WORLD PROSPECTS
Mine Master and GHH focus on training
E
very mining business has its specific operating
environment. For manufacturers of mining
equipment it means that they not only have to
meet the local requirements by delivering the right
products but also provide the right training approach
to mine operators and servicemen. Training centres
close to the mine operations and training on-site has
become a must to keep projects moving.
GHH Fahrzeuge and Mine Master told IM that
they offer training programmes in every location,
where their equipment is delivered. “It can be either
individual training, which is tailored to the needs of
mine employees and it is carried out at the site and
on the equipment itself, under the constant
supervision of skilled technicians, or, group training,
conducted in our training locations. For the moment
such training is available in India, South Africa and
Zimbabwe.”
The site in India was inaugurated in April 2018. It
is primarily used as a training centre, but it also
serves as a spare parts warehouse for the
surrounding mines belonging to Hindustan Zinc
(HZL). Training takes place in lecture halls and also
on the job with the equipment. To this end, GHH and
Mine Master have stationed several of its special
mining and tunnel construction machines on site.
“Learning with actual equipment is much more
effective than on a simulator. This concept has
already been implemented in Zimbabwe, where
there has been a training centre for the region
(Zimbabwe and Zambia) for many years.”
Registered with the Ministry of Tertiary and
Higher Education in Zimbabwe, the centre offers
practical training for real mining scenarios. Fully
operational mechanical workshops and 23
employees with broad skills and proven experience
ensure a high mechanical and mining education
level. The results of the training are reported back to
the mine management.
In South Africa the training is conducted in
classroom for the theoretical part and hands-on for
the practical part. Generally the classes are run for 12
people at a time. “The maintenance and testing is
broken into basic hydraulics, basic autolec,
component training, fault finding, and operator
training. For African companies, which are obliged to
employ unskilled near-mine communities to get the
right to mine, such training is absolutely crucial to be
able to run the operations.”
“Reliable equipment, but, most of all, skilled
operators and technicians, are the key to achieve the
best results in present day mining. With the growing
technology and innovations in the field of mining, the
hands-on training close or at the location is a strategic
element of a successful business.
www.minemaster.eu; www.ghh-fahrzeuge.de
New TAU XTRACTOR from Fluid-Bag
F
luid-Bag has been producing innovative bulk
packaging and discharge equipment for the
global lubricants industry since 1984.
“Whether it’s an IBC made out of soft plastic never
seen on the market before, or the reinvention of a
new method of discharging grease, Fluid-Bag is
always cutting-edge.”
The company says designing custom-made
solutions is the company’s DNA, so requests from
clients for a sturdy discharge device with optimised
features for the lubricant and mining industry was a
challenge Fluid-Bag accepted. “Behind the new
TAU XTRACTOR lies a two-year innovation process
that exceptionally meets the clients’ requirements.
“The TAU XTRACTOR uses a completely new
method for discharging grease from Fluid-Bag’s
flexible containers with benefits optimised for
demanding heavy-duty work environments.
Exceptionally strong and sturdy, it can withstand
harsh treatment in the maintenance area of a mine
or a steel plant. The device grips the inner container
of the Fluid-Bag, twists it with great strength and
forces out the grease, leaving down to 1% residue
in the bag.”
Fluid-Bag says it has always focused on safety
and lubricant cleanliness. The TAU XTRACTOR
discharge mechanism is fully enclosed behind
metal safety doors to protect the container inside.
Due to the sealed Fluid-Bag, grease is kept clean
from dust, particles and moisture.
“We have taken focusing on safety to another
level with this product, since we know how crucial a
safe work environment is to all our customers.
Since the discharge procedure occurs behind
closed safety doors, there is no risk of injury for the
user, and the working area is kept clean,” CEO Jan
Backman explains.
This method boasts up to five times more
efficient handling than using traditional drums and
grease pumps. One Fluid-Bag holds 1,000 litres of
Hägglunds motors deliver at Aitik KiD2
A
4 International Mining | APRIL 2019
degree of automation. “We can process more
low-grade ore than many other mines because
of our efficiency. We actually have lower input
levels than many other mines have in waste,”
says Larsson.
Aitik has set a long-term goal to raise
production from 36 Mt/y to 45 Mt/y of crushed
ore by 2020. To achieve this growth and improve
the consistency and reliability of production at
the same time, Boliden has invested in a
completely new crushing plant with two large
primary gyratory crushers. In its annual report,
the company states that this massive investment
will ensure “more reliable production planning,
lower maintenance costs, better predictability
and better profits”.
“Right now we are getting a good price for
what we produce. That gives us the opportunity
to invest. But one big challenge is that we are
greatly increasing the area of mining, which also
involves high costs. We constantly have to fine-
tune our mining operations so that we can
increase production using our existing
equipment. The new crushing plant will enable
us to do that,” said Larsson.
Larsson supervised the crushing project and
been involved in commissioning. “It’s fantastic that
we have been able to invest in a totally new plant,
where everything is well-planned and we have
plenty of access to the equipment.” He is especially
pleased with the completely new feed system.
s detailed in our recent dedicated article
on Boliden’s new KiD2 crushing plant at
the Aitik copper mine in Sweden, the
company took great care in selecting suppliers
given the challenges of the project. “We make
sure we only use suppliers that have experience
in this field. This applies to all the investments
we have made in recent years, but this project
has given us the best results so far,” says Jörgen
Larsson, Project Manager at Boliden.
Aitik is not only the largest open-pit copper
mine in Sweden, but also the most productive in
the world. This is thanks to large-scale
production, highly efficient methods and a high
grease, instead of five drums of 200 litres each.
“The TAU XTRACTOR will independently discharge
all the grease from the Fluid-Bag at the rate you
require, eliminating the need to switch containers
every 200 litres.
“We are very proud of the patent pending TAU
XTRACTOR, since we know that this reinvention of
ours will give our customers an easy and reliable
discharge method, a safer product with zero
contamination and more cost-effective results,”
says Sales Manager Henrik Kass.
www.fluid-bag.com