Pioneering crushing and screening solutions for cleaner energy minerals
Wayne Warren, Sales Manager Africa for Pilot Crushtec
Minus 50 mm energy minerals after going through a mobile crushing and screening circuit
A modular plant setup for sampling of energy minerals mined
Minus 5 mm material after being run through a modular crushing and screening plant
A modular conveyor discharges minus 5 mm ore from a modular sampling plant
A Metso mobile cone crusher doing secondary crushing of an abrasive energy mineral
Pilot Crushtec's crushing and screening solutions are key for a wide range of applications within the energy minerals sector, and the company has built a significant footprint in these industry segments. Wayne Warren, Sales Manager Africa at Pilot Crushtec, highlights that the company has crushing and screening equipment operating successfully in lithium, cobalt, manganese, nickel, copper and graphite operations in the region.
“The flexibility of our mobile and modular equipment allows customers to tailor solutions to match diverse ore characteristics and processing plant requirements. This adaptability is crucial, especially when dealing with variations within the same commodity category, like lithium ores that differ in behaviour,” he explains.
Pilot Crushtec's equipment selection also considers material abrasiveness, minimising equipment wear by bypassing crushers when necessary. Their mobile equipment often includes pre-screening options as standard, reducing the need for additional screens.
Warren points to one case study that involves the supply of Metso mobile Lokotrack® trains for lithium crushing, where production requirements doubled due to high demand. In another project, modular equipment was adapted for ore sorters, highlighting the need for precision in crushing to avoid over-processing.
Pilot Crushtec continues to innovate, introducing equipment to the market like the versatile Metso Lokotrack® LT200HPX™ mobile cone crusher and the Metso Metrix remote monitoring system that is fitted to these machines. These advancements improve optimisation levels and offer remote machine monitoring and maintenance assistance.
The company also supports the mining industry's efforts to reduce power consumption and carbon emissions by offering low-emission, electrically powered equipment options.
For safety and productivity, units feature built-in dust suppression systems. Additionally, Pilot Crushtec provides a 24-hour response service and an extended protection service warranty programme, ensuring minimal downtime.
In South Africa, the company has expertise in coal crushing and screening solutions, including specialised mobile and modular crushers designed for the coal market, meeting strict product gradings.