WesTech Engineering, Inc. of Salt Lake City, Utah USA is pleased to announce the addition of Mr. Abilio de Barros Gaspar as sales manager for the complete WesTech line of equipment for all of South America. Additionally, he is the manager for horizontal belt filter sales worldwide. He is headquartered at the WesTech regional offices in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Mr. Gaspar is a recognized expert in liquid-solids separation technologies and was previously employed by Aoustin and Fitres Phillippe of France.

Mr. Gaspar draws upon more than thirty five years of in depth expertise in design, application, sales, manufacture, start up, and after market service of vacuum dewatering equipment. His experience includes a broad background in liquid-solids separation with an emphasis on the application of horizontal belt filters, drum filters, disc filters, table filters and, among other dewatering technologies. Primary among the applications of this technology are fertilizer production, minerals processing and myriad industrial processes such as energy production. In developing countries the need for process assistance in these and other needed infrastructure represent a growing market segment.

“In his new capacity with WesTech, Mr. Gaspar will be providing technical support for all WesTech products In South America including in the design and application of large horizontal belt filters (HBF).” said Ralph Cutler, Technical Advisor at WesTech Engineering. “WesTech is excited to welcome Abilio to our team and looks forward to the many global opportunities his association will afford our company, expanding our presence in many industries and world regions.”

The horizontal belt filter is normally utilized in applications requiring liquid-solids separation including the washing and dewatering of many different mineral concentrates, leached slurries and tailings applications. The HBF is the filter of choice for efficient washing and dewatering of slurries in minerals processing.

In the current business environment there is an increasing trend to utilize HBF technology for phosphate rock washing, phosphoric acid production, potash, iron ore concentrates, oil sands dewatering and also minerals leach residue washing for Gold, Uranium, Copper, Zinc, Nickel, and Molybdenum production. Increasingly, the minerals processing and fertilizer industries are upgrading to the use of HBF technology rather than the more traditional table filters. This is largely due to the capability of Horizontal Belt Filters to produce more product per square meter at often half the comparable cost, a key consideration in all industries that rely upon these technologies.

Incorporated in 1973, WesTech is a manufacturer of liquid-solids separation equipment. Design services and equipment supply are provided to municipal water and wastewater treatment facilities and industrial process installations worldwide. For more information contact WesTech at www.westech- inc.com.