McLanahan’s range of feeders and sizers is having a significant impact on the Australian mining industry.
No two mining operations are the same, so it stands to reason no two mines will require the same equipment set-up. It takes an experienced hand to determine the unique requirements of any given site.
Enter McLanahan, an equipment manufacturing specialist with over a century of experience meeting the Australian mining industry’s mineral processing needs.
The company has seen great success with its range of apron feeders, which director of global sales – mining Lee Hillyer described as the “ultimate” in flow control.
“Integrating a McLanahan apron feeder ensures peak efficiency,” Hillyer told Australian Mining. “Our crawler undercarriage design has been a proven success in hundreds of apron feeders still in use today.”
McLanahan apron feeders work by channelling material at a controlled speed, handling anywhere between 10–6000 tonnes per hour.
The feeders come in six chain sizes, 16 standard flight widths and an infinite range of lengths – all designed to meet the changing needs of a site.
An alternative feeder is McLanahan’s wobbler feeder, which is perfect for applications with particularly wet, sticky materials or where excessive fines could cause trouble down the track.
Image: McLanahan
“All undersized material falls through the rotating elliptical bars rather than into the sizer where it can potentially cause wear on the teeth,” Hillyer said. “It’s an alternative that has gone out of fashion in recent years but is making a swift comeback thanks to its efficacy.”
A key feature of a McLanahan wobbler feeder is its scrubbing action, which cleans sticky fines from larger lumps.
As material is moved from the feed end to the discharge end, large lumps of material are forced up and down within the load, scrubbing against each other.
Hillyer said the company has had positive feedback from customers looking for such a solution.
“Users of the wobbler feeder have told us it works incredibly well,” he said. “We have also had strong feedback on our sizers, which are the next step along the mineral processing chain.”
McLanahan’s primary sizers are one example of the company’s quality equipment making an impact on a number of underground and surface operations across the country.
Primary sizers are selected based on the specific material and lump size to be crushed, whether it be coal, bauxite, clay, or other friable materials.
By selecting the correct tooth profile, material is easily grabbed and pulled into the crushing zone for maximum efficiency.
Hillyer said McLanahan is one of the world’s most experienced manufacturers in the design and production of sizers.
“We have sizers installed and operating around the world,” he said. “In addition to our great success in the coal industry, McLanahan sizers have proven extremely capable in helping other mineral sectors achieve necessary size reductions as well.”
When it comes to McLanahan equipment, Hillyer said the dynamic reality of daily operations are at the centre of its design considerations.
“We’ve designed our equipment to be super maintenance friendly and easy and safe to maintain,” he said. “Our aim is to provide a great product at a cost-effective price.”
This consideration has led to McLanahan’s base models including features typically considered as extras.
“We have incorporated rapid-change-out shafts that can be easily swapped out within a single shift,” Hillyer said. “The sizers also come with individually replaceable teeth and an adjustable breaker bar to adjust sizing as needed.”
Adjustments like these are the result of McLanahan focusing on communication and listening to customer needs.
“Talking to our customers enables us to best understand their requirements,” he said. “As a result, the range we offer is well defined and a perfect fit for any mineral processing application.”
This feature appeared in the August 2024 issue of Australian Mining.
