Bateman IST supplies taphole equipment to Impala

Impala Platinum Limited Mineral Process Rustenburg, RSA, has awarded contracts to Bateman IST and Paul Wurth to supply and install Paul Wurth taphole equipment on the matte and slag tapholes at Furnace No. 5.

The Paul Wurth clay gun and taphole drill were selected by the client as they comply with all Impala’s requirements for extended tapping block life and a safe working environment. While heat and burn accidents are rare in this industry, they are potentially very serious making risk reduction a priority when selecting equipment.

Modern process-related demands, including long tapping times and regular matte and slag flows, are achieved by using harder SiC (silicon carbide) bonded clays in combination with narrow and long tapholes. To ensure repeatable positioning on the taphole, the machinery has to be high powered while simple, rigid, functional, reliable and maintenance-free. In retracted position the machines should be easily accessible while leaving a maximum of space around the main launder.

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