Capital Equipment News October 2017

WASHING

CDE’s cutting-edge AquaCycle technology sets a new era in process water recycling in aggregate washing with its ability to recycle up to 90% of used water.

WATER CONSTRAINTS DOWN THE DRAIN

sufficient to pay for the washing plant. As a result, CDE is fast growing its footprint in Africa as sand and aggregates producers are upgrading their installations to reap the benefits of wet processing technology in terms of more efficient production and higher product quality. To date, CDE’s best sellers in the region are the Evowash, a wet processing plant that can produce up to two sand products at the same time, and its water recovery plant, the AquaCycle thickener. “With the successes of the EvoWash and AquaCycle, more operators are now choosing the CDE Combo, which comprises both plants. The Combo, with a capacity range of 30 to 200 tonnes per hour, boasts a unique modular design to combine feed- ing, grading, washing, water recycling and stockpiling onto one compact chassis,” says Warren, adding that the Combo is so efficient that the final product is dry enough to be sold directly from the belt. “The success of the CDE Combo wet pro- cessing and water recycling plant in pro-

T hat washing still forms a minimal part of the African aggregates industry’s materials processing procedures is very apparent, but there is a growing realisation that aggregate washing can help quarries improve the quality of their end products, offer added value to end users and help meet stricter aggregates specifications. Wayne Warren, Business Development Manager Africa at CDE stresses that amid difficult operating conditions, by investing in materials washing technology as opposed to dry classification systems, African aggregates producers can increase the efficiency of their operations, while at the same time maintaining the highest levels of product quality. Warren notes that operators are increasingly becoming aware of the sand losses they incur through old generation washing plants as companies continue to seek ways to maximise their return on investment (ROI) in difficult market conditions. He reasons that in many cases the saved volume of sand through a CDE EvoWash, for example, would be Restrictions, ever-increasing costs and environmental factors related to extraction of water from ground sources and rivers have made recycling and reusing process water vital in aggregates processing. Thanks to CDE’s AquaCyle thickener, operations can now recycle up to 90% of their process water, significantly reducing the need for fresh water top ups in washing applications, writes Munesu Shoko .

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