Tag Archives: South Africa

Multotec solution scrubs up well at Ekapa Minerals diamond plant

Bulk handling, Comminution of minerals, Diamond mining, Mine operation news, Mineral processing, Mining services, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A revolutionary new concept in fines scrubbing is proving to be a game changer for Ekapa Minerals at its Combined Treatment Plant (CTP) in Kimberley, South Africa.

The innovation, developed by Multotec Wear Linings, is processing both virgin underground kimberlite as well as tailings for retreatment at the CTP. The solution is effectively a pulping chute that scrubs and washes the re-crushed product after it has passed through the high pressure grinding rolls (HPGR) inter-particle tertiary crushing circuit.

The important advantage here, according to Multotec Wear Linings Projects Sales Manager, John Britton, is that it performs the scrubbing action faster and more efficiently than a traditional rotary scrubber would, and at much lower cost.

Multotec commissioned two of these pulping chutes at Ekapa Minerals in late 2019, where they have been operating consistently and in line with expectations. With the use of patented wave generators, the pulping chute uses the gravitational energy from the slurry flow to create a constant turbulent mixing action that releases the mud, clay and slime sticking to the kimberlite particles.

According to Ekapa Minerals CEO, Jahn Hohne, the pulping chutes are a welcome contribution to the company’s cost saving efforts, and a clear demonstration of Multotec’s expertise in developing value-adding solutions in the mining sector.

“The dual chute pulping plant is ideally suited to de-conglomerating the HPGR cake product and is exceeding expectations in efficiency and effectiveness at over 600 t/h, which is a major relief on the existing overloaded pair of CTP scrubbers,” he said. “The net result is a meaningful increase of up to 20% throughput capacity of the entire processing plant which substantially improves the economy of scale of CTP, feeding directly to the bottom line.”

Britton highlighted the efficiency of the system, which is able to aggressively scrub the material in just three to four seconds as it passes through the chute. This represents just a fraction of the usual retention time in a rotary scrubber, which is three to four minutes, according to the company. He also emphasises the drastic reduction in running cost which the pulping chute achieves.

“From our experience of plant layouts and flow diagrams, it is clear that fines scrubbers are significant contributors to a plant’s capital, operating and maintenance costs,” Britton said. “Scrubbers are equipped with large drives with gears and gearboxes to rotate the drum. They are high consumers of power and require mechanical component maintenance which means higher operating costs.”

Substantial structures and supports are also needed for the scrubber and its drive mechanisms. In designing the pulping chute, Multotec sought a simplified solution, Britton says. In addition to improving scrubbing efficiency, the objective included reducing the cost of replacing scrubber liners and the downtime that this demanded. The cost of replacing the steel shell of a scrubber – which is constantly subject to stress, wear and fatigue – was another cost to be considered.

“The pulping chute, by contrast, is a stationery and much simplified innovation, focused on the scrubbing of fines less than 32 mm in size,” the company said. “Slurry deflectors located at the top end of the scrubbing chute direct at least part of the slurry away from the scrubbing chute floor. This curls into an arched form which flows backwards into the approaching flow of slurry, creating the turbulent scrubbing effect.”

Britton said: “We custom-design the chutes to suit the application and can increase chute capacity to up to 800 t/h. This is achieved with no moving parts, bearings, hydraulic packs or girth gears; the only power required is to supply material and water to the receiving chute. These actions are also required to feed the scrubber, then gravity takes over and provides the required energy.”

Maintenance is also streamlined by designing the chute in segments. Should one segment be wearing more than others, it can be quickly removed and replaced – putting the chute back into operation while the original segment is refurbished as a spare.

Britton says the pulping chute has drawn interest from other diamond producers in southern Africa, Australia and Canada. It can also be applied in commodity sectors such as coal, platinum, chrome, iron ore and mineral sands.

Multotec Manufacturing tools up Spartan facility on screening demand

Comminution of minerals, Equipment maintenance, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , ,

Continued growth in demand for Multotec Manufacturing’s screen panels has led the company to expand and upgrade the dedicated toolroom at its manufacturing facilities in Spartan, Gauteng, in South Africa.

According to Ian Chapman, Engineering Manager at Multotec Manufacturing, these technology investments have accelerated the tool manufacturing process and delivered better tool finishes. This translates into enhanced product quality, greater speed to market and more cost effectiveness for the end customer.

The tools required are mainly for rubber and polyurethane injection moulding, rubber compression moulding and cast polyurethane products. The wide variety of tooling produced includes ‘mother moulds’ and components such as frame bars, cores and inserts, Multotec says.

“By 2015, our success in growing markets had placed considerable demand on our toolroom,” Chapman said. “This led to the replacement of two CNC milling machines and adding two new wire electric discharge machines (EDM) in recent years.”

The new milling machines use specialised Heidenhain controllers, which strengthen Multotec’s jobbing capability for customised tooling, it says. Based on the specification from the sales team, drawings are created for the company’s tool and dye makers. They, in turn, convert these drawings using computer-aided manufacturing software to create the tool path for the CNC machine.

“Our experts’ familiarity with the Heidenhain language speeds up our work and avoids human error,” he noted.

Wire EDM machines are another key resource in the toolroom, using electrical erosion technology to cut relatively long tool pieces accurately and finely.

“Unlike a milling machine – where there is contact between a tool and a work piece – on the EDM, there is no engagement with the wire and hence no forces to accommodate and few residual stresses,” Chapman said. “This allows us to cut pre-hardened steel without distorting its shape, creating very fine tolerances in our finished tooling.”

To augment the existing two EDMs, a third was acquired in 2018, with even larger wire spools than the previous models.

This allows longer production runs of up to 90 hours, improving cutting strategies and productivity, Multotec says. So successful was this investment that a fourth wire EDM was purchased and installed in 2019.

Weba custom-engineered chutes cut the dust at platinum mines

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Weba Chute Systems says it has been able to demonstrate to platinum mining customers how its custom-engineered chutes significantly reduce dust at transfer points.

Using the latest dust measuring technology, the company has carried out tests at mines in South Africa and Zimbabwe to compare the impact of Weba designs on material flow and dust levels, Izak Potgieter, Systems Manager at Weba Chute Systems, said.

At the site in Zimbabwe, considerable dust levels were created at bunker discharge chutes. Material of up to 500 mm in size was moving through at a rate of 600 t/h.

“The material flow was the biggest factor generating dust in the conventional chute, as material was not flowing as evenly as it should,” Potgieter says. “This created a lot of energy for the dust particles to expand into the surrounding atmosphere.”

The installation of the Weba chute – with its engineered design for optimal flow control – reduced the dust levels by about 40%, according to the company.

“By controlling the velocity of material, the design not only cuts dust creation but also reduces impact and wear for increased productivity and less maintenance downtime,” Weba said.

At the South Africa operation, the tests were conducted at a transfer point in the milling plant where an average tonnage of 190 t/h was being moved. Despite the use of water sprays, the existing chute was still creating considerable dust. The installation of the Weba chute was able to reduce dust levels by 15%, according to the company.

“Dust levels have shown to have a serious impact on human health, especially smaller particle sizes of 0.3 micron,” Potgieter says. “Health effects of dust relate mainly to particle size and dust may contain microscopic solids or liquid droplets that are small enough to get into the lungs and cause serious health problems.”

Spores and contaminants associated with dust and aerosol can also adversely impact human health, causing a range of issues from respiratory infections to toxic exposure, according to Weba.

MacLean Engineering up to the Africa mining challenge

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MacLean Engineering’s investment in Africa is paying off, with multiple production support vehicle sales recently secured on the back of an increased presence in South Africa.

Having last month bolstered its largest single fleet in Africa to 11 vehicles at the Kibali gold mine, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the company is now busy assembling equipment for delivery at an underground mine in Namibia, while making manufacturing and delivery plans for a successful tender for five units that will head to a underground gold mine in Mali.

John-Paul Theunissen, MacLean’s General Manager for Africa, says recent sales could be put down to the company boosting its manufacturing and service capacity on the continent close to two years ago.

“We are now manufacturing for Africa out of South Africa,” he told IM. “Towards the end of 2018/beginning of 2019, we commissioned another 900 sq.m of manufacturing space at our South Africa facility. This means we now have 1,000 sq.m of workshop and assembly space.”

The Free State facility, the first international branch MacLean set up back in the 1990s, also offers maintenance and service support.

These attributes, plus the ability to access MacLean engineers across the globe for equipment troubleshooting, have allowed Africa-based mining companies to get comfortable with the Canada-based brand, according to Theunissen.

“We have really started to build momentum in Africa, increasing the level of service and support closer to home,” he said.

“It is this local aspect that really sells fleets, as opposed to individual machines.”

MacLean now has 1,000 sq.m of workshop and assembly space, Theunissen says

This increased local offering has arrived at just the right time.

While the stricter lockdown measures in South Africa have been lifted – the country has moved from Level 5 to Level 3, allowing mines to return to full capacity (with COVID-safe procedures in place) – companies procuring equipment for Africa are conscious intercontinental deliveries could face upheaval again if a ‘second wave’ of COVID-19 hits.

Some mining companies influenced by recent lockdowns are also making longer-term pledges to adjust their supply chains to take advantage of local expertise, at the same time reducing potential risks that come with buying machines and solutions from overseas suppliers.

This recently enlarged presence in Africa could see MacLean benefit from such moves.

Recent orders

The latest orders Theunissen mentioned could reflect this reality.

In securing a contract to supply three MacLean 3-Series Cassette Trucks (CS3) and four cassettes to the Murray & Roberts Cementation and Lewcor Mining joint venture set to establish the underground stoping horizon at the Wolfshag zone at B2Gold’s Otjikoto mine, in Namibia, the company achieved several ‘firsts’, he said.

“It’s a new customer, Murray & Roberts; a new country, Namibia; and a new miner, B2Gold,” he said.

These units will be assembled in South Africa – another MacLean first – and are due to be delivered to the mine by the end of the last quarter of the year, according to Theunissen.

And, as mentioned before, the company recently bolstered the fleet at the Barrick Gold/AngloGold Ashanti majority owned Kibali gold mine in the DRC.

The latest piece of equipment for the mine – which arrived at the end of July – was one of the company’s personnel carriers.

This adds to the three EC3 Emulsion Chargers, a WS3 Water Sprayer, a FL3 Fuel Lube Truck, and a BT3 Boom Truck – all from MacLean’s trusted Mine-Mate™ Series – that Byrnecut, the original mining contractor at Kibali, brought in from 2013 onwards.

When the Kibali mining model changed to ‘owner-operator’ under the management of Randgold (now Barrick), the fleet got bigger, with the miner adding four new rigs: another EC3, another BT3, an SL3 Scissor Lift with pipe handler attachment, and a TM2 Mobile Concrete Mixer.

MacLean says its expanding presence at Kibali, from the development phase all the way back in 2013 up to achieving record production numbers in 2019 and 2020, illustrates the “MacLean Advantage in action”.

It explained: “MacLean’s dedicated team in South Africa has worked closely with mine management and operators to provide the training, maintenance and support needed to keep Kibali running smoothly. With operations forecast to continue at Kibali through 2036, MacLean looks forward to providing dependable support for years to come.”

Tech take-up

Mines like Kibali – one of the most technologically advanced in Africa – are gradually becoming more and more automated in an effort to increase productivity and safety.

Already one of the world’s most highly automated underground gold mines, Kibali’s backbone is Sandvik’s AutoMine Multi Fleet system, supervised on surface by a single operator. This system, in a world first, allows a fleet of up to five LHDs to be operated autonomously, 750 m below the surface, within the same 6 m x 6 m production drive while using designated passing bays to maintain traffic flow, Barrick says. A similar system is used in the production levels to feed the ore passes, according to the company.

While MacLean’s production support vehicles often interact with these autonomous loaders, for the time being they are still manned by operators.

This is set to change into the future, according to Theunissen.

“The Advanced Vehicle Technology Team (AVT) in Canada is moving into the automation space,” he said. “We’re looking to integrate our own digitalised systems into those of OEMs such as Sandvik and Epiroc to ensure fully interoperable autonomous operation.”

Within the AVT, the Advanced Vehicle Technology group embedded at the MacLean Research and Demonstration Facility, in Sudbury, Ontario (pictured below), has over 20 engineering staff working on remotely controlled to fully autonomous vehicle operation, using radar, LiDAR, and vehicle monitoring technology, according to MacLean.

This team has already come up with vehicle telemetry hardware and software, and virtual reality training tools. It is also transitioning to a cloud-based platform for documentation, parts ordering, and training content called Documoto.

The Advanced Vehicle Technology group is embedded at the MacLean Research and Demonstration Facility, in Sudbury, Ontario (photo: James Hodgins)

While these technology developments will, in the future, underwrite the company’s transition to offering machines capable of fully autonomous operation, MacLean is already at the front of the pack when it comes to facilitating the industry’s electrification movement.

In Canada, it has more than 30 battery electric mining vehicles (BEVs) working underground – at 10 mine sites, across four provinces, with more than 50,000 operating hours amassed.

While Africa as a whole might not yet have the energy infrastructure in place to fully leverage these ‘green’ BEVs – many mines remain off grid and reliant on diesel power – Theunissen has seen grid-connected miners in South Africa show interest in taking on these machines.

“In South Africa there is already appetite for BEVs,” he said. “We see it coming through in the RFIs (request for information) we get on projects.”

MacLean has an advantage over some of its competitors when it comes to converting these RFIs into sales.

Not only has it got thousands of operating hours under its belt, it also has engineers in place that can calculate the total cost of ownership savings a specific mine will achieve should they bring BEVs into their fleets. Due to the increase in upfront cost currently seen when comparing diesel- with battery-powered vehicles, this type of analysis is crucial to securing orders.

“We can show them how the machine will fit into the mining cycle and provide in-house calculations on ventilation and mine design savings,” Theunissen said. “This helps assist end users when it comes to long-term decision making for the mine.”

For countries in Africa to get on board the electrification train like those mines in Canada have, Theunissen thinks governments will need to introduce incentives for mines to change their energy inputs and adopt BEVs.

Should this happen, MacLean will be equipped both within the continent and internationally to take on that challenge.

M&R Cementation ready to make shaft sinking transition at Palabora copper mine

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The sinking of the 1,200-m deep ventilation shaft at Palabora Copper, in South Africa, is proceeding apace, notwithstanding the COVID-19 shutdown and restrictions, contractor Murray & Roberts Cementation reports.

Work began on the 8.5 m diameter shaft early in 2019, with pre-sinking recently reaching a depth of 50 m and the changeover from pre-sink to main sink almost complete, according to Murray & Roberts Cementation Project Executive Mine Development, Graham Chamberlain.

Part of the development of Palabora Copper’s new LIFT II underground block cave mining area, the shaft will be developed to a final blind sink depth of 1,190 m, with a drop raise to its final depth. Completion is expected in the September quarter of 2022, Murray & Roberts Cementation says.

“We were required by the client and national lockdown regulations to pause our work schedule, but operations resumed as planned when restrictions were relaxed,” Chamberlain said. “The priority is to ensure that safe working conditions are maintained, and the COVID-19 infections are avoided.”

The project is using automated machinery at the shaft bottom, removing employees from high-risk contact areas. Modern, high-penetration rate hydraulic drills are deployed on robotic arms nested on the shaft sinking stage. This allows operators to conduct drilling at any position in the shaft without physically being in contact with the drills, the company says.

“We shorten our cycle times with the use of explosive delivery pods containing sensitised emulsion,” Chamberlain said. “Electronic systems deliver real-time data on blast holes numbers, volumes and pressures, improving blasting efficiency and quality.”

To reduce potential disruption from the intersection of poor ground conditions, Murray & Roberts Cementation takes the shaft lining to the bottom of the shaft during sinking. In the past, industry practice tended to carry this lining to about 20 m from the bottom.

“Our lining approach is applied with the use of a modified version of the traditional shuttering, and our specialised concrete mixes which we design for this specific purpose,” Chamberlain explained. “The mixes are prepared and delivered by our on-site batch plant.”

Chamberlain adds that the company’s focus on Zero Harm and a rigorous safety regime continues to deliver a high level of safety on the project.

thyssenkrupp navigates South Africa lockdown to replace platinum mine HPGR roll

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As the COVID-19 pandemic tightens its grip, thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions says it is assisting customers in maintaining operational efficiencies through sustainable service delivery and innovative technologies.

“The global economic crisis, as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, has put the drive for efficiency into top gear,” Philipp Nellessen, CEO of thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions Sub Sahara Africa, said. “Fundamental to this drive is cutting-edge technology. Through our ongoing investment in people and R&D and our over 200 years of expertise, we are able to develop advanced technologies to assist mining and other industries in achieving maximum operational efficiencies.”

Although the South Africa mining industry was not operational during national lockdown Level 5, critical repairs were still permitted. As an essential service provider, thyssenkrupp has been delivering maintenance and repair as well as rebuild work to local mines.

The company assisted a platinum mine in Limpopo Province with a roll change on one of thyssenkrupp’s flagship products, a high pressure grinding roll (HPGR).

Nico Erasmus, thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions Sub Sahara Africa Head of Service Operations, explained: “The scope of work required a rebuild on the HPGR set as well as the installation of the hardware on the mine site, making this our largest project in the national lockdown period.

“We are very pleased that even in a complete lockdown situation, we were able to complete the project in a healthy and safe manner, in excellent co-operation with our customer.”

The customer had “excellent controls” in place and thyssenkrupp complemented the risk mitigation with its own additional preventative protocols, he added.

Procedures included pre-selection of a team that falls inside the recommended age and health categories, pre-screening at both thyssenkrupp and customer sites, limiting the amount of people on shifts and in spaces, adhering to stringent hygiene measures (hand sanitising, wearing face masks, social distancing, cleaning of surfaces, tools and equipment), and implementing special transport and accommodation measures.

According to Erasmus, despite several challenges, the team adapted quickly to all the controls while still being responsive enough to get the work done safely and within the scheduled timelines.

“The transport of super loads (two trucks with 120 t loads each) was a real challenge, but our logistics team rose to the occasion and got the loads on site in no time and ready for installation,” Erasmus said.

To remain operational and continue seamless service delivery to customers, thyssenkrupp has implemented all necessary policies in line with South Africa Government COVID-19 regulations.

These include possession of all essential services permits and strict entry control protocols for employees, visitors and suppliers at all premises. Employees are required to attend mandatory training sessions conducted by the OSH department, wear all necessary personal protective equipment, sanitise regularly and maintain social distancing.

A dedicated COVID-19 committee has been set up to assess changing regulations and risks associated with office and site working environments, the company said.

“With the majority of employees working from home, we have faced our fair share of challenges but the process was very well organised with IT managing it all incredibly well ensuring that everybody was equipped in time,” Erasmus said. “We only had one day of downtime at our essential service workshop site.”

Wrapping up, an optimistic Nellessen says he is in no doubt that South Africa/Sub-Sahara Africa will recover.

“The people here are incredibly brave and innovative and companies will find their way out of the crisis,” he said.

“Despite tough times ahead for some industries, the mining sector continues to show growth and here I foresee a restart and a good recovery, depending on mining commodities probably taking anything between three to 12 months to reach previous and required pricing levels.”

B&E International to help miners consolidate supply chains amid COVID-19

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As mining companies cut back in efforts to remain viable under COVID-19’s demanding conditions, crushing and screening specialist B&E International is proposing a bold new approach to streamline mines’ supply chains.

According to Ken Basson, Director of Plant and Engineering at B&E International, mining suppliers and service providers need to be proactive in helping mines find sustainable solutions to the current challenges.

“COVID-19 will undoubtedly reduce demand for certain commodities, and, with geopolitical uncertainty, we are likely to see increased commodity price volatility,” Basson says. “This is leading most mining companies – especially juniors – to try to strengthen their balance sheets.”

To do this, there are inevitable cuts in capital expenditure and even operating expenditure. He says the time has come for mining suppliers to streamline the delivery of their services and products, and even to assume more of the day-to-day risk facing mining operations.

“At a time when mines are demanding even higher efficiencies and more plant uptime due to tough trading conditions, the post-COVID environment is expected to present a number of logistical and supply chain constraints,” he said. “To cut through this double-whammy, suppliers need to be helping to consolidate supply chain networks. This is the only way of minimising procurement expenses while limiting process plant outages due to critical spares being unavailable in time.”

A range of other imperatives also need to be addressed at the same time, he says. These include the growing demand for mines to support in-country job creation and local skills development, as well as local manufacturing and procurement. This means less reliance on costly expatriate skills, whose movement around Africa may, in any event, be restricted by COVID-related regulations.

“To streamline the supply chain, B&E International is forming strategic partnerships with key suppliers, to integrate their respective service offerings with ours,” he says. “This gives the mine the advantage of dealing with fewer supplier interfaces. We also take over the responsibility of ensuring that our partners – and their products – perform to expectation.”

He highlights that B&E International – with a 40-year legacy in contract crushing, screening and mineral processing services – has expertise across the process supply chain. With experience across commodities including coal, copper, diamonds, gold, iron ore, manganese and aggregates, the company engineers cost effective solutions in various conditions around Africa, he added.

As one of the few companies in South Africa that both builds and operates its own equipment, B&E International is extending its level of vertical integration through this collaboration with strategic partners.

“Not only do we design, manufacture and install complete processing plants across various commodity sectors, but we also operate and finance these facilities,” Basson says. “This places us in a unique position to partner with mines to reduce their capex, opex and risk.”

The company offers a build, own, operate and transfer model of plant procurement, ensuring a mining company of its planned throughput while also fixing the exact cost of that production, he says.

As part of its market offering, it already conducts optimisation and debottlenecking studies for mineral process plant operators. It also provides plant maintenance contracts, in which it will operate and maintain a customer’s process plant on a toll basis, charging a fixed rate per tonne. Other current services include plant audits, optimisation studies, dust extraction, sampling and breaker systems for oversize run of mine treatment.

“A vertically integrated service offering to mines holds great value for both greenfield and brownfield sites,” Basson says. “As important is our experience in developing local skills wherever we operate – with both formal and hands-on training.”

He highlights that this approach empowers the customer to retain their future options in how they will operate their plants, depending on their internal success and broader economic conditions.

Theta Gold Mines gears up for trial mining at starter project with Digmin appointment

Mineral project development, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , ,

Theta Gold Mines has selected Digmin Group as the mining contractor for trial mining activities at the Starter Theta project, in South Africa.

The appointment, which came after a competitive tendering process, will see Africa-focused Digmin mine two box cuts in the future Iota and Browns Hill pits during which final mining equipment and grade control practices will be selected.

Following the trial mining phase, it is anticipated Digmin will also do some of the bulk earthworks and civils as part of the project infrastructure establishment.

These operations are expected to commence once final permitting has been achieved (environmental authorisation for open-pit mining on Theta’s existing underground mining right). This authorisation is expected to be received in the December quarter, Theta said.

Theta Chairman, Bill Guy, stated: “The company has delivered another key milestone in the development of the Theta project with Digmin selected as our preferred mining contractor. They have intimate knowledge of the Theta open-pit project having spent many months with our mining team in order to deliver a well costed schedule of works, which presently remain in line with our May 2019 feasibility study costs.

“Having a reputable, experienced mining contractor on board adds significant credibility and will assist in financing the project development as it provides potential project financiers, of which there are several still under consideration, comfort in terms of execution and cost management.”

Guy said the Digmin team has in-depth knowledge of the Pilgrim’s Rest area with their founder living only 40 km from the Theta project.

“Digmin’s broad range of capabilities, including mining, rehabilitation, civil and road works, and open pit and underground drilling, give Theta’s project development team the flexibility to now focus on the successful build and operation of the Theta open-pit project,” he added.

On April 20, 2020, the company, which owns 74% of the project through Transvaal Gold Mining Estates Ltd, announced a final optimised feasibility study on the project, focused on Mining Right 83 (MR83), which, compared with the May 2019 original feasibility study, had a new mining schedule with a reduced environmental footprint, reflecting an increase in the production rate from 500,000 t/y to 600,000 t/y, including the mining of several old mine waste rock dumps.

Post permitting of MR83 and trial mining, the final mining contract is expected to be negotiated with Digmin. Synergies between different engineering procurement and construction contractors will also be explored, which potentially could reduce the overall and already low capital cost of the project, the company said.

Theta said it has also made good progress with the first stage 600,000 t/y gold plant construction tender process, based on a lump sum turnkey contract, with an announcement expected to be made in the September quarter.

Sandvik LS312 LHD makes its way to Sasol underground operation

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Less than a year after announcing the introduction of the flame-proof LS312 underground loader, Sandvik Mining and Rock technology has dispatched its first South African unit to Sasol’s Sigma underground coal mine, near Sasolburg in Free State Province.

Sandvik said earlier this month that the first LS312 unit was signed off and ready for delivery, with IM later discovering the machine was destined for Sigma.

Earlier this year, Sandvik Mining and Rock Technologies’ Product Support Manager, Richard Hickson, said the first active units would start rolling off the local production line in the June quarter.

“The LS312 loader is an enhanced 12 t high-capacity heavy-duty utility vehicle, building on the best features of our 10 t LS190 and 12 t LS190S models,” Hickson said. “This raises the bar once more in terms of better performance, reduced emissions and lower total cost of ownership.”

Powered by the C7.1 mechanical engine, the new generation LS312 complies with Tier II emission standards while ensuring quieter and more efficient operation, according to Sandvik. The integrated exhaust after-treatment systems also reduce personnel exposure to harmful diesel emissions.

“Customers’ productivity will benefit from increased engine performance, with 20% higher torque and 8% more power,” Hickson said at the time. “The lower rpm at which the machine can run also translates into less engine wear and lower emission levels.”

Hickson highlighted that the new design continues to include a focus on reliability and maintenance, with the drivetrain enhanced with a 12 t axle, and the structural integrity of the front frame strengthened.

Maintenance crews will have easier access to hydraulic test points, which are now located in a panel on the side of the machine, making for safer working practices, Sandvik says. In addition, the improved cooling system will further reduce maintenance time.

The product also offers an optional electronic shutdown system, providing easier fault diagnosis and reducing the mean time to repair.

With the industry-driven need for the collection of machine and operational information, the Sandvik LS312 LHD offers an on-board data monitoring capability allowing for transfer of information via the mine’s Wi-Fi network and management through the My Sandvik Cloud platform.

“Safety is paramount in all our designs, and a proximity detection interface is now provided as standard,” Hickson says. “The lower frame design – facilitating improved visibility for the operator –has been retained in the LS312.”

Exxaro’s Matla achieves safety milestone

Coal technology, Mine operation news, Mining safety, , , , , , , , ,

Exxaro has marked a significant safety milestone this month, with the Plant and Central Engineering Workshops (CEWS) – work areas within the organisation’s Matla coal mine, in South Africa – achieving 730 lost-time injury (LTI) free days.

This achievement is equivalent to two years of zero mine worker LTIs, the company said.

The accomplishment forms part of Exxaro’s Khetha Ukuphepha safety campaign, which was launched in 2019 across all business units to address the risky nature of mining work, the company said. “The cornerstone of the company’s zero-harm pledge, the campaign ensures that every employee adheres to strict safety standards and procedures both at work and home,” Exxaro explained.

Earlier this year, Exxaro celebrated three years of fatality-free operations with a steady decrease in its lost-time injury frequency rate (LTIFR) over the last five years. In 2019, Exxaro maintained an overall LTIFR of 0.12, above its target of 0.11.

Exxaro’s Matla Coal Mine Acting Business Unit Manager, Musa Mabasa, said: “We remain determined to achieve Zero Harm in our operations. This includes focusing our efforts on health and safety measures that will ensure the well-being of our employees.”

Mabasa stressed the importance of building a collaborative culture where every employee, no matter their job designation, is responsible for the safety and wellbeing of their colleagues.

“When it comes to a risk-free work environment, we are all leaders, and all of us need to lead the way to safety excellence,” Mabasa said.

“I am incredibly proud of Matla’s Plant and CEWS teams for achieving yet another safety milestone. They continue to set the standard and raise the bar when it comes to safety performance.”

Matla Plant Manager, Chris Welkom, added to this congratulations, saying: “I would like to thank everyone for continuing to work safely and make safety their way of life in their various working areas. Let us continue with this attitude and determination as we aim for another year without LTI. Our next target is 1,095 LTI free days.”

Some 20 km west of Kriel in Mpumalanga, South Africa, Matla comprises three mines that produce 14 Mt/y of power station coal with a workforce of over 2,500 permanent employees and contractors. It is a fully-mechanised underground mine employing continuous mining and shortwall methods, according to Exxaro.