FILTRATION & THICKENING
The approximately EUR 28 million investment was announced in September 2022 . In early 2023 , Metso decided to make an additional investment of EUR 9 million , which will increase the new factory ’ s planned production capacity by 30 %. With these investments , Metso is increasing its capacity to deliver high-quality polymer filter plates for its mining customers ’ filter presses , in response to global market demand .
“ The demand for high-quality filters , filter spares , and services is on the rise . The investment is an important step towards further strengthening Metso ’ s strong position in mining concentrate and tailings filtration solutions . With the start of construction on this new production facility in Mexico , Metso is committed to continuing to fulfill the increasing capacity demands , while providing our customers with shorter lead times and transportation distances , especially in the Americas ,” says Tomas Hakala , Senior Vice President , Beneficiation , Dewatering and Hydrometallurgy Services business line , Metso .
The first filter plates are estimated to be manufactured in the second half of 2024 and full production capacity is expected during the first half of 2025 . Once fully operational , the factory will have the capacity to serve the full filter portfolio .
The new factory is located on an 18,000 + m 2 lot and it will have a factory and warehouse area of over 8,500 m2 . In the same industrial area in Irapuato , Metso has rubber and Poly-Met and screening media factories , bringing synergies and operative efficiency .
Weir , ANDRITZ and IsoDry
Under the brand name IsoDry , Weir Group and ANDRITZ offer customers a range of mechanical separation technologies , such as thickeners , filter presses , centrifuges , and vacuum belt filters . This dates back to a 2018 strategic cooperation agreement to supply equipment for processing tailings in the mining industry . As part of this agreement , ANDRITZ supplies its proven separation and dewatering technologies , thus enabling Weir to offer complete tailings solutions to its customers .
The most significant ANDRITZ filter press launch in recent years was the ME2500 filter , completing the company ’ s A4F and the SE series filter presses for the safe disposal of tailings generated by the mining and minerals industry . The ME2500 is designed for the fast processing of tailings ( also with high clay content ) or mining concentrates like iron , copper , lead or zinc . The design of this new model with an hourly capacity of up to 450 kg / m 2 and a filtration area of up to 840 m ² features chained plates for the fastest filter cake discharge and enables high throughputs without compromising on safety .
The closure system of the ME2500 , which largely replaces hydraulic components with electrical ones , further reduces cycle times and the increased use of electrical components enables highly sustainable operation of the filter press by reducing the amount of hydraulic oil needed .
Malaysian gold mine takes McLanahan filter press
McLanahan announced in December 2022 that a unit of its Side Beam Filter Press was headed to a mine in the Central Gold Belt of Western Malaysia . The customer , a gold producer processing approximately 1 million tonnes per year , was set to use the Filter Press to assist with their gold-sulphide processing requirements as they extend their existing site .
Once installed , the McLanahan Side Beam Filter Press will be used to dewater the underflow from a concentrate thickener to produce solid cakes for efficient shipping and handling .
The Filter Press features 21 recessed plates that measure 1,500 mm x 1,500 mm ( 59 ” x 59 ”) with a 35 mm chamber thickness . A hydraulic cylinder is used to clamp the filter plates tightly together at the beginning of each dewatering cycle , the recesses in the plates form chambers with the adjacent plates . The slurry is then pumped into the Filter Press , filling the chambers between the plates . The liquid in the slurry filters through cloths on the plates and flows into a manifold to be sent back to the thickener , while the solids in the slurry are captured on the cloth and remain in the press . When the desired cake moisture has been achieved , the pump stops , and the Filter Press opens to discharge the dewatered cakes .
The Filter Press was designed to open up to 21 plates with a single cylinder stroke . With higher plates counts , up to 10 plates are opened in groups to ensure an optimum balance between cycle time and equipment footprint . The Filter
Press was also supplied with core blow and cake dry functions to further reduce the moisture in the final dewatered product .
This Side Beam Filter Press is the first of a new standardised design set to streamline McLanahan ’ s manufacturing of Filter Presses in the future . The filter plates are mounted from beams located on each side of the plates , hence the designation of “ Side Beam Filter Press .” The design incorporates a plate shake mechanism to assist with discharging the dewatered cakes at the end of a cycle , as well as top-oriented spray bars for rinsing the filter cloths clean . These spray bars are able to be raised as a group for greater access when nozzle maintenance is required .
The new side beam design also features simple access to the filter plates from above the press . This allows for quick filter cloth changeouts as well as efficient filter cloth and plate cleaning when needed . When spare filter plates are available , the filter cloths can be pre-installed , making the filter cloth change very quick and further optimising the Filter Press operating time .
McLanahan closes acquisition of Diefenbach
Staying with McLanahan Corporation and this February it signed an agreement to acquire Diefenbach , an Italian manufacturer of filter presses and thickeners based out of Medolago , Italy . The two companies have been working together on projects since 2013 , and the acquisition closed in June 2023 .
Diefenbach has been a leader in liquid-solid separation using filter presses since its founding in 1907 , when the company was focused on producing presses for the olive oil industry . In the 1950s , Diefenbach expanded into the recycling and filtration of industrial wastewater . Today , Diefenbach has sold thousands of machines and has extensive experience in selling and manufacturing this equipment for the mining and
In June , McLanahan further boosted its filtration portfolio with the acquisition of Italy ' s Diefenbach
14 International Mining | OCTOBER 2023