The Europe's largest gold mine is using the LÖDIGE KM 4200 DW
Cleanability, availability and efficiency are decisive factors in industrial mixing processes involving particularly abrasive and quick-hardening materials. At the Kittilä mine in northern Finland – the largest gold mine in Europe –, the company Agnico Eagle Finland Oy relies on the LÖDIGE continuous Ploughshare® Mixer of type KM 4200 DW. This robust, specialised solution impresses with its maintenance-friendly design, automated cleaning function and high throughput capacity – while operating continuously under extreme conditions.
The challenge: Processing tailings underground
At the Lapland mine located around 900 km north of Helsinki, Agnico Eagle Finland Oy processes several tons of gold annually. Underground mining generates cavities that have to be closed again in a backfilling process.
This product mix consists of water, dewatered excavated soil (tailings) and cement – a material that sets quickly and can cause build-up and blockages in conventional mixers.
The challenge is therefore to use a mixer that can:
- process pasty and highly abrasive materials in a reliable manner,
- enable continuous operation at a high hourly output,
- can be cleaned quickly, completely,and without leaving any residue.
The customised Ploughshare® Mixer of type KM 4200 DW
LÖDIGE developed a customised version of the continuous mixer KM 4200 DW to meet these requirements. This intensive mixer is based on the practice-proven ploughshare principle and has the special, additional functions:
- Hydraulically hinged drum half
for optimum accessibility during maintenance and cleaning work. - New sealing system
This has been developed especially for slurry-like, quick-hardening materials. - High throughput of up to 86 m³/h
Thanks to a short residence time and intensive mixing. - Robust design for non-stop operation
Designed to meet the specific demands of the mining industry.
The combination of intensive mixing and continuous operation ensures homogeneous mixing and high process reliability, even in extreme climates such as those found in Lapland.
More about the Ploughshare® Mixer KM
Technological background: Practice-proven mixing process
The performance of the continuous KM 4200 DW is based on the fluid bed principle developed by LÖDIGE. The Ploughshare® Shovels, which rotate close to the drum wall, lift the product out of the material bed and throw it within the mixing drum. This creates a mechanically generated fluid bed that ensures uniform and intensive mixing, even at high throughput rates and short residence times.
The shovel arrangement is based on a LÖDIGE patent from 1949 and enables continuous product transport through the drum.
Conclusion: An efficient solution for challenging processes
The company Agnico Eagle Finland Oy requires a robust, low-maintenance and easy-to-clean solution for its tailings processing. The LÖDIGE continuous and intensive mixer of type KM 4200 DW is precisely tailored to these requirements. The combination of an automatically hinged drum half, an innovative sealing system and high throughput makes this mixer ideal for use in gold mines and many other applications with similar requirements.
Would you like to learn more? Contact our experts for individual advice on the optimal mix strategy!