Ore Sorting In Upgrade Plants: the APT way

Ore sorting equipment is used in situations where a good amount of mixed ore is present; that being ore that does and does not contain valuable material. Ore sorting equipment will, due to its design, essentially ‘choose’ the ore of value and separate it from the ore that has no value before it even enters our plant. This allows you to process material rich in value quickly and efficiently, saving you both time and money. The benefits of upgrading your plant feed ahead of process are many:

• Higher head grade to downstream process.
• Potential for more mineral units to be fed into the process.
• Less tonnage to downstream process and therefore smaller, more specific plant.
• Higher process efficiency since the plant tails are not likely to increase in proportion to plant feed increase.
• The ability to target lower grade ore zones.

All well and good, but the benefits will only come through if the plant and the upgrading sections are designed and in sync to derive the maximum benefits of both. Likewise, the overall cost of the package will be at a minimum when it is properly designed.

APT have been producing highly efficient small process plants for many years and the modules already exist  to accepting higher grade feeds resulting from pre-sorting. In fact APT have for some time been marketing small high-grade plants designed for exactly these feeds. The inclusion of pre-sorting is therefore a natural and seamless addition to the APT lineup and we are ready and able to implement this solution immediately.

So much for the hardware. APT’s speciality begins well before this stage with amenability testing of your material. We are minerals processing engineers and understand the game well, we even operate our own testing facilities to ensure that everything aligns. This is extremely important because the decision whether to embrace an APT Pre-Sort plant depends upon the ore entirely, for example:

• What is the amenability to sorting, and via what sensor method (optical, x-ray, etc)?
• What size or size categories are necessary for liberation into discernable particles?
• What is the expected split to waste and is the waste discardable or does it require further crushing or separate processing?
• What is the grade of the sort concentrate, and how best is this processed?
• etc

Once these questions have been competently answered the focus switches to the economics – is it worth selecting a Pre-Sort plant? APT works through this analysis with you to make the benefits clear.

APT – always searching for a better way 

Contact us here or email us on info@aptprocessing.com for further information. We are always open to hearing any questions or concerns you may have.

Beach Clean-up and Waste Recovery System

When we caught wind of Adidas and Parley's latest campaign 'Run For The Oceans', our initial response was 'yes!'. If you haven't heard, they've embarked on manufacturing their shoes with recycled plastic from oceans. In purchasing their shoes, you can rest assured that you have contributed to eliminating beach and ocean contamination. It’s a great concept at first glance, but there's more to this story and money to be made. At the end of the Adidas x Parley's advert, they ask what if everyone contributed to creating a better environment? This is where APT comes in with the BeachCleana, a modular trailer mounted beach clean-up and waste recovery system designed to separate the natural material (sand and mud, for example)from the foreign non-biodegradable objects (such as plastic) which can then be recycled. Our design was based upon thorough engineering and development; we wanted to minimalize the work and financial input required on your part as much as possible whilst maximizing output. It was not designed with mineral recovery alone in mind. This nifty piece of equipment is particularly suited to capturing errant plastic waste such as plastic bottles, plastic pieces as well as other dangerous objects such as glass which can cause serious bodily harm as well as objects such as netting which can cause trouble for animals and pets.

The equipment is available in a variety of sizes, from small start-ups to larger developments. Any company wanting to recover waste plastic for either CSR or for onward manufacture of recycled products should consider this.

Looking back at the Adidas x Parley campaign, what comes after is the opportunity to be a part of the innovators and game changers. In separating the natural and waste materials, you then have the possibility of taking this material and making anything of it. Selling it on to companies like Adidas, using it to produce your own goods, the opportunities are endless. Plastic is not going anywhere and the need to re-cycle is only increasing; think smart, think APT.

Contact us here for further information and click here to see the Adidas x Parley campaign.

Watermaster: the full mining solution!

Looking for a mining dredge? Watermaster, the full mining solution, may just be the machine for you. This nifty device is smart and caters to multiple needs; it can be utilized in construction projects, restore shallow waterways, prevent floods, clean the environment, and, most importantly to us in the mining industry, it can maintain and clean industrial and mining ponds.

As noted on the Watermaster website, "the system relies on its suction dredging capabilities and independent moving capabilities. It is easy to transport to the site on a trailer and from there the dredger simply walks into the pool by itself. In the pool, it moves with its own propulsion system and can also move to another pool by using its excavator assembly and spuds. It can pump the mass into another pool up to 1,5 kilometres away. By backhoe work it can build and repair the pool banks" (text taken from Watermaster, found here: http://www.watermaster.fi/applications).

So where does Watermaster fit in with APT’s equipment? The smart dredge recovers valuable ore from both tailings and drainage ponds and feeds this material directly into our processing circuit via the renown APT RG Scubber. Within, the material is washed and screened to remove organics, before passing into the designated downstream recovery circuit. This dredging technology allows the client combine what would have required a number of different stages and processes into a short and simple feeding solution.

Contact us here for further information and view the Watermaster here.

APT Awarded Coltan Project

APT are proud to have been awarded an order for a modular coltan plant which will be located in Africa. The plant will treat selected ore and produce a salable coltan concentrate. Manufacture will be completed within a short 12 weeks, enabling this client to take advantage of the current high tantalite price. The APT team look forward to playing our part in bringing this mine to fruition! For queries, please email us on info@aptprocessing.com or simply click here and fill in our contact form.

Mine Equipment Demonstration: on site with APT's Zimbabwe Agency

Zimbabwean Agents for APT recently took our RDGK to a site near the capital city, Harare, to run a mine equipment demonstration for no less than 70 small to medium scale miners. This demonstration was not only so that APT's plant quality and efficiency could be seen by all, but also as an opportunity to spread awareness of who APT are and what we have to offer in the mining industry today. The simplicity and efficiency of the RDGK design made for a smooth, hassle free demonstration from the Zimbabwean team of 2. We thank them for their efforts in leading a successful day which was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

If you want to know more about the plant that was on show, we have several videos on our YouTube channel, which you can view here. In a nutshell, the RDGK is a hard rock grinder with a GoldKacha concentrator incorporated into the design. The plant requires -40mm feed which is then crushed down to 100% -2mm. Hard rock is fed by hand into the top of the plant and is then ground to dust. This feed is then passed via gravity into the GoldKacha concentrator, where the gold-bearing concentrates are produced and subsequently prepared for final upgrade and smelting.

APT also have a portable version of the RDGK, the RDGK-T, seen below and in the videos linked above. Both plants have the same concepts and recovery rates, although the RDGK-T is set up neatly on a trailer, equipping you will all the tools necessary to go to site, start mining right away and then easily move with your mineral resource.

Should you wish to know more about our mine equipment demonstrations, please email us at info@aptprocessing.com and we'll be happy to host you! We can do a variety of demonstrations equipping you and other miners with the tools required to mine in the safest, most efficient way to make the most of your mineral resource. 

Mining Insight: Small Innovators – Tomorrow’s Leaders

Nobody can doubt that the pace of change is accelerating. The tools that were once the preserve of large companies are now in virtually everybody’s hands – instant global communication, access to the internet, unlimited array of production options to purchase and implement. The driving forces are also there in the minerals industry and it is a fact that the vast majority of the world’s resources are in small, scattered deposits. These have never suited the majors and they simply walked past, or over, them looking for scale. Nothing wrong with that, it is horses for courses, but to continue ignoring these smaller deposits or leaving them to the vagaries of surface scratching is a huge waste of opportunity.

But how do you do it, and turn a profit to boot? The mining methods, whether open rip or small vein, are well known and in many countries such as Zimbabwe, this was and still is common practice. Processing was always a bit more challenging because the chemistry and metallurgy respects no scale and miniaturizing a complicated circuit is not an easy nor an economical thing to do. Enter APT, a company with in-house testwork and development capabilities and a passion to access the smaller end of the market. Our engineers were presented the challenge of not just miniaturizing existing equipment, but going back to the process fundamentals to see what could be simplified, adapted and improved upon. In short, challenge requires innovation, or it is simply defeat.

This endeavor lead to the development of perfectly balanced small solutions for treating feeds from surface rubble and alluvial as well as hard rock. Frequently the solution is designed to accept all of these together, as with APT’s Combo range plants. Gravity concentration was always a great contender and a number of suppliers worldwide offer solutions for gravity plants. What we at APT have done is expand the offering to include cyanidation and flotation. Our now well-known APT TriTank triangular cyanidation CIP and CIL plants are well known and diversely implemented. A new addition is the APT TriFloat, a revolutionary modular flotation system for anything from graphite to lithium minerals.

Not all small deposits are amenable, but for those that are APT offers the possibility of recovering them efficiently and with the very latest technology. Our associated laboratory Peacocke & Simpson is able to test your material for its specific response in APT candidate processes.

As invariably happens, a good idea at small scale is also perfectly usable at larger scale, and APT’s engineers are able to apply the same winning formulas to win the benefits at large scale too. A double innovation if you wish!

APT – innovating for a more efficient minerals industry. 

  

On the left is an APT 3tph CIL TriTank, and on the right is an APT 10tph Combo Plant for Alluvial and Hard Rock Material.

CIL Mineral Processing Plant: 2 Minutes On Site With APT

Seeing a plant on site brings the whole process to life for everyone involved. Here at APT we are very tight-knit with all employees playing a role in bringing our plants to life; from research and development, engineering and design, right through to manufacturing and on-site development. Not everyone gets to go to site, however, and not all of our clients know what the process is like. Here is a glimpse at one of our latest installations in East Africa, the CIL TriTank. We look forward to showing you more of our site visits in our 2 Minutes with APT series! [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Chw_Dri8NiA[/embed]

Small Scale LITHIUM Mining Flotation Plants From APT

Lithium mining is on the rise and likely to be so indefinitely. No better time to get in, commence production and secure your market share. Things can grow, but APT’s modular start-up plants offer the perfect platform to commence the lithium mining process. Our mining equipment solutions are unique and smart. The target mineralization is typically spodumene, which floats well. APT’s TriFloat cells are particularly suited to this large mass yield float and the compact six cell design results in an easily controlled format. With the addition of a simple crusher and impactor to obtain the granular start mineral size, the plant is virtually ready to go.

Available in variants of 1.5, 5, 10 and 20tph, the APT Lithium recovery plant is highly simple, cost effective and correct for an easy startup. Through our associate laboratory Peacocke and Simpson amenability tests can be conducted at either lab (20kg sample required) or lab-pilot (60kg sample).

If you would like to begin your venture and get into profitable production as quickly as possible, then we invite you to contact us for further information or better yet, stop by our offices! It's always great to see things in person and truly get an idea of who we are.

APT – Something new, always 

Coarse GRAPHITE Recovery Success In APT's TriFloat

Following our TriFloat launch, we caught up with one of our Process Engineers, Hannah Peacocke, to get an update on how the system is operating.

Laboratory results upon an African medium flake graphite ore produce a very high grade coarse graphite concentrate, demonstrating the capability of the APT TriFloat system. “Bench and pilot scale flotation produced a flotation concentrate of over 90%C upon a feed of -2mm”, said Peacocke. The concentrate was then de-gritted in a proprietary APT process, and upgraded further to 93.6%. The flake produced was far coarser than obtained in a conventional float, even upon this marginal ore, with 38% reporting to the +300 micron fraction. With a recovery of this up front coarse-scalping process of over 73%, the lab pilot test validated the efficacy of the procedure.

“The goal was to preserve as much of the coarse flake graphite as possible, and that was achieved. If necessary, further grinding and flotation upon the initial coarse tailings to increase the recovery may be carried out”, said Peacocke. 

[embed]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54UWSql2KNI[/embed]

The entire APT TriFloat procedure can be utilized in an initial project start-up phase to commence production with the highest quality concentrate right out of the gate. Added advantages of modest capital and short lead times make the APT Graphite plant a serious contender in the current market. 

Samples can be accepted for testing, please contact info@aptprocessing.com

We decided to have some fun and film a quick sample run for you! You can view it by clicking the video above! 

APT - a smarter way, always

EQUIPMENT FOR START UP MINERS: What is APT's GroundBreaker Division?

Mining in the best of circumstances is challenging. You may have a mine, but how do you get the optimum value from your resource? This is where the GroundBreaker division of APT can step in to get you started. Many have become well familiarized with the APT GroundBreaker range, but for those who have just come to find us, it would be fitting to define what this range is. When speaking of the GroundBreaker division, we are referring to a range of equipment which enables anyone to start and advance in their mining development, with low start-out capital and room to grow. Firstly there are the artisanal miners who are facing various challenges and need equipment that can empower them to establish a future for themselves, then there are small scale miners looking to start on a low capital and grow through their own profit, those who are starting out in mining, those who need small scale mining equipment that is simple to use but gives efficient recovery and lastly, miners and exploration geologists who need to explore their resource. All of the above are looking for equipment that is cost effective, yet uncompromising on quality and efficiency. The GroundBreaker range has employed a minimalist design over the years with no extra complication but tough on build, this has led to this range being any small miners wish come true.

The equipment within the GroundBreaker range is available through a variety of sizes with suitable throughput capacities. The plants are robust and fully mobile, having been skid or wheel mounted for easy translocation. All of the GroundBreaker products are designed around our principle of ‘Modular Mineral Processing’, where we supply mix and match equipment to suit every situation and resource. Small scale miners, in particular have found it possible to grow their operations by starting with GroundBreaker modules and progressing through to medium and even larger scale mining equipment.

At the same time, the GroundBreaker range of equipment is in line with our started policy, entirely mercury free and environmentally caring. Good for you, good for your workers and good for the environment. The range was not designed to replace mercury, but rather to be as or more efficient and effective than the mercury alternative, thus a more attractive solution. Material can be processed efficiently, meaning higher recovery and better return. GroundBreaker equipment can be bought and set up as toll units which miners can rent for the processing of their material.

For miners starting out or serving exploration purposes, its portability is another factor. Plants are available in trailered and skid base versions, easily and swiftly disassembled, moved and reassembled. In some cases, there is no need for disassembly and re- assembly at all as everything is already set up as it should be. This range covers the entire spectrum of resources from alluvial to hard rock, and over a bouquet of minerals (some being; gold, tantalite, tine, chromite) with equipment designed to cater for the need.

Finally, you are not alone! You can access  the APT technical team, who will advise you and guide you through the planning of every step from test work, financial  and site planning, purchase of equipment and development of your mine. We have a dedicated GroundBreaker division who are involved in every step of the research and development, design and engineering phases. They know the equipment thoroughly, and are able to help you as required.

Contact us here with any queries, we are happy to help and look forward to hearing from you!