Tag Archives: B-BBEE

Forte Demolition goes to work on chrome pelletising plant in Rustenburg

Bulk handling, Equipment maintenance, Mining safety, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , , ,

Forte Demolition Solutions, a subsidiary of surface materials handling expert SPH Kundalila, has started demolishing a chrome pelletising plant in Rustenburg, South Africa, following a recent turnkey contract award.

Forte says it is tackling the project with its specialised range of mechanical dismantling and demolition equipment.

Graeme Campbell, Group Commercial Operations Manager at SPH Kundalila, said: “Our investment in this equipment is substantial, making us the ideal partner for mines and other operations who need to address closure in a safe and sustainable manner.”

The plant to be demolished includes several multi-storey structures, conveyors, steel frames and concrete work, as well as large, heavy componentry, according to the company.

Campbell emphasised that Forte Demolition is one of few companies in South Africa with the necessary assortment of fit-for-purpose machinery and attachments. These ensure the cutting and breaking process is safe and efficient, allowing many components to be carefully dismantled for resale purposes.

“Among the factors behind our cost effectiveness is that we can shorten customers’ timeframes,” he said. “For example, our precision cutting is done by a shear attachment on an excavator. The power of hydraulics – combined with our specialised technology – means that everything is much quicker and safer.”

Equipment that is being employed on the pelletiser site includes a pulveriser for concrete demolition. It breaks concrete into small pieces that can be used as backfill on site, alleviating the need for transporting large concrete chunks to special dumping sites. Other specialised demolition attachments include grapples, hammers and buckets.

High levels of safety are ensured by an integrated safety, health, environment and quality management system, according to Brad van Niekerk, Project Manager at Forte Demolition Solutions.

“Safety is our key priority, which is enhanced by the closely supervised use of our mechanical equipment,” van Niekerk says. “This ensures that workers are not placed at risk by being too close to dangerous working environments.”

He notes that each project is planned and monitored by a skilled professional team, which takes the safest demolition approach. This is also aligned with customer standards to ensure full compliance with corporate and regulatory requirements. A 51% black-owned business and Level 2 B-BBEE contributor, Forte Demolition Solutions operates in South Africa through its offices in Fochville, Rustenburg, Stilfontein and Carletonville.

B&E International lines up launch of track-mounted mobile coal crushing solution

Coal technology, Comminution of minerals, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, Water management, , , , , , ,

B&E International’s investment in research and development (R&D) is starting to pay off with the development of its own primary crushing plant and the potential for future dry separation technology for coal plants.

The company thinks its build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) plants can offer a solution to a number of South Africa coal miners looking to reduce capital spend on infrastructure as the size and lives of their deposits shrink.

Ken Basson, Director of Plant and Engineering at B&E International, said: “Our expertise and equipment in crushing and screening takes the capital expenditure pressure off the customer and relieves them of considerable production risk. We can even assume other responsibilities in the value chain, from drilling and blasting to coal conveying and processing.”

This allows B&E to flexibly fit in to customer value chains, maximising production performance and machine uptime while taking on the risk of meeting the agreed output targets, according to the company.

Basson said: “Our R&D focus has allowed us to develop our own primary coal crushing plant; a high capacity, track mounted unit that is currently under construction and will soon be launched.

“The design is aimed at further reducing unit costs that we can achieve when conducting a contract for a customer. Its high-volume capacity means better efficiencies while being able to serve multiple small deposits on the same mine site.”

Water conservation in the coal beneficiation process is another element of the company’s R&D. It is exploring practical options for dry separation technology for coal plants, in collaboration with a local university. Traditional water-based coal washing technology is a major consumer of water in mine plants.

Process optimisation is also a service B&E provides for customers, based on its years of experience in designing, constructing and operating plants, Basson said.

“Whether a project is greenfield or brownfield, we can assist in providing solutions and addressing challenges,” he said. “For existing plants, our engineering team can identify and address constraints in the process – whether the equipment is ours or a competitor’s. We conduct detailed studies on how customers can remove bottlenecks from their plants.”

Equipment is designed, built and maintained by B&E International’s experts at its facilities in Kempton Park, Gauteng, South Africa. As a member of JSE-listed Raubex Group, B&E International is B-BBEE-compliant and works closely with mines, project houses and contractors, it said.