NEW EQUIPMENT NEWS
Next generation demolition machines
Lokotrack ST2.8 mobile scalping screen.
The success of any mining
operation depends on trust in
equipment, especially when
it involves the purchase of
pieces of multimillion-rand
capital equipment to achieve
predetermined production goals.
In 2017, an operator in
Zimbabwe bought three Metso
Lokotrack ® ST2.8 scalpers from
its long-term supplier and Metso
southern Africa distributor, Pilot
Crushtec International.
The customer was looking
for a reliable and cost-effective
solution for the mining of alluvial
ore under testing conditions and,
based on previous experience,
readily accepted its supplier’s
advice on product selection.
This proved to be a fortuitous
decision as the Lokotracks’
performances over the next
few months demonstrated
that they were indeed ideal for
this application. So much so
that the company decided to
purchase an additional three
units, swelling the size of the
fleet to six.
Ore deposits are found in
thick clay above the bedrock,
which varies in depths of
between one and two metres
12
SEPTEMBER 2018
beneath the surface. Complete
bush clearing is not an option, so
surface and subsoil vegetation
provide their own challenges,
not to mention a rainy season
and flash floods, so it is in this
environment that the scalper
comes into its own.
An aggressive screen
box with a 15mm throw
(50% greater than any
other comparative product)
substantially reduces the
chances of blinding and pegging,
and the scalper can be fine-
tuned to suit a variety of soil and
surface conditions, including
sand applications. The powerful
box can be run at a relatively low
750 revs per minute, beneficial
to the scalping process, while
having the capacity to increase
the operational life of the
machine as there is less wear on
the screen box.
Current output on the project
is more than 300 tonnes per
hour, well within expectations,
and is greatly assisted by the
tines (fingers) mounted on the
bottom deck, which serve to
maintain production levels, even
under the wettest conditions.
Considering the material is
abrasive, there has been no
need to change the tines
(bottom deck) or bofar bars
(top deck) after 12 months.
The Lokotrack ® range has a
two-way split option. Should
only two conveyors out of
three be required for a specific
application, the third conveyor
can be removed for operations,
thereby saving fuel, wear and
tear, and — from a safety
perspective — removing the
possibility of unnecessary
entanglement with non-
productive moving parts.
In addition to extracting
ore, the customer operates
a smelting operation on
site where Pilot Crushtec
International is also supplying
a solution to process their
slag and increase their
material recovery.
The Pilot Modular crushing
and screening plant will be in
constant use processing slag,
which is waste material that
contains lumbs (pieces) of
metal. The crushing process
enables the miner to recover
the metal fragments, which
adds significant value to the
operation as a whole.
Essential product information
Lokotrack ® ST2.8 scalper:
• Screen dimensions:
4 866mm × 1 524mm
• Feed hopper: 4.5m³
• Engine: CAT ® 75kW
• Weight: 26 000kg
• The Lokotrack ® ST2.8 design
incorporates easy access and working
space to essential areas, including the
engine compartment and screen box
• Walkways, apron feeder cassette, and
conveyors are all manufactured from
galvanised steel.
Standard options on the products
supplied to southern African
customers include:
• Hot climate kit
• Heavy-duty air filtration kit
• Foldable 11m³ hopper extensions
• Interlock cable to link with
secondary unit
• Light mast
• 250-hour service kits.
Pilot Modular Plant servicing
smelting operation:
• Pilot Modular GFH560 grizzly hopper
• Pilot Modular BR0605 impact crusher
• Pilot Modular DD2412 double-deck
screen
• Four MC13600 conveyors
• MC1000 belt magnet.