Vermeer machines to sustain Africa’s growing surface mining industry

INDUSTRY INSIGHT

Vermeer machines to sustain Africa’s growing surface mining industry

Surface mining in Africa is critical to the development of the mining industry on the continent. As such, advanced machinery is needed for the open-pit mining industry to continue forging ahead.

Technology is advancing at a rapid pace globally, and mining equipment manufacturers are capitalising on these developments. At the heart of Vermeer’s fleet of continuous surface miners is the latest technology, which has benefitted the surface mining industry across various aspects, including health and safety, productivity and efficiency.

“Vermeer continuous surface miners use fully hydrostatic drives and do not contain any mechanical transmissions. This ensures minimum energy loss between the engine and cutter drum, increasing machine performance by up to 20% compared with mechanically driven equipment,” explains Frank Beerthuis, MD of Vermeer Equipment Suppliers.

Tough machines with safety features

The Terrain Leveler is one of Vermeer’s surface excavation machines (SEMs). Referring to the machine’s health and safety features, Ruben de Meijer, MD at Vermeer West Africa, explains that the Terrain Leveler is equipped with a vacuum dust suppression system. “An optional dust suppression system on the Vermeer Terrain Leveler SEM features an enclosed cutting head with two large vacuums continuously pulling dust from the enclosed cutting head into baghouses. The collected dust is purged, helping to reduce the amount of dust entering the air,” he says. Another safety feature is a fire suppression system that has become a standard requirement in the mining industry.

Machines used in surface mining are exposed to very harsh conditions, which could potentially increase wear and tear. “The Vermeer Manufacturing Company is renowned for building the most rugged machines, which are highly productive and built to last. There are Vermeer continuous surface miners on the African continent that have exceeded the 40 000-hour mark and are still in production,” says Beerthuis. “In under five and a half years, these numbers have been reached – which means that, year in and year out, a mechanical availability of 90% is achieved,” adds De Meijer. He further attributes the long hours to the after-sales support. “Our after-sales support with 24/7 assistance on-site ensures our customers remain profitable throughout the lifetime of their mining operation.”

Versatility for growing industry

Continuous surface miners are versatile and can be used for mining a variety of minerals, such as coal, graphite, bauxite, limestone and alluvial diamonds. Africa has seen a growing appetite for surface mining in recent years. According to Beerthuis, the first Vermeer continuous surface miners went to the DRC, where a fleet of machines was being used to mine thin seams of high-grade copper at Tenke-Fungurume. Vermeer’s machines have also been used in coal and alluvial diamond projects in South Africa and Namibia. In addition, they have been used to mine bauxite in Guinea, which is currently the biggest market for surface miners.

Beerthuis is optimistic about the future of surface mining and expects new projects to come up soon. “With the increasing demand for battery minerals and a growing need for electric vehicles, we certainly see new projects developing in ore bodies such as bauxite (aluminium), graphite, cobalt and others. Also, the growing need for construction materials such as cement provides us with additional opportunities in limestone deposits,” he concludes.

A continuous surface mining machine on a coal mine