Modern Mining April 2021

MODULAR PLANTS

generally have a lower capital cost com- pared with their bespoke counterparts. From an operational cost point of view, these solutions should also work out cheaper than their tracked counterparts because they don’t rely on diesel power. The modular solution must also work out cheaper from a maintenance cost point of view. Marais says generally there is more work to be done in a large bespoke plant in terms of maintenance, and getting replacement parts takes a bit longer, whereas in a standardised solution, parts are off-the-shelve in most instances. “With these solutions, our objective is the same as our customers’ – to maximise their uptime. Breakdowns and downtime related to maintenance are big enemies of production, and ulti- mately, profitability.”

However, Marais indicates that the most popular capacity is the 300 – 500 tph. With the Metso prod- uct, Pilot Crushtec can now offer up to 1 000 tph if need be. Commenting on the process flow, Marais explains that the design team would sit down with a cus- tomer and establish client needs first. Pilot Crushtec International uses two sets of software to accurately establish the ideal modular solution for the required production capacities. “We will sit with the client to establish what mate- rial they are crushing, expected tonnages, output in terms of products to be generated by the plant, site limitations and working hours, among other consid- erations. Firstly we work out the process flow using Metso’s process simulation software called Bruno. We then move to a solution called Visio, where we have 2D layout and finally to 3D modelling for every single modular component,” he says. “Once we know how many crushing stages are required and what the products and tonnages are, we then actually do the layout of the plant using 3D modelling software. We can also use the geography of the site to model the correct layout. With those two sets of software, we have an idea of how we can design the final required solution,” concludes Marais. 

The Pilot ModuMetso C106 jaw crusher is a complete module including feed hopper, grizzly feeder, Metso jaw, inspection platform and staircase.

Additionally, should requirements change at any point within the design process, customers should be able to tweak their plants. “A true modular solu- tion must be able to allow the customer to choose what they need, when they need it, and add modules as and when required,” he says. A whole new level Following its appointment as the sole distributor of the Metso aggregates range in southern Africa in 2016, Pilot Crushtec has since taken the modular concept to a whole new level, seamlessly integrat- ing the company’s industry know-how, innovation and manufacturing capabilities with Metso’s globally renowned product range. Metso’s crushers and screens are now at the heart of Pilot Crushtec’s modular offering. “Now that we have Metso in our stable, we are now able offer the best crushing and screening products in a stan- dardised, modular solution that is easy to configure, very flexible in terms of layout and setup, and very fast to turn around for customers,” says Marais. Marais says when the concept started, i t appealed more to the larger companies, mainly within the quarrying space, but over the past few years, the commodity sector has jumped onto the bandwagon of the uptake. The modular solution makes perfect sense for startup or junior miners as well as established players looking to expand on production or with an eye on growing their busi- ness and creating sustainability within a challenging global economy. “These modular plants are extremely scalable and, as such, can cater to a wide variety of com- panies, irrespective of size or application. We can design and implement solutions that can process anything from 150 to 500 tonnes per hour (tph) – and should requirements change over time, additional units can be slotted in to increase production.”

Key takeaways  The growing popularity of modular plants in the mining sector has resulted in several equipment manufacturers jumping onto the modular bandwagon to capitalise on growing demand  90% of comminution equipment suppliers claim to offer a modular solution, but very few truly fulfil the idea behind the modular concept  Modular systems are by their nature readily available modules that can quickly be on site and operational within a day or two  When it comes to costs, modular plants should generally have a lower capital cost than their bespoke counterparts

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April 2021  MODERN MINING  27