Edited by Sharyn Macnamara
FLS has significantly upgraded its Delmas polyurethane manufacturing facility to serve as a global hub for its high performance NexGen screen media, supporting growing demand across Africa, the Middle East and Europe – and African Mining incorporating Mining Mirror was there to see the company’s innovation in action. FLS’s investment enhances production capacity, energy efficiency and local skills development, while positioning the company to deliver tailored durable screening solutions that align with its customers’ sustainability and performance goals.
A NexGen panel is poured at FLS with precision and care, ensuring each unit is built for exceptional performance, durability and screening efficiency. Supplied by FLS
This development forms part of a wider modernisation programme by FLS, aimed at strengthening supply chains, increasing manufacturing efficiency and enhancing sustainability across its global footprint. Brad Shepherd, director Service Line – Screen and Feeder Consumables at the company, says the investment at Delmas aligns with the company’s global strategy to standardise and optimise production processes.
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This is a milestone for us,” said Shepherd. “We are integrating cutting edge technology and modern manufacturing methodologies across all our polyurethane plants, and Delmas is leading the way. The upgrade enables us to respond more quickly and reliably to customer needs across Africa, the Middle East and Europe.”
The centrepiece of the upgrade is the introduction of purpose-built infrastructure to produce NexGen screen media – a polyurethane material developed by FLS to deliver extended wear life, reduced maintenance and improved operational efficiency. In on-site trials, screen panels made from this substrate have demonstrated up to three times the wear life of conventional rubber and polyurethane products, making it a gamechanger for industries that rely on high performance screening solutions.
Warren Walker, head of Global Manufacturing – Polyurethane Operations at the company, explained that Delmas is the first of the company’s five global polyurethane plants to complete this transition. “We have installed new, latest generation polyurethane machines, precision tooling and dedicated preheating ovens for inserts,” he said. “This allows us to significantly increase our output while ensuring consistent quality.”
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The facility now includes two trommel screen media stations and three screen media stations, each tailored to produce NexGen products. One of the standout technologies introduced is a programmable auto-calibrating polyurethane machine capable of adjusting material hardness to suit specific applications.
“The flexibility to produce varying hardness levels is critical,” Walker noted. “It means we can tailor our screen media precisely to the customer’s application, ensuring optimum performance and longevity.”
To complement this, a high-capacity polyurethane machine capable of pouring up to 42kg per minute is in operation at the facility. This system is particularly suited to applications requiring large volume pours, such as flotation spare parts and vertical mill components.
The Delmas facility already benefited from a significant upgrade in 2019, when a state-of-the-art six-axis machining centre was introduced for tooling precision, along with robotic welding systems for manufacturing screen media panel inserts and a CNC controlled spiral welding machine to produce wedge wire products. The latest round of investments builds on this foundation and brings the facility to the forefront of global polyurethane production capability.
CNC controlled spiral welding machine to produce wedge wire products. ©African Mining, incorporating Mining Mirror
Energy efficiency was a key consideration in the new layout and equipment design. “We have incorporated smart energy saving features like individual temperature control on each casting table station,” Walker says. “This avoids the need to heat large surface areas unnecessarily and contributes to our carbon reduction goals.”
Further supporting these goals is the installation of 300kW of solar generation capacity at the Delmas site, completed in 2024. Plans are already in place to expand this by another 500kW in 2026, along with the integration of a battery energy storage system (BESS), enabling greater energy independence and resilience.
Shepherd emphasises that the company operates both as an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and a screen media specialist, supplying screen panels for all types and brands of vibrating screens, feeders and trommel screens.
Warren Walker, head of Global Manufacturing – Polyurethane Operations at FLS, guided media on a tour through the Delmas facility. ©African Mining, incorporating Mining Mirror
“We don’t just supply products,” he emphasised. “We work closely with our customers through our network of on-the-ground specialists to assess site conditions and select the best screening media for their specific needs.”
He notes that many older processing plants are treating materials that differ from their original design specifications. In these cases, screen efficiency can often only be improved by optimising the screen media. “This is where NexGen makes a real difference,” Shepherd explained. “Combined with the correct aperture design, it allows customers to get more life and better performance from their screens.”
Unlike injection-moulded polyurethane, which can compromise the structural integrity of screen panels, FLS’s proprietary process retains superior mechanical properties, resulting in a tougher more durable product. “We have never used injection moulding because it reduces the quality of the end product,” Shepherd explained. “Our process delivers a product that stands up to the toughest operating conditions and offers lasting value.”
Precision-crafted polyurethane products are manufactured at FLS’s Delmas operations, ensuring consistent quality and performance across a wide range of screening applications. Supplied by FLS
Walker added that the expansion at Delmas not only supports the company’s global operations but also contributes meaningfully to the South African economy. “Our commitment to local manufacturing is evident in the scale of our investment and the jobs we have created,” he says. “We have expanded our workforce, prioritised local recruitment and significantly grown our apprenticeship programme.”
A strong focus has also been placed on developing female artisans. In 2024, six women from the local community were recruited into a three-year trade apprenticeship programme, receiving training in welding, fitting and boilermaking.
“Our investment during a period of economic uncertainty underlines FLS’s long term commitment to South Africa and to our customers in the broader EMEA region,” said Walker. “We are not just building products – we are building skills, opportunities and partnerships that will power sustainable growth for years to come.”
This commitment to sustainability extends into the future through tailored solutions in true partnership with customers.
Source: supplied by FLS
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