MechChem Africa July-August 2025

Weir builds production capacity for new screen ranges Weir is seeing positive market response to two vibrating screen ranges launched last year and has invested in the expansion of its world-class Alrode plant, one of three manufacturing facilities in South Africa. E xpansion at Weir’s Alrode manufac turing facility south of Johannesburg will build production capacity for its vibrating screen ranges launched in our journey over the past six years to develop a large format ENDURON ® Elite range of screens for the mining market.” able for both their production performance and their energy efficiency, says Singleton. The design includes the world’s largest exciters, demonstrat ing the unmatched technology underpinning the range.

Bridget Ledwaba, Weir’s Managing Director for Africa, says the expansion of the Alrode plant also shows Weir’s confidence in South Africa and its potential, and the company’s commitment to the country’s industrialisation. She emphasises that the investment will be good for job creation in the local economy and will benefit the fiscus through the value it will add to the general economy. These ENDURON ® Elite double-deck banana screens – weighing up to 50 tonnes – are remark

last year. According to JD Singleton, Weir’s Comminution Director for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), the positive market re sponse to the company’s ENDURON ® Elite and ENDURON ® Orbital screen ranges has required the investment in expansion. “This strategic investment at Alrode will make this plant a major player in global screen produc tion,” says Singleton. “It is also an important step

“The exciter design allows these large ma chines to be driven by just two exciters, compared to the three exciters required by other screening OEMs,” he explains. “The energy saving benefits are most pronounced when the screens are ap plied in a closed circuit with our market-leading ENDURON high-pressure grinding rolls (HPGRs).” He says the exciters can be run at 16 Hz while maintaining safe operating temperatures, due to the inclusion of a casing design that includes fluid flow analysis and passive heat rejection. An advanced sealing system with O-ring and gasket ensures a superior seal over a wide range of oper ating conditions. Customers in West Africa are already running two of the ENDURON ® Elite screens, which measure 4.3 m by 9.7 m and operate in a circuit with ENDURON ® HPGRs. A large order for 12 of the ENDURON ® Elite screens is also being prepared at Alrode for Barrick Gold Corporation’s Reko Diq copper-gold project in Pakistan – part of a £53-million contract to Weir for fine grinding, separation and tailings solutions. The other successful screen launch by Weir last year was its ENDURON ® Orbital range – a circular motion screen for smaller tonnage mining. With typical production rates of up to about 400 to 500 tonnes per hour, this range is also suitable for application in the aggregate and sand segments. These exciter-driven screens feature a bolted design, says Singleton, making them efficient and easy to maintain. “They complement the ENDURON Elite range and have found a strong market among junior miners operating across Africa,” he says. “The all-bolted construction improves reliabil ity by eliminating welding in high-stress areas, allowing these screens to deliver exceptional performance and service life.” Weir has also introduced its own in-house ENDURON ® screen panels and is seeing rapid take-up by customers who operate its vibrating screens. Singleton highlights that the panel tech nology leverages Weir’s extensive institutional knowledge in wear materials, and its wide foot print allows customers a convenient sourcing option from Weir service centres. www.global.weir

The expansion at the Alrode facility highlights Weir's confidence in South Africa and its commitment to supporting the country's industrialisation.

ENDURON Elite screens, weighing up to 50 tonnes, are driven by just two exciters thanks to their innovative, energy-efficient design.

38 ¦ MechChem Africa • July-August 2025