INDUSTRY INTELLIGENCE
Stacking up efficiencies
reclaimers are, how they move, what quality
main structural component can result in
and quantity of material they are processing
protracted downtime and exorbitant repair
as well as the grade of material that is being
or replacement costs, making regular
conveyed. The availability of this massive
inspections crucial.
amount of data allows for a completely
In today’s global economy, improved
automated stockyard system which results
productivity, production, efficiencies and
in better planning and consequently a more
safety are critical to operational survival
efficient plant.
of a mine or plant. Carbon emission
“We have designed and developed
management is another factor that no longer
online analysers that provide analytical
can be ignored. “Automation certainly ticks
process controls for stockyard blending
all these boxes,” says Steyn. “Operations
and homogenisation as well as scientific
are often daunted by the initial capex
control of mineralogy of stockpiles,”
involved in automating equipment, but
says Steyn. Through online analysis,
research shows that over the life of a mine
the presence and amount of a large
or plant, automation maximises factors that
number of different elements can be
contribute to profitability and minimises
determined, eliminating the need for taking
factors that drive up Opex, presenting a solid
samples to the laboratory thus saving
argument for investing in this technology.”
time and costs. Using this information
“These technological additions to our
as input, the thyssenkrupp stacker and
stackers place thyssenkrupp firmly in
stockyard management system achieves
the digitalisation space and bring these
an optimal blend of mineral stockpiles
machines into the modern age. There can
and subsequently ensures a constant
be no doubt that stackers will continue
mineralogy feed to process plants.
to play a fundamental role in the future
Stackers are normally designed for
of modern mechanised and autonomous
the life of mine but Steyn points to the
bulk materials handling, making a valuable
importance of general maintenance to
contributing to an operation’s sustainability,”
ensure that the machine remains in good
concludes Steyn.
working order to maximise its
life cycle.
“If these machines are
properly maintained, they will
continue working for 40 years
plus.” To assist customers in
safeguarding the health of
their stackers, thyssenkrupp
offers best-in-class service
which includes a structural
inspection and analysis, an
aspect often overlooked by
customers who tend to focus
on servicing easy-to-replace
mechanical, hydraulic and
thyssenkrupp has introduced new technology that
electrical components. Steyn
warns that failure of a stacker’s improves stacker efficiency and performance.
thyssenkrupp
Moving with the Industry 4.0 tide,
engineering company thyssenkrupp has
introduced new technology that improves
stacker efficiency and performance.
The company’s stackers are responsible
for stockpiling an extensive range of
materials at mines, quarries and ports
across the African continent. The company
recently delivered a locally-designed and
manufactured 2 000 tonne per hour (tph),
100m long (including the tripper), 300 tonne
(t) stacker to a coal mine operating in South
Africa’s Waterberg region.
“We have invested substantially in our
stacker design to ultimately provide cost
and time saving benefits to our customers
across sub-Saharan Africa,” says Jacques
Steyn, general manager: Materials Handling
at thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions Africa.
The company designs and builds stackers
with capacities from 50tph to 20 000tph,
in boom lengths from 10m to 65m, and in
an assortment of shapes and sizes such as
fixed, travelling, luffing, slewing as well as
a combination of the aforementioned. The
company also offers customised stacker
solutions to customer specifications.
Steyn says that stackers play a pivotal
role in continuous stacking processes with
stacking critical for efficient reclaiming and
homogenous blending. “The basic operation
of these machines and the mechanics of
stacking and reclaiming have not changed
significantly over the past five decades.
However, with the advent of the digital age,
manual control systems have given way to
automation and most modern stackers are
fully or semi-automated.”
Machines are now controlled from
remote on- and off-site offices. Changes are
also seen in the way in which information is
fed to and from the equipment. Automation
of the entire process provides stockyard
managers with vital information such as
knowing exactly where the stackers and/or
Beauties of Black Mountain
Robust exploration drill rigs are a necessity
in the diverse and often rough terrain of
the Northern Cape. Vedanta International’s
Black Mountain mine, close to the town
of Aggeneys, recently appointed Hall
Core Drilling to carry out an exploration
programme in the area. The company
deployed two drill rigs, one in a valley and
the other one higher up on the mountain.
The rig used in the valley is an older
model of the surface core drilling rig,
Boyles C6C, from Epiroc. This rig typically
drills 200m deep holes in a few days and is
www.equipmentandhire.co.za
then moved to a new location in the valley.
The hole depth and the distance between
holes are determined by the geologist, who
also analyses the core samples retrieved
by the four-man drilling crew. The team
consists of two assistants, a corewriter and
an operator.
An Epiroc Boyles C6C drill rig, which
features a two gear Durahead rotation
unit, drills holes up to 400m deep. "These
rigs are really up to standard. The new
Durahead rotation unit is much better that
what we have seen before and the whole
rig is stronger, better designed and with
fewer problems. You really get a lot of bang
for your bucks with this rig," says Hennie
Eybers, site supervisor at Hall Core Drilling.
The Durahead rotation unit, manufactured
in Sweden, doesn’t have a chain. It has only
a high and a low gear which makes life easier
for drillers. Furthermore, the machine has an
effective seal that prevents water and mud
from entering the gear box, which is a real
reliability booster. This rotation unit is easy to
service thanks to the seven grease fittings
and the position of the lube oil filters.
MARCH 2020
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