Rope access company Skyriders has conducted routine inspections of two smokestacks and a cooling tower at Dundee Precious Metals’ Tsumeb Namibia mining operation. The task was completed using a combination of rope access and remotely piloted air system( RPAS) drones.

The drones completed a general internal visual inspection, followed by detailed visual inspection and core sampling by a six-person rope-access team.“ The deliverable was a comprehensive report, with recommendations signed off by our consulting engineers,” says Mike Zinn, marketing manager at Skyriders. The deployment of drones makes for rapid and safe visual inspections. This allows decisionmakers such as engineers and plant owners to formulate a more focused inspection plan, homing in on the areas of

concern picked up during the drone inspection.

Introduced by Skyriders in 2015, the use of drones has become an integral element of the company’ s turnkey service offering. This comprises visual inspection using drones, detailed inspection by means of rope access, repairs undertaken by rope access, and then using drones as a quality-control measure to inspect and verify the final repairs.

This is the maiden project that Skyriders has undertaken for Dundee Precious Metals, with Tsumeb Namibia being an important showcase for its project and service offering. With commodity prices remaining under strain across the board, Skyriders’ turnkey rope-access solutions extend its clients’ inspection and maintenance budgets, saving both time and money.

The smokestack at Dundee Precious Metals’ Tsumeb Namibia mining operation.

Skyriders

[ 34 ] MINING MIRROR AUGUST 2018