Armstrong reports 40% power reduction in Metso tube press project

Armstrong Industrial says a pumping-system overhaul for Metso Minerals reduced processing power consumption by 40% and delivered annual savings exceeding £25,000. Canadian Mining Journal reported the supplier’s figures for a tube press project designed to separate waste iron and other by-products from furnace exhaust. The performance and cost claims come from Armstrong.

The filtration application uses pressure of up to 100 bar to remove water from slurry. This produces a drier filter cake, making the residual material easier to handle, store or dispose of. According to the report, the replacement equipment also had to support round-the-clock operation, with the system required to run every day of the week.

Metso Minerals and Armstrong Industrial jointly developed a positive-displacement pumping arrangement using S75 Trimax pumps, accumulators and nitrogen-charged back-up bottles, according to Divyanshu Shrivastava, global product manager at Armstrong Fluid Technology. Adjustable flow mechanisms and safety devices were included to keep pressure within a narrow operating band around the system’s set point, a requirement described in the report as tight hysteresis.

Armstrong put annual energy expenditure under the previous rotary-pump arrangement at almost £60,500, compared with less than £36,300 for its replacement solution. Canadian Mining Journal also reported that the company identified £7,390 in additional annual servicing savings. Of that amount, £5,040 was attributed to maintenance time and £2,350 to spare parts.

Shrivastava said operators should assess whether their pump selection, system layout and controls suit the application rather than assume installed equipment is already running efficiently. He argued that focused changes to pumping equipment can lower energy use without substantial alterations to surrounding infrastructure, particularly where pumps operate continuously. His broader recommendation was to assess individual systems alongside equipment selection, controls and monitoring to pursue lower costs and improved reliability.