As producers face mounting pressure to increase productivity while reducing energy consumption, operating costs and environmental impact, attention is increasingly turning towards optimising entire processing circuits rather than focusing on the performance of individual pieces of equipment.

Considering this, Sandvik Rock Processing VP sales area Africa Tarynn Yatras explained that discussions with customers throughout the Electra Mining Africa exhibition, held from September 7 to 11, consistently reinforced the growing importance of adopting a process-wide approach to improving plant performance.

"Across both mining and quarrying, customers are looking beyond individual machines.

"Interactions at Electra Mining Africa confirmed that operators increasingly want partners who understand the complete process and can help optimise the entire crushing and screening circuit. The greatest opportunities now lie in improving how the whole system performs rather than simply replacing individual pieces of equipment,” she said.

She noted that this marked a significant evolution in how optimisation was approached.

Historically, improvements focused on individual assets, with crushers configured to maximise throughput, screens adjusted to improve separation efficiency and downstream equipment optimised independently.

While these initiatives delivered benefits, they often overlooked the highly interconnected nature of modern processing plants.

"In reality, every stage of the process influences the next. A change to crushing performance affects screening efficiency, downstream classification, grinding performance, recovery and, ultimately, overall plant productivity. True optimisation requires understanding these interactions and designing the process accordingly,” Yatras said.

The increasing complexity of orebodies, ongoing pressure to maximise existing infrastructure and tighter capital budgets have made this systems-based approach more important than ever.

Supporting this shift is Sandvik Rock Processing's engineering-to-order (ETO) philosophy, which recognises that no two operations are identical. Rather than offering standardised solutions, the company works closely with customers to engineer processing solutions around their specific orebody characteristics, production targets and operational requirements.

Yatras explained that ETO reflected a fundamentally customer-centric approach to process optimisation.

"Every operation presents its own combination of ore characteristics, production targets, site constraints and operating conditions. ETO allows us to develop solutions specifically around each customer's process rather than expecting customers to adapt their process to standard equipment,” she said.

She explained that this philosophy was becoming increasingly important as mines sought to improve productivity without necessarily investing in entirely new plants.

"Much of today's opportunity lies in helping customers unlock more value from existing assets through better process design, improved equipment integration and continuous optimisation. That requires close collaboration with customers and a detailed understanding of how their complete operation functions."

This collaborative engineering approach is supported by Sandvik Rock Processing's broad portfolio of stationary and mobile jaw, cone and impact crushers, vibrating screens, feeders, scalpers, rock breakers and digital process technologies.

However, Yatras stressed that equipment was only one component of the overall solution.

"Our role begins long before equipment selection. It starts with understanding the customer's application, production objectives and operational challenges so that we can engineer the most effective processing solution. Equipment is simply the platform that enables that solution."

One of the clearest examples of system-level optimisation can be found in comminution.

Grinding remains one of the largest consumers of energy within mineral processing.

By improving crushing efficiency, optimising screening performance and delivering a more consistent feed to downstream grinding circuits, operators can significantly reduce energy demand while improving throughput, plant stability and overall operating efficiency.

"Every millimetre of size reduction achieved efficiently during crushing reduces the amount of work required later in the process, where energy consumption is significantly higher. That benefits both operating costs and sustainability,” Yatras explained.

Digital technologies are further accelerating this transition. Advanced process monitoring, equipment automation and real-time performance data now enable operators to identify developing bottlenecks before they impact production.

Rather than reacting to process disturbances, plants can increasingly maintain stable operating conditions through continuous monitoring and optimisation.

"The objective is predictable, consistent performance. Greater visibility across the processing circuit enables operators to make informed decisions that improve throughput, extend equipment life and reduce unnecessary energy consumption,” Yatras said.

She noted that this combination of engineering expertise, digital technologies, equipment tailored to customer processing requirements and long-term customer collaboration is redefining what process optimisation means for the industry.

"The strong interest shown at Electra Mining Africa reinforced that customers increasingly value technical partners who understand the complete processing ecosystem.

“As operations become more complex and sustainability expectations continue to rise, process optimisation will increasingly depend on integrating engineering expertise, equipment, automation and customer knowledge into one continuous improvement journey."

Yatras said the future of rock processing would not be defined by individual machines, but by how effectively complete processing systems were engineered, integrated and continuously refined.

"Performance is no longer measured by what one crusher or one screen can achieve. It is measured by how efficiently the entire process works together. That systems approach is ultimately what will deliver the next generation of productivity, sustainability and operational resilience."

Sandvik displayed its latest innovations, including its fully electric tracked jaw crusher, the UJ443E, and the upgraded CH442 cone crusher, at Electra Mining Africa.

The company showcased how advanced crushing, screening and rock processing technologies are helping its customers achieve greater productivity, safety, efficiency and sustainability.

Speaking to Mining Weekly, Yatras highlighted the company’s recent technological developments and advancements.

As the mining sector embraces a shift towards net zero emissions, she noted that the company had seen an uptick in demand for electric jaw crushers across Africa.

The UJ443E provides high productivity with lower consumption and simpler maintenance.

This unit allows customers to choose their preferred energy source, either connected to an external electricity supply or through the onboard generator set using hydrotreated vegetable oil or diesel.

Operating while connected can bring several advantages including significantly lowering running costs, extending drivetrain service intervals, reducing time spent refuelling, reducing on-site emissions and lowering noise levels.

Also at the company’s stand at Electra Mining Africa was S&R Enterprises MD Stephen Smith who explained that Sandvik’s electric models enabled a saving of about 30% to 50% on overall costs.

S&R Enterprises is a Sandvik Rock Processing distributor.

Smith noted that Sandvik plans to launch four new electric products this year.