MWS Equipment (MWS) has launched the Hydropure thickener range which maximises water recovery and minimises the use of tailing dams in the modern aggregates production environment.

In an industry in constant need of solutions for water management, particularly in water-scarce areas MWS has the answer with a range of thickener systems which complements their current range of wet processing equipment.

Ben Frettsome, product line director says, “In line with our core values of commitment, innovation and sustainability we are diversifying our product range to supply our customers with a full product solution.”

The primary goal of the Hydropure thickener is to recycle as much water as possible at the point of use ready for feeding back to the wash plant. Photo credit: MWS Equipment

The primary goal of the Hydropure thickener is to recycle as much water as possible at the point of use ready for feeding back to the wash plant. Photo credit: MWS Equipment

The Hydropure thickener range offers:

  • Increased productivity – using the latest water treatment and process filtration innovations.
  • Improved quality – using proven technology to deliver consistent results.
  • Sustainability – saving water, energy and consumables while reducing waste.
  • Reduced operating costs – with solutions focused on a low total cost of ownership.
  • Maximised efficiencies – through tailored technology that meets exact site requirements.
The clean water flows over the weir into the clarified water tank, for direct reuse within the wash plant. Photo credit: MWS Equipment

The clean water flows over the weir into the clarified water tank, for direct reuse within the wash plant. Photo credit: MWS Equipment

How does the Hydropure thickener work?

The primary goal of the Hydropure thickener is to recycle as much water as possible at the point of use ready for feeding back to the wash plant. The MWS range of thickeners comes in a variety of diameters of 6, 8, 10 and 12 metres, designed to handle various flow rates from 180 to 650m³/hr of slurry and process up to 40 tph of solids.

A well designed and installed thickener system can recycle up to 90% of the original feedwater supplied to the plant, greatly reducing the amount of ‘fresh’ water which is required. This vastly reduces the overall footprint of a plant as it reduces the need for large surface area settling ponds, and the costs associated with operating such ponds.

The cyclone overflow (waste slurry) from the wash plant is directed to the Hydropure thickener where an anti-turbulence feed chamber adds a small amount of flocculant to the waste stream. The flocculant allows the clean water to flow over the weir into the clarified water tank, for direct reuse within the wash plant. The particles which settle in the tank are collected in a lower cone section where they can be pumped from the thickener.

The Hydropure is fitted with a centrifugal pump which is used to pump this waste sludge out of the thickener. This can then be sent to a settling pond or sludge holding tank for further processing by a filter press or similar.

The system is controlled from a dedicated standalone PLC system, or it can be combined into the controls of the MWS wash plant.