nternational technical weavers GKD- Gebr. Kufferath AG received additional enquiries about the company’s Vacubelt range of filter belts and its applications beyond the mining industry during the filtration and separation technology trade show Filtech, held in Cologne, Germany, in October this year.

GKD sales and application manager Peter Porschen states that the efficiency of the Vacubelt filter belt range is also suited to applications other than mining as several visitors to the GKD stand inquired about the belts for applications in other industries such as construction.

He highlights that these enquiries will also contribute to the optimisation of these products for different applications.

The integrated solution competence in filter media and process belt solutions from GKD’s Vacubelt range for mining attracted interest during the Filtech trade show.

Interest in the belts at the fair primarily revolved around solutions for increasingly challenging processes in the mining industry. The core focus was on gypsum drainage in phosphoric acid extraction, potash fertiliser, and flue gas desulphurisation (FGD), as well as dewatering lithium carbonate on continuous vacuum belt filter systems.

“The demand for solutions for dynamic belt filters, however, was also high. With the Vacubelt range of filter belts, GKD offers products that guarantee high efficiency and safety in demanding dewatering processes,” says Porschen.

He highlights that the range is exclusively developed and produced in Germany to ensure high-quality products.

The bundling of experience in the market and the closeness to production “is of enormous importance” for further product development in the Vacubelt filter belt range, as this allows for advising and guiding clients, with their multitude of different processes, in the best possible way, Porschen explains.

He highlights that the company started developing the first belt types of the Vacubelt filter belt range in 2009, when the company entered the FGD market. The company’s current market share in Germany is about 50%.

“Over the past ten years, we have developed seven types of our Vacubelt filter belt products to guarantee clients the best possible solution for their application or processes.”

Porschen, however, highlights that strong competition and a low-price level prompted the development of belts with superior technical features and benefits.

“Our Vacubelt filter belt products are characterised by good fabric quality and transverse stability, which leads to a longer service life and better process accuracy. Some of our better technical features include the good cleanability, easier cake release, better straight-run and higher stability with single-layer design,” he explains.

One major enquiry during Filtech was fine process belt mesh, which reflects the challenge for the extractive industry to increase productivity and yield. The Vacubelt filter belt range meets this requirement, as pore sizes designed to suit specific processes.

The Vacubelt range has an increased demand and presence in countries such as Europe, the US, Chile, Mexico and Australia.

While he highlights that the range brand name is not that well known in Africa, the Vacubelt filter belt range is, however, available locally from the GKD branch in Johannesburg, South Africa.

GKD-BUISMET has also supplied this belt filter type to State-owned power utility Eskom’s new Kusile coal-fired power plant in an FGD application.

GKD is also looking at using the three-dimensional mesh-type Porometric in fine screening applications, which can potentially reduce circulating loads around milling circuits. This is mostly ideal for gold and platinum circuit applications.