Having acquired Kwatani vibrating screens and SP Mining’s screens and train loader businesses from Schenck in recent years, Sandvik Rock Processing has now integrated all these operations into its global structure. In terms of vibrating screens and screening media, the Kempton Park facility focuses on the fabrication of screen assemblies, while the company’s Crown Mines facility is handling the manufacture of an ever expanding range of screening media.

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Sandvik Rock Processing’s screen media manufacturing facility exemplifies the company’s dedication to producing reliable solutions for the mining and aggregate industries.

“Here at our Crown Mine facility, we manufacture for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, with local production of our screen panels supporting these markets. We use polyurethane and rubber for our screening media, with customised formulations and special designs to address screening challenges. We also produce wedge wire for dewatering screens,” says Riaan Steinmann, operation director for Screening Solutions for the EMEA region.

“At our Crown Mines facility, we produce screen media panels for use in both new vibrating screens and for aftermarket applications across Africa,” adds Phumi Motsamai, Sandvik Rock Processing’s regional manager for Screening Media and Wear Protection.

In terms of a manufacturing strategy, Sandvik Rock Processing is aiming to reduce transportation costs, improve screening efficiency, and so support sustainability for customers. This is all part of a strategic focus to be number one in screening, and to provide a world-class customer experience by bringing the company’s globally renowned product offerings closer to local customers.

In support of this strategy, the local screen media manufacturing capacity from the Crown Mines facility in Johannesburg is being systematically expanded. “Investment in this facility builds on our screen media product offering and supports the local manufacture of our capital equipment, while ensuring we meet expanding aftermarket demand,” continues Motsamai.

“Local manufacturing of screen media is a very exciting story for Sandvik Rock Processing, in that we don't just manufacture for South Africa or for our own vibrating screens. We can design, customise and manufacture for the whole of Africa,” she says.

“We supply into all the mining hubs of Africa, and our locally made panels are being shipped to Europe, the Middle East, as well as to India,” she says. “Before our recent acquisitions, Sandvik screen media was manufactured in Europe. We have now raised our local manufacturing capability and capacity to meet demand across the African market, which is a fast growing market right now,” Motsamai explains.

Hence the decision to invest, consolidate and expand manufacturing here in Africa: a truly exciting story for South African manufacturing!

“Screen media panels are consumables, and the aftermarket is the fastest growing sector of our business, so we have specifically focused our efforts on being able to custom design media panels for any screening application,” Steinmann adds.

This customisation capability has been achieved through investments, in the tooling library and processing capability of Sandvik Rock Processing’s Crown Mines manufacturing plant. “Polyurethane (PU) is at the core of our offering, but we also offer specialty Sandvik Rock Processing rubber compound panels, specifically formulated to optimise screening performance and enhance resistance to impact and wear abrasiveness.”

On the quality side, Motsamai assures that Sandvik Rock Processing’s locally manufactured screen media products are aligned with Sandvik’s global standards with respect to raw material procurement. “Our screen media is a high-quality product designed and manufactured to meet our customers´ demanding applications requirements. Being an important part of all vibrating equipment, our screen media panels are designed to achieve optimised screening results, maximum production performance and lowest possible total cost of ownership,” she assures.

“As an OEM of both vibrating screens and screen media, we understand screen dynamics and the challenges experienced on mine sites. Without fit-for-purpose screen media, vibrating screens cannot function properly. The aperture size, shape and rigidity/flexibility of each panel then plays a vital part in achieving optimal screening and preventing issues such as pegging, which will rapidly reduce screening efficiency,” she explains. Only once the media and the vibration parameters are properly matched can the full screening performance be realised,” argues Motsamai.

Local supply, she continues, offers benefits such as shorter lead times, lower transportation costs and better collaboration with local suppliers. “By increasing our local supply offering, Sandvik Rock Processing is supporting the local economy while reducing environmental impact due to shorter transportation routes. Localisation also overcomes the emerging risks of supply chain disruptions, longer lead times and increase transportation costs for imported screen media,” she adds.

“Innovation is the cornerstone of our company,” says Steinmann. “Our R&D drives the development of the solutions we offer and our global team of R&D engineers are working on several projects which are in various stages of completion, which will be launched in due course,” he concludes.

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