The Finnish mining technology company introduced the filter while celebrating its new machining unit
Filtration is an important part of mining that can affect the overall quality of the final extracted materials. Removing dust from fossil fuels and separating valuable geological matter from earthy particles are vital to an efficient mining process.
High capacity and low environmental footprint are two aspects of mining technology that often feel at odds with one another. However, Finnish mining technology company Metso has introduced an upgraded filter that accommodates both production and sustainability.
At the opening ceremony of the Filtration Technology Centre’s new machining unit, Metso revealed the upgraded Larox PF 60 series pressure filter. The filter series is part of the company’s Planet Positive offering, a plan to provide sustainable technology to mining companies so they can produce more metals for renewable energy sources.
The Larox PF 60 series filter decreases water usage by 90%, oil usage by 75% and installed electric power by 25%. It also takes up less floor space due to its compact and open design, which also allows for easier maintenance. Customers access remote support through a service portfolio to keep the filter running smoothly.
“The new version of the Larox PF 60 series filter marks a step change in the technological development of tower filters. It significantly improves safety, process efficiency and dewatering capacity in mining and other process industry applications, thanks to its novel technological solutions,” said Jussi Venäläinen, the vice president of the filtration business line at Metso. “This upgraded model is fully automated to enable flexible operation for process variations and is future-ready for different plate pack configurations to provide consistent and homogenous filter cake with efficient solids wash.”
The filter’s optimised performance is partly a result of Metso’s Dewatering Technology Centre, which focusses on solid-liquid separation. The company has been able to conduct over 14,000 filtration tests, allowing it to optimise filtration processes in preparation for the Larox PF 60 series filter release.
More recently, Meto’s new machining unit revealed in the opening ceremony will also play a role in the sustainability and capacity of the company’s filter.
“The investment into a new machining unit at our Filtration Technology Centre in Lappeenranta goes hand in hand with the development of the Larox PF 60 pressure filter and our ambition to offer our customers the best and most responsible filtration technology available,” said Tero Tiainen, the director for filters manufacturing at Metso. “The highly automated machining unit significantly increases our manufacturing capacity and enables the production of high-quality filter components in a safer, more environmentally-friendly manner.”
The Larox PF 60 series filter will be on display at Minexpo International 2024 in Las Vegas, alongside large tailings filters and other mineral processing technologies produced by Metso.
