Mining Developments News

On 1st December 2017 Epiroc South Africa (Pty) Ltd. was introduced to employees with a kick-off party that rocked! Kitted out in their grey and yellow Epiroc branded golf shirts, employees were welcomed by Kathryn Coetzer, Communications and Academy Manager for Epiroc SA. Video presentations delivered special messages from Mats Rahmström, CEO and President of Atlas Copco AB, and Helena Hedblom, Senior Executive VP – Mining and Infrastructure, Epiroc AB, who welcomed everyone to the Epiroc SA family. Frans van Niekerk, VP: Sub-Sahara region and Managing Director of Atlas Copco Industrial South Africa (Pty) Ltd. wished the local team best of luck in their new venture. Referring to the launch as a historical occasion, Victor Scott, Business Controller at Epiroc SA, said that Epiroc was formed to be a strong partner for customers by building on Atlas Copco expertise and performance. “Performance unites us, innovation inspires us and commitment drives us to keep moving forward. Customers ...

With effect from January 1, 2018, the Hydraulic Attachment Tools division within Atlas Copco becomes part of Epiroc, the company that Atlas Copco plans to dividend out in mid-2018. The division manufactures excavator attachment tools such as hydraulic breakers, cutters, pulverizers, bucket crushers, shears, grapples and magnets. Also effective from that date, all the division's current products will be delivered with Epiroc product branding. The Hydraulic Attachment Tools division has been a technology leader for more than 50 years. The hydraulic breaker was originally developed in 1963 by the German company Krupp Berco Bautechnik, which became part of Atlas Copco in 2002. Currently, with some 100 different hydraulic attachment tools, the product range is designed to ensure that customers can always find the right tool for their specific application and excavator. The division manufactures, among others, the HB 10000, the largest serial hydraulic breaker in the world – every punch...

[Johannesburg, 12 February 2018]: Skills and knowledge are the motivating force of the growth of any business. They have become even more so given the increasing pace of technological advancement in the workplace. On the back of that understanding, Monitech, a South African industry leader in mining safety and monitoring solutions, views skill building as a device to improve the efficacy and contribution of its personnel to overall production of its customers. To have skilled personnel is every company’s key objective to ensure that any skills gaps that its customers may experience at any time are addressed timeously to avoid unnecessary production losses, explains Jarrod Hassett, CEO of, Monitech. Consequently, Monitech – as a leading mining safety and monitoring solutions provider – has always placed a major priority on developing its skills base. “All our staff are encouraged to expand their skills set and Monitech supports this by paying for any associated tuition and allocati...

Visitors to this year’s Mining & Technical Exhibitions (MTE) stand the chance of winning one of 25 Chicago Pneumatic CPPG5 (5.5Kva) petrol-driven portable generators. ”In a bid to grow the Chicago Pneumatic brand within the mining industry which is a key market for us, we took the decision to focus on this segment during 2018,” explains Business Development Manager for Chicago Pneumatic Construction Equipment in South Africa, Eben van der Vyver. ”Our barter agreement with MTE sees us giving away a total of 25 portable generators, one at each of the exhibitions during 2018.” ”With the exhibitions taking place in six of our country’s Provinces as well as in neighbouring countries, Botswana and Zambia, MTE presents us with the ideal platform to expand our CPPG generator footprint in the mining sector.” Van der Vyver adds that this initiative also provides good exposure for Chicago Pneumatic’s distributors. The first MTE was held on 25 January 2018 at Cullinan Diamond Mine in Gau...

“Atlas Copco must be first in the customer’s mind and first in the customer’s choice when it comes to choosing air compression technology,” states Business Line Manager for Atlas Copco Compressor Technique Services (CTS), Ian Ainsworth. “So we always strive to put our customers first by making it easy for them to do business with us – from the initial purchase of the compressor right through to after-market services. To this end we are introducing a number of strategic initiatives to our service portfolio in order to streamline our offering and meet our customers’ service requirements.” Ainsworth points out that in the past, OEM service had very little competition as customers for the most part only dealt with OEMs for their aftermarket service requirements. The uncertain and volatile economy and retrenchments is forcing qualified engineers and technicians to start their own businesses giving rise to the emergence of one-man businesses. Armed with a service vehicle and tools and oft...

Key stakeholders in South Africa's automation industry have called for greater collaboration to drive industrial progress. Speaking at the official launch of the Africa Automation Fair 2019 in Johannesburg this week, stakeholders noted that South Africa was emerging from turbulent times, but said that through collaboration to drive progress, the automation sector could help fast-track economic growth and development. The automation sector, now moving toward a digital 'Industrie 4.0/IIoT' era, is poised to drive greater efficiencies and make South African enterprises internationally competitive, which will ultimately benefit all South Africans, they said. Oratile Sematle, President of the South African Institute of Measurement and Control (SAIMC), noted that the industry had already progressed to a point where its voice as a collective is now heard in government, institutions and various sectors. "But knowing that if we use automation in the right ways, we can ...

Over recent years, the South African mining industry has been plagued by political, legislative and regulatory uncertainty, stifling growth by increasing investment risk in South Africa. The most recent blow to the industry was led by the Minister of Mineral Resources when he unilaterally announced a new Mining Charter, ushering in "radical economic transformation" by significantly shifting the requirements for black ownership and employment equity at mining companies. However, there does seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel in the form of the newly elected ANC president, Cyril Ramaphosa. This became evident at this year's Mining Indaba. The manner in which Ramaphosa has been tackling the Eskom issues and his messages to the market, has investors hopeful that he would be able to mend the fence between the industry and the ministry. Ramaphosa's history with the National Union of Mineworkers may also serve to reassure investors and the mining industry that he u...

With trucks an ever-present reality on South African roads, it is important that their drivers adhere to strict health and safety standards. This is not always easy when they have to deal with heavy work schedules, poor roads, bad fellow drivers and numerous other challenges. Innovative Staffing Solutions Managing Director, Arnoux Maré, says South Africa’s truck drivers play a critical role in the economy, transporting more than 88% of cargo around the country. “They are as much an asset to their organisations as the often formidable vehicles they drive and need the ongoing support of their fleet managers. “With more than 5,500 drivers in our employ, we have learned a lot from the various predicaments they find themselves in. We feel we are well positioned to offer our top seven safety guidelines aimed at keeping truck drivers and other road users safe,” adds Maré. 1. A lack of sleep can have similar effects on the body and mind as alcohol. It follows, then, that driver fat...

New power sector priorities are emerging across Africa, including financing of major power projects, joining the dots between generation and the 650 million 'power poor', and becoming agile in a digital world, report the experts convening ahead of POWER-GEN & DistribuTECH Africa conference and expo. Pan-African and international power sector experts who met in Johannesburg last week to assess papers for the upcoming POWER-GEN & DistribuTECH Africa 2018 report that key power challenges and priorities have changed across Africa in recent years. The POWER-GEN & DistribuTECH Africa advisory board, which meets annually to review papers to be presented at the conference, says there has been a clear change in focus in recent years. Where as recently as five years ago, the continent's primary focus was on generation, there is growing urgency among players to address issues such as developing continent-wide, integrated strategies to deliver power to the estimated 650 m...

Attributed to Mzila Mthenjane, Executive Head of Stakeholder Affairs at Exxaro 4 February 2018, South Africa - With the water crisis in Cape Town reaching critical levels, and emerging as a hotly discussed topic, there's never been a more pertinent time to reflect on sustainability in South Africa, and, of course, the entire continent. Africa already faces major issues, like poverty and food shortages. Unfortunately, these and other problems cannot be dispelled overnight. Yet there continues to exist, a massive potential across the continent; which, if tapped into and utilised correctly, will see its landscape moulded into something much more sustainable in the medium to long term. With access to large amounts of natural resources, mining organisations need to play their part in shaping a sustainable future - one that will improve the lives of people in communities across the continent. What does the mining landscape for South Africa currently look like? As it currently stands...

Alpha emitters are small particles used in the treatment of cancer. They are nuclear particles that typically travel short distances and attack cancer cells only. New research has produced alpha particles with a special coating that enables them to differentiate between healthy cells and cancer cells. The coating identifies the cancer cell and introduces the alpha particle into the cell; when the alpha particle is inside the cell, it gives off radiation and destroys the cancer cell. After a short period of time, the alpha particle stops emitting, causing no significant collateral damage to the healthy cells. This requires targeted delivery to the desired site of action. Scientists are working with the radioactive element thorium, which emits alpha-particles. "Thorium emits energy-rich radiation, albeit over a short distance, it cannot even penetrate through a sheet of paper," explains Dr. Alan Cuthbertson, head of Thorium Research at Bayer in Oslo, Norway. His team is work...

The prices of neodymium, praseodymium and dysprosium, rare earths, representing 85% of the economic value of the rare earth deposits at the Steenkampskraal mine in the Western Cape, have increased more than 50% last year. Total reserves at the mine have a market value of $2 billion. "Neodymium magnets are used in industries such as electrical motor manufacture, medical science and renewable energy which rely on high-strength neodymium magnets," says Trevor Blench, chairman of Steenkampskraal Holdings, owners of the Steenkampskraal mine. These magnets are also used for audio equipment such as microphones, acoustic pick-ups, headphones and loudspeakers, magnetically coupled pumps, door catches, motors and generators, MRI scanners, magnetic therapy, ABS (anti-lock braking) system sensors and lifting machinery, amongst many others. Without neodymium magnets, many technological advancements over the last 30 years would not have been possible. Because of their great strength, p...

By Justine Sweet, specialist environmental legal consultant [Durban, 25 January, 2018] Fracking, a process which enables access to shale gas not accessible to conventional drilling operations, is a good example of the environmental, social and economic balancing act required of decision makers. If fracking is to take place in South Africa, it must be responsible and sustainable. As is the case with many other countries, South Africa must ensure that it proceeds in line with a risk averse and cautious approach. Fracking Policy The April 2011 moratorium on fracking was lifted in September 2012 following the publication of a task team report in July 2012. While that report acknowledged that the true extent of shale gas resources in South Africa is currently unknown, it confirmed that viable reserves could have positive implications for South Africa’s energy security and its diversification. It recommended a robust regulatory framework designed to mitigate the risks and impacts asso...

While South Africa's Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) requirements are viewed by some as yet another impediment to conducting business as usual, others see them as an opportunity to make positive changes for themselves, their employees and the country. Roxanne Da Mata Goncalves, Director of Strata-G Labour Solutions, which assists companies in improving their BBBEE scorecards, says South Africa needs to think differently about BBBEE and transformation. "Many organisations are disenchanted with consultants who propose questionable BBBEE schemes. Their number one objective is to be profitable and they are tired of bleeding money into initiatives that are not sustainable or that they have no way of measuring." This is particularly true when it comes to enterprise development and supplier development. "Depending on their turnover category, companies are obliged to contribute a percentage of their net profit after tax (NPAT) to organisations that are 5...

On 1st December 2017 Epiroc South Africa (Pty) Ltd. was introduced to employees with a kick-off party that rocked! Kitted out in their grey and yellow Epiroc branded golf shirts, employees were welcomed by Kathryn Coetzer, Communications and Academy Manager for Epiroc SA. Video presentations delivered special messages from Mats Rahmström, CEO and President of Atlas Copco AB, and Helena Hedblom, Senior Executive VP – Mining and Infrastructure, Epiroc AB, who welcomed everyone to the Epiroc SA family. Frans van Niekerk, VP: Sub-Sahara region and Managing Director of Atlas Copco Industrial South Africa (Pty) Ltd. wished the local team best of luck in their new venture. Referring to the launch as a historical occasion, Victor Scott, Business Controller at Epiroc SA, said that Epiroc was formed to be a strong partner for customers by building on Atlas Copco expertise and performance. “Performance unites us, innovation inspires us and commitment drives us to keep moving forward. Customer...

“Atlas Copco must be first in the customer’s mind and first in the customer’s choice when it comes to choosing air compression technology,” states Business Line Manager for Atlas Copco Compressor Technique Services (CTS), Ian Ainsworth. “So we always strive to put our customers first by making it easy for them to do business with us – from the initial purchase of the compressor right through to after-market services. To this end we are introducing a number of strategic initiatives to our service portfolio in order to streamline our offering and meet our customers’ service requirements.” Ainsworth points out that in the past, OEM service had very little competition as customers for the most part only dealt with OEMs for their aftermarket service requirements. The uncertain and volatile economy and retrenchments is forcing qualified engineers and technicians to start their own businesses giving rise to the emergence of one-man businesses. Armed with a service vehicle and tools and oft...

Brady Corporation offers a new pipe blind lockout solution that can be applied to the widest range of pipes. By easily and temporarily locking pipe blinds in place, companies can improve safety by preventing the release of gas, steam and hazardous liquids while pipe maintenance is ongoing. Increased safety and compliance The Pipe Blind Lockout can provide a very visual, physical barrier that acts as a deterrent for touching pipe blinds while maintenance is ongoing. When used with a properly installed pipe blind, the lockout device and a padlock reduces the risk of accidental release of pipe contents. This enables companies to increase workplace safety and also improve compliance with EU Guidelines 89/655 and the European Norm 1037. Non-sparking material The Pipe Blind Lockout has been UL tested for ISO 80079-36:2016 Explosive Atmospheres and falls within the parameters of the norm. The device is built out of a heavy duty 304 stainless steel with rugged, cast aluminium locking bar...

A truly universal portable gas detector with maximum versatility Scott Safety, a global leader in innovative personal protective equipment and safety devices, is pleased to introduce the Protégé SG, a versatile new reusable single gas monitor that is configurable to detect 13 different gases. The Protégé SG is a truly universal portable gas detector with advanced features, such as smart plug and play sensors and a replaceable lithium battery that provides unlimited life. The swappable sensors are equipped with a smart sensor board that automatically recognises sensor type and updates the gas label on the LCD display while automatically downloading the necessary calibration parameters. With an IP66/67 rating, global regulatory approvals, multiple languages accessible on the LCD, and internal data logging for up to 5,000 events, the Protégé SG provides industrial workers and first responders maximum flexibility to focus on the task at hand and not on their equipment. The Protégé S...

A great number of workplace accidents still occur during maintenance. These accidents can cause severe human suffering, high insurance premiums and reduced production efficiency. Lockout/Tagout offers a practical way to control maintenance safety risks. Define maintenance risk control needs Lockout/Tagout enables the temporary isolation of energy flows to machinery effictively rendering them inoperable while maintenance is ongoing. To isolate a machine, all its energy control points, such as handles, levers, valves and buttons, should be blocked in the off-position. Brady can conduct on-site Lockout/Tagout surveys to map all relevant energy control points for every single machine as a first step towards increased maintenance safety. Choose the right locks & devices Once energy control points are mapped, selecting relevant lockout devices and padlocks becomes easy. The type and number of lockout devices and padlocks needed will be determined by the energy control points prese...

Aubagne, France - Tyco Gas & Flame Detection is pleased to announce that the DG-TT7-S H2S gas detector with Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) sensor underwent stringent functional safety assessments by an external certification body and is now SIL 2 approved. The DG-TT7-S is solid-state metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) gas detectors used mainly for the detection of hydrogen sulphide (H2S) in arid locations having air present or in locations with continuous H2S background. The sensor specifies a wider continuous operating temperature range than the standard electrochemical sensors up to +65 °C. The device supports HART 7 protocol option for full configuration and diagnostics over non-proprietary interface. The MultiTox DG-TT7-S features on board relays, plug and play sensors and a high visible display that changes colour depending on the status mode. For more information, visit www.TycoGFD.com Gas & Flame Detection Tyco Life Safety Products Marketing Manager EMEA Natacha Deq...