Modern Mining June 2019

World’s largest platinummine saves with Warman® pump

Anglo American Platinum’sMogalakwena mine was able to increase throughput and reduce energy consumption in its secondary mill circuit with the installa- tion of a Warman® MCR® 450 pump. The pump solution, equipped with a rubber lining and metal impeller, was provided by Weir Minerals Africa. The mine, near Mokopane in Limpopo Province, is the world’s largest open-pit platinum mine with among the lowest operating costs. In line with the mine’s focus on productivity, Weir Minerals Africa proposed this pump solution as it offered a higher volumetric capacity in antici- pation of future increases in throughput requirements. The larger impeller of the Warman® MCR® pump allows lower pump speeds and con- sequently less wear. The rubber liner of the Warman® MCR® pump is lighter and the hydraulic design has improved efficiency and wear characteristics. This allowed the mine to raise its production target from 600 000 to 700 000 dry tonnes per month. The replacement pump was retrofitted to the existing footprint, without disturbing existing motors, gearbox drives or pipework. On-site Weir Minerals Africa technicians were deployed during the commissioning phase. Once installed, the Warman® MCR® 450 pump milled 4 400 m 3 per hour, shifting 760 000 dry tonnes per month. Online for 78,9 % of the plant operational time, the pump was able to deliver significant From weighbridge to driver and inventory management and access and identification, WB X offers its customers a complete logistics solution. The holistic suite fromWB X represents the next generation of receiving and dispatch software, with features aimed at optimising and automating the entire weighbridge-cen- tric product movement process. “Our complete logistics solution is aimed at combating the long-standing problems asso- ciated with goods receiving and dispatch,”says Dariel Software Solutions Executive Director Greg Vercellotti. WB X is a division of Dariel Software. An added benefit is easy integration into

A Warman MCR 450 installed at Mogalakwena.

savings through lower power consumption. After 3 000 hours in operation, it was examined to evaluate the wear rate of the hydraulic com- ponents. Localised wear was evident on some of the components, and the mine decided to continue running the pump to the point of failure. The improved wear life will result in a significant saving for the customer. The independent study conducted after the initial installation confirmed the pump’s improved performance. The study also recom- mended converting all mill discharge pumps at the operation toWarman® MCR® 450 pumps to maximise pump performance and reduce energy consumption. Based on the mine’s satisfaction with the way the pump met its objectives, it has placed an order for three Warman® MCR® 450 pump conversion kits to retrofit the remaining Warman® AH® 20/18 RE pumps installed in the secondary mill circuit. Weir Minerals Africa, website: www.minerals.weir business systems, including ERP, warehousing and manufacturing. In addition, the system is configurable to match any business process, and address business concerns quickly with- out having to change the system. The WB X suite has been designed and developed to combat fraud and theft, and to speed up slow and error-prone paper-based processes based on outdated technology. It also integrates seamlessly into back-end sys- tems and offers specific management tools. The WB X suite is easily tailored to the specific requirements of diverse industries, including mining. WB X , website: www.wbx.co.za

WB X automates weighbridge process

June 2019  MODERN MINING  51