Mining Developments News

Meyerton-based steel tank manufacturer Structa Technology is currently rolling out a water infrastructure build programme that supports local municipalities, water utilities, schools, hospitals and clinics. As a member of the Structa Group, Structa Technology proudly services the government by assisting it in the provision of much-needed water storage to rural communities throughout South Africa. “Over the years, our 40-year proprietary product, Prestank, has proven to be a hygienically safe, cost effective and reliable water-storage solution for communities, commercial sectors, private sectors and even for personalised storage,” says Structa Technology Prestank director Rodney Cory “We are one of the preferred suppliers of water storage tanks for municipal authorities and mines, as we are known as a supplier who always strives to deliver our water tanks on time and within budget, adhering to the best quality standards,” says Cory, adding that Structa Technology’s Prestank water st...

In today’s industrial world, customers need solutions that are robust enough to withstand the toughest challenges and the most testing environments while meeting ever growing demands. In addition, these solutions must work harder, longer and safer for improved uptime and subsequently greater productivity and efficiency. SKF is committed to gaining a deeper understanding of all these challenges and has focused on engaging with key customer groups to determine their individual requirements. Customers provided feedback, SKF listened and responded by developing and enhancing their product and system solutions to ensure that customer demands are met. SKF Explorer tapered roller bearings present a perfect example of one such solution. Customer engagement has resulted in the development of an innovative, practical and uniquely designed bearing that is capable of overcoming a vast range of challenges. The SKF Explorer caters to all customer needs and is customisable for specific requirement...

ST. CATHARINES, Ontario (April 11, 2018) — Haver & Boecker, a leading equipment manufacturer and solutions provider for the aggregates and mining industries, showcased blended screen media options for each vibrating screen deck at AGG1 2018 in Houston. The blended screen media approach offers improved efficiency by extending screen media life and minimizing issues such as blinding and pegging. Haver & Boecker technicians work with producers, evaluating their applications, challenges and goals to customize screen media selection in a way that optimizes screening. The manufacturer’s variety of screen media options helps ensure producers receive an option best suited for their material type and size. Haver & Boecker showcased its blended screen media options during AGG1 2018 in Houston. Before making recommendations, Haver & Boecker technicians examine and evaluate the operation’s screening challenges. This begins by examining discarded screen media for signs of wear a...

SKF's new Scotseal X-Treme wheel-end seal for trucks and trailers offers superior reliability and high temperature performance, as well as a market leading 5-year/500,000 mile warranty on trucks and 7 years on trailers. Truck and trailer operators can now dramatically reduce the risk of premature wheel-end failures, as well as the high costs associated with unplanned downtime and vehicle recovery, by changing to a new wheel-end seal design from SKF. Scotseal X-Treme is the latest addition to SKF's well established line of wheel-end seals for drive, steer and trailer axles: Scotseal Classic, Scotseal Long Life, Scotseal Pro and Scotseal Plus XL. It offers the vehicle service market and OE truck and trailer manufacturers reliability and long life in the harshest of operating conditions. Scotseal X-Treme offers an extension of the current 3-year full parts and labour warranty provided by Scotseal Plus XL to a new market-leading 5 years for truck and 7 years for trailer ap...

Epiroc recently boosted its rock drill portfolio with the introduction of the new COP MD 20. “All the capabilities and features of the COP 1838 HD+ has been optimised in the COP MD20 making it hands down the toughest drill in mining,” says Business Line Manager for Epiroc’s Underground Rock Excavation (URE) Division, Vince Tyler. The COP MD20 has been engineered for improved performance, extended life span and reduced running costs. “Thanks to its completely new design, end-users can look forward to increased productivity and uptime and reduced maintenance costs delivering almost unbeatable Total Cost of Ownership,” confirms Tyler. From a productivity point of view, Tyler explains that the innovative design allows for more percussion hours between overhauls leading to faster drilling. The unit has been optimised for mine drift applications giving faster blast/bolt hole drilling. Few housing parts provide stability and durability. In addition, the recommended 1 000 hour service int...

Owners and maintainers of commercial vehicles can now benefit from SKF’s renowned quality and service for yet another key engine component, with the launch of a new range of premium quality water pumps. Defined by high reliability and long service life, the water pump offering covers all the popular commercial vehicle brands including Volvo, Renault, MAN, Mercedes, Iveco, DAF and Scania. Manufactured to the highest quality standards, the SKF water pumps are designed to meet original equipment manufacturer performance specifications. Every design has undergone a comprehensive long-term load test program and each unit is inspected and vacuum tested prior to delivery. To facilitate installation, the new pumps are supplied in a kit with high quality gaskets, O-ring seals and fasteners. Detailed product data is available to help customers pick the appropriate kit to match each truck model or OE part number. In addition, a QR code on the packaging gives installers fast, easy one-clic...

You can expect to hear much debate about the future of mining in South Africa over the coming months, as the industry charter once more goes into review. Whatever the outcome of those discussions, Ansys passionately believes that the one certainty is that mines of the future will be smart. Mines will become the ultimate measured environment, with remote sensors able to monitor everything, from gas levels to the stability of ground surfaces. These sensors will constantly feedback to systems which can analyse and alert operators of dangers ahead. Autonomous and remote-controlled vehicles will increasingly become the norm and will be able to locate themselves in 3D space and position themselves around objects without human intervention. Maintenance regimes will become predictive, with more live monitoring of equipment to detect part failures before they happen. The endgame is mines that are safer for workers, more efficient and more cost effective to run. But a future in which eve...

The talks on a new Mining Charter, a document guiding the transformation of SA’s mining sector - seeking to give the mining industry much-needed policy confidence and certainty, are about 80% completed. According to multiple media reports, this will be gazetted in May 2018. We would like to position Warren Beech, Head of the Mining Practice Hogan Lovells (South Africa) for an interview to speak on issues facing the mining industry in South Africa, and further touch on the below pointers: • Analysis of the good progress that, according to media reports, appears to be being made. • What to expect, major changes given the new ministry, and whether the new charter would be investor friendly, and further bring hope for empowerment in this sector? o Will it address many unimplementable and unrealistic clauses; flaws and contradictions which appeared on Zwane’s version? o Deep industry concerns around the black ownership empowerment levels? • Is the industry ce...

The rare earth, cerium, will be one of the products beneficiated and sold locally by Steenkampskraal, the rare earth mine in the Western Cape province of South Africa, which is reported to have the world’s highest rare earth grades averaging 14.4%. Cerium is used in a compound for polishing glass in smartphones, computer screens, watches and windows. Cerium is also used in catalytic converters to convert harmful exhaust fumes like carbon monoxide into less harmful compounds such as carbon dioxide. Cerium metal is used in some lighters for its pyrophoric properties, as a catalyst in self-cleaning ovens, in carbon-arc lights for studio and projector lights, and in aluminium alloys. In cast iron it opposes graphitisation and produces a malleable iron. In steels it removes sulphides and oxides and in stainless steel it is used as a precipitation-hardening agent. In magnesium alloys it is used for castings and gives the ability to create complex shapes, adding to the heat resistanc...

Training budgets are usually the first to undergo cuts when an economic recession knocks on the door. Yet having a skilled workforce is a critical element of success for any organisation and company. The importance of training your employees, both new and experienced, cannot be overemphasized. “Effective training of new employees will ensure a workforce that is proficient, effective and productive. But the importance of employee training doesn’t end with new workers. Manager training and development is equally important to workplace safety, productivity, and satisfaction,” says Arnoux Maré, CEO of Innovative Solutions Group TM. He adds that it is therefore imperative to not skimp on providing your staff with the right training. “The SMME sector often cuts the training budget when times are tough. The worst thing to do is to bring in a scaled-down training and development programme that doesn’t address your employees’ needs or doesn’t align with strategic imperatives. The cheaper ...

Lonmin through the Community Development department has committed to invest towards the needs of the Community by uplifting the status quo of Education Infrastructure and Quality of Education in the Greater Lonmin community. The New Marikana Primary school project falls within Social and Labour Plan targets for 2014‐2018. The New School is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Basic Education and Sports Development, Bojanala District, Rustenburg. This R17m project complies with the commitments in the Social and Labour Plan (WPL & EPL 2014‐2018) and is line with the Lonmin Education Value Chain. It supports the Department of Basic Education and Sports Development Action Plan 2014 – 2025. The Marikana Community consists of 2 Wards, namely Marikana RDP (Ward 31 Rustenburg) and Marikana West (Ward 32 Rustenburg). In Marikana West, there is a primary school that was built for the community by Lonmin many years ago. Both schools are very congested. In Marikana RDP, there is a comb...

Friday, 23 March 2018: Today Lonmin officially handed over the New Marikana Primary School to the North West Department of Education and Sport Development and the Marikana community. The school, a brand new campus, will enrich the community by providing a first rate educational facility. Lonmin’s Social and Labour Plans (SLP) emphasise the need to improve the quality of life for its communities. With this in mind, the launch of the New Marikana Primary School creates a secure, conducive learning environment for learners while increasing the capacity offered by the 19 primary and eight high schools already servicing the area. The advent of the New Marikana Primary School heralds a new dawn for Marikana’s learners, accommodating up to 750 learners in Grades R to 7. The new school facilities include a dedicated Grade R learning centre, ablution facilities accommodating learners living with disabilities, a kitchen equipped to provide meals for students, and a 900-seater hall. “The launc...

Mining experts and senior journalists lectured for mining journalism Menar Academy Menar invests in being controlling and managing shareholder in private and listed companies and allocates capital to selected projects and companies actively involved in mining and resources. As a new generation company that turns knowledge into investment and production, it has a corporate culture which celebrates: Always being open to learn. Continuously enhancing knowledge. Generously sharing that knowledge. Regarding corporate social responsibility, Menar extends its investments beyond business by investing in people and community. Menar Academy encompasses Menar's in-house and public facilities for knowledge enhancement with the motto “LEARN, ENHANCE AND SHARE”. It is the platform of Menar for investing in people in Menar’s companies as well as in the mining sector. Mining Journalism Training for Journalists Mining is one of the most important sectors of the South African economy, while a s...

“Mobility, flexibility, reliability, efficiency and precision drilling capacity define Epiroc’s ROC family of drilling machines making them the most suitable and up for the task,” states Pieter Malan, General Manager of Booysen Bore Drilling Company, Sishen. This specialist drilling company is currently operating three generations of surface drill rigs, the ROC L8 MK I and ROC L8 MK II supplied by Atlas Copco alongside the latest FlexiROC D65 machines from Epiroc. The recent delivery by Epiroc of three FlexiROC D65 surface drill rigs has bolstered this longstanding Northern Cape customer’s total drilling machine fleet to 51. Booysen Bore purchased their first FlexiROC D65s in 2013 which have up to now drilled in excess of 500 000 x 300mm diameter holes for nine Northern Cape solar farms, as well as a large number of blast hole meters in Northern Cape mines. Their fleet also includes a SmartROC D65 for blast-hole drilling as well as a few CS14 and CS1500 core drilling machines. Epir...

The Mine.D: Zero Harm hackathon, hosted by the Tshimologong Precinct and the Research Institute for Innovation and Sustainability (RIIS), has announced the three overall winners of the digitally-inspired hackathon. Focused on Mixed Reality (MR) and Internet of Things (IoT) within the health and safety space of the mining sector, the teams that entered were exposed to the wonders of technology, including demonstrations and one-on-one coaching from industry experts. Lesley Williamson, CEO, Tshimologong Precinct, says that the top three entries were inspiring and very relevant to the health and safety of the mining environment: “I was impressed by the depth of knowledge and skill of the entrants. As we hoped, the results address very real issues and concerns within the mining environment and all utilise technology in innovative ways.” While she says the judging process was not easy, the first place was awarded to team SystemDex (Sikhanyiso Ngetu, Mosima Matlhwana, and Menzi Mohlobo),...

Johannesburg, South Africa 30 January 2018 – A recent report by Statistics South Africa noted that mining production had increased by 6.5% year-on-year, up from the annual growth of 5.2% reported in October 2017. This bodes well for Black Royalty Minerals (BRM), a subsidiary of the Makole Group, which launched its first colliery in Bronkhorstspruit, a small town east of Pretoria characterised by typical socio-economic issues faced by many poor communities in South Africa. Chilwavhusiku Colliery is the first mining operation project owned by Black Royalty Minerals, and is also the first colliery in the town. It became fully operational in the last quarter of 2017 and has contracted Stefanutti Stocks as mining contractor. The mine supplies coal to primarily inland customers and is currently working on export contracts. “As a business that is 100% black-owned, we are proud to be contributing to the GDP of the country but we’re very gratified to impact the lives of the Bronkhorstspruit ...

While small businesses are regarded as the growth engines of economic development, the success rate of start-ups in South Africa is nominal. In fact, estimates suggest that between 70% and 80% of small businesses fail within the first two years of operation. According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor’s (GEM) 2017/18 Global Report, Africa has one the least favourable entrepreneurship environments. The report cites below average ratings for financing of entrepreneurial ventures, school-level entrepreneurship, internal market burdens or entry regulations, relevant government policies and R&D transfer, amongst others. The South African government recognises the importance of a thriving entrepreneurial sector. In his recent State-of-the-Nation address President Cyril Ramaphosa committed to investing in small business incubation; establishing a small business and innovation fund targeted at start-ups; and reducing the regulatory barriers for small businesses. Reinforcing this...

Johannesburg, 29 March 2018: Today Kore Potash plc (JSE: KORE) attained a secondary inward listing on the Main Board of the JSE. The company listed in the “General Mining” sector and is the 6th international company to make use of the JSE’s fast-track listing process. Donna Nemer, Director: Capital Markets at the JSE, welcomed Kore Potash to the exchange: “The JSE started out funding the development of mines near Johannesburg. Today we are proud to be able to connect investors with global miners, like Kore Potash, who seek to raise capital to develop assets on the African continent.” Kore Potash is an advanced stage mineral exploration and development company whose primary asset is an equity interest in the Sintoukola Potash Project located close to the coast in the Republic of Congo. The company has its primary listing on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) and today also listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange. Inward listings allow foreign companies listing on ...

Holland, Norway, the UK and France have announced plans to discontinue the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles. Holland and Norway will terminate the sale of these vehicles from 2025, and France and the UK from 2040. Volvo will discontinue its combustion engine vehicles as early as 2019 and Toyota has announced plans to terminate its internal combustion engines from 2050 with both companies only manufacturing electric vehicles (EV) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) from those dates. The decision by Volvo, owned by the Chinese company Zhejiang Geely, is an indication that China, as the world’s largest electric vehicle market, is moving quickly to electric vehicles. Latest data shows that Chinese manufacturers produced 43% of the 873,000 electric vehicles built worldwide in 2016. Some electric vehicle manufacturers have chosen to use rare earth permanent magnet motors rather than induction motors, making them lighter, smaller and more powerful. All electric motors made around th...