Recent London-listee Shefa Yamim (A.T.M) Limited (LON:SEFA) has boosted processing capacity at its alluvial gemstone operation at Akko in northern Israel.
Bulk sampling is underway at the site and throughput should rise to 50 tonnes per day from 30 tonnes currently as a result of the upgrade.
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New pumps, driers and an upgrade to the scrubber will reduce the time taken to wash the material.
In addition, a second jigging system to separate fractions of gravel at 8-25 mm is now in place.
These jigging lines can operate simultaneously and sift the bulk sampling automatically to produce concentrate with more specific dimensions.
As a result, the pickers can search the fraction for gemstones visually rather than manually.
Avi Taub, chief executive, said: "Shefa Yamim used the proceeds of the funds raised at the IPO to implement significant upgrades across all its operations.
“The changes have allowed us to automate some of the functions we were previously doing manually, making us more efficient and ensuring that we advance the Kishon Mid-Reach project in a timely fashion."
Kishon Mid-Reach is near to Mount Carmel, the area in which Shefa Yamim has been able to find a suite of gemstones, including natural moissanite and sapphires.
The company raised £4.15mln gross through a placing and a conversion of existing loans when it joined the London market in December.