Saving time, money and providing a precise end product, the FM Pentium plant supplied by Terex Washing Systems is a must-have for dual purpose washing applications.
Maximising time and yield for material passed through a machine is a concern for all quarry operators. Targets are measured in price per tonne and subsequently tonnes per hour (tph) that are processed through a machine.
Utilising a novel screening method, the FM Pentium washing unit from Terex Washing Systems increases the efficiency with which quarries can wash sand and aggregates. It does this by being able to wash pre-sized mixed sands and aggregates and discharging two saleable products.
The FM Pentium is a first of its kind for Terex Washing Systems, as sales manager Ben Willcox told Quarry.
“Normally when washing aggregates, quarry businesses would have to wash sand off as slurry,” Willcox said, “either treating the sand later or wasting it if they didn’t want to reclaim it.”
With the FM Pentium, that process can be skipped, as the sand can be washed away from the aggregate and then graded and screened as a separate product.
“Effectively, for operations that are processing both aggregates and sand, it’s cutting down on time which could be utilised elsewhere.”
A small footprint and high throughout rate further define the workhorse of the FM Pentium.
The FM Pentium takes the success of the FinesMaster range from Terex Washing Systems and builds upon it with its increased production and versatility.
The range combines a collection tank, a centrifugal slurry pump, a single or multiple hydrocyclones and a dewatering screen.
Emphasising Terex Washing Systems’ commitment to service, the FM Pentium units can be installed and operational on site in a single day.
“Every second that machines aren’t running, are seconds that our customers aren’t able to generate saleable material,” Willcox said.
“That is why we are committed and have the appropriate tools in place to get our machines up and running as soon as possible.”
High throughout
Maximising throughput of material is of additional concern to quarries, with screening processes having the potential to be a natural bottleneck if raw material is not being put through efficiently.
With a feed rate of 150tph for 0-40mm feed material and an output rate of 120tph for sand, even with the dual output, the FM Pentium is a contender for single material wash plants.
“Part of what makes the plant so effective is that it is cutting down on the number of plants necessary for operations,” Willcox said.
This is of particular interest for those quarries that are solely producing one grade of aggregate and sand as a by-product. For plants that are just processing sand, it can produce a consistent and high-grade end product,” he added.
The consideration of waste has also been taken into account, with the plant as water efficient as other Terex Washing Systems installations.
“The slurry that would otherwise go to a tailings dam if there weren’t the tools to reclaim the water, can have value here,” Willcox said. “The fact that you have cleaner water going into the sump for future washing is a bonus.”
According to Willcox, there is currently one FM Pentium plant installed in Australia. Another one is in the planning stage and is set to be installed later this year.
Additionally, Terex Washing Systems is trialling an adjustable screen medium for these units, Willcox said.
“We have a patented screen that has completed our rigorous NPPD test program.”
“The adjustable medium will allow for one screen that can be changed to accommodate different sand and aggregate sizes, rather than requiring multiple screens of different sizes, the access to change
media is beyond anything seen before.”
On a single chassis, the FM Pentium wash plant can produce one grade of sand and one grade of aggregate, filling a niche in the quarrying and aggregates industry.
There is stock available in Australia for the FM Pentium range to be tailored and fit to the needs of a variety of quarrying applications. •