Process Description:
The Falconbridge Limited Company has mined and refined copper in this region since the 1970s. The Verti-Press filter is utilized toward the end of the Concentrator cycle to filter and dewater the copper slurry prior to the drying cycle and the smelting process.

Prior to the Verti-Press Filter technology, Falconbrige used rotary vacuum drum and thermal dryers to filter, dewater and dry the copper concentrate slurry. However extensive engineering studies concluded and justified the Verti-Press Filter technology in this application, leading to significant process improvements.

The main reasons for utilizing the Verti-Press filter in the mining industry are significant energy cost savings due to much drier cakes (90%+ Vs 80%) and elimination/reduction of the drying equipment.

Other advantages such as single point discharge and chamber isolation provided considerable savings in both equipment and operating costs, the trend that became a standard in the North and South American mining industry