IN THE STOPE
equipment, systems and processes that are used at the different operations,
which are aligned with the SANS and ISO standards. Automation and digitisation are some of the key focus areas in our
different operations.
Are the OEMs present on site, or does the company do the
maintenance in-house? How does Exxaro get the most from its current fleet in terms of
efficiency, productivity and cost savings?
Most of our sites have some OEM presence, which differs in accordance
with the contracts relevant to the different sites. Where there is a service
contract with the OEM, maintenance will be carried out by the OEM
according to the contract and where there isn’t a contract, maintenance
would generally be done in-house. By driving the Exxaro culture, we are able to ensure that we get the most
from our current fleet. Our people are key in ensuring the achieving high
results from our fleet.
What is the philosophy in terms of refurbishment or the
replacement of equipment?
How is downtime on equipment prevented or reduced?
By training our people and ensuring systems that are able to adhere to our
physical asset management standards.
The refurbishment and replacement philosophy is guided by site norms
as well as OEM recommendations. Where the capability exists at the
site, the refurbishment will either be done in-house or in collaboration
with OEMs. The general life expectancy we have for our equipment is
in alignment with OEM norms for most of our equipment groups and
where deviations exist, they are analysed and new replacement norms
established for the specific site. Does Exxaro hire any equipment?
Does Exxaro use any equipment that is unique or unusual? Before a contractor can come to work on our sites, there are certain safety
and legal requirements that are clearly given to them in order to make sure
that they understand the standards and measures required. Things such
as the contractor safety files are thoroughly checked in order to ensure
compliance with our standards. Our onboarding process ensures full
understanding of our standards.
Exxaro generally uses standard mining equipment and we also pride
ourselves in the quality of the asset management we have, which in some
sites has allowed us to exceed our expected equipment life. The systems
used in some of the machines also assist us to maximise the operational
efficiencies and thereby exceed our expected performance.
How does Exxaro incorporate new technology into their fleet of
equipment and trucks?
When Exxaro makes use of contractors on site, how does the
company ensure that these contractors adhere to the standards
set by Exxaro?
How does Exxaro ensure that it maximises its resources?
We are striving to ensure maximisation of our resources through the move
towards more integrated systems and equipment which have continuous
real time information feedback for ensuring a better quality of work for all
our operators and maintenance teams.
Exxaro proactively drives the development and implementation of
systems that improve productivity and allow us to be more agile.
Where business requirements exist, and relevant contracts are in place,
we do.
Exxaro’s mines are mostly open cast operations, which requires the use of big earthmoving equipment
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African Mining Publication
African Mining
African Mining September 2019
63