Mexican copper mine boosts efficiency and safety with Qdos H-FLO pumps
Fluids Handling

Mexican copper mine boosts efficiency and safety with Qdos H-FLO pumps

Photo of Watson Marlow Watson Marlow Send an email 54 minutes ago
31 4 minutes read
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Qdos H-FLO pumps deliver chemical savings, environmental protection and safer working conditions at copper mine

Since installing three Qdos® H-FLO chemical metering pumps, a leading copper mine in Mexico has achieved chemical savings, improved environmental protection and safer working conditions.

The mine in Sonora uses Qdos H-FLO pumps in its copper and molybdenum selective flotation process for dosing copper frother reagents. Accurate dosing is critical to maintain flotation selectivity and ensure effective dispersion of copper sulphides during primary and cleaning flotation stages. In flotation circuits, even small variations in reagent dosage can impact metallurgical recovery rates, concentrate grade and overall plant efficiency, making reliable chemical metering essential.

Qdos H-FLO is the latest pump in the Qdos range from Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Solutions and is designed specifically for higher flow rates up to 600 L/hr and a maximum pressure capability from 2.5 to 7 bar depending on the pumphead type. These peristaltic pumps replaced a manual gravity dosing system which showed inconsistent flow rates, inefficient reagent consumption and higher risk for operators.

Manual dosing systems in mining environments can result in overdosing, underdosing and unnecessary operator exposure to hazardous flotation chemicals. By upgrading to an automated peristaltic dosing solution, the mine has improved control while reducing process variability.

With the introduction of Qdos H-FLO, dosing is now automated and the mine has:

  • Increased process stability
  • Reduced chemical reagent waste
  • Improved safety conditions for operators

The first Qdos H-FLO pump was installed in February 2025 and has since operated continuously in a 24 hour operation. Three Qdos H-FLO pumps are running in parallel with no failure incidents or interruptions in reagent supply. Continuous uptime is critical in copper processing plants where unplanned stoppages can impact throughput and revenue.

The average dosing flow rate is between 500 and 1500 mL/min with a maximum required pressure of 1 to 2 bar depending on flow variations. Qdos H-FLO allows for fast and automatic calibration, minimising flow deviations. The system operates at temperatures between 25 and 30 °C. The modular design of H-FLO allows the pumphead to be replaced in less than five minutes, ensuring system reliability for this application and reducing maintenance downtime.

Robust and accurate reagent dosing solution

Adopting Qdos H-FLO for reagent dosing has delivered the following benefits to this Mexican mining company:

  • Safety: Operators are no longer directly exposed to chemicals which significantly reduces the risk of contact or contamination.
  • Environmental protection: The fully enclosed pumphead prevents leaks and protects surrounding areas from chemical spills.
  • Cost savings: Precise dosing has led to a significant reduction in reagent consumption.
  • Operational performance: Improved process consistency and metallurgical separation quality increase the overall efficiency of the plant.

Overdosing can disrupt the chemical balance of the flotation process and affect metallurgical recovery. However, the Qdos H-FLO design minimises maintenance and maximises uptime as the pumphead can be replaced quickly without special tools.

The head process engineer of the molybdenum plant in Sonora, said:

“The Qdos H-FLO pumps have shown excellent accuracy and repeatability, with a stable flow and no significant deviations. The H-FLO pumps have maintained a reliable linearity even with minor variations in system pressure or reagent viscosity.

“The Qdos H-FLO has helped reduce chemical waste and improve dosing efficiency. There has been a significant reduction in reagent consumption and dosing waste for this mining customer since it adopted the H-FLO pumps, which doses the exact amount required by the system, contributing to improved process efficiency and metallurgical stability at the plant.”

qdos h flo pumps

Reduced maintenance and safer conditions in flotation cells

Ten months after installing Qdos H-FLO systems, no leaks or spills had been recorded at the copper sulphides dosing stations for the primary and cleaning flotation cells of the mine in Mexico. The hermetically sealed pumphead eliminates the possibility of pump element failure, guaranteeing full containment of the chemical product.

Thanks to the 4 to 20 mA output, the mining company can monitor how much chemical has been dosed by recording the data to calculate return on investment and optimise reagent usage further. Data visibility also supports preventative maintenance strategies and process optimisation across the flotation plant.

Romario Felix, Business Developer, Mining and Water Treatment at WMFTS Mexico, said:

“We made several visits to identify the right person to discuss the process with. Once we did, I talked with them about how they were controlling it. Based on my experience, I knew it was running without proper control, so I saw an opportunity to install an H-FLO demonstration pump and evaluate its performance, especially since we didn’t have data on Santoprene’s compatibility with this chemical.

“We started with one demonstration pump trial at this mining company. Since then the mining customer has purchased three pumps, and we have documented this case to replicate it in other mines within their group.

“The H-FLO offers a new electronic solution for dosing chemicals at higher flow rates and it is ideal for this application.”

The mining company also uses Watson-Marlow 530 series pumps and Qdos 30 chemical metering pumps in other processes where smaller flow rates are required, both in the molybdenum plant for the flotation process and in the SX-EW plant for ore column analysis. The same mining company also uses Bredel Apex 28 in the flotation process to take highly viscous and corrosive samples and transfer them to the analyser.

Qdos H-FLO features

  • Revolution counter for pumphead service maintenance
  • One common pump drive with several pumphead options for changing process conditions and chemistries
  • Network integration control and communication options include EtherNet/IP™, PROFIBUS® and PROFINET®
  • Optional pressure sensing kit with configurable alarms for process monitoring

For mining operators seeking improved flotation dosing accuracy, reduced chemical waste and safer reagent handling, Qdos chemical metering and dosing pumps provide a robust and scalable solution for copper processing plants.

Learn more about Qdos chemical metering and dosing pumps

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Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group (WMFTG) peristaltic tube and hose pumps meet requirements including: value for money; low cost of ownership; reliability and ease of maintenance to the food and beverage, chemical, pharmaceutical, mining and many other industries.

We demonstrate how pumps deliver significant process efficiencies over the lifetime of the equipment. Whether performing flavouring addition in food processing, chemical metering in water treatment or mineral recovery, we have a solution which can cut pump downtime and reduce costs through higher accuracy metering and transfer. WMFTG has dedicated application engineers available to help customers make the right pump and tubing choice from a range providing microlitres per minute to 80 cubic metres per hour flow rates.

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Photo of Watson Marlow Watson Marlow Send an email 54 minutes ago
31 4 minutes read
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