Russian Copper’s ORMET processing plant upgrades flotation cells with latest RIVS RIF designs

JSC ORMET (Orenburg Region, part of the Russian Copper Company Group) has launched new flotation equipment. At the enrichment plant of the enterprise, two two-chamber machines of the RIVS “RIF” brand were put into operation. Modern technology has made it possible to replace four devices of the previous series at once. A total of 20 million rubles were allocated for the re-equipment.

The renewed flotation machines were put into operation as part of the ORMET annual program for the technical renewal of production. Thanks to the joint work of the processing plant specialists and representatives of the manufacturer, the equipment was replaced without interrupting production. Dismantling of old flotation machines, control assembly, installation of new equipment, as well as commissioning works were carried out by the enterprise. The introduction of new equipment will reduce operating costs and energy consumption. The first stage of renovation of the ORMET concentrator at the flotation section started in 2018. All obsolete units will be decommissioned and replaced with new ones by the end of 2022.

The RIF cells are manufactured by Russian flotation technology leader RIVS, based in St Petersburg. Its pneumatic-mechanical flotation machines RIF are of its own original design. These examples were modular pneumatic-mechanical flotation machines, for which RIVS offers designs with a volume from 0.2 m³ to 45 m³; it also supplies tank type pneumatic-mechanical flotation machines with volumes from 10 m³ to 300 m³ as well as RIF aeration units.

ORMET was launched in 1995 in the city of Orsk, Orenburg Region. It is engaged in the mining and processing of copper and zinc ores. ORMET includes the Dzhusinskiy and Vesenniy open pit mines as well as the processing plant, located in the Novoorskiy District of Orenburg Region which was commissioned in March 1999. The plant is capable of processing 820,000 t of ore a year.