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Thickeners
Waterex Thickeners & Settlers
Waterex has been manufacturing bridge, compact and efficient thickeners for over 37 years. Today the company produces a wide range of bridge type Hi-rate, deep cone and Ultra-Hirate thickeners to suit most industrial and mining duties.
Waterex supplies BRIDGE TYPE HIRATE thickeners up to 28m in diameter. These units come complete with automatic rake drives, which drives incorporate automatic rake lifting devices for mining, heavy industrial and hydrometallurgical applications. These drives are fitted with automatic safety and overload trip systems typically interlocked with unit installed PLC controls. Many thickeners are also fitted with auto dilution capabilities for effective rapid flocculant control resulting in effective usage/lower running costs.
The WREX and standard, deep cone range of thickeners were introduced in 1976. Since then, they have undergone several improvements to today's product range. Standard sizes are up to 10m in diameter.
Waterex DEEP CONE thickeners are supplied for applications where Ultra-Hirate thickening or improved efficiency of solids/liquid separation is required.
When reduced amounts of flocculant, higher feed rate turndown ratios, auto dewatering systems for super dense underflows or high clarity overflows are desirable, the WREX thickener is the product of choice. In specific applications, they are supplied with no moving parts. Underflow thickening devices may, either be, picket rakes or static underflow thickening devices.
When modified to suit clarification applications Waterex thickeners are used as settlers or clarifiers. Please see our clarification section for more details.
Waterex Hirate Thickeners
The main features of the Waterex range of Hirate thickeners include:
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Tank diameters up to 28m.
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Automatic rake lifting systems activated by torque induced loads.
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Hydraulically activated rake lifts are 300mm standard with options up to 600mm.
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Large diameter feed wells to ensure effective deaeration.
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Feed wells fitted with optional baffle systems to ensure efficient even distribution of the feed.
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Auto-dilution systems with multiple flocculant injection positions.
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Flip plates and static mixers used in critical applications to realise optimum flocculant addition with resultant savings in flocculant costs.
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Free standing or ground mounting tank designs available.
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Units supplied in mild steel, all grades of stainless steels and highly corrosive resistant duplex steels.
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Rubber linings supplied.
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For low abrasion, corrosive liquor installations, smaller units are supplied in fibreglass.
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To cope with installations where fuming gases or hot liquors are used, thickeners are supplied with covers or lids in FRP, or most steels, or plastic, or composite materials.
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Crews available for onsite servicing and troubleshooting be it a mechanical or process requirement.
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Pilot plants available for hire.
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Laboratory thickener units available for in-house testing of process applications or feeds plus.
- Laboratory services offered for simulated coagulant/polymer/flocculant screening sections.
Waterex Thickener Drives
The mechanical and structural design of all thickeners, 4m or above in diameter, are independently cross-checked by our nominated independent engineer.
The Waterex rake drive systems for shallow sloping tank, Hirate thickener drives incorporate the following features:
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Soft start through electrical variable speed drives and/or hydraulic motors.
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Variable speed drive to suit or optimise process conditions.
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In-built PLC control to provide alarm inputs and actions for rake.
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Low level alarm.
- Start of lift sequence alarm.
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Holding operation.
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Automatic lowering sequence.
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Cut-off and shut down sequence in the event of excessive load. This sequence protects the mechanism from overstress.
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Multiple gear trains, via the planetary gearbox stack, to distribute shock loads and/or torque so providing minimal stress to the mechanism.
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Hydraulic lift system to provide damped rake lift or lowering actions.
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Top and bottom limit switches to provide additional control under limit conditions.
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Override protection provided by a hydraulic pressure relief valve in case of PLC failure.
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Lifting platform drop cradle for ease of maintenance.
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Manual override control for trouble shooting.
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Manual "inch-lift" mechanism for test and adjustment.
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Centralised planetary gear trains to minimise overhung, axial and side thrust loads.
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Slide or centralised guided lift systems available.
Wrex & Deep Cone Thickeners
The main features of the Waterex range of deep cone thickeners include:
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Tank diameters up to 10m.
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Automatic rake alarm systems activated by torque induced loads.
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Large diameter feed wells to ensure effective deaeration.
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Feed wells fitted with optional baffle systems to ensure efficient even distribution of the feed.
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Auto-dilution systems with multiple flocculant injection positions.
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Free standing or ground mounting tank designs available.
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Units supplied in mild steel, all grades of stainless steels and highly corrosive resistant duplex steels.
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Rubber linings supplied for steel or fiberglass tanks.
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For low abrasion corrosive installations smaller units supplied in fiberglass.
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To cope with installations where fuming gases or hot liquors are used, thickeners are supplied with covers or lids in FRP, or most steels, or plastic, or composite materials.
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The mechanical and structural design of all thickeners, 4m or above in diameter, are independently cross-checked by our nominated independent engineer.
The WREX thickener includes the use of floc cylinders, which provide:
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Capability for Ultra-Hirate applications.
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Rapid control of primary floc blanket within 2-5 minutes.
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Significantly higher overflow clarity.
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Auto floc nuclear seeding for rapid floc formation.
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Flip plate for heavy material mixing and dispersion.
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Proven countercurrent floc conditioning system.
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Unusually fast automatic hydraulic profile adjustment to meet feed flow variations.
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In excess of 80:1, often over 100:1, turndown capability on feed flow rate without significant process variations in overflow or underflow qualities.
Underflow systems:
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Void dewatering arrangements for gritty underflows.
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HISHEAR static dewatering system for high efficiency polymer usage.
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Picket rake drives with auto exhaust profile for thick materials.
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Lance ports fitted for additional control of the compaction zone.
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Tall compaction zone for high underflow densities.
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