Inside Mining September 2014

www.miningne.ws

IN THE

SPOTLIGHT

AFRIC AN UPDATES ON THE

GROUND AND UNDERGROUND

Prof Frederick Cawood: Digital mining improves mine management

ESKOM

Dealing with hot issues

DRILLING

It's all about precision

WASHING COAL Ingenious technology

RAMPING UP PRODUCTION

at Letšeng Diamonds

ELECTRA MINING 2014 Showcasing the latest technology ISSN 1999-8872 • R50.00 (incl. VAT) • Vol. 7 • No. 9 • September 2014

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CONTENTS

A F R I C A N U P D AT E S O N T H E

ining

September 2014

GROUND AND UNDERGROUND

ON THE COVER O

P8

B Barloworld Equipment is m moving ground in Letšeng D Diamond Mine in Lesotho, tthe highest diamond mind iin the world.

ENDORSED BY

10

EDITOR’S COMMENT

3

Happy feet

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

4

Digital mine

AFRICA ROUND-UP

6

Mining news from the continent

COVER STORY

8

Lestseng targets rising carat volumes

COAL

10

Burning questions

12

Spreading the load

15

Precious discovery

17

Separating the lights from the heavies

19

Geared to face any challenge

ELECTRA MINING SPECIAL

20

Between a rock and a hard place

33

Power Team SA

21

Exxaro grows

Delba: Engineered for success

22

Quality counts

Afrox: Gas pressure regulator

OPEN CAST

29

34 36 38 40 43 45 46 47 48 49 50 51

Voith Turbo showcases mining solutions TML: Into Africa FLSmidth’s Reflux classifier Interaction with the Zest WEG Groups Multotec showcase Becker Mining: Motoring on for 50 years Hytec: Hydraulic solutions Marley: Pipeline to success

52 53 54 55 56

Manitou: World’s largest telescopic handler

60 62 64

SEW: Advanced drive solutions

MSA Altair: Multi-gas detector

Tega: A new face in SA Atlas Copco: Piping system range

66

Thyssen Krupp: Grinding and crushing technologies

68

Victaulic: Innovative pipejoining solutions

Weba: A smart approach Derrick: Fine screening

Procon: Locally manufactured oily-water separator

58

WorleyParsons: Nacala railway Hansen: Drive solutions

Hencon: A sucker for gold

23

It is not rocket science

24

Bringing accuracy and improved safety

TECHNOLOGY

27

One of SA’s first

CIVILS

29

Engineering cytokinesis

EARTHMOVING

30

Get a load of this

SITE SERVICES

32

No matter where, we serve

IN SID E M IN IN G 0 9 | 2014

1

EDITOR'S COMMENT

Publisher Elizabeth Shorten Editor Tony Stone Online editor Sylvester Haskins Head of design Frédérick Danton Senior designer Hayley Mendelow Designer Kirsty Galloway Chief sub-editor Tristan Snijders Sub-editor Beatrix Knopjes Production manager Antois-Leigh Botma Production coordinator Jacqueline Modise Marketing manager Hestelle Robinson

Happy feet A good rule, when life’s challenges become a little too overwhelming and/or confusing, is to go back to basics.

Digital manager Esther Louw Financial manager Andrew Lobban Administration Tonya Hebenton Distribution manager Nomsa Masina Distribution coordinator Asha Pursotham Printers United Litho Johannesburg Tel: +27 (0)11 402 0571 ___________________________________ Advertising Sales

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MEDIA

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A

NOTHER GOOD RULE comes from noted Soviet engineer and scientist Geinrich Altshuller creator of the world-renowned Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ). He said, “Before rushing off to solve a problem, look around, because in most cases someone else has, in all likelihood, experienced the same problem and perhaps has already solved it.” Either way, a problem shared is a problem halved. In fact, if we look anywhere in the world, at any business, you will identify a common thread. Business succeeds or fails through people. As we know from empirical case studies, public or private, an entity fails because its leaders fail, in one way or another.

That being said, the deaths of the Marikana 44 and the protracted Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) strike, has brought the mining industry and the government’s focus to bear on trying to deal with the industry’s labour problems.

Looking around the world, we can see that we are not alone with our mining industry labour issues. The recent deaths of nine West Australian fly-in fly-out workers, who took their own lives, is to be investigated by a senior mental health clinician. According to The Australian, suicide is the single largest killer of people aged 15 to 44 years old, while the average age of a FIFO worker is 38. While we may not have this problem, we do have our own set of problems.

The question, however, is: Is there a link, albeit unseen, between South Africa and Australia’s problems? The answer, I believe, is found in the work of Abraham Maslow and Frederick Herzberg. Most MBAers will be familiar with these gentlemen.

Maslow, in speaking of developmental psychology, in general terms, used the words physiological, safety, belongingness and love, esteem and self-actualisation to describe the pattern and order of human motivators. If the foundation of physiological motivators – air, water, food, clothing and shelter – are absent, coupled with the absence of the safety motivators – personal, financial, health and well-being – an imbalance kicks in and people become unhappy, and angry.

According to Herzberg’s dual-factor theory, the factors leading to job satisfaction are separate and distinct from those that lead to job dissatisfaction.

These are: FACTORS FOR FACTORS FOR SATISFACTION DISSATISFACTION (MOTIVATIONAL (HYGIENE FACTORS) FACTORS) • Achievement • Recognition • The work itself • Responsibility • Advancement • Growth

• Company policies • Supervision • Relationship with supervisor and peers • Work conditions • Salary • Status • Security

If you set about eliminating dissatisfying job factors you may create peace, but will not necessarily enhance performance. If you want to motivate your team, you have to focus on satisfaction factors like achievement, recognition, and responsibility. But, if your hygiene factors are not in place, you are definitely going to pick up labour problems. Coupling Maslow and Herzberg, and looking at the informal settlements that spring up around mines, we begin to better understand the frustrations of miners, especially the Marikana miners.

The question arises: When a mine is first established, is there an incumbent responsibility upon the mine to build suitable accommodation for workers and their families? Or, is this the responsibility of the government’s Department of Human Settlements? Or, should the mine and government proactively plan accommodation so that the basic physiological and safety needs of workers will be satisfied?

Anyone living in an informal settlement will tell you that it is extremely stressful. High levels of crime make it unsafe and insecure. Money becomes an issue. It’s a way out of hell.

Happy people are productive people. Perhaps we should all remember and apply this principle, with a little forethought.

IN SID E M IN IN G 0 9 | 2014

3

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Digital mine Mining equipment has gotten bigger and bigger, but mine layout has remained unchanged for half a century. Gerhard Hope looks at an initiative by the Wits School of Mining Engineering to build a ‘digital mine’ of the future.

W

HILE A LOT OF attention sensor technology can be applied in this has focused on mechaniregard, not only to keep track of workers, sation and equipment, the but to identify risk areas and allow these fundamental mining layto be modelled. “Once we fully understand out has remained unaltered for 50 years, the risks, one can put distance between explains Professor Frederick Cawood. them and the workers, and work towards “There is not a fundamental difference bezero harm.” tween the mining layout today and that of Another area of research being focused 20 to 50 years ago. In the meantime, there on by the Wits School of Mining Engineerhas been a veritable explosion in technoling is exploring the potential utilisation of ogy.” An example of this is the new discihanging- and side-wall stations for location pline of mineral resource management. and mapping navigation. “We need to be “There has also been an improvement in management “To work towards a techniques. The old Wits gold mines were managed very target of zero harm, differently 30 to 50 years ago, we need to understand with mining systems having what we are doing and improved significantly in recent years.” Cawood says how to optimise it.” that, equally significantly, Professor Frederick Cawood, Wits there has been a revolution in School of Mining Engineering communications technology in the mining industry, particularly in terms of GPS and real-time tracking systems. “The digital exable to integrate such technologies in the plosion is now starting to find its way into underground mining environment to allow the underground mining environment.” for complete monitoring,” says Cawood.

The fact that gold mines have become Tertiary education institutions have steadily deeper over the last 15 years has had to adapt in order to keep up with resulted in an increasing need for mechathese trends. “Skill sets have changed nisation in order to maintain continuous over time, with the digital mine requirproduction. “Mining engineering topics ing very different skills to a conventional are different to what they were, with one mine.” In this regard, the Wits School of of the aims of the digital mine being the Mining Engineering is busy constructing extension of satellite technologies into the a full digital-mine mock-up as an aid for underground mining space,” says Cawood. student training.

4

Zero harm

‘Smart’ lamp room

“If we are serious as an industry to work towards a target of zero harm, we need to understand what we are doing and how to optimise it.” Cawood elaborates that

The digital mine, with such features as a ‘smart’ lamp room, will catapult underground mining into the Internet age. The aim is to facilitate real-time

INS I DE MI NI NG 0 9 | 2 0 1 4

3D mine scale model of open stoping showing mining induced displacements as a horizontal cutting plane

communication in underground mines, to a point where underground mining and safety decisions can be made remotely from control rooms on the surface.

Gold Fields provided the seed capital for the digital mine, which will see a mine tunnel constructed in the basement. “The aim is to convert the entire school into a digital mine, whereby the roof will be the surface, complete with a seismograph. Each floor of the building represents a level of the mine, with its own direct monitoring and control system linked to a control room.” Cawood says that the first phase, namely the mock mine tunnel, has already been completed. The next stage is to construct the ‘smart’ lamp room, which uses

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

advanced technology to determine the state of a miner’s health, preventing those who are ill from entering the mine.

“What is a digital mine? First of all, it encompasses visual monitoring, but not your normal CCTV cameras. It refers to ‘smart’ cameras that are similar to those used for airport surveillance, with face-recognition and behaviour-modelling capabilities.”

This technology can also be utilised like a GPS system in a car to generate a mine plan for workers underground.

Hi-tech innovation “Locating people and assets is very important in terms of keeping track of total

R3 million

performance,” asserts Cawood. “None of these technologies has to be invented; the tech is available and, in some cases, already being deployed at some international mines.”

Another example of hi-tech innovation in underground mining is to use drones to locate illegal miners, or to locate workers in case of an accident, rather than risking more lives by sending rescue workers down shafts.

“A digital mine can benefit the industry in two ways: first, it can assist in achieving zero harm and second, it promotes a better understanding of how to optimise what we are doing,” concludes Cawood.

Budget for the digital mine at Wits School of Mining Engineering I N S I D E M IN IN G 0 9 | 2 0 1 4

5

AFRICA ROUND-UP

MINING NEWS

from around the conƟnent

in associaƟon with NIGERIA Camac Energy announced the discovery of four new oil and gas reservoirs at its Oyo-8 field development well offshore Nigeria in August this year.

“This is an excellent result from the vertical section of Oyo-8, as it positively established oil presence in new reservoirs in the Eastern fault block,” said Segun Omidele, senior vice-president of exploration and production for Camac.

Camac commenced drilling operations at its Oyo-8 well on 15 June 2014. The Oyo-8 well has both a vertical and a horizontal section, with the vertical section designed to test for additional hydrocarbons in the previously undrilled Eastern fault block of the Oyo field. Omidele says the results are now being evaluated in details, as the company seeks to establish the size of the incremental reserve additions.

He stresses that Camac was closer than ever to bringing the two development wells (Oyo-7 and Oyo-8) to production as it seeks to generate revenue for the company’s shareholders.

The company has said previously it expected Oyo-7 and Oyo-8 to be in production before the end of this year, each at a rate of about 7 000 barrels of oil a day.

The two wells will be connected to Camac’s floating production storage and offloading vessel, which can treat 40 000 barrels of oil a day.

South Africa’s Public Investment Corporation holds 30% of Camac after making a

6

INS I DE MI NI NG 0 9 | 2 0 1 4

$270 million investment earlier this year. The funds helped Camac buy out Allied Energy, which lifted its stake in the offshore lease area containing Oyo-7 and Oyo-8, and provided capital for exploration.

BURKINO FASO Pan African Minerals signed a memorandum of understanding with French rail conglomerate, Bollore, for the linking of the Tambao manganese project between Abidjan and Burkino Faso.

The deal, worth $895 million, was concluded on 31 July and involved the governments of Cóte d’Ivoire and Burkino Faso, following a West African nations’ summit in Burkino Faso.

Pan African plans to invest nearly $1 billion and produce some 3 million tonnes a year to develop the manganese mine at Tambao.

The Kaya-Tambao link will comprise a railway that extends for 300 km between Abidjan in Cóte d’Ivoire and Burkino Faso.

Tambao is a priority for Burkina Faso’s government as it seeks to diversify its economy away from a reliance on gold and cotton.

Burkina Faso, with a population of 16 million people, is the continent’s fourth largest gold producer after Mali and has commissioned eight new mines over the past six year.

Australia’s Orbis Gold updated its mineral resources estimate for its Natougou Gold deposit, which has expanded by a substantial 600% following an infill drill programme.

The resources update confirmed high-grade and near-surface, flat-lying geometry that is highly favourable for the development of a large-scale opencast mining operation.

The indicated mineral resource at the site now stands at 7.1 million tonnes for 1.2 million ounces of contained gold.

The indicated category jumped from 0.2 million to 1.2 million ounces with only a slight reduction in grades to 5.1 g/t.

LIBERIA This was one of three initial countries affected by the Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa, which included Sierra Leone and Guinea.

As a result, contractors working at steel producer ArcelorMittal’s operations at Yekepa and Buchanan in Liberia implemented a force majeure, effectively disrupting all operations.

An ArcelorMittal spokesperson said that of the two phases of development, phase one was unaffected by the force majeure.

“We’re still assessing the impacts of the contractors’ decision on phase two,” an ArcelorMittal spokesperson told Inside Mining in August.

The Yekepa and Buchanan operations, which currently produce five million tonnes of iron ore a year, were estimated to produce 15 million tonnes of iron ore under phase two and triple the company’s iron ore production in the country.

Aureus Mining’s development of the New Liberty gold

project in Liberia are on track to deliver first production in Q1 2015.

Aureus said it would utilise its senior loan facility to fund the core building work at the gold project in Q3 2014.

“The remainder of the year will be focused on analysing all exploration data gathered with the aim of publishing an updated mineral resource and preliminary economic assessment on Ndablama by the end of the year,” stated the company. Aureus Mining CEO David Reading said the project is making steady progress and is on track in its objective of pouring first gold in the first quarter of 2015.

Reading said that the company was pleased with the progress thus far in developing Liberia’s first commercial gold mine.

Aureus said construction at its New Liberty gold mine continued in spite of the Ebola outbreak in the country.

However, nonessential staff, including the exploration team, had been granted leave in August.

“Aureus has established and implemented the appropriate precautionary measures and contingency plans to ensure the company, its employees, contractors and visitors are not placed under unnecessary risks,” the company said.

New Liberty has estimated a proven and probable mineral reserve of 8.5 Mt with 924 000 ounces of gold grading 3.4 g/t and an estimated, measured and indicated mineral resource of 9 796 Kt with 1 143 000 ounces of gold grading.

AFRICA ROUND-UP

MOZAMBIQUE After emerging as an oil and gas giant in 2012, Mozambique has been under the spotlight from global oil companies and potential investors.

In August, Mozambique’s parliament passed an amended petroleum law that will allow the government to issue new gas and oil exploration licences but it also requires investors to partner with the state oil firm. The revised law will come into effect by the end of the year and bidding rounds for concessions would be held in the coming months, according to Mozambique officials. More than 100 trillion cubic feet were discovered mainly in the offshore Rovuma Basin in 2012.

Global miner Rio Tinto has arranged the sale of its coal assets in Mozambique to International Coal Ventures (ICVL), which is a joint venture of Indian firms, in a deal worth $50 million. ICVL would acquire Rio Tinto’s 65% stake in the operation, which comprises the Benga coal mine and other projects in the Tete province of Mozambique.

The transaction is expected to be concluded before the end of the year, and is subject to certain conditions and regulatory approvals. Brazilian miner Vale is seeking a partner in its coal mining project in Mozambique’s Moatize and the rehabilitation of the Nacala railway corridor as it continues to incur losses owing to lack of a shorter route to transport coal exports.

“We are at a very delicate stage of negotiations for the stake in both the Nacala corridor and the Moatize mine.

We should not and cannot talk about what is happening and who we are negotiating with,” said Vale chairman Murilo Ferreira. “Producing without having a way to transport production is inefficient,” he said.

Vale started operating the Moatize coal mine in the interior province of Tete in August 2011 and also started rehabilitating existing, and constructing new, railway track for the Nacala railway corridor to transport its coal to the port for exporting.

If completed, the Nacala railway corridor will run for 912 km, and will result in coal with a capacity of 18 million tonnes per year being transported.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO Diversified global miner Glencore’s copper production at its African operations in the first half of 2014 was 24% ahead of the comparable period in 2013.

The increase was primarily owing to ramping up production at its Mutanda opencast copper mine in the DRC, which was a key contributor to the 212 300 tonnes copper produced in Glencore’s African operations.

African copper production represented a 13% increase in copper output in H1 2014.

The Mutanda mine produced 98 600 tonnes, an increase of 37 400 tonnes or 61% in H1 2014, when compared to the same period last year.

Randgold Resources produced less gold at its Kibali mine in the DRC in Q2 2014 than it did in the previous quarter due to a drop in throughput and recoveries.

The Kibali operation produced 91 137 ounces of gold against the previous quarter’s 112 549 ounces from its opencast mine, Randgold announced in August. The company’s $162.3 million profit from mining decreased by 5% from the previous quarter, but was up 54% on the corresponding quarter in 2013.

Randgold said that the plant at Kibali was processing ‘tricky’ transitional ore during the commissioning

of the sulphide flotation and concentrate treatment circuit.

The company said, however, that development of the underground mine continued to make good progress.

ZIMBABWE The 34th SADC Summit was hosted by Zimbabwe in August 2014, with minerals beneficiation and value addition having been a key topic of discussion.

The beneficiation theme at the SADC Summit was in line with the country’s longterm economic strategy, said Zimbabwe’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, speaking ahead of the summit held in Victoria Falls.

The theme of the summit ‘SADC Strategy for Economic Transformation: Leveraging the Region’s Diverse Resources for Sustainable Economic and Social Development’ was also in line with the SADC Industrial Development Policy Framework.

The policy framework document identifies three sectors for initial focus in the medium term – agro-processing, mineral beneficiation as well as pharmaceuticals.

The Zimbabwean government was in talks with a Russian consortium to mine the world’s second largest platinum deposits in a deal worth $1.6 billion.

The newly formed consortium of Russian mining concerns made up of Vi Holdings and state corporations, Rosect and Vnesheconombank, completed its Darwendale platinum field resource assessment and announced that concession will commence early next year.

The government of Zimbabwe and the Russian consortium stated that the agreements would be signed in September.

Ruschrome is partly owned by the Zimbabwean govern-

ment and the Centre of Business Cooperation with Foreign Countries, an association of machinery and defence firms that will retain a 10% stake in the project.

The diamonds fields of Marange in Mutare West, Zimbabwe, were purportedly depleted, according to diamond mining firms that shut down operations in parts of the country in July.

The mining companies operating in Marange first reported that alluvial diamond deposits were running out last year, saying they had neither the expertise nor the technology to drill deeper through the hard rock. The easily minable alluvial surface resource at Marange has been depleted after only five years of diamond production.

NAMIBIA Leviev Group undertook a $1.8 billion plan to mine phosphates from the Namibian coast. The company received permission from the Namibian government to build a pilot processing plant in the country before the completion of an environmental impact study.

The firm aims to start commercial production from the estimated 2 billion tonne deposit in 2018, in the event that the ban is lifted on marine mining of phosphate by the Namibian Government, stated Kombayedu Kapwanga, managing director: Namibian Phosphate Unit, Leviev Group.

About 25% of the financing of the project would be sourced internally, while the rest would come from project financiers, said Kapwanga.

Namibia’s Atlantic coast area holds an estimated 80 million carats of gems, the world’s richest marine-diamond deposits. The Leviev Group is controlled by Lev Leviev, diamond baron and the controlling shareholder of Africa Israel Investments.

IN SID E M IN IN G 0 9 | 2014

7

COVER STORY

targets

rising carat volumes

Matekane Mining Investment Company (MMIC) expands its load and haul capability with the addition of two Cat hydraulic shovels and a fleet of Cat 777G off-highway trucks to meet rising production demands at Lesotho’s Letšeng diamond mine.

S

ITUATED AT AN altitude of around 3 100 m in Lesotho’s Maluti mountain range, Letšeng has the distinction of being one of the world’s highest diamond mines and one of the richest, owing to the regular recovery of large, top colour white diamonds of exceptional quality. This has positioned Letšeng as the highest average dollar per carat kimberlite mine on the planet even though the ore body typically has an average yield of around 2 carats per 100 tonnes.

Owned jointly by London Stock Exchange listed entity, Gem Diamonds (70%) and the Kingdom of Lesotho (30%), Letšeng was acquired by Gem in July 2006 and since then mining operations have been ongoing 24/7, running in parallel with extensive investments in process plant and allied infrastructure. Some remarkable recoveries have been made along the way.

In August 2011, for example, a 550 carat white diamond, the Letšeng Star, became the fourth major discovery since Gem Diamonds’ takeover. It was preceded in 2008 by the 478 carat Leseli la Letšeng (Light of

8

INS I DE MI NI NG 0 9 | 2 0 1 4

Letšeng); the 493 carat Letšeng Legacy in 2007; and the 603 carat Lesotho Promise white diamond in 2006. These four discoveries at Letšeng are amongst the 20 largest white diamonds to be recovered so far worldwide.

Alongside these record finds, Letšeng continues to yield ‘smaller scale’ high value diamonds, the recovery of a 198 carat white type IIa diamond at the end of July 2014 being a case in point.

Letšeng's total resource is currently estimated at 5.01 million carats with an in situ value of $10.39 billion (according to Gem Diamonds’ latest reserve statement dated 1 January 2014). As an indication of the scale of the current programme, during the 1 January to 31 December 2013 financial year, 6.2 million tonnes of ore was treated at Letšeng and 19.1 million tonnes of waste mined for a total recovery of 95 053 carats.

In the period 1 January to 30 June 2014 (H1 2014) 54 678 carats were recovered, a 29% increase compared to H1 2013 and during H1 2014 a total of 37 rough diamonds achieved a value in

excess of $1 million each, which is indicative of the mining and process efficiencies being achieved.

Open pit operations at Letšeng take place in the Main and adjacent Satellite Pipe with contract mining operations carried out by Matekane Mining Investment Company (MMIC), which secured the project in October 2007. MMIC forms part of the Maseru based Matekane Group of Companies (MGC).

Letšeng and MMIC entered into a new eight year contract effective 1 January 2014. The contract was designed to significantly increase both parties focus on efficiencies and on jointly driving down costs. This will be achieved through the introduction of a number of value engineering initiatives and through a reconfiguration of the mining fleet. Even at this early stage of the life of the contract, the parties are starting to experience the benefits.

MMIC’s project scope at Letšeng entails blast hole drilling, load and haul, and support services with the goal of delivering a quality ore on time at the required BCM per hour.

COVER STORY

LEFT At the official handover of the Cat 6030 FS shovel and Cat 777G truck fleet are (from left to right) Morne van Huyssteen, Cat sales professional, Barloworld Equipment Bloemfontein; Butch Martens, general manager, Barloworld Equipment Bloemfontein; Sam Matekane, chairman, Matekane Group of Companies (MGC); Tom Ferreira, Matekane Mining Investment Company (MMIC); and Vusi Dondolo, after-sales manager, Barloworld Equipment Bloemfontein

“The success of our relationship with MMIC depends on close teamwork to ensure that Letšeng’s production targets are maintained and exceeded,” explains Letšeng Diamonds’ general manager, John Houghton. “It’s critical that the earthmoving fleet keeps pace with the mine’s 365 day, 24/7 programme, despite the constant threat of inclement weather.”

Given the mine’s altitude, temperatures in winter can typically drop to -17°C and below, blanketing operations with heavy snow falls.

From inception, MMIC has operated a 100% Cat fleet at Letšeng, with technical service support provided on site by a dedicated workshop commissioned by Letšeng Diamonds and manned by Barloworld Equipment personnel. Barloworld Equipment is the Cat dealer for Southern Africa.

Corresponding with the successive rampup in the production programme, MMIC’s fleet composition has evolved over the passing years, the most significant change being in the scale of the excavator and truck units deployed there.

Historically, the main haulage fleet has been Cat 740 articulated trucks, which remain the backbone of the operation for the transfer of kimberlite ore from the Main and Satellite pits to the primary crushers feeding into the process plants.

Cat 740s have also been deployed for the removal of the basalt waste rock, but their role has been taken over in recent years

by Cat 773F off-highway trucks. “With a nominal payload of 55 tonnes, compared to a rated payload of 39.5 tonnes for the Cat 740, deployment of Cat 773Fs meant that more waste material could be hauled whilst at the same time reducing traffic congestion,” explains MMIC contracts director, Ferreira Coetzee.

Now further downstream efficiencies are being achieved with the recent delivery in June 2014 of a fleet of Cat 777G off-highway trucks together with two Cat

6030 FS hydraulic shovels, which join MMIC’s mining fleet at Letšeng. The Cat 6030 FS has a bucket payload capacity of 30 tonnes, making it a three to four pass match for the Cat 777G with its nominal payload of 90.8 tonnes.

MMIC’s Cat 6030 FS shovels will work in both the Main and Satellite pits, and are dedicated to loading basalt waste rock, which will be hauled by the Cat 777G’s to the mine’s rehabilitation zones. Caterpillar offers the widest shovel payload range on the market today, with current units fielded comprising the Cat 6018, 6030, 6040, 6050, 6060 and 6090 all of which share the same DNA and advanced technological features. (The last two digits on each model nomenclature indicate the approximate payload capacity.)

The Cat 6030 FS – with its 300-tonne operating weight – is one of the most popular models in the Cat range worldwide and this unit also claims to be the most productive in its class.

Diesel power on the Cat 6030 is provided by two Cat C27 ACERT engines generating a combined net output (SAE J1349) of 1 140 kW. (The electric drive option delivers 1 000 kW.) The Cat 6030 FS’s twin engine configuration passes on operational benefits in terms of enhanced safety, greater uptime, more productivity, and better serviceability. For example, moving the shovel to a safe area for repair, away from high walls, blast zones, or other safety hazards, is still possible with the use of a single engine, whilst up to 65% of full production can still be achieved.

This is due to the shovel’s continued ability to exert maximum digging forces, lower the front attachment without requiring engine power (i.e. pressure free), and to recuperate energy via its closed-loop swing circuit. Troubleshooting is also greatly simplified and expedited with the ability to compare one engine versus the other.

Then there is the TriPower factor, proven on more than a thousand Cat hydraulic shovels across the globe. Generating superior mechanical leverage and control, Caterpillar’s FS (front shovel) configured machines utilise a unique boom design that employs rotatable triangular rockers. This facilitates quicker cycle times, increased effective lifting force, constant boom momentum, automatic constant bucket angle and automatic roll-back limiter.

“Faster cycle times are realised because float valves are used to lower the boom instead of engaging pumps,” explains Barloworld Equipment Cat sales professional, Morne van Huyssteen. “This facilitates faster boom movements and allows other operating functions to occur simultaneously, such as bucket curl and stick in out.”

Operators also experience greater control with a five circuit hydraulic system that enable two cylinder motions, two travel motions, and swing to be controlled simultaneously.

Safeguarding these hydraulic circuits is a best-in-class oil cooling system designed to extend component life. This system is independent of return oil, achieving efficiency through the utilisation of dedicated pumps that provide cooling capacity as needed, whether the engine is idling or under load. That means optimum oil temperature is being maintained, even while operators standby for the next truck to load.

“We have high expectations for the Cat 777G and Cat 6030 FS units, which set a new performance benchmark in Letšeng’s history,” adds Coetzee.

MMIC’s latest Cat acquisitions are strategically in line with Gem Diamonds’ focus on the continual improvement of current operations as Letšeng targets increased carat recoveries. This includes the construction of a new coarse recovery plant, with commissioning planned for the first quarter of 2015.

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Burning

questions

From the New Largo coal supply to the timeframe for Medupi and Kusile, Eskom tackled an array of issues at its financial results presentation.

By Gerhard Hope

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EW LARGO IS an ‘embedded’ colliery that will be the coal supplier for Eskom’s Kusile power station in Mpumalanga. “We have already contracted coal to meet the initial demand at Kusile from four different mines,” said Eskom acting CEO Collin Matjila. “We continue to engage with Anglo American for the longterm supply of coal to Kusile.

“Indeed, we have seen a marked improvement in the process of finalising those negotiations. There is already an MoU in place, awaiting signatures. We are hoping that we will be able to finalise that quite soon.” Matjila added that discussions with Anglo American in this regard had been protracted and included a personal meeting in the conglomerate’s London office. In terms of the latest progress at the much-delayed Medupi power station in Mpumalanga, Matjila confirmed that the boiler protection contract awarded to Alstom had been terminated and granted to Siemens instead. “We had to take that decision to unblock the process. We are indeed in the throes of an early works order that has gone out for the remainder of the units. This is not a replacement of the contract, but will inform us as to the options going forward for the remainder of the units.”

Medupi Unit 1 Matjila said that Unit 1 at Medupi would undergo grid synchronisation in

KANGALA MINE Universal Coal has announced that the first thermal coal sales from its Kangala mine in the Witbank coalfield have been delivered. Run-of-mine coal mined from Kangala since February has been processed on-site and stockpiled prior to transport.

First coal sales commenced to Eskom. Under the terms of the original coal sales agreement, Universal Coal will provide Eskom with sales from Kangala for the next eight years, with an extension in place for 16 years. Remaining production will target the more lucrative export market, via a 100 ktpa offtake agreement with leading South African coal producer Exxaro Resources.

First export sales are on track to commence by July 2014. Universal has already secured export allocation through Richards Bay Coal Terminal. Kangala is now ramping up towards its nameplate capacity, expected by Q3 2014.

Universal Coal CEO Tony Weber said, “We are delighted to have now delivered first coal sales to schedule, and look forward to generating steady and strong cash flow from Kangala for the decade to come. We are currently installing the DMS washing circuit on-site, which will enable us to commence processing exportquality coal.” Cashflow from Kangala will assist in funding the development of the company’s next operation, the combined New Clydesdale colliery/ Roodekop project.

December and enter into commercial operation six months later. Dan Marokane, in charge of the new build programme at Eskom, elaborated further on the time frame for the rest of the units: “We indicated when we reported the delays on Medupi Unit 6 that, overall, the programme for constructing the six units will be completed by 2020.

“The delays in Unit 6 naturally meant that we had to second resources from Unit 5, also to do reworks, in addition to the concentrated effort to bring that unit online. Consequently, the gap we initially anticipated between Units 6 and 5 will

43 000 MW 10 INS I DE MI NI NG 0 9 | 2 0 1 4

Installed generating capacity

be a bit longer, between 10 to 12 months, as opposed to the 6 months we wanted,” said Marokane.

“What is great about the lessons learnt from Unit 6 is that although we faced numerous difficulties on Unit 6 and to some extent on Unit 5, we have solved all technical issues encountered. Together with our contractors, we are working hard on resource optimisation, and on how we structure the supervision. We are also changing the construction approach: rather than doing one unit at a time, we will be looking at parallel progression of construction. So we should see the time recovery head back towards six to seven months in the latter units, having lost that in the first instance. The construction overall of Units 1 to 6 will still be completed come 2020.”

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ABOVE AND BELOW Medupi power station under construction

Cornerstone of SA economy Minister of Public Enterprises Lynne Brown said in her address at the electricity utility’s financial results presentation, “Eskom continues to be the cornerstone for the South African economy. It is imperative that the company succeeds if we are to grow this economy.” Eskom is one of the biggest utilities in the world, with over 43 000 MW of installed generating capacity.

The utility has successfully completed its return-to-service programme, which includes Camden, Grootvlei and Komati power stations. Construction is continuing apace at Medupi, Kusile, Ingula pump storage and the Sere wind farm sites. “I am confident in Eskom delivering and synchronising the first unit at Medupi by December this year,” added Brown.

“The environment within which the company is operating is changing. Eskom needs to be more agile to adapt to this changing environment. I am convinced that the energy policy and regulatory environment has also been characterised by uncertainties, particularly in relation to energy security and the associated costs, future electricity planning and the anticipated end state of the industry.

“These uncertainties have significantly contributed to the challenges the company faces in delivering on its mandate, and continue to pose a risk to Eskom’s long-term financial sustainability. In addition, changes to emissions and air-quality licences continue to add to challenges in the company’s operating environment and its ability to deliver on its mandate in the long term.”

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MEDUPI AND KUSILE The delivery of Medupi Unit 6 (794 MW) remains a key focus area, Eskom has stressed in its annual results for the year ended 31 March 2014. The synchronisation (first power to the grid) date is scheduled for the end of 2014, with commercial operation (full load) following about six months thereafter.

Kusile power station’s Unit 6 (800 MW) is due to be synchronised in the second half of 2015. Similarly, the first unit of the Ingula pumped-storage scheme (333 MW) in KwaZulu-Natal is due for synchronisation in the second half of 2015.

A number of key milestones have been achieved at Medupi, including the successful hydrostatic pressure tests conducted in April and May 2014 on the reheater and superheater circuits of the Unit 6 boiler. The welding challenges, which resulted in extensive delays to Unit 6, are effectively resolved. The boiler is now mechanically complete and ready to continue with acid cleaning.

The successful completion of both the control and instrumentation factory acceptance tests of the balance of plant and the boilerprotection system in April and May 2014 respectively also released a significant part of the plant to progress with critical commissioning activities.

The achievement of these critical milestones ensures that Eskom remains on track for the targeted first synchronisation of Unit 6 by the second half of 2014 as previously reported.

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Spreading the load The Grootegeluk Medupi Expansion Project (GMEP) has been provided with a giant spreader to supply coal to the Medupi power station.

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HIS IS AN example of the array of large-scale materials-handling projects currently being undertaken by Sandvik Mining Systems to propel Southern African mines into a new era of efficiency, using the latest engineering technologies and machines available. The GMEP is one of the largest mining expansion projects in Southern Africa at present and, upon completion, Grootegeluk will be the largest coal operation in the world, producing some 35 Mtpa of power station, coking and steam coal.

At present, the Sandvik spreader is the largest of its type in Southern Africa, with an overall reach of 100 m and a spreading capacity of more than 6 000 tph. It will be required to keep up with the staggering production rate of about 35 Mtpa of power station coal over a period of about 40 years.

High discard volumes Considering the sheer size of the GMEP mining operation, owners Exxaro required a spreader able to deal with high volumes of discard material for backfill and reintegration into the mined pit. At full production, this discard rate is expected to reach up to 7 670 tph, requiring a robust solution that would be able to cope with such large volumes, on a sustained basis, over the extended life cycle of the mine.

Rudi Pieterse, market development and sales manager for Sandvik Mining Systems, explains that the mine’s decision

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to opt for in-pit crushing and conveying (IPCC) marks a deviation from its previous haul-and-dump operation. In this instance, IPCC will considerably boost production and simplify the handling and conveying of materials to and from the main processing plant.

“The spreader solution is more capable of dealing with the massive production volumes that will be required from this mine in future, compared to traditional methods. Despite its massive work capacity, Sandvik Mining Systems has still designed the overall system to be further upgradeable, should the need ever arise, with allowance made for additional trippers and spreaders.”

Latest in spreading technology The PA299-2100/50+50 spreader is the latest in spreading technology available from Sandvik. It is manoeuvrable and comparatively fast, which allows it to achieve the best possible spreading of material in the shortest space of time. It is a massive structure, comprising a tripper, which connects to the main in-pit discard conveyor, 50 m bridge and spreader with a 50 m boom.

At the point where the tripper intersects the in-pit discard conveyor, the spreader is able to transport material via its bridge to the main boom. The boom can moved up or down as necessary and shifted to either side to effectively backfill material where required.

The Sandvik spreader is the largest of its type in Southern Africa, with an overall reach of 100 m and a spreading capacity of more than 6 000 tph

Another landmark project currently being undertaken by Sandvik Mining Systems is the impressive overland conveyor for Sasol Mining at its Shondoni shaft in Secunda. Upon completion, it will be one of the longest conveyors of its type in the world.

Turnkey solution The 21 km conveyor is under construction as part of a project by Sandvik Mining Systems to provide a turnkey materials handling solution, from the mining face to the company’s coal-to-liquid facility on the other side of town.

Apart from the distances and high volumes of run-of-mine coal required, the conveyor also needs to span a number of waterways, roads and skirt populated areas without impacting on either. The state-of-the-art design also incorporates a more energy-efficient drive system that reduces power consumption and precludes the need for a midway transfer point and associated infrastructure and manpower.

Pieterse explains that the project comprises other conveyors as part of the overall system. It begins underground with a shaft incline conveyor to transport coal from the mine’s main ore pass to the

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surface. This conveyor has an impressive incline and a capacity of 3 600 tph, which requires power from its massive 3 MW installed variable-speed drive to deposit the coal onto the surface-level bunker conveyor.

Tripper conveyor With the same capacity as the previous conveyor, the bunker conveyor is required to lift the material to the main 15 000 t bunker. Once on top, a tripper conveyor spanning 160 m with a 6 m lift uses a bifurcated chute to provide even distribution of materials across the surface area and minimise drop forces to prevent degradation of the material. The material finally makes its way to the main overland conveyor.

The main conveyor takes a massive 5 MW of installed drives (four at the head and a single drive at the tail) to move the coal over the required 21 km. Complicating the overland journey, its route requires five horizontal curves (6 km radius) to guide it through an existing corridor.

Numerous sensitive water crossings, with the longest one spanning 700 m, as well as road crossings and the close proximity of human settlements, require the belt to be completely spill-free and sealed over these sensitive areas. A massive 80 t counterweight provides the required tension to keep the belt operating trouble-free without slippage at either end.

ensuring Africa’s mines remain at the cutting edge of production. A good example of this is in Namibia, where we are currently working on a project to construct a large-scale materials-handling system for Swakop Uranium’s Husab. This system comprises both overland and in-process conveyance systems to transport ore material from the mine to the processing plant in an efficient and safe manner,” says Pieterse.

This is yet another large-scale mine, which upon completion will produce an expected 6.8 million tonnes of uranium oxide a year, making it the second largest uranium mine in the world. Its production will more than double the total current uranium

production of Namibia, and will push Namibia’s volumes past that of Australia, Canada and Niger, second only to Kazakhstan in terms of uranium production.

“These and other similar projects across the continent provide a clear indication of the in-house capabilities we have and show the diverse solutions that are on offer to the mining industry throughout the continent. Whether it is coal, uranium or any other commodity that needs to be mined, we are showing that Sandvik Mining Systems is more than capable,” concludes Pieterse.

Sandvik Mining Systems has been involved in landmark overland conveyor projects

Husab uranium mine “Beyond our borders, we are undertaking other equally interesting projects that are IN SID E M IN IN G 0 9 | 2014 13

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Precious discovery The recent discovery of a substantial palladium deposit in the northern Waterberg is turning out to be an absolute boon for South Africa.

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HE WATERBERG, located in South Africa’s most northerly province, Limpopo, has emerged as one of the world’s largest undeveloped palladium discoveries. The current combined Waterberg resource stands at 29 million ounces 4E of which 17.74 million ounces are palladium, 61% of the current inferred resource.

Positive preliminary economic assessment In February this year, Platinum Group announced a positive independent preliminary economic assessment (PEA) on the Waterberg Joint Venture project completed by engineering firm WorleyParsons.

Based on the PEA, first production is planned for 2018. The project is modelled to produce 397 000 ounces of palladium per year with a 20-year-plus mine life along with platinum, gold, rhodium and significant nickel and copper by-products.

For the PEA mine plan, WorleyParsons utilised the inferred resource estimate as reported on September 3, 2013 by IQP Ken Lomberg of Coffey. The inferred resources were estimated at 167 million tonnes, grading 3.26 g/t 3 E (0.98 g/t Pt, 1.97 g/t Pd, 0.32 g/t Au) in the T and F layers.

A view of the bushveld from the Waterberg

The mine plan in the PEA utilises three decline clusters for access as a result of the shallow depth of the deposit. The shallow edge of the T layer is at 130 m vertical and the shallow edge of the F layer at 220 m. The planned mining method is all mechanised, including a combination of room and pillar mining on mineralised layers 3 to 10 m thick and longhole open stoping on layers from 10 to 60 m thick. The decline ramps for underground access are planned to be developed to the shallow edge of the T and F deposit layers. From there, development ramps are to be all within the deposit along an apparent dip angle. This development approach is possible because of the thickness of the deposit and lowers waste development tonnes and costs.

As for demand, over half of the supply of palladium, and its congener platinum, goes into catalytic converters, which convert up to 90% of harmful gases from auto exhaust (hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen dioxide) into less-harmful substances (nitrogen, carbon dioxide and water vapour). Palladium is used in electronics, dentistry, medicine, hydrogen purification, chemical applications, groundwater treatment and jewellery. Palladium also plays a key role in the technology used for fuel cells, which combine hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, heat, and water.

Given this demand, palladium has been one of the top-performing commodities over the past year, recently skirting the $900 per ounce mark. This is driven by a combination of strong global demand by auto manufacturers, supply disruptions stemming from strike activity in South Africa and potential economic sanctions against Russia, the world’s largest palladium producer.

As global demand for palladium continues to grow, the Waterberg project is well positioned in terms of timing and scale.

WATERBERG PEA CONCLUSIONS • Steady-state production of 655 000 ounces of platinum, palladium and gold (3E) • A two-year construction period • A project post-tax NPV (7.5% discount rate) of R5.1 billion • Peak Funding of R8.85 billion • Major risks to be assessed at prefeasibility, including smelting plans, water and power delivery and geotechnical work for mine design, along with normal increased resource, metallurgical and cost confidence levels • Opportunities include significant resource expansion, optimisation of mine plans, mine ramp-up profiles, increased metallurgical recoveries and smelter terms, and consideration of adjacent deposit exploration

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Separating the lights from the heavies The ingenuity of South African engineers is reflected in many different areas.

One such area is coal processing for energy consumption and Consulmet’s coal washing plant is an excellent example. By Tony Stone

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SKOM HAS three critical requirements – money, water and coal, in that order. Stuart Coal, a family-run mine a little way outside Delmas in Mpumalanga, is gearing up to supply Eskom with more coal. To be efficient, Eskom needs the right quality coal and coal that is clean. This means the coal must be crushed, sized, washed, dewatered and transported, mainly by road. To meet ‘clean coal’ requirements, Stuart Coal contracted Consulmet – an engineering company specialising in the design and construction of modular and portable mineral processing plants – to design, build and commission a new coal washing plant.

The design and construct of the new plant is totally modular, which means the entire structure can be moved. First built in Consulmet’s yards in Klerksdorp, to check component fit and quality, it was dismantled and transported to the Stuart mine in Delmas approximately 250 km away. With the civils in place, the plant

BELOW (from left) Lwazi, process engineer, Mike van Rensburg, project manager, and Hugo Uys, site engineer, all of Consulmet RIGHT Stuart Coal’s new coal washing plant

was reconstructed and fully computerised using turnkey PLC software running off a Microsoft platform. If any component of the plant does not perform to tightly defined parameters, the malfunction is indicated on screen in the control room and an alarm is sounded. With three defined zones, which can loosely be described as washing, mixing and separation, the plant can process 450 tonnes per hour.

While there is nothing simple about the plant, the initial washing process is exactly that, washing, but it also removes the fines and small coal pieces that fall through the sieve plates during the process. After washing, the coal moves to a mixer – a conical tank where clean water and finely ground magnetite is added – in preparation for the separation process. The use of magnetite is twofold: to form a medium denser than water to assist in separation and to facilitate the recovery of this material for reuse, so as to reduce operating costs. Recovery is expedited by means of pumping the medium, after separation, to a magnetic drum that captures the magnetite and which is scraped off for reuse.

Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the coal washing plant, because of its sheer cleverness, is the separation process. Coal, in the medium, is pumped to two angled

cyclones that utilise fluid pressure energy to create a rotational fluid motion. This rotational motion causes relative movement of the materials suspended in the medium, thus permitting separation of the lights (good coal) and the heavies (bad coal and other material) from one another. This occurs in the cone-shaped part of the cyclone or frustum. The rotational motion of the fluid is created by the tangential injection of the medium into the cyclone. The discard portion, the heavies, sinks downward and leaves the cyclone at the spigot, while the lights exit upwards via the vortex finder. By extending the cylindrical section of the cyclone and introducing a barrel section, the residence time within the cyclone is effectively increased. This can improve the sharpness of separation between the good coal and the discard.

After separation, the good and bad are washed to recover the magnetite and conveyed to relevant stockpiles. The bad heavies are used for ground fill in the opencast mine rehabilitation.

Looking at the quality of construction, and the thought processes that went into the design of the coal washing plant, down to the detail of automation and operator safety, Consulmet can firmly place a feather in its cap.

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Geared to face any challenge

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TEFANUTTI STOCKS Mining Services provides a range of engineering and management services to clients within the mining industry, which includes coal, diamond, gold, platinum, iron ore, nickel, chrome, manganese, heavy minerals, copper, zinc, tin and base metals.

The company’s mining infrastructure capabilities include: • mining infrastructure civils, e.g. ore crusher plants, flotation plants, tipper bins, pre-cast concrete systems, thickener tanks, concentrators, mills and furnaces • mining infrastructure earthworks, e.g. services, terraces, roads and bulk earthworks • geotechnical and lateral support • structural, mechanical, electrical, instrumentation and piping • mining infrastructure buildings, e.g. workshops, offices, accommodation, plant buildings • water treatment plants • opencast mining and material handling operations • mining waste/residue disposal and recovery facilities • mechanical, electrical and instrumentation.

On the mine management side, the company offers contract mining, fleet simulation and selection, opencast mine design, planning and optimisation, drilling and blasting, crushing and screening, rehabilitation and closure.

Materials handling includes raw coal handling, crushing and screening, discard and fine coal disposal and recovery, stockpile and dump management.

Tailings management includes design solutions and construction management, waste facility operations and management, hydraulic mining and dredging, rehabilitation and closure. Technical services include feasibility studies and conceptual designs, the design and construction of mine infrastructure, slurry

transport systems, multilayered lining systems, contractual documentation and project management.

Universal Coal With the need for Universal Coal to optimise its mine infrastructure at the Kangala coal mine near Delmas in Mpumalanga, Stefanutti was contracted to provide a ‘one-stop shop’ solution to design, fabricate and construct infrastructure to achieve the optimisation in the most cost-effective manner. The project included: • terraces for the process plant, office complex, workshops and other infrastructure • office complex • stormwater management system • co-disposal discard facility including decant and under drainage system • pollution control dam with environmentally acceptable seepage control system • 3.5 km mine product haul road including a culvert at the river crossing and intersection upgrade • power distribution network from Eskom supply to all infrastructure • water reticulation system for potable and processed water • weighbridge facility • sewerage network and sewage plant • mine security, including perimeter fence and guardhouses.

Mining, being the challenge it is, requires professional services to ensure efficient and profitable operations.

handling, a coal stockyard and limestone material handling. The components of these work packages include stacker rail beams, reclaimer rail beams, stacking and reclaiming conveyors, emergency stacking surface beds, concrete roads, an underground tunnel, an underground hopper, a de-grid sump and channels, overland link conveyors and a radial stacker.

Kusile Power Station Stefanutti’s involvement with the Kusile Power Station project is an excellent example of its capabilities. With pressure mounting to complete the power station, a number of contractors, in a bid to reach completion targets and avoid penalties, awarded various project packages to Stefanutti. One project undertaken for Bateman Africa (a division of Tenova Takraf-Africa), includes terrace material Opencast materials handling at Universal Coal’s Kangala mine

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Between a rock and a hard place Chuting minerals into a hopper or onto a conveyor belt or pumping slurry requires durable, abrasive-resistant working surfaces to protect hard assets in the system. By Tony Stone

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VEN WITH planned maintenance, shutting down a plant is expensive, not just in refurbishment costs but also in lost production, and, of course, revenue.

Therefore, the ability to extend the period between scheduled maintenance projects, as well as to prevent plant breakdowns, is quite critical. The old method of gluing 30 mm thick rectangular ceramic

CHROMIUM CARBIDE, THE HARD FACTS • Ideal for sliding abrasion (chutes, hoppers, cyclones, pipes etc.)

• Outlasts normal ‘400’ and ‘500’ materials by 8 to 12 times • Cost-effective as it cuts downtime costs. Survives between three and four shutdowns • Can be rolled, studded, holed and fabricated • Withstands heat up to 500°C

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pieces to metal surfaces works well in the beginning but, when Over the last 30 years, a piece dislodges, the integrity of chromium carbide has that plant component is compromised. Nonetheless, and as is so become immensely typical, people develop solutions popular for its versatility when faced with challenging problems. In this instance, growing crystals on a metal surface manufactured using chromium carbide turned out to be the best solution. overlay plate. This plate consists of a mild Chromium carbide (Cr3C2) at standard steel base plate, measuring 3 m by 1.5 m conditions appears as a grey solid but is in size, onto which the chromium carin fact a mass of tightly packed hexagbide is deposited using the now-common onal crystals. When chromium carbide submerged-arc welding process in the crystals are integrated onto the surface range 3 mm on 3 mm to 20 mm on 10 mm. of a metal, it improves the wear and corThe chromium carbide deposit hardness rosion resistance of the metal. What is measures 62 Rockwell C or 688 Brinell. more, it maintains these properties at However, while cracking of the chromium elevated temperatures. carbide deposit does occur with the 20 mm Over the last 30 years, chromium caron 10 mm plate, this does not affect its low bide, as a metal overlay, has become friction value or high slide rate. The finimmensely popular for its versatility in ished plates can be formed and fabricated severe abrasion applications. In mining, with holes cut using a plasma cutter. plates, chutes, hoppers and pipes are

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Exxaro grows In July, shareholders were advised that Exxaro entered into a binding sale and purchase agreement with Total SA, for the acquisition of 100% of the issued share capital of Total Coal South Africa (TCSA).

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N TERMS OF the acquisition, Exxaro will acquire 100% of the issued share capital of TCSA from Total SA as well as settle all outstanding loan claims of Total Finance SAS against TCSA. TCSA is the fifth largest coal producer in South Africa and has a majority interest in two main operating complexes, Dorstfontein and Forzando, located in the Witbank coal basin in Mpumalanga.

TCSA recorded combined sales of approximately 4.5 million tonnes per annum in the year ended 31 December 2013. The majority of TCSA’s production is export coal shipped via RBCT to international markets, mainly India and China. TCSA also sells its production into the South African domestic market.

TCSA has a 74% direct shareholding in the Dorstfontein and Forzando mines. The remaining 26% is owned by Mmakau Mining. TCSA also owns a 49% interest in the Tumelo coal mine, which is currently not in operation, with the remaining shareholding held by Mmakau, and holds a 51% interest in the potential Eloff greenfield project, an undeveloped domestic thermal coal resource in Mpumalanga province.

Rationale for the acquisition The acquisition is closely aligned with Exxaro’s long-term growth strategy and will provide it with a large-scale acquisition that will complement the company’s existing coal portfolio. TCSA has a remaining resource base estimated at 1 498 Mt gross tonnes in situ and 395 Mt of run-of-mine resources. Furthermore, TCSA’s operations are in close proximity to Exxaro’s existing Witbank operations and Exxaro has a good understanding of geological and mining conditions in the region.

The acquisition significantly increases the scale of Exxaro’s coal portfolio and further entrenches the company as one of the premier coal producers in South Africa. Exxaro believes it will be able to leverage its extensive experience in coal mining to unlock additional value from the existing TCSA operations and the Eloff greenfield project.

Exxaro is currently the fourth largest exporter of coal from South Africa and the acquisition will provide it with access up to an additional 4.09 Mtpa of primary phase one to three RBCT entitlement.

Gearing up to excavate yet more coal

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Quality counts

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COST-EFFECTIVE spillage system, designed to prevent production losses during materials handling, is an absolute asset.

Spillage at feed and transfer points can exacerbate other problems on conveyor systems. These difficulties include belt wear, build-up of material on idlers, increased manual labour requirements for cleaning, belt tracking issues and shortened conveyor product life.

The advantages of BMG’s spillage system include simple installation, modular components for extended service life of the system, reduced maintenance and a lowcost solution to spillage problems, which consists of: • a dynamic impact bed, which is a shock-absorbing trough mounted

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underneath the conveyor belt. It is installed at transfer points where fine or coarse heavy material is being transferred and where there is a build-up of materials in the transfer chute • the HIT system, which combines a heavy-duty idler frame with a high-impact torsion arm system to absorb the impact of material that falls onto the belt • the skirt clamp, which prevents over-flow spillage.

Impact zone panels are used at high-impact points in transfer chutes that are continually put under high stress. Chute vibrators prevent material blockage in a chute.

Duff feeders accommodate the removal of dry or wet material from underneath belt scrapers down to collection points BMG’s grizzly feeder system is custom made to suit each application. This mobile

Ingenious technology preventing spillage

feeder system, which constantly controls the feed of product onto conveyor belts at a rate of up to 80 tonnes per hour, can be quickly and easily dismantled and relocated when necessary.

Electrical panels for these feeders are fitted with manual and automatic switches, frequency inverters, overload switches, flexible vibration cables and a stepdown transformer.

OPENCAST

It’s not rocket science Pilot Crushtec MD Sandro Scherf tells Gerhard Hope that a major trend in Africa at the moment is the simplification of equipment and control systems.

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ASED IN KEMPTON Park in Johannesburg, the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is developing a tracked vertical shaft impact crusher, driven by a diesel generator. “Development has been completed, but it has not yet been launched officially,” says Scherf. “That will be the model of the future in that range.”

Another exciting development is its tracked horizontal screen, representing Pilot Crushtec’s first mobile screen. A prototype model is expected to be unveiled this month. “From our point of view, our development is heading towards simplification,” says Scherf. “The new version is the complete opposite. We are doing away with programmable logic controller (PLCs) and all fancy electronics.” Why the trend towards simplification? While Scherf notes that reduced cost is a factor, he sites the main driver as being the push into mining in Africa, where mine sites are remote and not easily accessible, together with a dearth of essential expertise. “Getting high-tech equipment diagnosed and repaired in an African context poses a major problem.

Our customers prefer it if we keep the equipment simple enough so that they can self-diagnose and self-repair when needed.”

Definite trend While that is a definite trend, Scherf says that Pilot Crushtec is not eschewing electronics entirely, or the benefits that they bring to equipment, such as enhanced safety and ease of maintenance.

“We are still providing all of those very necessary benefits, but are simply doing it in a much easier and ultimately more cost-effective manner.”

Scherf says that Pilot Crushtec has maintained its stock at an acceptable level, despite the downturn in the mining industry and generally depressed commodities

markets. “We were expecting a really big year at the beginning, so we ordered a lot of stock in order to be able to meet the requirements.” However, while the anticipated sales did not materialise, the OEM has managed to weather the trough of the cycle’s low point. “We are in a reasonably comfortable position with regard to our stock level. We would like to get it down a bit more, but it is manageable.”

Pilot Crushtec’s recent drive into developing countries such as Burundi, Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan and Ethiopia has not delivered the expected results, says Scherf, which has meant an increased focus on areas such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia and Mozambique, where the OEM has enjoyed prominent success.

“We are still working a great deal in South Africa, together with the focus on our core traditional areas of business.”

Main target market While the company’s main target market is opencast and surface mining, Scherf says a pleasing trend has been supplying equipment for major infrastructure development in Africa, such as roads, dams, and water and wastewater reticulation. However, infrastructure spend has dropped off significantly in the last year and a half, perhaps aggravated by the depressed economic conditions in the mining industry.

A glimmer of hope is that the spares side of the business is still quite active, as a lot of customers are servicing and maintaining older equipment as opposed to investing in new.

“Both the AMCU strike in the platinum sector and the subsequent NUMSA strike in the metals and engineering sector have impacted on investor confidence,” notes Scherf. “Investors are concerned and are withholding funding as they adopt a wait-and-see attitude.” Despite this, Pilot

Pilot Crushtec International has reached a major milestone with the sale of more than 50 Sandvik mobile construction products

Crushtec continues to invest in R&D, as well as adding new machines to its growing line-up. In June, it announced the sale of more than 50 Sandvik mobile construction products, less than 18 months after the announcement of its distribution agreement with the company. Almost 40% of these have been bought by mining operations looking to increase the scale of their operations. The range of crushers, scalpers and screens are some of the most powerful Pilot Crushtec has ever supplied.

Variety of applications The variety of applications in which these products are employed goes to emphasise the inherent suitability of the range for meeting rugged African conditions, says Scherf. These include the extraction and processing of coal, iron ore, diamonds, manganese and copper, as well as a host of base metals. A further 30% are engaged in the quarrying and construction industries, as the durable, high-output machinery is perfect for these conditions.

The agreement, which established the Jet Park-based company as sole distributor of Sandvik’s mobile range of equipment, was the precursor to a campaign devised to gain substantial market share in South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa.

“There is no doubt that one gains massive confidence from working with a supplier that has produced world-class engineering products for more than 150 years,” says sales director Graham Kleinhans.

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Sandvik mobile construction products sold in 18 months

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OPENCAST

Bringing accuracy and improved safety In the harsh South African mining arena, on-board monitoring is not only improving drilling operations and ensuring the safety of operators, but is also increasing operator productivity.

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ITUATED JUST outside the mining community of eMalahleni, Mpumalanga, Anglo American’s Landau Colliery covers 8 200 hectares, producing between four and five million tonnes of high-grade export coal annually, and about one million tonnes for local consumption within the power sector. Initially established as an underground mine in the 1960s, the operation moved to opencast mining in the 1990s. This brought on its own challenges.

Opencast challenges In opencast mining, after stripping the top soil away, the hard overburden needs

to be drilled and blasted and removed with a dragline to expose the coal seam. The blasted material must then be correctly fragmented to ensure suitable conditions for the dragline in which to operate – namely, a soft digging environment. The better fragmented the overburden, the better the excavator is able to operate in clearing the site. The drilling operation, therefore, plays an integral part as drill patterns must be planned to ensure that the overburden is fragmented correctly, timeously, accurately and safely.

Traditionally, to design a drill pattern/ grid, surveyors were sent into the field to stake out the area as determined by geological surveys. The surveyor’s job was to put ‘markers’ in place, indicating the drill position. However, there was no way to determine the depth of physical ground underfoot, which, in Landau’s case, ranged from a few centimetres to several metres, determined by prior underground mining operations. Thus, the previously under mined ground had become unstable and often treacherous with unpredictable sinkholes occurring, resulting in injuries and even fatalities, threatening the safety of both men and machines.

With the ever-increasing quest to reduce production costs and increase the safety of its mining operation, Landau Colliery sought innovation and efficiency as a solution. The criteria were threefold, focusing on improving the safety, accuracy and The operator is able to track the rig as it moves from one drill hole to the next, while the on-board monitor ensures accuracy of drilling, through simply setting the drill mast to accommodate the pitch and roll of the rig

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productivity of the drilling and piling operation. After investigating options for a system that answered all the above required criteria, the Trimble DPS900 Drilling and Piling System was chosen, as it offered a complete solution. The system was installed on two drill rigs that were being deployed on-site by Trimble’s distributor, SITECH Southern Africa.

The benefits of the system Safety According to a mine spokesperson, the idea to use the system was to “eliminate the risk to man and machine, which was achieved in numerous ways.” With the drill patterns uploaded to the Trimble Site Tablet – installed in the machine’s cab – the drill operator navigates the rig to the required positions from any direction, no longer requiring physical markers. So too, surveyors are no longer forced to walk on dangerous, unstable ground while staking the drill pattern. The environment and site are viewed in the cab via the Site Tablet, allowing operators to see blind spots through camera views around the machine, and the operator is no longer forced to sometimes stand up in the cab to visually gauge where exactly to position the drill.

In addition, audiovisual warnings alert the operator to avoidance zones when working in ‘prohibited’ or ‘no-go’ areas.

Greater accuracy Using GPS, the Trimble DPS900 directs the operator to position the drill to within five centimetre’s tolerance of the centre point of the specified drill coordinates, where previously, accuracy was within fifty centimetres.

Through on-board software, the drilling information is downloaded post-drilling and the as-drilled information is compared with what was anticipated in the design – by way of depth and spacing of drill holes. Mines are thus able to accurately fragment the overburden when they blast.

According to the mine spokesperson, prior

OPENCAST

where previously, operators and surveyors entered information individually. Historically, the operators had to write down their drill depths, and the longer the hours they worked, the greater possibility for error to occur, owing to fatigue.

One of the mine’s section surveyors explains that by doing away with the manual process of recording drill holes, the drilling process has not only been speeded up, but is more accurate, as the system records everything electronically, reducing human error and the likelihood of missing plotted drill holes. With the Trimble DPS900, The Trimble GNSS base station and TDL 450L radio, the information is recorded, logged and controlled electronically housed at the office, ensure accurate and reliable and accurately. After training, everyone is satisfied with the outcommunication from the office to the field comes, including operators on the mine who say that the Trimble DPS900 has been of great assistance. They emphasise that they are to using the Trimble DPS900 system, drilling accuracy doing much more accurate work in a less dangerous environment was substantially less as, despite the holes being accurateand the system alleviates fatigue on the job while quality is retained. ly staked through manual methods, the entire process of The system has helped operators use the drilling machine faster, marking, removing the markers, drilling and assessing the making it easier to move from hole to hole results, was not only time conand the display on the Site Tablet shows suming, dangerous and labour exactly where the drill holes are, making it intensive, but also came with an The system has helped safer to drill. increased chance of human error. operators use the drilling In closing, because of the increased ROI For example, a marker could be achieved through greater operator effiinadvertently repositioned when machine faster, making it ciency, Landau Colliery assures that plans a vehicle moved over or passed by easier to move from hole are afoot to install the Trimble DPS900 it, compromising the accuracy of systems on other drilling machines on the the drilling operation. to hole mine in the not too distant future.

Landau Colliery believes that the system’s accuracy has clearly shown discrepancies in previous methods used, specifically between the geologist’s model and the reality of what is actually achieved in the drill patterns. The DPS900 system offers consistency of drill depth and predictability of output on-site and prevents costly rework.

Before using the system, there were times that when results were compared between what was planned and what was achieved, the statistics did not correlate, as there was a significant dependence on ‘visual’ accuracy. According to the mine, the current accuracy drilling is now above 90%, up from within 80%.

Operational cost saving The DPS900 system has benefited the mine by improving operational time and thus costs. A case in point is where previously a surveyor had to physically stake a drill hole, this task is now removed through GPS navigation and personnel can be redeployed in other areas and operations.

With the drill pattern loaded onto the in-cab Site Tablet, navigation from one hole to the next is faster, as manually gauging and visually manoeuvring and positioning the rig is eliminated. The GPS ensures accurate trimming of the rig between holes, through auto-select: the system points the machine accurately, regardless of drill inclination or elevation. This, in turn, reduces rework as well as overand under-drilling.

Also, multiple drill patterns can be uploaded onto the system at once, which means that when a section is complete, there is no downtime waiting for a surveyor to be called to stake out a new area while the rig is standing idle; the next drill pattern can immediately be accessed and work can continue uninterrupted, even after hours. With tailored reports – generated as frequently as desired – the entire operation no longer relies on manual recording, I NSI D E M I N I N G 0 9 | 2 0 1 4 25

TECHNOLOGY

One of SA’s first

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LECTRONIC MINE safety equipment specialist Booyco Electronics has introduced one of South Africa’s first explosion protected (Ex) tablets.

The tablet is Ex ma [ia] Group I certified for use underground in fiery mines. This robust, full-sized tablet carries an IP54 rating for ingress of dust and water and is drop-resistant from the standard height of one metre.

The Booyco IS tablet was designed locally, in collaboration with an international manufacturer, to suit South African underground mining conditions. In this hazardous environment, hard wire connections to the unit can be achieved with various Booyco-supplied barriers to ensure safe functionality.

Coal mines “The Department of Mineral Resources recently increased the approval requirements on coal mines, and we recognised the opportunity to develop an IA device that is able to be safely used in this hazardous environment,” says Anton Lourens, managing director of Booyco Electronics. “In the long term, it is anticipated that most South African mines could be classified as fiery mines, and when this legislation comes in, it is going to require a lot of changes to the underground electronic environment. So in developing an IS tablet at this time, we are meeting both an immediate need at coal mines and a future industry-wide requirement.

“In addition, most vehicles operating underground in our coal mines are moving over to electronic management systems. Computer programmes are not always accessible from the surface, so in order to interface with the controls of these machines, there is a definite and increasing need for an IS computer device to receive and transmit data and programme systems underground.” The Booyco IS tablet has a battery life of up to eight hours and runs off any Windows operating system.

Electronic mine safety equipment specialist Booyco Electronics has introduced one of South Africa’s first Ex tablets for use underground in fiery mines

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CIVILS

Engineering cytokinesis A new venture has been born. G4 Civils has, off its solid foundation, transformed to become G4 Mining and Civils, bringing with it the company’s history and reputation of service distinction; Tony Stone speaks to MD Quintin Badenhorst.

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HERE IS much to be said, in strategic planning, of horizontal integration to continue a company’s growth path. For G4 Mining and Civils this has been a natural progression. With a number of successful mining projects under its belt, it has become obvious that the company needed to embrace the mining industry more fully. Thus, G4 Mining and Civils, now no longer under construction, has emerged to provide a more comprehensive range of capabilities and services to the mining industry. To reinforce the confidence in the new, that there was in the old, we review a few of the company’s mining projects.

Marula Platinum mine Working in conjunction with DRA, G4 was appointed as a contractor at Impala’s Marula Platinum mine, which is located outside Burgersfort in Limpopo. A 480 000 tonne per month greenfield mining project treating Upper Group 2 reef exclusively through a single large concentrator, G4 was contracted to construct both

underground and surface infrastructure.

This included establishing the civil works for the strike conveyor at Dip 4 used for transporting mine waste material, the chairlift system, pump station with dams and the associated substations.

Tweefontein mine Tweefontein owned by Glencore consists of three mines – the Boschmans, Waterpan and Witcons collieries, which have been structured into opencast, underground and surface operations. Xstrata contracted G4 and Civbuild in a joint venture to construct the Boschmans northern slurry dam ancillary works. This project included a 150 000 m3 capacity HDPE-lined stormwater attenuation dam east of, and linked to, the existing return water dam, as well as two canals, canal junctions, a cut-off filter drain, silt traps, spillways and a canal crossing.

Bafokeng Rasimone Platinum Mine Royal Bafokeng Platinum invested in a new chairlift decline to accommodate 450 people per hour at its Bafokeng Rasimone

Platinum Mine north shaft, as was reported in the Inside Mining November/ December 2013 edition. The project was aimed at enhancing safety and improving production speed by providing faster access to the underground workings. The project can be described as innovative, efficient and low on capital costs, thanks to multidisciplinary engineering contractors SSIS and G4 Civils’ design and build construction.

Past projects carried out by G4 Civils have gone a long way in establishing a solid track record for the newly constituted G4 Mining and Civils, positioning it as a niche service provider. The company delivers a range of proven engineering services, whose value is reflected in the productivity and financial performance of its clients’ mining operations.

BELOW LEFT Trapezoidal water canal lined with 80 mm Geocell – typical used for clean and dirty water drains BELOW Western reinforced concrete, dual compartment silt trap under construction

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EARTHMOVING

Get a load of this Main Reef Crushers recently deployed a 5 tonne (3 m 3) bucket SDLG 958 wheel loader at its Roodepoort operation.

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LTHOUGH WE HAD not purchased SDLG equipment before, we were completely confident in buying this unit from a reputable company like Babcock, which is able to offer a proper service warranty, says owner Jacques Lombard. “This wheel loader has already had its first maintenance service, and I was very impressed with the

This fullfeatured machine enables his team to get more work done in less time

Babcock team’s professionalism. In fact, I have never experienced such a high level of service in all my years in the earth-moving business.”

Lombard’s comments reflect the local market’s steady uptake of SDLG construction machinery. Another firsttime user, Pretoria-based Chromecrete Readymix, part of Silverstone Crushers, has expressed satisfaction at the

performance of its newly purchased wheel loaders. It purchased two 3 tonne (1.8 m3) SDLG 938 wheel loaders to support its expanding operations. Spokesperson Hans Kotze says he is impressed with this full-featured machine’s power, speed and manoeuvrability, which enable his team to get more work done in less time, with less effort.

“The quality of these machines is excellent and, based on the aftersales service and support we’ve enjoyed, I would recommend Babcock to anyone,” he says.

Range of applications SDLG is a value-added range of mechanically driven wheel loaders, graders and vibratory rollers, ideal for applications in the rehandling, construction, quarrying, agricultural and aggregate industries. These machines offer extended, trouble-free operation and are extremely maintenance friendly, fitted with basic electronics and standard components.

The Babcock International Group has been the exclusive distributor of SDLG construction machinery in Southern Africa since early 2012, and the uptake of these machines across the region has exceeded all expectations.

A dedicated product support unit and after-sales teams operating throughout Babcock’s African footprint ensure that the SDLG units are operating effectively at all times. SDLG offers driver training and extended warranties of up to 6 000 hours/36 months. Babcock’s Rob Baker, SDLG equipment sales, says this range is fast becoming recognised as high-quality, value-added products in Southern Africa. “The market is clearly recognising the many advantages the SDLG range offers: competitive pricing, high quality, robust durability and reliable after-sales support delivered by a FTSE 100-listed UK company, with a comprehensive network of local support centres.”

The DLG wheel loader in action

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SITE SERVICES

No matter where, we serve

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STABLISHING A NEW mine is a daunting challenge, and one that is achieved through people who have to eat, sleep, work and play.

This is just one of many field stories.

For the Moma project in Tau-Poito, Mozambique, Fedics Site Services received GPS coordinates from the client and sent an advance team to start providing ‘Life Support’ services to the early works team on-site. Site Services employed all non-management staff from the local village and embarked upon an intense training programme to give skills to a workforce who were fishermen, road-side fruit and veggie traders or who had previously been involved in small-scale farming.

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Eventually, the scope of work grew to include full camp services, including catering, cleaning, housekeeping, bar services, recreation services, laundry, waste removal, small maintenance work, in-flight catering and running a camp tuck shop. Local builders and artists were given the task of building wood ovens to bake the daily bread for the 450 camp residents, as the nearest bakery was 360 km away and the local artists were commissioned to do paintings and wooden carvings that became the camp decor, providing some local colour.

“In our business, the people element is often the most challenging one in remote sites, but also provides many of our highlights.”

This is the view of Andrew St Clair–Laing, Fedics Site Services managing director, and he is quite right. It’s not, however, just people that Fedics Sites Services cares about.

At the Langer Heinrich project in the eco-sensitive Naukluft Reserve on the outskirts of Swakopmund, Namibia, there were challenges with regards to the sensitivity of the unique environment of the area. All effluent and wastewater had to be contained and removed from site as there were insect and beetle species at the site that do not exist anywhere else in the world. Specialised trailers for all liquid waste were developed and used to ensure the well-being of these locals. With such care and foresight, you are assured to be in good hands.

ELECTRA MINING SPECIAL

Voith Turbo showcases mining solutions

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OITH TURBO will showcase its turnkey mining solutions at Electra Mining Africa.

“This is in line with the group’s global theme,” explains Martin Darrington, vice-president of EMEA, Mining and Metals South Africa. “The exhibition will serve as a platform to launch our aftermarket service offering to Africa‘s mining industry.”

The company’s complete technology portfolio effectively meet diverse process applications in the mining, materials handling, chemicals, petrochemical, metallurgical, energy and water industries.

The quality ranges deliver versatile, reliable, economical, cost-effective and energy

efficient solutions to minimise customers’ input and operational costs and maximise plant availability. “The Voith product offering delivers longevity and consistency in the harshest and most demanding environments” adds Darrington.

Coupling range This comprises constant-fill ‘soft-start’ fluid couplings; fill-controlled fluid couplings; chain protection coupling; the 1600 coupling; Fluidrive couplings; universal joint shafts; and HyCon hydraulic shaft connection couplings; as well as Safeset torque limiting couplings. Voith also supplies Falk grid, gear and WrapFlex shaft-to-shaft connecting couplings.

Braking range This comprises Voith drum brakes, Dellner hydraulic disc brakes, Ortlinghaus hydraulic clutches and brakes.

Voith Turbo, established in South Africa in 1982, is a member of the worldwide Voith group of companies, headquartered in Heidenheim, Germany. It is active in mining and raw materials handling, transportation (road, marine, rail), energy, oil and gas and paper.

The head office in Johannesburg includes sales, workshops, stores and testing facilities. A network of Voith representatives and distributors ensures sales, service and distribution coverage into the African continent.

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ELECTRA MINING SPECIAL

Into Africa Building on the back of huge success worldwide, the TML Technik brand (established in Germany in 1993) widens its reach across Africa with representation in South Africa.

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ML IS AN established world-market giant for mobile de-bricking machines in the iron and steel industries. It has its own sales and services facilities in Brazil, China, India and the Ukraine, including TML Technik’s head office and production centre in Germany.

TML Technik opened its doors in Benoni, Gauteng, in 2008, and offers not only a range of tailor-made machine tools, but also conducts on-site flow tests and hydraulic remote control installations for its customers. All TML products are developed, designed and manufactured in Germany.

Says TML Technik’s Volker Bongardt:“I think our new 5.5 t model Unidachs C0520, recently launched in South Africa, will prove to be popular very soon. We offer our customers a partnership with

solutions; we are not just well known for our products.

Our philosophy is to support customers by tackling their problems with custom-made machinery, which further underpins TML SA’s commitment to boosting productivity by minimising production downtime.”

TML’s flagship products include telescopic de-bricking machines with a 360 degree rotating boom. These machines are a niche product with a key role in the metallurgical industry; they are extremely popular overseas and are set for success on our shores. This de-bricking machine increases production in the metallurgical industry as it works in extremely hot conditions. It is energy efficient due to reduced heating periods and has a longer life of refractoriness. As the machine is precise in its movements it is also a time-saving tool.

Says Leonette Bethell, director of TML Technik SA: “The industry is currently experiencing challenging times, especially in the mining and steel sectors. Satisfied customers worldwide trust the TML brand and local markets have reacted positively to our offerings.” In addition to quality products and services, and in keeping spare parts, TML guarantees after-sales customer service that includes inspections, maintenance, safety testing and machinery repairs.

TML SA has sold various products to some of the main metallurgical plants in South Africa and Southern Africa in the past few years and plans to expand its product range across the continent. The African market needs further development when compared to other markets; in many cases work is done in a very simple, inefficient way, with a shortterm view, less focus on safety and fewer cost savings.

Says Bethell: “Our product range aims to improve the production process of ferrous and non-ferrous industries that use the smelting process. The African continent is increasingly important due to the high volume of minerals, which are mined and finished in smelters that are close to the mines. We offer solutions for the production process and are committed to being a long-term partner in providing all plant machinery.

“We build close relationships with our customers and offer working solutions and products dedicated to tough jobs.”

TML SA is a sales and service subsidiary within the TML Group for telescopic de-bricking, charging, stoking and slag raking, and manufactures specially developed machines.

TML SA is also a distributor for Promove hydraulic hammers and shears, Gross-Funk remote-controlled systems, McQuaid Engineering pedestals, mobile and scaler boom systems for crushing and handling purposes, as well as MPTech laser and radar technology for slag and hot-spot detecting and levelling sensors in metallurgical plants.

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ELECTRA MINING SPECIAL

Reflux classifier A fully operational pilot reflux classifier unit will be on display at FLSmidth’s stand at Electra Mining Africa 2014.

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HIS INNOVATIVE technology, which improves fines gravity separation compared to conventional equipment, is fast becoming a preferred technology by major producers of metallurgical coal with installations in Australia, the US, Southern Africa and China. Inroads are also being made into the iron ore and mineral sands markets.

“We are excited to offer visitors to our stand a first-hand view of this technology in action,” says Terence Osborn, capital sales and marketing manager: minerals.

“Reflux classification technology is currently a big focus for us, as we believe it has the potential to revolutionise fine mineral beneficiation in the African mining and minerals processing industries.”

FLSmidth’s technology development initiatives have also yielded a new tailings dewatering press (TDP) focused on waste filtration in the coal arena. The TDP is a redesigned belt press filter that overcomes conventional design shortfalls to produce drier cake. Although wet tailings facilities are still used, the permitting of such facilities is very onerous.

Zero effluent plants Today’s environmental permits do allow the establishment of ‘zero effluent’ plants, which require dewatered tailings facilities. The TDP is operator- and installation friendly, and offers better performance and longer life than previous versions. It is fully manufactured at the Qingdao facility, allowing FLSmidth to offer a highly competitive machine with more features than current offerings.

Osborn adds that a major aim at Electra Mining Africa 2014 is to meet FLSmidth’s operational customers. Therefore a large contingent of aftermarket personnel will be on the stand ready to field questions from these customers. In terms of aftermarket support, one of FLSmidth’s core

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values is getting closer to the customer.

The company is achieving this by setting up local service units in areas that are remote from main centres, but close to customer operations.

Small satellite facilities These small satellite facilities incorporate skilled manpower capable of conducting timely on-site repairs, assisting customers with their stock inventory, carrying out inspections and advising on maintenance practices. The level at which these services are provided depends on the type of service agreement in place with the customer.

FLSmidth is also committed to optimising its solutions to the market in order to offer the same quality of product at a better value to customers. This is being achieved through a specific focus on machinery re-engineering, R&D initiatives and by manufacturing its products in low-cost centres, without reducing quality. Regardless of the global geography in which these manufacturing facilities are established, FLSmidth’s specifications remain the same, setting minimum design criteria and fabrication quality standards, and enforcing them.

Chinese manufacture For example, the company has operated its current 36 000 m2 facility at Qingdao in Shandong Province, China, for the past three years. Prior to its establishment, FLSmidth outsourced the production of this and many other products, but since moving manufacture in-house from the Chinese facility, these products are being made at a better quality. The Qingdao operation focuses on equipment that requires only light to medium fabrication and which is of a more standardised type.

“Having made more than 25 acquisitions in the space of ten years, FLSmidth has advanced significantly towards our vision

A full-scale RC installation at a chrome plant

of offering a single-source solution,” says Osborn. “Now we have embarked on a focused process of integration, optimisation and efficiency, which will standardise a way of working across all these entities in terms of IT platforms and collaborating with regional group offices. We are also identifying any duplicated functions that can be centralised in line with our engineering model. A great deal of progress has already been achieved.

“The point of integration is that we are are not the sum of the entities we have acquired, but rather the sum and much more. Being aware of the global offering and introducing some of the newer products to our traditional customers allows us to greatly enhance our offering.”

To this end, cross-selling is also receiving much attention, with initiatives in place to instil a more generalist knowledge among the sales team. This involves combining knowledge of the joint capabilities of technologies from all the acquired product supply companies into more comprehensive packages.

ELECTRA MINING SPECIAL

Interaction with the Zest WEG Group The Zest WEG Group will share its full portfolio with customers at Electra Mining Africa 2014.

The Zest WEG Group’s small-works facility assembles panels in a qualitycontrolled environment

from basic electric motor and VSD principles to more advanced automation application courses.

CPD courses

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HE ZEST WEG Group, now a subsidiary of leading Brazilian motor and controls manufacturer WEG, started out as a South African company and maintains a strong commitment to contributing to the development of the African region.

It is a leading supplier of low-, mediumand high-voltage electric motors, vibratory motors, variable-speed drives, soft starters, transformers, MCCs, containerised substations, diesel generator sets, switchgear, cogeneration and energy solutions, as well as electrical and instrumentation engineering and project management services in Africa.

The Zest WEG Group already has meaningful participation in all its business lines in Africa, particularly electric motors, where the group is the leader in the market and its customer portfolio comprises some of the largest companies in Africa’s mining, oil and gas and energy sectors.

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Strategic network To gain optimum penetration for maximised customer satisfaction, the Zest WEG Group operates a strategically situated network of branches and distributors across the continent. Apart from the South African operation with its eight branches, the group has registered businesses in Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and Ghana, with distributors in Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Kenya, the DRC, Nigeria, Cameroon, Angola and Mauritania.

The Zest WEG Group continually invests, both in assets and technology transfer from WEG, to maintain best practice. The group offers its customer base ongoing support, both from a sales and technical support perspective and places a high premium on training.

This is emphasised through their fully equipped training facilities, in Johannesburg, Rustenburg, Middleburg, Durban and Cape Town, which provide ongoing training for all customer personnel

The Zest WEG Group offers accredited continuing professional development courses on variable-speed drives CFW-09 and CFW-11, soft starters, motors, PLC WLP, service training, smart relay SRW01 and drives service.

To be better able to respond to the needs of customers, the group also spends a considerable amount of time on developing staff internally with continuous programmes and training to support the strategy of staying abreast of technological developments and trends. Training also follows the path of focusing on areas identified within the industry that are problematic, by offering targeted technical seminars by experienced technical specialists.

In spite of ongoing difficult economic conditions, the group is committed to a long-term vision of local investment in manufacturing operations. Further investments will be made in skills development, operational improvements and job creation.

Strategic plan Parent organisation the WEG Group has a strategic plan to increase its sales by at least 17% year-on-year until 2020, when it aims to arrive at a turnover of $10 billion.

The Zest WEG Group is therefore implementing a number of initiatives to increase its presence in other African countries.

The group’s experience in Africa cannot be overemphasised. An extensive understanding of the African dynamics and how

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strategies differ from country to country is something with which many overseas companies are unfamiliar.

An example is that logistics in Africa are extremely difficult, with travel within any country typically entailing two flights and hours of driving to reach customer operations. The Zest WEG Group has aggressively adapted its business to accommodate these dynamics and can therefore be perceived as an African multinational.

Support operations The ability to provide support operations in Africa and to be able to communicate with locals in their own language, for example English, French or Portuguese, is very important and is provided through the employment of suitably equipped and qualified personnel.

Innovative thinking coupled with the necessary knowledge is a prerequisite when operating in Africa, and the Zest WEG Group’s adaptability forms the cornerstone of successful African relationships. The group’s ability to gear up all manufacturing operations to align with international production standards, and move into a position where it is able to supply world markets with its products, is critical to its sustainability and underpins its strategic position.

Louis Meiring, Zest WEG Group CEO, says the organisation has experienced an increased demand from end users to provide more permanent solutions to problems experienced at end-of-life products.

Focus on product integrity “There is an increased focus throughout Africa on the integrity of products, which underlines the fact that more end users now understand that life-cycle costing is more important than initial capital cost. This is particularly important in Africa, where many operations are located hundreds of kilometres from support structures.

“Part of this is also an increased service team offering, which is in place to accommodate products going into Africa. This is supported by experience gained over the years that allows us to negotiate terms and conditions of contracts and become more streamlined across the board.

“Equipment is shipped from the most logistically efficient location to ensure fast turnaround times, without compromising on the vital factors of providing best practice and non-negotiable quality,” Meiring concludes.

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A showcase for A stalwart at Electra Mining Africa for over 35 years, the Multotec Group is well known as a supplier of superior products and services to the mining industry.

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O ADD TO the customer experience, the group will use Electra Mining Africa 2014 as a platform to showcase its entire offering in a participative and educational manner. Exhibition visitors will be able to view scale working and static models, as well as cutaway exhibits of Multotec’s equipment. In addition, real-time data from condition monitoring and other measuring activities will be available for review by visitors. Experienced Multotec engineers will be on hand to talk customers through these processes in a truly interactive style.

Since training forms such an integral part of the Multotec Group offering, the group’s skilled training personnel will be present to demonstrate this vital value-added service for customers, given the critical skills deficit the world is currently experiencing.

Multotec’s depth of technology expertise can be experienced first-hand on the group’s outside stand. Customers will have access to some of the 21st century technologies that position the group as a leader in its industry sector, such as

aspects of 3D modelling used in research and development. Of particular interest is the 3D printer, which will be used to print screening panels.

Screening media One of Multotec’s exhibits will address predictive maintenance on screens. The human eye cannot discern the amount of wear on a screening surface and plant operation needs vary with regard to cut size or the wear rate on a specific panel type. Multotec’s solution makes it easier to determine cut size and the remaining panel life through the employment of the patented Wear Indicator.

The production process starts by accurately moulding a series of small holes at predetermined and equally spaced depths below the screen’s wear surface.

Once the panel is in operation and a hole is exposed through abrasion, it is easy to estimate remaining panel life because of the relationship between wear rate and depth. Managing screen downtime is simplified and unnecessary panel Cast iron dense medium cyclone

ELECTRA MINING SPECIAL

the Multotec Group replacement is eliminated, because the system allows panel change-out to become predictive rather than reactive.

Another innovative product is the TeePee screening media panel, which is ideal for dewatering and slimes removal. It increases the screening surface, improving the panel open area, for a resultant increased screening capacity without any changes in the footprint. Multotec’s test rig will demonstrate the improved drainage of the TeePee panel over conventional panels.

A scaled model of various screening media panel options will be used to demonstrate the screen classification and efficiency capabilities when using Multotec panels. The company will also exhibit a cutaway of a scrubber/trommel combination, showing the rubber scrubber liners and the different types of trommel panel solutions for SAG mill applications. A static screening media display will show the wear life cycle of screening panels.

MATO belt-fastening solutions These will be on display with live demonstrations using a lacing machine. The MATO system consists of a lace cutter and skiver, and is characterised by high static and dynamic strength, better scraper interaction, less wear and noise reduction on pulleys and idlers.

Multotec Rubber A cutaway section of a 3 m diameter mill with a single ring of lifter bars and shell plates will be positioned on the outside stand and will be equipped with mill-liner scanning technology. An operational scale model of a mill trajectory will be situated adjacent to this display. A demonstration of the MillTraj software used by Multotec Rubber to design mill liners will indicate how the trajectory can be modelled electronically. The Hawkeye display will demonstrate how readings from a mill-liner scanner can be converted into easy-to-understand graphical displays of the wear of the lifter bars, the shell and head plates.

Mill circuit specialists from Multotec will be available to demonstrate on-site circuit audits and provide suggested improvements to increase process plant performance.

Cyclones Multotec has an enviable reputation for its range of cyclones, and this year’s exhibits will include the wellknown cast iron cyclone that provides maximised output and minimised downtime. There will also be an operational model of a cyclone, which will clearly demonstrate the vortex.

Sampling Accuracy in sampling equipment is critical to the success of any mining operation and visitors will be able to view the actual sampling procedure. A cross-stream sampler, available for all conveyor widths between 450 and 2 100 mm, will show the inherent strengths of this I N S I D E M I N I N G 0 9 | 2 0 1 4 41

product. All units are custom designed to conform to customer requirements, as well as ISO and other relevant international sampling standards.

Gravity concentration Exhibits that cover gravity concentration will include 3D models of Multotec spirals and a 3D-printed scale model of a pilot plant, together with a cross section of a pipe launder arrangement, will complement the new test rig on display, which can house any spiral in the Multotec range.

WHIMS Multotec’s wet, high-intensity magnetic separators use electromagnetic coils to generate very high magnetic force that can be implemented to allow separation of para-magnetic minerals. This technology also employs unparalleled high gradients, within their exchangeable matrices, to allow recovery of fine material down to 15 microns. The Multotec Group has served the local and international mining industry for over 40 years and offering appropriate-quality, process-related product solutions to the mining industry remains an integral part of the group’s strategy.

ELECTRA MINING SPECIAL

Motoring on for 50 years Celebrating its 50th anniversary, Becker Mining South Africa will showcase a range of mechanical, electrical and electronic mining products at Electra Mining Africa 2014.

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HIEF SALES OFFICER Johann Smit says, “We will be launching many new products at this year’s show, including our track-bound locomotive controller, charger and the latest collision-avoidance products. Our new belt-rip scanner and misalignment products, as well as the recently launched VHF Becker Varis leaky feeder equipment, will also be on display. Highlights on our stand will be the live demonstration of products, interactive displays and technical presentations.

“Becker Mining South Africa’s commitment to providing a critical service to the mines and general industry encompasses the design and manufacture of products and systems, using the latest technology.

Mine safety is significantly enhanced by the implementation of one or a combination of Becker’s specialised multitechnological solutions.”

Three manufacturing companies The company specialises in the design, manufacture and supply of energy distribution, automation, communication, transportation and roof support systems in underground mining infrastructure systems. Becker’s equipment is manufactured by three wholly owned South African manufacturing companies. These are: EMIS, for electrical energy distribution systems; Bellambie Mining & Industrial, for hoist rope attachments, roof support systems and lifting equipment; and Becker Electronics, for electronic automation and

The new ICAS surface collision-avoidance safety system will be launched at Electra Mining Africa 2014

communication systems. Additional specialised product solutions and services are sourced from group operations abroad.

Stringent quality control Becker Mining South Africa’s manufacturing companies – at the Alrode, Heidelberg, Randburg, Chamdor and Welkom plants – are committed to stringent quality control procedures and meet the requirements of ISO 9001:2008 as registered within the BM Trada certification scheme. Rigorous tests, which include the electrical, electronic, chemical and mechanical verification of materials, are performed throughout every production process to ensure standards conform to the expectations and demands of the global mining industry.

The mining sector in Africa benefits from Becker’s ongoing research and development programme, where close international ties guarantee the edge on product design, impeccable manufacturing standards, cost efficiency, safety and reliability of equipment.

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ELECTRA MINING SPECIAL

Hydraulic solutions Industrial sector companies Hytec, Hytec Fluid Technology, Hydraulic and Automation Warehouse, Hytec Engineering and Hytec Services Africa will showcase the Hytec Group as Africa’s leader in hydraulic sales, service and repairs at Electra Mining Africa 2014.

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YTEC GROUP’S advanced pump, motor and hydraulic cylinder refurbishment capabilities will be demonstrated by Hytec and Hytec Engineering with on-site displays. These are the only companies in Africa, and the only two outside of Bosch Rexroth, accredited with the stringent Bosch Rexroth Service Centre of Competency certification, which they were re-awarded this year.

The group’s hydraulic fluid specialist, Hytec Fluid Technology (HFT), will demonstrate Fleetguard Filters’ range of heavy-duty air, lube, fuel, coolant, transmission and hydraulic filtration products, along with the Hy-Pro solution capable of removing water contamination from diesel, oil, jet fuel and other liquids with exceptional efficiency. The exhibition will also bring into focus the company’s range of ASA Hydraulik fluid cooling systems.

Hydraulic & Automation Warehouse (HAW) will further highlight the benefits of top-engineered and cost-optimised products for mobile hydraulic machines by showcasing its range of hydraulic motors, valves (available in monoblock and segment designs) and power-steering units

TOP Hytec’s advanced axial piston pump, as well as a range of motors and hydraulic cylinders, will be demonstrated with onsite displays ABOVE HAW will highlight the benefits of top-engineered and cost-optimised products for mobile hydraulic machines by showcasing its range of hydraulic motors RIGHT HFT’s Hy-Pro solution is capable of removing water contamination from diesel, oil, jet fuel and other liquids with exceptional efficiency

with various accessories. This solution also consists of hydraulic hoses, fittings, couplings, tie-rod cylinders and filters.

For visitors from the rest of Africa, Hytec Services Africa (HSA) will demonstrate the group’s logistical, service and support capabilities throughout Africa. This will be the first time HSA presents its most recent expansions into new African markets.

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ELECTRA MINING SPECIAL

Pipeline to success Pipe manufacturer Marley Pipe Systems has embarked on a strategic drive to supply the mining industry.

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OMMERCIAL DIRECTOR Danie Grobbelaar tells Inside Mining that the company’s Rosslyn manufacturing facility has been completely revamped, following its acquisition of the assets of Petzetakis. “That was a big decision as well as a major investment. We now have the best manufacturing facility in South Africa and the capability to produce specialised pipes, in addition to a full range of fittings. We also have the capacity for future growth.”

Grobbelaar says that the company’s main goal is a total solutions approach.

“We manufacture a full range here, more so than any of our competitors. The combination of that and our technical expertise is our main market differentiator. The fact that we deliver systems means we do not focus on any single product, but on the entire range.”

Quality products Another important factor is quality.

A major issue in the pipe sector at the moment is the illegal blending of other plastics in order to cut costs – a practice that unfortunately is rife at present, says Grobbelaar. “It is illegal and against ISO and SABS specifications, yet we know it is practised widely, especially when market conditions are tough.

“From a Marley Pipe Systems perspective, our stance is that we will never compromise on quality or safety. This stance has stood us in good stead, and many blue chip companies are willing to pay a premium for our products as a result.”

Product development is another key focus at Marley Pipe Systems, including such innovations as Petroplas, a high-performance polyethylene pipe system designed specifically for the transfer of fuels, specified for use in a major Transnet pipeline.

“Petroplas offers the unique benefit of being implemented as an integral primary/secondary containment pipe system,

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used to transport fuel as well as protect water lines from the effect of contaminated ground,” explains Grobbelaar.

Large-diameter pipes The system can also be applied to large-diameter pipe, up to and exceeding 630 mm, making it a cost-effective solution over long distances. In the mining industry, it can also be used for surface processing plants, for example.

Other product developments include the reintroduction of the popular range of Megaflex PVC hose products, while Marley Pipe Systems is also the only South African licensee of the large-diameter Weholite structured wall pipe.

As a subsidiary of Aliaxis, Marley Pipe Systems has a strong position in terms of local and international standards, which has played a key role in the success of Marley’s participation in several flagship ship African mining projects. These include lude

Glencore’s Mutanda and Kansuki copper operations in the DRC and African Barrick Gold’s Bulyanhulu gold mine in Tanzania.

Total solutions These projects comprised total solutions, from manometric drawings to the tendering, quoting, sourcing and supply of all HDPE and PVC pipes for processing and acid plant pipelines, water lines and tailing lines.

In terms of HDPE pipes, Marley Pipe Systems is the only manufacturer with the capacity to produce pipes in diameters of up to 1 000 mm. “A key market differentiator is our capability to manufacture both large and complex products within stipulated timelines, while maintaining strict quality standards,” says Grobbelaar.

“Our affiliation with Aliaxis also means we can collaborate internationally on a technical basis, which is an added benefit for those clients who require application specific or customisable solutions. If we can join it, we can make it.”

BELOW AND RIGHT Marley’s range of HDPE and PVC piping

1 000 mm

The maximum diameter of HDPE pipes that Marley Pipe Systems can manufacture

ELECTRA MINING SPECIAL

Nacala railway Some of the world’s richest coal deposits are located in Mozambique’s Tete province. The challenge is getting product to market. By Sylvester Haskins

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ACALA, ALSO known as Cidade de Nacala or Nacala-Porto, is found on the northern coast of Mozambique. It is the deepest natural port on the east coast of Africa. The Nacala railway corridor project is intended to provide a logistics solution for the transportation of coal from the Moatize mine, in Mozambique’s Tete province, to the maritime terminal in Nacala, on the Indian Ocean, through a new 912 km long railway corridor that will pass through Malawi. The corridor will be able to carry up to 30 million tonnes a year of coal.

WorleyParsons, which established itself in Mozambique in 2013, in a move to leverage itself as a player in the burgeoning oil and gas industry in East Africa, was awarded the project management contract for the Nacala railway corridor project. The company believes this is a testament to its strength as a local-global project delivery organisation.

Their scope of services involves the project management of the rail line construction, including contract administration and engineering. This work will be undertaken by WorleyParsons Mozambique and WorleyParsons South Africa. In addition, they have been appointed by Corredor Logístico Integrado de Nacala SA (CLN) to perform the detailed design of the rail facilities and maintenance complex at Nacala.

The Vale’s Moatize mine expects to run the first train along the entire stretch of the Nacala railway corridor by the end of 2014. Looking beyond the completion of this project, WorleyParsons is optimistic about the growth opportunities in Southern Africa and sub-Saharan Africa.

Map indicating Moatize’s location in relation to Nacala

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ELECTRA MINING SPECIAL

Drive solutions Hansen Transmissions SA, Africa’s reliable drive-solutions partner for over 40 years, will showcase its customised drive packages and mechanical power transmission mining solutions at Electra Mining Africa 2014.

Setting the benchmark in large industrial drive technology

with our customers who are our mainstay.

Our customers’ objectives of minimum input costs with maximum output results for rapid return on investment and total cost of ownership are also our objectives,” continues Main.

“In order to be a reliable solutions partner, we have to remain steadfast in building and maintaining long-term relationships with our customers and continue delivering the right product on time, supported by competent people and service excellence. We are committed to delivering precision engineering and quality, and reliable drive solutions, backed by service excellence,” concludes Main.

Local design

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LOCAL SUBSIDIARY of Hansen Industrial Transmissions of Belgium and owned

by Sumitomo Drive Technologies of Japan, Hansen Transmissions South Africa sets the industry benchmark in large industrial drive technology.

The Hansen P4, Hansen I4 (invertible gearbox), Hansen M4ACC (air-cooled condenser), single-stage gear units, rigid flange couplings as well as the Premium Stephan geared motor range, meet drive solutions across Southern African mining, materials handling, minerals processing, water treatment, mixer, cooling tower and allied industries. The company’s product offering has recently been extended to include Paramax gearboxes.

Smart company “There is a fine balance between competitiveness and profitability,” says sales and

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marketing manager David Main. “A smart company is able to successfully maintain this balance by being flexible, implementing structures to adapt to changing business landscapes and identifying new opportunities.

“Our continent holds so much potential, which we are ready to uncover. Without diluting our local focus, we are increasing our attention outside our borders and expanding our current installed base in the SADC region and further north into Central, East and West Africa.”

Facilitate growth “Over the last few months we have put the necessary structures into place to facilitate our growth into these countries. Our clearly differentiated New and After Sales divisions, each supported by a competent team, enable us to accommodate a broader industry focus and enhance interface

The locally designed Hansen I4 invertible left- and right-hand-orientated industrial gearbox for multiple underground drive conveyor systems can be inverted for either handing. The requirement for separate drives and the need to perform handing changes under breakdown situations or in dirty environments are eliminated.

The Hansen I4 offers further savings on inventory as only one drive as opposed to two needs to be stocked. These significant cost-and space-saving benefits have resulted in the local coal mining industry largely standardising on the unit.

The rugged, reliable and powerful Hansen P4 large industrial gearboxes meet typical surface and underground drive applications for conveyors, elevators, cranes, hoists, bucket wheel drives, ship loaders, travel drives, and tripper drives. The modular Hansen M4ACC industrial gearbox is suitable for dry environments with limited water resources and provides a cost-effective, efficient solution for air-cooled steam condensation plants.

ELECTRA MINING SPECIAL

A smart approach Designed to counter the escalation of maintenance and replacement costs, Weba Chute Systems adopts a streamlined, scientific approach to the dynamics of bulk materials handling. By Sylvester Haskins

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INING ENGINEERS seldom view transfer systems as a critical element of the minerals processing system.

Mark Baller, managing director of Weba Chute Systems, says transfer systems should be given the same level of importance and consideration as any other piece of machinery in the minerals processing cycle.

Transfer points potentially contribute to some of the highest maintenance costs on a mine, as the uncontrolled discharge of bulk materials through conventional

chutes has a history of escalated maintenance and replacement costs. “All of this adds up to unnecessary expenditure and a headache for the engineers concerned,” he explains.

Custom design Taking into account factors such as belt width and speed, material sizes, shape and throughput, each chute system is custom designed for a specific application.

Baller explains: “There are numerous advantages to be gained from this locally developed transfer system, which, when

introduced on a new project, achieves the optimum design configuration for the application, with the best belt-cleaning arrangement and optimum selection of belt types and sizes.”

Baller says M&J Engineering’s chute systems should not be compared with conventional chute systems as they adopt a completely different and unique approach to the control and handling of bulk materials.

“They should rather be seen as an improved alternative or upgrade,” concludes Baller.

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ELECTRA MINING SPECIAL

Fine screening Derrick Corporation of the US, and its local marketing arm, Derrick Solutions International Africa (DSIA), will showcase some of the latest trends in comminution at Electra Mining Africa 2014.

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ITH A TOTAL of 70 engineers deployed at its R&D department in Buffalo, New York, the company focuses on constant innovation and product development. “An example of the latest technology just coming onto the market is our front-to-back tensioning system,” explains DSIA vice-president Nic Barkhuysen. This is a simpler option for tensioning and fitting finescreen panels.

FLC 2000 three-panel shaker

Another new development is a dry stack sizer, used typically in large, high tonnage iron ore circuits. This comprises up to four double-decks stacked on top of one another, all fed from a single-source flow divider or distributor. “The aim is to reduce the footprint as much as possible in terms of designing new plants. The benefits increase exponentially with smaller building structures.”

The company is also developing a new wet stack sizer, comprising eight decks and 1.5 m wide. “That will typically have double the capacity of the existing fivedeck 1.2 m wide machine. It is still in the development phase, but should be hitting the market in the next year or two. Again, the whole drive is to get sizes down and capacities up.”

All the equipment is imported from the US, where it is manufactured in a high-tech facility with laser cutting and

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robotic welders. “The general comment from customers is that Derrick Corporation manufactures the best in world-class engineered equipment.”

The company specialises in fine screening, which comprises polyurethane panels with apertures from 45 microns up to 0.8 mm. “We manufacture dry, wet and slurry screens, as well as dewatering systems. The major application is for the closing of secondary mill circuits, replacing the cyclones with screens, resulting in an improved cut point. It reduces mill circulating loads, increases throughput, reduces fines generation and mill power consumption, and so forth. In these applications, the improvements are so significant that the capital is recovered in months, sometimes even weeks.”

Our dewatering and de-sliming technology, commonly known as the Hi-G Dryer, recovers solids from slurries as fine as 25 microns and discharges the solids in a stackable, conveyable form. Capacities range from 10 tph (dry solids) to 300 tph.

The OEM is represented locally by DSIA, established in January this year. “Derrick manufactures fine screening equipment for the mining and oil and gas industries.

Approximately 70% of our machines are sold into oil and gas with the balance to mining. In terms of capacity, we manufacture between 10 and 15 machines per day.

Our interconnecting crane system in the factory in Buffalo is the third largest in the world after Caterpillar and Boeing,” comments Barkhuysen.

Derrick Corporation was established in 1951, with DSI following some years later.

DSI currently has offices in South Africa, Singapore, Indonesia, Dubai and Canada.

Derrick Corporation has had a presence in

Africa for about eight years. “We appoint agents and representatives. They typically do the upfront work, as they have the contacts on the mines, and then we back them up with technical support and equipment supply. We service all of the commodity sectors, from coal to uranium, though iron ore is our biggest sector at the moment, with more than 1 000 installations in this industry.”

Looking more closely at the polyurethane side-tensioned panels that are used on the Derrick screens, Barkhuysen points out that they have a high open area, similar to woven wire. “We state categorically that they do not blind, which really gives us a major advantage. Our machines tend to be smaller and lighter, with high capacities. We really do not compete against other screening manufacturers as it is such a specialised, niche product. Instead, we compete against other technologies, such as up-current classifiers and cyclones.”

Barkhuysen says that a large focus of DSI is to educate the mining industry on the latest trends and developments and to get it to accept new technology, as opposed to the traditional way of doing things. “Our biggest challenge is convincing customers.

Once they see the light, though, the project quickly proceeds to implementation.”

Commenting on the current state of the mining industry, Barkhuysen notes, “All commodity prices are down at the moment and have been depressed for some time. It is unusual for them all to be in a trough. However, they have to turn sometime, which is obviously what we are waiting for.”

He adds that the mining slump has had an impact on business, with projects being completed mostly at BFS stage and then waiting for investors to return, or commodity prices to increase. “Once these sectors turn, we will see huge demand for processing equipment again, with extended delivery times.”

ELECTRA MINING SPECIAL

Multi-gas detector

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HE TOUGH AND durable MSA Altair 4X multi-gas detector for mining has proven why it is the only local instrument of its kind with full SABS accreditation, after two units survived separate incidents in full working order.

The Altair 4X multi-gas detector is distributed locally by the African division of MSA, a global leader in the development, manufacture and supply of sophisticated SHEQ products. The first incident involved a heavy-duty, rock removal vehicle running over the unit, while a separate incident involved an Altair 4X detector being dropped and trapped in an underground mud rush.

During the first incident, the unit was trampled by the machine. MSA Africa portable gas detection product manager

Tshepo Lebona says it was found lodged between the rocks and dirt with a broken screen, before being taken to the lamp room, where the accident was reported.

The screen was replaced and the device was calibrated and bump-checked and was found to be in perfect working order.

A second unit was deemed destroyed when it was caught in a mud rush, but was found a month later while the mine shaft was being cleared. It was thought that the device was beyond repair due to the physical appearance of the instrument. A mine technician decided to clean the unit in an attempt to salvage parts, but it was found to be functioning perfectly after being charged and calibrated and was then put back into operation.

The Altair 4X multi-gas detector is suitable for use in a variety of work

environments. It features lower explosive limits and O2 sensors, and can include two more gas sensors: CO and H2S, H2S and SO2, or CO and NO2. It has a polycarbonate casing which protects the device and allows it to withstand a 6 m drop.

It features a four-year sensor life and 24-hour run time, and has been proven to exceed industry standards and customer expectations. “These incidents have proven that the instrument can withstand any environmental hazard.

Feedback from our customers following both incidents has been overwhelmingly positive and proves just how important it is to select value over price when purchasing equipment that is responsible for the well-being of human life,” concludes Lebona.

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ELECTRA MINING SPECIAL

Power team South Africa Power Team South Africa, incorporating SPX Bolting Systems, is displaying and demonstrating some of its innovations and part of its comprehensive range of hydraulic maintenance tools at Electra Mining Africa 2014.

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fast operation cycle, a push-button reversal of square drive and a 360 degree reaction arm, among several other unique applications.

The brand-new Posi-Lock pullers, available in both hydraulic and mechanical versions, are ideal for tough maintenance challenges and are used to pull a variety of press-fit parts, from gears, wheels and pulleys to bearings, with minimum effort. Other new products on display are the range of flange spreaders, including the SPX FLS 15 hydraulic spreader, which uses the integrated wedge concept to open flanges and is able to fit into spaces of just 5.5 mm to 35 mm, in addition to the ENS hydraulic nut splitter for removing corroded and seized nuts.

Additional Power Team offerings from SPX Bolting Systems on display at Electra Mining Africa 2014 include: • the compact, durable and lightweight SPX PE39 pump is ideal for wind-tower maintenance teams and for checking bolt torque reliability • the SPX PE45 continuous pressure hydraulic pump, a continuous flow hydraulic pump, results in a speed improvement of up to 200% • the lightweight 1 500 bar SPX PE8 is an ultra-high-pressure electric pump that delivers a high level of cycles and continuous duty in high temperatures

HIS YEAR’S display features – among others – the reliable, quality, leightweight, high-strength range of SPX Bolting Systems hydraulic torque wrenches. The TWHC high cycle torque wrench has been designed for a life cycle two to three times longer than existing technology provides. It has increased reliability, is made from corrosion-resistant material, has a compact nose radius and many more advantages.

Ideal for tough The TWLC low clearance torque maintenance challenges wrench was deand fit into small places signed for the most inaccessible bolting areas found in industry. Its • the ultra-light SPX P19L and P59L low height and tight nose radius have hand pumps allow for easier and added to its abundant success. Advansafer operation tages include a compact frame size, • the SPX WD/WS range of wind-towbuilt-in reaction pad, fine-tooth er tensioners reduces fatigue pawl and floating piston design. and improves productivity, while Last, but certainly not least, the increasing safety.

TWSD series square-drive torque All SPX Bolting Systems’ products are wrenches are designed to have a low designed and developed using the latweight, superior torsional strength, est computer-aided technology, which ensures that its products remain at the TOP LEFT The SPX FLS 15 hydraulic spreader is capable of fitting into spaces forefront of product development. Powas small as 5.5 mm er Team products are used throughout MIDDLE LEFT The P-series hydraulic the world for applications in industry, hand pump reduces operator fatigue and construction, rigging, quarrying, mahas more usable oil volume rine projects, maintenance and repair LEFT The ENS hydraulic nut splitter and more. Its products are backed by the is specifically designed for removing Powerthon lifetime warranty. corroded and seized nuts

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ELECTRA MINING SPECIAL

Engineered for success

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OUTH AFRICA’S electric motor refurbishing specialist, Delba Electrical, together with alliance partner Flanders, will showcase their engineering capabilities and total electric motor at Electra Mining Africa 2014.

With a reputation of excellence in electric motor design, repair, rewinding and testing that spans more than 50 years, Delba is in the final stages of completing the construction of a new heavy-engineering facility at its Springs headquarters in Gauteng.

The workshop will be equipped with the latest technology, including a modern test bay area and a vacuum pressure impregnation system.

New facility Coinciding with the opening of the new facility will be an increase of approximately

20% in the company’s staff complement.

A restructuring of the current premises to better streamline processes and accommodate volume increases will also follow.

Delba is a certified Zest WEG and SKF electric motor rebuilder, affirmation of the company’s commitment to quality of repair. In 2012, Delba was appointed distributor and service provider for US-based Flanders in sub-Saharan Africa.

Global supplier Flanders is a global supplier of rugged, high-performance AC and DC electric motors and generators, as well as AC and DC drive control system integration.

“Due to the numerous synergies between the two companies, the partnership has enabled us to supply end-to-end solutions, from product to maintenance,

including a comprehensive field service,” adds Balocco.

Delba services include AC high, medium and low voltage motors, DC motors, alternators, generators, new motors, certified flameproof motors, transformers, load testing, ventilation fans and submersible pumps with performance testing.

High quality The company’s Copex Division manufactures and supplies high-quality copper conductors and preformed coils. A PLC-controlled, eco-friendly pyrolitic kiln was installed to ensure that customers’ stator-core iron losses are not compromised. A comprehensive range of 24/7 onsite services, including remote locations, is delivered by Delba Electrical’s fully equipped Field Service Division.

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ELECTRA MINING SPECIAL

Gas pressure regulator Afrox will showcase its unique and innovative Smoothflo gas pressure regulator at Electra Mining Africa 2014.

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HIS PIONEERING regulator delivers multi-stage performance with a single-stage design, and sets new standards in performance by combining valve encapsulation with piston technology, effectively replacing the diaphragm typically used in standard regulators. The advantages include reliable, constant performance and improved pressure stability across the entire working pressure range.

Since its launch onto the world market in 2013, Smoothflo has become the new industry benchmark, incorporating all the elements of modern technologies and safety features demanded by the mining industry, carrying ISO 2503 and AZ 4267 certifications as audited by TUV, Apragaz promoted ignition tested, as well as Firelab toxic fume approval and certification.

Reflecting this milestone achievement, Afrox will exhibit under the theme of innovation and leading technology, showcasing its capabilities as a total solutions provider with end-to-end technical solutions that are fully integrated across a spectrum of Constant performance and improved pressure stability

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industrial processes. Real value is added to these processes, both from a financial and a productivity perspective, by sourcing the necessary consumables, equipment and gases, as well as on-site support and training, from a single, reputable supplier.

The operation of the Smoothflo, as well as various industrial processes, will be demonstrated on iPads using touch screens, with a PC-based virtual welding simulator expected to draw particular interest.

Afrox will also display its extended Porta cylinder welding and associated shielding gases offerings. The new Porta range comprises PortaTIG shielding gas for TIG welding and PortaShield, an argon-based shielding gas for MIG welding, as well as the existing PortaPak oxygen and acetylene. These products are supplied in small, lightweight cylinders for portability and flexibility, ideally suited for use in conjunction with Afrox’s Porta range of MIG and TIG welding machines, currently also being launched into the local market.

As the leading supplier of electrical arc welding and cutting equipment in southern Africa, with its long-standing relationships with OEM partners ITW Miller Electric, Victor Thermal Dynamics and

Pierce Profile Cutting, Afrox is proud to announce that it has beefed up its high-end mechanised solutions offering to the market, which will strengthen its position as a leader in the welding industry. The company has the infrastructure and expertise to enable customer productivity and cost reduction, and is tapping into the skills of world-class suppliers to bring in the best equipment required to enable customers to automate their welding processes.

In addition, Afrox will be focusing on CNC profile-cutting systems, submerged-arc welding, crawlers and semi-automated pipe-welding solutions, with its infrastructure footprint and back-up service in place, ensuring that it is able to provide the firstclass service critical in this type of business. Visitors can expect to view samples of high-definition plasma-cut items as well as samples from our pipe welding solutions on offer.

Visitors to the show will be able to view another trusted mining industry mainstay at the show – Afrox’s BlueBox and RedBox heavy-duty oxyacetylene kits. Beyond being premium ISO/SANS approved equipment that has been specifically packaged to perform in the rugged mining environment, these kits are part of a unique service level agreement (SLA).

Under the SLA, each item of equipment bears a dedicated serial number to ensure traceability and user accountability, minimising equipment abuse, loss and theft.

The serial number is logged onto an Afrox database to ensure timeous servicing and replacement of elements, as well recording equipment abuse and frequency of use.

Afrox launched its eShop in June this year. This exciting new concept is much more than an online shop – an e-channel which is providing a real-time, customer focused and user friendly online capability that allows customers of all sizes to purchase gases, hardgoods and safety products. Visitors to the show will have the opportunity to interact with Afrox staff who will take them through the process of registering for this service.

ELECTRA MINING SPECIAL

A sucker for gold Modern prospect mining has it that working smart is better than working hard. Gold miners in the USA agree. Why dig when you can ‘vack’ but, when you dig, if dig you must, vack as well.

moss on exposed bedrock or boulders, or material in a dry wash in the desert. For this dry-land dredging, all that is needed is a portable power source.

Each summer, as rivers swell with rain, a lot of fine gold is washed down the river, especially rivers such as the Vaal. The fine gold, since it is much lighter in weight, is deposited much higher on the banks, or in material along the river. As the high waters recede, the areas where the fine gold is deposited are left exposed.

On the heavier side

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HE COLLOQUIAL term ‘vack’ means ‘to vacuum’. Just as a suction dredge vacuums material from the bottom of a waterway, ‘vacking’ is a form of dry-land dredging and involves using vacuum cleaners.

On the lighter side A growing band of prospectors in the USA use small, lightweight units to vacuum cracks and crevices of exposed bedrock,

Gold-bearing ore that is not on the conveyor belt or lost somewhere in the ore extraction process is lost profit. With this knowledge, mines can rest on the experience to turn spillages and material not normally considered for collection into profit through the use of proven vacuum technology. For the cleaning of shaft bottoms, haulages, airways, underground settlers and dams, processing plant spillages, transfer point and conveyor belt spillages, mining of high-grade pillars to prevent

The thrill of finding gold never dissipates

dilution and for the sweeping of stopes before these areas are permanently lost to backfill, vacuum equipment is unrivalled.

Mining areas can be vacuumed to yield gold material that would not have been recovered otherwise, extending the life of the mine and the output it can achieve.

Vacuum units have been successfully used in the past for the profitable recovery of valuable material in gold mines and processing plants around the world. Units are available from Hencon, in both electrical and diesel, in sizes from 90 kw up to 230 kw. They can be built on rails for conventional track use, skids for untracked areas, trailer-mounted for plant use or even built into cassettes used by most of the major trackless mining utility vehicles today.

Using advanced yet robust vacuum system designs that incorporate the latest high-vacuum blower, motor and filter technology, long life spans and consistent performance, Hencon Vacuum Technologies can tailor-make systems.

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Locally manufactured A unique, locally developed oily-water separator solution is being launched officially at Electra Mining 2014 by leading environmental management expert Procon Environmental Technologies.

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NVIRONMENTAL compliance and sustainability continue to play increasingly important roles in the African mining sector. Procon managing director Kuno Kerlen notes that the company will be launching its locally designed and -manufactured ProSpin hydrocyclone oily-water separator at Electra Mining, due to the fact that it is recognised as Africa’s premier mining event.

“Electra Mining serves as the ideal platform to raise the profile of the innovative and cost-effective ProSpin solution, which assists mining operations in meeting discharge limits. It also adds value to the local economy, due to the fact that it is manufactured locally,” he notes. The ProSpin oily-water separator solution is based

on HiPer hydrocyclone designs that use strong centrifugal forces to separate oil and other contaminants from water. The product range includes pneumatic engineered solutions for 3 m3/h to 9 m3/h of oily-water flow, as well as electrical engineered solutions dealing with flows from 3 m3/h upwards.

In addition to the official launch of ProSpin, product experts from Procon will be providing guests to the company’s stand with in-depth explanations and presentations on its range of tried-and-tested products that are ideally suited to mining applications. These include:

Hydrau-Flo fuel-filling valves Overfilling, spillage and tank ruptures are a persistent challenge in the international

“A considerably safer and more effective alternative to industrystandard pressurised overflow systems.” Kuno Kerlen, managing director, Procon Environmental Technologies

mining sector, where large fast-fill fuelling systems pump diesel at 1 500 ℓ/min. An ineffective overflow protection solution could therefore equate to more than 25 ℓ of diesel being spilled a second, resulting in considerable environmental damage, in addition to higher costs related to wastage and downtime.

A single mining operation could save anywhere between R1 million and R5 million a year by adopting the Hydrau-Flo range, thanks to the advanced zero-spillage technology, which substantially minimises the environmental and safety hazards associated with fuel transfer.

Procon chairman Andy Miller reveals that Hydrau-Flo is a considerably safer and more effective alternative to industry-standard pressurised overflow systems, which do not entirely prevent spillage, but rather slow it down. “What is more, a large build-up of pressure could result in rupture, with significantly high fuel wastage and the risk of injury to personnel,” he explains.

The Hydrau-Flo fuel filling valve system is the only product of its kind with a 36-month warranty. It is manufactured by the Australia-based minerals-process equipment manufacturer Weir, which will be sending a product specialist to Electra Mining in order to provide comprehensive industry-specific insights to guests visiting the Procon exhibition stand.

Oil Buster soil bioremediation system After several months of extensive research and development, the locally developed Oil Buster system was launched officially in South Africa in late 2013.

Miller reveals that the new machine is capable of processing large quantities of soil, while simultaneously adding the required microbes, nutrients and other bioremediation components according to predetermined mixture ratios.

Procon’s mobile oily-water separator

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oily-water separator “The costly and hazardous process of standard soil bioremediation has been simplified dramatically by this system, which serves as an efficient and cost-effective alternative to the full extraction, removal and transportation of contaminated soil to an approved hazardous-waste facility. This ensures measurable cost savings and improved rehabilitation turnaround times,” says Miller.

The Oil Buster system is also more accurate and environmentally friendly than onsite bioremediation, which is carried out by tilling the soil mechanically, or by hand, and adding oil-degrading microbes, absorbents, chemicals and nutrients.

“In this method, the components are not always mixed homogenously with the hydrocarbon contaminant within the soil. Oil Buster ensures complete distribution of

“Ensures measurable cost savings and improved rehabilitation turnaround times.” Andy Miller, chairman, Procon Environmental Technologies the components in the treated soil, while improved aeration results in an improved bioremediation process,” says Miller.

With the capacity to treat 20 to 30 tonnes of soil an hour, depending on the soil type, the Oil Buster system enables mining operations to complete large remediation jobs quicker than traditional methods, with fewer personnel on-site, thereby reducing health and safety and environmental risks. Kerlen is optimistic about the future

outlook for Procon in the African mining sector. “Procon boasts more than 20 years’ experience in implementing systems that minimise the impact of contamination on the environment and surrounding areas. Environmental compliance in mining is becoming increasingly stringent, and Procon is well positioned to provide the local industry with a value-added service offering long into the foreseeable future,” he concludes.

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World’s largest telescopic handler Manitou Southern Africa will introduce the world’s largest telehandler, the MHT 14350S, to the mining industry at Electra Mining Africa 2014.

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HE COMPANY is a global leader in rough-terrain machinery and materials handling equipment.

This year, Manitou will launch three new flame-proof mining machines and introduce the world’s largest telehandler, the MHT 14350S. “Electra Mining Africa is a great platform for Manitou to once again showcase its latest innovations in flame-proof vehicle technology adapted for African mining environments, as well as the impressive MHT 14350S,” says

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Manitou Southern Africa managing director Lindsay Shankland.

The model features advanced usability improvements, such as a 7.2 litre Mercedes-Benz engine, which allows it to cater for the growing heavy-industrial market and, in South Africa specifically, for the handling of conveyor belt reels, tyre assemblies and wheel motors in the mining sector. In addition to advancing the lift capacities of mobile materials handling equipment, Manitou will add three new

flameproof mining machines to its expansive range of mining equipment: namely the Manitou scaler, roof bolter and the ManiTrax tow tractor.

Manitou scaler The Manitou scaler enables operators to scale hard and soft rock from secure areas on its 7 m, 180 degree rotational turret, either from within its fully enclosed cab, or from up to 20 m away via remote control for maximum safety. The scaler, traditionally a

ELECTRA MINING SPECIAL

OPPOSITE The Manitou scaler enables operators to scale hard and soft rock from secure areas on its 7 m, 180 degree rotational turret LEFT The Manitou roof bolter is an automated drill-and-bolt rig that offers manoeuvrability and performance in confined soft- and hard-rock hanging walls as low as 1.8 m BOTTOM LEFT The Manitou MHT 14350S being launched at the exhibition is the world’s largest telehandler

telehandler attachment, can be fitted with several attachment variations itself, and has secondary functions such as pipe and cylinder fitments, mesh erection and the destruction of large rocks.

Manitou roof bolter The Manitou roof bolter is an automated drill-and-bolt rig that offers

manoeuvrability and performance in confined soft- and hard-rock hanging walls as low as 1.8 m. The roof bolter, a permanent fixture of the Manitou MT-X 742 telescopic handler, consists of a single rotating carousel head which carries six roof bolts, and enables drilling, automatic epoxy injection and bolting functions in a single procedure.

Apart from enhancing bolting capabilities, the multi-function carousel offers massive cost savings for customers.

ManiTrax two tractor The ManiTrax tow tractor is a utility vehicle used for hauling, towing and transporting purposes in mining applications. Manitou has designed this tow tractor with full

four-wheel crab-steering functionality for maximum manoeuvrability, making it ideal for underground, confined spaces. Unlike other hauling vehicles, the ManiTrax positions its operators forward in the carriage for maximum visibility, and thus safety.

“Manitou’s recent drive to supply flameproof technology has become the pacesetter in a new movement towards guaranteed operator safety in explosive gas and dust, and fiery coal environments,” comments Shankland. “Our ability to customise Manitou machinery to address specific African mining issues is part of Manitou Southern Africa’s unique innovation and adaptability offering that sets us apart from our competitors.”

Manitou founder Marcel Braud will be present to witness its South African subsidiary’s innovative adaptations of its renowned materials handling equipment. These include the Gehl track loader, rough-terrain forklift, conventional forklift, articulated platform and a range of telehandler attachments.

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Advanced drive solutions Specialist drive-engineering company SEWEURODRIVE will be launching four internationally recognised solutions that are ideal for mining applications at this year’s Electra Mining Africa 2014.

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EW-EURODRIVE'S theme for their stand this year will be ‘The Meeting Place’. “We would like to invite visitors to meet with us at our stand to discuss possible solutions for their specific application requirements,” says general manager of communications Rene Rose.

“The stand promises to provide visitors with professional interaction from industry experts,” comments Rose. This is in keeping with the company’s new business philosophy of providing customers with application solutions and automation for any area of their business. Rose adds that daily presentations will also be held in conjunction with SAiMechE.

African potential “The African mining sector continues to hold potential for tremendous growth.

Electra Mining Africa hosts the top leaders of the industry under one roof,

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making it the ideal stage for professional networking and generating new business leads,” explains Rose. In addition to mining, the exhibition also attracts other heavy industry visitors from all spheres. Maxolution is a new business unit that takes care of business from a consultant perspective. This service offers customers customised solutions based on their particular application requirements. The idea is that the customer comes to SEW-EURODRIVE with their requirement of moving something from point A to B, and the mechatronic engineering Maxolution team will provide a solution that is best suited.

SEW-EURODRIVE has a number of solutions that are being officially launched at Electra Mining 2014.

Maxolution Everything from planning, designing, engineering right through to the final finished product, as well as commissioning and after-sales service, is covered

by Maxolution. Rose states that, in essence, Maxolution is a complete one-stop engineering solution for motion control.

Girth gears are used to drive large, rotating systems such as dryers, rotary kilns or horizontal mills. The girth gears are installed around the

circumference of these systems and transfer the drive torque from the gear motor to the rotary cylinder.

Girth gears Traditional girth gears generally consist of two to four segments that are assembled together for processing. “This requires large and expensive machines for production, handling and heat treatment. The size of component parts also creates disadvantages with regard to casting and heat treatment.

In contrast, SEW-EURODRIVE girth gears are split into several identical segments in order to keep the component parts short and easy to handle. They uses Austempered Ductile Iron for girth gears, which boasts unmatched tensile strength compared to other materials.

Frequency inverters MOVI4R-U frequency inverters are the ideal solution for meeting basic drive technology requirements. Features include an innovative operating concept and IP54 protection, which also enables installation outside a switch cabinet.

MOVITRAC LTP-B frequency inverters are optimally matched to meet the requirements of applications outside of a control cabinet. The higher power range of this unit makes it ideally suited to the mining industry. They have been designed and developed for controlling the speed of asynchronous and synchronous motors without encoders and are particularly cost-effective in conveyor applications and hoists, as well as in fans and pumps.

ABOVE Austempered Ductile Iron is used for girth gears LEFT The MOVI4R-U frequency inverter

ELECTRA MINING SPECIAL

New face of Tega Industries SA Tega Industries South Africa will be showing its new face at Electra Mining Africa 2014 when it reveals an array of new mining products and services it will be offering from its modern, new manufacturing plant in Vulcania, Brakpan.

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HE COMPANY has invested millions of rands in the construction of its high-tech premises, as well as design systems, equipment and testing facilities to ensure its manufacturing standards are in line with global requirements. It has also significantly increased capacity to easily meet demand from the entire sub-region, and has put experts in place to manage and provide technical support on various product lines and clients. All the improvements have culminated in Tega Industries South Africa being able to offer

clients a truly end-to-end service when it comes to the provision of wear-resistance, materials-handling and minerals-processing solutions for mining, as well as industrial applications.

Expanded product range “Electra Mining Africa is an important launch pad for us to introduce our vastly expanded product offering to the Southern African mining fraternity. Although our general engineering and rubber technology expertise has always been topclass, the recruitment of specific skills for

different applications and mining processes is allowing us to become far more involved in customers’ processes, as well as in the overall optimisation of customers’ processing plants,” says Vishal Gautam.

“These changes are also in line with our global ambition to provide total solutions to different mines’ processing requirements, from the rock face to the beneficiation of end products. This means that we are expanding our offering from the mainstay supply of liners, screen panels and related products to all areas of a mine’s processing plant, which includes ores separation, materials handling and chemical treatment,” explains Gautam.

Enhanced capabilities In order to show the industry its enhanced capabilities, Tega Industries staff from each and every department and office will be present during the show to liaise with customers and provide hands-on advice and service to show-goers.

“Everyone from our logistics department to stores, accounts, design and manufacturing will be on hand to discuss customers’ requirements. Our sales and marketing team will also be present to discuss key product groupings that range from mill liners to screen panels, hydrocyclones, trommels, conveyor components, wear parts and custom-designed products for anywhere else they are required,” says Gautam.

Two large, welcoming stands “Show organisers are expecting about 40000 visitors at this year’s show, and we want to reach out to all and show them LEFT A hydro zoom

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“Our ongoing investment in the continent has enabled us to transform our local operation into a truly world-class African manufacturer.”

Vishal Gautam, Tega Industries South Africa

how our new products and services are designed to delight them rather than merely just satisfy their needs. For this reason we have two large, welcoming stands that are well placed to host clients and potential clients and show them what Tega In-dustries South Africa is all about. We willl also have senior representatives from ourr head office in India, as well as other plants around the world, present on the stand d to share insight into other global miningg practices,” says Gautam.

“The African market is important to o Tega Industries globally, and our ongoingg investment in the continent has enabled d us to transform our local operation into o a truly world-class African manufacturer.

Our African roots mean that we under-stand African requirements and challeng-es and are in the best position to manu-facture solutions that meet local needs,” concludes Gautam.

TOP RIGHT Tega’s new offices in Johannesburg FIGURE 1 Fluid flow inside a cyclone

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Piping system range Atlas Copco Compressor Technique and its appointed distributors are the sole suppliers of AIRnet to the Southern African market.

LEFT AND BELOW AIRnet Classic and PFSeries high-quality pipee

AIRnet is available throughout South Africa, as well as in Namibia, and installations are done by accredited installers and distributors. AIRnet’s smart design and low-weight materials ensure a fast installation time.

Single installer

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LTHOUGH SIMILAR products are available, the AIRnet range is specific to Atlas Copco, explains Wayne Jacobs, business line manager of Atlas Copco Compressor Technique. AIRnet is a compressed air piping system that delivers quality air exactly where you need it, from the compressor to the point of use.

Thanks to Atlas Copco’s innovative technology, the AIRnet

system offers low friction and seamless connections. This translates to reduced pressure drop and ultimately lowers the cost of ownership of your air system.

The extensive product range includes the AIRnet Classic and PFSeries. The high-quality pipe material is made from aluminium alloy, while the fittings are polymer, allowing for temperatures from -20°C to 80°C at 16 bar gauge. “We recently introduced a new type of fitting that allows for higher pressures and different temperatures, while at the same time making it more reliable,” reveals Jacobs.

Compressed air applications AIRnet is suitable for most compressed air applications needing diameters from 20 mm to 100 mm.

For customer convenience, AIRnet has been engineered specially to be compatible with all compressed air and nitrogen applications within the same operating parameters, irrespective of compressor brand. The system is suitable for all indoor applications.

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Both AIRnet pipes and fittings can be assembled in just a few simple steps by a single installer without the need for heavy machinery. The system is so user friendly that it can be installed by the end user with very little training required. All that is needed is a special tool set, which is supplied by Atlas Copco, together with an installation DVD and instruction booklet.

“This reduces costs and optimises compressed air availability by keeping downtime to an absolute minimum,” notes Jacobs. The pipes are pre-painted and, once installed, the AIRnet system requires little to no maintenance. “In some cases, the O-rings within the fitting might need to be replaced,” says Jacobs.

The complete AIRnet product range carries a 10-year warranty.

Compared to galvanised pipes and fittings, AIRnet is a premium product. It therefore carries a premium, but Jacobs points out that product cost is offset against lower installation cost. “Greater customer awareness and product knowledge ensure a better understanding of the features as well as benefits, such as a quick return on investment, which justify the higher costs,” concludes Jacobs. Atlas Copco will also be releasing 150 mm pipes and fittings towards the end of the year to meet wider application requirements.

ELECTRA MINING SPECIAL

Grinding and crushing technologies Polysius and ThyssenKrupp Materials Handling, now known as Resource Technologies, a business unit under ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions Africa, will be exhibiting at Electra Mining Africa 2014.

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HE COMPANY will showcase its grinding and crushing technologies for materials handling, minerals-processing, cement and lime plants with a model of a semi-mobile crushing plant, as well as a working model of a mill.

As a global leader in engineering, with a presence on five continents and more than 150 years’ experience, the company’s turnkey offerings provide customers in the mining and cement industry, as well as the minerals-processing and bulk materials handling sectors, with a comprehensive product portfolio combined with a tightly meshed sales and service network.

This includes engineering, design and manufacture of equipment for materials handling, minerals processing and complete cement and lime plants. Field assembly, commissioning as well as comprehensive aftersales services for complete production lines, individual products, plant conversions and upgrades complement the company’s capabilities. It also has the advantage of accessing group-wide R&D, innovations and new technologies.

Merger is a natural fit The merger is a natural fit in terms of both market focus and product range, from crushing to grinding equipment, including high-pressure grinding rolls. To meet higher throughput targets on a processing plant, HPGR technology is combined with mills at various stages of the crushing process.

With a global market share of 44% in primary crushing, it has added its industry-proven range of crushing LEFT Large ball mill installation OPPOSITE High pressure grinding roll

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equipment, fully and semi mobile, to its portfolio. Combined, it can now offer a total solution for the comminution circuit.

The capabilities of the newly formed company, Resource Technologies, include materials handling equipment, allowing it to offer its clients pit-to-port solutions.

This encompasses equipment like bucket wheel excavators, stackers, reclaimers, overland conveyors, load-out stations as well as wagon tipplers, stockyard conveyors and shiploaders. In addition, it is known to the market for its ‘onthe-ground’ engineering know-how, quality and long-lasting equipment, backed by its local engineers and service personnel.

Analyse complex orebodies The company’s innovative laboratory automation solutions and intelligent control systems provide the technology to analyse complex

orebodies and minerals as required by today’s ore deposits. These quality control systems and know-how have been offered by the company for more than four decades.

The focus over the next few years will be on service in the African market, and also implementing operational, maintenance and service contracts, with its service centre in Chloorkop being the main service hub. ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions is moving its services closer to its clients, and is already establishing offices in both Ghana and Mozambique.

It already has equipment operating in those countries, with the idea always being to support these installations with a local office. In line with operation and maintenance, it has identified the need for a training facility, which will also support its current apprenticeship programme, as well as customer related training.

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Innovative pipejoining solutions

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ICTAULIC, A GLOBAL leader in mechanical pipe-joining systems, will be showcasing its latest technology designed specifically to speed up and lower costs in mining operations at Electra Mining Africa 2014.

The brand-new Series 725 diverter valve is being punted as the industry’s first grooved-end valve designed specifically for paste backfill lines. The valve improves the efficiency of backfill operations while providing durable, reliable service.

“This is a very exciting product for the mining market here in Africa,” explains Barry van Jaarsveld, Victaulic regional manager: Africa. “A lot of mines have two separate pipes for paste backfill and need to manually remove a coupling and

reinstall another to redirect the flow of the line. Now they no longer have to.”

Switching the direction of the line the old way requires that paste is flushed out before disassembling the joint. Using the new Series 725 valve does not require the system to be flushed, and neither does it require the disassembly of any joints. The flow is diverted internally by an elbow that swings 180 degrees from one line to the other. Downtime is reduced and cost savings are made.

Also on display will be the revolutionary Victaulic Installation-Ready range of flexible and rigid couplings that are up to ten times faster to install than other joining methods and offer major time savings, both from reduced downtime during system maintenance and retrofit applications.

Victaulic Installation-Ready technology speeds installation and improves on-site productivity

The Victaulic patented Advanced Groove System, which offers a full range of couplings, fittings, valves and accessories from 350 mm to 1 525 mm for pressure ratings up to 2 400 kPa, will also be on show, along with the company’s abrasive surfaces and HDPE joining (without butt fusing) solutions.

“Victaulic is a company with a 95-year history that invented the mechanical grooved system and is constantly innovating,” adds Van Jaarsveld.

“We are constantly bringing new products to market that help mining companies in Africa deliver real time and cost savings.”

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS Abeco Tanks AMEC Minproc

63 OBC

Loesche

13

M&J Engineering

49

Atlas Copco

65

Metso

Babcock

31

MSA

51

Process Vacuum

34

Barloworld Equipment

OFC

Becker Mining

43

Bearings International

22

Bell Equipment

21

Booyco Electronics

27

Caldas Engineering & Manufacturing Services

57

Consulmet

16

Dezzo Equipment

42

Electra Mining

2

Fedics Site Services

32

FLSmidth

37

IBC

Rio-Carb

20

Roymec Technologies

11

Sandvik Mining

14

SBS Water Systems

53

Scantech

59

SEW-EURODRIVE

61

Sitech

25

Stefanutti Stocks Mining

18

Tenova TAKRAF

26 67

G4 Civils

28

ThyssenKrupp

Hencon Vacuum Technologies

55

TML Technik SA

34

Investing in Resources and Mining in Africa

44

Vermeer Equipment Suppliers

IFC

Kaytech

35

Voith

33

Komatsu

5

WorleyParsons

47

Zest WEG Group

39

KTI

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41

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