CM Solutions provides metallurgical consulting, design and training services to clients based in South Africa and abroad.  Founded by the internationally recognised Dr Frank Crundwell in 2002, CM Solutions consists of an energetic team of professionals that can implement a wide range of process engineering solutions.

The company has three areas of activities:

• Consulting work, mostly metallurgical, but sometimes financial. The consulting work is focused on optimization of existing assets.
• Design work, which is focused on the early stage design (concept, pre-feasibility) of metallurgical operations.
• Training of engineers. Our flagship course is “Finance for Engineers”, but we are involved in broad range of training, from developing SCADA based training with a control company to practical modules for metallurgists.

1. Capabilities:  Process engineering, financial and metallurgical test work

1.1 Process Engineering

We have experience in the following areas at various stages of a project (concept, pre-feasibility, feasibility, operation):

• Flow sheet design;
• Mass and energy balances;
• Process design criteria;
• Process modelling and simulation;
• Plant optimisation;
• HAZOP studies; and
• Process control philosophy.

1.2 Financial Test Work

We can conduct techno-economic studies, and perform due diligence work.

1.3 Metallurgical Test Work

We design, manage and interpret test work programs.

2 Experience: Commodities, Metallurgical Operations

2.1 Commodities

We have experience in the following commodities:  copper, nickel, zinc, cobalt, PGMs, gold and lead

2.2 Metallurgical Operations

Minerals Processing:

• Crushing, grinding, classification and desliming;
• Flotation;
• Dense medium separation;
• Magnetic separation;
• Thickening and clarification;
• Filtration;
• Tailings disposal.

Hydrometallurgy:

• Pressure and atmospheric leaching;
• Precipitation;
• Solvent extraction;
• Electrowinning;
• Bacterial leaching;
• Heap leaching.

Pyrometallurgy:

• Electric furnaces;
• Conventional furnaces.