Client : Lafarge Gypsum
Total value : R 33 500 000 (2007)
Duration : 12 months
Responsibility : Turnkey EPCM contractor
Technologies : 1. Industrial plant layout
2. Process engineering
3. Bag filtration
4. Materials handling
5. Materials storage
6. Natural gas installation

The new plasterboard plant for Lafarge at Roodekop in Germiston consist of the following functional areas:
• Gypsum off-loading area
• Gypsum storage area
• Calcining area
• Preparation area
• Forming plant
• Wet transfer station
• Drying plant
• Dry transfer station

The main functions of the clacining area is to calcine and mill the gypsum to produce stucco, to cool down the temperature of the stucco and to transport the stucco to storage silos.

Amongst other equipment, three baghouses were designed and supplied as product/dust collectors, forming part of the process design. These ranged in size from 23,000 Nm3/h to 57,000 Nm3/h, operating at temperatures between 80 °C and 170 °C. Dust loads for the three baghouses varied between 400g/Nm3 to 1000 g/Nm3. The filter unit utilises pulse-jet technology for bag cleaning and is fully automated.

Various fans, ductwork and conveying equipment were designed, supplied and installed to transport gypsum from the storage area through the calcining area to the stucco silo.

The main functions of the preparation area is to prepare the slurry by dosing the raw material such as stucco, dry additives and wet additives and to mix the material to produce a slurry. This slurry is then used to form the plasterboard at the forming plant.

Various products require different additives to be added to the stucco. This process is automated with all the dry and wet additives being added to the stucco stream at a mixing station.

The entire project was completed by IST within 12 months on a fast-tracked basis in order to meet the clients strict time constraints.