Taking pride of place on the FLSmidth Electra Mining Africa exhibition stand this year will be a 1:20 scale model of its REFLUX Classifier (RC) modular plant, representing – in more ways than one – the future of processing in the mining sector.

FLSmidth commercial manager Terence Osborn says the RC plant is a good example of an integrated solution designed to meet a customer’s tailings-related risks and requirements.

“The plant demonstrates how our insights and expertise make us more than an equipment supplier,” says Osborn. “Our focus is to bring the value of our technical knowledge base – along with our range of advanced product offerings – directly to bear on improving customers’ sustainability and profitability.”

The RC plant embodies FLSmidth’s leading technologies and its innovative business approach. Equipped with advanced automation facilities, a full-size version of this plant is in operation for a mining customer on an outcomes-based toll treatment model. It treats waste product, or tailings, and recovers valuable minerals as a saleable product for the customer, without adding extra workload or risk to their operation.

FLSmidth’s technical advancement in automation and digitalisation is vital in making these solutions more valuable; both FLSmidth and the customer can observe and assess the key operational parameters of the plant in real time in their respective head offices anywhere in the world. He emphasises how much of a priority this direction is for the business.

“Our appointment in May this year of our chief digital officer at global group executive level reflects our focus on digital efforts to leverage solutions,” says Osborn. “This is key to our corporate strategy going forward and customers will see increasing levels of bottom line benefit arising from this direction.”

Osborn emphasises that Electra Mining Africa is a good opportunity to engage with operations-level customers, listening to feedback and sharing ideas about the kind of solutions that help them achieve their goals and targets.

“Our role is increasingly to provide total solutions that package our expertise and equipment for the customer’s benefit – and to make it possible for customers to run efficient plants with high recoveries,” he says. “This includes our ability to effectively integrate equipment and solutions into their existing infrastructure.”

Hall 6 Stand D16