SOUTH AFRICAN SUPPLIERS
Another recent development from the UVB team in Botswana , in partnership with the GHHMM team in South Africa , is the MV-UT19P personnel carrier , designed and manufactured for low profile PGM and chrome mines in southern Africa .
The MV-UT19P is a rigid frame personnel carrier that can carry up to 19 passengers ( including the driver ). The vehicle has a drivetrain based on the MV-U40D range of utility vehicles , and is equipped with folding seats that can be removed , allowing this vehicle to perform in multiple roles other than transporting personnel .
At 7.9 m in length , 2.27 m in width and 1.4 m in height , the vehicle has great manoeuvrability in low-profile conditions , according to the company . Both axles are steerable , allowing the vehicle to navigate the most constrained areas of a mine .
Three businesses under one roof
Another OEM looking to gain further market share in southern Africa is Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions , which recently celebrated the opening of its new head office facility , workshop and manufacturing complex in Kempton Park , Johannesburg .
The Khomanani facility , which accommodates approximately 500 Sandvik employees , consolidates the operations previously undertaken at five separate sites . This means for the first time ever the company now has its soft rock , hard rock and surface businesses all under one roof .
Representing an investment of R350 million , Khomanani occupies a 62,000 sq . m site , making it one of Sandvik ’ s biggest and most advanced facilities globally . It can produce underground loaders with over 60 % local content , allowing them to be designated as “ proudly South African ”, the company said .
Developed in conjunction with Equites Property Fund , Khomanani is a bespoke facility comprising an office building and three workshops . Two of the workshops are dedicated to the refurbishment and rebuilding of Sandvik machines – to OEM standards – from throughout the southern African region , while the third is designed to assemble equipment locally .
The workshops are equipped with 23 docking bays and a combination of cranes of up to 30 t capacity to facilitate the handling of equipment . The floors can support very high loads , including continuous miners weighing over 100 t . The site has a road layout to allow heavy transport vehicles to move in and out of the property without the need for time-consuming manoeuvring , according to the company .
The machines being assembled at Khomanani are the 12-t capacity LS312 flameproof loader for underground coal operations , as well as the LH115 and LH208 loaders , respectively of 5.5 t and 7.7 t capacity , for underground hard-rock mining .
Not only are these machines being supplied to the southern African market , but Sandvik also exports them .
“ They are produced to the exact same quality standards as Sandvik machines manufactured at our overseas factories , such as Tampere in Finland ,” the company said . “ Moreover , the company is able to produce them at a cost which is very competitive by global standards .”
Rham ’ s independence reaping rewards
In a rapidly consolidating sector for primary underground load and haul machines , Olifantsfontein-based Rham Equipment remains one of the few smaller , innovative and nimble players – which , it says , has enabled it to stay at the forefront of development and customisation in areas like battery-electric power .
The company built South Africa ’ s first battery loader – the 6 t 20HD – back in 2019 , and , in 2022 , completed the country ’ s first batteryelectric underground truck – the 32 t DT32 .
It has now also moved on to building flameproof battery loaders for the coal market and has been asked recently to electrify a bolter for coal mine usage . It also offers a batteryelectric Land Cruiser for both surface and underground markets via an agreement with Huber Automotive .
One of its battery machines has also recently been retrofitted for autonomous operation , which is thought to be a world first – an ultra-low profile 25HDB integrated with RCT ’ s ControlMaster ® automation technology that is already working in a platinum mine .
Rham Managing Director , Kevin Reynders , emphasised that the battery-electric equipment market is fast-moving and evolving and that Rham ’ s ability to customise each machine means it can quickly take advantage of this evolution .
“ It is important to realise that this market is changing fast due to the evolving battery watt hour densities ,” he told IM . “ When we started building battery-electric loaders , the batteries were about 60-99 Wh ( watt hours ), and now the lithium iron phosphate batteries we are using are 169 Wh / kg , and , by early 2023 , it is expected that 200 Wh / kg lithium iron phosphate – LiFePO4 – will be available .
“ Automatically that gives us a 69 % power increase for the same battery weight . It also means we can install more battery packs in the machine and get better capacity and better shift productive time . And we are very honest with our customers – we tell them this is what we can supply now , but this is what we can potentially supply in a year .”
The way Rham machines are designed makes them relatively easy to retrofit from diesel to battery operation due to their use of hydrostatic drives – another big differentiator in the market , the company says .
“ We have a number of clients that have bought diesel machines from us and have said to us , when those units come in for mid-life repairs , they want them retrofitted to battery , and we are able to do this ,” Reynders said . In fact , the first ever Rham battery 20HD was a retrofit .
Rham has 10 battery machines running – 7 t ( 25HDB ), 7.5 t ( 30HDBF , flameproof unit ) and 10 t ( 30HDX ) battery LHDs plus the mentioned DT32 ( 32 t payload ) underground battery truck – with more units under construction . These are all in or going to platinum , gold and chrome mining operations and replacing diesel machines . Plus , it has begun to also deliver the Electric Cruisers .
The battery used in the coal market to date has been older design lead acid units used on some loaders and shuttle cars , yet the flameproof LHD will be the first in coal with a LiFePO 4 battery , according to Rham . Three flameproof Rham LHDs – known as the 30HDBF – have been built , which the coal mining client is now testing . The loaders can carry 7-8 t depending on the material density .
One of Rham ’ s battery machines has recently been retrofitted for autonomous operation , which is thought to be a world first – an ultra-low profile 25HDB integrated with RCT ’ s ControlMaster automation technology that is already working in a platinum mine
International Mining | JANUARY 2023