CDE has unveiled its ProPress filter press at Hillhead 2024.
Developed to meet the needs of the construction and demolition (C&D) waste recycling, quarrying, and mining sectors, the ProPress integrates CDE's latest technologies to achieve operational efficiency and ideal water recovery.
CDE's ProPress benefits from a flexible design and variable throughput that can be scaled to fit the processing volume of the operation.
Unlike traditional filter presses, the system is dual feed, meaning sludge is fed from both sides of the ProPress for efficiency and faster cycle times. Ideal sludge feed pressure also allows for faster dewatering to increase overall throughput. An overhead beam design helps ensure reliability by reducing stress on the unit and improving its durability.
The ProPress features plates that are 25 percent larger (2.5 metres by 2 metres). Greater chamber volume and fewer plates overall serve to provide capacity on a smaller footprint and improve mechanical cycle times.
Safe and efficient maintenance is made possible by integrated plate-shaking technology which addresses filter cake build-up within chambers to help reduce the need for manual intervention. An access walkway provides clear and unobstructed means to carry out maintenance safely and efficiently, and flush-mounted drip trays reduce material entrapment and lock in place to provide a secure maintenance platform for operators.
The design is supported by a multifunctional robot which serves as the main workhorse for the ProPress, controlling plate opening, plate shaking, cloth washing, plate winch, and the maintenance platform.
The CDE ProPress is available in a range of different sizes. The filter press is also largely pre-assembled, allowing operators to get up and running quickly.
The process of CDE's ProPress
As materials are washed and graded, the water from that process accumulates silt and other residues to form a sludge, creating a challenging material to process. That sludge is pumped under high pressure into the CDE ProPress, which consists of a sequence of plates, the composition of which forms a series of chambers.
As sludge is pumped under high pressure through the press, solid materials build within the chambers to form a filter cake which is dewatered to maximize water recycling and recover a by-product with multiple applications.
With the CDE ProPress, owners and operators can recycle up to 95 percent of process water for immediate reuse in their wash plant while simultaneously cutting waste disposal fees by recovering a filter cake product that can be used for pipe bedding and landfill capping. This eliminates the need for settling ponds which typically require extensive maintenance, consume labour resources, and incur significant costs.
"Tackling the most challenging of materials is our expertise," said CDE's Business Development Director Darren Eastwood. "We've poured over 30 years of engineering excellence into the development of the ProPress. We've listened to and worked alongside our customers around the globe to design a solution that is adaptable to their needs, be they in the waste recycling or natural minerals processing sectors.
"Those needs were clear: sustainable water management was key to minimize freshwater dependency and maximize water recycling, all while improving processing capacity, reducing operating costs, and minimizing maintenance downtime. The ProPress is our response to all of this and more and it is already delivering for our customers. By the end of the year, the ProPress will be found in eight plants across three regions, processing around 1000 tph of material."
