Mining Mirror July 2018 | Page 38

Cradle to grave

Cable anchors curtail cable theft

Cable theft is a big problem in South Africa and often results in unnecessary downtime on mines. It is estimated that cable theft costs the country close to seven billion rand per annum. The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry( SACCI) views cable theft as very serious and describe it as economic sabotage and treason against business.
However, there is an innovative new product on the market that can result in a significant reduction in the number of cables being stolen. It is called Rugged Crocs and it anchors cables in the ground. The combined mechanical resistance of the cable and the Croc system makes it virtually impossible for the cable to be pulled from the ground. The secret lies in the combined resistance of each individual
Croc over the length of the cable. Taking soil type into consideration, the average resistance that one Croc will deliver is estimated at one ton per Croc. When 10 metres of cable is fitted with 10 Cable Crocs( one Croc per metre), the combined resistance needed to pull the cable from the ground is 10 tons. If this figure is extrapolated over the length of a 100-metre cable, it results in 100 tonnes of resistance.
The installation of Rugged Crocs requires no specialised skills. The correct size unit( 25mm; 50mm; 95mm) is simply strapped to the cable by using four industrial-strength cable ties at one-metre intervals. The fitted cable is then placed in the prepared trench, covered with soil, and compacted.
Cable theft is on the increase in South Africa, and Business Against Crime( BAC) states that the indirect cost to the South African economy is conservatively estimated at 10 times higher than the expenditure required for the replacement value of the cables lost; therefore, law enforcement agencies have been granted extension of power to assist in the fight against cable theft.
Last year, former President Zuma signed the Criminal Matters Amendment Act into law to ensure severe sentences for cable thieves to combat this serious crime. The result of these new measures?
Cable thieves are now even more organised and cable theft is still on the increase.

Data is king
A need exists for easy-to-use solutions to manage data in the mining industry.
With the quantity of data collected and its complexity in the mining industry rapidly on the increase, the ability to handle these large, complex data sets is critical. This has highlighted the need in the mining industry for easy-to-use, fast, function-rich, and fit-for-purpose solutions.
“ Data is king, and it is how we interpret, manage, and analyse that data that creates real benefits,” says Renier Strydom, regional manager at Micromine South Africa. Micromine has developed the Pitram system, which is a fully configurable solution that captures, monitors, and reports on operational and production data. It provides real-time analytical capabilities to enable improved decision-making on critical areas such as safety, development, and asset utilisation.
The latest trend is for intuitive solutions that are not only user-friendly, but that also promote integration among different software solutions. This trend is becoming prominent due to increased human machine interface
( HMI) applications in the mining industry.
“ The use of assisted-control equipment is more and more common, while fully autonomous equipment is common in haulage and drilling operations,” says Strydom. Health and safety is also boosting the need for smarter analytics, with PPE now incorporating sensors to transmit information about potentially hazardous working conditions, for example.
“ I believe that ongoing advances in digital technology have the potential to unlock new ways of managing variability and enhancing productivity in the mining industry. Of course, the greatest benefit of this trend will be derived when such technology is integrated across the entire supply chain. This, in turn, will allow for more informed decision-making, as well as more consistent mining operations,” adds Strydom.
Micromine
[ 36 ] MINING MIRROR JULY 2018