Materials and minerals processing technology provider IMS Engineering has strengthened its product offering with the launch of the MinPro range of feeder breakers and related equipment into the southern African market.

IMS Engineering has access to MinPro technology following its acquisition by global player in impact crushing and related minerals processing solutions Hazemag & EPR. Hazemag & EPR purchased minerals processors DBT Mineral Processing two years ago, adding the versatile MinPro range of equipment to its portfolio.

It is believed that the MinPro range will be of interest to the local underground and particularly the opencast coal mining industry, says IMS Engineering's Shannon McEwan. "MinPro has a strong international reference base in opencast coal mining, in countries such as Indonesia and China, while MinPro references in underground operations can be found globally, especially wherever longwall equipment is in operation."

For softer material such as coal, gypsum, chalk, bentonite, potash and rocksalt, MinPro has a wide range of feeder breakers. "MinPro has an impact crusher-type feeder breaker which is unique, in that it can be used with harder rock type. It is ideal for hard coal, limestone and medium to low abrasive hard materials, and can even be used in clay pits," says McEwan, adding that these units are being used on a major scale in various limestone quarries in China where several large feeder breakers process material directly from the pit wall benches. This technology is also operating successfully in limestone quarries in the US and India.

"Feeder breakers are traditionally used between the mobile mining machinery and fixed conveyor systems, where product is reduced to a manageable conveyable size, feeding material in a smooth and controlled flow onto the conveyor belt for conveying out of the mining area," McEwan explains.

"Advantages of the MinPro product installations include a light compact design, horizontal material flow, no ramps, often no feeding hopper, programmable logic control which enables overload protection, and remote-controlled operation if required. We have feeder breakers on skids or without skids for semipermanent installation, feeder breakers on tracks which are powered, or which are unpowered and free-running and can be coupled to a front-end loader and pulled into position. The units are designed for stationary, semimobile or mobile applications."

Other MinPro products include specialised chain conveyors which in principle are designed as feeders for a wide range of materials. McEwan says the chain conveyors, which can be configured to customer specification, are a particular MinPro strength. They are rugged systems for bulky and sticky materials.

IMS Engineering's policy is to provide quality and suitable working solutions, often custom-designed. The company believes its major strength is its technical know-how, based on the three Ms philosophy of matching the machine to the material. "Specialising in the supply of equipment, plant and services for the mining and minerals processing, quarrying and recycling industries, we have achieved a balance between proven international technologies and customised local content in accordance with international quality standards," McEwan adds.

IMS Engineering's product range consists of Hazemag horizontal shaft impactors, hammer mills, rapid dryers and apron, wobbler and reciprocating feeders, MinPro feeder breakers and chain conveyors, Kawasaki EarthTechnica Company Limited crushing and milling technologies and Steinert magnetic and sensor-based separation systems. Added to this range is Köppern high-pressure comminution, briquetting and compaction technology.