STEEL COMMITMENTS Half of Ehya Sepahan’s iron-ore is consumed by the steelmaking industry
Photo by: Duane Daws
South Africa-based process equipment sales and supply company MIP Process Technologies has landed a contract to supply equipment to global iron-ore giant Ehya Sepahan, which has operations in Iran, in the Middle East.
Ehya Sepahan CEO Hadi Golzar and technical and planning manager Saiwan Mohammadi were recently in South Africa to inspect the latest batch of MIP Process equipment on order by the company. Golzar emphasises that, “we have a long-standing relationship with MIP Process Technologies, [which is] based on successfully exploiting the synergies between the two companies”.
The latest equipment supplied by the Sandton, Gauteng-based company includes a 30 m thickener and three agitators – one large and two smaller units. MIP Process Technologies previously supplied Ehya Sepahan with a 15 m thickener, two agitators, five centrifugal pumps and a flocculent plant, which improves the efficiency of minerals recovery and facilitates efficient process or water recovery.
MIP Process Technologies MD Phillip Hoff explains that it has provided Ehya Sepahan with installation guidelines, in addition to assisting with final commissioning, adding that a slight modification required on a slew bearing received the necessary attention within 48 hours.
Regarding future prospects, Hoff says MIP Process Technologies hopes to be part of Ehya Sepahan’s expansion plans, which include building a concentrate and pelletising plant. At present, Ehya Sepahan produces four-million tons of iron-ore every year. Half of this amount is consumed by the steelmaking industry, with the other half exported to China. MIP Process Technologies is also the official African distributor for global mixer manufacturer Chemineer.
MIP Process Technologies regularly supplies other parts of the world, including Asia, and has an established and significant global footprint.
“Compared with the South African market, the market is slightly different [overseas] in terms of its material specifications and the specification of European standards. Torque and capacity requirements are similar [in both markets],” Hoff explains.
MIP Process Technologies specialises in designing and manufacturing a range of thickeners and clarifiers. These include customised feedwell clarifiers, conventional units with low operating costs, high-rate thickeners with special feedwell designs, high-density thickeners with a deeper sidewell and a more robust design, paste thickeners and ultrahigh-rate thickeners.
Units are available from 1 m to 90 m in diameter. Off-the-shelf designs are available, while thickener tanks, rakes and feedwells can be customised according to the feed conditions and raking capacity. MIP Process Technologies also provides a retrofit service to boost the performance of existing units.
The company says its clarifiers and thickeners feature long-term mechanical performance, optimised circuit efficiency, maximum availability and lower operating costs. Design considerations include accurate sizing for the duty required, torque measurement and the ability to monitor and operate through supervisory control and data acquisition. Attention is paid particularly to the design of the thickener feedwell for efficient distribution and specially profiled rake blades with minimal drag for maximum transfer of viscous and heavy material.
Flocculant make-up plants can be supplied either as customised units, or as part of an overall modular design. Wetted flocculant particles enter the unit through a wetting head, after which the solution is mixed in the make-up tank. The transfer between the make-up and holding tanks is achieved by means of hydraulic kinetics, as opposed to pumping.
MIP Process Technologies’ equipment is designed to operate around the clock, increasing cost-effectiveness. Process selections are based on testwork, in conjunction with the company’s extensive experience in thickening. This ensures all equipment meets the requirements of the application in question, factoring in safety, while recognising international standards and practices. “All our products have been designed with innovation in mind to ensure minimal maintenance and easily replaceable parts for reduced downtime,” Hoff concludes.