SPICK AND SPAN The after effects of a good operational clean up are seen at the smelter
Industrial services company Dickinson Group has successfully concluded a mineral recovery and cleanup contract at an international copper smelter, using the Koks Cyclovac – a heavy-duty industrial vacuum truck.
Since the cleanup started in May 2016, the facility attained an additional 8 400 t of material as the recovered material was put back into the production process.
The cleanup generally involved the pneumatic conveyance of spilled or stored material at a production facility, and is an efficient and versatile process of removing salvageable materials of value.
The contract required the removal of dry and wet material by the heavy-duty industrial Koks Cyclovac truck, which has a suction capacity of up to 8 100 m3/h.
The truck can be used in industrial and mining applications and is suited to suctioning, transporting and discharging fluids and hazardous substances such as liquids, sludge, oils, fats, fuels and chemicals.
“The Koks Cyclovac truck offers a safe and reliable solution for cleaning up industrial waste,” says Dickinson Group engineering manager Timothy Selome.
He adds that the trucks are also used to recover and recycle valuable raw materials, such as ore, and ensure ongoing production while maximising quality and efficiency at the smelter.
The Koks Cyclovac truck’s operator system is highly automated and means that it requires minimal manpower and human interaction during operations, decreasing the risk of exposure and the possibility of any work-related injuries.
Advantages of a cleaner plant include better and safer accessibility to equipment and its parts, allowing for proper visual inspections to be conducted by technical personnel.
“This makes any needed repairs quicker for the operation, reducing downtime,” boasts Selome.
The truck’s air displacement system with a cyclone separator is designed for heavy industrial applications, specifically for working with hazardous or contaminated substances. The truck also allows for storing and transportation of the recovered product in a closed system, making it emission free.
Equipment-safety features offered with the industrial cleaning equipment include a liquid ring volume pump for suctioning work involving fluids. “This makes it possible to safely handle liquids with a very low flash point,” concludes Selome.