Material duty
What enters, what changes and what product or waste stream leaves.
Australian mining equipment · Lithium
Lithium equipment. Ore to concentrate.
Follow the equipment used to mine Australian hard-rock lithium, reject waste, recover spodumene concentrate and prepare it for transport or downstream chemical conversion.
Choose a commodity
One equipment library. Four different systems.
Compare the machines used in iron ore, coal, lithium and gold—from extraction and processing to the final product handover.
Why the equipment changes
Lithium does not simply copy the iron ore fleet.
Hard-rock lithium operations are concentrators, not miniature iron ore ports. Open-pit or underground fleets deliver pegmatite ore into crushing and sorting. Dense-medium separation, grinding and flotation can then recover spodumene, while thickeners and filters prepare concentrate and recover water. Some downstream facilities add kilns, leach reactors, purification and crystallisation—but those conversion systems may be hundreds or thousands of kilometres from the mine.
Start with the material. Follow what each machine changes, then read the handover to the next system.
Functional process graphic
Follow the equipment through six operating families.
This is a representative system map. Individual mines can use alternatives, bypass stages or locate downstream processing away from the mine.
- 01ExtractionMine pegmatite
- 02Front-end processingCrush & sort
- 03Coarse concentrationSeparate by density
- 04Fine concentrationLiberate & float
- 05Product preparationDewater & dispatch
- 06Downstream conversionConvert to chemical
Read the whole machine
Four layers sit behind every equipment name.
The visible machine is only one part of the system. Utilities, controls, access, material condition and the next handover all influence whether it performs.
Mechanical system
Structures, drives, wear parts, bearings, hydraulics, piping and load paths.
Electrical & control
Power, instruments, PLC or DCS logic, communications, safeguards and interlocks.
Operating boundary
Ore variability, quality targets, hazards, approved limits and the downstream constraint.
01 · Extraction
Back to system map ↑Open-pit and underground mining equipment
Recover lithium-bearing pegmatite selectively while controlling dilution, ore loss and the delivery of different material types.
InputGeological model, grade-control information and an approved open-pit or underground mine plan
Equipment dutyRecover lithium-bearing pegmatite selectively while controlling dilution, ore loss and the delivery of different material types.
OutputRun-of-mine lithium ore delivered to a designated ROM pad, stockpile or crusher feed
Open the detailed guide+
Operating principle
How the system works
Open-pit operations use production drills, blasting, excavators or shovels and haul trucks. Underground operations can use development jumbos, longhole production drills, charge-up equipment, underground loaders or boggers and trucks. Grade control, ore spotting and dispatch keep ore domains and waste separate because dilution can quickly reduce concentrator performance.
Major equipment and systems
Component-to-function map
Open-pit fleet
Blast-hole drills, excavators or shovels, haul trucks, dozers, graders, water carts and dispatch.
Underground development
Jumbos, bolters, ground-support equipment, service vehicles, ventilation and dewatering systems.
Underground production
Longhole drills, charge-up units, loaders or LHDs, underground trucks, ore passes and crushing interfaces.
Ore control
Grade-control drilling, sampling, survey, fleet positioning, stockpile identification and material-tracking systems.
Maintenance focus
What teams manage
- Drill feeds, rotation, compressors, booms and consumables
- Loader and excavator hydraulics, GET, frames and undercarriages
- Truck brakes, steering, tyres, powertrain and cooling systems
- Underground services, ventilation equipment, cables and dewatering pumps
Condition and process watch
What can reduce performance
- Ore dilution and mixing between pegmatite domains
- Ground conditions, scaling and ground-support performance
- Dust, heat, water and restricted underground access
- Fleet interaction, road condition and crusher feed continuity
People around the system
Different disciplines, one handover.
Open-pit operatorsUnderground minersJumbo and longhole drillersBogger and truck operatorsHD fittersAuto electriciansMine geologistsSurvey and geotechnical teams
Configuration boundary: Mining method, stope design, fleet size and grade-control practice depend on the orebody and approved mine plan. Open-pit and underground equipment should not be treated as one interchangeable fleet.
02 · Front-end processing
Back to system map ↑Crushers, screens and sensor-based ore sorters
Reduce ore to a controlled size and reject barren or lower-value material before energy-intensive concentration.
InputRun-of-mine pegmatite ore with variable size, mineral content and dilution
Equipment dutyReduce ore to a controlled size and reject barren or lower-value material before energy-intensive concentration.
OutputSized, upgraded concentrator feed and a separated coarse-reject stream
Open the detailed guide+
Operating principle
How the system works
Feeders regulate ore from the ROM bin into primary and secondary crushing. Screens classify the stream and return oversize where required. A sensor-based sorter presents individual particles to detection systems that identify selected mineral or waste characteristics; high-speed ejectors then direct particles into separate streams. Sorting can reduce the tonnes sent into grinding and wet processing when the orebody and testwork support it.
Major equipment and systems
Component-to-function map
ROM and crushing
ROM bin, apron or belt feeders, jaw or gyratory primary crusher, cone or other secondary crusher and chutes.
Sizing
Vibrating screens, media, exciters, transfer conveyors and recirculating-load routes.
Ore sorting
Feed preparation, presentation conveyor, sensors, illumination or detection systems, high-speed ejectors and separation chutes.
Control and protection
Belt scales, metal detection, dust control, blocked-chute protection, sampling and material tracking.
Maintenance focus
What teams manage
- Crusher liners, chamber condition, lubrication and drives
- Screen media, exciters, springs and structural connections
- Sorter belt presentation, sensors, calibration, ejectors and air quality
- Conveyors, chutes, dust controls and protection devices
Condition and process watch
What can reduce performance
- Feed-size distribution and poor particle presentation
- Sensor fouling, calibration drift and unstable compressed air
- Wet or sticky ore, dust and chute blockages
- Valuable mineral lost to reject or excessive waste sent downstream
People around the system
Different disciplines, one handover.
Crusher operatorsProcess operatorsOre-sorter techniciansElectricians and E&I techniciansMechanical fittersBoilermakersMetallurgistsControl-room operators
Configuration boundary: Sensor type, particle-size window, detection threshold and ejection logic are orebody-specific. Sorting performance must be established through representative testwork and current operating data.
03 · Coarse concentration
Back to system map ↑Dense-medium separation modules
Separate spodumene-bearing particles from lower-density gangue before or instead of finer grinding for suitable size fractions.
InputPrepared, deslimed and closely sized pegmatite feed mixed with a controlled dense medium
Equipment dutySeparate spodumene-bearing particles from lower-density gangue before or instead of finer grinding for suitable size fractions.
OutputA coarse spodumene-rich concentrate, reject stream and recovered medium for reuse
Open the detailed guide+
Operating principle
How the system works
A dense-medium circuit creates a suspension—commonly water with fine ferrosilicon—whose density sits between the valuable mineral and gangue. Feed enters a dense-medium cyclone or related separator. Centrifugal flow and density differences divide the particles into concentrate and reject streams. Drain-and-rinse screens recover medium, while magnetic separators and sumps return it to the circuit. Stable feed sizing and medium density are central to separation performance.
Major equipment and systems
Component-to-function map
Feed preparation
Sizing and desliming screens, mixing box, correct-medium tank, density measurement and feed pump.
Separation
Dense-medium cyclone or classifier, distributor, wear liners, vortex finder, spigot and product launders.
Medium recovery
Drain-and-rinse screens, dilute-medium sumps, magnetic separators, densifier and return-water circuit.
Process control
Density and pressure instruments, flow measurement, sampling, valves, PLC or DCS control and alarms.
Maintenance focus
What teams manage
- Cyclone liners, spigot, vortex finder, distributor and feed pipework
- Screen media, spray bars and product chutes
- Magnetic-separator drums, tanks, pumps and medium-recovery circuit
- Density instruments, valves, sampling systems and control loops
Condition and process watch
What can reduce performance
- Medium-density drift and unstable feed pressure
- Cyclone wear, roping or material misplaced between streams
- Fine contamination, screen blinding and medium losses
- Ore-mineralogy changes that alter separation response
People around the system
Different disciplines, one handover.
DMS operatorsMetallurgistsProcess techniciansMechanical fittersElectricians and E&I techniciansLaboratory teamsReliability engineersControl-room operators
Configuration boundary: Not every spodumene ore is suited to the same DMS cut density, feed-size range or flowsheet. Mineralogy, liberation and testwork determine whether DMS is used and how it is configured.
04 · Fine concentration
Back to system map ↑Grinding, classification and flotation circuits
Liberate spodumene from gangue and selectively recover it into a higher-grade concentrate stream.
InputCrushed or DMS-processed ore requiring finer liberation
Equipment dutyLiberate spodumene from gangue and selectively recover it into a higher-grade concentrate stream.
OutputSpodumene-rich flotation concentrate and a separated tailings stream
Open the detailed guide+
Operating principle
How the system works
SAG, ball, vertical or other grinding mills reduce particle size. Mill-discharge pumps feed hydrocyclones, which send coarse material back to the mill and pass suitably fine slurry onward. Conditioning tanks add site-specific reagents and manage pulp chemistry. Flotation cells disperse air through agitated slurry; selected mineral particles attach to bubbles and report to froth, while rougher, scavenger and cleaner duties build recovery and grade.
Major equipment and systems
Component-to-function map
Grinding
Mill shell, liners, grinding media, drive, lubrication, trommel or discharge screen and inching arrangements.
Classification
Mill-discharge sump and pumps, hydrocyclone cluster, feed distributor, valves and density measurement.
Flotation
Conditioning tanks, flotation cells, mechanisms, air blowers, dart valves, froth launders and recirculation.
Reagents and control
Reagent storage and dosing, pH or chemistry instruments, online analysers, samplers and plant DCS.
Maintenance focus
What teams manage
- Mill liners, discharge system, bearings, gearing and lubrication
- Slurry-pump wet ends, pipework, cyclone liners and valves
- Flotation rotors, stators, air systems, level controls and launders
- Reagent pumps, instruments, analysers and sampling equipment
Condition and process watch
What can reduce performance
- Mill load, grind size and cyclone roping
- Abrasive slurry wear, pump performance and pipe integrity
- Froth stability, air rate, cell level and recovery-grade balance
- Reagent condition, water chemistry and ore variability
People around the system
Different disciplines, one handover.
Process operatorsMetallurgistsMechanical fittersElectricians and E&I techniciansMill relining crewsLaboratory techniciansProcess engineersReliability teams
Configuration boundary: Grinding energy, target size, flotation chemistry and circuit duties are determined by ore mineralogy and metallurgical testwork. Reagent details and setpoints are site-controlled.
05 · Product preparation
Back to system map ↑Thickeners, filters and concentrate handling
Recover process water, reduce concentrate moisture, verify product quality and transfer spodumene concentrate into the logistics chain.
InputWet concentrate slurry and separate tailings streams
Equipment dutyRecover process water, reduce concentrate moisture, verify product quality and transfer spodumene concentrate into the logistics chain.
OutputSampled concentrate at dispatch moisture, plus recovered water and managed tailings
Open the detailed guide+
Operating principle
How the system works
A thickener uses gravity settling and flocculation to increase slurry density while returning clarified overflow water to the plant. Pressure, vacuum or other filters remove additional water and form a concentrate cake. Conveyors or mobile equipment transfer the product into covered storage. Sampling, weighing and laboratory release support dispatch, while covered road combinations can move concentrate to port or a converter.
Major equipment and systems
Component-to-function map
Thickening
Feedwell, rake mechanism, drive, bed-level and torque instruments, flocculant system, underflow pumps and overflow launders.
Filtration
Pressure or vacuum filters, cloths or media, hydraulic or vacuum systems, wash water and cake discharge.
Product handling
Concentrate conveyors, bins or sheds, front-end loaders, dust and moisture controls, weighbridge and sampling.
Tailings and water
Tailings thickening or filtration, slurry pumps, return-water systems, pipelines and monitored storage interfaces.
Maintenance focus
What teams manage
- Thickener rake, drive, feedwell and flocculant dosing
- Filter cloths, plates, seals, hydraulics, vacuum and cake discharge
- Slurry pumps, pipework, valves and abrasion protection
- Product conveyors, storage, sampling and loading equipment
Condition and process watch
What can reduce performance
- High product moisture or inconsistent filter cake
- Thickener torque, poor settling and water-balance instability
- Concentrate contamination, dust and material loss
- Tailings-line integrity and return-water availability
People around the system
Different disciplines, one handover.
Dewatering operatorsMetallurgistsMechanical fittersElectricians and E&I techniciansLaboratory and quality teamsProduct-handling operatorsRoad-train driversWater and tailings teams
Configuration boundary: Filter type, target moisture, storage method, dangerous-goods classification, haulage controls and tailings arrangements depend on the product, climate, customer and approvals.
06 · Downstream conversion
Back to system map ↑Kilns, leach reactors and crystallisers
Transform spodumene concentrate into a refined lithium chemical suitable for qualified downstream customers.
InputSpodumene concentrate and route-specific reagents, water and energy
Equipment dutyTransform spodumene concentrate into a refined lithium chemical suitable for qualified downstream customers.
OutputLithium hydroxide or lithium carbonate product, with separated impurities and managed residues
Open the detailed guide+
Operating principle
How the system works
Conventional conversion can use thermal treatment in a rotary kiln or calciner to change spodumene crystal structure before roasting, leaching, purification and crystallisation. Alternative flowsheets can use different alkaline or hydrometallurgical routes. Reactors suspend solids and control temperature or chemistry; filters separate residues; precipitation, ion-exchange or other purification systems remove impurities; evaporators and crystallisers form the final lithium salt before drying and packaging.
Major equipment and systems
Component-to-function map
Thermal treatment
Rotary kiln or calciner, burner or electric heating, feed and discharge seals, drive, refractory, cooler and gas cleaning.
Leaching and reaction
Atmospheric reactors or autoclaves, agitators, heating or cooling, reagent dosing, slurry pumps and ventilation.
Purification
Filters, clarifiers, precipitation tanks, ion exchange or route-specific impurity-removal equipment and analysers.
Product finishing
Evaporators, crystallisers, centrifuges or filters, dryers, packaging, quality laboratory and controlled storage.
Maintenance focus
What teams manage
- Kiln shell, tyres, rollers, seals, drive, refractory and gas-cleaning systems
- Reactor agitators, linings, pressure boundaries, valves and heat-transfer equipment
- Filters, pumps, pipework and corrosion-resistant materials
- Crystallisers, centrifuges, dryers, packaging and product-contamination controls
Condition and process watch
What can reduce performance
- High temperature, pressure and corrosive chemical service
- Scaling, crystallisation, impurity buildup and blocked lines
- Off-gas, residue, water and reagent-management performance
- Product purity, moisture and contamination control
People around the system
Different disciplines, one handover.
Chemical-plant operatorsMetallurgists and chemical engineersMechanical fittersElectricians and E&I techniciansRefractory and kiln specialistsLaboratory and quality teamsProcess-safety specialistsMaintenance planners
Configuration boundary: Chemical-conversion flowsheets differ substantially and are not present at every mine. Process chemistry, equipment materials, operating windows and product specifications come from the approved plant design and current procedures.
Sources and further reading
Operator and equipment sources.
Source-checked 30 August 2026. Confirm details against current OEM and site-controlled documents.
01↗02↗03↗04↗05↗06↗
PLS — Pilgangoora ore sorting
Operator account of the large crushing and sensor-based ore-sorting facility at the Pilgangoora Operation.
Liontown — Kathleen Valley
Operator overview of the underground mine, concentrator and transport route from Kathleen Valley to Geraldton.
Metso — lithium processing
Equipment and process overview spanning crushing, sorting, grinding, flotation, thickening, filtration and conversion.
Metso — lithium carbonate process
OEM flowsheet context for spodumene processing, leaching, purification and crystallisation equipment.
Metso — mining filtration
OEM explanation of concentrate and tailings filtration, automation and solid-liquid separation.
PLS and POSCO chemical facility
Primary source connecting Pilgangoora concentrate with downstream lithium-hydroxide conversion.
Technical boundary: Lithium mineralogy, mining method, sorting response, DMS cut density, grinding and flotation performance, reagents, water balance, product specifications, chemical conversion and tailings systems vary by orebody and plant. This guide is conceptual and does not replace testwork, approved procedures, OEM manuals, drawings, isolation plans or competent supervision.