This month, Weir Group subsidiary Warman International marked two decades since it launched the Cavex hydrocyclone.
The unit is used in dewatering and tailings processes in the quarrying industry. There are more than 26,000 units in operation today, making up more than a quarter of the global market share.
“When the first Cavex hydrocyclone was introduced, the industry was changed forever,” Debra Switzer, a Weir Minerals global product manager, said.
In 1996, a team of engineers from Warman International in Australia got together to develop the “next big thing” in hydrocyclones.
While designing the inlet geometry, they removed all sharp angles from the feed chamber, allowing slurry to transition smoothly, reducing wear while increasing efficiency.
Advanced technology
The new generation hydrocyclone was said to deliver up to three times the wear life of the old designs and the streamline feed chamber is still in use today.
Warman International carried over its improvements when Weir Group acquired it in 1999.
In 2010, the parent company also acquired Linatex, which brought with it a range of specialised dewatering hydrocyclones and rubber-lining products, said to have further reduced wear rates.
Weir sought to advance its dewatering and tailings technology when it obtained a pipe loop facility now known as the Weir Technical Centre (WTC) from Golder Associates in March this year.
The WTC, which is based in Melbourne, Victoria, will primarily be used for research and development of the company’s tailings solutions capabilities.
Weir’s latest model, the Cavex 700CVX hydrocyclone, was released last year.
Product information from Weir Minerals states the new unit can achieve up to 50 per cent higher throughput capacity than other competitor cyclones in the same diameter range, due to its larger inlet and vortex finder configuration.
“Product development never stops at Weir Minerals. Over the past two decades, our team of engineers have developed advanced lining technology for ultra-heavy duty applications, to withstand the demands of high volume abrasive materials,” Switzer commented.
The company is currently developing a new remote monitoring system called Synertrex which it said would allow users to obtain operational data in real time.
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