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Riaan Steinmann, EMEA Operations Director for Screening Solutions at Sandvik Rock Processing, takes MCA on a tour of the South African vibrating screen manufacturing facility in Kempton Park and highlights the company’s global design and local manufacturing advantage.

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Sandvik Rock Processing Vibrating Screens custom designed locally manufactured

Two S Range feeders securely strapped and prepared for shipment from the manufacturing facility.

Sandvik Rock Processing is a global company with considerable design and manufacturing expertise. For vibrating screens, the company now owns the IP for three different screen ranges: the SK range from South Africa; the SM range from Australia and the S range of sizing screens from Lahti in Finland.

“Sandvik Rock Processing in South Africa is the product designer and IP owner of the SK range, so we support the Australian and Finnish offices for SK screen customisations. Australia supports the SM range, while the Lahti office in Finland supports our S-range,” says Riaan Steinmann, Sandvik Rock Processing Operations Director for Screening Solutions for the EMEA region.

From a manufacturing and onsite service support perspective, he notes that Sandvik Rock Processing’s manufacturing facility in Kempton Park, Johannesburg is capable of producing any vibrating screen in the company’s product range for clients across the EMEA region, while still offering application specific customisations to best meet individual client requirements.

Summarising the three different ranges Sandvik Rock Processing Steinmann says that SK vibrating screens are typically used in the junior to major mining sectors. They consist of a variety ranging from smaller flat deck horizontal screens to large multi-slope (banana) mining screens, grizzly- and scalping screens for ROM applications, as well as a range of vibrating feeders.

“These have been developed in South Africa based on extensive engineering expertise focused on quality, efficiency and high throughput. Designed to be fully adaptable, heavy-duty SK equipment is engineered to handle the toughest site conditions and to match specific ore compositions,” he tells MCA.

The SM range has its origin in Australia, he continues. Market leading, the range includes some of the largest vibrating screens in the world and is well known for its high capacity and uptime. “SM screens are widely used in Africa’s biggest mines. The range includes linear grizzly screens, linear flat screens, and multi-slope screens. These are purpose-designed for durability, precision and efficient processing of large volumes of ore, coal, coke, base metals and rock, while delivering industry-benchmark classification accuracy,” he says.

The S Range, which is based on Sandvik Rock Processing’s original vibrating screen design, is a solution for precise sizing of aggregates and is widely trusted by the building industry, quarries and processing plants across the world. “As with all these different designs, the S Range can be fully customised to suit unique application requirements and throughputs,” adds Steinmann.

Sandvik Rock Processing’s screen-design philosophy

Sandvik Rock Processing’s screening philosophy is centred around optimising both the physical and dynamic design parameters of the screen, while also selecting the most suitable screening media to match the unique characteristics of the ore being processed. This approach positions the company to deliver proven, effective solutions to the markets, with the screen and the media designs optimised to deliver the best-possible screening outcome.

“A recent success involved one of the biggest coal mines in South Africa, which was experiencing significant pegging issues on a large aperture screening panel. Pegging was successfully eliminated and the overall screening performance significantly improved by optimising the design and operating parameters of the vibrating screen, while also engineering a media panel to minimise pegging,” he explains.

Screen development and FAT testing

Steinmann says that Sandvik Rock Processing’s screen design process typically only takes a couple of days from the time a RFQ is received to the delivery of a design proposal and quotation. “This involves gathering mineral processing data from the customer and utilising our proprietary Sandvik Rock Processing sizing and costing tools to generate accurate, real-time cost estimates. Then, once the order is placed, and the customer approves the general arrangement drawing, the standard manufacturing lead time ranges from 12 to 18 weeks, depending on the screen’s size and complexity.”

Sandvik Rock Processing screens are designed with global manufacturing in mind, and this includes selecting screen components based on steel sections that are commonly available in different markets. Another notable differentiator is that on Brownfield projects the company can match the footprints of competitors, without compromising the integrity or performance advantages of their equipment.

Before delivering a screen design to site, Sandvik Rock Processing performs a factory acceptance test (FAT) using its purpose built screen testing bay at its Spartan premises in Kempton Park. “Sometimes clients want to witness these tests in person, but we can also patch them in to witness the tests remotely. Every delivered screen comes with a full test report highlighting the technical specifications, test results, and a certificate,” Steinmann notes.

On commissioning at a client site, the screen will again be tested, and the results compared to those from the FAT. “We have also developed specialist software that we take to site for diagnostics. By collecting vibration data from key test points under different loading conditions, we are able to double check that the installed performance aligns with the FAT results.

“In addition, we can feed these results onto a digital twin of the design to ensure that the engineering matches the actual performance required onsite,” he says, adding that this data is ideal for diagnostics, proactive maintenance and condition trending across the life of the screen.

Refurbishments, retrofits and onsite service

Sandvik Rock Processing also offers cost-effective onsite service and refurbishment solutions for all the equipment it provides. “For exciter gearboxes, for example, we offer a comprehensive strip-and-assess process that involves evaluating each component against strict tolerance criteria. A detailed technical report is then provided to our customers, outlining the parts that require replacement.

“By regularly replacing the screen panels, and refurbishing the gearboxes, motors and other components, we can keep our vibrating screens performing as reliably as they did when new,” he says.

New opportunities and sustainability

Steinmann says that Africa is emerging as a significant player in the global rare-earth mineral supply chain, with several countries possessing substantial reserves. “We are currently seeing these emerging opportunities in countries such as Tanzania, amongst others, where project development is underway.

From an ESG perspective, he says that environmental sustainability is a key priority for Sandvik Rock Processing. “This is why we place a strong emphasis on regional manufacturing. Expanding local production not only supports community development but also helps minimise environmental impact. By shortening supply chains, we reduce transportation-related emissions, thus contributing meaningfully to our sustainability goals.

“Our solutions prioritise performance, productivity, safety, and efficiency, with a range engineered to handle throughput capacities from 1.0 to
8 000 t/h. Our vibrating screens are backed by deep industry expertise, and we can also offer advanced digital monitoring technology, high-quality OEM spare parts, consumables and life-cycle services,” concludes Steinmann.

www.rockprocessing.sandvik

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