GERMAN TECHNOLOGY
Mastering the turnaround
FAM semi-mobile crushing and conveying station at OCP EL Halassa phosphate mine
Germany’ s suppliers of mining equipment, services and technology are enjoying a change in fortunes in their key export markets as sales pick up on the back on commodity demand and price increases, reports Paul Moore
Germany’ s mining equipment manufacturers association, the VDMA, in February 2018 provided an update on 2017 industry performance stating that the turnover result for full year 2016 was achieved by October 2017 but that things had slowed down slightly by year end.“ With an increase of 26 % compared to the same period of the previous year, the growth rate of incoming orders remained high at the end of 2017. Unfortunately, the turnover in December fell short of the strong figures from the previous year. The Federal Statistical Office reports a 6.8 % increase in the production of mining machinery for the first three quarters of 2017. The further decline of the turnover by 7 % at the end of the year is disappointing. It was caused by the low figures in foreign business( particularly the turnover decline of minus 29 % with the Euro partner countries, which weighs heavily in the sector as it has a high export quota of about 95 %). In light of the months of positive development of incoming orders when compared to the previous year( except in October), turnover should soon show positive development as well.”
TIPL and Eickhoff – strong partnership in India
Mining has come a long way since Eickhoff’ s shearer fleet of EDW-type shearers were scattered throughout India in the 1980s. In those days, longwall mining interest was on the up on the subcontinent and the mechanisation of coal mining had just begun in India. Eickhoff developed a large fleet of longwall shearers – and remnants from this epic period can still be found as some of these machines are still operating in longwall operations in India.
Yet in the following decades, underground coal mining in the country decreased and open pit mining became the method of choice in coal production. With this trend, the population of longwalls in the country declined along with the fleet of Eickhoff ´ s machines in the country. Underground production took a step back while the vast majority of coal was produced by large open pits mainly in the eastern regions of the country.
Now, over thirty years later, India is again“ going beneath the ground” – underground coal production is on the up again, as increasing production volumes cannot only be covered by India’ s open cast operations and Indian coal producers are increasingly implementing underground mining technologies. Only this time the pulling horse of reliable coal production in the country is to be found in room and pillar mining as opposed to longwalls. The geology is right for this production technique and the focus in the
country clearly lies on increasing room and pillar mining. Prospects are good, large enough to make India one of the most important markets utilising this production method for coal excavation.
This is a demand that Eickhoff is more than able to fulfil with its range of Continuous Miners –“ yellow, strong and highly reliable, just like the range of its Shearer Loaders cutting coal in high productive longwall operations in all major coal mining regions in the world. In order to deliver this technology to end users in the country, Eickhoff is proud to announce its team-up with Tractors India Private Ltd( TIPL) based in Kolkata.”
TIPL has been operating as a large mining and construction equipment solution provider in North and East India, Nepal and Bhutan and sells and services an extensive range of equipment for construction, mining and infrastructure applications.
Existing Continuous Miner sections run by TIPL are setting annual production records and are considered as the safest and most effective operations in the country.
“ Just like Eickhoff, TIPL looks back on many decades of servicing customers in their respective markets- TIPL has a track record of high customer satisfaction in India for over 70 years and is keen to join forces with Eickhoff and to expand the relationship between the two companies. Headquartered in Kolkata with four territories under its network, TIPL has remained a dynamic and customer-focused enterprise, with over 2,000 committed employees and a footprint that spans over 80 branches, area offices, retail outlets, workshops and rental outlets.”
TIPL and its wide network now serve as the distribution source for a broad line of surface and underground mining products – providing a complete solution package for all mining customers. Similarly, the company also offers the
An Eickhoff CM2H model on surface before going underground
8 International Mining | MARCH 2018