AFRICA NEWS
Atlas Copco has completed its acquisition of
the assets of Johannesburg-based Renegade
Drilling Supplies, a South African manufacturer
and distributor of drilling consumables for mining
exploration. The decision to acquire the assets
for an undisclosed amount was announced on 4
December 2017. The business will be part of the Rock
Drilling Tools division in Epiroc, the wholly owned
subsidiary of Atlas Copco that will be listed on the
stock exchange in 2018, subject to shareholders’
approval. Renegade Drilling manufactures and
distributes mining exploration drilling consumables,
such as drill rods, in-the-hole tools, and diamond
drill bits, throughout the southern African region.
The acquisition will expand the company’s product
portfolio and establish a regional footprint for
manufacturing of mining exploration consumables.
Following the worldwide acquisition of Demag
Cranes by Konecranes earlier this year, South
Africa took the lead internationally within the
group by integrating their respective head offices
as well as all 10 branches around the country.
Konecranes moved from their base of 10 years
in Germiston to Demag’s premises in Atlas Road
in Boksburg. “Moving 65 employees as well as
factory equipment and machinery took quite some
doing,” said service, sales and marketing director
of Konecranes, John MacDonald. Konecranes is
a major supplier to the mining industry in South
Africa and sub-Saharan Africa. Their heavy-duty
process cranes for the mining industry are able
to carry extra heavy and dangerous loads and are
built to protect against corrosion from heat, dust,
moisture, and constant use.
In 2017, Rio-Carb adopted a number of innovations
— including modular chutes, the design of hybrid
liner packages for haul trucks, upgraded liner
packaging, and an entry into ceramics — to become
a one-stop shop for all wear solutions. The company
also supplies a range of wear materials, including
its signature chromium carbide material, which it
is looking at expanding the use of, including into
common global applications that have not yet been
adopted locally. “We are focusing our sales strategy
to design A-to-Z wear solutions for operations,” Rio-
Carb director Sias Suurd explains. The company also
offers an investigative service to identify specific wear
problems and provide appropriate recommendations.
Rio-Carb recently appointed a representative in
Botswana and will be looking to expand to Lesotho,
Zimbabwe, and Mozambique soon.
Komatsu introduces PC700LC-8R SE to SA mining industry
Komatsu has added a new All machines will be supplied
excavator to its South African to heavy-duty standards, and
range — the PC700LC-8R components like boom arms
SE — following consultation are reinforced with high-tensile
with operators in the mining steel plates. Track roller guards
industry. To meet the are supplied as standard,
challenges of the tough local along with front-screen grilles,
mining industry, Komatsu has additional steel cladding on
developed a special version of the cab roof, and a rear-view
the PC700, which is designed monitoring system in the
for the global market. operator cab.
Ohtsuka, discussions with parts with both the PC600
customers revealed the need and the PC850, meaning that
for this additional model to it already has comprehensive
fill a perceived gap between spares coverage. “The upper
the PC600 and the PC850. structure is very similar
“We have introduced the to the PC600 while the
PC700LC-8R SE in response components used in the lower
to industry calls for a undercarriage are common
70-tonne excavator that is to many related products,”
seen as the ideal solution says Ohtsuka. He adds that
for moving large volumes of the power unit, the Komatsu
overburden,” he says, adding SAA6D140E-5, is widely used
that it has been positioned as in South Africa and so it is well
a super earthm