Installation of a weighing system at a potash mine

IBERPOTASH PLANT - MINING AND PROCESSING OF POTASH

Giropes has installed two special train weighing scales and two BPBSH mixed truck scales (with metal base and concrete surface)at the potash mines of ICL Iberia Súria & Sallent, in Súria (Barcelona).

ICL Iberia Súria & Sallent is the only potash miner in Spain with a business that includes mining, processing and sales. The business employs more than 1,100 people and its potash and salt mines are one of the largest potash deposits in Western Europe.

ICL’s advanced technology and active working of these mines ensures a continuous supply of potash, which is essential to modern agriculture. The Giropes weigh station will allow ICL to better monitor movement of mined material through two train weighing balances and two weighbridges.

The installation consists of two fully independent weighing areas.

The first one has two train weighing scales where loaded wagons are weighed out and is in the potash mine on normal rail tracks.

The train weighing balances installed at the potash mine are 13 metres long and can weigh loads up to 150 tonnes. To facilitate the sale of material extracted from the mines, CE certification has also been obtained for loads of up to 90 tonnes, which means that the tracks can be used both for internal monitoring and for dispatch of material produced at the plant.

Two truck scales have been installed in the other weighing area with a concrete base that largely prevents corrosion due to the salinity of the product itself. In addition, all the metal parts of the scales have been painted with C5 paint that prevents corrosion of the steel due to the corrosive qualities of the potash and bad weather.

The scales have an under-beam load cell which makes the system more robust by avoiding the need for a cutout in the beams of the scale. These scales are used for the management and monitoring of the silo loading.

The scales are 18 metres long and can record the weight of vehicles of up to 80 tonnes.

These two new weighing stations will allow ICL to improve the effectiveness and safety of the management of their mines and so provide better customer service.