One of the latest trends in the mining and minerals industry is a move towards the design and construction of modular plants, says slurry equipment solutions provider Weir Minerals Middle East and Africa MD Gavin Dyer.
“Modular systems comprise quick and easily available modules that can be on site and oper- ational within a day or two. This methodology is being adopted by the entire market, certainly in the crushing and screening sector,” says mining and quarrying equipment producer Pilot Crushtec International MD Sandro Scherf.
Another advantage of modular plants is that any potential process changes can be slotted in easily.
Scherf explains that this is beneficial, as sometimes requirements change – for example, in the aggregate sector when another product fraction is requested.
He further points out that semimobile modular plants have a lower capital cost than tracked mobile plants, as they usually do not rely on diesel power. They are far cheaper to operate and can still be relocated quite easily.
Tracked mobile plants are the easiest in terms of mobility, but owing to high capital and operational costs, Scherf stresses that these are not always the best option.
He recaps, therefore, that modular plants offer the benefits of easy relocation without the high costs of operation of tracked fully mobile machines.
Acquisition
In support of a strengthened comminution offering, Weir Group acquired US-based aggregate and mining equipment engineers Trio Engineered Products in October last year. This acquisition improves Weir Group’s position to capitalise on the modular plant trend and to increase its market presence in the sand and aggregate sector, the company says.
The acquisition is expected to leverage significant opportunities for Weir Minerals and Pilot Crushtec International – which distributes Trio’s products in South Africa – in terms of accessing new market opportunities and using their specific engineering excellence and expertise.
Trio and Pilot Crushtec’s relationship will remain intact after the acquisition.
Trio designs and manufactures a range of crushers, screens, feeders, washers and material handling solutions for the aggregate and minerals sector. Weir Minerals Africa delivers innovative engineering solutions to customers in the minerals, oil and gas and power sectors.
Scherf says the original-equipment manufacturer (OEM) market in Africa is still quite depressed, which has meant a renewed focus on customer service and aftermarket support.
Dyer comments: “We have always been close to our customers, from a technical service and aftermarket point of view, and that is unlikely to change with our agreement to acquire Trio.”
He concurs that the OEM market remains depressed in Africa. This makes the Trio acquisition a strategic move which broadens Weir Minerals’ market focus. Dyer, therefore, regards the market depression as an ideal opportunity for companies to optimise their plants and to increase efficiencies and throughput.
“It is a tough market at the moment. However, I think we are more fortunate than most in that Weir Minerals Africa has a large installed base in Africa and that our aftermarket segment is doing really well. We find that, as mining companies scale back on projects and operations, the service trend actually goes up,” Dyer reveals.