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PRODUCT News
November 2016
MODERN MINING
47
FLSmidth has significantly upgraded its
local steel wedge wire screen manufac-
turing capabilities following the recent
commissioning of state-of-the art technol-
ogy at its facility in Edenvale, Gauteng.
Buks Roodt, Director responsible for
Meshcape® Screen Media at FLSmidth
in South Africa, says the company’s new
wedge wire machine was made available
from FLSmidth’s Australian operation.
The South African operation is one of
four global facilities that specialise in the
manufacture of this quality screening
material for international markets. Known
for its ability to significantly reduce blind-
ing and plugging, this specialised wire
mesh is used extensively in mining.
“A team of international FLSmidth
experts assisted in commissioning the
machine, together with its advanced
control system and wide range of tool-
ing. They also provided training for the
operators deployed on the wedge wire
manufacturing line,” says Roodt.
The machine was developed in-house
by FLSmidth engineers and incorporates
second generation technology based on
the company’s extensive experience man-
ufacturing wedge wire screening products.
The technology provides FLSmidth with
the flexibility required to use a range of
support rods of varying sizes as well as to
manufacture with different wire profiles
and aperture sizes.
FLSmidth carries stock of a wide range
of profiles and support rods in different
materials ranging from ferritic stainless
steels to exotic duplex stainless steels to
cater for the different segments of indus-
try using wedge wire in their applications.
The machine incorporates a sophisti-
cated resistance welding head capable of
precision welding. This ensures optimum
strength between support rods and the
wire intersections, enhancing the quality
and integrity of the final product.
Roodt explains that the advanced weld-
ing head can weld wires with head widths
FLSmidth commissions wedge wire machine
Wedge wire being manufactured at FLSmidth.
ranging from 1 mm to 5 mm and with high
accuracy slot sizes ranging from 0,2 mm
to 20 mm. In addition, the machine can
produce cylinders with diameters rang-
ing from 650 mm to 1 250 mm and up to
6 000 mm in length. These can be split and
rolled to produce flat panels.
Completing this investment is a new
automated rod straightener and cutter on
the factory floor.
FLSmidth, tel (+27 10) 210-4820