Matec Industries design, build and install a new water purification and sludge filtration plant

We take you to Mont-Saint Guibert, in Belgium, to describe the installation of a new water purification and sludge filtration plant designed and built by Matec Industries for European multinational Renewi.

The waste management giant Renewi needed to renew the sand washing line present in the Mont-Saint Guibert quarry, one of the oldest quarries in Europe, acquired by the division of the Renewi Valorisation & Quarry group that deals with the production and valorization of sands for the construction and glass industries. The original washing line produced 200-250 kT/year of washed sand certified by the construction industry body BENOR. Since it was an outdated plant, work was needed to improve its production capacity and the quality of the final product.

“Renewi was looking for a cutting-edge technology to upgrade the washing plant present in the quarry and for water purification and sludge filtration“, explains Matteo Goich, CEO of MATEC Industries, who adds: “Thanks to a preliminary analysis of the work and of the material to be treated, we were able to propose to the customer a winning project able to increase the quantity of material to be treated reducing waste“. For this new project, to be developed on an area of 7000 m², the following design and installation lots were foreseen:

• Lot 1: sand washing line;
• Lot 2: water treatment unit;
• Lot 3: sludge filter press.

THE OBJECTIVES OF THE WASHING PLANT

The new plant had to guarantee a washed sand production of 150 tons/hour; paying attention to propose a line that would consume the least possible amount of water, energy and consumables (e.g. flocculant).

The washed sand, by removing the clay from the grains, had to comply with BENOR standards; in particular, it was necessary to reduce the presence of elements below 63μm below the 3% threshold; moreover, a minimum storage capacity of 4000 m³ was required for each conveyor belt.

SPECIFIC REQUESTS ADDRESSED TO MATEC

The customer’s expectations for the plant were many, as well as the requests that the MATEC “All in one solution” system had to satisfy. First of all Renewi needed to obtain a high quality final product with a plant easy to use, always keeping under control the total cost of the machine and of the plant.

It needed to optimize production and maintenance time, cleaning and repairs. “The plant is fully automated and works with productivity in mind. It has always been sized to work 10 hours a day . Maintenance can be performed during any ‘extra hours’ without having to compromise production processes,” Goich comments.

In about two months, MATEC technicians were able to install the system and train Renewi personnel, who will be able to work in a perfectly safe environment.

Let’s take a closer look at all the lots of this 150 ton/hour plant, which processes 20 tons/hour of sludge and purifies 500 m³ of water per hour.

AGGRETEC SAND WASHING LINE

AGGRETEC is MATEC’s modular, quick-installation washing platform for a wide range of sectors, including: aggregates, recycling, soil washing and mining. Being a semi-mobile and dynamic system, it is also the ideal solution for working in construction and demolition sites, integrated with the following elements:

• 3 Conveyor belts.
• Rotating conveyor belt.
• Sand recovery unit with hydrocyclone.
• Vibrating screen with free oscillation.
• Belt feeder.
• Loading hopper with fixed grid. From the AGGRETEC sand washing line, a washed product comes out with three different granulometry: +20 mm, 1-20 mm and 0-1 mm.

WATER TREATMENT UNIT

The water treatment unit supplied by MATEC to Renewi consists of a clarified water tank, a sludge tank and a DOSON preparation station for the flocculant, MATEC’s patented photoelectric cell system that allows the flocculant to be controlled and adjusted according to the amount of solid  rticles in suspension in the water.

The DOSON system regularly takes some sludge samples and analyzes them in a closed chamber using electronic sensors, adjusts the dose of the product according to the matter contained in it and the decantation speed at that point of the cycle. The water is always clarified in the best possible way, moreover, the system can reduce the consumption of flocculants by 30%, completely automatic with no operator needed. To complete the system, a wastewater tank and a vertical static decanter have been added. MATEC vertical decanters are based on the principle of static decantation and natural precipitation of suspended solids, during the decantation process the solid particles settle on the bottom of the structure, while the clean water overflows into the drainage system at the top and is discharged into a special tank or pit.

SLUDGE FILTER PRESS 1200X1200 TT2, 80 PLATES

MATEC filter presses can treat any type of volume and capacity as they are designed for heavy duty projects. Automation, top brand, 24 months warranty, HPT and TT2 Fast are what MATEC can offer compared to others.

The secret of MATEC filter presses is the high pressure technology that allows the machine to reach pressures (16 and 21 Bar) unmatched on the market. Being able to work with these pressure levels allows you to treat even the most difficult sludge, always obtaining great results. Working at high pressure also means using better and stronger components, from the sludge feed pump to the design of the filter press itself.

ALL IN ONE SOLUTION: A MATTER OF QUALITY

“We are able to position ourselves as a single point of contact with the customer.”
MATEC INDUSTRIES is a well-established group, present on all continents, with seven different companies:

• MATEC, dedicated to the production of wastewater treatment plants and filter presses;
• MATEC WASHING, for the development of customized screening and washing systems for aggregates;
• MAXTEC, to produce mobile crushers for quarries and mines;
• MATEC CORPORATION, for the supply of spare parts for all the mentioned machines;
• STEELWORKS, engineering and after-sales department;
• ELETTROMATEC, for plant automation and remote assistance;
• ALFA POMPE, a company that produces all types of pumps for slurry and water.

With over 500 systems installed worldwide in the last two years, MATEC exports the culture of excellence from Italy to Australia, from Europe to America. Its highly qualified team uses its know-how to carry out works that meet the real needs of the customer and ensure reliability and safety over time, with the utmost respect for current regulations and the environment. The case history of the plant installed for Renewi, in Belgium, is the symbol of MATEC’s modus operandi, a company that has made methodological rigor and the supply of cutting-edge technologies the key to its success.