⎪ Minerals processing and materials handling ⎪
new global benchmark in performance, reli- ability and efficiency. The ENDURON ® range of jaw and cone crushers, equipped with improved control and lubrication systems, comes standard with pre- mier ESCO ® crusher liners for longer life and less downtime. The latest generation of Weir’s ENDURON ® cone crushers and jaw crushers has also just been introduced. “A key factor behind the success of ENDURON HPGRs and our complementary crushers and screens in the mill circuit has been the rising cost of electricity, affecting not only South Africa but many other countries in Africa,” he says. “Mines are adopting HPGR circuits as an energy-efficient alternative to the traditional semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) mill circuits.” Among the studies in which Weir assists customers is a comparison of a circuit using a primary crusher, SAG mill and ball mill with a circuit comprising a primary crusher, a second- ary cone crusher, HPGR, a screen and a ball mill. “We work with customers at early plan- ning stages to find ways of reducing energy consumption with technology like HPGRs,” he says. Weir supports these solutions through its service culture across a wide footprint, giving the company a presence within 200 km of any large mine, anywhere in the world,” Singleton concludes. www.global.weir
Mines are adopting HPGR circuits as an energy-efficient alternative to the traditional semi- autogenous grinding (SAG) mill circuits.
Weir screens set the pace for expanding African mines
One significant design feature of these screens is the use of ETX exciters. Capable of driving a vibrating screen with a deck that spans 4.27 m, these exciters have the largest capacity of any exciter currently available on the market. Their large size allows the large Elite vibratory screens to be driven with two exciters, reducing exciter drive complexity and maintenance costs. This provides high performance and long service life. In addition, fewer exciters to maintain on-site translates into reduced downtime, fewer routine inspec- tions and less inventory management. As mines expand and get deeper, changing feed conditions – such as variations in ore grade, particle size, and mineral composition – are becoming the norm. This, says Kleyn, can significantly impact the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of mineral processing operations. When feed conditions change, he adds, screens are subject to harmonic resonance, which can lead to structural failure. To mitigate this, Weir has designed both its ENDURON Elite vibrating screen ranges with a wider operating window, giving operators greater flexibility to adapt operating param - eters to changing conditions. www.global.weir
Manager: Vibrating Screens at Weir. These include the need for high-capacity machines for brownfield expansions, demand for screens with a wide operating window to meet changing feed conditions, and the growing focus on screen designs that minimise energy consumption and reduce wear and tear to ensure sustainable operations. These trends, says Kleyn, were cen- tral to Weir’s design approach for its new ENDURON Orbital and ENDURON Elite vibrating screen ranges, with customer feed- back playing a crucial role in informing some of the most essential design elements of these innovative machines. A case in point is the high-capacity nature of the ENDURON ® Elite range, which suc- cessfully addresses the growing need for high-capacity vibrating screens for brownfield expansions, especially as opencast mines seek to ramp up production. “With the launch of the ENDURON ® Elite vibrating screen range, Weir now offers some of the largest double-deck banana screens in the world, weighing up to 50 tonnes. Some of the first units operating in an iron ore applica - tion in West Africa measure 4.3 × 9.7 m, which highlights the large nature of these screens to meet high throughput needs,” says Kleyn.
Corné Kleyn, Global Product Manager for Vibrating Screens at Weir.
With brownfield expansions becoming in- creasingly common due to their lower risk and cost compared to new greenfield projects, Weir has seen rising demand for high-capacity vibrating screens to enable high-throughput operations, as well as machines with a wider operating window to address changing feed conditions. These market trends were crucial in choosing the most important design ele- ments of the new ENDURON ® Elite vibrating screens from Weir. Several key trends are currently shap- ing the vibrating screen market in Africa. According to Corné Kleyn, Global Product
November-December 2025 • MechChem Africa ¦ 23
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