FERMEL
FERMEL
Global Recognition for SA Mining Manufacturer PRODUCTION: David Napier
The past five decades has seen Fermel grow into not only a South African industry leader but also an international player in the manufacture of mechanised underground mining machinery. Recent success in international competitions topped off a great 2017 for this South African success story.
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For more than 50 years, Fermel has been a leading name in the manufacture and sale of underground mining machinery. This South African organisation sends products across
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the continent, and also exports to South America. Recognised for excellence in underground hardrock and flameproof mining products, Fermel’s range include personnel transfer vehicles, materials handling
vehicles, road building equipment, lifting and charging products and much more. With mining sector confidence undergoing a revitalisation thanks to the election of Cyril Ramaphosa, and
INDUSTRY FOCUS: MINING
// AS A DEDICATED MINING VEHICLE, THE MAVERICK RANGE OF VEHICLES PROVIDES IMPROVED PAYLOAD, FATIGUE LIFE AND ANTICIPATED LOAD CYCLES, LARGELY OWING TO THE UTILIZATION OF ADVANCED HIGH-STRENGTH MATERIALS. FURTHERMORE, THE TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP IS REDUCED // his appointment of Gwede Mantashe as Mineral Resources Minister, the hope is that mining will once again act as the country’s backbone, and investment will flow. This would be good news for Fermel, which supplies high-spec trackless machinery to miners across a range of disciplines – especially following a boost for the company’s reputation in 2017. This came in the form of a nomination for the prestigious Swedish Steel Prize, where Fermel was one of only four companies nominated from all over the world. The company’s LDV (Light Duty Vehicles) are used throughout the mining industry, but it was Fermel’s Maverick range of trucks that captured the attention of the Swedish Steel Prize 2017 judges. Using high-strength steel, Fermel’s product targets an area of the industry which is now in more sharper focus than ever before – safety. “Around mid-2014, we identified
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this opportunity on the basis that new mining legislation and tighter safety requirements were due in the nottoo-distant future,” said Corné Wehr, Product Design Manager at Fermel. Of course, the company’s first move was to design and develop a drive train system that could move the heavy structure, as well as the heavy loads carried by the vehicle. “There were some challenges along the way,” said Wehr. “With great effort we identified the correct axles and transmission for this application. We then needed to find a way to design a vehicle that both looked appealing and was practical for the application. We also wanted to be able to manufacture the vehicle without spending money on special tooling, but apply conventional fabrication methods.” Typically, LDV’s come in the form of standard pick-ups or commercial vehicles that have been adapted to
meet stringent safety requirements. Often, the harsh conditions of a mine can result in the vehicles slowing or needing maintenance and, after significant Capex to acquire the product, ongoing Opex is not what businesses want to deal with. This is why Fermel developed the Maverick – strong enough to be operationally effective, and durable without the need for regular maintenance. Importantly, the Maverick can be easily adapted to suit the different needs of different mines. The Wear Resistant Steel Hardox® with Brinell Hardness of 450 hbw and a typical yield strength of 1100 – 1300 megapascal (MPa) for the cab means that the Maverick can absorb heavy bumps and bruises. Strenx 700 steel was used for the chassis, meaning the vehicle can hold a payload of up to 2.5 tons. In total, around 90 of the Maverick is made from high-strength steel and wear resistant steel, and this results in improved efficiency and effectiveness, significantly reducing the total lifecycle cost for the end user. Maxine Penn, Director of Sales and Marketing at Fermel summed up the unique offering: “As a dedicated mining vehicle, the Maverick range of vehicles provides improved payload, fatigue life and anticipated load cycles, largely owing to the utilization of advanced high-strength materials. Furthermore, the total cost of ownership is reduced.” Fermel attended the awards ceremony in Stockholm in May and celebrated its international recognition. Eventually, the 2017 Swedish Steel Prize went to Swedish firm Kiruna Wagon which produces a
INDUSTRY FOCUS: MINING
wagon called the Helix Dumper. But the judges said of the South African runner up: “Fermel has developed a unique range of multi-purpose vehicles for safe transportation in mines. They meet the new more stringent safety legislation and are aimed to replace re-built standard vehicles currently used. Design optimisation of the complete vehicle, including the body, has given superior performance as to personal safety, higher payload, agility, damage resistance, reliability and lifetime. All benefits are achieved by extensive use of advanced highstrength structural and wear-resistant steels.” The company is proud of its achievement considering it initially stood against 102 other nominees from across the globe. At Fermel, innovation and product development is an ongoing focus and the business achieves
this through delivering excellent workmanship every day. Fermel’s workforce understand the challenges that are faced by miners and are able to leverage the company’s expertise
alongside personal experience to deliver first-class sales and after sales service. Away from the success achieved with the Maverick, the company has
FERMEL
also been lauded for its work with the NewGen Mini UV, a completely updated and revamped version of the previous Mini UV launched in 1999. Its body has been upgraded to use steel rather than glass fibre, and other elements of improvement have been achieved to ensure effective operation. Fermel surmises: “ FOPS ROPS, enclosed cockpit, with a 30% increase in volumetric displacement to improve comfort and ease of ingress into and, disembarking from the vehicle, while noise exposure within the cabin has been reduced to < 85db. Our latest hydraulic circuit is embedded in a single manifold, resulting in a reduction of up 80% of the original hydraulic connections, while the cabin is now an oil-less enclosure, providing an additional safety feature. “Improved ride comfort has been achieved with an upgrade to the
suspension, by adjusting its geometry. The machine includes our latest MI controller backbone with features such as collision avoidance, automatic speed control, brake performance diagnostics, access control, electronic pre-start check listing and Wi-Fi connectivity for a modern platform suited to current requirements.” This vehicle has already been called upon by Royal Bafokeng Platinum’s Styldrift Mine which will use the NewGen Mini UV for supervisory personnel and general transportation. In August, Fermel also officially announced the launch of its new, highly inventive battery powered 18 man e-shuttle. The company labels this new vehicle as “the future of mechanised platforms in mining”. Reducing environmental pollution, noise pollution and cost of ownership, the NewGen Mini can
travel for 30km on one charge, even on 10 degree inclines. South Africa’s President Ramaphosa has reiterated his support for the mining and manufacturing industries. Indeed, it is these industries that have created jobs and wealth for the country and mining and manufacturing still employ hundreds of thousands of people so it is important that they are allowed to continue to shine. Fermel is the perfect example of a business that operates successfully across these two sectors, ensuring that SA mining and manufacturing moves smoothly, efficiently and safely.
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