AFRICA NEWS
Volvo Financial Services ( VFS ), the global captive finance arm of the Volvo Group , has announced the launch of its operation in South Africa through the newly established Volvo Financial Services Southern Africa . VFS will provide financial services to the customers of the Volvo Group ’ s truck and bus industry brands currently operating as part of Volvo Group Southern Africa , including UD Trucks , Volvo Bus , Volvo Trucks , and Volvo CE . VFS was formed in 2001 and is headquartered in Greensboro , North Carolina , US , with regional headquarters offices in Singapore and in Gothenburg , Sweden . The company manages a nett credit portfolio of over SEK126-billion , employs over 1 400 people worldwide , and provides customer financing in over 45 countries . According to Volvo Group Southern Africa president Torbjörn Christensson , VFS will initially only be present in South Africa , although there are plans to make it available to customers across southern and eastern Africa as the markets develop .
Blasting and explosives company BME , in conjunction with its client Kansanshi Mining , has broken the world record for the most electronic detonators fired in a single blast at the Kansanshi Copper Mine in North- Western Zambia . The Kansanshi mine , which is 80 % owned by First Quantum Minerals , is the largest copper mine in Africa by production . The blast was conducted in the Kansanshi mine main pit on 29 September 2017 and involved 6 690 electronic delay detonators ( EDDs ), successfully initiated using BME ’ s AXXIS digital initiation system . According to Wayde de Bruin , area manager for BME Zambia , all the holes were single-primed , with a set-up that included nine different shots , 18 slave blasting boxes , and one master box . “ The blast moved approximately 455 000 bank cubic metres ( BCMs ) and consumed a total of 400 tonnes of emulsion explosives , yielding an overall average powder factor of 0.9 kilograms per cubic metre ,” said De Bruin .
Chamber of Mines hosts launch of Urban Agriculture Initiative
On 11 October 2017 , the Chamber of Mines hosted the launch of the Urban Agriculture Initiative , established by the Johannesburg Inner City Partnership with the aim of creating a vibrant urban agricultural ecosystem . The Initiative innovatively repurposes disused rooftops , using hydroponics and aquaponics to produce agricultural produce for Johannesburg ’ s inner city communities .
As a key stakeholder in the Johannesburg Inner City Partnership , the Chamber funded a pilot project to assess the feasibility of growing herbs and vegetables on the rooftops of inner city buildings , including the Chamber . The first crop was planted on the rooftop of the Chamber building for the benefit of an ‘ agripreneur ’.
Should the pilot project be successful , it will be rolled out to other sites , resulting in sustainable employment for other agripreneurs .
The use of hydroponics and aquaponics means that crops will be grown in special water solutions without the need for soil or large open spaces , with only a very small area required to produce a sustainable crop .
This approach also significantly reduces water consumption , given that 95 % of the water used is circulated and therefore reused . Production can be increased by extending the gardens upward , and soil erosion and pest control issues are completely eliminated . Hydroponic plants also mature much faster than crops in other mediums , resulting in a faster turnaround . ■
Chamber of Mines
The first basil crop grown on the rooftop of the Chamber of Mines building .
Remote solution mitigates risk when operating elevated platform
RCT
The remote control solution offered by smart technology company RCT is safeguarding mobile elevated work platform operators after a near fatality at a mine site , highlighting the need to reform the process .
The operation of mobile elevated work platforms currently requires two people : one in
RCT ’ s ControlMaster MTX1000 pendant remote helps to mitigate the risk of work at height by giving control to the person in the basket . the basket and one controlling the movement from the ground . RCT ’ s ControlMaster MTX1000 pendant remote is mitigating the risk by giving control to the person in the basket . This enables the person working at a hazardous height to control the lifting , lowering , crowning , and tilting functions . Further safeguarding this procedure is the MTX1000 ’ s safety interlock feature .
This popular solution has already been sought after by one mining contractor who required a simple and cost-effective solution to ensure operator safety , which would not require extensive machine modifications or ongoing service and maintenance . “ The MTX disparity checks all proportional outputs , making it safer than a conventional hardwired solution . If an incident were to occur , our remote control will shut down straight away rather than move the basket back to its original position ,” said RCT ’ s automation and control product manager , Brendon Cullen .
In addition , the solution provides a master control in the operator station cabin for a second operator to be able to resume control if required , further safeguarding operators .
“ With ultimate control moved to the operator in the basket , the risk of crushing and pinching incidents is vastly reduced ,” he said .
The MTX1000 is the latest addition to the ControlMaster radio remote control range . It is designed with the same operating platform as RCT ’ s leading ATX2200 , but conveniently packaged into an even lighter remote control . The remote control includes a graphical display , proportional joysticks , and dead-man and control buttons . It can be operated continuously for more than 16 hours before it requires recharging . ■
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JANUARY 2018