T
R
I
D
E
N
T
feature
SOUTH AFRICAN EXCELLENCE g oes
2
D E E P
www.southafricamag.com
“Deep down I’m pretty superficial,” said ‘forties Hollywood siren Ava Gardner. Deep down in South Africa’s mines the superficial is as remote as daylight. The industry and environment demands the highest standards of operational equipment and technology, and as Marketing Executive Martin Lewis tells Colin Chinery, world leaders Trident SA of Germiston is providing it.
I
n the beginning it was easy. A pretty pebble picked up by hand on the banks of the Orange River and identified as a 21-carat diamond. But 143 years and the odd diamond rush later, South Africa leads the world in a less congenial form of mineral technology; deep-mining. It is a national economic powerhouse, and a major safety and operational challenge. Along tunnels as deep as 4 kilometres, mining locomotives made by Trident SA of Germiston haul ore up to the surface. Alongside work small diggers called rocker shovels, another Trident speciality. This is a subterranean world scarcely imaginable; the equivalent of twelve times the height of the Eiffel Tower or a little under five times the world’s tallest structure, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. It’s long way from the days by the Orange River.
Trident FEATURE
Tough, safe, and world leader “We are probably the world’s largest manufacturer, and our machines have to be very tough and the safety aspect incredibly large,” says Trident’s Marketing Executive, Simon Lewis. A mining locomotive is essentially a train electrically or battery driven, and these underground operational conditions mean they are not readily accessible to Trident engineers. So they must be safe to operate, easy to repair, and replacements modular. The sizeto-power ratio too is very important; a small piece of equipment limited by its environment but at same time capable of pulling vast amounts of tonnage.
Challenges of the deep Among South Africa’s minerals, gold, diamonds, platinum, chromium, vanadium, manganese, uranium, iron ore and coal. Some 60% of South Africa’s gold production occurs below 2 kilometres compared to only 28% in 1990. As mining depth increases so too do the technical issues greater rock pressure brings further challenges to control the rock burst hazard, the travelling time to the workplace becomes longer, ventilation costs increase and hoisting capacity is at a premium. “The difference with South African mining - and specifically in gold and platinum - is the depth we have to go to pull out these minerals,” says Lewis. “While we are operating 4-5 kilometres underground, in Australia they are doing open-cast mining. We could do open-cast mining as well but there are environmental issues and it’s not a popular type of operation here, and certainly not for gold and platinum. “So the challenge for a company like Trident is to make the cost of ownership of equipment
that much lower, that much more efficient, and so maximise it for the customer.”
Complete mining system Trident SA, founded in 1969 by Roger Calvert, John Curnick and Richard Curnick, today employs over 280 people, servicing mining and engineering companies worldwide. Its product range includes electric mono rope winches – the workhorses of the mining industry compressed air driven loaders and muckers as well as electric and battery powered locomotives. Trident also provide parts and refurbishes used equipment. It is a complete mining system. In 1997 they entered what was to be a significant partnership with the prestigious US-based Goodman Equipment Company, manufacturer of the world’s most numerous mining locomotives. Six years later Goodman ceased operations, and Trident - aware of the need to support a considerable delivered base of equipment - acquired the global manufacturing and distribution rights for all new Goodman equipment. And before long Trident had produced an entirely new and much improved Goodman loco. This was the Millennium Locomotive, designed and built at its Wadeville, Johannesburg plant by engineers and craftsman who understand the demands of the underground environment and the need for quality and reliability.
Our machines have to be very tough and the safety aspect incredibly large
Quality and simplicity “We don’t over complicate, making sure our customers can operate our products. To a large degree we are operating in Africa and have to take into consideration local conditions and what can be done here. “Basically we will customise our locomotives to our customers’ requirements. www.southafricamag.com
3
Trident FEATURE
With a mining group that is technically advanced and proficient for instance, we can add all kinds of pieces to their locomotives which we know they can maintain. On the other hand if we sent a locomotive to somewhere like Zambia there will be no such technical ability to maintain that type of equipment, so we might move away from electronics and go back to simple electrics.” For Trident as for any South African manufacturer, the skills issue is a daily pre-occupation. As a result rigorous training courses have been established in-house to ensure its employees can complete their roles to the highest standard.
Trident training “I think the average age of a South African tradesman, a fitter, turner or electrician say, is somewhere in the 40s. We have issues like that, and what we do is to employ youngsters and have in-house training and upskilling. But we will also go outside. If we identify a skill we grab it quickly. “Years and years ago there were Government training centres all around the country to where young people would come out of school and become trained. What’s happening now is that a lot of them have been closed down which is ironic. And the young man coming out of school now doesn’t want a job where he’s in overalls and his hands in grease; he wants a cell phone and a lap top.” Trident has developed long term relationships with its customers, specialising in meeting the need of each one. It is a strong bond that extends to the supply chain, with a reciprocal loyalty that in many cases goes back forty years, driven on reputation rather than price. Simon Lewis says Trident’s particular culture stems from its family ethos, a belief in honourable conduct. “This is a country where there’s a good deal of corruption and all that goes with it. It’s also a very cut throat industry and we could operate along those lines as 4
www.southafricamag.com
well. So we try to differentiate by making sure our prices are good and our ethics impeccable.
Dependable and respected “We’ve got very much a family-oriented approach, and this is not just within the company itself. We are very close to our customers and treat them as family. When our MD Roger Calvert goes to a mine, the miners’ call him ‘Oom Roger’ - Uncle Roger. It’s a degree of familiarity; they know us and know we are always dependable.” Trident SA’s challenges says Lewis, are very similar to those of the mining industry. “We need to adapt as their industry changes. If the mining sectors skills issue continues we will need to gear up and move into that space. There are issues around diversification. Fuel shortages would definitely be an issue. “There are other challenges of course. Safety is one of the factors at the forefront, and whenever you add a safety feature, the cost of the equipment goes up. At the same time the Chinese are going into mines in areas like Zambia and taking over completely with little consideration for issues like safety. It’s a case of ‘jump in and mine’.” It is an African mining scenario as far removed from Trident as the day of that chance discovery by the Orange River. “We are there where our customers are and we will always support them,” says Simon Lewis. “We are very dependable and we’ve been around for a very long time. They know us; we know them, and we are in it for the duration.”END
Rock Solid
Hydraulic Solutions!
Tel: 011 394 5837/8/9, Fax: 011 975 6751 e-mail: sales@hydromobile.co.za, www.hydromobile.co.za
South Africa Magazine, Suite 9 and 10, The Royal, Bank Plain, Norwich, Norfolk, UK. NR2 4SF TNT Magazine, 14-15 Child’s Place, Earl’s Court, London, UK. SW5 9RX Enquiries Telephone: 0044 (0)1603 343267 Fax: 0044 (0)1603 283602 emailus@southafricamag.com Subscriptions Call: 00441603 283573 subscriptions@southafricamag.com
www.southafricamag.com
414 Peddie Street Wadeville Wxt 6 Germiston South Africa Tel: +27 11 902 6735 Email: simon@tridentsa.co.za
www.tridentsa.co.za