russian-speaking business team ensured smooth preparation and delivery.

“Our distributor has in-depth knowledge of the customer’s applications and has the engineering expertise to ensure optimal product specification and performance,” Burger said. “Multotec will support the products with aftersales and support services, including availability of spare parts.”

Despite the trade disruptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Multotec has continued to perform strongly on the export front. Last year, it earned a place in the Exporter of the Year Awards – presented by the South African Capital Equipment Export Council.

Multotec supplies a complete range of pumps for medium- and heavy-duty slurry applications, including cyclone feed, spirals feed, mill discharge, tailings disposal, filter feed, effluent discharge and spillage. The range caters for flow rates from around 15 cu.m/h up to 2,000 cu.m/h.

Metso Outotec ups the pumping ante with its MDM900

24th January 2022Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Sustainable mining, Water managementDiwakar Aduri, MDM900, MDR, Metso Outotec, mill discharge pumps, Planet Positive, slurry handling, slurry pumpsDaniel Gleeson

Metso Outotec has released its largest mill discharge pump to date, the MDM900, in a move that will see it compete for orders from the highest throughput processing operations in the world.

The MDM900 is the latest addition to Metso Outotec’s flagship Mill Discharge (MD) pump series, a pump designed for heavy-duty use in concentrator plants, where capacity and wear resistance are very important.

The MDM900 is an all-metal, thick-walled, extra heavy-duty pump designed specifically for extremely arduous mill duty applications. Its release comes less than a year after Metso Outotec officially launched the MDM800, which was then its largest metal pump model size.

Coming with an inlet size of 900 mm (36 in), the MDM900 is designed for flows up to 13,500 cu.m/h and heads up to 40 m. It is fitted with a FR2100 frame and has an impeller diameter of 2,100 mm.

Diwakar Aduri, Product Manager for MD Pumps at Metso Outotec, said: “Slurry handling is vital in maximising a minerals processing plant’s productivity and efficiency. The advanced design of the MDM900 enables minimised slurry velocities in the pumps, thus reducing the rate of wear significantly. This translates to increased uptime and productivity for our customers.

“We are also proud to have implemented many environmentally sustainable design initiatives in the MDM900 pump, which is part of our Planet Positive offering, as are all our MD Series pumps.”

Examples of these “environmentally sustainable” features include the reduced footprint of the MDM900 and its standard low-flow shaft seal to minimise the pump’s freshwater requirement during operation, Aduri added.

Metso Outotec MD Series pumps have been designed to match a mill’s uptime. They come in two tailored solutions, MDM and MDR. The MDM (Mill Discharge Metal) pumps are available in inlet size ranges of 250-900 mm, and the MDR (Mill Discharge Rubber) models come in inlet size ranges of 250-700 mm. Both pump types are suited for heavy-duty use in concentrator plants offering excellent resistance to abrasion and erosion, according to the company.

Sulzer upgrades VA vertical cantilever sump pump

9th December 2021Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Water managementmineral processing, pumps, slurry pumps, Sulzer, VA pumpDaniel Gleeson

Sulzer has launched an upgrade of the VA vertical cantilever sump pump, with the update focused on developing a rigid and reliable cantilever sump pump that contains the company’s most efficient hydraulics.

The VA pump range has been designed for pumping all kinds of clean and contaminated liquids and slurry.

The hydraulic coverage of the pump was extended with energy-efficient, non-clogging and wear-resistant options, and it now includes the core process and slurry pump portfolio hydraulics. With the upgrade, multiple improvements were also made to the vertical construction, Sulzer said.

The VA pump is suitable for highly demanding applications such as:

  • Industrial water;
  • Effluents;
  • Corrosive and abrasive mixtures;
  • Hazardous fluids;
  • Abrasive liquids and/or liquids containing large solids;
  • Abrasive fibrous slurries and/or fibrous slurries containing large solids;
  • Abrasive non-fibrous slurries and/or non-fibrous slurries containing large solids; and
  • Heavy slurry.

Metso Outotec appoints Cyriac Tor as slurry pump distributor

28th September 2021Bulk handling, Comminution of minerals, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, Water managementBen Oliver, Cyriac Tor Ltd, Greg Dixon, Metso Outotec, Saso Kitanoski, slurry pumpsDaniel Gleeson

Metso Outotec has appointed Cyriac Tor Ltd as a distributor of its pumps in the UK, with the agreement covering slurry pumps, spare parts, seals and hoses, commissioning, service contracts and technical support to all industry sectors in England, Scotland and Wales.

The contract came into effect this month and will run alongside all existing distribution agreements.

“We are very pleased to announce the partnership with Cyriac Tor,” Saso Kitanoski, President, Europe in Metso Outotec, says. “This partnership allows us to extend our presence in multiple industry sectors within this key market. With Cyriac Tor’s local presence and extensive knowledge, we will be able to expand the level of support we give to customers as well as increase our presence in industrial processes.”

Cyriac Tor Ltd Managing Director, Ben Oliver, added: “Cyriac Tor Limited is very happy to work alongside Metso Outotec, with an enlarged territory, looking forward to increasing our customer base and supplying a top class service.”

Greg Dixon, European Pump Sales Director at Metso Outotec, said the company was looking for a partner to help it better serve process industry customers requiring market-leading slurry pumping solutions.

“By holding both equipment and local inventories with an increased service capability, we will be able to offer our customers a world-class, responsive service,” he said.

Metso Outotec to deliver bauxite grinding package to NALCO alumina refinery

1st July 2021Base metals, Comminution of minerals, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining servicesalumina, apron feeders, ball mills, grinding, Kamal Pahuja, Metso Outotec, NALCO, slurry pumpsDaniel Gleeson

Metso Outotec has been awarded a contract for the engineering and delivery of a bauxite grinding package to National Aluminium Company’s (NALCO) Damanjodi Alumina Refinery as part of NALCO’s fifth stream expansion project in Odisha, India.

Typically, the value of this type of an order is in the range of €12-15 million ($14.2-17.8 million). The order has been booked in the company’s Minerals June quarter orders received.

Metso Outotec’s delivery includes basic design of bauxite silos and engineering and supply of two ball mills with a capacity of 434 t/heach, apron feeders, agitators, slurry pumps, instrumentation, as well as site advisory services.

Kamal Pahuja, President, Middle East and India at Metso Outotec, said: “We are extremely happy to continue our co-operation with NALCO. This is the third order we have received for their current expansion project in Odisha. The other two orders include two energy-efficient flash evaporation plants and two alumina calciners along with a hydrate filtration plant.”

Weir Minerals pairs Multiflo, Warman and ESCO technology in latest slurry pump

1st July 2021Environmental, Mineral processing, Water managementCameron Murphy, ESCO, Geoff Way, Indonesia, Multiflo CB32, Multiflo Mudflo, slurry pumps, tailings management, Ultrachrome A05 chrome, Warman, Weir MineralsDaniel Gleeson

Weir Minerals has launched the new Multiflo® Mudflo™ hydraulic submersible slurry pump, engineering the pump to, it says, tackle abrasive applications and large particle handling.

The Multiflo Mudflo pump features a hydraulically driven wet-end specifically designed to efficiently and safely reprocess and relocate tailings ponds, maintain water retention dams and manage slimes and sludge ponds.

It combines the Warman® MGS pump-end, Multiflo CB32 hydraulic cutters and ESCO® excavation teeth to provide efficient pumping of highly charged and abrasive slurries, the company claims.

Weir Minerals’ Ultrachrome® A05 chrome alloy impeller ensures high wear resistance and the specially engineered suction strainer minimises the risk of clogging by preventing large solids and debris from entering the pump. Drawing on decades of Warman pump design experience, the Multiflo Mudflo pump is capable of pumping between 150 cu.m/h and 1,200 cu.m/h, up to 82 m head.

The Multiflo CB32 hydraulic cutters feature the ESCO Ultralok® tooth system to prevent premature breakage, avoid tooth loss and protect the integral locking system to ensure the continuous operation of the pump, it says.

Engineered by the Weir Minerals dewatering pump experts in Australia, it is available for global customers from July 2021.

Cameron Murphy, Director of Dewatering Weir Minerals APAC, said: “The Multiflo brand is synonymous with high quality and long-lasting equipment. In designing the Mudflo pump, our dewatering experts drew from the very best Multiflo, Warman and ESCO technology and used advanced hydraulics to create an innovative and cost-effective new solution for mine dredging applications.”

The product was developed following close customer collaboration and a mutual commitment to safety and technical excellence, Weir Minerals said.

Geoff Way, Weir Minerals Dewatering Specialist, said: “It is not uncommon for sites to use a combination of pumps, shovels, excavators and trucks for dredging applications. When one of our long-time partners in Indonesia contacted us about developing a custom solution for the slurry build-up in their sumps, we knew we could provide a better solution. We are problem solvers. We considered our customer’s pain points and engineered a new solution to efficiently and safely manage their site processes.”

The Multiflo Mudflo pump can also be retrofitted to competitor OEM equipment, Weir Minerals says, with the quick-hitch plate attachment ensuring convenient installation and removal from hydraulic excavators.

The Multiflo Mudflo pump can be assembled on land, eliminating the safety risks associated with assembling pumps over water. Furthermore, the new hydraulic hose management system reduces the risk of hose entanglement and trip hazards, all the while providing a reliable hose bend radius to ensure smooth oil flow.

Tronox’s Cooljarloo mine feels the benefits of Weir Minerals Total Asset Management Plan

13th January 2021Energy minerals, Equipment maintenance, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining maintenance, Mining servicesasset management, concentrator, Cooljarloo, Daniel Fleckhammer, Dave Netherway, dredges, Ian Rennie, maintenance, mineral sands, slurry pumps, Total Asset Management Plan, Tronox, Weir Minerals, Western AustraliaDaniel Gleeson

Weir Minerals says it has further strengthened its partnership with Tronox following the signing of an exclusive arrangement to take ownership of maintenance, asset management and optimisation of the mine’s key assets.

Weir Minerals’ Total Asset Management Plan is a “unique and innovative” service contract that is revolutionising mining operations, with improved performance and a reduction in unplanned maintenance time, the company says.

Such a plan was successfully implemented at the Tronox mine in Cooljarloo, Western Australia, with Weir Minerals managing 20 assets including slurry pumps on the plant, two floating dredges and a floating concentrator which processes over 3,000 t/h of heavy mineral concentrate.

Tronox produces more than 770,000 t/y of heavy mineral concentrate using a dredging operation and dry mining techniques at Cooljarloo, Tronox says. The dredging operation recovers heavy minerals from the sand and clay using a series of gravity spirals, with the dry mine using earthmoving equipment to extract ore located above the water table, feeding it to a land-based concentrator for separation using a hopper and conveyor system.

Daniel Fleckhammer, Weir Minerals Director, said: “The Weir Minerals team worked closely with Tronox to determine what their goals and vision for their mine were. The team then developed a tailored Total Asset Management Plan which aimed to look after the customer’s assets, improve their wear life and keep the mine running.”

Weir Minerals successfully helped Tronox reduce its maintenance costs by 10% and cut unplanned maintenance by 30%, according to the company. The miner is also now able to transition from a six-month shutdown cycle to an eight-month shutdown cycle, which will save the mine over A$1 million/y ($774,802/y) on maintenance costs. Weir estimates this increased reliability is potentially worth over A$1 million/y in additional productivity.

Dave Netherway, Tronox Maintenance Manager at Cooljarloo, said the Total Asset Management Plan the company has in place with Weir Minerals means it pays “on a cents per tonne” arrangement based on the throughput through the plant.

“Weir have skin in the game with the way we operate,” he said.

Being located on site, the Weir Minerals team is prepared for crucial maintenance and gains vital insights into the customer’s issues.

“By leveraging their worldwide expertise in pump technology, the team proactively evaluate each asset and provide outstanding service to Tronox,” the company says.

A clear set of key performance indicators developed in conjunction with Tronox enable Weir Minerals to increase savings and improve the reliability of assets, it says. Both companies work towards a common goal that is mutually beneficial to all.

Ian Rennie, Tronox Site Director at Cooljarloo, said: “If other companies around the world are looking at this type of agreement, I’d really encourage them to explore it. At Tronox, we’ve only been touching the surface for a year now and we really see some huge benefits already.”

Belzona’s new abrasion-resistant coating to help miners patch up equipment

14th October 2020Equipment maintenance, Mining consumables, Mining maintenance, Mining servicesagitator shafts, Belzona 1818, Belzona Polymerics, blades, chutes and hoppers, coatings, dust extraction pipe work, grinding mills, hubs, hydrocyclones, Kristine Savicka, repairs, screw conveyors, slurry pumps, wear platesDaniel Gleeson

Belzona Polymerics, a provider of high-performance polymeric repair composites and protective coatings, has launched a new product to add to its portfolio of solutions for industrial maintenance.

This new product, Belzona 1818, has been specially formulated for emergency patch repairs in highly abrasive environments typically found in industries such as mining, cement, pulp and paper, and biomass, among others, where equipment is commonly exposed to extensive erosion and abrasion from excavated or processed materials of varying type, size and shape.

What is easily identifiable about this new product is its distinctive blue colour. This vivid blue serves as a good mixing indicator and provides contrast where an application is carried out in poorly lit conditions or against dark background surfaces where the repair area should be easily identifiable, the company says. These conditions can be common in typical industrial applications where Belzona 1818 is likely to be used.

Based on initial research and feedback from engineers in the field, it is envisaged the product will be used on various types of equipment within abrasive environments such as slurry pumps, grinding mills, screw conveyors, chutes and hoppers, hydrocyclones, wear plates, dust extraction pipe work, agitator shafts, hubs and blades.

Belzona 1818 is the newest addition to the highly erosion resistant Belzona 1800 series product range and bridges the gap between surface tolerance, fast cure and high abrasion resistance, the company says. Its fast curing properties means minimal downtime for damaged equipment – so much so that the product can experience full mechanical loading and heavy abrasion just two hours after application, depending on cure temperatures.

“In these abrasive environments, surface preparation can also be an issue and contamination is common, therefore the equipment cannot always be fully cleaned or ideally profiled as required for many repair materials,” Belzona says. “The desire to deal with adverse application conditions creates a need for a not only fast-curing, but also a surface-tolerant material.”

As a result, Belzona 1818 has built-in surface tolerant technology, enabling it to bond onto steel substrates even when surface preparation is minimal or if the substrate is heavily contaminated with oil or water, the company says. The product can also be applied and cured underwater.

Kristine Savicka, Belzona R&D Technician, explains: “Belzona 1818 builds on our knowledge and experience of producing highly abrasion-resistant systems, and combines this technology with our know-how and expertise in producing fast-cure and surface-tolerant products for application in non-ideal conditions. Belzona 1818 offers the high erosion resistance expected of the Belzona 1800 series with added application benefits, offering ease of use and a fast return to service.”

This new product is supplied in 1 kg units where base and solidifier can be combined on a Belzona work surface. Belzona 1818 is easy to mix and apply and offers a good working life (16 minutes at 20°C) while still offering fast cure and a rapid return to service, according to the company. The product is suitable for emergency repairs where downtime must be kept to a minimum and optimal surface preparation cannot be achieved due to accessibility or environmental and application constraints.

Belzona 1818, as with all Belzona products, is made to the highest quality and safety standards and has undergone rigorous performance testing, the company says. Belzona 1818 is user friendly and can be applied without the need for hot work or specialist tools. In addition, it is formulated without solvents and is free from CMR classification and labelling, while maintaining cure speed and performance to give a durable and long-lasting repair.