BÜHLER SHOWCASES ROBUST MINING SOLUTIONS AT MTE PALAPYE, BOTSWANA
RBCT BENEFITS FROM NEW APEX TROUGH TRACKER DESIGN
• PLANT AND EQUIPMENT
Image supplied by Bühler
BÜHLER SHOWCASES ROBUST MINING SOLUTIONS AT MTE PALAPYE, BOTSWANA
Bühler chain conveyor for various applications.
Bühler recently participated in the Mining & Technical Exhibitions’( MTE ' s) tradeshow in Palapye, Botswana, showcasing its innovative mining solutions to industry professionals. As a key platform for networking and industry collaboration, the Palapye Mining & Industrial Expo on 12 March brought together major players in the mining sector in the area, enabling Bühler to demonstrate its high-performance chains and conveyor solutions designed for the sector ' s demanding environments.
MTE is a travelling mining exhibition organiser catering to countries in SADC with significant mining activity. Botswana is home to a thriving mining industry, with Palapye playing a strategic role due to its proximity to major coal and diamond mining operations. The annual MTE Palapye Mining & Industrial Expo attracts key decision-makers from the industry, providing an opportunity for suppliers like Bühler to present cutting-edge solutions that enhance efficiency, durability and safety in mining operations.
At the expo, Bühler demonstrated its robust chain conveyor solutions, engineered to meet the specific needs of the mining industry. Designed for high-capacity material transport, these conveyors can move up to 1 200 metric tons per hour over distances of up to 100m. Utilising advanced forging and hardening processes, Bühler’ s chains offer exceptional tensile strength and wear resistance, ensuring long service life and reduced maintenance requirements.
Commenting on the event, Francois Knoetze, head of Manufacturing at Bühler Southern Africa, stated,“ MTE Palapye provided an excellent platform to showcase our mining solutions, particularly our high-performance chains. Our technology is designed to withstand the harsh conditions of the mining industry, offering reliable and efficient material handling solutions that improve productivity while reducing downtime.”
Bühler has been operating in southern Africa since 1972, with a strong presence in Johannesburg, where it manages sales, service, project execution and manufacturing for the region. The company’ s manufacturing facility operates as an independent entity, supplying high-quality assemblies for machines and production plants to both external customers and Bühler business units worldwide. This facility ensures that Bühler’ s mining solutions are built to the highest standards, offering durability and superior performance in the field.
Supplied by Tru-Trac Rollers( Pty) Ltd
Beyond delivering high-performance mining solutions, Bühler is committed to sustainability. The company continuously invests in research and development to improve energy efficiency, reduce waste and extend the lifespan of its equipment. Bühler’ s enclosed conveyor systems, for example, not only enhance safety and material handling efficiency but also contribute to dust-free operations, minimising environmental impact.
Bühler remains a valued partner to the mining industry, providing in-house developed solutions that are ideal for the sector’ s rigorous operating conditions. With a focus on durability, efficiency and sustainability, Bühler’ s mining solutions help companies reduce maintenance costs and increase productivity, making it the go-to choice for mining operations across southern Africa.
Source: supplied by Bühler
RBCT BENEFITS FROM NEW APEX TROUGH TRACKER DESIGN
Improved maintenance access with drop-down wing rolls ensures quick repairs and maximum uptime.
Another Tru-Trac innovation has been proven in the field, with its Apex Trough Tracker ensuring reliable alignment on wide highspeed and heavy-load belts at Richards Bay Coal Terminal( RBCT), in KwaZulu-Natal – one of the world ' s largest coal export facilities. Guy Fitt, sales manager at the company, explains that this solution is good news for conveyor operators in Africa and abroad.
Fitt says that Tru-Trac had achieved great success with its new Apex Trackers at mining operations and was keen to test the new design in challenging applications on wider and faster belts. RBCT was the ideal site, as it operates some of the most demanding conveyor systems.
“ These include 2.2 metre-wide steel-cord belts running at 6.7 metre per second and carrying up to 11 000 tonnes of coal per hour,” he says.“ We already have some of our older generation trackers on RBCT’ s conveyors and were excited to offer them the advantages of our latest innovation.”
Tru-Trac placed their test unit on one of RBCT’ s larger conveyors where the belt was experiencing frequent misalignment, causing damage to the conveyor structure and the belt itself. This was also causing material spillage, leading to production losses.
Tru-Trac technical manager Gerhard Strydom explains that the new design has reduced the amount of steelwork around the tracker’ s cradle and uses cantilever wing rolls with an angle adjustment
34 • African Mining • May 2025 www. africanmining. co. za