AFRICA NEWS
Becker Mining South Africa ’ s locally designed and manufactured winding rope attachments have been installed at a mine in the Bushveld Complex . The installation included four sets each of head and tail rope attachments for the 4.5m-diameter drum of a Koepe winder ; a Becker Thimble-type capel , fitted to the ropes with a hydraulic adjusting linkage to ensure equal sharing of the load between the four head ropes ; complete 30-ton rocket-type safety detaching hook sets for the man / material winder ; fiveton rocket-type safety detaching hooks for the service winder ; WRC clamps for installation ; and a complete spare set of rope attachments and safety-critical hook sets . All equipment is proof-load tested to 2.5 times safe working loads and complies fully with all relevant legislation and regulations .
The 3rd annual Pint of Science festival will take place in Cape Town from 14 to 16 May 2018 . According to International Pint of Science director , Elodie Chabrol , South Africa is the first African country to start the event , which aims to facilitate interaction between scientists and the public and foster conversation — over a pint — on the latest research and findings in science . Topics covered during the festival will include physics , chemistry , maths , geosciences , robotics , and computers . “ As South Africa moves to the forefront of research in a number of STEM arenas , it is important to get everyone involved in science , because the best ideas come from the most unlikely people ,” said Dr Taime Sylvester , Postdoctoral Research Fellow , SA MRC Centre for Tuberculosis Research at Stellenbosch University .
Figures released by the Construction and Mining Equipment Suppliers ’ Association ( Conmesa ) show that earthmoving and mining equipment sales moved strongly upwards during 2017 to break a three-year downward cycle . A total of 5 614 new units were sold in 2017 — an increase of 18.3 % from 4 747 units sold in 2016 , although still lower than the 7 250 units sold in 2013 . Conmesa chairperson Lawrence Peters attributes the increased sales to several factors , including regional construction projects , a resurgent agricultural industry , and recovery in certain commodities . Figures across all four quarters of 2017 averaged approximately 1 400 units per quarter , compared to an average of 1 180 units in 2016 .
Conmesa
Lawrence Peters , chairperson of Conmesa .
Refurbishment ideal to ‘ sweat ’ minerals-processing assets
MIP Process Technologies has adopted a refurbishment strategy designed to complement the trend in the minerals-processing industry to ‘ sweat ’ mining assets , according to managing director Philip Hoff .
The local mining industry ’ s change in focus from greenfield to brownfield projects has left the company ideally positioned to modernise older thickeners and process equipment .
“ Many South African mineralsprocessing plants contain outdated equipment that can be revitalised at minimal cost ,” says
All photos by MIP Process Technologies
Linear screens are a minerals-processing staple that lend themselves to refurbishment .
MIP Process Technologies managing director , Philip Hoff . |
Hoff . “ Better throughputs and higher efficiencies can be reliably achieved with newer technology .”
He adds that this refurbishment strategy has proved highly successful at a local phosphate mine , where modernisations of the thickeners resulted in much higher and more consistent underflow densities , as well as improving subsequent downstream process efficiencies such as filtration . As an added benefit , there has also been a substantial saving in water .
|
MIP Process Technologies also refurbished two 45.7m-diameter thickener mechanisms for a gold operation , putting thickeners that have been dormant for years back in operation at minimal investment , resulting in increased productivity .
Linear screens also lend themselves to refurbishment rather than replacement . “ The design of our equipment meets all the requirements of reliability and higher throughput . We are able to
|
supply products speedily and competitively .”
MIP Process Technologies has a large installed base of equipment globally , and services the mining industry via its own and its agents ’ offices . Its proudly South African product range includes attrition scrubbers , agitators , bag filters , clarifiers , dry dust cyclones , flocculant plants , horizontal belt filters , reagent plants , slurry samplers , thickeners , and wet scrubbers for dust-extraction applications .
|
4
MAY 2018