First Mining Drc-Zambia Jan-Feb 2023

Cover Image: Steel grating from MEISER

COVER STORY: PG 08

Editor

Bertha M. bertham@fmdrc-zambia

Sub-Editor

Anthony Kiganda

Contributing Writer

Oscar Nkala, Mfuneko Jack Lindani Mkhize Caroline Thomas Anthony Kiganda Anita Anyango

Sales and Marketing

Victor Ndlovu victorn@fmdrc-zambia.com +27 11 044 8986

EDITOR’S COMMENT

Stakeholders must address challenges facing mining industry

As industry leaders converge in Cape Town for the Mining Indaba event, it is important that key stakeholders discuss emerging challenges facing the industry and provide actionable recommendations.

It would be interesting to hear environmental challenges that mining presents and the solution thereof. This is because mining contributes a significant amount to global greenhouse gas emissions and miners are under increasing pressure to decarbonize their operations.

MEISER, Germanyheadquartered and with branches worldwide, is wellequipped to meet the need for robust and reliable steel gratings of potential clients in African mining in 2023 and beyond. The company has a wide range of steel gratings for different applications in mining operations.

www.fmdrc-zambia.com

Isabel Isiziwe isabelsiziwe@gmail.com zambia@fmdrc-zambi.com +260 96 187 4888

Advertising Consultants

Meshack Ndzendevu Polite Mkhize Gladmore Ndhlovu Leslie Nyembe

Production Coordinator Kholwani Dube kholwani@fmdrc-zambia.com

Art Director/Layout Augustine Ombwa Arobia Creative Consultancy austin@arobia.co.ke

Published By Mailing Times Media

Circulation/Sales info@fmdrc-zambia.com sales@fmdrc-zambia.com +27 11 044 8986

The key challenge for the mining industry is how to attract and retain maintenance talent in a sector that is unfashionable to younger generations, perceived as damaging to the environment, and dirty and hard physical work.

Addressing the challenges facing Africa’s mining industry would significantly improve the outlook of the sector, making it viable and structurally transformative. Investors are searching for better opportunities and Africa with its vast mineral potential offers an attractive environment for mining investment.

However, to attract investment into the sector, the authorities must address the risks and other impediments that confront the investors, including reducing bottlenecks to exploration and unstable mineral fiscal regimes

Mailing Times Media (Pty) Ltd makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the contents of its publications, but no warranty is made as to such accuracy and no responsibility will be borne by the publisher for the consequences of actions based on information so published. Further, opinions expressed are not necessarily shared by Mailing Times Media (Pty) Ltd www.fmdrc-zambia.com

Anthony Kiganda

KAMOA Copper S.A. pays an endowment from its 2021 annual turnover towards community development projects

Ihave been extremely fortunate to attend Mining Indaba over many years, and my response is always an enthusiastic “Yes!” to both these questions. I always encourage attendance by legal practitioners even though it may not seem that Mining Indaba is aimed at lawyers.

Kamoa Copper S.A. has made an amount of US $ 2,493,360.00 available to local communities, through a specialised body, to fund community development projects. This amount corresponds to 0.3% of the company’s turnover for the 2021 financial year, in accordance with

the mining laws and regulations of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The endowment was fully paid to Kamoa Copper S.A.’s specialised body - DOT KAMOA - on 20 December 2022.

This entity is responsible for overseeing and managing how the endowment will be spent on community development projects. In the company’s accounts, Kamoa Copper S.A. has made an additional provision of 0.3% of its turnover for the year 2022, for payment before the end of 2023.

The two most asked questions each year among stakeholders in the mining and natural resources sector are “Are you going to Mining Indaba next year?” and “Is it worth it?” Warren Beech, CEO of Beech Veltman Incorporated, answers these questions.

Komatsu announces plans to acquire German-based manufacturer GHH Group GmbH

Komatsu today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire GHH Group GmbH (GHH), a manufacturer of underground mining, tunnelling and special civil engineering equipment headquartered in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.

Founded in the 1960s and currently part of the German-owned Schmidt Kranz Group, GHH offers a wide range of equipment focused on loaders (LHDs) and articulated dump trucks in the midseam mass mining, narrow vein and lowprofile market segments the company also supports customers with aftermarket parts and service support through the entire life of each machine. With this acquisition, Komatsu will add GHH’s factories and rebuild facilities in key markets, in addition to its robust product offerings and talented staff.

“We are very excited about this acquisition as it represents a great opportunity for Komatsu to expand its offerings for underground mining equipment and accelerate new product development through synergies with Komatsu’s existing team and product offerings,” said Peter Salditt, president and CEO, Komatsu Mining Corp.

“By adding GHH’s factories and rebuild facilities in key markets in Europe, South Africa, India and Chile. We also aim

to strengthen production and service capabilities for our customers.” Komatsu intends to continue the excellent service GHH provides and plans to support business as usual post-acquisition. The combined team will then work together to expand Komatsu’s offering for underground mining equipment and increase customer access to products in new territories.

“GHH is excited to be able to start a new journey with a strong player in the mining world. This opens huge doors for our people and our products to develop further and grow beyond what we could have hoped for,” said GHH Group CEO Dr. Jan Petzold. “This is the next logical step in becoming a true global player and we look forward to becoming part of the Komatsu family”.

The official close of the acquisition is projected for the first half of 2023. Per the company’s ongoing mid-term management plan “DANTOTSU Value - Together, to ‘The Next’ for sustainable growth,” Komatsu is working to expand offerings for underground hard rock mining, creating new value for customers with the development of new equipment, processes and technologies that will help operations step forward to the next stage for the workplace of the future and provide a more sustainable environment for the next generation.

The GHH MK-42 truck is seen operating underground.

About Komatsu

Komatsu develops and supplies technologies, equipment and services for the construction, mining, forklift, industrial and forestry markets. For a century, the company has been creating value for its customers through manufacturing and technology innovation, partnering with others to empower a sustainable future where people, business and the planet thrive together. Front-line industries worldwide use Komatsu solutions to develop modern infrastructure, extract fundamental minerals, maintain forests and create consumer products. The company’s global service and distributor networks support customer operations to enhance safety and productivity while optimizing performance.

To learn more visit www.komatsu.com

60,000 trees for Kalumbila’s ecosystem

FQM rallies the North-West for National Tree Planting Season

Komatsu today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire GHH Group GmbH (GHH), a manufacturer of underground mining, tunnelling and special civil engineering equipment headquartered in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.

Founded in the 1960s and currently part of the German-owned Schmidt Kranz Group, GHH offers a wide range of equipment focused on loaders (LHDs) and articulated dump trucks in the midseam mass mining, narrow vein and lowprofile market segments the company

also supports customers with aftermarket parts and service support through the entire life of each machine. With this acquisition, Komatsu will add GHH’s factories and rebuild facilities in key markets, in addition to its robust product offerings and talented staff.

“We are very excited about this acquisition as it represents a great opportunity for Komatsu to expand its offerings for underground mining equipment and accelerate new product development through synergies with Komatsu’s existing team and product offerings,” said Peter

Salditt, president and CEO, Komatsu Mining Corp. “By adding GHH’s factories and rebuild facilities in key markets in Europe, South Africa, India and Chile. We also aim to strengthen production and service capabilities for our customers.”

Komatsu intends to continue the excellent service GHH provides and plans to support business as usual postacquisition. The combined team will then work together to expand Komatsu’s offering for underground mining equipment and increase customer.

Move will bolster the company’s offerings and support for customers in underground hard rock and industrial minerals

Epiroc to acquire leading provider of collision avoidance systems for mines

Mernok Elektronik is headquartered in Pretoria, South Africa. The company designs and produces proximity detection technologies and collision avoidance systems of the highest level (EMESRT Level 9) applicable for either a single machine or an entire mixed fleet of machines regardless of manufacturer or type of equipment. Mernok Elektronik’s customers are primarily in Africa. The systems significantly reduce the risk of vehicle accidents, strengthening operator safety as well as productivity.

Mernok Elektronik has about 45 employees and had revenues in the fiscal year ending February 28, 2022, of approximately MZAR 80 (MSEK 50).

“Collision avoidance is critical for the mining industry to strengthen safety and productivity, and Mernok’s advanced solutions complement Epiroc’s existing equipment and automation offering well,” says Helena Hedblom, Epiroc’s President and CEO. “Together we will provide complete collision avoidance solutions to the highest industry

standards to support our customers on their journey towards the safest and most optimal operations. We look forward to welcoming the dynamic Mernok team to Epiroc.”

The acquisition is expected to be completed in the first quarter 2023. The transaction is not subject to a disclosure obligation pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. To learn more about Mernok Elektronik, please see https:// mernok.co.za/.

NEXT GENERATION SMART ELEMENTAL ANALYSER

Epiroc, a leading productivity and sustainability partner for the mining and infrastructure industries, has agreed to acquire Mernok Elektronik (Pty) Ltd, a South African company that provides advanced collision avoidance systems for mining companies. With this acquisition, Epiroc will strengthen its position as a world-leading provider of automation and safety solutions for mining operations. Smart.

The AllScan® n-Gen elemental analyser is your high-speed ore sorting solution. AllScan gives you full control over stockpile grade, increasing production and yield and delivering higher grade, cleaner outputs.

Treatment of wastewater using membrane technologies in Mining Industries

This Wastewater Recovery treatment is mainly used to treat water polluted with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. This method removes impurities from water by using a barrier that allows certain substances to pass and block the others. Depending upon the contaminants, several different types of membranes can be used. Apart from other mechanisms such as hydrophobic effects and adsorption on the membrane surface, these technologies use size exclusion as a means of removing pollutants during the treatment of polluted waterways. Microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, and reverse osmosis are all membrane technologies. The latter is a water purification process that relies on high-pressure membrane filtration.

Membrane filtration- Microfiltration and ultrafiltration: This process uses

microfiltration and ultrafiltration membranes to treat wastewater and is similar to sand or media filters that can remove suspended solids but not dissolved solids. This process can work under pressure and vacuum and is commonly used to treat wastewater to remove bacteria and viruses.

Reverse Osmosis—Nanofiltration/ Membrane Softening: Osmosis is defined as the tendency of two solutions of varying salinities to neutralise. Reverse osmosis overcomes the natural tendency through pressure and forces the pure water through a semipermeable membrane while the pollutants are concentrated on the feed side of the membrane.

Nanofiltration operates the same way reverse osmosis does. The only difference is that the membrane is

a bit loose and allows salts to pass through while blocking larger dissolved molecules.

To remove bacteria and other contaminants found in the water as molecules and ions, reverse osmosis uses nonporous filter membranes (0.2-1.0 nm) and works by using steric effect or dimensional exclusion electric charges, exclusion, and solutesolvent-membrane physicochemical interactions. It is more effective than standard procedures for removing bioorganic pollutants from wastewater from homes and biomedical centres, such as hormones and bioactive components of pharmaceuticals.

Reverse osmosis, which has been used in the manufacture of drinking water for more than 30 years, is now being employed more frequently in the

treatment of wastewater. Membrane filtration has been a more viable option in the production of recyclable water from industrial effluent since 1990, thanks to the development of environmental regulations in both developed and developing countries.

How Mining Industry Can Improve Water Efficiency:

There are following way to improve the water efficiency in Mining Industry (Mineral Ore Processing):

1. Evaluate Opportunities for Energy and Chemical Optimization: One way to improve water efficiency in the mining industry is to evaluate opportunities for energy and chemical efficiency. It means that industries need to find out if there is a possibility to lower the energy usage by water resources at mines such as aerators, blowers, and pumps.

2. Ensure Compliance by Optimising Chemical Dosage in the Water/ Wastewater Treatment Processes: The next step is to make sure that the water/wastewater treatment process is complying by maximising chemical dosage. With the use of

artificial intelligence, industries can maximise their chemical dosage setpoints without straying from the compliance limits.

3. Leverage Artificial Intelligence to Reduce Energy in Water/ Wastewater Treatment Processes to Lower Water Related Costs: Artificial intelligence can reduce energy in water treatment processes and can help save on water related costs. By installing an artificial intelligence system at the mining site, it becomes easier to monitor the water assets remotely for energy consumption. This will also help to save energy and money.

4. Ensure Wastewater Treatment Processes Are Reusing as Much Water as Possible: It is important to reuse as much water as possible. Water efficiency cannot be achieved if water usage is not optimised for the wastewater treatment process.

5. Leverage Historical Data to Enable AI to Help Optimise Water and Wastewater Treatment Processes: Predicting is done based on what has happened in the past. In order to improve water and wastewater treatment processes at mining sites,

industries need to provide past data related to that so AI can learn from it and make predictions.

6. Ensure Wastewater Treatment Process Is Leveraging AI to Optimise Water for Reuse: Artificial intelligence allows operators to recirculate process water to minimise water intake, tailing storage, and effluent discharge volumes. Industries can save up to 30% on operational expenditures by enabling intelligent water and wastewater operations.

7. Increase Water Reuse by Optimising Membrane Downtime and Recovery: The seventh and final way the mining industry can improve is by increasing the reuse of water through optimization of membrane downtime and recovery. Artificial intelligence can help do this by enabling membrane recovery optimization, membrane cleaning scheduling, and filtration optimization.

Please contact for more information water@watermanaustralia.com

Robust steel gratings for mining industry floor and walkways

Robust, Relevant and Reliable

MEISER, Germany-headquartered and with branches worldwide, is well-equipped to meet the need for robust and reliable steel gratings of potential clients in African mining in 2023 and beyond. The company has a wide range of steel gratings for different applications in mining operations.

surfaces like chequered plates; round holes with different diameters to even patterns with more than 70% open space.

“Stepbloc” is the most common profile plank, with a very good anti-slip surface, which can be used as walkways on the ground even for inclined areas. In addition, these planks allow a bigger clear span, which means savings in steel structures. Same as the gratings, these products are also customised for each project.

Currently, mining companies are increasing production to make the most of the spell of high commodity prices. As you would have thought, there is more traffic on walkways of mineral processing plants, stairs and floors of operating stations. In the course of this, unavoidably, there will be safety risks such as workers slipping and injuring themselves in the areas where they step on. In the extreme, there could also be the risk of fall-at-height accidents resulting in fatalities. That is why the use of gratings is essential to ensure safety and productivity.

MEISER, one of the biggest and most recognised manufacturers of steel gratings in the world, says mining companies should be prudent when selecting gratings for their respective applications in their operations.

The company’s team of application engineers recommend the company’s steel gratings to mining companies. Particularly, they highlight the diverse product range, the flexibility of custommade designs and safety-enhancing features.

Diverse product range

•

MEISER Gratings

MEISER has two main product lines of gratings:

MEISER press-welded and MEISER press-locked gratings. MEISER presswelded, the MGSP-grating, has a twisted cross bar electro-forged welded at each mesh connection point and which is flush on top of the flat bearing bars. MEISER press-locked, the MGPR-gratings’ cross and bearing bars are flat bars, pressed together with more than 500t.

•

MEISER Top-Plate

Yet another steel product of industry interest is the MEISER Top-plate. This is a grating with welded chequered plate (vastrap) on top. This design ensures that the customer has just one product, with the advantages of stiffness offered by the grating and closed surface due to the chequered plate and it can be fixed like a grating. Hence, there is no need to weld it to the structure like for just chequered plate.

Both grating types can be delivered with different mesh openings and bearing bar sizes, always adapted to the specific project. The gratings can be made from different steel grades (also stainless steel), as well as aluminium.

For corrosion protection, MEISER can either offer hot dip galvanizing from their own galvanizing plants or different suitable coatings or paintings, depending on the project requirements.

• MEISER Profile planks

In addition to gratings, MEISER offers different types of profile planks (C-profiles) which can be also used for mining applications. There is a vast range of mining-specific surfaces, from very good antislip to completely closed

Custom-made designs

In the design and engineering of steel gratings, precision is vital as products serve a critical function in mining. Thus, mining-specific steel gratings should be robust enough to withstand harsh conditions.

Considering this need, MEISER personalises design to the application and the specifications of the project. “The process starts with checking the

requested loads and clear spans. And depending on these, we adapt the height and thickness of the load bars as well as the mesh sizes according to static calculation. Further environmental aspects (like humidity or special acids, material in the mines), which have a significant impact on selecting the right material grade and the suitable coating, are also taken into consideration,” say the team of engineers.

Another important aspect is the choice of the appropriate fixing elements. MEISER’S engineers check the base structural elements as well as the environmental conditions of the project to choose the right type of fixing

“All in all, we are flexible with the design of our products and can adapt them to the different standards of the different regions for example, we can design following BS standards or ASTM standards for America or any other standard provided by the customer, for the gratings/planks as well as the galvanizing,” the engineers state.

Safety enhancing features

Worth mentioning are the safetyenhancing features that make the flagship steel gratings suitable for deployment in the mining environment.

These are:

• Load capacities and levelling the bearing and crossbar

To meet the load requirements, static calculations are made and the bearing bars and the mesh are adapted accordingly. Besides the correct stiffness, the other essential factor is safety. This is achieved by levelling the bearing and crossbar so that the foot is touching both structural elements. This also makes it more comfortable to walk or to stand on these gratings.

Mesh

•

MEISER can vary the mesh sizes so that at least one bar distance is a maximum of 34mm (centre) or even smaller. They can also meet requirements such as 20 or 15-mm ball-proof gratings to protect people working in lower storeys from items falling through the openings of the gratings.

Serrations

•

MEISER can provide different serration types on the bearing bars to enhance safety. In the case of using press-locked gratings, serration can be applied also on the cross bars.

• Slip resistance

Depending on the serration and grating type, different slip resistance classes can be reached, wich are approved by a test proceedure.

•

Stair treads with perforated safety nosing

Stair treads of the same type as the gratings can be delivered. All come with perforated safety nosing and end plates to be bolted to the stringers on site.

In-house production capacity

Clientele in the mining sector requires steel with different gratings. Thanks to having a complete production process in-house, MEISER can meet demand consistently. Under one roof, it can carry out the process from raw material processing to the galvanizing of the finished products.

Product selection

MEISER is cognisant that selecting a product for a specific application in the mining environment can be convoluted. Considering this, MEISER helps clients through the process involved to ensure that they choose suitable products.

“When engaging with the clientele to choose the right product, we try to get as much as information possible about the specifications of each project.”

“We have like a standard questionnaire for all the necessary details we need to design the right product. For instance, we need to know the type of project, the environmental impacts, the load requirements, the clear spans, the type of steel structure, any construction restrictions, maximum, weight per grating, ball proof, just to cite a few,” the engineers explain.

Upon gathering the information, the team at MEISER designs the suitable product and discusses the technical solution with the customer to prepare a detailed suitable quote. Static calculations can be also sent. Detailed drawings based on the customers’ steel structure plans are also part of the engineering package provided to the customers.

Mining companies, just like other industries, are under pressure to remain sustainable businesses and meet environmental, social and governance (ESG), as well as safety requirements. And so, MEISER strives to offer solutions that help mining companies meet these objectives.

The company bends over backwards to be abreast of new trends and customer needs. And so, MEISER undertakes upgrades of existing products and launches new products. From different materials to different surfaces, as well as specific products designed together with the customer.

“We can meet new requirements within a short time as we also have our in-house research and development as well as our division for engineering for machines and tools where we can adapt both to the production of new products. On the whole, our mining-specific gratings are robust, reliable and relevant,” the engineers assure.

The company is well-equipped to meet the need for robust and reliable steel gratings of potential clients in African mining in 2023 and beyond.

Headquartered in Germany, where it has main plants, MEISER has other production sites worldwide.

Wide range of diverse applications

MEISER’s grating is a structural element that has a high load-bearing capacity with low deadweight and a high level of transparency. The positive-fitting connection of the bearing bars and cross bars with the surround makes the grating not only a very stable, but also visually attractive product.

Specifically, as an extremely robust, safe yet light platform flooring, MEISER’s grating is indispensable in all areas of heavy industry. Small wonder, the steel gratings have diverse applications, almost everywhere in industry and architecture. The grating is installed in refineries, power stations, steel mills, mines and on oil platforms. MEISER offers the largest range of grating worldwide for these applications.

Hon. Gwede Mantashe Minister of Mineral Resources & Energy Republic of South Africa

Duncan Wanblad

Chief Executive Anglo American Group

Mark Bristow

CEO

Barrick Gold

Hon. Lefoko Maxwell Moagi Minister of Mineral Resources, Green Tech & Energy Security Republic of Botswana

Andre de Ruyter

CEO Eskom

Benedikt Sobotka CEO ERG Resources

Hon. Paul Chanda C. Kabuswe, MP Minister of Mines & Minerals Development Republic of Zambia

Sinead Kaufman Chief Executive – Minerals Rio Tinto

Rohitesh Dhawan CEO ICMM

Hon. Dr Abdirizak Omar Mohamed Minister of Petroleum & Mining Somalia

Tom Palmer President & CEO Newmont Corporation

Roger Baxter CEO Minerals Council South Africa

Launch of Human Rights and Child Labour Indices for Battery Passport

The Global Battery Alliance (“GBA”), a multi-stakeholder organisation to establish a sustainable battery value chain, today launched its Human Rights Index and Child Labour Index for the Battery Passport, ahead of Human Rights Day on 10th December. The indices are the world’s first frameworks to measure and score the efforts of any company or product specific to the battery value chain towards supporting the elimination of child labour and respecting human rights.

The indices were developed by the GBA’s Human Rights and Child Labour working group, led by Levin Sources and including Tesla, UNICEF, Volkswagen, Eurasian Resources Group, Responsible Mica Initiative, and the Cobalt Institute, among other members.

Child labour and human rights violations are a critical and growing issue in the battery supply chain, particularly as demand for batteries continues to increase to achieve the green transition.

To address this, the GBA’s indices will incorporate and go beyond existing international standards and frameworks, including guidance from the United Nations, OECD, International Labour Organization and UNICEF. They will enable all reporting companies to more comprehensively assess their performance and that of their products according to more than 100 indicators across their operations, business relationships, and supply chains.

To reduce the burden for reporting entities, the indicators include indicative standard equivalency assessments for

commonly used responsible mining and sourcing standards.

Alongside the recently published Greenhouse Gas Rulebook to calculate the battery carbon footprint, the Human Rights Index and Child Labour Index will serve as key performance indicators for the GBA’s Battery Passport – a transparency framework integrating technical data, with provenance data and sustainability performance at the product level of the individual battery. In the long term, the GBA will issue a battery quality seal based on data benchmarking to provide consumers with trusted data on a battery’s characteristics, provenance and ESG performance. In doing so, the Passport will certify whether a battery was produced with respect for human rights, including those child rights that

determine the occurrence and severity of child labour. In the future, the Battery Passport may include additional standard equivalencies and automated scoring.

For start-up businesses, or those that are rapidly scaling, these indices offer a checklist for building a robust human rights due diligence system. For companies that already have human rights and/or child labour due diligence systems in place, the indices enable them to run a “health check” on their systems and set out a roadmap to improve their performance, including how to address the root causes.

The current versions of the indices serve as a self-reporting tool for companies and are precursors to more comprehensive indicator frameworks to be developed in 2023. The GBA’s members will work collaboratively to refine the scoring logic, incorporate findings from the pilots, and develop assurance mechanisms for the indices over the next year. While the current versions can be used by companies sourcing from or adjacent to artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM), the GBA plans to roll out additional indices in the future, including a dedicated index for use by ASM producers.

Benedikt Sobotka, Co-Chair of the Global Battery Alliance and CEO of Eurasian Resources Group, said: “It is crucial that rapidly rising demand for batteries does not come at the expense of adults’ or children’s basic human rights. The GBA is proud to have launched these Human Rights and Child Labour Indices, which aim to immediately and urgently eliminate child and forced labour, strengthen communities and respect the human rights of those employed by the battery value chain. The roll-out of these indices has been possible thanks to the GBA’s global, collaborative approach, and we look forward to developing them further with valuable input from our members.”

Inga Petersen, Executive Director of the Global Battery Alliance, said: “These are the first universally applicable indices to measure and score companies’ efforts to control risks and drive positive impacts in relation to child labour and human rights in battery supply chains. The indices are applicable to every enterprise that participates in our flagship Battery Passport or is involved in the production, trade or transportation of battery components. We hope that they will help meaningfully reduce the likelihood and

severity of human rights violations and child labour in the battery value chain.”

Tom Einar Jensen, Co-founder and CEO of FREYR, said: “We anticipate significant scale across the battery industry in the coming decades. As we deliver on the immense demand, it is fundamental that we do so sustainably. We must keep the people across our entire value chain top of mind. Everyone must take part in the value creation. It’s about creating job opportunities, building competence, ensuring safe working conditions, generating tax income for municipalities, and making a nature positive impact in our communities. For many new companies like FREYR, the GBA Human Rights and Child Labor Indexes provides both insights as well as guidance on how to secure the rights of all people. We have already learned from this work and will implement the steps and requirements into our processes, contracts and conversations.”

Atle Høie, IndustriALL General Secretary, said: “The battery supply chain is complex and we welcome the indices as a means to ensure that violations of human rights don’t go undetected. The rights of the workers along this increasingly important value chain need to be respected. Workers’ rights are human rights.”

Fanny Frémont, Executive Director of the Responsible Mica Initiative, said: “As mica is used extensively in electrical batteries and is associated with significant risks of child labour and human rights abuses, it was only natural for the Responsible Mica Initiative to contribute to the definition of these two indices. We are deeply pleased with their publication, and we are confident that they will be useful to the entire industry in identifying and implementing the necessary remedial actions towards eradication of child labour and human rights violations”.

Susannah McLaren, Head of Responsible Sourcing and Sustainability, Cobalt Institute, said: “Building a transparent battery value chain can only be achieved if it is underpinned by robust human rights due diligence aligned with international authoritative frameworks that enables companies to address their most salient issues, beginning with child labour. Over the past two years, the Cobalt Institute is proud to have invested time and effort in the Global Battery Alliance to bring the battery passport to fruition which we believe can be a

catalyst for achieving positive outcomes for people and planet.”

Full list of contributors: The Child Labour Index and Human Rights Index have been developed through a participatory process led by Levin Sources on behalf of the Global Battery Alliance since January 2021. This index has been drafted by Levin Sources in close consultation with and with significant input from the following contributors: BASF, Battery Associates, Cobalt Institute, Eurasian Resources Group, Everledger, Freyr Battery, GIZ, Glencore, IndustriALL Global Union, Natural Resources Canada, Pact, RCS Global, Renault Group, the Responsible Business Alliance, Responsible Mica Initiative, Tesla, Umicore, UNICEF, and Volkswagen. The following historical contributors are also gratefully acknowledged: IMPACT, the London Metal Exchange, SAFT, The Good Shepherd International Foundation, and Volvo Group.

Alliance for Responsible Mining, RCS Global, Systemiq (on behalf of the Battery Pass Project), The International Institute for Sustainable Development, and The Centre for Child Rights and Business also provided invaluable guidance to the indices’ development by “stress testing” each index against the themes of auditability, ASM responsiveness, child rights responsiveness, gender responsiveness and EC regulatory alignment.

About the Global Battery Alliance: The Global Battery Alliance (GBA) brings together around 120 leading international organisations, NGOs, industry actors, academics and governments to align collectively in a pre-competitive approach, in order to drive systemic change across the battery value chain. Incubated by the World Economic Forum in 2017 until its incorporation as a not-for-profit organisation in 2022, members of the GBA collaborate to achieve the goals set out in the GBA 2030 Vision and agree to the Ten GBA Guiding Principles. The GBA’s multistakeholder governance structure aims to ensure inclusivity in decisionmaking and strategic focus. Its Action Partnerships provide a collaborative platform for members to pool their expertise and achieve the shared goals of circularity, environmental protection and sustainable development.

All roads lead to Cape Town for Investing in African Mining Indaba

participated in the US-South Africa Strategic Dialogue and co-chaired sessions that explored ways to deepen bilateral cooperation on climate and energy issues, as well as strengthen economic ties between the two countries. The theme for 2023 is ‘Unlocking African Mining Investment: Stability, Security, and Supply’ and will feature speakers who will consider the challenges and opportunities facing the continent’s mining industry as it seeks ways to bolster its economic power amid the global rush to secure supply for greener energy transition.

There were 6,550 people who attended the Investing in African Mining Indaba (Mining Indaba) in 2022, an increase on the 6,500 of 2020. There were three Heads of State, one Prime Minister, 48 government ministers and 19 ambassadors, and high commissioners. There were also 846 executives and directors, 500 investors and 245 media members in attendance.

Mining Indaba is returning to Cape Town with an impressive speaker lineup comprising thought leaders and decision-makers from across the mining industry.

“We saw a record-breaking Indaba in May 2022 that really set the tone for the industry and for post-pandemic events as we lead up to February 2023. We are seeing a lot of early commitment and we are encouraged by the interest we have already received. This really reaffirms the importance of the Indaba, that it is given the upmost attention and support by state officials and is really driving positive policy change across the continent.” said Simon Ford, Portfolio Director, Investing in African Mining Indaba.

Leading the charge of government leaders that will be in attendance are South African Minister of Mineral

Resources and Energy, Gwede Mantashe and Minister of Trade and Industry, Ebrahim Patel.

Government leaders from mining producing countries in Africa include the Nigerian Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Gbemisola Ruqayyah Saraki; Ghanaian Minister of Land and Natural Resources, Samuel Jinapor and the Ghanaian Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, George Mireku Duker; as well as the Zambian Minister of Mines and Minerals Development, Paul Kabuswe.

Investing in African Mining Indaba continues to garner significant support across the continent, with government officials from Chad, Ethiopia, Botswana, Central African Republic, Mali, Mauritania, Namibia, Somalia and South Sudan having also made early commitments.

On the global front, United States of America Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment, Jose W. Fernandez, will be in attendance. He will be joined by Special Presidential Coordinator Amos Hochstein. Fernandez last visited South Africa in August 2022 where he

Attendees will hear from global mining leadership including Anglo American Chief Executive, Duncan Wanblad; Rio Tinto’s Chief Executive - Minerals, Sinead Kaufman; CEO of Exxaro Resources, Dr Nombasa Tsengwa; Minerals Council South Africa CEO, Roger Baxter; Gécamines SA Chairman Alphonse Kaputo Kalubi, and CEO of ICMM, Rohitesh Dhawan.

This year, the brand-new Explorers’ Showcase for private or unlisted exploration companies from across Africa is being launched. It enables explorers to gain access to Mining Indaba’s elite network of deal-makers to help raise finance or find the right partner to advance a project. he popular Mining Indaba ESG Awards are back for a second year running, which will highlight junior mining companies that excel in making a significant positive ESG impact. The awards are an opportunity to put a company in the spotlight and reward them for excelling.

Mining Indaba is dedicated to the successful capitalisation and development of mining interests in Africa. Succeeding for over 28 years, Mining Indaba has a unique and widening perspective of the African mining industry, bringing together visionaries and innovators from across the spectrum.

Investing in African Mining Indaba kicks off this February in the heart of Cape Town at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC). Convention Square, 1 Lower Long Street, Cape Town, 8001, South Africa.

Investing in African Mining Indaba has been a staple of the Cape Town calendar for 28 years. It started as a low-key event in a local Cape Town hotel and brought together investors and mining houses. Fast-forward today, it hosts the entire mining supply chain from Heads of States, government officials, mining houses, financiers, lawyers, and consultants.

In 2022, the event contributed R156m to the South African economy. The contribution to Cape Town and the Western Cape, being subsets, was R105m and R127m respectively.

Eskom’s De Ruyter Among Headline Speakers at Mining Indaba 2023

The world’s largest mining event, Investing in African Mining Indaba (https://www.MiningIndaba.com), is returning to Cape Town in February 2023 and its speaker line-up boasts business, government, policymakers and investors from across the mining industry.

In February, attendees will hear from global leaders in the Mining Indaba network including Anglo American Chief Executive, Duncan Wanblad; Rio Tinto’s Chief Executive, Minerals, Sinead Kaufman; CEO of Exxaro Resources, Dr. Nombasa Tsengwa; Minerals Council South Africa CEO, Roger Baxter; Gécamines SA Chairman Alphonse Kaputo Kalubi, and CEO of ICMM, Rohitesh Dhawan, as well as many other top executives deeply involved in Africa’s mining industry.

Addressing the 2023 theme of “Unlocking the future of African mining”, next year’s speakers will consider the challenges and opportunities facing the continent’s mining industry as it seeks ways to bolster its economic power amid the global rush to secure supply for the transition to greener energies. The transition to greener energy is a global priority and as governments and companies increasingly turn to more sustainable and renewable power, the

focus is on Africa as a core source of critical minerals like copper, nickel and cobalt. African mining has the challenge of providing raw materials into this rapidly growing market while ensuring that the continent can manage its own energy transition.

Security of supply and the availability of power is a pressure point for the South African economy and Mining Indaba is pleased to announce that André de Ruyter, CEO of South Africa’s state power utility Eskom, has been confirmed that he will address the event for the first time.

Since joining Eskom in 2020, De Ruyter has had to contend with significant obstacles, chief among them the power generation capacity. As the country’s coal-fired power stations age and are slowly decommissioned, the utility has had to juggle growing demand with generation capacity. De Ruyter, who told COP27 that it is cheaper to move to green energy than build more coalfired plants, is working with the South African Department of Forestry and Fisheries and Environmental Affairs to plan for the utility’s energy transition.

De Ruyter is expected to update the mining community on the utility’s proposed approach to this transition,

as well as Eskom’s plans to ensure that South Africa has the power it needs to participate meaningfully on a global level.

Also at Mining Indaba 2023 will be Former chairman of the Mining Indaba advisory board, Mpho Makwana, who will be joined by World Bank lead mining specialist Boubacar Bocoum and Newmont Corporation SVP – Africa Dave Thornton on a keynote panel to debate whether the issue of security of supply is a threat of opportunity in African metals and minerals supercyclic context.

Other headline speakers who have confirmed their attendance are Ivanhoe Founder and Executive Co-Chair Robert Friedland, Vedanta Resources CEO Sunil Duggal, Anglo American Platinum CEO Natascha Viljoen, Newmont President and CEO Tom Palmer and Gold Fields CEO Chris Griffith. These global thought leaders will share what they are doing to address price volatility, geopolitical risks, mineral and energy security and the path to net zero – which are all key to unlocking investment on the continent.

YOUR OFFICE, ANYWHERE.

The NEW 10-inch Mesa® Pro Rugged Tablet delivers device longevity and data protection. Make it work for your specific mine sites when you customise and configure the Mesa Pro to your exact needs. 10-inch display. Lightning-fast processor. All-day, hot-swappable battery. Contact us today: junipersys.com | rugged@junipersys.com | +44 (0) 1527 870773

Why ceramic liners are a darling to miners

The global ceramic wear liner market is estimated to be USD 5.73 Billion in 2018 and projected to grow exponentially. The growth of the ceramic wear liner industry can be attributed to the rising adoption of composite ceramics as well as increased usage across various industries such as metal & mining, chemical, power generation, food processing & beverage, pulp & paper among others.

Moreover, the rising awareness among consumers regarding the benefits offered by ceramic wear liners is also contributing to the growth of this market. Ceramic wear liners are the key components in a wide range of industries such as mining, coal handling, metal and non-metal ore processing, foundry sand & ceramic raw material storage services. Ceramic Wear Liners help to extend equipment life by protecting them from the high impact on abrasive materials.

A ceramic wear liner is a specially designed lining that helps to protect equipment from the effects of abrasion. The main use for ceramic wear liners is in chute lining, where they help to reduce the amount of material that is

lost down the chute and also keep the chute itself clean. Chutes are used in many industries, such as mining, quarrying, and agriculture, so there is a wide range of applications for ceramic wear liners. Some other common uses for ceramic wear liners include conveyor belt systems, cyclone cluster systems, and pipelines.

Ceramic wear liner is a good, long-term wear liner for continuously operating belts carrying highly abrasive material where impact is minimal. A mild steel backing plate faced with ceramic blocks is a good choice in these circumstances. Improve poor material flow caused by narrow sectors in the process and reduces noise and vibration in the application.

Ceramic wear liners are now in high demand for protecting areas with extreme sliding abrasion from bulk material handling, particularly in Coal and Ore mineral applications.

Ceramic’s natural properties like built-in resistance to abrasion make it a great choice for wear-resistant lining material. Its sturdiness holds up to high material

flows and speeds to prevent build-up and increase grain quality. Since ceramic naturally resists corrosion, it offers impact protection in high-flow situations. However, ceramic wear liners can be difficult to attach to existing chute work, requiring special adhesives or suspension within an elastomeric matrix. They can also detach easily from the substrate if surface preparation is poor or if the adhesives and elastomers are incorrectly prepared. They are extremely difficult to cut and cannot be bent or formed.

For this reason, FLSmidth has released a new patent pending wear liner product, FerroCer® Impact, which helps mining companies reduce production downtime. A unique composite structure of steel and ceramic components, FerroCer® Impact provides the advantages of both ceramic and metallic materials. Combining the superior abrasion resistance of a ceramic with the strength, toughness and malleability of a metal, it handles hard and abrasive materials in medium to high impact applications.

The economic benefits of Mining Indaba 2022

The 2022 Mining Indaba greatly benefited the hospitality industry just as the Covid-19 lock down was being eased, the company has said in a report.

Hotels and restaurants were the largest beneficiary, followed by shops, markets, and souvenir sellers. Service providers like finance, insurance, advertising and travel agencies also benefited, as did local travel through car hire, Ubers, metered taxis and tour buses.

Economic benefits are reported from two perspectives. First, is benefit distribution. The event contributed R156m to the South African economy. The contribution to Cape Town and the Western Cape, being subsets, was R105m and R127m respectively. Second, is the source of the benefits. The most important were delegates at R54m for Cape Town, (51% of total). This was followed by the Hyve Group, the event manager with R44m (41%) and exhibitors R7m (7%).

The event created 83 direct full-time equivalent jobs in Cape Town. There were also 141 total Cape Town jobs, through the multiplier effects, 182 provincially and 214 nationally. National taxes increased by R19m of which R14m was from international sources.

Household incomes increased by R60m and net foreign exchange by R56m. The overall conclusion is that the Indaba was a prestigious event which raised Cape Town’s profile and made a substantial economic contribution. The event grew the economy, created jobs, generated taxes and foreign exchange. This year it threw a lifeline to the Cape Town hospitality industry. The economic contribution was smaller than 2020 following the understandable caution of the organiser and exhibitors.

The Indaba generated R19m for the national fiscus of which R14m was from international sources. Taxes from event

management and delegates were largely the same and made up 93% of all taxes. The event attracted R90m in forex and used R33m (on specialised equipment, for example). This means that there was a net R56m forex inflow. In this instance event management accounted for 71% and delegates brought in a further 25%. Mining Indaba was the first major event to take place in Cape Town with record numbers attending globally including over 6,500 delegates, 3 Heads of State, 1 Prime Minister and 67 Ministers and Ambassadors contributing R177m to the GDP.

The Indaba was a hugely positive economic contribution from the event to South African business tourism. First, from setting up and running the convention and exhibition. This includes spending by convention and exhibition organisers, exhibitors at the event, delegates attending the conventions and visitors attending the exhibitions. Second, from delegate spending on accommodation, travel, sightseeing, meals, souvenirs, etc.

This was estimated using StratEcon databases and the most recent South African tourism data. It was also calibrated to current industry accommodation rates, the variations of which are not fully captured in the annual tourism surveys.

Third, anecdotal evidence suggests that many delegates from other countries on the continent purchase consumer durables. Fourth, some international delegates return with their family as tourists and some become regular visitors. It would be premature to quantify this impact now, particularly after the Covid-19 travel restrictions, but future versions of this report will endeavour to do so.

Fifth, there can be business to business benefits. Business to business conventions and exhibitions are a key

meeting place for agreement to be reached on a wide range of different types of potential business cooperation. These can be orders, cooperation agreements and foreign direct investment, to name a few. In turn the deals can be between business people within the Western Cape, between the Western Cape and other provinces and between South Africa and other countries.

Various events supporting both the conference and the expo are specifically designed to promote networking experiences. Six, is potential SMME business development. Small business development is a key component of any poverty alleviation strategy. SMMEs offer a way out of poverty through economic empowerment that is far more efficient than reliance on hand-outs. Seventh is the promotion of sustainability in the industry.

The overall conclusion is that the Indaba was a prestigious event which raised Cape Town’s profile and made a substantial economic contribution. The event grew the economy, created jobs, generated taxes and foreign exchange. This year it threw a lifeline to the Cape Town hospitality industry. The overall economic contribution was smaller than 2020 following the understandable caution of the organiser and exhibitors. Delegate expenditure, however, was higher, despite some hotel rates not having fully adjusted back to pre-covid levels, and reflects that this version of the event attracted more people to Cape Town than before.

The report was commissioned for the 2022 Mining Indaba to understand the economic impact of the event on the local communities.

A lawyer’s hot take on mining indaba 2023

without understanding the landscape and challenge, often means the advice is legalistic in nature and may not be business-orientated or practical.

Ihave been extremely fortunate to attend Mining Indaba over many years, and my response is always an enthusiastic “Yes!” to both these questions. I always encourage attendance by legal practitioners even though it may not seem that Mining Indaba is aimed at lawyers.

Naturally there are costs involved in attending the Indaba, and some may wonder if there’s a good return on the investment of attending in the form of instructions received and work generated. In my view, for lawyers this should not be the criteria that is applied to determine whether participation and attendance has been successful.

For me, it is more about meeting up with existing clients, networking and relationship building, meeting new stakeholders in the mining and natural resources sector, attending keynote addresses and panel discussions, and assessing whether the themes and trends that are being discussed are aligned with our commitment to providing holistic, practical, implementable advice to our clients in this sector.

To achieve this commitment, we must always anticipate the themes and trends that will affect our clients’ business in the short- to medium term and, as always,

listening to other stakeholders in the mining and natural resources sector –including legal practitioners – provides a multi-faceted, diverse view which adds perspective.

The keynote addresses and panel discussions in 2023 will again be focused on themes and trends which have had a direct impact on the mining and natural resources sector over the past few years, and which will continue to do so in the near future. Some of the key issues affecting the sector in recent years include cyclical demand and price volatility, supply chain and infrastructure constraints, acceleration of innovation to address these challenges as a result of factors such as the pandemic, geopolitical instability as a result of military action (for example, in Mozambique and other countries in Africa and, of course, the Russia-Ukraine war), the focus on the Just Transition, decarbonisation generally, and compliance with the Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) principles.

Each of these themes will be addressed at Mining Indaba 2023 in some form or another. It is vital for legal practitioners to understand the changing landscape and how this has, and will, affect legislative frameworks. Providing advice to clients in the mining and natural resources sector

Each of these themes and trends have featured strongly in the work that Beech Veltman has done over the last two to three years, including commercial transactions, compliance, mergers and acquisitions, health, safety and the environment, and the increased demand for in-house training to avoid adverse consequences from non-compliance.

Other key themes and trends that have featured strongly in our work over the last year, and which must be discussed and debated, include the regularisation of artisanal and small-scale mining which is often carried out illegally, and the increased demand from communities in and around mines for jobs, service provider opportunities and infrastructure development. All of these elements have a significant impact on investment decisions, both in respect of new mines and existing mining operations.

Mining Indaba remains an important event for various reasons, including its focus on the broader African mining and natural resources sector, and the range of delegates that attend the indaba. These include regulators, executives, governments, investors, representatives of the junior mining sector (many of which are empowered companies) and representatives from the larger trade unions.

Lawyers have an important role to play in the various discussions and debates at the indaba and, afterwards, to make sure that the key messages are communicated as broadly as possible. (Mining Indaba)

The two most asked questions each year among stakeholders in the mining and natural resources sector are “Are you going to Mining Indaba next year?” and “Is it worth it?” Warren Beech, CEO of Beech Veltman Incorporated, answers these questions.

Confidence and competence

– the keys to unlocking the potential of women in mining

Simone Naicker, the Senior Metallurgical Engineer at Exxaro Resources, discussed her experience as a woman in the mining sector and three steps companies could take in 2023 to build confidence in their workforce.

There has been keen focus by companies, employees, and governing bodies to welcome more women into the mining workforce. According to the Women in Mining in South AfricaFact Sheet, published by the Minerals Council of South Africa, the number of women working in the mining sector has increased significantly – from 11 400 in 2002 to around 54 100 in 2018.

In 2018 women represented 12% of the mining labour force, and this positive trajectory has continued to date. As an engineer, I often find myself conducting risk analyses and implementing control measures to limit exposure to risk –the topic of women in mining being no exception. Key risks to the workforce include the need to reduce personal insecurity, imposter syndrome and a lack of confidence. Often, the spotlight is shone on women who have the innate confidence to be successful in any industry anyway, mining included.

Simone-Naicker-(4).jpg

How do we cater for and upskill women who are less sure of themselves and what is the risk if we do not? The risk, if we do not build the confidence of new employees entering the mining space is massive. If the industry creates opportunities for women without building their confidence, we will have an influx of competent, but ‘not-confident’ individuals, who meet all criteria but have a fatal flaw – insecurity. The problem with an insecure workforce is that it is not trusting and is typically defensive, which is damaging to company culture and team effectiveness.

How can we ensure that women who may need the support are enabled to build their confidence to lead, impact, and excel in the mining industry?

Here are 3 steps companies could take in 2023 to build confidence in their workforce:

Allocation of an internal senior mentor operating within the same functional area. As a young woman I have learned so much from my internal mentors in metallurgical engineering. Hearing experienced views on challenges I am facing has not only aided in resolving challenges, but has developed my ability to think problems through. It gives me confidence to know that I am developing along the right path.

Experiential learning and acting opportunities

Humans learn by doing – that is just how we work. When I first arrived on the mines after university, it was quite intimidating seeing the scale at which production took place – the differing technology, the number of people. I can honestly share that it was through picking up a hose pipe and washing the plant floor that I gained an understanding of how dense magnetite really is. It is one thing to read the density value of 5.17 g/cm3 but to truly understand, one must do. Acting in roles across the value chain support your understanding of the business and allows one to maximise their impact.

Soft skills courses on self-leadership

Publicly leading teams towards achieving production success is heralded and awarded by many. Leading oneself in the quiet of our minds – not so much. Nobody is there to give us the credit or encourage us toward the right neural pathways and so we need to have the right tools in our toolboxes to manage ourselves. Courses that teach employees how will offer great value to the individual and as a result, their teams, and the company they work for.

Developing the confidence of our competent workforce will unlock our superpowers. I have seen that confident women in the workplace are absolute powerhouses. It is however important to distinguish between confidence and arrogance. Confidence is believing in yourself. Arrogance is telling others you’re better than they are. Confidence inspires, arrogance destroys. I would add to that confidence is the ability to say that you do not know the answer but are willing to learn. As a confident person, you understand that your self-worth is inherent and is not tied to being right or proving that you are more learned. As such, you are free to search for the best solution to the problem, you are more willing to collaborate and share ideas.

As a young woman in mining, looking ahead, my vision for the ideal woman in mining is someone humble enough to know that they do not always have all the answers. Women who are competent and confident enough to think it through, collaborate and innovate towards the best solution. The future is exciting and full of opportunities, all we can do is work on being the best version of ourselves.

Mining Indaba takes place in a few weeks time, join the entire value chain from 6-9 February to be part of this essential moment in the African mining investment calendar. (Mining Indaba)

Simone Naicker, the Senior Metallurgical Engineer at Exxaro Resources

Magna Tyres returns to Mining Indaba Show with their

latest OTR Tyre portfolio

Mining Indaba Show, the world’s largest mining show will be returning to Cape Town at the International Convention Centre from the 6th to 9th February 2023 to continue its domination in staging a prestigious trade event for the global mining industry over the past three decades.

Dutch OTR tyre manufacturer Magna Tyres will be returning for the fifth time as exhibitors to this highly important show for the future of African mining. The team of Magna Tyres South Africa will be present at the stand as well as members from the executive team from head office.

Magna Tyres South Africa Managing Director, Robert-Jan Geurink says: “For Magna Tyres South Africa this impending show represents the perfect opportunity to once again reconnect and meet up

with important and key decision makers in the mining industry. Not just in South Africa but around the world. At the same time the show will give us yet another platform to visibly showcase Magna Tyres as the fastest growing second tier OTR tyre producer in the industry.”

Magna Tyres South Africa’s ultimate objective at the 2023 event will be to attract and capture new long term business partnerships for the future. Taking centre-stage on the Magna Tyres stand will be the company’s most popular tyre product – the Magna MA60 in size 800/80R29 along with the all-new underground mining range which will be making its debut at the show.

The Magna MA60 is a specially developed 60-ton articulated dump truck tyre pattern operating in a variety of demanding mining and

quarry applications. Its non-directional widespread design features a unique wide footprint giving maximum surface contact and outstanding machine stability plus exceptional self-cleaning Robert-Jan adds, “There is no doubt that the Mining Indaba Show is the most significant event in South Africa as far as the mining industry is concerned. Therefore, taking part in the event gives Magna Tyres an important opportunity to further enhance its position as one of the most significant and leading providers of quality tyres for the mining industry.”

For further information about Magna Tyres comprehensive product base call +31 416 675 220 or email info@ magnatyres.com

The latest OTR tyre products will be displayed on the Magna Tyres stand

OTR tyre market on positive trajectory as mining sector rebounds

The global OTR tire market is projected to surpass USD 31 billion by 2025, on account of growing OTR vehicle sales, increasing OTR vehicle fleet size and steadily rising OTR tire prices.

In North America, the mining industry is rebounding, with demand for coal and construction metals on the upswing.

In Africa, rising industrialization and the booming mining industry is fueling demand for tires especially mine tyres.

Other factors driving African tire market growth include the demand for specially

designed tires that can withstand severe conditions in mines with decreased heat buildup inside the tire, lower fuel consumption, higher efficiency, optimized operator comfort, and prolonged service life, all of which create a growing demand for tires from the mining sector.

In an interview mid last year, Bridgestone Southern Africa off-the-road business segment manager Nathan Fouche observed that there was a steady global demand for certain product categories for example the 63-inch Ultra tyres for opencast mining and this meant that mines are finding themselves with low tyre inventories on their sites.

Largest demand is expected from customers operating in the Copperbelt –Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo – and the coal sector.

But the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing war in Ukraine have caused supply chain disruptions. And OTR tyre manufacturing can take time. As such, the need to increase tyre life cannot be gainsaid on the part of customers.

Understanding the site conditions is key as this would assist in recommending changes to improve tyre longevity and conducting physical load studies.

These studies involve weighing loaded vehicles to ensure that the correct tyre pressures are being used to increase productivity without decreasing tyre life.

Bridgestone for example has an innovative technology dubbed TreadStat which monitors each tyre across its full life cycle from the time it enters inventory, covering mounting inspections, rotation management and repairs and disposal. It allows mines to monitor, optimise and report on the condition and productivity of all their tyres and rims regardless of the organisation’s size or location.

When choosing the right tire, there are a number of factors that come into play, including the terrain you are working on, the type of vehicle you are using and the work that you’re doing. Finding the right OTR tires can ensure that you can get the job done, even in the most challenging environments.

Rock pattern tyre tread for instance is designed to be used in rocky environments and prevent cuts and punctures to tires caused by sharp rocks. It has a large ground contact area to provide maximum resistance against wear and tear, ideal for use in areas such as quarries or in construction. The rock pattern is available in deep and extra deep tread depth.

Traction pattern on the other hand is useful on rough terrains where gaining traction is a priority. The tread pattern helps to provide stability of rough surfaces and allows machinery to gain traction. While Block pattern are ideal for transport applications. This pattern allows for a reduced and uniform wear, and guarantees stability, comfort and protection from impacts. It is designed for use on hard and rocky surfaces like gravel and rock.

In modern operations, selection of the actual tyre type is not really related to region and mine type. Focus is on haul speed, distance, weight the tyre is hauling, temperatures and haul road conditions. Most tyre sizes are used consistently throughout the world, but tyre compounds – whether wear-resistant, heat-resistant or – can differ greatly from one mine to the next. A coal mine hauling 1 km round trips on rocky, curvy haul roads would likely need a wear-resistant tyre compound, whereas another coal mine hauling 10 km round trips at higher

speeds would be better off with a heatresistant compound. Tyres in mining are mostly sitespecific, which is why the major suppliers recommend conducting regular Tonne-Kilometres Per Hour or Ton-Miles Per Hour)TMPH/TKPH studies before purchase decisions are made.

Ribbed pattern tyres are designed to provide stability on loose soil and sandy terrain. The optimized rib tread design offers floatation and directional stability, specially designed for low pressure operations.

And the tyre industry is witnessing major technological advancement.

Some of the most exciting loader tire innovations have been focusing on changing profiles to wider tires and larger rim diameters. We’re seeing sizes like the 875/65R29 moving 29.5R25s aside. You have get got five more inches of width and a shorter sidewall that gives you better torque delivery, better braking and more stability. That all contributes to greater productivity for the operator.

Airless OTR Tire

Airless off-the-road (OTR) tire are a new type of airless (semi-solid) tire, designed specifically for heavy duty industrial machines, agricultural and construction vehicles. The airless tires are a maintenance-free OTR tire, which provides exceptional tread life, soft-cushioned ride, and durability, enhancing operator comfort and machine transmission life

Modern technologies have also allowed tyres are becoming more intelligent as they continue to become connected. Intelligent tires are a new concept that tell useful information about your tire including traction, tread wear, load, and temperature through a small sensor. The smart tires allow continuous connectivity and real-time data sharing, which ensure safe end-result and cost-efficient mobility and maximized uptime.

Need Tyres & Rims for your equipment, OTR Tyres (OTR Australia) can keep you moving

In April 2022 OTR Tyres acquired the Titan Australia operations rebranding it as OTR Australia, leading the way in the design, development and sales of the toughest and most durable wheels/rims, axles & tyres for the mining, construction, industrial & agricultural market segments.

Headquartered in Perth, Western Australia with over 40 years of experience within the tyre & rim industry, the Australia based company services both local and international customers with personalised & friendly service coupled with the added value of product knowledge within the tyre & rim industry. A business built on the core values of integrity, customer service and getting the job done safely, the OTR Tyre family consists of a growing team of tyre technicians, technical support, sales and administration support staff, all committed to offering the best experience to every customer.

Their collective passion for providing great customer service begins with taking the time to get to know you and your business, your individual needs and matching specific requirements with the right tyres, wheels/rims and service at the right price, constantly striving to be a company that delivers outstanding service and products.

OTR Tyres have excellent longstanding relationships with all major

tyre manufacturers across the globe, allowing direct factory access to all product categories. They have the capacity to ensure the continuous supply of competitively priced tyres across all categories, from budget to premium brands, supplying earthmover, agricultural, truck, bus and light vehicle tyres to blue chip mining, civil contracting, road transport & agricultural industries, through dealers and directly with end users.

To support their customer base, OTR maintain a healthy inventory of new and used earthmover tyres of critical sizes and have readily available stock of truck, bus, agriculture, industrial and light vehicle tyres for all applications. OTR Tyres also stocks an extensive range of quality part-worn earthmover tyres which offers a commercial advantage, particularly in preparing machinery for sale or simply required to match with existing tyres in service.

OTR Tyres is also a leading supplier of ‘Off the Road’ wheels & rims for the mining, construction, industrial and agricultural market segments. OTR Tyres stocks a complete range of new and certified wheels, rims & components, from 6” to 63”, and if they don’t have it in stock they can custom design, manufacture and deliver a product solution for your fleet.

Whether you’re looking for standard OEM wheels or rims, Quick Change Double Gutter, OVM product for your mining fleet or looking for a specific custom design product that “solves an operational problem”, then talk to the team at OTR. Their dedicated sales & technical support personnel can discuss your requirements and offer you the right product for your application.

OTR also carry effective solutions for improved safety with products such as tyre/wheel stands, transport frames, stud pushers and more. These innovations improve your site efficiencies as well as improve operator safety.

OTR Tyres understand your fleet is critical to your business, and it all starts with the tyres and wheels. Their specialized sales & technical teams are available to provide customers with advice on tyre & rim selection for any application, with assistance in planning.

OTR Tyres can source and ship to anywhere in Africa. Get in touch with OTR Tyres today to find out how they can support you by visiting www.otrtyres.com or calling +618 9250 8949

tyres for the Mining, Industrial & Construction sectors

It’s not just a tyre,

Magna Tyres optimize cost per hour without yielding on quality. It’s that simple. We embrace every opportunity to keep you going and get the job done. No matter where in the world, our customers know they can rely on our superior service and knowledge.

Find out how you can improve your operations with our OTR tyre solutions at magnatyres.com

it’s a Magna!

TOMRA Mining to present its unique complete diamond recovery solution at Mining Indaba 2023

TOMRA Mining will showcase its sensor-based ore sorting solutions on Booth M30-7 at the Mining Indaba 2023 exhibition, which will be held in Cape Town, South Africa, from 6-9 February. Of particular interest will be its latest innovation in diamond recovery, the COM XRT 300 /FR sorter, a unique newgeneration machine that has the potential to revolutionise diamond flowsheets. Kai Bartram, Global Sales Director, Corné de Jager, Global Segment Manager Diamonds, and Helga van Lochem, Area Sales Manager will be available to discuss with visitors to the show the benefits of TOMRA’s portfolio of sorting solutions for the diamonds, metals and industrial minerals industry, as well as the advantages of its advanced digital products and services, like the TOMRA INSIGHT cloud-based platform.

Helga van Lochem said: “As one of the most important events where decisionmakers in the mining industry come together, Mining Indaba will offer us a perfect opportunity to discuss our latest value-adding technologies. They will be able to get an understanding of how our sorting solutions, coupled with our collaborative approach and after-sales support, can benefit mining operations, improving their efficiency, profitability and environmental performance.”

A trusted sensor-based sorting partner since 1993, today TOMRA Mining has more than 200 machines in operation across the world. As a growing number of mining companies become aware of the huge potential of sorting technologies in processing plants of all sizes, TOMRA is spearheading the increasingly widespread adoption of sensor-based sorting in the industry.

Kai Bartram commented: “Our sorting technologies effectively address key issues that mining companies face, such as decreasing average ore grades and rising energy costs. Not only do we offer a complete solution, unique in the market, for diamond recovery, but we have proven that our sensor-based ore sorting technologies are extremely effective in a wide variety of applications such as chrome, manganese, gold, lead and zinc.

There is a big untapped potential for our technologies in mining and so far we have only scratched the surface. Our excellent results show that we are on the right track and we have ambitious objectives of growth for TOMRA Mining.”

TOMRA COM XRT 300 /FR: TOMRA’s revolutionary diamond Final Recovery solution

The TOMRA COM XRT 300 /FR is a new generation machine and an industry first in diamond sorting. It uses the company’s proprietary ultra-high-resolution sensor, advanced new image processing and high-precision ejector valve system to

produce an ultra-high diamond-by-weight concentrate with an exceptionally low yield. The sorter offers 100% diamond detection within the specified size fraction and > 99% guaranteed diamond recovery with appropriate feed material preparation. It is also a dry process that doesn’t require water or chemical reagents.

“Our Final Recovery sorter has the potential to revolutionise diamond flowsheets,” stated Corné de Jager. “This user-friendly, compact and easyto-operate sorter offers higher efficiency and better grade, with fewer sorting

stages and a smaller footprint. It reduces complexity and operational costs.”

The TOMRA COM XRT 300 /FR completes TOMRA’s complete partnered diamond recovery solution, which covers the entire process, from Bulk Concentration to Final Recovery and Sort House applications. “We are now able to offer our customers a full XRT solution to sort +2-100mm particles: our bulk concentration sorters for +4-100mm particles and the COM XRT 300 /FR in its Final Recovery, Sort House or smallcapacity exploration applications for +232mm particles,” adds Corné de Jager.

A strong base in South Africa to provide all-round support

TOMRA Mining operates from its regional Headquarters in Johannesburg, providing support to customers across Sub-Saharan African countries. The site includes a warehouse to ensure fast parts availability, and a Test Center where the company runs demonstrations, tests and training programs for the customers.

TOMRA also offers on-site service level agreements – which can be tailored to the individual customer’s specific requirements – to ensure the availability, capacity and recovery performance of the sorting machines. In addition, TOMRA is able to provide remote assistance using its digital tools: TOMRA VPN Remote Assist, TOMRA Insight, and its Augmented Reality tool TOMRA Visual Assist.

Sorter optimization tailored to customers needs

Kai Bartram_Global Sales Director TOMRA Mining

Corné de Jager_Diamond Segment Manager at TOMRA Mining Helga van Lochem_Area Sales Manager

Stable Policy Attracting Mining Investment, says FQM

A key finding of the survey was that from 2021 to the first half of 2022, Zambia recorded a net outflow of FDI liability mainly attributed to debt repayments in the mining sector.

Inflows, however, were recorded from Canada, Australia, South Africa, Mauritius, the United States of America, the Cayman Islands, Sweden and China. Zambia’s FDI liability stocks continued to be dominated by mining investments from Canada, Switzerland, Australia, China and the United Kingdom.

The net outflows reported in 2021 were due, in part, to the instability that characterised mining policy in the prior regime.

Zambia’s stable and consistent policies have sparked a resurgence in direct foreign investment, according to the nation’s largest mining company, First Quantum Minerals (FQM).

“We’re now responding to the incentives, stability and consistency of policy. Mines can now seek capital whether it’s self-generated or from the wider international financial institutions,” said FQM’s Kansanshi Mining Corporate Affairs Manager Kyansenga Chitoshi, speaking on a panel of multi-industry representatives at a dissemination workshop on the key findings of the government’s 2022 Foreign Private Investment & Investor Perspective Survey.

The survey is released by the Balance of Payments Statistical Committee, comprised of the Bank of Zambia, the Zambia Statistics Agency, the Zambia Development Agency and other member institutions.

The main objective of the survey is to understand the magnitude, types and direction of foreign private capital liabilities and assets.

“In 2021, global foreign direct investment (FDI) flows recovered strongly to pre-

pandemic levels, rising by 64.0 per cent to about US$1.6 trillion. However, Africa accounted for a small proportion, US$83.0 billion or 5.2 per cent, of the total global FDI flows,” said Bank of Zambia Governor and Guest of Honour Dr Denny Kalyalya in his opening remarks.

A pertinent issue, the governor guided, was for the country to determine what made other parts of the world preferred investment destinations to Africa.

According to Zambia Chamber of Mines CEO Mr Sokwani Chilembo, the prioritisation of strengthening a company’s balance sheet through debt repayment or distribution of dividends as opposed to reinvestment was a result of investor insecurity brought on by unpredictable policies. This was the unfortunate position that many players in the mining sector found themselves in during the period under study.

“We have competitors in the same space. We have other countries looking for large multinationals and foreign investors to put their money into development projects or mining projects in their jurisdictions. FQM has had a wonderful growth story with various different operations [but] aside from acquiring the asset, there is a significant investment that has to go in order for you to viably continue to mine,” elaborated Mrs Chitoshi.

Having announced a colossal investment of US$1.35bn earlier this year and officially breaking ground at the new Enterprise Nickel Mine, First Quantum Minerals has proven to be among the investors that have found renewed confidence in Zambia’s business climate. “There is a great amount of optimism and belief in the stability of the country,” she concluded.

Clamping with profile

Increasing efficiency through automated set-up processes: Due to a sharp increase in the variety of products, modern press shops are now more than ever faced with the challenge of carrying out tool changes or system set-ups as smoothly as possible. The set-up time naturally plays a key role in terms of productivity. Current gripper rail couplings (profile rail couplings) can make a significant contribution here to increasing the economy and safety of the systems.

Today’s coupling systems have to be light, extremely stiff and self-locking. In addition, they must be able to be monitored electrically and operated as intuitively as possible. In doing so, they can avoid the disadvantages of electromechanical or hydraulic clamping systems. Hydraulic systems require extra supply lines and pump systems and are maintenance-intensive. Electromechanical versions, on the other hand, have other disadvantages. They add significantly to the overall weight of the couplers and can be a problem during power outages. Due to the high gear ratio, loosening the clutch parts can be difficult.

JAKOB Antriebstechnik offers profile rail couplings that can be easily used in connection with all standard profile

rails. They are attached either directly or using adapter plates to existing profile rails from various manufacturers and are therefore also ideal for retrofits. The separation to the interchangeable busbar can take place both in the vertical (PKV series) and horizontal (PKH series) direction. The patented, powerboosting wedge clamping mechanism easily closes a joint gap of up to 5mm between the active and passive parts. This clamping kinematics ensures high rigidity and precision of the connection. The generation of the clamping force is guaranteed by an electrical clamping status query and a minimum clamping force in the event of a pressure drop.

The types PKH and PKV can be adapted to all common gripper rail profiles. In addition to the pneumaticautomatic variant, there is also a manual-mechanical version of the clutch systems in the portfolio. These are conventionally fixed with a screw. For the manual application of clamping force, they have a double-thread drive, which actuates the clamping piston. The clutches automatically close even five millimeter wide gaps between the active and passive parts and are electrically queried. It is installed in the gripper rails either directly or using simple adapter plates. In addition, energy couplings can be attached to the automatic systems.

‘With the closing process, these create the electrical and pneumatic connection to the interchangeable rail.’ The advantages are obvious: The pneumatic solution TYPE PKH-P or PKV-P is light and, like hydraulic systems, independent of power failures, but requires little maintenance and is economical like couplings with an electric drive. In use, the gripper couplings ensure significantly shorter set-up times - and thus increase the productivity of the entire system.

PKV – design features:

The coupling consists of a passive and an active part made of tempered steel. The clamping force is generated in the active part by an axially displaceable locking bolt and a mechanical clamping gear. This structure enables high clamping forces and high dynamic rigidity to be achieved with a low mass. A vertical lifting stroke “K” (see data sheet) is required for changing the tool.

The PKV series is designed for vertical coupling operations, available both as a fully automatic pneumatically operated version PKV-P and as a series PKV-M with simple manual operation.

PKH – design features:

The PKH series corresponds to the PKV series, but is designed for horizontal clamping processes. It is also available in a pneumatic version (PKH-P) and a manual version (PKH-M).

PKP – design features:

The PKP series is a vertical linear coupler with manual operation. The clamping process is achieved by tightening a screw. The production from aluminum makes the series more cost-effective.

PVH M

The profile rail coupling PVH-M is designed for horizontal coupling with high precision and rigidity. It is tensioned and released manually.

A ‘mirror finish’ gives local specialist spray painter the edge - Inspires renewed focus on industrial nitrogen offering

Compressed nitrogen offers significant advantages over traditional spray-painting delivery mechanisms. Within this context, Nitralife - a local pioneer in the manufacture and supply of industrial nitrogen generation equipment since 1996 - is expanding its Nitraspray nitrogen generator offering, and repositioning it within Nitralife’s nitrogen generation solutions portfolio.

Managing Director Tom Sowry explains: “Inspired by a recent customer win, we will be placing a renewed focus on Nitraspray, our application which uses nitrogen for spray painting to excellent effect.”

Nitralife introduced its NitraSpray generator in 2018, specifically designed

for professional spray painting in many different sectors, and offering a spray painting delivery mechanism which is consistent and reliable, resulting in a superior paint transfer.

Mirror finish for spray-on chrome Sowry explains that a recent customer win proved to be the catalyst for this revised approach. He clarifies: “Pretoriabased specialist company Hydro & Chrome is involved in hydrographic dipping and painting. One of their offerings is a turnkey spray-on chrome solution. This is not a paint - but is applied in a similar manner - and includes a layer of pure silver metal. This achieves a mirror finish in a variety of applications, such as interior and exterior automotive parts and motorcycles, mags or rims.

Since the customer began making use of our Nitraspray solution, they have found that the quality of the spray has vastly improved, allowing for a perfect ‘mirror’ finish. They have been delighted with the results, and have found enormous value through the improved quality of the finish.”

Sowry notes that compressed nitrogen is inert, clean and without any moisture and contaminants. These properties allow for a superior finish over air-based spray painting, with a reduction in overspray.

Celia Rocha, Director at Hydro & Chrome, adds: “We have been renting a Nitraspray generator from Nitralife since mid-2021. We use the nitrogen for the spray-on chrome preparation process,

and certainly it gives a wonderfully superior finish and quality. The nitrogen is a much cleaner, drier gas - with no dust particles in it - and this provides a much smoother and cleaner finish.”

Saving time – and money

While quality and an excellent finish are particular advantages of using nitrogen for spray painting, it can also allow for time-saving and improved productivity, notes Sowry.

“For example, when working with chrome as our customer Hydro & Chrome does, the job would need to be redone if it was spoiled by a flawed finish, taking both additional time and materials. This is now far less likely when using compressed nitrogen,” Sowry points out.

Rocha concurs: “Our productivity has also improved because the drying time is less, and we are not required to sand and polish thereafter. In addition, Nitralife’s service has been exemplary, with consistently impeccable turnaround times. We are really happy - both with Nitralife and the capabilities of the Nitraspray.”

Given the right conditions - such as a large paint volume of just one colour, Sowry explains that some Nitraspray customers have noted a paint savings of between 10 to 15 percent, when compared to paint costs when using compressed air:

“This is because, with compressed nitrogen, you can spray at low pressures and therefore use less paint, which is a useful value-add in this day and age, where cost reduction is always a driving factor for our customers.”

Repositioning Nitraspray

Currently, notes Sowry, Nitralife operates three main divisions, namely Nitralife, offering nitrogen generators for passenger, commercial trucking and mining vehicle tyre inflation; Nitracut, which offers nitrogen generators for laser cutting and industrial applications; and Nitraspray, which offers nitrogen generators for use in spray painting processes.

“Moving forward,” he says, “Nitraspray will be positioned – with a renewed focus - within our Nitralife industrial and foodgrade solutions portfolio. We have seen

a massive increase in demand from the general industrial, pharmaceutical and food-grade modified atmospheric packaging (‘MAP’) markets, so this makes good strategic sense.

Continuous development and expansion Sowry clarifies that Nitralife, while operating in a unique niche market, is always looking at ways and means to improve and develop its nitrogen applications and expertise, which has led to excellent business growth over the past few years.

“Ours is not the same business as it was five years ago. We have grown exponentially, given the breadth and depth of the applications for our range of nitrogen generators,” he enthuses.

“We have therefore expanded our solutions across more markets, including into the metal fabrication, pharmaceutical, chemical, manufacturing, mining, transport and the food and beverage sectors.

We have amassed substantial experience, and are able to fine-tune our market offering beyond simply supplying nitrogen generation. We pride ourselves on meeting our customers’ bespoke requirements - including technical maintenance and advice, and in-line nitrogen purity monitoring tools. We are better equipped every year to handle new industries and come up with technical innovations. Our growth has been within application development and expertise rather than needing to expand geographically, enabling continuous improvement of our solutions and service to customers.”

“We are very excited, against an increased awareness of and demand for our nitrogen generator solutions, to bring a renewed focus on our industrial and food-grade offering – including Nitraspray - and promote its key advantages to these local sectors,” he concludes.

Orica and Epiroc Fire World’s First Semi-Automated, Wireless Development Blast With Avatel™ At Kittilä Mine

Orica (ORI:ASX) and Epiroc, in partnership with Agnico Eagle Mines Limited have successfully commenced live blasting with Avatel™ – the world’s first semi-automated wireless underground development charging solution at Agnico Eagle’s Kittilä mine in Finland. The milestone brings to life an industry-driven concept that dramatically improves safety at the face, which is one of the highest risk activities in underground mining today.

Melbourne said: “Together with Epiroc and Agnico Eagle we are extremely proud of the team in creating a solution that keeps people out of harm’s way during what is considered one of the highest risk activities for underground miners around the globe.

The award-winning innovation enables a single operator to prepare and wirelessly complete a full charging cycle from the safety of an enclosed cabin while offering the best available blast outcomes through the integration of Orica and Epiroc’s flagship digital, automation and blasting technologies.

The first successful blast was loaded and fired on 22 November 2022, comprising 61 Orica WebGen™ 200 Dev wireless primers and 295 kilograms of Orica’s Subtek™ bulk emulsion loaded to a development face at the Kittilä mine.

Celebrating the significant milestone, Orica Chief Technology Officer Angus

“With Avatel, we can now effectively manage risk for the people who spend the most time every shift directly exposed to hazards at the development face while delivering all of the blast optimisation benefits that Orica’s flagship technologies bring. The combination of digital, automation and wireless blasting technologies and by partnering with customers and peers, we can continue to solve the industry’s biggest challenges across safety, productivity and sustainability, together.”

Sami Niiranen, President for Epiroc’s Underground division, said: “This is a true milestone achieved for our industry where Epiroc in partnership with Orica have led the way to safer underground operation. By building on our recognised solutions and advanced Rig Control System, Avatel paves the way to safe productivity for the mining industry.”

The first commercial implementation of Avatel™ will take place at Newcrest’s Cadia Valley Operations from December 2022.

For more information, visit orica.com/ Avatel

Avatel™ at the face charging

First Avatel™ blast after mucking

High angle conveying from open pits isn’t new, just ignored

bulk material between two belts, the material’s internal friction could be developed to facilitate conveying at any high angle up to 90° (vertical).

After an intense testing period (about 1 year) on the first large scale prototype system, commercialization began in 1983 with the installation of a 60° incline system at a western USA coal mine, elevating 2000 t/h of coal to a train load out system. It did not take a long period of scrutiny and acceptance before this high angle conveyor found use in the most rugged requirements of an IPCC system. This was only the second commercial sale, and after more than 150 commercial installations, it remains arguably the most significant high conveying system.

Various articles that announce high angle conveying from open pits as “innovative”, “next phase” and “new”, prove that not enough people in the industry are doing their research. This cost efficient method of conveying has been proven and available for over 30 years and remains ignored by the IPCC (in-pit crushing and conveying) equipment and systems providers. For a company like Dos Santos International, it is increasingly frustrating to see these articles make their way to publications as a new technology, when President and owner, Joseph Dos Santos has offered this option throughout his career. Joe is the inventor of the DSI Sandwich Belt High Angle Conveyor and has researched and spoken regularly on the subject of high angle conveying, and how it offers the vital and missing link to optimized IPCC systems.

History

Reduced energy consumption and environmental impact, with IPCC systems, was already realized in the

1970’s. With bulk material haulage limited to conventional open trough conveyors, this precluded the most direct path out of the open pit, requiring low angle spiral ramps and/or deep slots and/or tunnels through the pit high wall. These excavations, to accommodate the low angle limitations, represented undesirable impact on cost and on the environment increasing the amount of environmental disturbance for the amount of ore recovered. Against this backdrop, a major study in 1979 sought to develop high angle conveying systems that could continuously haul the mined bulk material directly out of the pit, along the high wall, “the shortest distance between the two end points.” Between 1979 and 1982 that study developed sandwich belt high angle conveying systems that utilized all conventional conveyor equipment, including smooth surfaced rubber belts that could be continuously scraped clean. These systems had all of the positive features of conventional conveyors, but overcame the angle limitation. By hugging the

In this case, a copper mine, already using pit perimeter crushing and conveying, decided to move their primary crusher deep into the pit and use a sandwich belt high angle conveying system to elevate the ore continuously, directly out of the pit, along the high wall to the pit perimeter where it then transferred to a conventional conveyor for the remaining haul to the plant. The system had significant features including 2000mm wide belts that elevated 250mm coarse ore, at 4000 t/h, over six 15 meter high benches for a total of 90 meters of lift. The system was able to reduce the truck haulage fleet by 10, 200 ton trucks realizing great cost savings, zero emission to the air, and greatly reduced traffic congestion in the pit. They system operated successfully until 2002 when the mine shut down.

Suitability of the Sandwich Belt High Angle Conveyor

Suitability for IPCC systems has been demonstrated at all Dos Santos sandwich belt high angle conveyors with a number of units handling very large ore and rock at very high rates.

The most common concerns regarding sandwich belt high angle conveyor suitability for IPCC applications:

1. Can they handle very high tonnage rates?

2. Are they suitable for continuous operation 24/7?

3. Can they handle large, heavy,

IPCC graphic

primary crushed ore and waste rock?

The various installations answer these concerns.

Of these, the most important concern is third on the lists. The answer is that –large belts can handle large lumps, small belts can handle small lumps.

Figure 2 shows a comparison of sandwich belt cross-sections for widely varying belt widths. Clearly “large” lump size is relative. 350mm lumps are too large to handle at a sandwich belt of 1000 mm width, but not at a sandwich belt of 2600 mm width. Indeed, to have compatibility of belt width and material size we limit the material size with regards to the trough depth. For predominantly lumpy material we limit the lump size to the depth of the trough. For occasionally lumpy material, less than 10% large lumps, we increase the size criteria to 125% of the trough depth. This is to limit the separation of the belts, preserving a good covering of the bulk material and positive contact at the edges of the sandwich.

Sandwich belt high angle conveyors can and have conveyed very large oversize material from the sandwich entrance to the discharge. At a muck handling system a 150 HP TBM cutter motor was unintentionally but successfully conveying from loading point to the discharge. There was some very minor damage, but the system continued to operate until a scheduled down time to make the minor repairs. It is not a question of what is the largest material that can be handled. The Dos Santos criteria are to determine the material size that should be handled for reliable, trouble free operation with minimal wear and tear.

The only IPCC application to date in a copper mine, shows that the 250mm lumps are easily handled at the 2000 mm wide belts.

Five years after start up, the system proved its worth:

1. Reducing the truck fleet by 10.

2. Precluding the need for 4 km of haulage ramps, 3.5 km of which would be of constant ascent.

3. Saved $12 million USD per year.

Almost an IPCC application, another sandwich belt high angle conveyor elevates coarse (250 mm minus) gold ore from the primary jaw crusher to the next crushing stage. It is at the pit perimeter, not in the pit. Definitely and overreach on the lump size handled, this conveyor suffered some wear and tear consequences but remains in operation today more than 25 years later.

The vital elevating link of a selfunloading ship system, handles a variety of materials including 305 mm minus rock. The sandwich belt high angle conveyor lifts the material onto a boom conveyor that discharges the bulk cargo to shore. This system is right at the edge of the maximum lump criteria for occasionally lumpy material <10% lumps. Design reflected that, the very coarse rock material is one of several commodities transported, and the unloading conveyors don’t operate continuously 24/7, rather there is much none-operating time at sea. This system replaced a massive apron type elevator that suffered very costly wear and tear.

Depicted in figures 3 and 4 the UHAC (universal high angle conveyor) is a prospective application in Western Australia. It is designed as the vital link to salvage an existing IPCC system that has proven sluggish due to its dependency on long, low angle conventional conveyors that link the IPCC system to the remote spoiling system. Operation of the present system proved impractical largely due to the extensive planning required, much non-productive movement, excavation and re-handling and grading work required to accommodate the present low angle link. Presently the system sits idle awaiting the vital link that will free the rigid interdependency of the in-pit system and the remote spoiling system.

Figure 3: UHAC Elevating/Lowering at a 3-Bench Operation

The UHAC promises salvation, providing a compact mobile link, capable of elevating or lowering the primary crushed 350 mm minus waste rock at 8000 t/h. Designed with the emphasis on versatility the UHAC can operate in either direction (elevating or lowering the material) and at any level from

Figure 2: To-scale sandwich belt cross-sections of various belt widths.

tramming on grade to a 3x12 meter bench operation. The UHAC offers the vital versatile link for surface spoiling (elevating) or back filling of the mined out pit (lowering).

Clearly Dos Santos Sandwich Belt High Angle Conveyors are suitable for IPCC applications.

• They can handle very high conveying rates.

• They are suitable for continuous 24/7 operation.

• High tonnage requirements are handled by wide belts that can easily handle large, primary crushed material.

• Conscientious design will ensure long life with minimal maintenance required.

The system is proven commercially now for thirty five years with success in a significant IPCC system more than twenty five years ago.

Despite the compelling economics, mining operations have not taken full advantage of this technology, effectively foregoing a great potential for improved production and profits. End users have been disappointed by the large IPCC manufacturers who have failed to embrace the gift of a compact, versatile, vital link to any IPCC system.

The industry continues to struggle with the use of conventional conveyor systems of limited flexibility requiring excessive maneuvering time, excessive excavation, fill and re-handling in order to accommodate the low angle limitations. The current alternative to conveyors is the fall back position of using 300-ton haul trucks at great operating cost. With such clear evidence of the suitability and benefits of sandwich belt high angle conveyors, it remains frustrating that mine owner and operators continue to explore what is marketed as new innovation, instead of what’s been proven for years.

OPEN PIT MINE

Large Sandwich belt high angle conveyors are especially suitable for the large volumes of ore and waste rock from open pit mines.

IPCC, OPCC – what’s the difference?

IPCC is the popular acronym for In-Pit Crushing and Conveying. There is no popular acronym for Out-of-Pit Crushing and Conveying though it is quite more prevalent in the mining industry. The proper acronym in this case would be OPCC. In any case, from an equipment standpoint, in principle there are no differences. The mined product, ore

Figure 4: UHAC Elevating/Lowering at a 1-Bench Operation and Tramming on Grade

or waste rock, is primary crushed to a conveyable size then it is conveyed to its respective destination, primary ore storage at the plant or waste dump.

Practically, the implementation does differ. Generally the crusher of the OPCC system is strategically, permanently located. The crusher of an IPCC system is located in the pit, sitting on the ore body. It must be moved periodically as the mine expands. So the crusher must be relocatable or mobile depending on the mine plan. The in-pit conveying system must likewise be relocatable or mobile. The high angle conveyor advantage in this case is undeniable. It offers complete conformance to the mine slopes requiring no special excavation or rehandling and because it offers the shortest distance between the two end points (receiving to discharge) it is compact and more easily made relocatable or mobile.

IPCHAC, OPCHAC

Though to a much lesser extent, Dos Santos Sandwich Belt high angle conveyors have been used as part of

IPCC systems and OPCC systems, hence the proposed new acronyms IPCHAC and OPCHAC. The high angle advantage is greatest in the pit. The advantage was exploited at the Majdanpek Copper mine in Serbia throughout the 1990s. The system had significant features including 2000 mm wide belts continuously elevating 250mm coarse ore at 4000 t/h. The net elevating height was 6 x 15-meter benches - 90 meters. The total lift was 93.5 meters which included the transfer height at discharge. The system scaled the benched mine wall at a mere 35.5 degrees without any special excavation to accommodate the system. The system was a resounding success and fulfilled its technical and economic objectives:

• It precluded tripling of the truck fleet

• It precluded the need for 4 km of haulage ramps, 3.5 km of which would be at constant ascent

• It saved US $ 12 million per year

•

Despite the resounding success Dos Santos Sandwich Belt high angle conveyors have not again been incorporated into an IPCHAC system though many were installed at OPCHAC systems and underground mines handling the same primary crushed ore and rock product.

It is against this background that we present the study of high angle versus conventional conveying at an Eastern European copper/gold mine. Study of high angle vs conventional conveying at eastern european copper/gold mine

A study was conducted by Dos Santos International in a copper mine located in a mountainous terrain in eastern Europe. The mine plan locates the primary ore crusher at the pit perimeter and the processing plant more than 300 meters of elevation above the crusher.

Developed copper mine pit with primary ore crusher at lower left and conveyor system leading to the processing plant at the upper left. Waste rock is spoiled into the valley behind the pit.

The customer recognized this to be an ideal route for high angle conveying. To optimize the high angle conveyor system the customer turned to the expertise of Dos Santos International.

The general design parameters are summarized in table 1.

Table 1: Design parameters, ore conveying system, primary crusher to stockpile

Material Copper, Gold Ore Bulk Density 1.75 t/cu-m Size 250mm minus Capacity: 1665 t/h Design Capacity:1870 t/h

The system is to use a conventional sacrificial conveyor from the crusher to the start of the high angle conveyor system then the high angle conveyor system to the ore stockpile at the plant. DSI first addressed the issues of belt width and belt speed for the types of conveyors envisioned:

• Conventional troughed belt sacrificial conveyor

• Sandwich Belt high angle conveyor with steel cord reinforced belts

• Sandwich Belt high angle conveyors with multi-ply fabric reinforced belts

Driven by the material size more than by the modest volumetric design rate, DSI chose the appropriate belt widths and belt speeds:

• 1400 mm BW at 2.0 m/s for the sacrificial conveyor

• 1800 mm BW at 2.5 m/s for the

sandwich belt high angle conveyors with steel cord belts

• 2000 mm BW at 2.5 m/s for sandwich belt high angle conveyors with fabric belting.

Belting and equipment recommendations followed including 12.7 mm Grade 1 ore carrying covers, CEMA E6 idlers, shaft mounted drive arrangements and VFD starting and load sharing control. Takeup systems are automatic hydraulic. First, DSI conceptually designed and specified the conventional sacrificial conveyor and provided a technical and capital cost summary. From that point came the main purpose of the study - optimizing the high angle conveyor system.

At this copper/gold mine, the great advantage of the sandwich belt high angle conveying system is its ability to follow closely the natural topography, requiring minimal earthwork or elevated structure, as there is no limitation in conveying angle. The overall slope of the high angle path is actually very modest. The first exercise compared a single flight main high angle conveyor against two multi flight options - a two flight and a three flight system. The single and two flight systems required steel cord belts for the high belt tensions developed. Because of the high elastic modulus, this precluded the tight transition curves that are possible with fabric belting. The large curves could challenge the system’s ability to conform closely to the natural topography. The results of this comparison showed the three flight

system to be most conforming to the topography but also the most expensive. This is largely owed to the wider and very costly 2000 mm belts required. The steel cord belt options, because of their larger curves, did require some elevated structure but this was minor compared to the overall length.

Because of the less expensive, lower strength belting and its consequence, the two flight system proved to be slightly less expensive than the single flight system despite the additional terminal equipment. The work to that point was presented to the customer. Based on the options presented, despite the minor cost premium, the customer chose the single flight system for its advantages of reduced transfers and location of all major equipment at the terminal ends where easy access for maintenance exists. For convenience, the previous comparison did not deal with the complications of the material stacking over the stockpile. All systems also utilized GPS (gently pressed sandwich) pressing rolls over the entire length of the cover belt. Pursuant to the additional optimization, Dos Santos International first investigated the need for GPS rolls over the full length. This revealed that they could eliminate about 67% of the GPS rolls without negatively affecting other aspects of the design.

MORE ON THIS ARTICLE ON WWW.FMDRC-ZAMBIA.COM

Sacrifical conveyor from primary crusher to high angle conveyor system. READ

Main high angle conveyor flight with five separate cover belts along the length.