Mining equipment supplier Weir Minerals Africa is expanding its Cavex hydrocyclones footprint across Africa with its two most recent orders of hydrocyclones to be installed in the Central African Copperbelt next year, says Weir Minerals Africa hydrocyclones product manager Sheldon Gabriel.

Weir Minerals Africa received an order in August to supply 18 Cavex hydrocyclones for a mill classification application and two for a densifying application for a major copper mine in Zambia. The company also received a hydrocyclone order for a copper mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in July, and is supplying 14 Cavex hydrocyclones for a semi-autogenous grinding mill application and two for a limestone application.

“There is a large installed base of Cavex hydrocyclones in copper applications across the globe with more than 300 hydrocyclones installed and operational in the Central African Copperbelt,” Gabriel tells Mining Weekly, adding that the installed base is rapidly growing in the region.

Moreover, the Cavex hydrocyclone footprint in the Copperbelt region is supported through Weir Minerals Africa’s Zambian branch and service centre in Kitwe, Zambia, he enthuses. The company expanded the branch and service centre this year to allow for greater stockholding, and has also expanded its process engineering capabilities at the branch to assist with the growing Cavex hydrocyclone installed base and process solutions.

Further, Weir Minerals continuously invests in new technology and development to provide innovative process solutions. For example, the company’s Cavex 700CVX hydrocyclone can achieve up to 50% higher throughput capacity, compared with competitor cyclones in the 26-inch-diameter range, owing to its larger inlet and vortex finder configuration.

The company’s Synertrex industrial Internet of Things platform, which captures the operating performance of the hydrocyclones and uses this data to improve metallurgical performance and increase efficiencies, is another technological advancement, Gabriel mentions.

“The Synertrex technology assists clients in operating their hydrocyclones at optimal conditions to achieve the best performance possible,” he highlights.

Weir Minerals Africa also provides dedicated process engineering support for clients, assisting in the commissioning and optimising of their processes.

Support is provided with each installation, adding real value to their processes while being in line with the long-term relationships the company establishes with clients, Gabriel notes.

“Our dedicated process engineering support ties in with Weir Minerals’ strategy of being a process solutions provider rather than just an equipment supplier,” he concludes.