New Haith press for Burlington Slate

Water treatment is an important element of the production process at Burlington Slate, so when the company looked to replace an existing aged machine at their Kirkby-in-Furness operation, in Cumbria, they turned to Worksop-based Haith Industrial for a replacement. Using their extensive expertise in water treatment, Haith successfully designed, manufactured and supplied a revised system.

Mounted in the original location, the new machine – a 15-chamber 800 x 800 automatic sidebar filter press which produces a 40mm cake – interfaces directly into the existing wash plant. The press was supplied with a 6.0m x 3.0m penthouse structure, which is supported on a prefabricated galvanized platform at a height of 2.7m, with access via a staircase.

Operating in a closed loop, the revised system is designed to provide high-quality supernatant water for reuse and a sludge cake for disposal. An ultrasonic level control device to monitor the contents of the existing slurry buffer tank and prevent the press feed pump from running dry was also supplied, and new heavy-duty internal agitation paddles mounted on steel supports within the buffer tank completed the project.

The new press, penthouse and support structure were installed and commissioned by Haith, with Burlington Slate engineers responsible for the associated civils work.

Maintenance supervisor Gary Tappenden commented: ‘Haith supplied a reliable and robust system that has met all our operating criteria. The project was completed efficiently and within the agreed schedule. It’s always a bit of
a worry when replacing a piece of equipment that has served you well
for many years, but we are very pleased with the new system and were impressed by Haith’s professional approach throughout.’