NEWS
Kamaz
Earthmoving and mining equipment sales moved strongly upwards during 2017 to break a three-year downward cycle that has gripped the industry since the second quarter of 2014 .
Figures released by the Construction and Mining Equipment Suppliers ’ Association ( CONMESA ) show that 5614 new units were sold during the year marking a healthy 18.3 % increase over the previous year ’ s results . Until then the decline in sales had seen the number of units sold dwindle from 7 250 units in 2013 to a low of 4 747 in 2016 .
CONMESA chairman , Lawrence Peters , says the increased sales stem from a wide number of factors including regional construction projects , a resurgent agricultural industry , as well as a relative recovery in certain commodities such as coal which resulted in some suppliers with exposure to those markets doing better than expected .
“ A true recovery can only be expected when the market picks up and we see a sustainable improvement across all sectors of the local economy . Nonetheless , it is a positive sign and bodes positively for the year ahead ,” Peters says .
He says that figures for the four quarters of 2017 averaged about 1 400 units per quarter , which is a welcome improvement over the 1 180 units per quarter averaged in the previous year .
A new range of excavators and tipper trucks caught the attention of the quarrying fraternity at this year ’ s bauma Conexpo Africa that was held at Nasrec , south of Johannesburg , from 13 to 16 March 2018 .
South African-based original equipment manufacturer ( OEM ), Bell Equipment showcased its range of Kobelco excavators and the Kamaz heavy duty tipper trucks .
" We expect both these new partners and product ranges to generate a considerable amount of interest as they bring quality and competitive machine solutions to our local market , and all backed by the most extensive support network in southern Africa ," says Mark Hughes , sales and marketing director at Bell Equipment Sales South Africa ( Bessa ).
“ The Kobelco range of excavators , from 5.5t to 85t , was added to the Bell stable in mid-2017 and has been extremely well accepted by Bell ’ s customer base .
“ Japanese-based Kobelco is widely recognised as a global excavator specialist and through this partnership we can offer competitively priced and perfectly matched loading tools for our range of Articulated Dump Trucks ( ADTs ) in the construction , quarrying , mining and forestry industries ," says Hughes .
Additionally , the introduction of the KAMAZ trucks at the end of 2017 has given Bell a presence in the southern Africa tipper truck market for the first time , to further expand the company ' s one-stop-shop offering to customers in the region .
The Kamaz heavy-duty tipper trucks .
ELB Equipment ELB Equipment
Excavators ready to boost economy
ELB Equipment is aggressively gearing its excavator offering to meet an anticipated demand upsurge as the economy takes an upward turn .
Rhett O ’ Neill of ELB Equipment .
“ Excavators are at the heart of any construction or mining operation and their availability is pivotal to getting projects off the ground . For this reason , we have brought in extra units , especially 21-tonners , as they are the most commonly used excavators in South Africa . We have also tagged them at competitive prices along with extras and extended-hour warranties to help ensure the success of these new projects .
“ Made in Japan , Sumitomo excavators are known to be among the fastest-working and economical excavators that are purpose-built for 24-hour production type operations . Tougher and more durable than the average excavator they can boost new contracts and help kickstart the economy ,” says local distributor ELB Equipment ’ s Rhett O ’ Neill .
A large shipment of Sumitomo excavators has arrived in South Africa in anticipation of future growth of the economy .
Wits mining school shoots up the ranks
The School of Mining Engineering at the University of the Witwatersrand has shot up the world league tables to take 15th place in the 2018 QS World University Rankings .
Up from its position as number 22 in last year ’ s rankings , it is the only mining engineering school in Africa to feature in the top 50 ranking of mining engineering schools worldwide . This accolade also makes it the highest ranked school at Wits University .
“ It is extremely encouraging to earn this recognition , in light of our ongoing efforts to keep our school at the leading edge of learning and research ,” says head of school , Professor Cuthbert Musingwini .
With about 800 undergraduate and postgraduate students – about 15 % of them from countries outside South Africa – the school is the largest mining engineering programme in the English-speaking world .
The QS World University Rankings name the world ' s top universities in 46 different subject areas and five composite faculty areas . It is the only international ranking recognised by the International Ranking Expert Group .
4 _ QUARRY SA | MAY / JUNE 2018