Modern Mining September 2019

COVER STORY

centrifugal pump has 80 years of history and it is the leading slurry pump in Africa with the largest installed base. It is available in a range of models – from horizontal and vertical slurry pumps designed for heavy-duty applications through to submersible pumps for dewatering applications – and has a rep- utation for longevity, with some pumps in Africa in service for up to three decades.” Complementing the Warman® pump range in the African market, Weir Minerals Africa also offers GEHO® piston and piston diaphragm pumps that are built to handle the most abrasive, corrosive and high- temperature slurries, sludges and tailings. When it comes to comminution, Weir Minerals Africa has a broad range of equipment available, largely as a result of its acquisition in 2014 of Trio Engineered Products, a manufacturer of crushing and separation equipment for the mining and aggre- gates market. Trio® crushers – the biggest of which has a capacity of 1 500 t/h – can be used in primary, secondary or tertiary roles. Jaw, cone and horizontal shaft and vertical shaft compactors are all available. Weir Minerals Africa can also supply Enduron® High Pressure Grinding Rolls (HPGRs), which can replace conventional SAG, rod and ball mills in many applications. The Enduron® HPGR consumes up to 40 % less energy than traditional reduction methods and the wear components last significantly longer than those in ball and rod mills. In addition, the main- tenance time required to replace worn-out parts is lower than the time to replace mill liners. When it comes to classification and separation, a popular product from Weir Minerals Africa is the

an equipment supplier,” Singleton explains. “With our wide range of equipment and expertise both in South Africa and internationally, we can offer customers end-to-end solutions for their minerals processing challenges. We have an integrated solu- tions team that is dedicated to serving customers. They will visit the customer’s site, take the time to thoroughly understand the problem and come up with an appropriate solution. It’s a customer-centric approach, which delivers real value to the customer.” To underline his point, Singleton quotes the case of sand and aggregates producer CNC Crushers, which was experiencing problems at its site in Stilfontein in South Africa’s North-West Province with excessive wear experienced on a conventional hydrocyclone and an old-technology pump. The inte- grated solutions team developed a solution based on the installation of a new technology Warman WBH® 100 slurry pump, a Cavex® 400CVX10 hydro- cyclone and two Trio® crushers. “The results were astonishing. There was a 2 007 % decrease in pump maintenance, a 45 % increase in plant throughput and a doubling of plant output. After 1 900 hours the new Warman pump was still running without any parts needing to be replaced and – in addition – the closed side setting adjustment time of the crushers was reduced dra- matically from 90 minutes to just five minutes. The project took just a couple of weeks and the customer is extremely happy with the result,” says Singleton. Discussing the product line-up of Weir Minerals Africa, Singleton says that the Warman® pump range remains a best-seller for the company. “The Warman

Supply chain ships up to 5 000 parts each day from the Alrode distribution centre.

20  MODERN MINING  September 2019