PUMPS AND PIPELINES
place for our customers to start as they are often ignored or abused and the slave to whatever process they are part of ,” Don says .
“ Why do pumps wear out so fast ? Well , when the suction side gap wears , recirculation occurs and the flow drops . The customer then tends to speed up the pump to compensate for this drop , but this only accelerates wear on components .
“ If , through flowsheet ‘ smartification ’, we can tell the operator to adjust the wear ring of the
FLSmidth , through its SiteConnect app , can start optimising not only the pump operation within a process plant , but the full grinding circuit
pump to get the same flow without speeding it up , we can prolong the life of not only the pump , but the entire circuit .”
The potential for this type of process optimisation is vast , according to Don , but the industry – overall – remains reluctant to share the data that OEMs require to carry out such improvements .
“ From a connectivity perspective , it is easy ,” Don said . “ All we have to do is plug in our Field Agent solution ( a small hardware module that uses industry-standard protocols ) for setting it up and get them connected to the app .
“ The challenge is getting the mining companies to share that data .”
FLSmidth ’ s partnership with AVEVA , which will see the OEM use the software company ’ s technology to securely integrate and provide various digitally-enabled services to customers , will help build this trust .
It will also accelerate FLSmidth ’ s delivery of its MissionZero ambition of sustainable productivity through connected digital services by leveraging the AVEVA industry software and large customer install base .
MissionZero continues to guide FLSmidth ’ s product development process , as well as its aftermarket offering , with its goal of providing zero-emission technology to the mining and cement industry by 2030 fast approaching .
Don mentions plenty of examples of where the company can provide such sustainability benefits – advising of the correct size and pump for the application at hand to improve efficiency and prolong equipment life , adding a “ wide-flow casing design ” to its UMD™ heavy-duty pumps
In April , Finland-based companies Valmet and Neles merged , creating a leading company with a unique offering for process industries globally , they said .
Neles , which was spun out from Metso around the same time Metso merged with Outotec to become Metso Outotec , was , prior to the merger , one of the leading providers of mission-critical flow control solutions and services for process industries . Led by its Neles ® and Jamesbury ® brands , it offered the total package of the valve , the actuator and the smart controller , allowing it to tailor solutions for slurry , utility and severe service applications . In 2021 , it added to this with the acquisition of Flowrox ’ s valve and pump businesses , increasing its exposure to the mining and metals industry .
With so much corporate activity having taken place in recent years , IM put some questions to Simo Sääskilahti , President of Valmet ’ s Flow Control Business Line ( former Neles ), to find out the company ’ s mining and metals priorities .
IM : How much of your pumps and valves business is related to mining ? SS : Over the years , we ’ ve systematically expanded our installed base and solution offering for the mining and metals industry . The recent important strategic step was indeed the acquisition of the Flowrox valve and pump businesses in 2021 . With our expanded offering and knowhow , we now offer reliable valve and pump solutions for key minerals processing applications including grinding , cyclone separation , flotation , thickening , filtration , sampling , tailings lines , isolation for other slurry process devices and in downstream processes autoclaves . While mining and metals is still rather small compared to our more traditional strongholds such as pulp & paper or oil , we consider it as a strategic focus industry for us .
IM : How are your pumping and valve solutions equipped to deal with the mining sector ’ s need to pump higher flows and reduce fresh water and energy consumption ? Have you progressively been upgrading your offering to overcome these challenges ? SS : One of the key design principles for Flowrox solutions is to ensure higher flows while reducing fresh water and energy consumption . For example , greater flow rate and energy savings of up to 15 % have been
achieved with Flowrox™ progressive cavity pumps when compared with a conventional model . The ability to handle dense slurries to save water and maintain the flow is paramount . In our pumping solution , we can go over 80 % dry solids content within slurry with the same flow rate , which means you can transfer more solids than traditional pumping solutions , saving valuable process water and energy .
IM : I know Neles previously had a reputation on the metallurgical side of the mining business for tackling highly corrosive liquids at high pressures ( autoclave installations , for instance ). Is this still a core component of Valmet ’ s offering to the metallurgical industries ? SS : It is . With the Flowrox offering and expertise part of our team , our expanded offering of solutions and services for minerals and metallurgical applications is more complete than ever . We have strong capability to serve our customers basically in all commodities in the mining sector across the whole value chain , from upstream minerals processing to downstream metallurgy . We are fully committed to further develop our leading technologies for demanding slurry applications and strengthen Valmet ' s position in these industries .
One concrete example from the autoclave valve application , which , from the process side , sets high demands for autoclave process valves ; correct materials selection and correct valve design to fully match the described process changes during the plant operation . By carefully taking account of these two previously mentioned criteria in valve design , we can ensure a reliable valve solution for the process .
IM : Has Valmet ’ s Flow Control Business Line ( former Neles ) recently developed a new product / solution that is specifically aimed at the mining sector ? SS : During the past years we have focused on incremental renewal and expansion of our technology portfolio in all our product brands – Neles , Jamesbury , Neles Easyflow™ , Stonel™ , Valvcon™ and now Flowrox . In 2020 , for example , we launched the latest edition of our big knife gate valves ( DN900-1500 ) that are more compact , easier to install and much more accessible for maintenance . These valves can handle pressures from 10 bar down to 4 bar , depending on the size .
18 International Mining | JUNE 2022