Johannesburg-based milling company Energy & Densification Systems (EDS) reports that it is planning to upgrade its energy-saving EDS multishaft mill, which it believes works more efficiently than other designs in the market.

“We are currently designing even more mobile units. This would make it easier for us to emulate and perform full production-type tests at potential customers’ sites. We are also investigating the development of a scaled-down laboratory-type unit. In future, expanding our test facility to cater for more production-style tests will be considered,” EDS sales and marketing division manager Jeff Wain explains.

The company mainly works in the milling and densification of various ores and slags, including but not limited to gold, platinum, chrome, coal, coal waste, silica fume, silica sand, talc, quartzite, clinker, graphite and biomass, as well as various mineral and ore waste materials.

“We are achieving up to a 50% saving on energy consumption on various materials, compared with the equipment offered by our competitors. The 15 kW and 22 kW motors, which drive the shafts of the locally produced mill, are controlled by variable-speed drives to allow for a wide variety of setups for the mill,” Wain explains.
“Further, the programmable logic controller allows for control over feed and discharge rates, adding flexibility to the process. The entire control system is contained in a compact lockable water- and dust-resistant control panel,” he adds.

Wain says the compact EDS multishaft mill, which has a footprint of 2 m × 1 m and a height of less than 2.6 m, uses lower amounts of energy to produce the same output and, therefore, results in cost savings for the user. The mill is manufactured in South Africa and has a delivery lead time of 12 weeks.

Further, the vertical mill can provide environmental benefits at multiple levels, including the reduction of waste from coal-fired power plants, owing to finer milling and, therefore, reduced ash production, says EDS.

The mill uses five processes – crushing, milling, densifying, attrition, blending and agglomeration – in one to provide an output product that will match various specifications.

Meanwhile, the company states that, through its testing facility, in Elandsfontein, Johannes- burg, it has demonstrated the capabilities of the mill to potential clients.

Those tests are ongoing, as the company strives to improve efficiency and wear in the mill. “We have tried and tested dozens of wear-resistant material and surface treatments to improve wear throughout the mill,” adds Wain.

The company was formed in 2005 to develop, manufacture and market the EDS multi- shaft mill. It adds that it conducted more than 1 000 successful batch tests for various clients from different industries between 2005 and 2009. In 2011, it acquired the patents from the original inventor and has subsequently registered these patents globally.

“EDS was then restructured and recapitalised to carry out further research on and development of the mill, which included further testing on various products. Towards the end of 2012, the improved EDS multishaft mill was first introduced to the South African market,” Wain concludes.