Ehya Sepahan CEO Hadi Golzar and technical and planning manager Saiwan Mohammadi were in South Africa recently to inspect the latest batch of equipment on order for the company.
"We have a long-standing relationship with MIP Process Technologies, based on successfully exploiting the synergies between the two companies," Golzar comments.
The latest equipment supplied comprises a 30m thickener and three agitators (one large and two smaller units). Equipment supplied previously to Ehya Sepahan was a 15m thickener, two agitators, five centrifugal pumps and a flocculant plant.
MIP Process Technologies managing director Philip Hoff explains that it provided installation guidelines for Ehya Sepahan, in addition to assisting with final commissioning. A slight modification required on a slew bearing received the necessary attention within 48 hours.
Commenting on conducting business in Asia, Hoff points out that MIP Process Technologies regularly supplies other parts of the world, and has an established global footprint.
"Compared to the South African market, the market is slightly different in terms of its material specifications, while torque and capacity requirements are similar, in addition to specifying European standards."
In terms of future prospects, Hoff says that MIP Process Technologies hopes to be a part of Ehya Sepahan’s expansion plans, which includes building a concentrate and pelletising plant. The company produces about four million tons a year of iron ore at present, of which half is consumed by the steel-making industry, and half exported to China.
MIP Process Technologies specialises in designing and manufacturing a range of thickeners and clarifiers. These include customised feedwell clarifiers, conventional units with low operating costs, high-rate thickeners with special feedwell designs, high-density thickeners with a deeper sidewell and a more robust design, paste thickeners, and ultra-high rate thickeners.
Units are available in diameters from 1 m to 90 m. ‘Off-the-shelf’ designs are available, while thickener tanks, rakes, and feedwells can be customised according to the feed conditions and raking capacity. A retrofit service is also offered to boost the performance of existing units.
Equipment is designed to operate 24/7, thereby increasing its cost-effectiveness. Process selections are based on testwork, in conjunction with MIP Process Technologies’ extensive experience in thickening. This ensures that all equipment meets the requirements of the application in question, taking into account safety and recognised international standards and practices.