INDUSTRY EQUIPMENT: MINING
Kumba Iron Ore makes extensive use of stackers at their Sishen mine in the Northern
Cape province of South Africa.
www.equipmentandhire.co.za
no longer the one who decides where or
how material should be stockpiled.”
Stackers are not very complex machines
but with new technology stockyard
management systems and decisions
about how and where material needs to
be dumped has become a lot easier and
is more efficient. Even a simple exercise
like lowering the boom of a luffing and
slewing stacker to control dust pollution
and material degradation can be controlled
autonomously. Steyn says that stackers
will no doubt play a very important role
in the future of modern mechanised and
autonomous bulk materials handling.
In line with Industry 4.0 enhancements
on mining operation, tkIS provides
analytical process control for stockyard
blending and homogenisation and scientific
control of mineralogy of stockpiles, by
employing online analysers. In recent
years, Chute and Cross belt analysers,
have been installed in many mining and
materials handling solutions across the
globe, which allowed manufacturers to
improve on designs and reliability. On-
Line PGNAA (Prompt Gamma Neutron
Activation Analysis), determines the
presence and amount of many elements
simultaneously, without the need to take
samples to a laboratory, to determine
mineralogy and grade of mineral ores.
In some cases, cut-off grades, can be
determined within 30 seconds allowing
for quick decision making by control
systems. This information is used as input
by the thyssenkrupp stacker and stockyard
management systems to achieve an
optimum blend of mineral stockpiles,
ensuring a constant mineralogy feed to
stockpile is automatically known – for
example volume, grade, height and width.
The stockyard information can be accessed
and or controlled from anywhere in the
world. The stacking philosophy will typically
be based on a thorough analysis of the
material entering the stockyard, whereafter
the stacker is automatically programmed to
deal with that specific material by stacking
it on the correct stockpile in the correct
pattern. “The stacker operator is therefore
Jacques Steyn GM Materials Handling
thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions
South Africa.
NOVEMBER 2019
21