In order for the Western Cape Mineral Processing Facility to achieve its objective to be an outstanding mineral processing training facility it needs to continuously improve and extend its scope of activities. To this effect the Technical Officers have designed and constructed a number of pilot plants and/or pilot-scale equipment for use in the mineral processing practical programme. Where possible, these items have been designed to be portable so that they can be moved between tertiary educational institutions.

The WCMPF currently has a fully operational flotation pilot plant consisting of six 12 litre Denver mechanical flotation cells which were kindly donated by Gencor Process Research. The flotation pilot plant can be run in variations of rougher-scavenger-cleaner configurations using variable speed peristaltic pumps for concentrate transfer. The air flow rate and the froth depth can be measured and controlled using rotameters and overflow weirs. The plant is permanently installed on a trailer and can be easily be decommissioned and transported. The flotation pilot plant was completed in April 1998 and has been used in the practical training program, as working display at Schools Days and for a contract research project involving final year students.

The WCMPF is currently constructing a milling pilot plant consisting of a 150 litre Buhrig Mill capable of a maximum feed rate of 100 kg/hr. The milling pilot plant can be run in open-circuit or closed circuit configuration using a Rhologan screen and Buhrig vertical-spindle pumps for slurry transfer. The mill speed and the cut-point can be measured and controlled using a variable speed mill drive and a range of Rhologan screen sizes. The plant is going to be installed on a flat-bed trailer so that it can be easily be decommissioned and transported. The milling pilot plant will be completed in July 2000 and will be used in the practical training program in 2001. The milling pilot was funded through a generous donation by Amplats Management Services.

The WCMPF is currently commissioning a 50 kW pilot scale DC Plasma Arc Furnace capable of accommodating a 5-10 kg furnace charge. The DC Plasma Arc Furnace can be used for smelting modern high temperature refractory ores such as chrome, vanadium, titanium and tungsten. The furnace is based in the newly established Pyrometallurgical Facility of the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Stellenbosch. This enables students to obtain detailed measurements of furnace performance including the offgases (H₂, CO, CO₂, SO₂), temperature, power consumption and arc images (Digital Video). The DC Plasma Arc Furnace was funded through a generous donation from the Anglo American Chairman's Fund

In 1999 the Department of Chemical Engineering of the University of Stellenbosch constructed a leaching/elution pilot plant as part of their research activities. The department have kindly agreed to allow the WCMPF to use this facility for mineral processing practical training (subject to availability). The leaching pilot plant currently consists of a high pressure jet leaching reactor, a cascade of conventional 25 litre air agitated leaching tanks and a batch elution column following the cascade. The plant is permanently installed on a trailer and can be easily be decommissioned and transported.