Mining Developments News

The condition monitoring sector is one which is constantly evolving and developing to incorporate innovation and boost efficiency. It is for this reason that ongoing training is essential to keep the maintenance crew at the forefront of technological advancements within the industry. WearCheck’s technical manager, Steven Lumley, who oversees the company’s training programme, believes that companies where staff are not well trained in the latest maintenance techniques will be hampered by diminishing effectiveness of their condition monitoring programme. Says Lumley, ‘We urge companies operating in all industries to invest in training their staff to optimise their return on investment in condition monitoring. ‘All WearCheck’s courses comply with lockdown regulations to ensure the safety of delegates and staff. Please contact us to confirm whether the courses will be held at a venue or online, as we strive to comply with pandemic regulations.’ The oil analysis and condition monitoring tra...

Delivering energy savings of up to 60% and an increase in Free Air Delivery (FAD) of up to 21%, (compared to fixed-speed models), Atlas Copco’s the new GA 22 – 37 VSDs (Variable Speed Drive) air compressor range is in an efficiency class of its own. Along with its ultra-efficiency, this exceptional air compressor range also raises the bar on performance, reliability and connectivity thanks to cutting-edge designs and innovative technologies. Atlas Copco revolutionised the air compressor industry with the introduction of VSD technology. This global first meant that compressors could do something they had never been able to do before - match their motor speed to fluctuating air demands, realising exceptional energy savings and reliability. Later, Atlas Copco brought improvements to this technology with the VSD+. Now Atlas Copco once again sets new standards in VSD performance with the launch of the new VSDs air compressor series. Atlas Copco Compressor Technique’s Business Line Manag...

SKF is pleased to announce the upgrade of the highly successful and renowned Cooper roller split bearings. With the new Cooper E-Series, SKF has managed to make an already excellent product even better to deliver a host of additional cost-, time- and safety-related benefits that will optimise machine availability and uptime, reduce operational costs, ultimately increasing plant production. SKF Cooper leads the market in innovative split bearing technology. Featuring several ground-breaking designs, these roller split bearings offer a cost- and time-efficient solution in the ‘trapped’ bearing position of machines. The argument for split bearings as the optimum solution for certain applications is simple. When using a split bearing, the drive coupling or the cantilevered drive and gearbox do not need to be dismounted during bearing replacement. As very few changes are required to the shaft alignment or driveline, realignment can be avoided altogether. The bearings can thus be easily ...

SKF recently secured an order for 600 MUDBLOCK cassette seals after these reliable products delivered excellent results during a punishing underground mining field test over a three-month period. SKF was asked by a long-standing customer, who is a leading supplier of braking systems for off-highway, industrial and underground mining equipment to end-users, to identify particular seals. “Having identified the products as cassette seals, we referenced them to our newly developed SKF MUDBLOCK (MUD11) cassette seals and received a quote from our customer for 300 pieces in Q3 2021,” says Andre Weyers, SKF Product Manager: Seals. Weyers explains that the name MUDBLOCK is derived from the fact that SKF originally designed these cassette seals for tractor applications in rice planting fields where the seals are submerged in water and mud. Presenting the perfect multi-lip cassette sealing solution, these seals have been specially engineered for heavy-duty jobs and to ensure reliable market-...

Epiroc launches SafeStart Programme to employees in a fun and memorable way “When it comes to ‘safety always’ behaviour, Epiroc’s values are clear – we want to protect what we value most, our people,” says Johnny de Mesquita, Epiroc Regional SHEQ Manager for Southern Africa. “The health and safety of all our employees, our customers and our business partners remain paramount. Our strict compliance to SHEQ legislation, ISO Standards, Industry Code of Practices, and customer requirements bears testament to our relentless commitment to ensuring that we provide a healthy, safe and protected working environment for each and every employee, contractor or visitor to our premises and buildings.” Epiroc Southern Africa, which includes South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe, has joined the list of Epiroc entities around the world in collaborating with SafeStart International, a global organisation that leads the way in human error reduction techniques training, injury red...

The new ultra efficient solar powered HiLight S2+ LED light tower from Atlas Copco The new cutting-edge, ultra-efficient HiLight S2+ LED light tower from Atlas Copco uses solar radiation as an energy source to deliver optimum performance and 2 000 m2 light coverage. “The fact that the HiLight S2+ is powered by a renewable energy source, i.e. the sun, not only means zero noise, zero fuel consumption and zero emissions, but also zero use of the planet’s finite resources while operating,” notes David Stanford, Atlas Copco Power Technique’s Business Line Manager, Portable Products. He adds that this HiLight light tower enables users to sustainably comply with noise and carbon emission regulations. Owing to the light tower’s ergonomic and user-friendly design, the unit can be quickly and easily set up for operation. The extendible solar panels are simply pulled out from the pop-up canopy and adjusted to best align with the sun’s position. The S2+ unit’s batteries can also be recharg...

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Since the successful launch of Minetruck MT65 in 2016, Epiroc have maintained Minetruck MT65’s position as the highest payload capacity underground truck in the world. We are pleased to present a summary of recent improvements that have made the truck even better and further improves the value for the customer. The new engine dramatically lowers emissions, enabling more sustainable operations. Our latest engine technology meets Tier 4 Final/Stage 5 requirements and is certified to comply with the North American standards CANMET (Canada) and MSHA (USA). NOx has been reduced by 45%, and diesel particle matters have been lowered by 80% compared to a Tier 2 engine. Lower emissions improve the working environment and reduce the need for ventilation, leading in turn to lower operation costs and a smaller environmental footprint. Another great advantage of Minetruck MT65 is its new Ejector dump box option for compact envelop applications. We developed this solution to cover more applicatio...

While initial lockdown, implemented in South Africa at midnight on 26th March 2020 to curb the spread of COVID-19, was in full swing, Wacker Neuson South Africa was responsibly assisting the agricultural and forestry sectors with much needed repairs and machinery supply. “Downtime is simply not an option for essential services,” says Managing Director of Wacker Neuson Sub-Saharan Africa, Dennis Vietze. “It is therefore imperative that they have unrestricted access to the necessary machines and equipment which must be kept in good running order so that critical business activities can continue without interruption.” “We successfully applied for an essential service certificate to enable us to support and be there for our essential services customers whenever they have a need,” affirms Vietze. Thanks to the Wacker Neuson team who serviced equipment, completed a couple of maintenance and repair jobs and also sold some much needed machines, their customers in the agricultural and forest...

As the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise in South Africa and across the globe, so does the social stigma attached to it. The perceived notion, for example, is that the virus only affects people of ethnic backgrounds, leading to unjustifiable discrimination by their peers. Yet, one company has risen to the challenge of de-stigmatising the labels placed on these minorities. Exxaro, a true champion of African growth and inclusivity, has announced the launch of their De-stigmatisation Campaign which aims to create awareness, debunk myths, and alleviate fears around COVID-19. Indeed, a lot of misinformation is being spread on the internet – something Exxaro hopes their De-stigmatisation Campaign will address. “It’s easy to point fingers, but that’s not how this virus chooses its victims,” remarked Mzila Mthenjane when asked for further details on the campaign. “[This campaign] seeks to educate not only our people but the greater country on the nature of COVID-19.” Mthenjane c...

(Munich/Verona, January 2020) The first fully electric, battery-powered mini-excavator from Wacker Neuson, EZ17e, performs and handles just like a diesel-powered model. For this innovative development, the jury of the SaMoTer Innovation Award 2020 awarded the electric mini-excavator with the Innovation Award in the category hydraulic mini-excavators. Wacker Neuson is strengthening its position as an innovation leader in the zero emission segment with machines like the fully electric excavator EZ17e. In Verona, the mini-excavator was awarded with the SaMoTer Innovation Award 2020. The innovation was selected in the category hydraulic mini-excavators for efficiency and optimal integration of electric propulsion with a design identical to the diesel version and for performances identical to the classic diesel version despite ensuring null gas and noise emissions. The excavator will be the highlight product at the Wacker Neuson stand C11-C12 at SaMoTer, that is taking place from March 2...

thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions South Africa (tkISSA) has streamlined the sample testing process with the recent development of a mobile containerised High-Pressure Grinding Roll (HPGR) test unit. By enabling customers to test samples on site, this eliminates the costs, time delays and complex logistics related to the transportation of samples for testing purposes. The inspiration to create this distinctive containerised laboratory was spurred on by a customer who required the pre-crushing of uranium ore causing various dilemmas in ore processing, transportation logistics as well as handling of radioactive material. Taking all these factors into consideration, the company came up with a game-changing idea; bring the test laboratory to the customer. The mobile laboratory consists of a semi-pilot scale HPGR fully enclosed in a 20-foot container. “The HPGR was developed in Germany, but we have adapted the design for manufacturing in South Africa,” says Gerhard Van Wyk, Process Manage...

SKF is urging users of rotating equipment to rethink the way they pay for bearings and related items. In the traditional transaction-based model, suppliers’ profits depend on numbers of parts sold and not on improvements in machine performance. There’s fundamental conflict of interest, as longer component life means fewer sales for the supplier. SKF is now offering a forward-thinking, fee-based Rotating Equipment Performance (REP) service, in which both SKF as a supplier and its customers are benefiting from maximising machinery’s productivity, reliability and efficiency. Under a REP contract, the customer pays a fixed monthly or quarterly fee dependent on SKF meeting agreed targets for machine production level, uptime or other KPIs. The all-inclusive fee covers provision of bearings, seals, lubrication and condition monitoring. SKF’s engineering expertise in this specialised area ensures the ideal specification and application of all elements, which is important as 90% of industrial...

We are pleased to inform you that SKF has moved and is now operating from its brand new premises in Boksburg as of today. Please refer to the new address below. SKF South Africa (Pty) Limited We have moved Email Signature www.skf.co.za, Facebook, Youtube, LinkedIn, Twitter The telephone and fax number as well as the postal address remain the same: Tel: +27 (0) 11 821 3500 / Fax: +27 (0) 11 821 3505 PO Box 13157, Witfield, 1467

RICHARDS BAY, KwaZulu-Natal – – Mining industry equipment supply companies Austin Engineering, suppliers of customised equipment to large global mining clients, mining contractors and original equipment manufacturers, and ETT, manufacturers of open pit mine support equipment and specialised mobile industrial equipment, signed the beginning of momentous partnership agreement which see them jointly marketing, selling and supporting their products through one company across Africa. The joining of the two southern hemisphere industry mining equipment powerhouses follows months of discussion and planning to ensure that customers serviced by both companies remain the focus and that product quality and after sales service support are stronger than ever. Austin Engineering, an Australian Stock Exchange listed company with headquarters in Brisbane, has more than 50 years’ global experience in engineering and manufacturing equipment for the mining industry with operations in Australia, Asia, ...

thyssenkrupp is an industry pioneer and world leader in the manufacture of stackers, drum reclaimers and other stockyard machines. Moving with the Industry 4.0 tide, the global engineering specialist has introduced new technology that improves stacker efficiency and performance. thyssenkrupp stackers are responsible for stockpiling an extensive range of materials at mines, quarries and ports across the African continent. The company recently delivered a locally designed and manufactured 2000tph, 100m long (including the tripper), 300t stacker to a coal mine operating in South Africa’s Waterberg region. “We have invested substantially in our stacker design to ultimately provide cost and time saving benefits to our customers across Sub-Sahara Africa,” notes Jacques Steyn, General Manager: Materials Handling at thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions Africa. thyssenkrupp locally designs and builds stackers with capacities from 50 to 20,000tph, in boom lengths from 10m to 65m and in an assor...

By Hans Kuipers, Managing Director and Partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) When it comes to climate change, we’ve clearly entered a new era. In the previous era, climate skeptics in business took a wait-and-see approach. Today, impacts from climate change are far more visible, including skyrocketing costs from weather-related damages. Tomorrow, the effects of global warming could escalate even further, leading to ever-more-drastic regulation, potential carbon taxation, changes in demand for commodities, and divestment pressures. All this will call into question mining companies’ ability to continue operating successfully with their current business models and asset bases. Indeed, climate change and extreme weather events present serious risks for mining sites. An urgent shift is required as strategies currently being used were developed under what would now be considered outdated assumptions in terms of the devastating effects climate change has on mines and economies in genera...

Dealmakers are now focussing on ESG issues across all sectors Environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters rapidly rose up the corporate agenda in 2019, such that ESG is now a mainstream issue across all areas of corporate life, including in mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Leading global law firm Herbert Smith Freehills' M&A in 2020: The New Normal report takes a closer look at this key trend that has come to the fore in the past 12 months due to increased awareness of climate change, unease with globalisation, and pressure from activists and consumers. The report highlights the ESG risk and reputational issues that dealmakers need to be mindful of in any buy or sell situation. "ESG matters are now mainstream and can no longer be considered an afterthought in M&A decision-making," said Gavin Davies, Head of Global M&A at Herbert Smith Freehills. "They demand heightened attention on M&A transactions, across all sectors. Thorough ESG due dili...

Pilot Crushtec’s modular range makes sense in an ever-changing business environment Pilot Crushtec, proudly South African supplier of crushing, screening and materials handling solutions, has embraced the concept of simplification and ease of use, offering a range of modular solutions that cater to almost every eventuality in the sector. Here’s 5 reasons why you should be considering modular equipment solutions for your crushing, screening and processing plant operations. 1. Cost Savings: There are a number of areas where costs can be minimised and effective use of capital is maximised. Firstly, most of the required units are built-for-stock in the Pilot Crushtec factory. This means they are manufactured in a controlled environment, under strict supervision, to exacting standards which will, of course, reduce labour and material costs. Secondly, and most importantly, the entire range has already been designed, manufactured and tested – meaning you won’t incur exorbitant de...

Businesses that require boilers for their operation are usually faced with a choice between acquiring new boiler units, or refurbished ones. One of the most common misconceptions in the market is that refurbished units are less efficient or will have shorter life spans than brand new boilers. This is according to Jonathan Probert, CEO of EP Dryden Combustion – a wholly owned subsidiary of Energy Partners - who says that boilers generally have particularly long life spans, and can operate at peak efficiency for decades. “We routinely come across boiler units that have been in operation for 30 years, and even a handful that are in great condition after 50 years of service. With that said, there are also much younger units that get condemned.” Probert explains that an important differentiator that determines the life cycle of a boiler, is how it is operated and maintained. “The truth is that boiler units themselves have not evolved much over the last 25 years. Aside from one or two ...