News
2006 News
| Index | Source |
| MMS to supply large G-Cell Coal Flotation Plant to Siberia | MMS Website - November 2006 |
| GMIS changes it's name to MMSA | MMS Website - September 2006 |
| MMS to supply IMHOFLOT V-Cell Flotation Plant for Potash Recovery at Belaruskali | MMS Website - June 2006 |
| G-Cell wins WDA Celebration of Innovation Award | MMS Website - February 2006 |
MMS Supply Imhoflot V-Cell Plant for the Romeral Mine, Chile |
MMS Website - February 2006 |
| MMS gives Imhoflot licence for Australasian / China region | MMS Website - January 2006 |
| MMS shortlisted for Innovation and Technology Award | MMS Website - January 2006 |
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MMS to supply large G-Cell Coal Flotation Plant to Siberia (General Information Release November 2006) |
Maelgwyn Mineral Services has been awarded its largest ever contract to supply an Imhoflot G-Cell pneumatic flotation plant to Zap-Sib in Siberia, Russia. This will be a major reference site for MMS’s innovative new technology. OJSC, “West Siberia Iron and Steel Plant”, (Zap-Sib), part of the Evraz Group, is the largest steel concern in the Siberian region and the eastern-most steel mill in the Russian Federation. It is an integrated steel plant with production of pig iron from iron ore, steel making by the oxygen-converter method, steel pouring into bars or continuous casting billets, as well as hot-rolling on continuous rolling mills. The production of coking coal is undertaken on-site at the company’s colliery. Current expansion plans required a new flotation plant and after beating off strong competition from conventional tank flotation suppliers MMS was awarded the contract to supply Imhoflot G-Cell pneumatic flotation technology. The plant will be processing 200tph and is planned to be commissioned in 2007. The plant feed will be split into 3 modules with each treating just over 670m3/hr using two, Imhoflot G-36 cells in series. |
Imhoflot G-36 outer shells prepared for transport to Siberia |
The Imhoflot G-Cell is a major development in the area of froth flotation. It combines established pneumatic flotation technology, where the all bubble-particle contact takes place in a reactor external to the cell, with the principal of froth separation by centrifugal forces. The combination of these two techniques gives rise to high selectivity but extremely low residence time in the separating vessel. This is around 60 seconds in the G-36 which results in a much smaller plant size compared with tank or column flotation. The G-Cell concept is covered by world-wide patents. MMS’s Managing Director, Michael Battersby commented “The plant in Siberia will be one of the largest coal flotation plants in the world. Securing the contract for MMS and the Imhoflot G-Cell technology is a major achievement. Clearly Zap-Sib have recognized the performance and cost benefits of the G-Cell.” |
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GMIS Changes Name to MMSA (General Information Release Septmber 2006) |
MMS is pleased to announce the name change of its South African based subsidiary to Maelgwyn Mineral Services Africa (Pty) Ltd (MMSA). It was formerly called Greenhills Mining & Industrial Services (Pty) Ltd. The name change was undertaken so as that the African subsidiary will reflect the Maelgwyn Mineral Services brand and its world-wide marketing efforts in the supply of innovative mineral processing technology. The company registration number, office and all contact details remain the same. The Greenhills name will not disappear as MMSA has formed a 100% owned subsidiary called Greenhills Mining (Pty) Ltd which will undertake mining related operating and management contracts on behalf of MMSA. |
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MMS to supply two stage IMHOFLOT V-Cell Flotation Plant for Potash Recovery at Belaruskali (General Information Release June 2006) |
MMS have recently won a contract to supply an IMHOFLOT V-Cell flotation plant at the Belaruskali potash plant. Belaruskali, located approximately 120km’s south of Minsk in the town of Soligorsk, is the biggest producer and supplier of potash mineral fertilizers in the CIS. Belaruskali supply a variety of products ranging from Potassium Chloride to edible rock salt, including ground sylvinite. MMS IMHOFLOT V-Cell technology was selected after a series of extensive pilot plant trials were conducted using IMF-V-12 pneumatic flotation pilot cells. |
IMHOFLOT IMF-V-12 Pnuematic flotation pilot plant |
The current processing route for sylvinite involves milling of the ore in a saturated leach liquor followed by conventional flotation. The rougher concentrate produced will be thinned down further with additional leach and then pumped to the two stage IMHOFLOT V-Cell flotation plant. The plant will consist of two IMF-V-35 flotation cells operating in series. The design throughput is to be 350m3/hr treating 50-60tph. The IMHOFLOT pneumatic flotation cells offer the benefit of separating the flotation process into its individual components allowing optimisation of each one to be achieved individually. The aeration takes place externally in a self-aspirating aeration device, the aerated pulp is then distributed inside the separation vessel which consists of no moving parts. MMS have supplied a number of potash flotation plants, such as K+S in Europe and plan to continue their market share in this specialist field with the addition of the Belaruskali potash flotation plant. |
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G-Cell wins WDA Celebration of Innovation Award (General Information Release February 2006) |
MMS is proud to announce that it has won the Welsh Development Agency’s (WDA) Celebration of Innovation Award for the development of the G-Cell. In 2001 MMS won a SmartWales innovation grant to assist with the construction of a prototype and allow world-wide patents to be put in place for the idea. The Celebration of Innovation Awards, held at a Gala dinner at the Celtic Manor Resort, identified the G-Cell as being the most innovative product to come out of the SmartWales scheme since its inception twenty years ago. The criteria for winning the award was “to have clearly demonstrated an improvement to the business through improved profitability, sustainability or increased employment.” In the relatively short time since its invention the G-Cell has gained rapid acceptance by the mining industry with a number of plants in construction or operation and many more companies planning to utilize the equipment for future projects. |
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Part of the award is an all expenses paid "learning journey" to the USA to meet with some of the world's most innovative companies such as Adobe, Intel, Starbucks, Boeing and Oracle to interact and learn about their "best innovative practices". A copy of the WDA G-Cell project description that was presented can be downloaded here. |
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MMS Supply Imhoflot V-Cell Plant for the Romeral Mine, Chile (General Information Release February 2006) |
MMS recently successfully commissioned a two stage Imhoflot plant for the Romeral iron ore operation owned by Compania Mineral Pacifico (CMP) of La Serena, Chile. As part of the contract MMS supplied engineering and process know-how. The engineering for the installation was undertaken directly by the client. The flotation plant incorporates two 5.2m diameter Imhoflot V-Cells and has a design capacity of 965m3/h (420 tph). The process is based on reverse flotation to remove silica impurities from the iron ore concentrate and is similar to that previously supplied by MMS for CMP’s Huasco pelletising operation. |
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MMS gives Imhoflot licence for Australasian / China region (General Information Release January 2006) |
BANYO, Brisbane, Australia and CARDIFF, Wales, UK - Ludowici Mineral Processing Equipment Pty Ltd (LMPE) and Maelgwyn Mineral Services Ltd (MMS) have finalised an exclusive international licensing agreement for MMS's Pneumatic Flotation Process Technology called ImhoflotTM. The license covers Australia, the Asia-Pacific region including China. The technology will be utilized for the recovery of floatable valuable minerals. Ludowici MPE General Manager, Mike Trench commented, “LMPE is very excited to partner with MMS since the Imhoflot Flotation Technology compliments our existing product range and will further enhance LMPE’s position as a market leader supplying world class technology. The Imhoflot Flotation Process will also enhance LMPE’s position in hard rock mining operations”. |
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Maelgwyn Mineral Services Managing Director, Michael Battersby commented, “MMS is extremely pleased to be partnering with Ludowici MPE in the Asia-Pacific region. This will accelerate the international distribution and commercialisation of our technology. The Imhoflot Pneumatic Flotation Technology can significantly reduce capital and operating costs due to its smaller foot print (higher capacity) and lower energy consumption. It can also significantly enhance metallurgical performance due to the high selectivity and low levels of gangue entrainment that result from the process”. Ludowici MPE is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ludowici Limited, an Australian public company established in 1858 and listed on the Australian Stock Exchange. Ludowici MPE provides material handling and process equipment products and services for mining/mineral processing operations. Capabilities range from initial evaluation of customer plant conditions, equipment selection and sizing, operation optimisation and maintenance services. With offices located near major mining operation in Australia and worldwide (i.e. Chile, China, S Africa, USA), Ludowici MPE possesses the global presence that is increasingly important for mining/mineral processing and production. Contact Carlos Halim |
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MMS shortlisted for Innovation and Technology Award (General Information Release January 2006) |
MMS is pleased to announce that it has been shortlisted for the Welsh Development Agency's "Celebration of Innovation Awards 2006" for the development of the Imhoflot G-Cell pneumatic flotation process. As one of five selected finalists MMS has been chosen as one of the most outstanding innovative companies that have previously participated in all the WDA sponsored R&D support programs over the last 12 years. The criteria for selection is "to have clearly demonstrated an improvement to their business through improved profitability, sustainability, increased employment or through collaboration and networking with other organisations". MMS won a SmartWales award in 2001 for the G-Cell concept. Since that time the company has taken the process to commercialisation winning several international orders for equipment based on the technology. The winner will be announced at a gala dinner to be held in February at the Celtic Manor Resort (home of the next European-American Ryder Cup golf tournament). |