Sand and aggregate washing in India: CDE connects, adapts and delivers

India having recovered from the recent downwards economic trend in the construction and mining industry, has provided CDE Asia the leading materials washing company in the country the desired platform for growth and expansion.

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The reason for its expansion is simple: CDE Asia connects with the market. Its business development managers based in different parts of the country fully understand the sand and aggregate washing requirements in the region and provide a knowledgeable and personal service to their clients. 

Supported by highly experienced CDE designers and engineers, they develop the best value-for-money washing solutions with their customers for optimal efficiency and return on investment. Even for operations with very specific needs, such as those running in remote locations and in arid environments CDE Asia has appropriate solution tailor made to their requirement.

A new way forward

In India screw classifiers were the mainstay for washing sand whether from the rivers or the crusher fines. These were cheap to buy, but led to loss in excess of 20% fine sand, This resulted in a lack of finer fractions of sand between 1mm and 300 micron in the grade and quality of the final washed product. Another drawback is the loss of production when settling ponds need to be cleaned on a regular basis. Some operators adopted the bucket wheel washers for settling the fine in the product but these were not quite effective.

India is increasingly witnessing a strategic shift by quarry and mine operators who recognise that to gain an edge over their competitor they need to offer the best quality sand to their customers. To increase return on investment, Construction companies are starting use of manufactured sand and also to invest in more efficient sand washing systems such as the popular CDE Combo plants, which are mobile and compact, CDE plants, with advanced no spill transfer points, high quality components and reduced maintenance, offer a simple, one-touch solution.

These come with their own electric control panel and are pre-wired. Water conservation being a major concern in India , the CDE Combo plants are equipped with water recycling and sludge management system, which recycles 95% of used water.

CDE Asia Business Performance Manager for sand washing business, Kaushik Dutta said: “It is definitely worth looking beyond the initial cost of the equipment to see that in the long run, bucket wheel washers and screw classifiers are actually a money drain.

“With a modular and economical sand washing system that requires a minimal amount of civils and provides consistent high-quality sand in any quantities, the choice is clear. “If you buy the right plant for your operations, reduced maintenance, reduced manpower, reduced slimes management and continuous operation with water control far outweigh any short term savings.” Attentive to its clients’ needs, CDE understand operators may not always feel confident to be left to their own devices once their plant has been installed.

We offer a complete after care package to our customers, who benefit from the best after-sales service in the business.

Mr.Dutta continues: “For all our customers we also always advise stocking some spares on site to reduce risk in case of a breakdown or preventative maintenance actions. We have a wealth of experience in washing applications in various types of rock, so we are able to advise our customers on the best recommended spares package.” “Also, as every part is built and tested at the CDE factory before the plant is shipped to the customers, deployment time is short with minimal disruption to the site’s operations.”

Revolutionary engineering: all in one mobile solutions that won’t let you down

The range of CDE mobile washing system has revolutionised the sand and aggregate washing industry in terms of efficiency, allowing customers to wash even the dirtiest of sands and aggregates thanks to its pinpoint accuracy in silt and clay cut points (usually around 75 to 63 micron). The unique Combo plants comprising pre-screening, single or double stage fines washing unit, water recycling and sludge management into one compact chassis, the Combo plant is a all-in-one washing solution with a capacity range of up to 200 tonnes per hour. .

The water recycling and sludge management unit mounted on the same chasis enables user-friendly water management on site, that recirculates 95% of the waste water from the sand washing plant immediately for reuse. . Paying particular attention to quality, performance and resilience, all transfer points, pumps and pipes are rubber-lined for maximum wear resistance, screening media use Isenmann high wear life PU panels and the Infinity range features a high frequency zero-weld screen design.

Each machine is developed, made to order and tested at the CDE factory to satisfy every requirement set out by the client. For all quarry and mine operators as well as the construction contractors who wish to optimise business operations, the flexibility of new sand washing equipments and the range of applications available to them are set to revolutionise the Indian market.

The future

Manish Madhogaria, Executive Director, CDE Asia operations , reflects on the future of the sand & aggregate washing business: “The concrete market in India is screaming for better quality sand. Currently, concrete producers are making do with a combination of dry crusher sand and natural river sand. “The gradings and quality of these sands fluctuate, especially the natural river sand in regions affected by drought.

Washed sand and aggregates are consistent and enable concrete producers to steady their mix designs and thus save on water and cement consumption. “Environmental pressure to stop river sand mining, as well as increased government duties on these mining activities will make river and plaster sand either scarce or too expensive for the local market.

“The future of the Indian construction and mining sector is bright as we are starting to witness an upturn in the region’s economy. Major infrastructural projects are currently in the pipeline and as they commence in the near future the demand for manufactured sand is going to become more acutely felt , with natural river sand resources becoming less attractive due to taxes or availability and the logistics involved. The washing technology of CDE has now found application in recovery of values from construction and demolition waste.

It enables production of clean aggregates which are in demand for road projects and also generate sand for the construction industry It is most talked about application now in the country and is a classic example of how erstwhile everyday waste could be converted into value added product. The government has now issued a circular for compulsorily installing plants for treatment of C&D waste which would normally include a washing plant also.

This application has a great import in mitigating environmental pollution of our cities, rivers and water bodies and also would make available precious land bank within the city as these are now being used for dumping such wastes. “In short”, Manish Bhartia , Managing Director, CDE Asia Ltd, emphasises , “if as an operator/contractor you have a washing requirement that covers both your customers’ needs for various grades of high quality sand as well as your own requirements for efficient, reliable and economical, sourcing of sand & aggregate equipment provided by CDE ensures high return on investment, and you are master of your washing destiny.”