One of the
world’s oldest minerals processing equipment specialists is facing up to the
challenges of an ever-increasing rise in the world demand for alumina and
aluminium products.
It’s hard
to argue with 125 years experience in the design of plant and equipment for the
minerals processing sector – experience, says FLSmidth Minerals’ Global Product
Manager Alumina, Benny Raahauge, that is a true asset when planning development
or expansion projects with the alumina processing industry.
“And that experience,
along with an in-house team of acknowledged alumina experts, gives our
customers the confidence to go forward with projects and programs that will
improve their productivity and competitive edge,” he says.
A 35-year
veteran of the alumina processing industry, Raahauge was recently in Australia to
check progress on current projects and to also meet with staff and customers of
the company’s local operations.
(No
stranger to Australia, he was the calciner specialist for the installation of
three giant FLSmidth Minerals 4500 ton/day gas suspension calciners at
Queensland Alumina’s Gladstne refinery in 2002
- “still the world’s biggest,” he says proudly – and since then has made
regular visits as the local processing and smelting sectors have expanded.)
Strength
and Diversity
According
to Benny, FLSmidth Minerals has processing plant and equipment in every alumina
refinery operating in the world. In Australia, the company is currently
involved with expansion projects on both the west and east coasts – projects
which include calciners, baghouses, a ball mill, alumina handling systems and a
stacker/reclaimer, the first of its type in this country.
“These
local jobs highlight the strengths we bring to the alumina industry, not just
in Australia
but across the world,” he says. “Certainly we are recognized for out calciner
technology, but we can also provide complementary plant and equipment from our
crushing & grinding and materials handling divisions, fully integrated into
the overall design.”
To reinforce
this integration theme, he cited a new turnkey alumina projects in India which
will include two 2500tpd calciners, a horizontal pan filter, bauxite crushers,
ball mills, a pipe conveyor, coal handling wash thickeners – all to be
designed, installed and commissioned by FLSmidth Minerals.
This
brings him back to the international alumina team he heads – a team that
includes experts on filtration, sedimentation, crushing & grinding,
hydrocyclones, calcination and bauxite and aluminium processing industry.”
He says
the alumina industry worldwide is changing at an amazing rate and companies
such as FLSmidth Minerals must, to remain competitive, maintain a strong focus
on developing an organization and the technology that will benefit customers.
He argues that the integration of specialist services will become increasingly
important.
He is safe
ground with such an argument. FLSmidth Minerals recently purchased solid/liquid
separation specialists Dorr-Oliver Eimco and hydrocyclone experts Krebs
Engineers in a move that, as Benny says, completes “the flowsheet for alumina
processing.”
“We can
now provide plant and equipment to cover the complete range of functions from
ROM bauxite crushing to ship-loading of finished aluminium product – involved
in alumina processing.”
The Future
Looking to
the future he says it’s hard to be pessimistic and the time for aluminium has
never been so good.
Research
and development, especially in the areas of liquor purification based on pyro
technology, is maximizing the efficiency of production materials. Now the
subject of a joing venture between FLSmidth Minerals and Alcan international,
the ongoing research is deliverieng tangible benefits such a s maintaining
productivity and the recover of caustic soda.
“Aluminium
is the material for the future and its production is heading toward greenhouse
gas neutral,” he says. “Additionally, the life cycle and continuing use and
reuse of aluminium – from manufacture to recycling – makes it an extremely
efficient material.”
He is also
a strong advocate for operator and operational safety and says this is a
direction his company will continue to develop.
“Hot
caustic needs extreme safety,” he says. “And equipment used in alumina
processing requires specialist designs. Australia is world frontrunner in
safe manufacturing environment and a as a company we have a responsibility to
design and maintain plant and equipment to reflect and maintain this safety
culture.”
“For
example, our calciners operate at negative pressure which improves the
operating environment. It also means many instruments and equipment can be
replaces online without a major disruption to the production process.”
Where to
From Here?
“We are a
supplier of minerals processing plant and equipment and whether that means a
conveyor for coal, a mill for iron ore, a float cell for nickel, or a calciner
for alumina it doesn’t make any difference – the experience of more than 125
years in minerals processing gives us an excellent knowledge and experience
base from which to work and deliver the right equipment for the project.”
“The
strength of FLSmidth Minerals group lies in its diversity and proven
specialization and that means plant and equipment technology that gives
confidence to processors.”
For more
information, David Williams, FLSmidth Minerals, Phone: 02 4320 4700; email:
david.williams@flsmidth.com