Holman-Wilfley Associates

What Holman-Wilfley Associates does

Holman Wilfley Ltd is the sole global manufacturer of original Holman and Wilfley brand gravity shaking tables, headquartered in Redruth, Cornwall, UK, where all tables are precision-built to sub-millimetre accuracy and tested before worldwide shipment. The company offers three product families: the Holman range (8000 full-size, 3000 half-size, 2000 pilot/gold cleaning models) tuned to fine minerals separation via a proprietary saw-tooth head motion with 42 flexible support straps; the Wilfley 7000, an ultra-robust head-motion design tailored to the recycling industry for separating non-ferrous metals from waste streams; and the Holman Wilfley 800 Laboratory table for metallurgical and mineralogical testing. End markets span fine minerals (chromite, tin, tantalum, tungsten), mineral sands (ilmenite, rutile, zircon), gold (mercury-free smeltable concentrate), and metal recycling (WEEE, shredded copper wire, slag, incinerator ash, bag-house dusts), with metallurgical test facilities in the UK, Germany, and Australia.

Revenue is generated through three streams: hardware sales of bespoke-engineered shaking tables (no public price list), aftermarket professional services (spares, machine servicing, site visits, installation and commissioning supervision, and operator training at the Cornwall facility or onsite), and gravity metallurgical testing using the company's own Holman Wilfley 800 Laboratory table, with larger test programs handled through partner labs. Go-to-market is exclusively direct enterprise field sales supported by globally mobile engineers and a content-led website organised around industry-specific applications; ISO 9001-2015 certification underwrites quality management.

The brand heritage traces to the 1896 Wilfley patent and 1908 introduction of the Holman (originally James) table; by the 1930s over 25,000 Wilfley tables were in global use. The current legal entity was established in 1998 when Cornwall-based operators reacquired manufacturing rights, moving to current purpose-designed premises in 2011. The company is privately held, family-led, and reports no institutional ownership, funding rounds, or public-market indicators.

Name

Holman-Wilfley Associates

Legal name

Holman Wilfley Ltd

Website

https://holmanwilfley.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Holman Wilfley Ltd is a UK-based private manufacturer of original Holman and Wilfley gravity shaking tables used globally in mineral processing (fine minerals, mineral sands, gold) and metal recycling, selling direct to enterprise customers with engineer-led installation and aftermarket support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mining and Mineral Processing Equipment

NAICS

Rolling Mill and Other Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing (333519)

akta.pro primary industry

Metals Recovery & Sorting Facilities (Ferrous/Non-Ferrous) (EUAIADAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Radiator, Cable & Wire Recycling (Copper/Aluminum Wire Chopping, Insulated Cable) (IMAKAMAJ)

Keywords

• Gravity separation equipment
• Shaking tables
• Mineral processing equipment
• Metallurgical testing services
• Gravity concentration tables

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Gravity Separation Equipment Sales: Manufacture and sale of Holman and Wilfley gravity shaking tables. Tables are precision built at UK factory to sub-millimetre accuracy and tested before worldwide shipping. Product range includes Holman 8000 (full size), Holman 3000 (half size), Holman 2000 (pilot/gold cleaning), Wilfley 7000 (recycling), and Laboratory 800 models.
2. After-market Services: Spares support, machine servicing, site visits, installation and commissioning supervision. Training for operatives offered at factory in Redruth or onsite. Contact-based service model.
3. Gravity Metallurgical Testing: In-house gravity separation testing using Holman Wilfley 800 Laboratory table. Provides look-see testing and detailed metallurgical studies through local partners. Optional metallurgical mass balances with analysis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Holman Wilfley Ltd designs, manufactures and supplies gravity shaking tables (Holman 8000/3000/2000, Wilfley 7000, and Holman Wilfley 800 Laboratory) for fine mineral separation, mineral sands processing, gold recovery, and non-ferrous metal recycling. The company is the only global producer of the original Holman and Wilfley table designs and also provides after-market services including spares, machine servicing, installation and commissioning supervision, site visits, and gravity metallurgical testing at facilities in the UK, Germany, and Australia.

Product overview

Holman Wilfley Ltd is a manufacturer and supplier of gravity shaking tables serving the mining, minerals, metals, and plastics recycling industries. The company offers three distinct product lines: the Holman range (models 8000, 3000, and 2000) designed for fine minerals processing including gold, tin, tungsten, tantalum, and chromite; the Wilfley 7000 specifically tailored for the recycling industry to separate non-ferrous metals like copper from plastics; and the Holman Wilfley 800 Laboratory table for metallurgical and mineralogical testing. All tables are manufactured at the company's UK factory to sub-millimetre accuracy, featuring precision-engineered head motions and high-quality materials with galvanised steel components.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Holman: Premium gravity shaking table brand for the minerals industry, featuring models 8000, 3000, and 2000.
• Wilfley
• Holman Wilfley Laboratory

Products and services

• Holman 8000 Full-size premium gravity shaking table designed for fine mineral separation in mining operations. Features an angle-driven deck with variable stroke length (8mm-16mm), 42 flexible support straps, and an enclosed oil bath for splash lubrication. Targets highest grade and recovery in fine mineral processing such as tin, tungsten, tantalum, and chromite.
• Holman 3000 Half-size premium gravity shaking table offering the same separation performance as the Holman 8000 in a more compact footprint, intended for smaller-scale mining and mineral processing operations.
• Holman 2000 Pilot and gold-cleaning gravity shaking table used worldwide to achieve smeltable gold concentrates and high-grade final concentrate in the final stage of gravity circuits. Features variable stroke length (8mm-16mm) and a unique saw-tooth shake profile.
• Wilfley 7000 Shaking table specifically tailored for the recycling industry with a time-proven ultra-robust Wilfley head motion optimized for separating non-ferrous metals such as copper from plastics and rubber. Features internal sump splash lubrication, reinforced deck on 2x spring packs, galvanised steel framework, and a 2.2kW IP56 motor.
• Holman Wilfley 800 Laboratory Shaking Table Laboratory-scale shaking table for small-scale mineralogical and metallurgical investigations, including gravity separation testing, geochronology of zircons, and proving gravity separation potential. Features integrated oil sump for contained lubrication, two gel coat decks for fine and coarse samples, adjustable stroke length (~7-11mm), stainless steel framework, 0.367kW motor, and a portable design with adjustable feet.
• After-market Services After-sales services covering spares supply, machine servicing, on-site visits, installation and commissioning supervision, and operator training delivered at the Redruth factory or on customer sites.
• Gravity Metallurgical Testing Gravity separation test work performed using the Holman Wilfley 800 Laboratory table, including preliminary look-see testing, detailed metallurgical studies via partner facilities, and optional metallurgical mass balances with analysis. Test facilities are located in the UK, Germany, and Australia.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 years of proven use in achieving highest grades and recoveries in fine mineral processing
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and minor.

• Local Metallurgical Testing FacilitiessupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with local, recognised metallurgical testing facilities to support larger test requirements beyond in-house capabilities. For larger tests, Holman Wilfley works with these partners to achieve customer test requirements.
• Falmouth UniversityminorOthersCollaboration with Falmouth University's micro-internships system. The company hired Cedeal Al-Mawery from Falmouth University to update animations of the separation process on both Holman and Wilfley tables for the new website launch.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Metso: Metso (including the legacy Outotec business) is one of the world's largest mineral processing equipment manufacturers, with extensive comminution, flotation, and separation offerings. It competes with Holman Wilfley at the broader processing-plant level for mining and metals customers, though it does not specialize in wet shaking tables.
• Weir Group: Weir Group (through Weir Minerals and the former Endress+Hauser flow control businesses) supplies pumps, valves, screens, and grinding equipment to mining and minerals customers globally. It is a broad incumbent serving the same mining and metals end-markets as Holman Wilfley through a much wider equipment and service portfolio.
• FLSmidth: FLSmidth is a global mineral processing OEM offering crushing, grinding, flotation, and gravity separation (now including Knelson concentrators) across the full mining flowsheet. It overlaps with Holman Wilfley in gravity concentration but competes primarily through much broader equipment portfolios for major mining customers.

Direct peers

• Sepro Mineral Systems: Sepro Mineral Systems (Canada) manufactures Falcon gravity concentrators and related mineral processing equipment used in gold, tin, tantalum, and other fine mineral flowsheets. It is a direct competitor to Holman Wilfley in gravity-based fine mineral separation for mining operations.
• Mineral Technologies: Mineral Technologies (a subsidiary of Roper Technologies) manufactures gravity, magnetic, and electrostatic separation equipment widely used in mineral sands and fine mineral processing. It is a direct competitor in the same shaking-table-adjacent separation equipment category that Holman Wilfley serves, including ilmenite, rutile, and zircon concentrate production.
• IHC Mining: IHC Mining (part of Royal IHC) designs dredging-based and gravity concentration systems for mineral sands, tin, and alluvial mining operations. It is a direct comparable to Holman Wilfley in mineral sands separation equipment, with overlapping application in ilmenite, rutile, and zircon processing flowsheets.
• Knelson (a FLSmidth brand): The Knelson concentrator brand (now under FLSmidth) is a centrifugal gravity concentrator widely used in gold and fine mineral processing. It is a direct competitor to Holman Wilfley's gravity-based gold and mineral recovery tables, particularly in operations where centrifugal alternatives are considered.
• Gekko Systems: Gekko Systems is an Australian specialist in gravity concentration equipment (Inline Leach Reactor, centrifugal concentrators, Python processing plants) serving the global gold and fine minerals sectors. It competes directly with Holman Wilfley for gravity-based gold and mineral recovery customers and shares the small/medium-scale modular processing footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Holman-Wilfley Associates