Plant Equipment and Hire November 2018 | Page 28

NEW EQUIPMENT TOMRA’S COM XRT 2.0 – A GAME CHANGER Contributed by Tomra Sorting GmbH The contribution of X-ray ore sorting to the efficiency of mineral processing is growing, and taking the value added by this technology to another level. Nine TOMRA COM XRT 2.0 sensor-based ore sorters at Ma’aden’s Umm Wu’al phosphate project sort more than 70% of the run-of-mine material by removing flint stones from the phosphate, reducing the silica content. T his upgraded model features higher belt speed and throughput, which translate directly into increased productivity in mineral processing. It also offers increased wear resistance and longer component lifetime, with quick and safe maintenance through providing easier access to replaceable components. Ines Hartwig, product manager at TOMRA Sorting Mining, emphasises that the valuable experience gained over the past 15 years, through monitoring 26 NOVEMBER 2018 and maintaining the TOMRA COM XRT units operating in the field, has been incorporated into the design of the TOMRA COM XRT 2.0. “Our sorters have been operating under harsh conditions in both hot and cold climates, sorting wet and dry feed across a wide range of commodities,” says Hartwig. The speed of the belt in the new design has been increased from 2.7 to 3.5 metres per second, while the more powerful X-ray system accommodates the sorting of larger-sized material due to better X-ray penetration. “Higher levels of belt occupancy are facilitated by our improved data processing capacity, and this allows the particle size of the feed to be increased,” she says. “The maximum size of the particles that the TOMRA COM XRT 2.0 can handle is between 100mm and 125mm, depending on the material, which also contributes significantly to throughput capacity.” She notes that these higher levels of capacity are particularly valuable for larger www.plantonline.co.za