We were at the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) in Melbourne recently and caught up with Aussie mineral processing tech group Gekko Systems to talk about its flagship product, the InLine Pressure Jig (IPJ).
 Gekko Systems has been making the IPJ at its Ballarat manufacturing base since 1996 and the jig has been the cornerstone of Gekko’s large line of mining plant ever since.
Today Gekko has offices in Perth, Vancouver, Johannesburg and Santiago and its systems have been installed in more than 44 countries worldwide.
The IPJ is a compact continuous mineral processor that Gekko says is designed to be low-cost and require minimal infrastructure or logistical support.
The machine pre-concentrates high-value ore particles using gravity separation, mechanics and fluid dynamics. Gekko says improved plant capacity and lower operating costs are delivered by rejecting low-value material prior to further processing.
The pressure jig processes coarse feeds of up to 30mm, concentrating crushed deposits to a smaller mineral-rich feed volume. Gekko says this greatly enhances the efficiency and mineral recovery of downstream processing.
The unit uses traditional jigging methods combined in a unique design. The IPJ is fully encapsulated and pressurised, combining a circular bed with a movable sieve section. As a result, the jig can be completely filled with slurry and water.
The water slows the slurry velocity which results in higher recovery rates. The IPJ’s screen is pulsed in a saw-tooth motion by a hydraulically driven shaft, which Gekko says is the optimum wave form for mineral separation.
The jig uses this motion to separate particles by relative density, as well as by particle size and shape. The lighter mineral is discharged via the overflow to the outer cone. Both the desired concentrates and the waste tailings are discharged from the unit under pressure.
The result is lower overall energy and water usage, and therefore running costs.
The IPJ is available as a stand-alone unit or as part of an engineered modular system.
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