FILTRATION & THICKENING
The new ANDRITZ MiningMaster ME4 advanced filter press
Dewatering deduction
Filters and thickeners are critical to the success of most mining operations both in terms of concentrates but also efficient tailings systems and water recovery. Paul Moore reviews some orders, trends and designs with some market leaders
There have been some significant new product and technology launches related to filtration in recent months. International technology group ANDRITZ has launched the MiningMaster ME4, an advanced filter press designed specifically for tailings dewatering in the mining and minerals industry. Building on the proven overhead filter press concept, the new system meets the industry’ s demands for higher throughput, shorter cycle times, and improved water recovery.
ANDRITZ says its filter presses have long been a key component in mining operations, particularly for tailings filtration to enable dry stacking and safe material disposal. Incorporating extensive customer feedback, the new MiningMaster ME4 has been engineered to handle higher volumes of mine residues while reducing residual moisture and maximising process water recovery. This development underscores ANDRITZ’ s commitment to resource conservation and environmental protection in close collaboration with its customers.
“ The MiningMaster ME4 represents a major leap forward in filtration performance,” said Mario Gerards, Industry Director Minerals and Mining at ANDRITZ.“ By combining mechanical innovation with intelligent automation, we are helping our customers set new benchmarks in efficiency, safety, and environmental responsibility.”
The improvements include an extended filtration area, as the MiningMaster ME4 can accommodate larger filter plates of 2,500 x 2,600 mm and up to 240 chambers enabling filtration volumes of up to 60,000 litres per single machine.
It also has shorter cycle times. The split beam design and a linked plate system allow for more filter plates to be discharged at the same time. In combination with an intelligent cloth washing feature, using high-pressure double cloth washing at 60-80 bar, cycle times are significantly reduced.
And it offers improved handling of filter elements, with design enhancements including optimised handling of filter plates and cloths through access from above enable quick filter cloth and plate changes.
It concludes:“ These advancements, combined with superior wear resistance, make the MiningMaster ME4 the ideal solution for tailings dewatering in applications such as iron ore, copper, and aluminum processing. Its modular design offers operational flexibility and easy scaling to meet growing capacity needs.”
Record horizontal belt filter order for FLS
Following a long-standing partnership, a progressive Indian miner and steelmaker has yet again selected FLS to deliver core mining technologies to what is set to become one of the world’ s largest, most efficient and sustainable iron ore beneficiation plants globally. This is the fourth consecutive order that FLS has received from the customer within the past nine months.
The order includes the delivery of the world’ s largest filtered tailings system comprising of 22 4.2 m x 162 m 2 Horizontal Belt Filters( HFB), which also will be the largest of their kind in the world, as well as twelve 12 x 55 m diameter high-rate thickeners( HRT). The technologies are expected to be delivered to the customer in 2026.
FLS:“ The addition of these technologies to the flowsheet and their crucial placement throughout the overall process flow demonstrates FLS’ s commitment to sustainability, in this case, particularly water recovery. Furthermore, this order confirms FLS’ s technology as the preferred solution for resource conservation and operational
FLS says its Horizontal Belt Filters provide high extraction efficiency, low cake moisture, increased production and reduced operating costs
40 International Mining | OCTOBER 2025