Mining in focus
A well-designed and well-constructed weighbridge is
essential to control the amount of product that leaves
the site and is delivered at the final destination.
weathered material or waste material
entering the stockpile if quality control
measures fail,” Steenkamp explains.
Operations that mine different ore
products from the same deposit usually
have dedicated weighbridges for each
product being produced. An example is
the Postmasburg area, where operations
have dedicated separate weighbridges
for the manganese and iron lumpy
ore being transported by road. Large
mines can have up to six or more
weighbridges, and there are a number
of different weighbridges that can be
installed, depending on the specific
need and circumstances. It is fair to say
that the better the weighbridge, the
better control of the ore that leaves the
stockyard.
A weighbridge is a significant
investment, and as much information as
possible needs to be gathered before a
final decision about which weighbridge
to install is made. It is important
to note, though, that weighbridges
can also be hired. The final choice
of which weighbridge to invest in
depends on several factors, including
cost, space, ground conditions, access,
need for portability, frequency of use,
and purpose (trade or non-trade).
Furthermore, the legal requirements
need to be considered when choosing
a site.
Weighbridges do not always receive
the attention they need, so Mining
Mirror ventured out into the world of
weighbridges and asked a few South
African suppliers why weighbridges
are important, what are the potential
pitfalls, and what are the advantages of
a good weighbridge.