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McLanahan elevated thickener – modular design allows for increased flexibility.

McLanahan has assisted the most profitable gold operations in Australia to perform process upgrades for the processing plant.

The company was engaged by process consultancy firm, Mincore to provide a solution for the management of gold leach tailings at the mine.

Due to the nature of the processing plant, Mincore specified material and design aspects to account for the highly acidic and corrosive process streams.

A specific sealant was procured for the thickener flanges to perform at the correct duty.

The 10-metre elevated thickener, which was designed in-house at McLanahan’s New South Wales site, included several process instruments such as bed pressure, bed level, rake torque and overflow clarity.

The tank, support structures and bridge were manufactured locally for a faster delivery time, taking only 14 weeks for delivery to the site.

“We felt that a local manufacture and relatively low overall delivered cost solution would be best fit for the client,” McLanahan global product manager Richard Williams said.

“Modular design provides the flexibility to manufacture in more locations and provides more certainty around time-sensitive projects.”

Installation was supported by Mincore’s site team and one small mobile crane to place the thickener onto a pre-prepared concrete-bunded hardstand.

Dry commissioning involved checking for correct tank assembly, along with the installation of protective treatments.

“Mincore and McLahahan have worked on a number of project studies previously. Having local engineering capability and support on both sides made the engagement much more efficient in being able to review process data and confirm the specific thickener operation and construction requirements,” Williams said.

McLanahan also minimised the number of different fastener sizes and increased assembly speedy by reducing tooling and guesswork on site as part of its design process.

The company has provided processing solutions to mining companies for over 185 years, with its mineral systems operations headquartered in Cameron Park, New South Wales.