MTE EXHIBITIONS •
Shutterstock © Andrew Macnamara , Mining and Technical Exhibitions
MTE hit Jwaneng on 10 March with an expo again focused on the booming diamond industry .
job card issuing and reporting ( via industrial tablets ). Through the installation of an integrated underground Wi-Fi network the teams will be able to monitor , record and action multiple processes in a real-time environment .
“ On our digital transformation journey , the K4 Project is implementing several projects to improve efficiency , productivity and most importantly safety . Refuge bays are a case in point . They will be monitored for life sustainability through a fully automated ‘ live ’ system , which monitors and reports every safety aspect of the refuge bay constantly and can instantly relay the status of each bay to a control room SCADA . The system also incorporates a live camera feed ,” said Lombard .
He added that both the man and service winder conveyances have been equipped with a battery charging system , which supplies power to lights installed in each deck of the conveyance . Lighting
the conveyances promotes safety and improved behaviour , specifically with regard to female employees , and also reduces the risk associated with handling of heavy equipment including cage communication batteries , thereby reducing potential injuries .
A GST electro-hydraulic mock loader is also currently being tested at K4 for flat end development cleaning . This partially self-propelled unit cleans the face after a blast by bucket scraping the blasted rock onto a feed conveyor chain that then tips the rock directly into the hoppers . The unit operator is protected by a fixed overhead canopy and operates the loader from a distance of 3-6 meters away , removing him / her from the working face under permanent support . The feed chain conveyor significantly reduces noise and vibration levels in the work areas , thus also ensuring a healthier environment .
It is clear to see that if K4 is anything to go by , the mining world in the North West is moving and shaking with phenomenal speed and efficiency , and this is why MTE hosts its biggest expo of the year in Rustenburg , soon to be its biggest expo since its inception thirty years ago .
To take a virtual walk through the Lethlakane expo go to https :// youtu . be / zuBeWy _ uBqk . •
We have experienced the best start to a year since 2019 .
References
1 . Debswana and Huawei unveil 5G-oriented diamond mine — the first of its kind ( mybroadband . co . za ) https :// mybroadband . co . za / news / 5g / 482047-debswana-and-huawei-unveil-5g-orienteddiamond-mine-the-first-of-its-kind . html
2 . For background on K4 go to https :// www . africanmining . co . za / 2022 / 03 / 01 / k4-and-burnstone-promise-superior-return-forsibanye-stillwater /
Word under-ground is that PGMs and the tech supporting this are moving and shaking the industry globally .
www . africanmining . co . za African Mining Publication African Mining African Mining • May 2023 • 25