Customer Case: Efficient Sludge Dewatering Solution Helps Mining Company Achieve Win-Win for Environmental Protection and Cost Reductio

Customer Background

This mining company is a medium-sized zinc ore mining and processing enterprise in Southeast Asia, with a daily processing capacity of approximately 3,000 tons of ore. Its beneficiation process generates about 450 cubic meters of tailing slurry per day, with a solid content ranging from 8% to 15%. In the past, the company used the traditional natural sedimentation method in the concentration tanks to handle the sludge, which had problems such as large land occupation, low dewatering efficiency, high moisture content of the settled sludge (usually > 75%) making it difficult to transport, and environmental risks. As local environmental regulations became increasingly strict and the demand for tailing resource utilization increased, the company decided to upgrade its solid-liquid separation equipment in early 2025. 
Facing challenges
Efficiency issues: The natural settling period is long, unable to match the continuous production rhythm, often becoming a production bottleneck. 
High operating costs: The transportation cost of the slurry is high (due to its high water content), and it also occupies a large amount of land resources. 
Environmental pressure is high: The tailings slurry has the risk of leakage and does not comply with the latest anti-seepage regulations. 
Resource waste: The filtrate contains recyclable chemical agents and trace amounts of metals, and direct discharge results in waste. 
High dependence on humans: The operation of the existing auxiliary equipment is cumbersome and requires continuous monitoring by dedicated personnel. 

Solution

After multiple rounds of technical exchanges and on-site investigations, we tailored a dehydration solution for this mining company, with the 700 series box-type filter press as the core. 
Core equipment configuration: 
Main machine: 700 type automatic hydraulic box-type filter press (double outlet liquid). 
Control System: Integrated PLC + touch screen fully automatic control system, with built-in pressure sensor (upper limit of 0.6 Mpa), achieving full automation for the entire process of feeding, pressing, holding pressure, and discharging. 
Auxiliary system: Equipped with screw feed pump, air compressor, cleaning water pump, as well as a complete set of SS304 stainless steel liquid-contact plates and conveying belt machine. 

Work Flow: 

The tailings slurry is pumped into the sealed filter chamber by the feed pump. 
Under a constant pressure of 0.6 Mpa, efficient solid-liquid separation is achieved rapidly through the dual clear-flow channels. 
The filtrate (clear and reusable) is collected centrally by the SS304 tray and returned to the beneficiation process for recycling. 
After the filter cake is formed, the PLC control system automatically triggers the hydraulic system to release the filter plates and starts the prompt to perform manual plate pulling for discharging (customers can choose to manually pull the plates for greater cost-effectiveness), resulting in a solid filter cake with a moisture content of less than 30%. 

Implementation Results

This system was installed and debugged in the second quarter of 2025 and put into operation. It has achieved significant economic and environmental benefits: 
1. Efficiency has been significantly improved: 
The single-cycle processing time has been reduced to 25 minutes. The daily processing capacity fully meets the demand of 450 cubic meters of slurry, and the production efficiency has increased by more than 300%. 
The dual-flow design significantly increases the filtration speed, effectively shortening the pressing cycle. 
2. Remarkable economic benefits: 
Filter cake moisture content: The average moisture content has decreased from the original >75% to 28%-32%, the filter cake volume has reduced by approximately 60%, significantly reducing transportation and disposal costs. 
Resource recovery: The recycled filtrate has an efficiency of up to 90%, saving approximately 120,000 cubic meters of fresh water annually and recovering the remaining chemicals and metal ions. 
Labor cost: With automated operation, only one part-time worker is needed for supervision, resulting in a 70% reduction in labor demand. 
Land conservation: Replaced the two existing large concentration tanks, releasing approximately 2,000 square meters of land. 
3. Environmental protection and safety compliance: 
The "decrease" and "recycling" of tailings have been achieved. The filter cake can be directly and safely stored or used for underground filling, completely eliminating the risk of mud leakage. 
The factory area environment has been fundamentally improved, and it successfully passed the surprise inspection and certification by the local environmental protection department. 
4. Stable and reliable operation: 
The intelligent control of PLC ensures precise and stable pressure, protects the equipment and optimizes the process. 
The PP filter plate has strong corrosion resistance and can adapt to the acidic and alkaline environment of the mine slurry. It has a long service life and is easy to maintain. 
After operating for more than half a year, the equipment has had zero failure rate, and its stability has been highly recognized by the customers. 

Customer feedback

"This 700 model filter press is a crucial step in upgrading our production process. It not only resolves the environmental problems that have long plagued us, but also brings unexpected economic benefits. The PLC control is highly intelligent, the operation is simple, the sludge discharge effect is stable and the dryness is high. The dual flow design enables us to visually observe the clarity of the filtrate, which is very helpful for process judgment. The professional advice from the supplier and the reliable equipment have made this project a great success." —— Production Department Manager Mr. Johnson 

Case Insights

This case demonstrates that for the treatment of mining tailings, adopting a high-pressure, automatic, and highly efficient box-type filter press solution not only meets strict environmental protection requirements, but also can reduce transportation costs, recycle water resources, save labor and space, and recover investment within a short period of time, achieving a win-win situation of environmental and economic benefits. Our equipment, with its reliable performance, intelligent control, and flexible configuration, has become a powerful partner for industrial enterprises to achieve sustainable development and industrial upgrading.