Eriez claims the MA3600 outperforms all existing pulse induction detection systems. “We designed the MA3600 according to specific customer needs to ensure that even the smallest tramp metal will be detected,” said the company’s National Sales Manager, Dave Heubel.

Both the MA3600 Eagle and MA3600 Hawk models are microprocessor- based with self diagnostics and fault indication. These standard features allow variable operating frequencies to better suit different applications and sensitivities. The units have a 20-segment LED signal display and a dual channel for metal and belt clip signals with coarse and fine sensitivity control.

The Hawk coil is typically used for standard applications with a sensitivity that is +5% of aperture height. It is designed for use on steel-corded belts and can be used with highly conductive products such as iron ore. The Eagle version is suitable where especially high sensitivities are required, nominally +2% of the aperture height.

Eriez said the MA3600 is simple to assemble and install; in fact, there is no need to cut the conveyor belt and interrupt production. The control unit is IP66 rated and can be supplied either with a steel paint finish or in stainless steel with an anti-condensation heater. A variety of features including report generation, local or remote on/off and sensitivity control and a healthy signal relay, can be added. The MA3600 also can be configured to comply with Atex 22 for special locations.

FLSmidth Minerals: All Hands to the Brands
The challenge for the staff of FLSmidth Minerals (FLSM) was how to make an effective, unified presentation of the company’s much-expanded range of competences on one booth (or two if you count the separate Pneumopress Filter Corp. booked before the company became part of FLSM). They seem to have done a pretty good job.

Some full size products were displayed, including the new Excel Raptor XL900 cone crusher and the Krebs millMAX slurry pump. But mainly the 17 key brands, spread through 11 mineral processing and handling technologies, were showcased on 16 kiosks that allowed a free flow of visitors. These were supported through the show by more than 100 FLSM experts, several of whom also presented the program of 19 different 10-minute presentations on topics ranging from “Flotation: Power Consumption vs Recovery” to “Listening to Your Cyclones to Optimize Performance.”

Displaying the Raptor served to emphasize the success that the five-year old Excel crusher brand has already achieved. There are now five cone crusher models ranging from 300 hp motor power to the 1,200-hp XL1100, the world’s largest when it was introduced. Debbie Nicely, manager business operations for FLSmidth Excel, explained that the high performance cone crusher design is the result of extensive research conducted with the most important segment of Excel’s design team—the operators in the field. The extra-heavy duty steel mainframe is the basis for decades of reliable operation while the leading edge automated control system is designed to maintain crushing efficiency throughout the operating cycle and every working day. The manufacturing operation combines state-of-the–art engineering with one of the most modern foundry facilities in the world as well as advanced CNC machining and close quality control, enabling Excel to manufacture premium components for the machines. The company also offers express on-site service and programmed maintenance if required.

The XL900 has a 1.8-m (71-in.) crushing head but can conveniently be installed in place of a 1.5-m-head machine without major modifications.

The FLSmidth Krebs millMAX metal slurry pump has now been joined by the slurryMAX rubber-lined pump designed for mill discharge and other highly abrasive applications.

ITT Goulds´ Model VRS pump.

“Modern mines are highly mechanized and employ industrial processes to improve productivity and enhance safety,” said Tony Przybylek, global marketing manager-mining. “At every stage of the process that involves moving liquids or slurries, ITT offers pump and valve solutions that can help customers to maximize the efficiency of their mining operation.”

At MINExpo, ITT announced three new products: Shearpeller, an exclusive impeller design that is setting new trends in froth pumping; the Goulds VRS, with parts that are interchangeable with Goulds SRL horizontal pumps; and the SV1 slurry valve, where a Guillotine Gate design provides longer life and lower maintenance.

Mineral processing operations that use froth flotation can use the Shearpeller to dramatically improve productivity and lower costs. The froth flotation process previously required conventional pumps to be oversized or specially designed “froth” pumps with large suction inlets. The Shearpeller option on standard Goulds SRL-C pumps handles slurries with froth factors up to 2.5, reducing downtime and saving customers an average of 20% to 35% on capital investment by not having to purchase larger pumps.

“Because the ‘froth factor’ is an issue in many applications, a lot of mine managers consider it as a special pump requirement to select and buy oversize pumps and accept this as a cost of doing business,” said ITT Goulds Pumps Slurry Pump Product Manager Haminder Ahluwalia.

Ahluwalia described one copper mine in South America that tried Shearpellers on two pumps in frothy applications, and rapidly converted 12 other pumps. “With a simple parts replacement, this customer saw an immediate improvement in process efficiency and uptime,” he said. “That is why they’re converting the pumps that handle frothy slurries to the Shearpeller.”

The Shearpeller has a special open design impeller made out of durable urethane (or any elastomer) that can process the froth without changing pump size or other pump components. It can be retrofitted to all Model SRL-C pump sizes, and is made to be interchangeable with original standard closed impellers.

The Shearpeller has radial vanes and wide-open water passages that allow the froth-laden slurry to pass easily, and the elimination of the front shroud further extends pumping capacity. It provides a positive pumping action and develops higher heads than fully recessed impeller pumps.

The company claims that operators of nickel, iron, copper and other metal mines can pump tough slurries with dramatically lower maintenance and operating costs using the new Model VRS by ITT Goulds Pumps. The VRS vertical rubber-lined cantilever sump pump sets new standards for energy efficiency and other costs with three key features:
• Interchangeability—VRS liners, impeller and casing halves are all interchangeable with Goulds Model SRL horizontal pumps, resulting in reduced parts inventory and maintenance costs.
• Field-replaceable elastomer liners— The VRS vertical pump allows for liner replacement without requiring a change of the entire pump casing; full pump wet end replacement would be two to three times the cost of just replacing liners.
• High efficiency—The impellers are built with tighter tolerances than other vertical sump pumps, which improve operating efficiency and saves up to 40% in energy costs.

The VRS is suited for sump services with solids-laden slurries. The interchangeable design allows mine operators to stock only one type of replacement parts, reducing inventories and simplifying pump maintenance throughout the operation.

In addition to interchangeability, the VRS pumps offer field-replaceable elastomer liners. Unlike most conventional pump designs that require the entire casing to be replaced upon failure, the cost of the VRS replacement liners is less than one half the cost.

Tighter tolerances lower energy costs for running the pump by 10%–20%. The large-diameter, open impellers are also capable of passing large solids and resisting air binding, which furthers the operating life of the pump. The heavyduty power end and large diameter shaft limits impeller deflection. The cantilever design also eliminates the need for a lower bearing and seal water.

The VRS pumps are available in 2-, 3-, 5- and 6-in. diameters with 4 ft and 6 ft lengths. They can handle duties with up to 120 ft head, solids up to ¼ in. (6 mm), and 75 psi (520 kPa) working pressure.

The Fabri-Valve SV1 valve design incorporates a unique Guillotine Gate. Unlike traditional knife gate valves, the SV1 push-through slurry valve features a gate design that slices cleanly through tough slurries and prevents the seat from cutting and tearing, while also reducing the amount of discharge from the valve. The gate can be completely removed and replaced while the valve is under pressure, actuation can be changed in the field, and valves with manual operators or air cylinders have self-supporting yokes providing valve orientation flexibility.

Fabri-Valve Product Manager Grant Harlow said, “Our goal with the SV1 was to make a valve that basically takes care of itself. SV1 lowers the time and money spent on maintenance, and allows mine operators to focus on production without worrying about valve failure,” Harlow said. “Along with improving uptime, we also have made maintenance and replacement easy when the need arises.”

The SV1 is available in sizes ranging from 3- to 24-in. diameters (DN80DN600). All sizes can operate at 150 psi of working pressure, and up to 170°F (77°C). The SV1 is designed with positive bi-directional shutoff that allows zero downstream leakage, and the shutoff performance is not affected by low pressure. Other standard features include dead end service capability and mechanical lock-out in the open or closed position.

Metso Minerals VTM-3000-WB Vertimill.

However, Jonathan Allen, manager– stirred mills for Metso Minerals, explained that the VTM-3000 is a direct scale-up of the VTM-1500, offering the same components, controls and maintenance accessibility, just on a larger machine. “We made some minor refinements to the drive train,” he said. “Essentially, however, this is a familiar product, which is reassuring to customers.”

According to Allen, the market had indicated a need for this machine and with the acquisition of the Lachine fabrication plant in Montreal, Quebec, from GE, the VTM-3000 is now economical for Metso to manufacture. “There is already a demand for it, and we have one on order that is to be built at Lachine. In fact, the VTM-3000 will be the first mill to be produced at the new plant in the first quarter of 2009,” said Allen. Metso plans to accept orders for more machines as early as June 2009.

Metso claims that Vertimills have several advantages over traditional ball mills, stating that they typically can perform the same grind with anywhere from 30% to 50% less energy along with a drastic reduction in grinding media consumption. The Vertimill, according to the company, has been the industry standard in concentrate regrind applications for more than 20 years and almost 85% of the 300 Vertimills Metso has sold in that application have relatively fine feed and product size (less than 100 microns).

Allen said the industry has been reluctant to use Vertimills in coarser secondary applications (up to 6,000 microns) because of the required number of Vertimills. “A site might need one 17,000-hp ball mill, which would translate into eight VTM-1500s,” he explained. “Even factoring in the efficiency savings of a Vertimill, that would be too many units. The VTM- 3000, with its increased capacity, reduces the number of mills required.

“The VTM-3000 can be built in comparable lead times to smaller Vertimills,” said Allen. “We expect deliveries for this equipment will be considerably shorter than for traditional ball mills.”

Metso also announced that its automation and mining groups have jointly created an advanced technology that will “revolutionize” how Metso guarantees the performance and reliability of its vibrating equipment. The Screen Security Package (SSP) is a real-time monitoring system that collects information about the motion of the screen at different locations around the machine. This system can simultaneously monitor bearings, oil temperature, speed, acceleration, orbits, structure vibration and dynamic natural frequencies.

The SSP incorporates a patent-pending Stress Monitoring System, which uses both the stroke angle and acceleration for evaluation and fine-tuning. It can simultaneously compare both the angles and values of the stroke (in acceleration) in the same spot on each side of the machine. If any anomalies are found, the system will trigger an alarm that notifies operators that an adjustment to one of the operating parameters may be necessary. The system provides instant results to the customer, and also transmits the results to the factory service department for evaluation.

According to the company, the primary benefit to Metso customers using this system will be realized through increased uptime and a higher Mean Time between Failures. Because the system can globally transmit machine statistics to any authorized person, it will be possible to suggest improvements, identify wear, predict failures and assist with evaluating warranty claims. Remotely monitoring the screen readings will improve Metso’s response time, lower the operating expenses associated with Metso vibrating equipment, and provide more input to clients on what is happening at the site.

Metso said all types of vibrating equipment can be monitored with the SSP, and customer-specific alarms can be set for almost all of the input signals. These alarms can be communicated via e-mail alerts, sirens or flashing lights. Alternatively, the alarm can be tied into an existing PLC or computer system designed to monitor an entire plant.

Outotec Emphasizes Flexibility
Unlike a lot of the globally focused companies, Outotec did not have much hardware on show. This seemingly reflects the Espoo, Finland-based company’s asset-light business model. Outotec does similarly deliver technology ranging from single equipment units to turnkey plants and has strong market positions across the whole value chain from mine to metal. But the firm combines its in-house R&D, conceptual and basic engineering, and overall project management skills with detailed engineering, manufacturing and construction work by an extensive partner network around the world. This gives Outotec considerable operational flexibility, according to the company.

The booth presented the capabilities and successes of, primarily, the Minerals Processing division rather than the downstream Base Metals and Metals Processing Divisions. Mineral Processing Division President Jari Rosendal explained how Outotec covers grinding, flotation, physical separation, analyzers, automation and Advanced Control Tools, water treatment projects, concentrator process solutions, and aftermarket activities mainly by supplying advanced proprietary technology, such as the Turbo Pulp Lifter for SAG milling, TankCells for flotation and Supaflo High Rate Thickeners. The company is happy to form long term partnerships with clients of any size in established or emerging markets.

Power Techniques Features the WEBA Super Tube Controlled-Flow Chutes
Alma, Illinois, USA-based Power Techniques provides a range of engineering and construction services for material handling projects. Markets include energy, cement and lime, industrial process and manufacturing, and the mining industry. It manufactures the WEBA Super Tube Controlled-Flow Chutes engineered for mining applications. Originally designed by M&J Engineering, WEBA chutes help control the volume, speed, and direction of material at every stage of the transfer flow. By adding control, it reduces dust generated during the distribution process, and better maintains particle integrity. The WEBA chute can work with virtually any belt width, speed, material size or shape. The octagonal shape chute creates a trough that channels the material, allowing it to pass through the chute in a more controlled flow. This reduces impact and induces sliding abrasion, which minimizes wear and tear on the chute. The controlled flow also reduces wear on the conveyor and material lands more softly on the belt.

The Sandvik CG850 gyratory crusher.

Per Wennberg, global product line manager for mine crushing and screening, explained that these machines are a second stage outcome of Sandvik’s collaboration with EarthTechnica the wholly-owned subsidiary of Kawasaki Heavy Industries. Last year the two companies created Sandvik’s CG range of primary gyratory crushers which similarly married well-proven Kawasaki crusher design with Sandvik’s Automatic Setting Regulation for precise control of the crushing process. Together with the continuing cone and jaw crusher models, the VSI crushers developed in-house, and the mobile crushing plant range extended by the acquisition of Extec and Fintec, the five model CG gyratory and two large cone crushers give Sandvik what should be a very competitive as well as comprehensive crusher offering.

Meanwhile, Sandvik announced the first three orders for CG machines— from three different projects on three continents. The total value of the orders is €10 million. The first of the three primary gyratory crushers, a CG820, will be delivered to a major international mining company in Europe in August 2009. Another CG820 has been ordered by Tata Steel Ltd., based in Jamshedpur, India. The machine will replace the present primary crusher in a plant that crushes hard iron ore to support a steel plant requirement of 6.8 million mt/y. Tata Steel chose Sandvik because the latest technology will deliver high performance, said Sandvik’s Christian Ottergren.

The other gyratory ordered is a CG850, to be installed in the United States. M3 Engineering & Technology Corp., together with Augusta Resource Corp., has selected the primary gyratory crusher for the Rosemont Copper project near Tucson, Arizona. The Rosemont deposit is said to have the rare combination of copper, molybdenum and silver in what is one of the largest unmined surface deposits in the country.