Staff Writer

ANDRITZ filter presses achieve cost-effective and environmentally friendly filtration. Image: ANDRITZ

ANDRITZ is finding innovative ways to help mining companies be more sustainable in their operations.

As the mining industry explores ways to enable greater operational sustainability, effective tailings management has become a major focal point.

As one of the leading companies in industrial separation technologies, ANDRITZ offers a suite of advanced tailings solutions designed to optimise water recovery, reduce environmental impact, enable dry-stacking solutions, and enhance overall operational efficiency.

ANDRITZ’s tailings offerings encompass a wide range of products designed to cover every aspect of the tailings management process. The company’s solutions extend from sedimentation and dewatering to filtration and water recovery.

“Our broad portfolio for tailings treatment covers the full solid–liquid separation process, including decanter centrifuges, heavy-duty belt presses, hyperbaric and vacuum disc filters, vacuum belt filters, and filter presses,” ANDRITZ regional manager – Australia and New Zealand Paul Stevens said.

These solutions aim to maximise water recovery, reduce storage volumes, and provide safer disposal options for processed tailings.

Among ANDRITZ’s many products, the company highlights its heavy-duty belt press CPF-Q and robust filter presses as key solutions for tailings dewatering.

“Our heavy-duty belt press CPF-Q is a reliable and robust machine that is simple and cost-efficient to operate,” Stevens said. “The CPF-Q is a solution for high throughput tailings dewatering, achieving a low residual moisture with low operating costs.”

Additionally, the excellent water recovery rates of ANDRITZ’s filter presses, a technology known for delivering high filtration rates even in harsh conditions, contribute to reducing water consumption and improving sustainability.

The company’s decanter centrifuges also play a crucial role, especially for operations dealing with slurries that have fine particle size distributions. These machines, with high-speed design capabilities and large diameter-to-length ratios, are particularly effective in handling high volumes while enhancing recovery rates.

Innovation is at the core of ANDRITZ’s strategy in tailings management. The company’s research and development (R&D) efforts in the field of tailings management are focused on three primary objectives: enhanced water recovery, sustainability, and automation and digitalisation.

ANDRITZ is actively developing technologies that maximise water extraction from tailings, which is vital for regions where water scarcity is a significant issue. The company is also exploring ways to reuse processed tailings in applications like construction materials, further promoting sustainable mining practices.

Automation and digitalisation are becoming an increasingly important part of ANDRITZ’s solutions.

“We’re working on advanced monitoring systems and AI-supported process controls that can optimise tailings management in real-time,” ANDRITZ industry director – minerals and mining Mario Gerards said. “This digital shift not only enhances operational efficiency but also improves safety and reduces downtime.”

Mining environments are notoriously tough, and equipment longevity is a major concern. ANDRITZ addresses this by utilising high-quality, wear-resistant materials in its designs and offering comprehensive maintenance programs.

“Our solutions are engineered with robust construction to withstand continuous operation in the harshest conditions,” Gerards said.

ANDRITZ’s commitment to providing comprehensive global service support ensures that equipment remains in peak condition, minimising operational disruptions.

And the company’s focus on reducing energy consumption through optimised designs adds another layer of sustainability to its offerings. By delivering a complete range of solutions from dewatering to water treatment, ANDRITZ enables streamlined operations that maximise efficiency across the entire tailings management process.

One of ANDRITZ’s most notable success stories and one of the best references for dry stacking of tailings comes from the Itaminas iron ore mine in Brazil. By implementing ANDRITZ filter presses with LENSER filter plates as well as an advanced Metris addIQ control system, the mine achieved significant improvements in water recovery and reduced tailings volumes.

This not only minimised Itaminas’ environmental footprint but also lowered operational costs associated with tailings storage, proving the value of ANDRITZ’s technologies in real-world applications.

Looking ahead, ANDRITZ is working on several cutting-edge technologies aimed at revolutionising tailings management.

“One of our current development programs is focused on significant operational enhancements within our filter press technology,” Gerards said.

“Inspired by our vast experience in the Brazilian iron ore industry, we have implemented R&D in improving filter plate handling and filter cloth changing technology.”

Another interesting innovation is the Metris addIQ RheoScan, a system designed to optimise polymer dosage in real-time during the dewatering process.

“This technology automatically adjusts polymer dosing based on the rheological properties of the tailings, ensuring maximum efficiency in flocculation and sedimentation processes,” Gerards said.

The result is reduced polymer consumption, enhanced water recovery, and lower operational costs.

ANDRITZ is currently developing digital twin models that simulate and optimise tailings processes in real-time. These virtual models allow operators to predict and fine-tune performance, leading to improved efficiency and safety in tailings management.

The company is also exploring energy recovery systems that capture and reuse energy generated during the dewatering process, turning waste into a valuable resource stream.

ANDRITZ also plans to roll out a new filter press design over the next 12 to 18 months, alongside other advancements like enhanced digital twin applications and energy-efficient filtration systems.

These innovations are expected to significantly reduce the environmental footprint of tailings management while improving operational efficiency and safety.

This feature appeared in the October 2024 issue of Australian Mining.

Alexandra Eastwood

Zenith plate lips currently come in standard, long and heavy-duty options to suit all application requirements. Image: Bradken

Bradken has expanded its GET range to include Zenith plate lip GET to further support Australia’s mining sector.

Given the often-harsh conditions of the Australian resources industry, it is critical that mining companies select the right ground engaging tools (GET) for their operation.

Premium GET solutions extend machinery wear life and lessen the risk of equipment failure, minimising costly downtime. The right GET tooling also delivers reduced dig energy and improved penetration.

That is why Bradken has continually advanced its own GET solutions, ensuring customers always have the right option at hand. This includes the Zenith series, the latest addition to Bradken’s GET range suited to 100–250-tonne hydraulic excavators.

Bradken GET principal product manager Glenn Baxter explained the evolution of the company’s products.

“Bradken’s GET range has evolved from being regionally based with a suite of first-generation products, to now being more globally focused with a second and third generation of innovative products, all backed by a global original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in Hitachi Construction Machinery,” Baxter told Australian Mining.

“The Zenith technology is Bradken’s next generation of plate lip GET products, so it’s one of the latest solutions in the Bradken GET range.”

As Bradken developed an improved GET solution for higher tonnage hydraulic excavators, the company had several research and development (R&D) objectives.

“In the development of the Zenith range, we had a focus on creating an efficient tooth system from a machine performance and maintenance perspective,” Baxter said.

“We wanted to minimise the size of the tooth (without compromising strength) so the machine uses less power during each cycle, and simplify the locking system so it’s intuitive to use and easy to maintain when required.”

The Zenith locking system requires only 180° of rotation to be actuated, with the locking pin pre-installed in the point, which is another simplifying aspect of the range.

Other key benefits of the unique design is the reduction in change-out time and improved safety with the truly hammer-free pin and dedicated point removal tool enabling a safer removal process. Together these improve the ease of use and enable greater diversity in the workforce.

The Zenith points currently come in standard, long and heavy-duty options to suit all application requirements. And they can be used to extract any commodity, including copper, gold, coal or iron ore.

Baxter said operators have resonated with the intuitiveness of the range with simple installation and removal, along with the flat contact surfaces between the point and the nose enabling easy rebuilds if required.

“Maintenance teams will often have a list of tasks to complete on a shift, and when they come to changing their Zenith GET, because of its simplicity, personnel can easily make their tooth changes without having to constantly refer to the instruction manual,” he said.

“GET can be replaced in a consistent short timeframe, meaning maintenance personnel can plan and spend more time on other tasks that might be of a higher priority.”

A product comparison demonstrated the efficiency of the Zenith range, with teeth able to be replaced in one minute each, whereas a generation-one tooth took on average 11 minutes to replace.

“When changes are made to six teeth, operators can save a lot of time on maintenance and spend more time in production,” Baxter said.

“Our R&D teams conducted numerous simulations during the design phases and when compared to our generation-one system, the Zenith teeth penetrated material using up to five per cent less power, which is a significant advantage over the long run.”

The Zenith range also has on average an 11 per cent longer wear life than Bradken’s first generation system, based on recent infield performances.

Bradken understands that not only can it supply customers cost-effective and reliable solutions such as its Zenith GET range, but it can also bring together solutions from other product lines to provide a holistic offering.

“We’ll continue to expand the Zenith range as part of this new generation of plate lip products,” Baxter said.

“More broadly, Bradken is combining the recent structural development work undertaken on our mining excavator buckets – including the addition of a cast upper structure – with our GET solutions on the front of the bucket.

“Our design team specifies the right sizes for the operating conditions, and by using machine parameters we can take a more holistic approach, rather than just provide the GET solution alone.”

Baxter said Bradken’s digital portfolio is also advancing.

“The advancement of our tailored condition-monitoring solutions, where we can track the performance and wear of the GET in real-time, demonstrates that there is some pretty exciting R&D occurring at Bradken,” he said.

“And through all our innovations, Bradken is fortunate enough to be backed by a Tier 1 OEM in Hitachi Construction Machinery, who support our product development and the speed with which we can innovate.”

This feature appeared in the August 2024 issue of Australian Mining.

Alexandra Eastwood

Hitachi aims for the EX5600-7 excavator to be fitted with the boom and arm system as standard at the start of 2026. Image: Hitachi Construction Machinery

To further strengthen its EX-7 excavator series, Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia is about to release two new technology solutions.

For over 50 years, Hitachi Construction Machinery has been a pioneer in manufacturing equipment, machinery and parts for a range of industries.

To expand its global footprint, the company founded Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia in 1999.

“We’re a supplier of surface mining and construction equipment to Australian operations within the mining, civil and forestry sectors,” Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia general manager – mining sales Sean Ryan told Australian Mining.

One of Hitachi Australia’s flagship offerings is the Hitachi EX-7 series of excavators, which first hit the global market in April 2019.

While the series has seen over 120 units sold, Hitachi is all about improving and innovating its range to meet customer feedback.

It was customer consultation that planted the seed for the long-life boom and arm and operator assist systems, both of which Hitachi has developed over the last five years.

“The boom and arm system extended the component’s maintenance life by 1.5 times, improving the durability and serviceability of our ultra-large hydraulic excavators,” Ryan said.

“To bolster durability, we have implemented cast steel technologies in high stress connection points, specifically the connection points of the boom to the arm and the cylinders to the boom. This has improved the strength and quality of those structures.”

Hitachi also placed manhole covers inside the boom to improve serviceability.

“The manhole covers have allowed easy access to the internals of the boom so non-destructive testing inspections can be carried out throughout the life of the component,” Ryan said.

“We haven’t increased the weight of the boom and arm, so we don’t reduce the capabilities or bucket sizing of the equipment.

“We also looked to improve the welding processes by using new design techniques and technologies. This included alleviating high stress areas.”

Further supporting digging and loader operations is Hitachi’s new operator assist system, which aims to reduce burdens such as operator fatigue.

With the help of sensors, a digging assist function helps to automatically improve control of the hydraulic excavator, while the loading assist function helps to avoid collisions by automatically controlling the front attachment when material is loaded onto a dump truck.

“The operator assist system makes it safer at the dig face, increasing productivity by maximising the use of the machine’s capabilities,” Ryan said.

“Rather than having a fully autonomous piece of digging equipment, which is very difficult because of the variabilities of mining conditions at the dig face, we can make part of that process automated, so operators realise the greatest efficiencies of the excavator’s capabilities.”

Ryan said decarbonisation was a key driver behind the creation of its boom and arm and operator assist solutions.

“The operator assist system is about looking at how you can get the most efficiency out of the fuel burn for your operation,” he said. “While the boom and arm seeks to extend the service life of components, therefore extending the overall life cycle.

“With every ultra-class mining piece of equipment that gets scrapped at the end of its life, an estimated 400 tonnes of CO2 (carbon dioxide) is generated. If we can extend serviceability and overall life, it reduces the need for new replacement components and it improves our decarbonisation position.”

The operator assist system has undergone successful trials that commenced in early 2024. The system was fit to a Hitachi EX3600-7 backhoe excavator operating in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

As a result of the effective trial, Hitachi is aiming to achieve practical application of the operator assist system in stages from 2025.

“The operator assist system is retrofittable, meaning it can be set up with any EX-7 mining series excavator,” Ryan said.

The boom and arm solution has also seen a successful trial in the Pilbara, trialling on a Hitachi EX5600-7 backhoe excavator for more than 12 months.

Hitachi aims to begin taking orders of the boom and arm system at the end of 2025, with the EX5600-7 excavator being fitted with the product as standard at the start of 2026.

To aid the rollout of the boom and arm and operator assist system over the next few years, Hitachi Australia has 19 mining branches located in regions such as the Pilbara, Townsville, Emerald, Mackay and Brisbane in Queensland, and Muswellbrook in New South Wales.

“With over 1300 employees, more than 900 are electric and mechanical tradesmen who are there to service our customers and their Hitachi products in the field,” Ryan said.

“We also have a division that manages any parts required for equipment across Australia and two remanufacturing centres in Brisbane and Perth where components get repurposed at the end of their lives and are sent back to customers, reducing the amount of raw material and carbon emissions that come with new products.”

Alongside its extensive excavator range, Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia manufactures rigid dump trucks and wheel loaders for a variety of mining applications, among other solutions.

“We provide the whole service for overburden or mineral product removal from a mine site,” Ryan said.

This feature appeared in the August 2024 issue of Australian Mining.