Africa Mining Insight Nov/Dec 2022

Editor

Goodwill Sibanda editor@africamininginsight.co.za Writer Kennedy Chamu writer@africamininginsight.co.za Sales Daren daren@africamininginsight.co.za Leon Jaure leon@africamininginsight.co.za Cleopas Moyo cleopas@africamininginsight.co.za Jacob White jacob@africamininginsight.co.za Samuel Ndlovu samuel@africamininginsight.co.za Design and Layout Kelvin Munash design@africamininginsight.co.za Accounts Lenon Chirimuta accounts@africamininginsight.co.za Subscription Thatho Ndlovu subscripon@ fricamininginsight.co.za General info@africamininginsight.co.za sales@africamininginsight.co.za Call: +27 84 744 4593 +27 79 499 2268 www.africamininginsight.co.za

This issue of Africa mining Insight tries to bring together this wide range of perspec es in mining on the conne t. It is my sincere hope that you will appreciate the insights given. Our publicaon ocuses on the developmennts and acvie aking place in the mining sector through out Africa. As you are aware the conne t is a haven of minerals which are in demand world wide. The diamonds of Botswana, the South African gold, and the oil of Angola, to menon jut a few. Zimbabwe boasts of coal which is in abundance, with Zambia renowned for its copper. Unfortunately despite its mineral wealth, Africa sll lags behind in de elopment as compared to the rest of the world. It seems the Internaonal ompanies mining on the connn t are only interested in extracon of the mineals and working on them outside the connn t.

Minerals mined in Africa leave the conne t in their raw state. This has deprived Africa in terms of developing the country's mining industry and from earnings which accrue from the minerals once value is added on to them. It is me th t Africa holds on to its minerals and only dispose of them afer vvalue addiono enable it to fully benefit from its produce.

Beneficiaaon is aactor African governments should impose on their resources before exporng their mineals. It is believed that in the purificacaon of planum e are over seven by minerals which are also found in the process. These are not brought back to Africa by the mining companies but sold as finished products through out the world. This process has led to few jobs being created within the industry. In the case the products come back to Africa, they are sold at very exorbitant costs. Zimbabwe' diamond is cleaned out of the country and sold at treble the price by its buyers afer value addion. This occurence has led to few jobs being created, with industries being built overseas to benefit foreigners. Saudi Arabia does not have a diamond mine but boasts of a 25 billion dollar diamond industry. Most of its diamonds are procured from Africa. The following example illustrates clearly what I am wring about. The ganite that was used to build the Royal Danish Library was mined in Mutoko, Zimbabwe. The Italian company paid US$150 per ton as mining rights and extracted 6500 tons. The Zimbabwean government made US975 000 from this venture. The Italian firm cut and polished the stones and sold them to the Danish for US$18 million. The country lost almost US$17 million in possible revenue.

It is very sad to connue o watch our people wallow in poverty and live in slums when wealth can be kept on the conne t. Countries in Africa should not only be eager to sell their raw products but should strive to add value to it. The planum mining firms in Zimbabwe should build a smelng plant to avoid the product being sold raw outside the country. This will create more jobs and increase the tax basket of the country at the same me witness a gowth in mining infrastructure.

Your comments and contribuons will be mot appreciated.

Best regards

Goodwill Sibanda

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A “STABLE” HAUL ROAD HAS MANY BENEFITS

CLAYCRETE IS THE SOLUTION

Haul Roads are the life blood of any mine. Every part of a haul vehicle is subjected to stresses that result in wear or damage. This can ofen be caused by badly designed and or badly maintained haul roads. The easiest way to reduce those stresses is to improve the road surface, reduce rolling resistance and liming dust.

This is the value of strong, smooth, clean haul road surfaces. Astute miners focus on removing the cause of problems before they add to downstream costs. Haul roads are the arteries of every mine, and the condionof the running surface influences much of the cost of moving product.

If you build good roads, you want them to work and you want them to last.

CLAYCRETE is the answer to Road Stabalisaon and to dust and mud problems. CLAYCRETE is a liquid chemical soil stabiliser which increases road pavement strength by changing the propertes of clay parrcles to improve compacon,weather resistance and trracon. By ulizingthe unique chemistry of clay, the density and bending resistance of pavements are increased without the need for expensive cement treatments.

The treatment is economical and efficient. CLAYCRETE is a liquid which is simply added to the water used for road construconor surface maintenance. During the process of mixing with the soil CLAYCRETE reacts with the clay fracon and the rreaco consumes all the product. Treated clay has different prroperes to untreated clay. The changes to clay are permanent and irreversible, no further treatment is required. The chemically altered clay becomes the binder and the perfect void filler

Properes th t make clay cause mud and dust are evidence of the unique nature of clay, which atracts water because of an over nega e charge on the surface of the clay platelet. Balancing that chemical property is the process of stabilisaonwith CLAYCRETE.

Older forms of stabilisaonaaempt to restrain the forces and fight the problem of clay by adding as much as 5% of the volume in cement or other expensive materials. CLAYCRETE simply treats the problem.

CLAYCRETE is efficient, one drum of 200 litres will replace 150 tonnes of cement which is commonly used to stabilise road pavements. One twenty-foot container of CLAYCRETE is enough to stabilise 80,000m3 of clay soil or build 400,000m2 of 200mm pavement. (Equivalent cement stabilisaonat 5% would require 7,200tonnes of cement which would fill more than 250 containers).

CLAYCRETE is safe to use in all environments. It is cerfie by SGS as no threat to fauna. This is partly due to the unique chemistry and partly due to the complete exhausonof the product in reaconwith the soil.

Wherever produconis adversely impacted by dust in dry weather, mud in wet weather, high rolling resistance, high maintenance costs, high suspension maintenance, short tyre life, ru , corrugagaonhigh fuel cl consumpon, or other haul road related problems the answer is stabilisaonwith CLAYCRETE.

CLAYCRETE is also suitable for access roads, hardstands, storage areas, workshop floors, ramps, helipads, runways, taxiways, and any area where high strength low-cost pavement is needed.

The largest haul packs in the world are already running on CLAYCRETE stabilised haul roads. It costs nothing to find out what CLAYCRETE can offer. Phone, or email, we have access to experience in more than thirty countries and your problems have already been experienced on one of the sites where we have helped.

· POTHOLES - One litre of CLAYCRETE will treat 5 cubic meters of Road Material.

· GRAIN STAGE – Whether it is open air or emergency storage having a proper floor CLAYCRETE allows you to keep more product and lose less. Claycrete is environmentally safe and will not contaminate the food product.

· STRUCTURAL FLOORS – CLAYCRETE will stabilize the ground that your foundaons will o on. This leads to less issues around the foundaon s elingeducing foundadaonacking.

· AIR STRIPS & HELIPADS – CLAYCRETE drama ally reduce dust and leave a smooth surface eradicang “Bown Outs”

· FLOCCULANT FOR TAILING PONDS – When CLAYCRETE bonds with free clay parcles th y take on hydrophobic properes. These n w water repellent prroperes helpo rapidly separate any water from the treated materials.

· DAMS, DIKES & LEVEES – Small leaks lead to big leaks and big leaks lead to failure. Stop leaks in the first place and keep water at bay with CLAYCRETE.

Lifting mechanisms in mines- Hoists

Hoist by definion means to haul or to raise an object to higher altudes. Hoists are mechanical or electromechanical devices used to move an object from one point to another, which would be otherwise physically challenging. The object can be raised, lowered or moved depending on the necessity. The hoist work on the basic principle of balance of forces where an equal and opposite force is applied on the load force. The applied force can be reduced by using a pulley system.

The hoist technology is believed to originate from the lever system where a large force can be countered using small force by proper placement of the fulcrum. The block and tackle pulley invented by Archimedes allowed sailors to move heavy objects with ease that would otherwise be very difficult. This invenon is considered as a precursor to the

modern hoist technology.

TYPES OF HOIST

The hoists can be classified based on the liing medium, and the source of powering the hoist.

Liing medium:

· Manual: The load is hoisted using manual operaon. It is the oldest type of hoist where humans, and animals where used to haul the loads. Such schemes where used during ancient period for the construcon of buildings. Nowadays these hoists are used to li light loads.

· Electric: Electric power is used to hoist the load. This technology overtook the manual operaon during the industrial development.

Such hoists are faster and more powerful and thus forms a huge percentage of the hoists used in the industries.

· Pneumac: The powering of these hoists is through pneumac medium. Compressed air is used to run the motor or the engine to deliver a liing torque. These hoists have an advantage of being lighter, safer and use less energy to do the same task.

Powering source:

Chain: Ulizes link or roller chain as its liing medium.

Wire rope: Ulizes wire rope as the liing medium

Strap: Ulizes polyester or nylon straps as the liing medium

The hoist can be further classified into drum, fricon, and Blair mul-rope type.

Drum type:

In Drum type hoisng devices, the liing medium is connuously wrapped around a drum. Unlike the fricon type where the load is directly hoisted from the top, in drum type hoist the pulling mechanism is connected to a drum, which is to the other side of load across the headframe and sheaves. The headframe and sheaves are required to center the hoisng medium in the sha compartment. Drum hoists are the most common hoists used in North America, South Africa and South America. They also require the least amount of maintenance among all hoist types.

Single drum:

In a single drum hoist, a rope is aached to a drum and wound and is used to hoist the load through an overhead pulley. Single drum hoists are found to be more efficient than double drum hoists for most of the applicaons.

Fricon (Koepe) type

Unlike drum hoists, fricon hoists are economic opons for shallow shas. They are mounted right above the mine sha or at the top of headframe, thus requiring less space than drum hoists. The liing medium is passed over a pulley with the load connected to the one end of the liing medium. The fricon between the pulley and the liing medium aids the hoisng. The fricon between the pulley and the liing medium prevents the load from sliding in the opposite direcon when the weight is pulled up using gears and pulleys. Developed by Frederick Koepe in 1877, the liing medium is not wound on a drum, and hence mulple hoists can be used near to each other. Fricon hoists require more roune maintenance than drum hoists and are not suitable for hoisng from mulple loading pockets on different horizons within a sha.

Blair mul-rope type

The Blair mul-rope hoist system is used for accessing much deeper mines and can be found in many of the world's deeper mines,

such as in South Africa. One of the mines that use this type is the Moab Khotsong Mine where it is used up to 3,150m. It has a capacity to access a depth of up to 5,000m.

Mining Transportation Shipping & Logistics

The mining industry faces logiscs challenges such as moving copper, silver, iron or other mined products from remote mining sites. They also face the challenge of requiring transport for heavy mining equipment to and from remote sites which adds expense and complicaons that some other industries don't have to deal with. Transportaon within the mining industry commonly involves managing shipping by rail, which can be costly and difficult without a relaonship with rail companies. It's also necessary to properly track rail cars with the product to ensure they aren't sing for long periods of me and to find the best cargo insurance to minimize the expensive risk of the.

Working with a third-party logiscs provider that focuses on industrial shipments, such as Global Shipping Services, can help companies save up to 12% on costs and manage cargo insurance and freight tracking. Mulmodal transportaon is oen required to move mining equipment on and offsite as well as to

ship the product out to customers from remote desnaons. Global Shipping Services has over 15 years of experience shipping mining freight to and from remote desnaons and handling heavy haul and project cargo through mulmodal transport.

Benefits of Using Global Shipping for Mining Cargo

· Management of Cargo Insurance

· Mulmodal Transportaon Opons

· Personnel Cerfied to Deal with Hazardous Materials & Dangerous Goods

· Specialized in Industrial Shipping

· Experts in the Movement of Oversized or OOG Shipments, Including Heavy Mining Equipment

· Access to 24/7 Tracking Portal

· Ability to Transport Cargo to Remote Desnaons

· Management of Import & Export

Documentaon

· Access to a Global Network of Freight Forwarders

· Experts in Heavy Haul & Project Cargo Management for Transporng Large Equipment

· Excellent Customer Service, We Always Pick Up the Phone

· Turnkey Transportaon Soluons for Heavy Equipment & Machinery

About Global Shipping Services

Global Shipping Services is a global freight forwarder with offices based in the U.S. We are members of Lognet and the WCA Family which allows us to offer compeve pricing and local experse no maer where our clients need to ship goods or transport equipment. We specialize in industrial shipping, and we have proven ourselves me and me again when it comes to transporng heavy, oversized cargo across the country and

around the globe on ght deadlines. See our case studies for more informaon. We offer mulmodal transportaon opons that provide me-saving and cost advantages; we have the capacity to ship products by truck, rail, ship and plane. We also manage cargo insurance, perming and import and export documentaon. Our clients know that they can count on our highly trained staff that always answers the phone and has the knowledge and capabilies to manage transportaon and logiscs projects from beginning to end.

Contact Global Shipping Services Today

Make your operaons more cost-effecve and take the headache out of mining logiscs with Global Shipping Services. Contact us today by calling us at (908) 232 – 0505 to

learn more about our transport services for the mining industry. You can also request a

quote for moving your project cargo.

UNDERGROUND MINING TRANSPORT

We consider innovaons in underground mining transport globally and how these innovaons can help keep mineworkers safe. The transportaon of bulk and non-bulk materials in the mining industry is a complex task. Increasing customer demand for efficiency requires that transportaon becomes more accurate, flexible, and faster than ever before. And, not only are mining companies having to overcome the challenges these demands bring, but they are being forced to do so while keeping costs to a minimum.

The benefits of automaon Mining companies around the world are either using or considering using automated mining technologies. De Beers Finsch's diamond mine in the Northern Cape, South Africa; Codelco's El Teniente copper mine in Chile; and Rio Tinto's West Angelas mine in the Pilbara region, Australia, are among the first underground mines to adopt automated haulage and transport systems. BHP Billiton has also started experimenng with driverless trucks and an automated remote operang centre for its iron ore operaons in the Pilbara region of Australia. Vale has elected to make its Carajas Serra Sul S11D iron ore mine automated and completely truckless. Rio Tinto has announced that it will deploy the world's biggest underground automaon system for block caving operaons at the Argyle underground diamond mine.

Close encounters

Collisions between pieces of machinery or between machinery and people are a common cause of

accidents in both underground and open-pit mines. Proximity detecon technology can be installed on mobile machinery to detect the presence of workers or machinery within a certain distance of the machine, thus helping to prevent accidents. The US' Naonal Instute for Occupaonal Safety and Health (NIOSH) has developed an acve proximity warning system, called the Hazardous Area Signalling and Ranging Device (HASARD). It warns workers by means of visual, audible and vibratory indicators that they are approaching dangerous areas around heavy mining equipment. Equipment giant Caterpillar has also developed detecon technology called Cat Detect Personnel, which features as one of the five sub-modules of its integrated mining management suite, Cat MineStar. The technology involves radio frequency idenficaon (RFID) tags to be worn by workers, with the detectors mounted across the machines to warn operators via audio and visual indicaons of possible collisions, speeding or rollovers. All these innovaons are helping to make the mining industry and mineworkers safer

Innovaons down under Australia is one of the world's biggest mining countries, and their rate of innovaon in mining transport and logiscs has steadily grown over the past decade as companies address producvity, complexity, and capital-efficiency challenges. This is according to a white paper wrien by Dr Simon Dunstall, a senior research scienst at the Commonwealth Scienfic and Industrial Research Organisaon (CSIRO).

According to the white paper, in Australia and

other countries, the research and development (R&D) response to these innovaons has rampedup to suit – especially in sensing, automaon, analycs, simulaon, and opmisaon. Simulaon models would be familiar to many people involved in planning mining developments and supply chains. Most Australian ports, for example, have at least one simulaon model for generang insights into future port expansions and operang procedure changes.

Similarly, the transport systems leading to these ports have been intensively studied using simulaon to explore capacity quesons in recent years. Simulaon has an enormous benefit of enabling planners to observe a system before it is (expensively) built or modified – hence it is a widely used technique.

Automaon for underground and above ground haul trucks provides opportunies for increased safety, as well as higher material haulage rates per vehicle.

For logiscs and producon in minerals supply chains, the development of ICT, automaon and decision-support technology is being acvely and rigorously progressed by various research and commercial organisaons around the world. The connued engagement of this R&D (especially in Australia where it is a parcular focus area) by a good cross-secon of the mining industry, can drive ongoing and lasng producvity gains to help keep mining industries around the world compeve. It will also bolster the state of underground transport in other countries, which in turn lowers the risk of injury and fatalies underground.

Correct bulk materials handling technology essential

There is sll a drive worldwide to improve on exisng methods of mining. The demand is for mining volumes to be increased while the producons costs must be reduced. Without proper bulk materials handling technology, all coal mines will experience carry-back, resulng in material flow challenges that reduce producon levels. These days, "mining material handling" means the material management of raw materials. The main task is to make the required amount of raw materials available in the required quality at the specified me.

Connuous haulage system

The connuous haulage system serves the requirement to mine underground mineral deposits in a way that increases the efficiency of a connuous mining machine by maximizing the machine ulizaon, which means eliminang the waing for an intermient material clearing system in the likes of a shule car

The connuous haulage system will serve as a permanent connecon between the connuous mining machine and the

permanently installed underground material handling system of the mine.

The connuous haulage system follows the connuous mining machine throughout the enre cung process.

During this mining process the connuous miner cuts the material out of the mining face and transports it via onboard loading devices and conveyors to the back of the machine where it is discharged into a hopper car.

This hopper car, as an integral part of the connuous haulage system, loads the Sicon conveyor system which transfers the material at its discharge end onto the permanently installed underground material handling system, which in the case of a coal mine will typically be the secon conveyor

During the retreang operaon of the connuous miner, the connuous haulage systems also backs up out of the mined area, always maintaining the connecon of the material flow between the miner and the secon belt conveyor system.

Punch mining system

The punch mining system serves the requirement to mine underground mineral deposits in a way that cuts short straight distances (punches) into the deposits, taking only a short period of me, and to have the complete mining system retrieved out of those finished punches, before permanent strata control measurements (roof/rib bolts) become necessary

Those short straight distances, or so-called punches are currently limited to a length of 200 metres and can be cut/mined within a period of 2 two 8-hour shis, whereas the retrieving of the whole system, including a new set-up for a new punch in an adjacent secon, will take 1 one 8-hour shi.

The punch mining system combines a connuous mining machine, and a connuous straight line conveyor system, to cut a coal or ore deposit and to transport the mined material from the cung face to the permanently installed main underground material handling system, which clears the material out of the underground secon.

Reducing Fuels Bills and Equipment Downtime with ECOCLEAN Fuel Additive Technology

The heavy-duty diesel engines typically used in today's mining industry are complex machines that generate high temperatures and pressures. When paired with basic untreated diesel, mine operators oen experience a range of issues with their equipment, ranging from loss of power and poor fuel economy, to difficules in starng, rough running, increased exhaust emissions and unexpected repair costs. The problem is that basic untreated diesel fuels become thermally stressed and unstable in these type of engines. This causes fuel to break down and create a black soot-like material. These deposits quickly accumulate in the fuel

system resulng in injector failures, filter plugging, loss of power, poor fuel economy and premature wear

Under these condions, carefully engineered engine components may no longer work as intended and the fuel is not atomized correctly Deposits le on injector nozzles lead to loss of power and increased fuel consumpon. Deposits on the inside of the injectors create difficules with engine starng and running. These deposits also get returned to the saddle tank via the return fuel line. This circulates dirty fuel throughout the fuel system, causing

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premature fuel filter plugging. Innospec was the first company to develop and patent ECOCLEAN® fuel addive technology

This high-performance diesel fuel addive can improve fuel economy, minimise equipment downme and cut emissions. It has been specifically designed to meet the demands of diesel engines in heavy-duty mining equipment.

The ECOCLEAN® range works by stabilising diesel fuel so it can withstand the extreme temperatures and pressures of today's fuel injecon systems. Advanced diesel detergents

and anfoulants create a powerful formula that is effecve at removing and prevenng deposits on both the injector ps and inside the injectors. It cleans the fuel system and returns an engine to an 'as new' condion, prevenng injector failure.

The benefits of using ECOCLEAN® products can be summarised in improved fuel economy, lower fuel bills, smooth reliable running, less chance of equipment failure and downme, less maintenance costs, and reduced emissions.

Over the years we have conducted numerous field trials to demonstrate how ECOCLEAN® performs in real-world applicaons. As well as working in partnership with mulple mines all over the world, we have assisted large trucking companies in the US, Mexico, Brazil, Europe, and Asia.

These trials confirm that using ECOCLEAN® results in an improvement in fuel economy by 5% or more, enhanced maintenance cycles and reduced equipment downme by up to 50%. The trials also demonstrate an 18% reducon in vehicular CO emissions, alongside a 39% drop in parculate maer output. Contact us for more informaon on the specific results of our field trials and to discuss how we can create the best fuel treatment for your mining applicaon.

Innospec is a global specialty chemical company and the largest dedicated fuel treatment company in the world. We are the market leader in fuel addive technology. As a business, we are commied to developing fuel addives geared to the specific requirements of our customers. That is why we work in partnership with the major oil companies, refineries, industry bodies and leading OEMs to help solve the issues facing fuel distributors, fleet operators and the end-users of fuel. Through our offices in Africa and partnerships with the major mine operators, we have developed an in-depth understanding of the region's mining sector and the necessary experse to help customers reduce operang costs and increase efficiency across all types of mining applicaons.

Please contact mining-fuel@innospecinc.com

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Injector nozzle without ECOCLEAN®

SURFACE AND UNDERGROUND PUMPS

Pumps, in their many different designs, perform a large number of vital tasks within the mining industry and as such they can be responsible for certain aspects of mine safety. However, with so many pumps in operaon they can also make a considerable contribuon towards improving the efficiency of the mine, especially in terms of energy consumpon.

Mine safety, whether above or below ground, is the highest priority for all operators and maintaining a high standard requires considerable effort from all pares involved. This includes the manufacturers of equipment that forms part of the safety apparatus, requiring them to meet stringent performance criteria and successfully complete extended periods of tesng.

With ever-ghtening margins, the efficiency of individual pieces of equipment as well as that of operaonal and maintenance processes becomes more important. Making the right decision in terms of pump design can produce significant benefits for the safe and efficient operaon of the

As the mining industry evolves and becomes more complex, so does the technology used in mining equipment. A number of different pumps, are now used throughout the mining process to increase performance and cost efficiency whilst reducing necessary maintenance and downme.

Safety First

It is important that the pump design incorporates the necessary safety features, including a safety relief valve to protect against a dead head situaon, when the system demand for flow has

stopped, causing the pressure to rise instantly The safety valve should be designed to allow the enre pump capacity to flow, while the opening point should be set at 10% above the operang pressure. In addion, the pipework associated with the safety relief valve should be properly sized to ensure adequate flow condions.

A pump's sealing system is equally important when considering its safety as well as overall performance and reliability. For high pressure reciprocang pumps the task is typically performed by the stuffing box, which contains packing and lubricant in various configuraons depending on the applicaon. This packing is a service item and should be able to be replaced without too much interference with the main pump assembly

Efficiency & reliability

Energy consumpon ranks as one of the highest producon costs and so adopng more energy efficient motors to power various pumping systems can have a significant effect on the overall profitability of the mine.

However, an incorrectly specified pump, even with a high efficiency, can be worn significantly in a short period of me, negang the improved efficiency and ulmately incurring higher costs. Most pump problems arise because the pump's performance characteriscs don't match the applicaon requirements, either from the inial specificaon or as a result of a change in circumstances.

This lack of applicaon awareness results in higher power consumpon and shorter bearing and wear life and ulmately higher operang

costs. The system parameters and pump performance must be matched carefully to ensure efficient, trouble-free operaon. For high pressure applicaons, reciprocang pumps offer addional benefits as the design offers greater mechanical efficiency, which means that a smaller prime mover can be used and less energy is consumed. By carefully selecng the correct motor and matching it to the pumping system, a more efficient combinaon can be created, resulng in lower TCO for the client. Achieving an efficient design is one thing, but making it suitably reliable for a mining applicaon as well requires a higher level of development. This requires a certain degree of 'over-engineering'; using materials and design concepts that may exceed the original specificaon, but which will afford a much greater level of reliability

In today's climate of matching plant equipment performance exactly to demand, there is less scope for engineering a machine to exceed targets. In heavy industries, such as mining, building something to last can make the difference between catastrophically expensive downme and ulmate profitability

Peristalc pumps

Due to the mining industry handling corrosive and toxic materials with high specific gravies, peristalc pumps can offer their propensity for handling abrasive, viscous and aggressive liquids where other pumps cannot. Peristalc pumps have no valves, deals or glands that could leak, clog or need to be replaced and pumped fluid does not touch the pump itself, but is piped using

a high-pressure hose capable of sustaining pressures up to 230psi.

These parcular pumps operate on a posivedisplacement principle shared by the human digesve system. Within the pump housing, rollers compress the hose against a semi-circular track. As the pressure points move along the hose, the fluid is pushed along in kind. As the pressure point moves forward, the hose resumes its previous shape, causing more fluid to be sucked forward in its place.

Peristalc pumps can present huge advantages to the mining industry as a result of their design. As the material itself only comes into contact with the interior of the tube, which can easily be cleaned or sterilised, there is no contaminaon.

The lack of valves, seals and glands make them comparavely easy and cost-efficient to maintain whilst being able to handle a multude of materials and slurries.

Piston-diaphragm pumps

The noon of a piston-diaphragm pump is to prevent the transported materials from coming into contact with the pump's pistons and seal components which, especially in the mining industry, can lead to unnecessary wear and damage.

The volume of chambers in the pump head is changed so that liquid enters through an inlet check valve during decompression and exits through an outlet check valve during compression, operang in a similar manner to convenonal piston pumps.

High-temperature pumps

Mining operaons, such as gold and nickel refining which use slurry can climb to temperatures ranging between 160 and 210 degrees celsius.

It is important that pumps selected for use in these operaons are capable of maintaining their properes under this intense heat.

The common high-temperature pump uses a motor between five and 25hp to drive the material forward and is designed with a stainless steel sha to handle the heat of the slurry passing through.

An iron propeller and volute are also used, while the pump itself is mounted to a heavy steel pedestal to compensate for its weight. As the pumps are oen centrifugal and bearings

located outside of the material flowing through, lile maintenance is necessary.

Slurry pumping

Slurry pumps and pipelines form a crucial link between the mine itself and the processing and shipping operaons. As such, the pumps must perform reliably in order for the mine to maintain operaons. However, due to their size, energy consumpon can be considerable and so improvements to their efficiency can have a substanal impact on operang costs.

The minerals are transported in suspension, in many cases over very long distances and the pumps must be designed to cope with large solids as well as corrosive fluids. These very harsh working condions demand regular maintenance procedures to be conducted in order to keep the pump operang at its most efficient.

More recent designs are improving maintenance accessibility as well as using more durable materials to improve wear resistance and efficiency. With the aid of more sophiscated computer design systems, the development of slurry pumps is set to achieve efficiency levels close to those of clean water pumps.

Maintenance efficiency is also being improved with the introducon of condion monitoring technology which provides an early warning to the maintenance engineers about a potenal issue. By addressing these before they develop into a serious breakdown, the downme is greatly reduced, further improving the operang efficiency of the pumps.

Dewatering operaons

Keeping any mine dry is a crucial aim for the operators and should form one of the key health and safety targets within the organisaon. As such, the dewatering aspect of the mining operaon requires very high levels of reliability which depends on selecng the most appropriate design and construcon for the applicaon in queson.

For most requirements, the centrifugal pump remains the tried and tested soluon. However, the need for improved efficiency and lower operang costs has led to some operators moving away from tradional centrifugal pumps and opng for alternave technologies such as oscillang discharge pumps.

As underground mine depths increase so the

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dewatering pumps have to be specified to cope with the new challenge. This can oen come in the form of mul-stage, high pressure units, operang at around 100 bar, which are capable of maintaining the desired water levels. All pumps and their associated pipework are affected by the fluids that they are required to transport, with solids content and pH posing a constant threat to reliable performance. Advances in materials technology have seen great improvements, with the use of chrome steels, duplex steels and high quality elastomers being used for more acidic applicaons. In some applicaons, deposits can build up in the pipework which, if not resolved, can cause increased fricon losses and therefore addional energy costs and a reducon in energy efficiency

One soluon is to modify the pump arrangement to increase the fluid velocity, causing a scouring acon to be created and, if properly managed, the rate of deposion can be equalised with the scouring rate.

Although this may increase the energy costs in order to aain the increased fluid velocity, this should be balanced against the maintenance costs of replacing or cleaning of all the dewatering pipework on a regular basis. These costs should also include the figures for lost producon if the mine cannot be safely operated without the system under maintenance in operaon.

More recent developments have seen the introducon of on-board electronics in dewatering systems designed to help with energy saving and reducing pump wear. Pump manufacturers are pursuing design improvements that can reduce the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and improve reliability

Roof support systems

While the dewatering pumps manage with water levels, so it is equally important to ensure that the roof of an underground mine remains in posion while the minerals are being mined. This responsibility falls to the roof support systems that are powered hydraulically by a number of high pressure pumps.

The principle of longwall mining is the use of a large cung head or shearer which traverses the coal seam breaking it up and deposing the coal onto an armoured conveyor to transport the coal away from the face of the mine. This operaon is

protected by a series of hydraulic roof supports which prevent the mine roof from collapsing by applying huge pressures to support the rock above.

Each roof support is capable of independent movement so once the shearer has passed by, the support can lower itself away from the roof and advance forward to fill the space le by the shearer. In this way the roof support system maintains a safe haven for the miners and their equipment to operate in, all the me moving forward as the coal seam is mined and allowing a controlled collapse of the roof

The efficient operaon of the roof support system directly affects the safety and producvity of the mine; any down-me on the system in such a difficult operang environment would be very counter-producve. The reliable performance of these systems is essenal if the client is to maximise output from the mine and see a return on investment.

High Pressure Pump Design

Due to the high pressures required to operate the roof support structures, the pumps use a reciprocang piston principle, usually powered by a mid-sized electric motor. A reciprocang pump discharges liquid by changing the internal volume of the pump and uses non-return valves (NRVs) at both the inlet and outlet ports of the pump. Typically these pumps can produce 1,000 bar in pressure, in this applicaon they will typically be operang at around 350 bar The major benefit of the reciprocang pump is that it produces a fixed volume of fluid displacement at a given speed and provides a constant flow, regardless of pressure. This means that variable capacity can be achieved by changing the pump speed. In contrast, the centrifugal pump would be forced up and down the performance curve, varying the flow which may cause problems for the applicaon. Due to the fundamental design of the reciprocang pump, it is beneficial to control the pumps by a variable speed controller which allows accurate control of the output pressure. For applicaons requiring increased flow rates, one or more pumps can be added in parallel to the original to produce the desired flow rate at the same pressure rang.

www.africamininginsight.co.za

SA Tube & Honing Screening Division

SA Tube and Honing Screening Division is a specialized manufacturer and supplier of screening surfaces and accessories and is part of the SA Tube and Honing Group of companies situated in Wadeville, Germiston. We have been manufacturing and supplying a full range of modular injecon moulded polyurethane and rubber screen panels to local and internaonal Mining and Aggregate markets since 2018. We offer a large range of aperture configuraons to suit any screening applicaon in the industry. We have access to a state of the art engineering facility within the SA Tube Group of Companies that offers us flexibility in design and allows us to manufacture any special aperture requirements in a very short turnaround me. Our modular polyurethane and rubber screen media range from 0.3mm Aperture to 110mm Aperture in various thicknesses, shore hardness's and fixing methods. In 2019 SA Tube and Honing Screening Division started the process of expanding its product range to include woven wire screens

for the Mining and Quarrying Industries. We started introducing our woven wire screens into the market in July 2020 and since the have shown incredible growth month on month. We are able to weave wire diameters from 0.9mm up to 12.5mm, with aperture sizes up to 200mm in various configuraons. SA Tube and Honing Screening Division understands the challenges faced in today's tough mining and economic climate, and acknowledge that for any operaon to remain profitable and sustainable, we need to look at ways of reducing operaonal costs without negavely impacng on the mining processes involved. Our team has spent a lot of me focusing on the work at hand and fully understand our purpose to add value and reduce costs for our customers. We have invested extensively in the latest equipment over the last 18 months and systems have been put into place to ensure that our exisng quality management systems cerficaon will be applied across our total range of services and products

supplied to the mining and aggregate markets.

The SA Tube and Honing Screening Team has more than 100 years of collecve industry experience in the design, manufacture, supply and commissioning of various screen media. We are acvely involved on a large scale with various Mining and Aggregate Houses and have built up an excellent reputaon in the industry with regards to customer service and technical experse. Over the years we have 'added value' by introducing innovave screening media as well as imparng knowledge to improve through put, 'up me' and reducing cost per tonne.

One of our main focus areas for 2023 is to increase our footprint both locally and internaonally. Our dedicated and experienced team of technical sales professionals is standing by to assist with all your screening and operaonal needs.

Technofast hydraulic head nuts provide faster and safer liner changes for gyratory ore crushers

Gyratory crushers handle some of the toughest ore and materials, and are therefore subject to rapid deterioraon from abrasion, which means their internal wearing components need to be replaced regularly In order to change the mantle, which can happen as frequently as every 10 days in

harsher environments, the retaining “head nut” has to be unfastened to allow removal of the worn component – a process previously done in a me-consuming and potenally hazardous way

“The mantles are usually secured with standard nuts, which are oen installed with

hydraulic jacking hammers or flogging spanners, and removed by oxy cung the burn ring below the nut to release the excessive force, which generally builds up during operaon of the crusher,” explains Technofast Technical Soluons Manager, Ma Blundell.

Technofast's EziTite Hydraulic Head Nut being installed on a gyratory crusher

“This method is not only physically demanding, but the cung of the burn ring can be hazardous, and requires replacement aer each use. Addionally, bolt load cannot be measured accurately,” he said.

A faster, safer method

To address the issues mining and quarrying operaons were having with crusher mantle and liner changes, Technofast developed its ® EziTite Hydraulic Head Nut, which has received an Australian Manufacturing Growth Centre grant, to commercialise the technology in Australia.

The EziTite Hydraulic Head Nut provides precise clamping forces generated by hydraulic pressure acng on a constrained area within the assembly. It is fied with mulple in-built locking screws to retain these tensile loads aer the hydraulic pressure is released.

“The old method used to take five or six personnel approximately five hours to complete the mantle change, which is a big chunk of downme. With the EziTite Head Nut in place, the same job can be done in under an hour, with only two or three personnel. It really adds up when you consider that when they aren't crushing, they aren't making money,” says Ma.

The EziTite Head Nut is ghtened using hydraulic force supplied through a pump, which means minimal physical effort is required and extremely accurate and even bolt loads can be achieved.

A maintenance supervisor for a the gold mine that implemented the Technofast EziTite Head Nut technology commented on its safety and me-saving features, saying “The EziTite Head Nut has made the job a lot easier labour-wise, faster, and also has eliminated any OH&S concerns by geng away from using our jacking ram for the installaon of Head Nuts. Using a hydraulic pump to achieve the load is also a nobrainer”

How it works

1. The EziTite Hydraulic Head Nut assembly is screwed by hand onto the crusher sha (replacing the original nut) unl the base is ght against the working face of the mantle.

2. Hydraulic pressure is then applied through the nipple fing on top of the nut body into the sealed chamber, forcing the piston and the nut body apart, thus seang the mantle on to the machine's taper.

3. The force generated by the hydraulics is maintained by an array of locking screws which are ghtened to take the load. The hydraulic pressure is relieved and the Sacrificial Cover which protects the mechanism against abrasion and corrosion can be easily fied.

4. When it is me to remove the EziTite Hydraulic Head Nut, the installaon procedure is reversed and the nut is removed by hand eliminang the need for large

hammers and flame cung of the burn ring, drascally reducing maintenance me and improving site safety

5. In the unlikely situaon that there is a hydraulic malfuncon, the lockscrews can be released manually, and the assembly unscrewed by hand.

“The EziTite Head Nut reduces machine downme and increases operaonal safety for workers. It is designed to work with all major brands of gyratory crusher, and the protecve cover can be customised to suit the abrasiveness of the material being crushed,” says Ma.

www.technofast.com

A large diameter EziTite Head Nut at Technofast's warehouse in Queensland, as it is prepared for dispatch to a mining customer

Technofast hydraulic head nuts provide faster and safer liner changes for gyratory ore crushers

Mining Ground SupportSeismic Monitoring

Mining has always been an industry where risk is balanced against reward, and safety is played against cost. But with pressure mounng on global corporaons to demonstrate due diligence, seismic monitoring is coming to the fore. If one thing has remained a constant throughout the history of mining, it is ground support. While techniques and technology have changed beyond recognion, the theory remains the same: no ground support, no mining – or at least no mining without serious risk to your health.

Subsidence and sinkholes are the surface effects of soluon mining. Apart from damage to economic producon, such events are now of environmental concern. The control of cavity evoluon and its effect is thus a problem which requires serious examinaon.

Seismic acvity can impact underground mining operaons and the associated surface infrastructure in several ways, from the damage caused by naturally occurring earthquakes to rockbursts, the explosive fracturing of rock in a mine sha that may be caused by natural or induced seismicity

Despite the serious dangers, the majority of mining operaons, even in seismically acve regions, take few precauons to migate the risk or monitor seismic acvity. Although mine

operators could be forgiven for assuming that earthquakes and similar natural events represent a risk that is impossible to predict or guard against, opons exist and are being implemented in other industries.

UNDERSTANDING MINE SEISMICITY

The key to a mining operaon is to understand the seismicity of rock mass, with the primary purpose of creang good ground support to maintain safe excavaon. Seismic monitoring equipment is used in order to idenfy both potenal hazards caused by changing ground condions, and to maximise mine producon through prevenng seismicity related delays. Seismic monitoring helps locate areas where rock mass failure is causing seismic events. A seismic event can generally be described as the vibraon of rock, slipping or breaking, something common in an underground mine seng, with constant drilling and blasng.

While most seismic events are minor, stress change events for example rarely register more than 0 – 0.5 in Richter magnitude, larger events, such as fault slips, can register as much as up to +5 and cause considerable damage to operaons.

By understanding rock mass behaviour, mining companies can begin to assess the size of any

potenal hazards.

HOW IT WORKS

Advanced microseismic sensors and ltmeters are installed at strategic places around a mine to measure ground vibraons. These are then picked up by a digital seismic data recorder that acquires and processes the data to build an accurate picture of seismicity through 3-D modelling techniques.

Data is connuously transmied to the surface and can be accessed through the internet in realme from anywhere on the planet.

It is not all about safety either, for if mine operators increase their knowledge of the rock mass, they can enhance producvity through reducing downme and deploying their workforce away from areas that are experiencing heightened seismic acvity. Mine design is another area that benefits from microseismic monitoring; through understanding how ground condions are changing, mine design and sequencing can be opmised at an earlier stage in the life of a mine. If you were to cast an eye to the future however microseismic monitoring would be sure to loom large. In a growth industry driven by corporate giants where safety, problem solving and producvity are paramount, it cks all the right boxes.

Roof bolting in underground mining

Perhaps the most significant development in mine ground control during the last century was the introducon of roof bolng during the late 1940's and 1950's.

From an engineering standpoint, roof bolts are inherently more effecve than the wood mbers they replaced. Roof bolts promised to dramacally reduce the number of roof fall accidents, which then claimed hundreds of lives each year, and they were inially hailed as "one of the great social advances of our me."

Roof bolng also emerged at a me of rapid technologic transformaon of the coal industry, and greatly accelerated the transion to trackless, rubber-red face haulage.

The safe and opmal installaon of roof support remains one of the biggest challenges in underground mining today Tradional hand-held, rooolt installaon in convenonal mining has been replaced, in a lot of mining operaons, by mechanized equipment. This was a first step to moving the operators out of the unsafe working environment and a start on the trend toward a changed support regime in mechanized mining. However, the challenge of handling of

the drill steel itself, as well as inserng resin cartridges and bolts, remains a major hazard and the cause of many lost-me injuries. Mining has always been regarded as a dangerous profession, and there are few places more hazardous than below an unsupported secon of ground. Falls of ground oen results in severe injuries or death and brings undue pain and suffering to the workforce and their families.

Although safety has always been a consideraon in the process of extracng precious resources from the Earth, it has never been as prominent as it is today Mining houses, original equipment manufacturers, and regulatory and legislave authories all put safety in the forefront when it comes to mining.

Driving influences behind today's mechanized bolng

Reliable roof support in underground mining operaons is essenal for worker safety and the mining operaon as a whole. Rock reinforcement methodologies through the ages have gradually moved away from the convenonal 'hand-held' type bolng

operaon to the use of mechanized mining equipment used to complete the enre roof support or rock reinforcement process.

The inial major drivers for bringing mechanized mining equipment into the equaon were based on improving producvity and overall producon targets, and reducing diluon. However, the spin-off in improved operator safety was soon evident.

Legislaon and regulaons around mining are becoming more stringent as me passes. It is because of this growing need for a safetyconscious environment in underground mining, and because of the development and evoluon of mechanized low-seam mining in the South African planum group metals and chrome mining industries, that the need for low-profile mechanized bolng equipment arose.

Developing mechanized rooolng in parcular can address and opmize the following factors, which can improve safety, reduce diluon, and improve reliability and producon, in underground mining:

· Improved ergonomic designs and man-machine interface

consideraons offer a more comfortable and less strenuous working environment for the operators, reducing fague and allowing for ulmately increased producvity

· Connuously minimizing the me that the operator needs to spend in unsafe working areas, through mechanizing the bolng equipment, thus improving the safe working condions even further and improving producvity

· Precise drilling paerns and superior installaon techniques of mechanized bolng rigs ensure safer advances as well as consistently higher bolng quality, resulng in safer roof support and improved producon capabilies

· Drill hole deviaon and misalignment can be avoided through proper feedback controls.

Mechanized bolng – the way forward

With connued demand from regulatory

authories, mining houses, and OEMs to ensure safety in underground mining operaons and from mining companies to increase producvity, rock reinforcement rooolters have had to prove that they can meet the challenges of underground hard rock support needs in mines – safety, bolng quality, reliability, performance, and flexibility

Protecng the operator and the machine and maximizing producon are top priories, with a fundamental focus on safety and ergonomics, including reduced vibraons, ease of ground-level service, improved lighng, soundproofing, and superior operator comfort.

With connuing invesgaons and developments, roof bolng today can in most cases successfully reinforce the mine roof in underground mining. In order to cope with the increasing use of roof bolts, efforts should be made to maximize the safety and minimize the cost.

With regard to mechanical bolng, two

important parameters need more advanced improvements and study, namely, opmum design of the shape and type of expansion shell and opmum bolt tension for a specific bolt paern.

For the fully grouted resin bolt, the most crical requirement is to develop a fastseng, low-cost, intoxic, inflammable groung material that can be used in the high speed mining cycle. It should be noted that geological condions such as the strata type, rock properes,in situ stress, and planes of weakness play an important role in the successful applicaon of any roof bolng system.

These factors should be specified as accurately and quantavely as possible in the design of any roof bolng system. Finally, proper and careful installaon and connuous monitoring are imperave for the success of any roof bolng system.

www.africamininginsight.co.za

Roof bolng in underground mining

GEOLOGY OF ZAMBIA

Zambia comprises a number of very diverse geological terrains ranging from a stable early Proterozoic craton to structurally complex "mobile belts" and younger cover rocks. This diversity hosts the considerable exploraon potenal of the country. The geological complexies and mulple tectonothermal events evident in Zambia are due, in large part, to the country's unique geographic locaon between the massive Kasai Craton to the west and the Zimbabwe-Kaapvaal ('Kalahari') and Tanzania cratons to the south and north respecvely. Inter-cratonic dislocaons and the buressing effects of these stable blocks have exerted considerable control on the geological evoluon of the country.

Some 80% of the country has been mapped, although a significant amount of this work is unpublished, including the reconnaissance mapping of the western and north-eastern

parts of the country. Regional mapping is carried out at 1:50,000 scale and published at 1:100,000 scale as quarter degree sheets accompanied by a report. There are approximately 260-quarter degree sheets, of which around 60 cover the Kalahari of Western Zambia. Over 100 sheets have already been published and just over 60% of the solid geology has been mapped at 1:100,000 scale. Some reconnaissance maps at 1:250,000 are also available. A unique geological map at 1:1,000,000 is available as four separate sheets for easy handling. Prospecve investors can view the tenements map showing the locaons of exploraon and mining licences at the Geological Survey Department in the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Water Development.

Exploraon Potenal

The complex geological evoluon of Zambia

together with its abundance and diversity of mineral and other natural resource deposits confirm the considerable potenal for discovery of new economic resource occurrences through further exploraon. Promising locaons are being idenfied based on empirical models of known deposits and exploraon targets are being formulated from other conceptual models. This potenal is confirmed by the impressive number of new exploraon companies working throughout the country

The exisng mining companies also have short and long term exploraon programs to delineate addional resources in the deposits being mined and to discover new ones.

The Bangweulu Block, Kafue Ancline, Irumide Belt, Mozambique Belt, Zambezi Belt, Katanga Terrain, Choma- Kalomo Block, Mwembeshi Shear Zone and the Hook Granite Complex constute areas with

exploraon potenal for gold, copper-cobalt, uranium, base metals mineralisaon and for industrial minerals.

The Karoo sediments in the Luangwa, Zambezi, and Kafue Basins are being targeted to determine their potenal for energy minerals and hydrocarbons. These basins are also known to have prospects for oil and gas. The areas have since been demarcated into oil blocks for prospecng.

OPPORTUNITIES IN THE MINING SECTOR IN ZAMBIA

Zambia's broad spectrum of mineral resources such as copper-cobalt and gold, gemstones, a variety of industrial minerals and potenal energy resources including uranium, coal and hydrocarbons, presents excellent investment opportunies in the extracon and processing of these minerals in the country

Metallic Minerals Gold

The majority of the deposits are lode-type bodies associated with the Mwembeshi Shear Zone and related syntectonic intrusions. Significant gold mineralisaon also occurs, variously with copper and uranium, in major thrust zones near the base of the Katanga succession. More than 300 gold occurrences have been recorded but most are only prospects. Largest historical producers are Dunrobin (990kg) and Matala (225kg) in the Mumbwa area, Jessie (390kg) in the Rufunsa area, and Sasare (390kg) in eastern Zambia.

Copper and Cobalt

The copper-cobalt mineralisaon is strata bound within arenites, shales, and carbonate rocks of the lower-Katanga Mine Series Group. Copper resources have also been idenfied in the thrust zones of northwestern Zambia, which represent zones of detachment between Basement and Katanga sequences, and in western and central Zambia where shearing and intrusion emplacement through the lower Katanga succession have generated a considerable number of lode, stock work, breccias and skarn deposits. Other types of deposit include the disseminated copper mineralisaon in the

granites and aplites of the Mkushi area in central Zambia and copper-bearing straform sulphides in the Lusaka area. In excess of one billion tonnes of coppercobalt ore (c.2.7 % Cu) has been extracted from the mines of the Copperbelt and conservave esmates consider that a further two billion tonnes could be economically exploited.

Zinc and Lead

Carbonate-hosted Zn-Pb ore has been mined from the Kabwe deposit in central Zambia where 11Mt of ore averaged close to 25%Zn and 15%Pb. The strata bound mineralisaon comprises massive, breccia and replacement sulphides within carbonate rocks marking the transion from Lower Roan to Upper Roan. Similar styles of mineralisaon at the same stragraphic posion, some copper-rich, are evident through the Kabwe area and northwards to Kapiri Mposhi in central Zambia. Strata bound, probably exhalave, Cu-Pb-Zn deposits occur in Basement and Muva sequences in southeastern Zambia. Carbonate hosted Pb-Zn mineralisaon has also been recorded in Lower Roan limestone's in the Copperbelt and in Lower Kundelungu rocks in western Zambia.

Iron Ore

Substanal resources of iron ore have been idenfied, occurring primarily as sedimentary ironstones in the lower-Katanga Mine Series successions of central and western Zambia. Total resources of more than 900Mt with iron content of more than 50% have been provisionally esmated, with some individual deposits up to 200Mt in size. Small, highgrade skarn and replacement deposits are associated with Pan-African felsic and mafic intrusions that have penetrated the lower Katanga succession in western Zambia parcularly around the Hook Granite Complex.

Manganese

Occurrences are numerous but mostly small occurring as tabular, probably straform exhalave, deposits within Basement and Muva sequences, and supergene enrichments either capping lowgrade

sedimentary accumulaons or concentrated within sub-vercal fractures of limited vercal extent. Currently small scale mining is being done in the Luapula Province in the north of Zambia, around a town called Mansa. Occurrences are also known around central Zambia stretching north wise towards the town of Mansa.

Nickel and Planum Group Elements

Orthomagmac nickel occurrences are known in the Basement sequences south and east of Lusaka. Sediment-hosted nickel deposits in Mwashia and Mine Series rocks of north-western Zambia are associated with gabbroic intrusions and oen show evidence of hydrothermal enrichment. Also, minor planum group elements are produced as a by-product of copper refining on the major Copperbelt mines and from the Munali deposit, south of Lusaka.

Gemstones

Diamonds

Alluvial diamonds have been reported throughout much of north-eastern and western Zambia. Kimberlite and lamproite intrusions occur within and near to the western flank of the Luangwa River and in southern Zambia but no diamond-bearing diatremes have yet been discovered.

Emeralds

Zambia produces about 20% of the world's emeralds and they are sought aer due to their deep green colour. The gemstones are recovered exclusively from the Ndola Rural area of the southern Copperbelt where they are hosted by Muva-age talc schist's intruded by tourmaline- and phlogophite–bearing pegmate bodies.

Other gemstones

Aquamarine and tourmaline are mined in the Lundazi and Nyimba areas of eastern Zambia where they occur in pegmate's that were synchronous with the c.486Ma Sinda batholiths. Amethyst is currently being mined in the Mwakambiko Hills near Lake Kariba where it occurs in veins and stock works generated during late–Karoo or post-Karoo tectonism.

www.africamininginsight.co.za

Industrial Minerals

Zambia is host to a range of industrial minerals which will help to support ancipated growth in the mining, manufacturing and agricultural sectors. Feldspars, silica sand, talc, barite, phosphate, limestone clays, dimension stone, graphite, gypsum, kyanite, asbestos, and fluorite are all present.

Feldspar is produced from two alkali-feldspar pegmate deposits near Siavonga located in the southern part of the country and parally kaolinised pegmate at Shipingu, near Kapiri Mposhi in central Zambia.

Sands of various specificaons occur throughout Zambia but the only occurrence to have been exploited is a deposit of highquality glass sand at Kapiri Mposhi in central Zambia.

Talc deposits in Zambia have not been extensively evaluated but range from talc derived during metamorphism of dolomites near Lusaka to a hydrothermally altered mafic to ultramafic intrusion, also in the Lusaka area and talc schist occurring in the footwall of copper mineralisaon near Ndola.

A variety of barite deposit types are known, the most significant being the vein and replacement bodies hosted by red shale's and marls of the Mporokoso Group within the Luongo Fold and Thrust Zone of the Bangweulu Block.

Apate, the most important potenal source of phosphate occurs in significant concentraons in syenic intrusions (Chilembwe deposit near Petauke in eastern Zambia) and carbonate bodies (Kaluwe in the Rufunsa-Feira area and Nkombwa Hill at the northern end of the Luangwa Ri.

Limestone and dolomite are abundant in the area around Lusaka and these and other deposits in Southern, North Western, Northern, and Luapula Provinces of the country have been idenfied as being suitable for cement and agricultural use.

Clay deposits

A considerable number of deposits of ball clay and brick clay are known but they have rarely been subjected to bench tests and firing tests. Large deposits of ball clay occur at Solwezi in north-western Zambia and at Kasanka, 60km north of Serenje in central Zambia. Kaolinite-rich clays have been recorded at Masuku in southern Zambia and near Shiwa Ngandu in Mpika town in northern Zambia. Brick clays are exploited at an arsanal level throughout the country

Energy Minerals

Uranium

Three significant types of uranium occurrence have been recorded in Zambia in Karoo sandstones associated with the copper mineralisaon of the Copperbelt and structurally controlled mineralisaon in the Basement domes of north-western Zambia. Uranium mineralisaon in the Basement domes is variously accompanied by copper and gold and almost invariably occurs in kyanite-bearing schist's. These are now known to represent major thrust zones developed along the Basement-Katanga contact and propagated up-sequence both northwards and eastwards e.g. the Lumwana Malundwe deposit in north-western Zambia. Major exploraon acvies are underway in southern Zambia as well as around the Siavonga area in the Gwembe valley

Coal

Zambia possesses substanal coal resources and has been producing coal since 1967 from the Maamba mine near Lake Kariba in southern Zambia. The Maamba deposit and other known coal occurrences are confined exclusively to the lower-Karoo Gwembe Formaon, within a series of fault-controlled basins that comprise the Mid-Zambezi Ri Valley. Other thin coal seams and carbonaceous shale's have been idenfied in the Gwembe Formaon of the Luangwa and LuanoLukusashi Valleys and in the eastern part of the Barotse Basin in western Zambia.

Hydrocarbons

Historically, the country has had two major exploraon programs by Mobil and Placid Oil undertaken between 1986 and 1991 within the Luangwa Ri Valley, one was terminated before intersecng the most favourable reservoir horizons. Considerable thicknesses of lioral and connental sediments underlain by carbonaceous rocks with oil generang potenal are present within the Karoo-age graben of both the Luangwa and Mid-Zambezi Valleys. Recent exploraon work for petroleum covering parts of NorthWestern, Western and Eastern Provinces of Zambia, using the Microbial Prospecng for Oil and Gas technique, indicated that the Okavango and North Luangwa basins have potenal for oil and gas. Government has tendered the oil blocks for oil and gas prospecng by private sector

LIBS chemical sensing applications in the mining and minerals industry

The mining industry is faced with an increasing scarcityofnaturalresources.Atthesameme, the global demand for resources keeps growing and the requirement to reduce the environmental footprint of mining becomes more important This creates the need to develop innovave soluons that increase the efficiency and sustainability of mining natural resources.

Miningoperaonsdealwithhugequanesof excavated material with varying mineral concentraons and economic value. Increased knowledge about the composion of this material provides opportunies to improve decision making for stockpiling, sorng, and mineral processing However, no systems currentlyexistthatcanbeusedtomeasurethe chemical composion of large material quanes in real-me. LIBS chemical sensor technology provides a soluon, because no sample preparaon is required and measurements can be performed at relavely highspeeds.

At SPECTRAL Industries we work together with the mining industry to develop LIBS-based sensor applicaons for the mining environment. Examples of applicaons are inline conveyor belt analysis, scanning exposed rock surfaces (see Figure 1) and scanning drill chips from blasthole drilling. Addionally, we also work on applicaons that improve the exploraon for new mineral deposits such as the scanning of drill cores (see Figure 2). We develop the best LIBS sensor for a specific applicaon using our in-depth experse of lasers, spectrometersanddataprocessing.

One of the major challenges of using LIBS for characterizing the mineral quanty in rocks is the heterogeneity of this material. Rocks are composed of many different minerals with various grain sizes. Each mineral consists of

several different elements and for some minerals the relave quanty of these elements can vary Depending on the size of the mineral grains, a single LIBS measurement can represent one or several minerals Development of advanced data processing techniques is therefore required in order to provide quantave composional informaon that meets the required accuracy. Addionally,calibraonsneedtobetailoredto the geological seng of a specific mineral deposit to take all the variaon between rock typesandmineralogyintoaccount.

The results obtained using LIBS chemical sensing on ore samples from acve mining operaons show that LIBS can be used to provide the informaon that is needed to improve the efficiency and sustainability of futuremining.

SPECTRAL Industries is a new chemical sensor developer and manufacturer, with a focus on applicaons in the mining and minerals industry. SPECTRAL's chemical sensors are robust, mobile & fast: they can be applied on

Example of part of the output of a drill core scan (warmer colors are higher concentrations)

(fast) moving raw material. The sensor features our unique IRIS spectrometer with world-class signal-to-noise (S/N) rao, rugged pulse laser source and highly efficient opcs. The design allows for flexible integraon into industrial equipment and can be mounted in any orientaon. Suitable for a wide range of environmental condions, it offers low maintenance cost and improves processes by delivering real-me informaon. SPECTRAL delivers its unique sensor systems for the following applicaons:

• Drill core scanning

• Rock surface mapping

• Drill cungs analysis

• Ore, concentrate and slag characterizaon

• Muck pile characterizaon

The LIBX sensor can be applied for automated ore sorng, that separates valuable from non-valuable rocks to prevent unnecessary cost for processing worthless ore and maximize return on investment. The technology is highly scalable as the hardware is suitable for any type of ore and materials.

The digital sensor age is here

Danfoss has engineered soluons that allow the world to use resources in smarter ways—driving the sustainable transformaon of tomorrow, since 1933. Danfoss produces more than 250,000 products in 70 factories across 25 countries every day, developing and refining soluons in response to our customers' needs.

With the adopon of a ever-growing digital world, Danfoss Industrial Automaon has reposioned itself as Danfoss Sensing Soluons, represenng the union of applicaon-driven sensor technologies and unparalleled commitment to helping customers navigate their journey into the digital froner.

"Global mega trends increase the need for sensing." We see OEMs, wholesalers, and installers adapng to it and facing fundamental choices. They're asking

quesons like 'What is the right path for us?' and 'Who will help us make the right decisions as we move along?'. Our new name reflects our commitment to embracing that future and is our way of saying: We are your partner in navigang your journey across the digital sensor froner—today and tomorrow," says Bert Labots, Vice President at Danfoss.

Paired with the name change, Danfoss customers will benefit from a broader product range, such as pressue transmiers, temperature sensors and posion sensors, more and increasingly diverse sensor technologies, and unrivalled support and services for sensor ecosystems, as well as swi and simple customizaon.

"As a leading global player, we know that adapng to the rapidly changing digital landscape requires a competent partner

www.africamininginsight.co.za

Danfoss Sensing Soluons provides industryleading know-how and advanced sensor technologies to navigate the way forward for our customers and partners. A crucial part of this journey is to extend our offering within digital sensor connecvity for wired and wireless sensor soluons. Another differenator is diagnoscs and smart sensors that allow for instant programmability and remote technical support on the sensor side," explains Labots.

Danfoss Sensor Soluons is a global player offering a wide product porolio within pressure and temperature sensors, and posion sensors, to a wide range of industries, such as mobile hydraulics, marine and offshore, water pumps, wind power, industrial hydraulics, industrial air compressors and more.

Accurate GNSS Data Collection for Precise Drilling Locations

Whether mining below ground or above, collecng accurate and relevant data is a core element of mining work. Inaccuracies in measurements can lead to re-work, project delays, cost overruns and – most frightening – wrong drilling locaons.

Acquiring precise locaon data can be both complicated and expensive. There are many GNSS receivers and data collectors available in the marketplace, but many are difficult to use, cannot achieve low-level accuracy, or are cost-prohibive. Even if the hardware is intuive, oen the soware is not.

Add in rapidly-changing weather condions and extreme environments with water, wind and dust, and the day's work gets even more complicated.

Juniper Systems set out to solve all these problems with one affordable GNSS receiver that delivers low-level accuracy, is intuive to use, works with mulple data collectors, and stands up to extreme condions.

The new Geode™ GNS3 Receiver is scalable, simple to use, and provides a variety of accuracy levels – including sub-meter (50cm), sub-foot (30cm) and decimeter (10cm).

Designed with versality in mind, the Geode GNS3 collects real-me GNSS data without the huge price tag or complexity of other precision receivers.

Geode GNS3 Receiver

Compared to Juniper Systems' previous GNSS receivers, the significantly-upgraded Geode GNS3 is available in either single or mulfrequency models. The internal antenna delivers precision, mul-GNSS/mulfrequency with integrated ground plane. The mul-frequency model is capable of

accuracies to 8cm with the Atlas L-band H10 correcon service.

Scalable Accuracy

Collect precision, mul-frequency, mulconstellaon GNSS data with more than 800 channels and through a variety of signals, including GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo and others.

SBAS correcons are supported with 3channel parallel tracking in North America, Europe, India and Japan, reducing ionospheric error in GPS data. Addional correcon services using RTK/CORS NTRIP GNSS are supported to achieve even greater accuracy

Where SBAS and network correcons are not available, a supported Atlas Worldwide subscripon will provide L-Band correcon. With mulple accuracy levels and a tolerance for signal interrupon, data can be collected anywhere in the world.

For every job, select the accuracy opons for the data needed, at the sub-metre (50cm),

sub-foot (30cm) or decimetre (10cm) levels.

Open Interface

The Geode GNS3 works with a wide range of data collectors, handheld computers, tablets and smartphones, and is especially useful for bring-your-own-device (BYOD) work situaons. It's compable with Juniper Systems' handheld computers, including the new Mesa Pro 10-inch Rugged Tablet, Mesa® 3 Rugged Tablet (7-inch), and Cedar™ CT8X2 Rugged Tablet.

Many other data collectors can also be paired with the Geode GNS3, including devices running on Microso® Windows PC or Android™ 7 (and above) operang systems, and a broad range of Apple® iPhone® and iPad® devices. Easily connect to any of these using Juniper Systems' GeodeConnect™ soware, designed to configure the device and set up communicaons with the receiver

Juniper Rugged™

Like all products from Juniper Systems, rugged features are inherent to the Geode

GNS3 design. Tested against U.S. standard MIL-STD-810G, it withstands drops, shock, vibraon and temperature extremes. The enclosure is rated IP68, sealed against moisture and dust ingress.

The Geode GNS3 is perfect for a multude of applicaons, such as construcon, survey planning, water ulity locaon, agricultural mapping and planning operaons, seed research plots, and rural populaon and census studies. It's also the logical soluon for remote mapping projects where correcon services are not available, such as in strip mining, archaeology, environmental sciences or wildlife management.

Take the affordable Geode GNS3 with you mounted on a pole, in a pack, or held in your hand to easily collect real-me, precision GNSS data in harsh environments.

Learn more: hps://junipersys.com/products/geode

Accurate GNSS Data Collecon for Precise Drilling Locaons

Safe and simultaneous tensioning of crusher outer shell nuts saves time and cost

Changing the outer shell on rock and ore crushers can be a me-consuming process, involving many potenal OH&S issues. Too oen, large hammers or flogging spanners are used to loosen the nuts, so that the outer shell can be replaced.

To avoid risks of injury, and to save me and ® cost, Technofast's latest EziTite hydraulic nuts and bolts have been designed to tension all nuts simultaneously using hydraulic pressure.

The hydraulic pressure tensions the bolt to the precise tension required and then locks it in place mechanically with a locking device.

“These crushers are processing hard materials, so these outer shells need to be replaced frequently. And any me they aren't crushing, they aren't making money,” says Technofast Founder and CEO, John Bucknell. EziTite hydraulic nuts and bolts provide simple assembly, and they can be daisy

chained together so that all nuts are tensioned to the exact requirements simultaneously

“Mining operaons that have used our EziTite products have found that the job can be done in half the me, with fewer personnel,” said Mr Bucknell.

“Not only are they saving me and cost, but worker safety is priorised too, because EziTite eliminates the risk of injuries

associated with flogging hammers,” he said.

The EziTite outer shell replacement process

With Technofast's EziTite hydraulic nuts and bolts in place, changing the outer shell of crushers can be a simple, safe process, which typically involves:

1. Placing the EziTite nut down unl it meets the washer

2. Connecng a hydraulic hose to the hydraulic fing, ensuring the hose is capable of delivering the required pressure

3. Using hydraulic force to ghten the nut to the required pressure, nong parcularly that all EziTite nuts can be tensioned simultaneously to provide precise, even pressure.

4. Locking the unit in place with a mechanical lock-ring once the desired pressure is reached. This means the unit is mechanically locked, so no sustained pressure is required.

5. Removal is equally rapid and simple, using hydraulic pressure to release the lock ring, and then relieving the pressure from the nut.

“Linking the units together has received very posive feedback from mine site supervisors, who are impressed with the tension accuracy, and ease of installaon. One also pointed out that simultaneous tensioning removes the possibility of jamming the taper,” said Mr Bucknell.

“The use of EziTite hydraulic nuts has made the job much faster and simpler, and has also eliminated many OH&S concerns with previous methods. With reduced downme, labour requirements and costs, crushing applicaons that have installed EziTite nuts have connued to benefit with each outer shell change,” he said.