When it comes to getting what you want from a supplier, it’s a no-brainer. You enquire, choose a supplier, engage their services, tell the supplier what you want, await delivery, and with the supplier’s support integrate, test and commission the equipment.
Piece of cake huh? – Not so, according to Mel King of West Australian-based mining equipment and supply business Minspec. “A lot of the time the information we get from customers is a bit faulty,” he told Australian Mining.
“Often it’s because people are doing things on the run and not giving due attention to what’s required, or somebody else is interpreting what they think their client wants.
“If the parameters are correct then the customer will get exactly what they want, but if there are grey areas then sometimes they don’t quite get what they want. If you get the right information it’s not open to interpretation.”
“Due to the rationalisation of capital equipment suppliers by way of mergers, we continue the important role of listening to the customer and acting accordingly, King said.
“Major companies are starting to fall down because they’re getting that big they’re trying to dictate to the customer. Ultimately you can’t do that.”
Minspec supplies and manufactures a range of most types of mineral process equipment.
The company began operating in 1998 and has increased its client base to include major mining companies in Australia and in the Pacific Rim.
Over the years, Minspec has designed, manufactured and supplied numerous vibrating screens for gold, diamond and salt projects in Western Australia.
Other equipment includes the design, manufacture and supply of bucket elevators for tantalum and maxam crystals, both for major mining companies.
Minspec’s mining consumable division supplies the Minspec brand of abrasion resistant rubber, adhesive systems for both hot and cold rubber lining.
Other products include, dust cloth, grip strip, capping rubber, rubber screen cloths and many other peripheral components for screening and conveying.
The company’s capital equipment range includes screens, crushers, both jaw and cone plus a full back up in spares for most popular types.
Innovation is the name of the game, says King, when it comes to minerals processing equipment.
The Inclined Circular Motion Dewatering Screens (ICMDS) ICMDS is the latest release in the Minspec range of inclined screens. Features include ease of installation and maintenance, according to King.
“The screen is excited by twin circular motion Uras out of balance motors bolted directly to the side plates. This feature eliminates the need for a torque tube, eccentric shaft, bearing assemblies and motor v belt drive,” he said.
“This type of arrangement is easier to maintain due to the elimination of daily greasing of bearings and labyrinths.”
Minspec also recently developed its max load screen, which according to King is starting to take off.
“We’ve had one in operation for three years at a quarry in New South Wales and we’re just getting orders for new machines like that.”
“It’s high efficiency screening. It’s simple technology with simple mechanisms – very easy to maintain.”
Minspec has many computer based sizing calculations for dry screens, wet screens, vibrating feeders, grizzly feeders, apron feeders and plate feeders.
The company uses JK Simquarry to: construct a crushing and screening plant on the computer screen, set the operating parameters of the equipment in the circuit, set the plant feed conditions, run a simulation, examine the results, re-run the simulation and optimise the performance of a new or existing plant.