Jul-Aug 2016 - African Mining Brief

Transcription

Jul-Aug 2016 - African Mining Brief
July - August 2016, Volume 10 No.4
Rugged Mobile
Medical Systems
Inside:
Liqhobong
Liqhobong Diamond
Diamond Mine,
Mine, Lesotho
Lesotho
Infrastructure
Infrastructure remains
remains a
a hotbed
hotbed for
for investment
investment into
into Africa
Africa
Contents
July - August 2016, Volume 10 No.3
19
34
35
26
12
Regulars
AMB July - AUgust
2016 Outside Cover.pdf
1
20-Jul-16
1:01:35 PM
10 COVER STORY
Rugged Mobile Medical System
African
Mining Brief
1 The Editor's Note
2 News / Association News
July - August 2016, Volume 10 No.4
African Mining Brief
4 New Products
5 Events
Inside:
Liqhobong
Liqhobong Diamond
Diamond Mine,
Mine, Lesotho
Lesotho
Infrastructure
Infrastructure remains
remains a
a hotbed
hotbed for
for investment
investment into
into Africa
Africa
C
M
Y
CM
July - August 2016, Vol 10 No.4
6 Guest
Rugged Mobile
Medical Systems
MY
CY
CMY
K
Other Stories
Cover picture:
Mobile Field Hospitals
14 ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORD (EMRs)
African
Mining Brief
40 Heavyweight storage handiness
22 Addressing contemporary obligations
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Editors Note
MANAGING EDITOR
Robert Barnes
COUNTRY EDITORS
Nigeria - Boladale Ademiju
Kenya - Francis Makari
Uganda - Mr. Dan Nsalasata
South Africa -Newton Mthethwa
WRITERS
Jimmy Swira,
Lindsay Wagner,
GRAPHIC/WEB DESIGN
Caleb Larum Rorat
Augustine Ombwa
Bonface Kimunyi
COUNTRY LIAISON
Thuthukile Mhlanga
Thuli Nkosi
ADVERTISING EXECUTIVES
Kenya:
Ken Okore
Frances Lagoussis (Mombasa),
Trizah Njoroge
Uganda:
Bill Collins Musaazi
Harriate Nakabuye
Tanzania:
Orton Kishweko
South Africa:
Shepherd Mthethwa, Winnie Sentabire,
Angeline Ntobeng, Nqobile Ndlovu,
Mutale Pikes
Botswana:
Dickson Manyudza,
Gerald Mazikana
Policy clarity and decisiveness needed
T
his is a sequel to the editorial we had penned two issues ago, in our January/
February 2016 Edition to be more exact. In it, if you might recall, we
did highlight African governments’ penchant for preposterously passing
policies that hinder investment in mining when their economies are in need of
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). African countries, we did underline regrettably,
appeared to be competing agains teach other in this endeavour.
Sadly, since then, South Africa, Africa’s economic powerhouse which has
the most sophisticated mining sector on the continent and should be exemplary
in many respects,is becoming notorious for the unpredictability of its investment
policies. For instance, the government –the Department of Mineral Resources
(DMR) in particular – has still not clarified the criteria which mines should follow
to comply with both the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) Codes of
Good Practice and the Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE),
and the Mining Charter, of which the DMR is the custodian.
Sofar, the DMR is yet to revise the Mining Charter to accommodate changes
to the DTI’s Amended Codes of Good Practice. The delay has triggered a feeling
of uncertainty amongst mining companies, who are already weighed down by
other legislative obligations.
As one CEO of a Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) listed mining entity,
speaking on condition of anonymity on the side-lines of the recent AfricaRail
2016 Conference in Johannesburg remarked in hushed tones: “We, as a company
– I do believe the same would apply to other players as well – we have put all our
plans on ice, awaiting assurance and clarity on some policy grey areas. Companies
are watching with bated breath. Meanwhile, this situation does not help matters as
the sector is absorbing effects of weak commodity prices.”
Indisputably, decisive and firm action is needed from the South African
government to introduce measures to restore confidence in the country’s mining
Malawi:
Anderson Fumulani
sector. Some incentives should be introduced to cushion companies from effects
Nigeria:
Seni Bello
the country’s gross domestic product and it will certainly continue to be in the
Ghana:
Anthony Hondah, George Laing
Zimbabwe:
Kenneth Mpyisi
Rwanda:
Collison Lore
of the commodities slump. Mining has been one of the biggest contributors to
foreseeable future, notwithstanding effects of the global commodities slump.
In effect, developments in South Africa are a microcosm of what is happening
in other African countries, where government policies are scaring away
prospective investors and chasing away established mining companies. It is time
for policy clarity and decisiveness.
Robert Barnes
China:
Weng Jie
African Mining Brief is published six times a year and is circulated to members of relevant
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NEWS
World News
Angola
Tanzania,
The World Gold
Council welcomes
new Members
LOESCHE supplies vertical roller mills to
cement plant in Angola
New custom-built
Frick ammonia
water chillers
Sibanye Gold and OceanaGold
Corporation have joined the
World Gold Council, the market
development organisation for
the gold industry. Sibanye is
the largest individual producer
of gold in South Africa and
one of the 10 largest globally.
OceanaGold is a rapidly growing
multinational gold producer with
assets located in the Philippines,
New Zealand and the United
States. World Gold Council Chief
Executive, Aram Shishmanian,
commented; “The membership
of the World Gold Council is
made up of the world’s leading
and most forward thinking
gold mining companies, we are
therefore, delighted that both
Sibanye and OceanaGold have
decided to join. In particular,
I welcome Neal and Mick to
the World Gold Council Board,
which is made up of the CEO’s
of each of our members. This is a
vital leadership group which sets
the agenda for sustaining and
increasing the demand for gold
worldwide”.
4 Sinoma International ordered LOESCHE’s complete grinding series
for the cement plant of Nova Cimangola S.A. in Luanda, Angola.
These will be the first LOESCHE vertical roller mills in Angola. The
order for Nova Cimangola S.A. includes one cement raw material
mill of the type LM 48.4 with a capacity of 400 tons per hour and
two cement mills of the type LM 46.2+2 C/S which are designed to
have a capacity of 150 t/h cement each. Furthermore LOESCHE’s
coal mill of the type LM 24.20 DC completes the order of the famous
and reliable LOESCHE vertical roller mills. Further equipment like
rotary star feeders, metal detectors, the engineering for the cyclones,
classifier motors and the control system are also in LOESCHE’s
scope of supply, as well as a two years operation spare parts contract.
More than 310 LOESCHE cement mills have already been sold
throughout the world for the production of a wide spectrum of cement
types. LOESCHE’s experience in grinding technology, with the added
advantage of a Low Specific Energy Consumption, have convinced
the customer, to decide in favour of purchasing thevertical roller mill
from LOESCHE Germany.
Middle East and Africa News
Oil and Gas centre of excellence
Microsoft has launched a new Middle East and Africa centre of
excellence for oil and gas in Dubai, built specifically to assist customers
in driving digital transformation, cost cutting and optimisation of their
operations across the region and the world. It is the largest such centre
for Microsoft globally. The centre will help companies in the sector
take advantage of the latest trends such as the Internet of Things (IoT),
advanced analytics, modern productivity and cloud computing using
Microsoft technologies like Microsoft Azure and Office 365. The
centre also brings together leading industry players like Accenture,
Aveva, Baker Hughes, Honeywell, OSIsoft, Schneider Electric and
Schlumberger. Increasing spend on digital transformation Despite
oil price challenges, the industry is seeing increasing IT spend as a
way to maintain profitability and boost productivity. According to the
2016 Upstream Oil and Gas Digital Trends Survey by Accenture and
Microsoft, 80% of upstream oil and gas companies plan to increase
spending on digital technologies in order to help them drive leaner,
smarter organisations.
Bulyanhulu, a gold mine just
south of Lake Victoria in
Tanzania, has installed two new
custom-built Frick ammonia
water chillers from Johnson
Controls. The chillers supply
chilled water to a surface bulk
air cooler (BAC) at a second
ventilation shaft developed
to
service
Bulyanhulu’s
extended mining operations.
The installation, designed and
constructed by BBE Projects,
will assist the mine to ensure
continued
safe
working
conditions.
Notes
Russell
Hattingh of Johnson Controls:
“The chillers are a repeat order
for the mine. This project is Phase
II of a cooling solution specified
by consulting engineering firm
Hatch in 2010. The first phase
saw the implementation of an
identical plant system for BAC
on Bulyanhulu’s main ventilation
shaft. Each shaft requires two
BAC cells, and each BAC cell
uses two chillers running in a
lead-lag configuration.
July - August 2016
NEWS
Rwanda
Botswana News
South Africa News
World’s largest
decentralised offgrid storage system
820 megawatt of power to be added into the
national grid
Policy certainty
and shared value
thinking in Mining
Charter review
The Government of Rwanda has
awarded Tesvolt, the German
commercial storage system
manufacturer,
the
contract
to supply the world’s largest
decentralised off-grid storage
system, which acts as a minigrid during power cuts. The
lithium storage system, with
a total capacity of 2,8MWh,
will provide water pumps in an
agricultural project in Rwanda’s
eastern province with emergency
power. The 3,3MW solar power
plant and the storage system
are being engineered and
constructed by the international
system integrator, IdeemaSun.
An important criterion in the
call for tender was that the
storage system is able to absorb
electricity from the PV power
plant and release it again as
quickly as possible. Only
very powerful off-grid storage
systems can supply the necessary
emergency power several times
per day, and there are only a few
storage systems on the market
which meet these requirements.
Botswana is looking to add up to 820 megawatt of power into the
national grid from both coal and solar- powered plants by 2020,
leaving it a surplus for export, minerals and energy minister Kitso
Mokaila said yesterday. Independent power producers were expected
to develop two 300 megawatt stations, while the refurbishment of a
120 megawatt coal-fuelled power plant was expected to be completed
by the end of 2017, Mokaila told a mining conference. Earlier this
year, Botswana awarded a tender for a 300 megawatt power plant to a
joint venture between South Korea's Posco and Japan's Marubeni.The
southern African country also intends to order a 300 megawatt power
plant from a joint venture between South Korea's Daewoo and Kepco
“In four years' time, we see ourselves as not only self-sufficient, but we
hope to have extra capacity to be exporting into the region,” Mokaila
said. He said the government would put out a 100 megawatt solar
power tender in the next two months, aiming to have it in operation
by 2018. Botswana's current power demand stands at an average 600
megawatt. Its sole power station, Morupule B, produces about half of
that, with the remainder coming from imports and diesel generators.
Mozambique
New $130 million world-class
bottling plant in Mozambique
President of Mozambique Joins the Coca-Cola Company Chairman
and CEO at Inauguration of Fully-Automated, World-Class Bottling
Plant in MatolaGare Coca-Cola Sabco Ltd today announced the
official opening of its world-class bottling facility in MatolaGare,
near Maputo, Mozambique. This opening is part of the company’s
ongoing investment in world-class manufacturing capabilities on
the African continent. The plant, built over three years at a cost of
$130 million, is the largest green-field facility in Coca-Cola Sabco’s
history across its seven-country regional market in Africa.With fully
computerized operations including energy, waste water recycling and
building management systems, the firm is targeting Silver Leadership
in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) accreditation for
these environmental stewardship initiatives. The plant’s 300-ml
glass bottling line – capable of bottling 48,000 bottles per hour – is
the largest bottling line in Sabco’s regional footprint that includes
Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and
Uganda.
The latest review of the Mining
Charter by the Department of
Minerals and Resources, has not
met its objective of eliminating
regulatory uncertainty.
The
draft review of the Charter
aims to continue the redress
of historic inequalities in
the sector and heightens the
performance targets for the
industries role players. Among
others, the proposal to disallow
past empowerment deals from
counting towards the 26%
empowerment target remains
controversial
for
industry
participants. Mining remains a
strategically important sector
for South Africa’s economy and
needs to be strengthened now so
that the country can benefit from
commodity growth and demand
in the future. The industry
employs about 440,000 people
directly, and as many again
indirectly. The industry has been
struggling with rising costs, low
commodity prices, deeper and
more difficult operations and
labour volatility.
Mozambique Cola-13
July - August 2016
5
EVENTS / NEW PRODUCTS
Powerful new high
pressure pumps
KSB Pumps and Valves
recently launched its much
anticipated Movitec 125 pumps
multistage centrifugal pumps to
complement its existing range
of vertical high-pressure pumps.
The new pumps are designed for
fluids such as water, coolants,
condensate and mineral oils
and are especially suited for
industrial recirculation and firefighting systems, cooling water
circuits and washing plants as
well as for boosting pressure in
general process applications.
The company’s engineers set
out to design a pump that could
achieve outstanding hydraulic
efficiencies with a full impeller
diameter greater than 80 percent.
This type series handles flow
rates of up to 192 cubic metres
per hour (at 60 Hz) at heads of up
to 125 metres. The permissible
fluid temperature ranges from
-20 °C to +120 ˚C and are driven
by two-pole IP3 motors of 15
to 45 kW. Fitted with productlubricated plain bearings made
of tungsten carbide, cast bases,
and torsion-resistant pressure
shrouds sealed by confined
O-rings, the pumps are highly
robust and reliable. Corrosionresistant hydraulic components
made of stainless steel further
add to these qualities. Several
material variants and flange
connection options are available
and provide users with maximum
flexibility when it comes to
installing and operating the
new pump sets. With easy-toreplace standardised cartridge
mechanical seals to EN 12756,
the new Movitec 125 pumps are
also easy to service and built to
last.
6 FAST-TRACK POWER A FLEXIBLE SOLUTION
FOR CHALLENGES FACING MINING SECTOR
The resurgence in commodity prices over the last few months is likely
to provide incentive to bring new and mothballed mining operations
online across Africa. However, the logistical challenges and capex
costs, particularly in areas where there is limited infrastructure, will
be major barriers to overcome if these operations are to be successful.
In early June, The Bloomberg Commodity Index, which tracks returns
from 22 raw materials, had advanced close to 20 percent from its
lowest point in 25 years, following five consecutive years of decline
as economic growth in China and demand for materials slowed.
“While the rebound in commodity prices will improve the viability
of new and existing sites throughout Africa, reliable power supply
remains a significant challenge facing new mines, especially in areas
that are not connected to the grid,” says Clayton Marsland, Regional
Sales Director at APR Energy – the leading provider of fast-track
mobile turbine power. New mining opportunities are often located in
remote areas, far removed from existing power infrastructure.
A quality lubricant reduces wear rate
and replacement costs of wire ropes
Industrial equipment such as cranes, anchors, elevators, shovels,
suspension and structures have wire ropes which are important to their
operation. They are designed for different applications in usually harsh
environmental conditions. Wire ropes come with certification which
includes their description and categories such as the lay length, steel grade
and application for easy identification. Most of them are made of steel
while the core can be made of steel, rope or even plastic. In operation,
wire ropes are constantly under stress, as they operate over sheaves,
which cause friction due to tractions and therefore require lubrication
to keep them working properly. Wire rope strands rub against each
other, effectively causing stretching, bending, fretting, fatigue and loss
of strength. The different strand sizes and arrangements allow for varying
degrees of rope flexibility and resistance to crushing and abrasion. They
need lubrication to deal with bending stresses, high groove pressures,
moisture and corrosion that attacksthem. Filter Focus Chief Operating
Officer Craig FitzGeraldindicates that proper lubrication of awire rope
and chain can significantly extend its operational life regardless of the
application. Without proper lubrication, the wire rope corrodes, wears
and ages quickly and has to be replaced well before its normal life
expectancy.
Schneider Electric
channel loyalty
programme
Schneider
Electric,
the
global specialist in energy
management and automation,
has announced the launch of
its “APC by Schneider Electric
iRewards Program”, a channel
loyalty programme designed
to reward reseller companies
as a whole. The APC iRewards
Programme is a partner sales
incentive programme in which
APC resellers earn points by
claiming their APC invoiced
sales. “For our southern African
resellers this means $100 for
every 5,000 points they earn on
the programme. A reseller must
be a Select Partner in the APC
Channel Partner Programme
in order to gain access to
iRewards,” says Bruce Grobler,
vice president of the IT Business
for southern Africa at Schneider
Electric.He continues, “Our
certified partners add value and
importance by supplying end
users with the quality solutions
that customers depend on and
have trusted for decades. This
is why we provide additional
rewards to partners who register
invoiced sales through the APC
Partner iRewards Program.”
Resellers joining the programme
before 30 June 2016, earn an
immediate 500 points. Once
registered, the system will
automatically accumulate points
for APC products sold. “The
reseller can decide on how to use
this, such as reward performing
individuals or reward performing
teams for general rewards,” adds
Grobler.
July - August 2016
WATER IN MINING 2016
Dare: May 18-20, 2016 Venue :Hotel Grand Hyatt Santiago, Chile
ena Echeverri, and
Juan Sebastián Ossa, Xim
Laurie Reemeyer
Luis Grunewaldand Sergio
Castro
Javier Ordóñez and Maria Mamelkina
Carlos Barahona, General Manager at
Gecamin; Neil McIntyre fromCentre for Water
in the Minerals Industry, SMI, The University
of Queensland, Australia; Virginia Ciminelli,
Directorat INCT-Acqua, Brazil; and Mauricio
Gironás, Concentrator Plants and Port
Manager, Candelaria and Ojos del Salado
Mines, Lundin Mining, and Chair of Water in
Mining 2016.
orro
Andreína García andSoledad Cham
Africa Rail 2016
Venue: Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg
Date: 28-29 June 2016
Scaw Metals stand
Visitors at the CRRC stand
Scaw Metals stand one of the crowd favorite
Siemens Stand
July - August 2016
Miniature trains on display at the CRRC stand
Visitors at the Scaw Metals Stand
7
Interview
Column
Infrastructure
remains a hotbed
for investment
into Africa
Despite poorer than initially projected growth
in a number of the fastest growing economies
in Africa, largely on account of lower
commodity pricing, the continent is still rife with
opportunities and infrastructure will remain a
hotbed for investment and development activity
for the foreseeable future
De Buys Scott,
Head of Infrastructure Deal Advisory, KPMG in South Africa
N
ever before have we had such diversity in
programmes and infrastructure projects on the
go simultaneously in Africa, as we currently do.
That being said, there are two critical and interrelated
challenges that persist in creating barriers to transformed
socio and economic development on the continent including; affordability vs. bankability.
This is particularly true for massive primary
infrastructure projects linked to water, power or transport
– as in the past these have been state funded led projects.
With that in mind, it’s been estimated that - on
overage - developing countries need to spend 5% of their
gross domestic product (GDP) annually on infrastructure
capital expenditures to sustain and expand essential
public infrastructure. For many countries unfortunately
this isn’t possible and it’s well recognised that Africa
has a sizeable infrastructure financing gap, where current
spending (approximately US$ 40 billion per annum) pales
in comparison to the US$ 93 billion needed annually and
over the next decade - as estimated by the World Bank - to
overhaul much of Africa’s infrastructure.
Can Africa afford it?
The reality is that Africa consists of 55 developing countries.
While a number of these countries have significant work
in progress on infrastructure developments on almost
8 every front; these developments need to be financed and
many Governments in Africa face difficult decisions as
they try to balance budgets whilst continuing to invest
in much needed infrastructure – and prioritisation of
infrastructure projects has become mission critical. Also,
in countries that are experiencing poorer than expected
growth – South Africa, for instance is a prime example of
this - there is a growing fiscal deficit that exacerbates the
overall problems.
In lieu of this, funding sources are beginning to be
managed on a micro level, which is unavoidable but has
also lead to wasteful expenditure and subpar procurement
processes being given well deserved attention and scrutiny.
These are certainly all positive measures – particularly
when faced with difficult economic times, however,
there is still a substantial shortfall that has to be financed
through alternative sources.
Are Africa’s projects bankable?
African Governments have historically relied on donor
aid, external borrowing or public private partnerships to
finance their fiscal deficits. However, we have reached a
point in Africa’s evolution where there needs to be less
emphasis (for now) on where the finance will come from
and, more on creating a pipeline of bankable projects.
In the power sector, for instance, if we look at the
July - August 2016
USAID initiative that was recently announced as part of
their Power Africa programme; US $1 billion dollars of
investment capital was launched to pay advisors to do
bankable feasibility studies on infrastructure projects –
with the sole aim of improving the quality of these deals
so as to attract better investments. This is the biggest
initiative of its kind and it will certainly be a game changer
in Africa’s power project development – where there is
already talk of the EU matching USAID’s commitment.
Additionally, I don’t doubt that the decision by
Sustainable Development Investment Partnership
(SDIP) to form a dedicated hub focused on infrastructure
delivery in Africa was also influenced by the design to
see bankable projects come to life. As was announced at
the World Economic Forum (WEF) on Africa meeting
in Kigali, Rwanda; this hub aims to mobilise funding
through a “blended finance” approach and in so doing
will play an active role in ensuring the development of 16
African infrastructure projects with a combined targeted
worth of over $20-billion.
Forward looking trends…
If we look at basic country developmental principles,
while primary infrastructure in water, power or transport
continue to receive the bulk of investments currently, we
are expecting that the next wave of bankable projects will
be sourced in the secondary infrastructure areas such as
education, housing, healthcare, and communications.
As we continue to monitor trends that influence
investments into infrastructure across Africa, we have
seen that Governments have become more interventionist
in the area of infrastructure and are taking action to unclog
the pipeline – and introducing infrastructure-specific
development plans so as to strike the right balance
between economic and social infrastructure needs.
Added to this, we anticipate that Governments in
certain countries will look to privatisation (or part sale)
of certain state assets – as not only would this provide
a cash injection for the fiscus, but the opportunity to
improve on asset performance and service delivery with
the involvement of private enterprise.
Currently, we are living through an age of
unprecedented investment in infrastructure and capital
projects on the continent, however, there is no denying that
Africa still has a massive infrastructure deficit. Therefore,
continued investment in infrastructure and capital projects
is unequivocally vital to long-term economic growth and
to some of the greatest challenges of today - such as
meeting energy demand and coping with the impact of
urbanisation. In every sense, infrastructure projects of
today are shaping the Africa of future generations.
July - August 2016
9
Shafltess screw conveyors
Tough, cost effective and convenient
A cost effective materials handling solutions to cope with effects of the
commodities slump, shaftless screw conveyors can be used as an alternative
to conventional shafted screw conveyors, where applicable.
A
s an alternative to conventional shafted screw
conveyors, shaftless screw conveyors are not
a new phenomenon in the materials handling
domain. Neither are they a product that has only been
gaining currency recently in African mining. In fact,
they have been around the block more than most people
think, widely used in thousands of industrial applications,
worldwide, for conveying and metering bulk materials.
Nonetheless, as mining companies are seeking the
best possible solutions that can enable them to contain
costs and enhance productivity, simultaneously, the
relevance of shaftless screw conveyors has been thrust
into the spotlight.
Dawie Verster, the production manager at Spiral
T ech, a screw conveyor manufacturing company part
of the PMSA Group of Companies, is a veteran who
is extensively knowledgeable in conveyors and other
materials handling systems. In an interview at the
company’s factory in Johannesburg with African Mining
Brief, he says given their unique features, shaftless screw
conveyors can be utilised to address current demands in
the mining environment, which are reducing operating
costs and increasing productivity.
Ideal for stubborn material
Shaft screw conveyors are designed for handling bulk
solids with high moisture content, which are discharged
from centrifuges, filter presses and mixers. This is material
which conventional shafted screw conveyors cannot easily
process.
“The bulk and abrasive solids are in most cases sticky
and cannot be easily conveyed through conventional
shafted screw conveyors. Usually, the bulk solids cling to
the centre pipe, where the flight meets the pipe, explains
Verster. “On the other hand, as the shaftless screw
conveyors have no centre pipe and only the spiral is used
to carry the bulk solid, the problem is eradicated,” he adds.
Shaftlessscrew conveyor can be designed with the option
of operating horizontally, at variable degrees of incline
and even vertically.
Shaftless screw conveyors
10 Addressing contemporary needs
In numerous ways the application of shaftless screw
conveyors facilitate significant cost savings and enhance
productivity in various material handling requirements.
July - August 2016
1.Low operating costs
Generally, low operating costs in shaftless conveyers
canbe achieved through amongst other interventions,
lowering maintenance and high energy efficiency, says
Verster. “Manufacturers can introduce systems to ease the
burden of doing maintenance of shaftless screw conveyors.
Eventually, this contributes to significant cost reduction.”
Spiral Tech has used this principle to produce shaftless
screw conveyors with comparatively low maintenance
costs.The company has modified its products to make it
easier for technicians to open a section of its conveyor
where a problem has been identified and attend to it
promptly, without the need for dismantling the whole
equipment.
Above and beyond, as in most cases it requires
less energy to drive ashaftless screw conveyor than a
conventional shafted screw conveyor with a centre pipe,
Spiral Tech, says Verster, has gone a notch higher.
In a shaftless conveyor, a Variable Frequency Drive
(VFD) is connected to one end of the spiral via a flanged
and bolted drive shaft and spiral end plate, whereas the tail
end of the spiral is not attached and is allowed to rotate
freely. So, it requires less energy than a conventional
shafted screw conveyor.
To enhance energy efficiency, Verster says Spiral
Tech produces shaftless screw conveyors, with spirals that
perform more efficiently at lower speed (only a fraction
of a conventional shafted screw’s Revolutions Per Minute
(RPM)). “Fewer RPM means there is less energy required
to drive the spiral. In addition, lower speed means less
wear and tear,”he explains. Also, the shaftless screw
conveyors, which can be manufactured in different sizes,
have no hanger bearings or end bearings.
Shafltess screw conveyors
term success of the installation. The popular choices are
tough ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW)
and Xylethon. The material used is determined by the
application required.
A viable option
As they seek cost effective materials handling solutions
to cope with effects of the commodities, shaftless screw
conveyors can be used as an alternative to conventional
shafted screw conveyors where applicable. This
could enable them to lower operating costs and boost
productivity.
RAL TECH
SPI
2.High productivity
Shaftess conveyors can contribute to high productivity
in a number of ways, amongst them, through enabling
reduction in equipment downtime for maintenance. Fewer
maintenance intervals would translate into less downtime,
significantly increasing productivity.
Long-term success installation
Contrary to popular misconception, sadly, shaftless
screw conveyors “are not made equal”, as each productis
designed for a specific application to handle. Essentially,
the long-term success of the installation is determined by
two main factors –product selection andlining utilised.
i. Production selection
The tensile strength of the alloys used determines the
durability of the spiral in a shaftless screw conveyor.
And so, the onus is on the end-user, in this context the
company, to determine which specification it needs for
their materials handling requirements, Verster point out.
In an article he has written on shaftless screw
conveyors, Bill Mecke, the President of KWS
Manufacturing Company, Ltd, one of the largest screw
conveyor manufacturers in North America, concurs with
this point. He notes: “The strength and hardness of the
spiral is very important to the long-term success of the
installation. For example, if you are conveying an abrasive
bulk solid, you need a spiral that is extremely hard in order
to reduce the amount of abrasion on the shaftless spiral.”
ii.Liner materials
The nature of the trough liner used is central to the long-
SC
RE W
CON VE Y
OR
S
SHAFTLESS SCREW
CONVEYOR SYSTEM
• No hanger bearing or end bearings
• Totally enclosed, therefore odourless
and dustless 100% capacity
• Lower speed, therefore less wear & tear
• Maximum length: up to 45m horizontally
and 20m vertically
• Lower energy consumption
These systems are ideal for conveying:
• Hazardous Materials
• Sticky Materials
• Contamination sensitive materials
• Material not easily moved by
conventional means
Tel: +27 11 578 8700
[email protected]
12 Graniet Road, Jet Park,
Boksburg
July - August 2016
www.spiraltech.co.za
11
Health and Safety
Rugged Mobile Medical Systems
critical in providing access to healthcare for mine employees and the
host communities
M
ost mining operations in Africa are happening
in remote areas, often with inadequate medical
infrastructure, and within under-serviced rural
areas without clinics, hospitals or access to medical
facilities and doctors, -hence the need for rugged mobile
medical system to close the gap.
Mobile medical systems are critical in providing
access to healthcare for employees, contractors and the
host communities, early diagnosis and management of
occupational diseases, as well as preventing exposure to
hazards that could lead to occupational illness. A healthy
worker is a happy and productive employee – this results
in reduced time off as employees will not seek medical
attention off-site or stay home caring for their loved ones
who cannot have immediate access to a medical facility.
When comparing traditional medical facilities such as
hospitals and clinics, mobile medical systems are set to
provide instant medical services to the families of these
employees and the host communities, where otherwise
they would have to travel long distances to receive medical
attention.
Mobile medical facilities provides flexibility in terms
of relocation to where the services are urgently needed,
and also the facility can be operational in short time.
In addition, they offer many advantages over
traditional facilities since greater work can be prepared
off-site- limiting site work, thus reducing site disruptions,
as well as reducing or eliminating health and safety risks
through working in a safer factory environment
With Saab’s experience and knowledge as a system
12 integrator, the company has the capacity to successfully
deliver a system with high functionality, reliability,
maintainability and sustainability, explains Hannes
du Preez, Marketing and Sales Executive at SAAB
GrintekDefence.
Saab Grintek Defence has been providing camp
solutions for the UN and other countries for years.
Products and services offered include medical care,life
support systems as well as field infrastructure and air
transport services.
With this experience the company now design and
supply rugged mobile solutions that will last in access of
fifteen years or more, and that’s bridging the gap because
the mining environment needs quality and a solution that
will last longer, adds Hannes du Preez. Saab’s mobile
system is designed to move four times a month from one
site to another- this means that it will save you time and
money; onsite in accordance with your schedule; no need
for employees to travel offsite; as well as decreased cost
due to decreased downtime.
Kumba Iron Ore’s Mobile Medical System
Saab’s South African division, Saab Grintek Defence,
has diversified its portfolio through the launch order for a
mobile medical system for Anglo American’s Kumba Iron
Ore business unit in the Northern Cape.
The mobile medical system delivered to Kumba Iron
Ore, and awaiting commissioning at the end of July 2016
was designed and manufactured by Saab Grintek Defencethe mobile clinic system will not only deliver basic clinic
services, but will encompass a theatre, general practitioner
unit, dentist, pharmacy, optometric services, recovery
rooms, accommodation for the staff, as well as support
facilities (kitchen and ablutions),states Hannes du Preez.
The aim of the mobile medical system is to provide a
system that can be maintained easily in remote locations
in South Africa where there are limited medical skills
available in remote areas. The system will also meet the
harsh environmental conditions of the Northern Cape and
move between locations on unpaved roads that exist in the
region, further elaborates Hannes du Preez.
With the successful delivery of the Kumba Iron Ore’s
mobile medical facility- the focus of Saab is now on
assisting mines and governments in taking medical care to
the African communities where it is still a challenge to get
adequate medical assistance, and that’s making sure that
the families of the mine workers in the mines as well as
host communities are treated timeously.
In addition the company wants to contribute to the
medical space by assisting the South African department
of health and other stake holders in getting medical care
through mobile medical systems throughout the continent.
Saab provides a complete turnkey solution, for
instance after installing the Mobile Medical System- the
company will provide security, campsite solution, fencing,
communication infrastructure, equipment, etc. in tandem
with the clients specifications or requirements, concludes
Hannes du Preez.
July - August 2016
ER24- Providing Realhelp Realfast
E
R24 is the premier private emergency medical care
provider in South Africa that has been providing a range
of quality emergency response and pre-hospital care
services since 2000. We operate from 49 bases throughout South
Africa to provide Realhelprealfast. Backed by a strong footprint
in all major metropolitan areas and towns, we offer extensive
support to both private and public hospitals throughout the
country.
As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mediclinic International,
part of the Remgro Group of companies, which owns and
manages 52 private hospitals in Southern Africa, ER24’s
footprint extends globally. With 107 hospitals and clinics
worldwide, Mediclinic International is ranked as one of the
top 10 private hospital groups in the world, based on market
capitalisation of listed private hospital groups. Mediclinic
International currently has four operating divisions - Mediclinic
Southern Africa in South Africa and Namibia; Hirslanden
which operates 16 private hospitals in Switzerland, Mediclinic
Middle East which operates 5 private hospitals and 29 clinics in
the United Arab Emirates and holds a 29.9% interest in Spire
Healthcare, a LSE listed and UK-based private healthcare group.
With a total commitment to our motto realhelprealfast, at
ER24 we assure clients that our medical professionals will be at
their service whenever they need them. Hand in hand with this
is our emphasis on quality, clinical excellence and the extended
patient, ensuring that their needs come first.
We back our commitment with an extensive local fleet of 300
Rapid Response Vehicles (RRVs) and Ambulances. Our fleet
includes an Intensive Care transport ambulance in Milnerton
(Western Cape) and Sandton (Gauteng). Rescue Ambulances
which are capable of basic rescue and patient transportation
simultaneously - a first in South Africa; as well as Paramedic
Ambulances, which are manned by Advanced Life Support
paramedics and have an extended role of that of a RRV. Our
national reach is enhanced by our partnerships with reputable
service providers across the country.
Our Aeromedical Evacuation Service
Our local and international aeromedical evacuation service
provides clinical excellence and cost containment, meeting the
needs of our clients and contracted medical schemes. We have
a dedicated 24-hour international flight desk which facilitates
flights for all patient requirements.
14 Our dedicated Case Management team ensures that each
case is proactively handled to facilitate and co-ordinate the care
of the patients from the time of the first request, through to the
completion of the case.
Our Fixed Wing Air Ambulance Service operates primarily
throughout South Africa, Africa and surrounding islands. We
facilitate transfers into Europe and the Middle East. Our current
fleet of aircraft includes a Falcon 20 Jet with dual patient
capabilities, a Hawker 400 Jet and a Cessna Citation V Jet. All
our aircraft are pressurised and comply with Civil Aviation
Authority (CAA) requirements.
In addition, ER24 has access to Helicopter Emergency
Medical Services (H.E.M.S).
OUR SITE BASED MEDICAL SERVICES
ER24 is a first party provider of emergency medical services
specialising in on-site medical management, ensuring the health
and safety of national and expatriate workforces in the mining,
oil, energy and infrastructure sectors of industry throughout
Africa, especially in high risk remote locations.
We have a comprehensive range of services, which include
the provision of medical assistance infrastructure to mitigate onsite risk, ensuring the continuity of productivity in the event of
emergency medical incidents. We also provide on-site clinics
(emergency, primary and occupational healthcare service, 24/7
Contact Centre services, Topside Medical Support, medical risk
assessments, emergency response and evacuation plans and
professional emergency courses through the ER24 Training
Academy.
OUR SPECIALISED MEDICAL SERVICES
Our team is made up of highly qualified paramedics, doctors
and nursing sisters – registered with the Health Professions
Council of South Africa - to assist in the efficient and effective
management of your event, and a specialised medical services
management team that manages any medical emergency.
We have extensive experience in concerts, corporate, social
and sporting events, indoors and outdoors, across the country.
Our infrastructure allows us to deliver fast, efficient and
competent service to our clients using innovative technologies
that allow for seamless communications
July - August 2016
KNOWING OUR NUMBER
CAN HELP SAVE A LIFE
084 124
Health and Safety
ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORD (EMRs)
a cornerstone of a more intelligent, adaptive,
and efficient healthcare system.
Widespread use of electronic medical records could bring beneficial change
to the healthcare system in a variety of ways, largely because they are the
foundational piece to many technologies and analyses that could change
healthcare delivery.
I
n an electronic and technology era we experience
systems and applications in our everyday business and
personal lives. This ranges from online banking and
purchasing, transport (Uber), accommodation (airbnb),
social media, tax returns, music and video streaming to
mention but a few. Technology and Systems redefine the
way we operate and engage. No longer do we go to a bank
branch or an airline operator to get service. We rely on
available technology to make our lives more efficient and
simpler to operate. This is also the case with traditional
ERP Systems, Payrolls etc.
The medical industry, more specifically the
Occupational Health medical surveillance industry has not
16 presented itself as an adopter of technology to improve
efficiencies, enable business rules to satisfy and monitor
compliancy control and improve outputs.
The Occupational Health industry and services remain
manual, paper-based and lethargic; relying on people
skills to execute the process and subsequent follow-up
processes such as Chronic Disease management, HIV and
TB monitoring, Occupational Diseases etc.
Industry talks about risk-based medicals being the
future of Occupational Health by applying individual
exposures, job types and work places to specific
individuals;yet continues to be traditional with annual
medicals, irrespective of the exposures or statutory
July - August 2016
July - August 2016
17
imposed conditions. Medical information is generally
contained in a paper-based file. Year-on-year medicals
are performed requiring the medical professional to revert
back to previous paper records to analyse the medical
being performed.
Where systems are being used, they represent afterthe-fact information, being captured once the medical
has been complete and the relevant medical certificate
is issued. These Systems serves as a storage vault used
mainly for reporting purposes and do not add value or
efficiency to the business process.
It is time for businesses that are subject to Occupational
Health to adopt to real-time technology that empowers
health professionals to achieve the goals of risk-based
medicals, pro-active health records and statutory
compliance, cost benefits and ease of-use.
Electronic Medical Records (EMRs)
Electronic medical records (EMRs), as a cornerstone
of a more intelligent, adaptive, and efficient health care
system, have the potential to improve the overall health of
our society and begin to rein in the trillions of dollars spent
on health care each year. However, implementation and
utilization of such record systems brings its own significant
costs and challenges which must be carefully considered
and overcome in order to fully realize the potential benefits.
African Mining Brief ad-1.2page
26/2/15
17:18
The adoption of EMR brings benefits such as better
patient care coordination and diseases management, fewer
medical errors, increased productivity, and the reduced
costs. Additional long term benefits include more targeted
public health initiatives, more effective preventative
health measures, personalized and predictive medicine,
and significant reductions in health expenditures as we are
able to determine the most effective treatment options for
the lowest cost, and ultimately a healthier society.
Having every patient’s data stored electronically,
in a standardized form creating an easy transfer and
comparison of data among providers, insurers, and
researchers will allow the recognition of patterns that
could provide smarter, more targeted personal, population,
and public health measures.
Qmuzik Technologies, a South African based software
development company provides this Solution. The
software; called Qmed has been operational in a number
of industries such as mining, process, telecommunications,
construction and manufacturing to name but a few.
The Qmed systems host in excess of 3 million
occupational health records across its client base.
Be part of ensuring your business has the benefits of
real-time technology solutions.
Page 1
The leading aftermarket manufacturer and supplier
of precision crusher spare parts and premium
manganese wear parts for the Mining Industry.
www.cmscepcor.com
18 T.
F.
E.
+44 (0) 1530 817 000
+44 (0) 1530 817 111
[email protected]
The Genuine Alternative
July - August 2016
Health and Safety
Expanding medical services and
using technology to improve
occupational healthcare in the
mining sector
M
ining companies operate globally and work with and
near a wide range of communities in a diverse variety of
settings. Health issues faced are also diverse, hence mining
companies have a clear duty to play in minimizing the spread of
diseases within their workforce, by adhering to occupational health
and safety standards, improving living conditions, providing adequate
health services , and investing in preventative measures.
The responsibilities of mining companies in this regard are often
enshrined in laws. However, a critical challenge remains, monitoring
compliance with national regulations and enforcing compliance. In
South Africa, despite a strong regulatory regime and broad consensus
to promote better health and safety practices in the mining industry,
occupational lung diseases- like silicosis- continue to affect miners
especially in the coal and gold sector.
South Africa’s 500 000 strong mining workforce has the highest
tuberculosis (TB) incidence in the world, with 2 500 to 3000 cases for
every 100 000 people as indicated in the World Bank report. It further
indicates that the infection rate among South African mineworkers
is ten times the emergency threshold set by the World Health
Organization.
In May 2016 approximately 30 000 mineworkers who contracted
silicosis and tuberculosis while working on South Africa’s gold mines
finally won the right to pursue class action case against 32 mining
companies. Silicosis is an incurable, progressive lung disease caused
by the inhalation of tiny silica (quartz) particles raised during mining.
It is therefore imperative for mining houses to “avoid short cuts”
and instead adhere to international best practices in occupational
health and safety, especially in Africa where most mining activities
take place in remote locations where the capacity to effectively
monitor compliance is a challenge.
In addition, the Ebola crisis in 2014 has made clear the business
case for investing in health beyond mining compounds. The outbreak
that began in West Africa in early 2014 is the worst outbreak of
this virus in history. In the three countries most affected by the
outbreak — Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia — about 70 percent
of the infected people died. Mining companies have played a critical
role in mitigating the spread of disease through strong communitylevel information campaigns, proactive testing and screening of
mineworkers, stringent movement restrictions, leveraging logistics
systems to support relief efforts, and providing donations to support
humanitarian efforts. As a result, companies like Sierra Rutile and Rio
Tinto, both which were on the forefront of mining-led Ebola response
did not report any infections on site.
Above having the responsibility for ensuring the health of
the workforce as well as those of the host community- What has
become apparent through the crisis, is the immense opportunity for
collaboration between the health and mining sectors.
Expanding medical services and technology to
improve occupational healthcare in the mining
sector
The mining industry must expand clinical services so that access
is not concentrated exclusively around larger mining communities
or towns. Open access to data on case detection and outcomes
is necessary to evaluate the quality of care. Well-coordinated
tuberculosis detection and treatment programs have significantly
lowered tuberculosis rates and stabilized multi-drug resistance in
some mining populations.
Effectively treating cases of active tuberculosis will reduce
incidence, but, given the delay between symptom onset and tuberculosis
diagnosis, case detection and treatment alone may not be adequate to
reduce the infectious periods of patients. Isoniazid preventive therapy,
which significantly lowers the likelihood that infected individuals
will advance from latent to active tuberculosis, could help reduce
the risk of infection. Regardless of the implementation of preventive
therapy, care must be provided without discrimination towards those
with existing symptoms or prior diagnoses of TB, and the government
enforcement of treatment standards is necessary to monitor mining
healthcare operations to ensure non-discrimination.
Internet has become the main source of medical
information.
Breakthroughs in information gathering, research, treatments, and
communications have given medical providers new tools to work
with and fresh ways to practice medicine. Information technology
has made patient care safer and more reliable than before. Medical
workers use hand-held computers to record a patient’s medical history
and check that they are administering the correct treatment. Results of
lab tests, records of vital signs, and medicine orders are electronically
put into the main database that can be referred to later.
As more institutions including mines are adopting electronic
medical records (EMRs), patients have easier access to their own
information so they too can understand what is being done to them.
Technology has allowed medical practitioners to use email, texts,
videos, and conference facilities to consult colleagues from all over
the world. This practice, known as telemedicine, is especially useful
for doctors and patients in remote locations- without moving patients,
doctors can consult experts from all over the world to diagnose, treat,
and research conditions without needing access to a sophisticated
hospital.
Technology can significantly improve the general healthcare
offered to mining employees, and it is therefore imperative for mining
companies to capitalize on new technologies that will enable them to
manage the medical needs of their workforce such as keeping their
medical records.
July - August 2016
19
Ready Steady Done
Simplified Occupational Health Solutions
HEALTHone for occupational health automates manual
occupational health requirements whilst utilising powerful
electronic patient record technology.
Visit our website www.medemass.com
or phone 0860 98 00 98 to find out more!
Altron TMT Marketing Shared Services
HEALTHCARE
HAS NEVER
BEEN THIS
EASY!
Plasma cutting technology
Precision is one amongst numerous plasma's comparative advantages over 'conventional' interventions
Why plasma makes the cut
It should not be surprising why plasma cutting technology has proved to be the
perfect fit in versatile cutting applications in mining projects, which oxyfuel
cannot address. It brings about significant cost cutting, enhances safety and
increases productivity.
I
f oxyfuel cutting system has been ostensibly working
perfectly in steel cutting applications, one may ask:
why are companies fixing something which, on the
face of it,is not broken by adopting plasma cutting?
Recently, to address that question, African Mining
Brief sought the views of ten companies that manufacture
(fabricate) industrial equipment for the mining industry,
which is then used to extract minerals and stone from
quarries. Most of the cutting requirements the companies
handle range between 15 mm and 20 mm thick. Two of
their most significant priorities are thickness range and
quality of cuts.
The companies’ consensus is that the task of cutting is
a drag and drain on their overstretched financial resources
and novel that can result in significant cost reduction and
high productivity would be readily welcome. Thus far,
eight of the companies have already switched to plasma
technology for most of applications in their projects.
According to the companies’ experience, Oxyfuel
cutting is confined to mild steel and beyond that it just
cannot deliver. And countless times using it for hard steel
cutting has turned out to be a challenge, There lies the
pickle!
Ground-breaking alternative
Thankfully, according to Hypertherm, specialists in
cutting technologies, plasma is able to deliver higher
quality, faster cuts in a number of ground-breaking ways,
once thought barely credible.
Firstly, it is that one is able to able to cut many different
types of metal, including painted, rusted or dirty metal.
Secondly, plasma systems have proved efficient for a
range of metal thicknesses: from metal that’s more than 35
mm thick to very thin 1-2 mm thick metal.
Thirdly, plasma brings immense advantages in terms
of convenience in of accessing, as it can operate solely on
electricity and compressed air. According to Hypertherm,
there is no need to purchase bottled gas, so not only are
these costs eliminated but so are cylinder rental, pick up
and drop off fees. “These and other advantages ensure that
plasma is able to deliver significantly lower cutting costs
per meter than oxyfuel in specific applications.”
The advent or popularity of plasma cutting does not
mean that oxyfuel is going to be completely phased out. In
tasks such as heating and bending steel, oxyfuel will still
be relevant. Nonetheless, in mining environment in which
containing costs, efficiency and safety are key, plasma
cutting is a technology of choice.
What gives plasma the edge
Hypherm lists the following as some of the attributes that
make plasma the perfect fit for demanding cutting tasks:
1.Cutting Speed
Significantly, plasma is able to cut metal that is 25mm
thick or less at a much higher speed, at a minimum twice
as fast as oxyfuel. Notably, with reduction in thickness,
plasma’s maximum speed can be twelve times faster
than oxyfuel. Thus, increased speed translates into higher
productivity, as more parts can be cut in considerably less
time.
2.Piercing Speed
Inside piercing is standard in cutting applications. And
plasma can pierce a 15 mm thick steel fifteen times faster
than oxyfuel. This is because with oxyfuel, because the
metal needs to be pre-heated to nearly 1000ºC. So, through
high speed piercing, plasma increases productivity.
July - August 2016
21
3. Cut Quality
What would be the relevance of high speed cutting it
produces poor quality?
Quality is a certainly one of the main attributes
associated with plasma cutting.
It has been proven in most cutting applications in
demanding projects that plasma produces much better
quality than oxyfuel. For instance, those who have used
plasma say there is less dross when cutting with and the
small amount of dross produced can be easily removed.
Besides, plasma cutting is more user-friendly as
it requires less time to master and produces quality
results. Expediently, nozzle shields in modern products
automatically maintain proper torch height over the plate
and are designed to be used with pre-cut templates. This
improves operator control and hence better cut quality.
The high speed also considerably reduces the heat
input into the workpiece, as a result there is no plate
warping on thin materials (1-6mm), which is experienced
with oxyfuel cutting.
4.Versatility
With plasma, as an electric arc process, one is able to
cut any material that is electrically conductive including
aluminum, copper, mild steel, stainless steel.Moreover,
plasma cutting is able to cut several plates stacked on
top of one another, which is impossible to achieve with
oxyfuel. This level of versatility increases productivity.
5.Safety
Though high-pressure flammable gas and an open flame
22 are considered to be hazards in many work environments,
they are deemed necessary for oxyfuel cutting. Ensuring
that oxyfuel does not result in a fire accident is a tedious
process which involves special arrangements being
made to transport the gases, over and above the need for
expensive insurance.
On the other hand, with plasma, the dangers and extra
costs associated with oxyfuel are significantly eliminated,
as it does not require an open flame or any flammable
gas. What's more, dangers associated with production of
hot metals during cutting are significantly reduced. For
instance, while plasma can only affect 2mm wide heat
zone on 18mm thick steel, while 12mm wide heat on 18
mm thick steel.
6.Cutting Costs
Noteworthy, the abovementioned features result into
significant cost reduction, high productivity, and
improved safety. By allowing companies to perform many
tasks, plasma enables businesses become more profitable
because it allows companies to do more. Additionally,
cost and potential losses are significantly reduced because
businesses don’t have to comply with as many safety
regulations or worry as much about an operator getting
hurt.
On the whole, plasma cutting ticks all the right boxes
in terms of cutting requirements in demanding capital
projects for mines. New technology is allowing for
applications that were deemed not possible with oxyfuel.
July - August 2016
Dock levelers
Addressing contemporary obligations
In the current materials handling environment, there is a high preference for dock levelers that are safe,
secure, energy-efficient and more productive.
F
indings of studies conducted
worldwide have corroborated that
the collective performance of load
dock equipment has a bearing on the level of
efficiency and safety on a loading bay. And
amongst the main areas of focus in recent
years has been on dock levelers.
In actual fact, the loading bay is more prone
to accidents, as load dock-related accidents
are recorded frequently. In the main, it has
been established that load dock-related
accidents are caused by early departure,
trailer creep, and lift trucks backing off of
docks.
Risks exaggerated?
It might seem to be an exaggeration that
a dock leveler can be a safety hazard, but in
actual fact is really is. One is bound to ask:
How can a ‘tame’ device can be the cause of
an accident?
To comprehend this better, one needs
to look at the basic principle behind dock
levelers. A dock leveler is dock equipment
that connects the warehousing loading dock
to the back of the trailer. Dock levelers,
unlike dock boards, stay at the warehouse.
But people tend to overlook numerous
health and safety risks on the loading dock,
according to health and safety statistics
gathered worldwide.
Dock shock
One of the risks is dock shock, which can
cause long-term and back injuries, which
can be costly to a company and for lift
truck drivers. Dock shock is the constant
and potentially harmful shaking that occurs
when a lift truck driver crosses over gaps on
traditional dock levelers.
Poor dock facilities impact on productivity
in the event of an injury to a driver, as work
is halted. To business operations, the cost
of this translates into millions in potential
losses.
Safety and security orientation
To enable organisations manage the risk
effectively, some OEMs are producing
dock levelers that create a smooth transition
between a trailer bed and the leveler to
alleviate dock shock. Others have even gone
a step further, producing docklevelers that
can be vertically stored. This ensures that
while the dock leveler isn’t in use, it acts as a
safety barrier in between the warehouse and
the dock exit, which will prevent lift trucks
and other machinery from backing off of
the dock. Moreover, it provides increase in
security, which helps to prevent forced entry
into the warehouse.
Evidently, while the dock leveler has just
been viewed as a device that merely connects
the warehousing dock to the back of a
trailer,it is much more than that.In the current
operating environment organisations have
an obligation to adhere to environmental
and safety matters, as well increase high
productivity. Simply put, a dock leveler has
to be safe, secure, energy-efficient and more
productive.
24 July - August 2016
Outsourced Mineral Plants
"There’s no question that outsourcing will
decrease operating costs; the real question is
who has the experience to do it best?"
The Ins and Outs of Outsourcing
T
here are numerous reasons why outsourcing
minerals processing is fast becoming an established
norm. First and foremost the cost benefits
associated with the practice are meaningful.
For a start-up facility, Minopex is perfectly geared
and operationally ready to fast-track the implementation
of new projects. And because of our Specialised Work and
Training Teams (yes, SWAT), the ramp-up phase of your
project can be greatly accelerated, so your operation can
see a quicker return on investment.
Outsourcing the operation and maintenance of your
plant to a specialist, can reduce your business risk. A
major advantage when you need to free up your resources
to focus on your core competencies.
The key question, of course, is which outsourcing
specialist is going to help you leverage the most out of
these benefits?
Leading the way with a depth of experience
As a subsidiary of DRA Global, a leading global mine
engineering and consulting group, Minopex enjoys
anunparalleled reputation for efficiency, cost-effectiveness
and safety.
It’s a reputation that has been earned over 18 years of
working the coal, platinum, diamond, gold, iron ore and
base metal industries, to name a few.
It is also a reputation that is well established
worldwide as the Minopex teams of engineers, designers,
support service and safety management professionals have
designed, constructed and managed mines, and handled
most aspects of minerals processing on five continents.
Keeping productivity up and accidents
down
Dealing with Minopex means that production continuity
can be guaranteed. While contracts can be negotiated
according to your requirements.
The company is equally committed to health and safety.
By creating and maintaining safe and healthy working
conditions through effective on-site risk management,
Minopex maintains employee involvement in all aspects
of these crucial issues.
Minopex at your service
With service offerings tailored to meet each client’s
specific needs, Minopex provides every conceivable
aspect of minerals processing:
• asset maintenance and management
• plant process control and optimisation
• contract management and administration
• purchasing
• stores control
• training and skills development
• sub-contractor management
• health and safety
• environmental management
• waste and tailings dump management
July - August 2016
25
GPS Fleet Management
Yellow Plant Manager
GPS launches yellow plant
tracking device
GPS Tracking Solutions, a company in the Eqstra Holdings Group, has
introduced a new tracking device specifically designed for yellow plant in
the mining and construction industries.
T
he unit tracks operational hours on the equipment
which allows managers to accurately depreciate
the asset over time.
In addition, the unit regulates usage for correct billing
and assists users to manage a contract by a load-counter
and geo-fencing, supplying an accurate report on tonnage
of rock shifted per day. The unit also provides access
control features via Biometrics or Keypad to ensure only
authorized personnel operate vehicles and to maintain an
accurate time and attendance system.
The unit features a breakdown management
programme to reduce downtime on unexpected
breakdowns. In the event of a breakdown, an alert
button sends a message to the control centre allowing
for rapid response time. A specially designed mobile
app also enables the control centre to log all breakdowns
and send repair schedules to a technician’s mobile
phone for increased efficiency and improved downtime
management. In addition, accurate reporting of usage
enables managers to schedule maintenance timeously.
The GPS units have been installed in more than 1000
machines across both the Contract Mining and Plant
Leasing & Rental divisions.
“The GPS device plays a vital function in driver
management with respect to speed, braking and work
28 zone identification. Safety is the number one priority
throughout all our operations and being able to monitor
operators ensures that all road and safety regulations are
complied with,” explains Justin Colling, CEO, MCC
Contract Mining and Eqstra Plant Leasing & Rental.
After the successful testing at MCC, the unit is now
being rolled out on all plant equipment in the Eqstra
Industrial Equipment group and is available to all yellow
plant operators on a rental basis at an affordable and
competitive rate per unit, per month.
The unit complements Eqstra’s yellow plant
operational dashboard solution for mining applications.
This gathers pertinent information on a daily basis and
allows the fleet manager to analyse costs over time to get
an accurate picture of his fleet expenditure.
“It is important he looks at the bigger picture, rather
than focusing on daily operational transactions, as they
can give a skewed picture of his fleet” explains Murray
Price, managing director of Eqstra Fleet Management.
The Dashboard is compiled according to customized
fleet needs and is mainly composed of data collected from
vehicles. This data is then summarized and consolidated
into a dashboard file and usually gathers information
such as fleet utilization, maintenance management, shift
schedule performance, load moves, fuel reports, driver
July - August 2016
that monitor service scheduling. Accurate utilisation
analysis impacts on a number of factors such as the vehicle
replacement period, contract restructure, vehicle swap,
tyre replacement cycles, scheduled maintenance, etc.)
Total depreciation - Fleet managers also need to have
a report outlining the total depreciation of the vehicle,
including the operational cost accumulated throughout
the vehicle’s life. A summary of all such costs helps to
determine the full selling unit expenses. It is also vital to
ensure that the resale market can absorb the price of your
vehicle.
“It is essential to design and manage an appropriate
yellow plant operational dashboard reporting system
which shows the fleet manager the status of the fleet at any
given moment,” says Price. “It is important however to
focus on the correct data and analyse it carefully to supply
the information required.
A properly developed report
scheduling system will simplify processes and allow the
manager to maximize his fleet performance”.
“We have noticed that using such a dashboard
for yellow plant fleets results in significantly raised
performance levels and reduced costs,” he concluded.
welcomeadv.it
behaviour reports, vehicle condition reports, and financial
status (depreciation schedules, annual cost per units, etc...)
“Experience has taught us that the three most
important elements of a Dashboard include reducing fleet
operational expenses, improving load management, and
reducing vehicle depreciation.”
Eqstra offers the following tips to yellow plant fleet
managers:
Reducing fleet expenses - carry out a quarterly analysis
of performance and progress reports to spot trends in
vehicle performance and driver behaviour. Quarterly or
same quarter year on year analysis of the summarised
fleet expense report looks at the progress of all fixed fleet
expenses such as depreciation, taxes, and administration
fees, as well as variable expenses such as maintenance
costs, accident repairs, fuel expenses, etc.
Load management – plays a significant role in
improving utilisation of the asset and a quarterly analysis
of loads moves will allow the fleet manager to improve
shift schedules and plant utilisation
Vehicle depreciation plays a significant part in fleet
costs. As it impacts on the vehicle resale value, it must be
correctly calculated. When managing vehicle depreciation,
fleet managers should consider two elements, these being:
Replacement cycle - consult with the manufacturer to
understand and therefore avoid that period where normal
wear and tear could cause some form of failure. To allow for
good replacement planning, manage replacement reports
GENERAC MOBILE PRODUCTS.
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DUST CONTROL SYSTEMS
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different products for construction, industry and mining sectors,
such as mobile lighting towers, dust control systems, vacuum
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GENERATORS
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July - August 2016
29
Control is now at your fingertips
with Eqstra GPS Tracking Solutions
efm.co.za
We offer a fully integrated GPS Tracking Solution
that takes fleet management to the next level,
empowering you to monitor, track and manage
your fleet with real time information.
FLEET MANAGEMENT
For a no obligation assessment of your fleet needs,
email [email protected]
+27 11 458 7555
Sand and gravel washing in Africa
AquaCycle thickener on limestone wash plant
Connecting, adapting and
delivering
Through the presence of business development managers keeping track of
trends and local conditions in Africa, CDE Global is able to address the
specific sand and gravel washing requirements of organisations in Africa.
A
32 s you would expect, the recent downward economic
trend in the international construction and mining
industry has created the impression that it is
no longer possible to find cost effective sand and gravel
washing systems. However, the technical team from CDE
Global says it considers this situation as both a challenge
and an opportunity to create appropriate solutions to enable
organisations cope and sustain their businesses.
While, some companies that have grown phenomenally
have let complacency set in and become detached from
specific needs of their customers, as far as possible, CDE
connects to the market. That’s why it has continued to
grow as the world’s leading washing company.
In particular, CDE’s approach to business is to treat
the needs of clients in each region according to their own
merits. And Africa is no exception.
CDE’s business development managers are based in
Africa to fully understand the sand and gravel washing
requirements in the region and provide a knowledgeable
and personal service to clients. Supported by highly
experienced CDE designers and engineers, they develop
the best value-for-money washing solutions with their
customers for optimal efficiency and return on investment,
even for operations with very specific needs, such as those
running in remote locations and arid environments.
between 1mm and 300 micron in the grade and quality of
the final washed product. Another drawback is the loss of
production when settling ponds need to be cleaned on a
regular basis.
A new way forward
Whilst conventional bucket wheel washers and screw
classifiers are cheap to buy, they also lose in excess of 20%
fine sand,which leads to a lack of finer fractions of sand
Long-term Return On Investment (ROI)
Wayne Warren, CDE Business Manager for Sub-Saharan
Africa, says: “It is definitely worth looking beyond the
initial cost of the equipment to see that in the long run,
i. Best quality sand
Always striving to be abreast of trends, CDE is increasingly
witnessing a strategic shift by African quarry and mine
operators who recognise that, to gain an edge over their
competitors, they need to offer the best quality sand
to their customers. For instance, to target a better and
more profitable market segment and increase return on
investment, operators are starting to invest in more efficient
sand and gravel washing systems such as the popular CDE
EvoWash, which comes with its own electric control panel
and is pre-wired.
ii. Water efficiency
Water conservation being a major concern in Africa,
savvy customers often combine their plant with a CDE
AquaCycle, which recycles 90% of used water and runs
for as little as R3/tonne. Mobile and compact, CDE
plants, with advanced no spill transfer points, high quality
components and reduced maintenance, offer a simple, onetouch solution.
July - August 2016
bucket wheel washers and screw classifiers are actually a
money drain.
“With a modular and economical sand washing system
that requires a minimal amount of civils and provides
consistent high-quality sand in any quantities, the choice
is clear.
“If you buy the right plant for your operations,
reduced maintenance, reduced manpower, reduced slimes
management and continuous operation with water control
far outweigh any short term savings.”
After-sale services
Attentive to its clients’ needs, CDE understands that
operators may not always feel confident to be left to their
own devices once their plant has been installed. Hence, it
offers a complete after care package to customers, who
benefit from the best after-sales service in the business.
Wayne Warren continues: “For operators located
in very remote regions, we also advise stocking some
spares on site to reduce risk in case of a breakdown or
preventative maintenance actions. We have a wealth of
experience in washing applications in various types of
rock, so we are able to advise our customers on the best
recommended spares package.
“Also, as every part is built and tested at the CDE
factory before the plant is tested again and shipped to
the customers, deployment time is short with minimal
disruption to the site’s operations.”
Revolutionary ‘all-in-one’ mobile solutions
The CDE EvoWash range has revolutionised the sand and
gravel washing industry in terms of efficiency, allowing
customers to wash even the dirtiest of sands and aggregates
thanks to its pinpoint accuracy in silt and clay cut points
(usually around 75 to 63 micron).
The complementary CDE Aqua Cycle range enables
user-friendly water management on site, with a thickener
system that recirculates 90% of the waste water from the
sand/gravel washing plant immediately for reuse. As a
welcome bonus, the Aqua Cycle comes as a neat compact
solution that can easily be added on to the sand washing
plant.
Comprising an EvoWash unit and double or triple
deck rinsing screens onto one compact chassis, the CDE
M2500 was the first all-in-one washing solution to be
created, with a capacity of up to 250 tonnes per hour. Its
powerful upgrade, the M4500, with a capacity of up to 450
tonnes per hour, has recently been added to the M-Series
range.
Paying particular attention to quality, performance and
resilience, all transfer points, pumps and pipes are rubberlined for maximum wear resistance, screening media use
Isenmann high wear life PU panels and the Infinity range
features a high frequency zero-weld screen design. Each
machine is developed, made to order and tested at the CDE
factory to satisfy every requirement set out by the client.
For quarry and mine operators who wish to optimise
business opportunities, the flexibility of new sand washing
opportunities and the range of applications available to
them are set to revolutionise the African market.
Futureprospects
Nicolan Govender, CDE Regional Manager Africa,
reflects on the future of the sand and gravel washing
business: “The concrete market in Africa is screaming
for better quality sand. Currently, concrete producers
are making do with a combination of dry crusher sand
and natural river sand. “The gradings and quality of
these sands fluctuate, especially the natural river sand in
regions affected by drought. Washed sand and gravels
are consistent and enable concrete producers to steady
their mix designs and thus save on water and cement
consumption.
“Environmental pressure to stop river sand mining,
as well as increased government duties on these mining
activities will make natural river and plaster sand either
scarce or too expensive for the local market.
“The future of the African construction and mining
sector is bright as we are starting to witness an upturn in
the region’s economy. Major infrastructural projects are
currently in the pipeline and as they commence in the
near future manufactured sand is going to become more
prominent, with natural river sand resources becoming
less attractive due to taxes or availability.
“Sand and gravel washing allows you to sort and valorise
construction and demolition waste, produce rinsed
aggregates in demand for road projects and create a variety
of sands for the glass and golf industries to name just a few
applications.”
“In short”, Nicolan Govender concludes, “if as an
operator you have a washing solution that covers both
your customers’ needs for various grades of high quality
sandand gravel and your own requirements for efficient,
reliable and economical equipment providing high return
on investment, you are master of your washing destiny.
“A complete EvoWash and AquaCycle combo plant is
the only compact, integrated solution you need to lead the
African sand-washing pack!”
Wide scope of solutions
CDE Global is the leading provider of washing equipment
for quarries, mines and recycling operations on the global
market. The CDE equipment range has applications across
a wide range of materials and is delivering significant
efficiencies in the construction and recycling, mining,
specialist industrial sands and environmental sectors.
Working across 5 sectors and 8 regions CDE has been
co-creating with customers for over 20 years to deliver
collaborative, imaginative and unique processing systems.
The CDE Global Design Headquarters are in Cookstown,
Northern Ireland and the company also has offices in:
• Kolkata, India to serve the Asian market
• Sao Paulo, Brazil to serve the Latin American market
• North Carolina, USA, to serve the North American
market
• Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to serve the Middle
East market
CDE Global Business Managers are also based in South
Africa, to serve the market in Sub-Saharan Africa and in
Tunisia, to serve the North African market.
For further information on CDE Global please visit
www.cdeglobal.com
July - August 2016
33
The Perfec
EvoWash
Maximum dewatering
Unrivalled control of silt cut points
In specification sands
Maximum wear resistance
cdeglobal.com
CDE Global
@cdeglobal
ct Match
AquaCycle
Water Recovery and Management System
Recycles 90% of waste water
Increased efficiency
As little as R3/ton
African Spirit Trading 14 (Pty) Limited, Van Dykspruit Mine, South Africa
Rolling stock
Safety through
quality
Utilising quality rail-bound transport
systems is critical to improving safety in
underground mines, where there is high
incidence of accidents involving railbound equipment
I
t should be understandable why legislation in most
countries is unequivocal on the significance of utilising
rail-bound transport systems that are in perfect working
condition in underground mines. It has been established that
this contributes to improved safety levels.
An analysis of the accidents caused by rail-bound
transport systems failure in the mining environment renders
a better comprehension of the importance having efficient
rail-bound transport system.
A worrying trend
In African mining, annually, there are reports of accidents
involving rail-bound transport systems. Perhaps, the extent
becomes crystal-clear in South Africa, where statistics of
accidents are consistently recorded.
In South Africa, which has Africa’s most sophisticated
mining industry, or at least advanced, haulage and transport
accidents have been identified as the second largest category
of accidents, according to a report from the Commission of
Inquiry into Safety and Health in the Mining Industry.
Regrettably, the South African Mines' Reportable
Accident Statistical System (SAMRASS) highlights:“Rail
bound transport contributed approximately 8% of all
reportable accidents during the period 1 January 2003
to 31 December 2012. Of the 3 125 rail bound reportable
accidents, 145 persons lost their lives.”This is documented
under the Mine Health and Safety Act 29 of 1996, Guidelines
for a mandatory code of practice for underground rail bound
equipment.
The mine’s obligation
Under the MHSA, the employer of every mine is obliged to
compile a Code of Practice (COP) for minimum standards,
which, if properly implemented and complied with, would
improve the health and safety of persons using or affected
by rail bound transport and equipment.
There are minimum performance standards of rail-bound
underground transport systems, which include the design
that would be appropriate for a mine’s specific requirements.
Clearly, there is an obligation for mines to invest in
Rail-Bound Equipment (RBE) of the best possible quality
to ensure safety in the underground mining environment
amongst other requirements. So, it is vital for mines to
engage OEMs with a track record in the field to ensure that
product failure, which could have been forestalled, does not
lead to disaster.
SMT Scharf provides complete solutions for the transport of men,
material and equipment.
Simply Reliable,
And Safe.
36 SMT Scharf Africa Pty. Ltd.
5 VIKING WAY
AIRPORT PARK EXT 2
GERMISTON
Telephone: +27 11 708 0515
Fax:
+27 11 708 6944
[email protected]
www.smtscharf.com
July - August 2016
Sasol’s small business development
A winning approach
The small and medium enterprises (SME) sector is viewed as the engine for economic
growth in South Africa. However, there is a growing concern that most small businesses
might fail to realise their potential due to obstacles such as lack of access to capital, lack
of critical business management skills and regulatory bottlenecks. It is clear that current
interventions from the business sector are not sufficient. African Mining Brief finds out how
Sasol, on its part, is addressing this challenge, from the organisation’s Vice President of
Social Investment, Justice Magagula.
W
orryingly, there has been a consistent increase in
high unemployment and widening gap between
the rich and poor in South Africa, as recent
information from Statistics SA indicates. To some degree,
this may be attributed to the comparably lower level of
entrepreneurial activity in our country. It is for this reason
that Sasol believes that there is a case for big business to
collaborate with government on initiatives that could
stimulate the required economic growth necessary to create
jobs and business opportunities particularly for SMEs. And
one of the solutions that the organisation has identified is the
provision of enabling support to SMEs, so says Sasol Vice
President: Social Investment Justice Magagula.
Beyond compliance
In its approach, Sasol decided to position its involvement
in the SME sector development beyond mere compliance
with the Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD)
element of the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment
(B-BBEE) codes ofgood practice (“the codes”), points out
Magagula. “The ultimate aim of ESD interventions should
never be about ticking the compliance box in the so as to
be on the right side of legislation something we regard
as not helping the cause of building a sustainable small
business sector in our country. Thus, the objective of our
ESD interventions is to build the capacity, capabilities and
enable access to markets for SMEs that in turn contribute
to the socio-economic development of the communities in
which they do reside. ”
Enterprise and Supplier Developmenta
business imperative
The Sasol ESD function is the organisation’s response to
the urgent need for a practical shift in small and medium
enterprise development. It has been deliberately structured
to bring to life Sasol’s commitment to the socio-economic
development of the communities in which the organisation
operates, in particular.
“We view the development of entrepreneurs, as one of
the most effective ways of stimulating economic growth,
economic transformation and the creation of much needed
jobs in our communities. We do regard a growing SME)
sector as vital for broadening economic participation
and delivering on our country’s economic development
objectives.”
Through the Enterprise and Supplier Development, the
organisation also aims to diversify its supplier pool.
Tailor-made SME support interventions
Another aspect about Sasol’s ESD is that SME support
interventions are largely tailor-made to the specific business.
“After thorough research, we realised that most entrepreneurs
had difficulty in translating generic business development
solutions into value adding interventions in their businesses.
As a result we we package our support interventions for each
business within our ESD programme based on its maturity
level and the particular sector in which it operates.
Thus, the organisation’s approach to ESD is to nurture,
July - August 2016
37
has disbursed over R90 million in loan funding. Our goal
is to substantially grow the Fund in the next few years in
order to provide support to more SMEs to ensure their
sustainability, says Magagula, “The organisation’s main
concern is beyond growing its loan book however more
about ensuring that robust small businesses are created
and grown to “big business” status...”
Sasol Management breaking the ground for the development of Eco-Industrial Park in
Sasolburg
grow and sustain SMs by providing technical and business
development support, through mentoring and coaching.
Funding
In addition, cognisant that one of the impediments to
the growth and development of small businesses is
the difficulty in accessing capital and the cost thereof.
Through the Sasol Siyakha Enterprise and Supplier
Development Fund (“Sasol Siyakha”), Sasol provides its
black SME suppliers with loan funding to bolster their
sustainability and create an enabling environment for them
to thrive. Since its establishment in 2008, Sasol Siyakha
38 Enabling business infrastructure
Above and beyond, Sasol is striving to provide access to
enabling business infrastructure and facilities. Currently,
it is developing the 172-hectare Eco-Industrial Park in
Sasolburg, where serviced stands are sold to businesses..In
addition, within the Industrial Park, Sasol in collaboration
with the Department of Trade and Industry has developed
the Sasol Business Incubator where over 20 SME’s some
in the manufacturing and professional services sectors
are being incubated and supported through the process of
commercialising their products and services.
Measuring success?
Large investments are being made in ESD initiatives, but
is there evidence of progress amongst the targeted small
businesses? Magagula tells African Mining Brief, the
continued survival of the SME’s being supported through
Sasol’s ESD interventions is one way of determining
success however the organisations is in the process of
establishing baselines and embedding Key Performance
Indicators to be able to clearly measure in particular the
outcomes and impact of its ESD programme.
July - August 2016
Capital projects quality assurance
The pursuit of meticulous Implementation
By exclusively focusing on the bigger picture, which is completion, mining companies disregard the finer
details vital to a capital project’s success, which are factors impacting onthe quality of delivery.
J
ust like in the oil and gas sectors, typically, there is a high risk
attached to delivering large scale mining projects. Principally, as
an analysis from Ernst & Young precisely puts it, this is down
to “the scale, complexity and uncertainty” inevitably involved. And
as the mining companies are facing probably the most trying phase
in recent history, with their resources overstretched, the way they
manage projects will determine the long-term sustainability of their
operations. For this reason, if they have taking sound capital project
quality assurance half-heartedly, they better up their game as the level
of risk has heightened, so are stakes of not delivering as expected.
In African countries (and indeed globally), there are number of
risks which are easily overlooked which can cause failure in capital
projects, with catastrophic financial and reputational consequences.
The eight deadly ‘sins’
Project management specialists have identified a number of possible
causes of poor delivery in capital projects. A document producedby
KPMG in 2013, titled: Avoiding Major Project Failure – Turning
Black Swans into White, presents the risks lucidly, condensing them
into eightmain categories.
1 Scoping issues
This is where the scope of the project does not fully address the
organisation’s business requirements.
2. Inexperienced or unqualified project team
The project team can be short ofappropriate skills and expertise to
manage the project.
3. Poor estimating
Project estimates can be incomplete or insufficiently detailed for
budgeting.
4. Lack of integrated budgeting and planning
Project business requirements are not aligned with budget and
execution plan.
5. Incomplete and fluid design
Construction commences based on an incomplete design and project
scope is continually in flux.
6. Lack of proactive risk management
Project risks are not fully understood or vetted prior to project
approval.
7. Unrealistic schedules
Project delays during planning and approval result in compressed
schedule milestones and unrealistic completion targets set by
management.
8.
Insufficient
tools
&
project
management
infrastructure
Projects tools and infrastructure are not set up to effectively plan,
deliver, track and report performance. Strikingly, both reports from
Enrst and Young and KPMG suggest the main cause is the failure
to recognise or sheer negligence of isolating the function of capital
project assurance as an obligation that needs a dedicated expertise.
Currently, erroneously, mining companies assume that capital
risk management is a function audit committee can adequately
handle as part of their other roles. The reality is that the range of
risks as indicated are too diverse and it is foolhardy to expect their
audit committees to have oversight over a project from inception to
commissioning.
As KPMG emphasises in another paper, Mining Risk and
Assurance – A Survival Strategy: “Risk and assurance is too important
to be left to audit committees alone, as these bodies have neither the
depth of knowledge nor the resources to oversee the entire business.”
Instead, proposes KPMG, “by extending responsibility to more
specialised board subcommittees such as investment, sustainability,
leadership can gain far more confidence in its risk management”.
Indisputably, there is a strong business case for mining companies
to be more diligent in capital project risk management if they are to
survive the commodities price slump and beyond. In fact, they should
accord risk management in capital projects with the same urgency as
they do in other operations.
Taking everything into account, to ensure that they get as much
value as they possibly can a comprehensive integrated assurance
strategy and framework should be developed, in addition to effective
monitoring of risk and assurance. Interestingly, Ernst and Young’s
report How value assurance drives successful delivery of oil and
gas capital projects corroborates this fact: “The identification of
significant generic risks (i.e. potentially applying to all projects)
enable the establishment of relevant controls and associated control
deliverables.”
July - August 2016
39
Online Auctions for Mine Equipment in Africa
Online Auctions for Mine Assets
A better Future for Surplus
G
lobally, mining productivity has decreased by 29%
over the last decade- The global mining industry is
under severe economic pressure and some mines are
scaling or closing down, thus leaving them with huge surplus
or redundant mine equipment to dispose.
Since most operations are taking place in remote
locations, online auction platforms have become the single
biggest medium for trading various mining assets.
Golndustry DoveBid SA (Pty) Ltd, the African
representative of GoIndustry DoveBid, a wholly owned
subsidiary of Liquidity Services Inc. listed on the NASDAQ
(LQDT), brings extensive global experience in selling a wide
range of mining assets online for some of the largest mining
companies in the world.
Online auction platforms provide various benefits over
the traditional auction platforms. The platform allows
buyers to bid at convenient times in the comfort of their
homes, offices, etc. as the bidding is open for three days;
the process is transparent, it prevents collusion by bidders
(eliminates auction rings); and the clients are able to view the
products that are coming up, so that they are better prepared,
explains John Cowing, Managing Director for GoIndustry
DoveBid SA.
In addition, online platforms have allowed for wider
participation from local to international buyers, bringing
more bidders to each auction whilst cutting down the
marketing costs and processes, the seller is able to place
reserves on each lot therefore protecting the value in the
asset. Most importantly the records cannot be manipulated
and are easy to audit, as well as providing good tracking
systems to audit the entire sales process.
This innovation has led to the growth of the sector
globally, and GoIndustry DoveBid SA, providing a range
of services such as the Asset disposal; Asset valuation,
Warehousing and storage facilities, has contributed to the
growth of the industry in South Africa since its introduction
in 2000.
GoIndustry DoveBid SA held it’s first online auction
in South Africa in 2004.” All our work is Project Managed
by highly experienced individuals who are experts in their
field, Our International Online Auction facility makes for
an efficient, convenient selling and purchase process for
both buyers and sellers, whether it’s for a single piece of
equipment or a whole production line or fleet of assets, adds
John Cowing.
GoIndustry DoveBid SA online auction
experience provides a number of benefits:
•
•
•
•
•
They have a global experience in selling a range of
mining assets for some of the largest mining companies
in the world.
They know how to sell assets regardless of the market
conditions: they have experience in selling the full range
of mining assets during growth and downturn periods.
Their global footprint allows us to access worldwide
buyers; they can look outside the regional buyer market
to increase sales realization.
They can sell at scale- numerous recent auctions in this
sector have seen total sales proceeds in the region of
R40 million to R60 million.
They have the capital to buy assets to expedite the
process; they can buy large groups of industrial assets
at any scale.
•
Their process are robust, resilient and open to scrutiny.
Their pre and post-sale reporting is unrivalled.
In addition, the company has ran disposal programmes
for mining clients in South Africa such as Glencore, Blue
Chip Mining, Esor, Kumba Iron Ore, BHP Energy Coal,
Optimum Coal Central Rand Gold, Anglo Gold Ashanti,
Exxaro, Assmang and many others.
GoIndustrty Dovebids experience is not limited to
mining assets. They have extensive experience in selling
assets for Government assets and SOE’s. Over 500 million
Rand has been raised for Transnet in the past 6 years, and
480 million Rand realization of assets sold for Telkom
over the last 3 years using the online auction process. The
company has a number of on-going contracts / SLA’s with
Transnet, Telkom, Government Garage, City of Cape Town
to sale their assets online.
Marketing your assets
GoIndustry DoveBid leverages a wide range of marketing
strategies to maximize recovery for surplus assets. For
instance, email marketing, inventory listing services,
social media, search engine optimization, search engine
marketing, site merchandising, print marketing, trade show
marketing and public relations.
Major upcoming Mining Online Auctions
• Glencore - Over 2500 lots of underground mining
machinery, drill rigs, roof bolters, load haul dumpers,
reef dozers, articulated dump trucks, equipment,
•
consumable stores and vehicles will be sold over two
online auctions. 14th June & 23rd June 2016.
Tau Mining - Online auction of heavy mining surface
vehicles including Cat 777, Cat 785B dump trucks.
15th June 2016.
Whilst the market to dispose of assets is difficult in today’s
mining sector, online auctions allow mines to covert underutilized assets into cash. Buyers from around the world
participate in these sales taking advantage of the Rands
recent devaluation. In recent sales we have seen buyer
activity coming from Europe, The USA and South East
Asia.
About Liquidity Services
Liquidity Services (NASDAQ: LQDT) is a global solution
provider in the reverse supply chain with the world’s largest
marketplace for business surplus. We partner with global
Fortune 1000 corporations, middle market companies, and
government agencies to intelligently transform surplus
assets and inventory from a burden into a liquid opportunity
that fuels the achievement of strategic goals. Our superior
service, unmatched scale, and ability to deliver results
enable us to forge trusted, long-term relationships with
over 8,000 clients worldwide. With nearly $6 billion in
completed transactions, and approximately 3 million buyers
in almost 200 countries and territories, we are the proven
leader in delivering smart surplus solutions. Let us build a
better future for your surplus.
GoIndustry DoveBid SA
1st Floor Silverberg Terrace, Steenberg Office Park
Tokai, 7945, Cape Town, South Africa
Tel : +27 21 702 3206
[email protected] / Visit us at LiquidityServices.com.
Liquid storage tanks
Heavyweight storage handiness
Over and above being toughened to handle the rigours of the rugged mining environment, liquid
storage tanks have to meet safety and environmental requirements
W
hy is there such a fuss about such
a seemingly inconsequential
obligation as proper liquid storage
in mining, one might ask? In point of fact,
this shouldn’t be surprising at all. There
are two valid cases why mining companies
have to make proper management and
storage of water, chemicals and other liquids,
amongst one of their top priorities. First,
to comply with safety and environmental
regulations, and second to improve their
level of productivity, which is reflected in
the bottom-line.
i.Being on the right side of the
law
Following amendments, rules and regulations
in different countries have left no room for
lapses in compliance with the expected
standards of safety and the environment.
Perhaps in Africa, the countries which have
a clearly defined policies in this area South
Africa and Botswana. In South Africa, in
particular, the issue of acid mine drainage has
hogged the limelight as the Department of
Mineral Resources cracks the whip on culprits.
As a team of experts from Environmental
Resource Management, an organisation that
specialises in environmental contamination
remediation, told African Mining Brief in
an interview on hydrocarbon remediation
recently, at stake is not a hefty fine with
possible revocation of operating licences,
but also the reputation which the company
has laboured to build over decadescan be
irreparably tarnished for chemical or waste
water spills into the environment. So, using
liquid storage tanks for proper storage and
management is or should be obligatory.
ii.Productivity
If there is a time when mining companies have
to be more frugal in the way they manage
resources it is now when their operationsare
facing effects of low commodity prices.
And one of the areas in which this applies
is in storage and management of liquids on
mine sites, which are needed for different
applications in mining processes.
Specifically, there are a numerous ways
in which sound management and storage
of liquid tanks can contribute to improving
productivity on mine sites countrywide.
Most importantly, it brings convenience on
mine sites through reducing the burden and
cost of transportation. As a result, liquids
are available for various applications when
needed on time. This factor contributes to
improving the level of productivity on a mine
site.
What are they for?
On mining sites, storage of liquids is required
in many areas. The common areas being in
the processing operations, water treatment
facilities, workers camps, workshops and
general buildings on site. Liquid tanks are as
different as their applications are.
For instance, overflow facilities might
be needed for contaminated water, bunded
storage for chemical storage, clean water
storage facilities might not have same
requirements for environmental and safety
protection.
This means there are different types and
configurations of storage tanks which can be
designed and built for specific applications.
The material used depends on the end-user’s
choice (in this context a mine’s), steel,
polyethylene, composite, or reinforced with
various materials.
When asked for the process involved
between placing an order for a liquid storage
and commissioning by African Mining Brief,
five companies mention steps listed below,
albeit with slight variations in terms used in
Liquid storage tanks are requisite on every mine site in Africa
42 some cases.
i. Assessing customer requirements
The manufacturer has to find out where the
tank is needed - if it is for water treatment
what kind of impurities they are, or if it is for
chemicals the temperature or chemicals to be
stored.
ii.Pipes and other garnishes to
be connected
The manufacturer has to find what kind of
pipes and how they are to be connected to the
tank, over and above the type of processing
equipment required.
iii. Installations and services
Ongoing servicing and installation issues
have to be addressed, specifically,how and
what kind of processing equipment needs to
be connected.
iv. Compliance matters
The design has to ensure compliance with
standard safety and engineering requirements.
v.Time, time, time
What’s the use of delivering a quality product
six months behind schedule? Mines need
storage tanks to ensure as minimal as possible
interruption to processes. Hence, planning
the time frame of delivery is critical.
Vi. D is for delivery
A storage tank has to be delivered on a site
on time. The manufacturer has to make prior
arrangements with the customer on the mode
of delivery. In most cases, prefabricated
mode is most feasible, hence more preferred
in terms of convenience.
Precision critical
Specific to the mining environment, heavy
duty liquid storage tanks are requisite. An
error in design could increase the risk to the
operations. For instance, using a different
chemical grade for a tank other than for
which it is recommended could be risky,
most likely causing spilling which pollutes
the environment. A similar consideration
should be made to the fittings attached to the
storage tanks.
An opportunity not a threat
All in all, commodities price slump has
dampened the once buoyant spirit in the
mining sector, as contracts have been put on
ice and budgets have been scaled down. On
the flipside, it this opens up opportunities
for discerning manufacturers to rise to the
occasion by providing solutions that enable
mines navigate the current conditions.
July - August 2016
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Shiftwork solutions
Unlocking the key benefits of optimizing
your roster
Newton Mthethwa from African Mining Brief speaks to Andrew Harding, Managing
Director for Shiftwork SolutionsAfrica, about the impact of optimised employee rosters
when compared to sub-optimal rosters for mines and their employees.
O
ptimised rosters will bring a number
of benefits to both the employer
and employees; such as increased
productivity, quality and operating capacity;
reduced labour idle time; reduced overtime;
improved employee workand time off
patterns; improved employee health,safety
and alertness; as well as meeting the
regulatory requirements, explains Andrew
Harding.
The impact of your roster affects more
of your business performance than most
managers expect. Mining organisation’s
roster needs and challenges vary.Our process
includes identifying and evaluating three
key areas – business needs, employee needs
and health and safety. This should be done
in partnership with all the stakeholders,
including employees, unions and managers,
adds Andrew Harding.
The first step in the implementation of an
effective roster is to understand the business
requirements. In addition to investigating
productivity, - workload, staffing levels,
utilisation of key equipment, absenteeism,
safety, overtime, employee benefits and the
actual cost of an hour of work should not be
ignored.
“It is imperative that we meet directly
with all employees on their shifts in order
to get a buy in. We engage with employees
by asking a number of questions related
to the employee preferences, ideal shifts,
commuting times to and from work etc. as
well as explaining why change is needed. If
a roster is designed so that employees can
also benefit optimally, moral is also likely to
improve”, notes Andrew Harding.
After designing a new optimised roster, it
is critical that before it goes live, it is placed
on a trial period, allowing management and
employees to evaluate, discuss and assess
the new roster before being amended or
adopted. It is also imperative that before
implementing the roster, to plan and prepare
for these changes in advance to facilitate
smooth implementation, as most workers
dread change.
It is important for any organisation
before selecting a vendor, to look for
aspecialist with a proven track record in
identifying and implementing roster change,
who understands the industry very well, have
repeat business or referrals, for instance the
Shiftwork Solutions team has many years
of practical shiftwork experience and many
more years of experience in solving roster
issues.
“We are able to design and facilitate real
workplace changes, driving projects through
to implementation as well as providing
ongoing support. We comeback after a year
to evaluate the solution provided, to see
whether the envisaged benefits are being
realised- check with employees on how
they are coping on the new roster and make
any fine tunes that may be required”, states
Andrew Harding,
He further states that, it takes us 12- 16
weeks to work with all the stakeholders
involved in the organisation to complete
the process. Shiftwork Solutions has the
experience in working with underground and
open-cast mines across Africa, Australia,
Asia and North America. Some of the
organisations that have given us repeat
business includes Anglo American, Rio Tinto,
Acacia Mining, BHP Billiton,Newmont
Mining, Glencore, etc.
“Our optimised rosters have provided
spin offs for productivity, efficiency,
happy employees, and the impact of these
improvements on a mine’s bottom line is
impressive. Working with us, companies have
consistently achieved year on year business
benefits that are more than five times greater
than our once of fees”, concludes Andrew
Harding.
Liqhobong Diamond Mine Project, Lesotho
Firestone Diamond’s flagship project
set to contribute significantly on Lesotho’s GDP
T
he mining sector is increasingly becoming a significant player
in Lesbotho’s economic performance, and the construction of
Liqhobong Diamond Mine is set to contribute significantly on
Lesotho’s GDP.
Liqhobong jointly owned by Liqhobong Mining development
Company (LMDC), a company owned by Firestone Diamonds (75%)
and the Kingdom of Lesotho(25%) is located at the head of the
Liqhobong Valley in the Maluti Mountains of northern Lesotho.
The mine is considered to be the world’s third biggest undeveloped
kimberlite resource, based on the contained carats. As of September
2015, it was estimated to contain probable reserves of 36.04 million
tonnes (Mt) of ore, graded at 26ct/100t, containing 9.523 million
carats of diamond.
The combined indicated and inferred resources are estimated to
be 83.42Mt, graded at 28ct/ 100t, containing 23.08 million carats of
diamond.
The funding of Firestone’s flagship project is through equity and
debt, and the strategic investors included the Pacific Road Resource
Fund and the Resource Capital Fund. The total investment is estimated
to reach $185.4m. Absa provided $82.4 m debt facility, while the
project benefited a $30 m Eurobond (Series A) debt. The review of
the project’s financial model was performed by Operis on behalf of
both Firestone Diamonds and Absa.
The construction program for the project commenced at the
beginning of July 2014 whereby all major contractors were concluded
and signed, and the main contractors were mobilized to site to
commence the initial infrastructure development.
As of March 2016 the project was 72% complete, and thus on
track to achieve initial production by the close of 2016. The project
scope entailed the construction of a residue storage facility (RSF),
a waste rock dump, mine offices and accommodation blocks. In
addition, a new 5km access road, the power grid connection facilities,
and earthworks that was completed in September 2015. The project
also involves the decommissioning and dismantling of the pilot plant
at the site.
Liqhobong is a straight-forward open-pit mine that will be fully
mechanized. Up to 60% of the total resource will be mined using the
open-pit mining method, incorporating three stripping cuts, while the
remaining resource is expected to be mined employing either a fourth
cut in the open-pit or through an underground operation.
The main treatment plant will comprise two 250t an hour trains,
which will treat 3.6 Mt of ore and producing more than 1.1 million
carats a year of diamond. It will integrate a simple scrubbing,
screening, crushing and concentrate design.
In addition, the processing plant incorporates combined jaw and
cone crushers, scrubbing and conventional screening, coarse and
fine dense medium separation and final concentration using X-ray
fluorescence technology.
The continued support of the Lesotho Government in granting the
required specialist skills work permits necessary for the short term
contractors, has impacted positively on the project being on schedule
to achieve the initial production during the close of 2016.
Firestone is also pleased to report that the grid power project
had been completed on budget and ahead of schedule, and has been
connected to the national grid.
July - August 2016
45
LiqhobongProject
National & Overseas got involved with the Liqhobong Mine in 2001, when we constructed an Accommodation Block in the early stages of the Mine’s development. In 2008 /
2009 we were approached by DRA to provide assistance with the early designs and
costing of the Accommodation Buildings. In early 2014, we were invited to tender for the
Design, Construction and Erection of the various Buildings for the Liqhobong Mine
Expansion Project. We were awarded the tender in July 2014, due to our extended
knowledge of the conditions in Lesotho, our superior product and our highly competitive
prices. The Contract was signed in September 2014 and construction started middle
February 2015.The first units were handed over in March 2015.
Giving back to Lesotho:
National & Overseas employed 55 local Basotho Labourers on the Project across the
various disciplines of the erection of a Modular Building. 4 Basotho Labourers were promoted to Modular Erectors and are currently employed at our Companies’ other Project
at Letseng Diamond Mine in Lesotho. 21 Workers have found work with a Lesotho based
Construction Company, due to the skills developed on the Project.
National & Overseas Experience in Lesotho:
National & Overseas have been involved on many Projects in Lesotho over the past 20
years. This experience has allowed us to design our product to the conditions experienced in Lesotho. We would like to thank DRA and Firestone Diamonds and in particular
Mr Bruce Souter and Mr Ernest du Plessis for the opportunity and assistance in making
the Project a success
.
For any additional information on this Project or on our Companies products contact
Mr Rademeyer Ferreira at +27 83 305 8897
National & Overseas Modular Construction (Pty) Ltd
Office Number : +27.51.4342371 Fax Number : +27.51.4354948 Web: www.noversea.co.za
Water management
Mine Water Management
Finding a balance between meeting regulatory compliance and cost savings involves
innovative thinking.
W
ater plays a critical role in most mining and extractive
processes, responsible water use is a critical business
issue that affects the ability of individual mines to
establish, operate and close. The mining industry’s use of and
impacts on water can result in a range of environmental, social
and economic risks.
The activities of the mining sector all over the world have
resulted in serious environmental consequences, notably in
respect of poor environmental and water management, for
instance the Acid mine drainage (AMD) - contaminated water
in the Witwatersrand basin, South Africa which is a result of
gold mine operations over the last century, which has a serious
impact on the livelihood of the surrounding environments if left
unresolved.
The threat posed by Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) is
severe, not only to the surrounding residential and agricultural
communities who rely on the rivers as a source of portable water
and irrigation, but also, potentially, to the Sterkfontein.
In order to comply with regulations and ensure that the
quality of water leaving mines sites is not adversely affecting
water users downstream, mining companies develop water
management plans to minimize the potential for water
contamination, and to prevent the release of polluted water
into the surrounding environment. Surrounding surface and
groundwater quality is monitored, and a number of treatment
processes can be used to ensure mine water meets regulatory
standards prior to being discharged.
Water is carefully managed to prevent the release of
contaminated water into the environment. The control techniques
deployed can avert the potential for water contamination as well
as minimizing the volume of water requiring treatment.
The control techniques include; recycling water used for
processing ore; capturing drainage water from precipitation at the
mine site through the use of liners and pipes, directing the water
to tailings dams in order to prevent potentially contaminated
water from entering groundwater; intercepting and diverting
surface water from entering the mine site; allowing the water to
evaporate in ponds to reduce the volume of contaminated water;
as well as installing liners and covers on waste rock and ore
piles to reduce the potential for contact with precipitation and
contamination of groundwater.
However, some sites will require a combination of different
techniques. For instance, the interception and diversion of
surface water is a more prominent concern in environments with
high rates of precipitation.
Water treatment technologies
The treatment technology used to treat polluted water depends
on how polluted the water is, what chemicals need to be
removed, how much water requires treatment, and the required
discharge water standards. Different technologies are available
on the market that can be used to clean contaminated water, and
these can be defined as either passive or active.
Active water treatment is the most common form of water
treatment at working mines. Mine waters are often acidic,
and require the addition of lime, limestone, or caustic soda to
raise the pH. Once the pH has been elevated, dissolved metals
precipitate out of solution and sink to the bottom of settling or
sedimentation ponds, where they can be removed. Chemicals
known as coagulants or flocculants may be added in order to
combine smaller particles into larger clumps which settle out of
the water more quickly.
Passive water treatment is usually combined with monitoring
programs, and takes advantage of natural physical, chemical, and
biological processes that remove water contaminates without
additional physical or chemical inputs. However, use of passive
water treatment technology is still being modified in order to be
more applicable in the mining industry because of the challenge
of treating highly acidic waters.
Every case differs, water management solutions may need to
be implemented long after a mine has closed. Therefore planned
water discharges from mines into the receiving environment
need to be carefully planned, monitored and controlled to
ensure compliance with regulations and to minimize impact to
receiving waters.
PRODUCTS & SERVICES
DUST SUPPRESSION
FlowCentric Mining Technology supply’s various
environmentally friendly & biodegradable dust
suppression products for hauler & pit roads.
Specialised Services Include:
• Full dust management services & products
• Dust canons for dust suppression
WASTEWATER TECHNOLOGY
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48 Desalinisation
Wastewater Evaporation
Chemical Treatment
Demineralisation
Self-Cleaning Automatic Backwash Filters
Patented R/O technology
July - August 2016
Routing and Scheduling
The Benefits of Simulation
O
ver and above traditional routing and scheduling
tools for organised vehicle fleets, data analysis
and simulation is increasingly usedfor specific
routing and scheduling problems faced in the mining
industry.
Any mine with a high volume ofof truck movements
, can benefit significantly from simulation and other
scheduling activities that reduce vehicle queues and
idle time: either through improvingcurrent operations
or modifying the layout of mines and plants during the
design stage.
As an example, OPSI Systems helped a mine situated
in Namibia with the internal layout of their facilities to
reduce bottlenecks created by expected vehicle deliveries
to the plant. As Namibian legislation is particularly strict
in protection of its surrounding flora and fauna, road
infrastructure tends to be limited in protected areas and
shared by both tourist and commercial traffic, and they
were concerned with potentially long vehicle queues
leading into and out of the plant.
This plant was serviced by a number of providers from
South Africa and the ports in Namibia which converged on
a single road leading in and out of the facility. It was also
situated in an area renowned for the Welwitschia plant, a
Jurassic holdover with specimens that date back almost
2000 years, and the Namibian authorities were concerned
about the increase in carbon dioxide emissions on the
routes indicated. By modelling active components in the
system as agents (for example, the loading bays and the
vehicles), and have them move through a discrete series
of events (such as vehicle arrival at site, current location
at time x) in a discrete simulation, OPSI Systems was able
to determine the exact layout of the plant and number of
loading bays required to reduce sleep-outs and vehicle
queues leading into the plant.
Simulation also comes with other benefits: it allows
client to modify component parts of the system – whether
it was the actions taken or the rules governing their
behaviour within the simulation – and to assess the impact
of interventions. For example, it was determined that the
offloading bay and weighbridge design was sufficient in
all but one bay for processing a particular corrosive liquid.
This one bay, however, had a long offloading time
per vehicle (45 minutes) and resulted in huge backup
within the plant. The addition of a second offloading bay
completely alleviated the build-up of traffic within the
plant.
OPSI Systems provides routing and scheduling
software for standard vehicle deliveries in addition to
custom software solutions for unique scheduling scenarios.
Contact us to learn more about how we can assist you with
your mining requirements.
July - August 2016
49
ADVERTISER'S INDEX
Altron............................................................18
Opsi system...................................................47
BMG.............................................................20
PMSA............................................................9
CDE Global...................................................32
Q-muzik........................................................14
CMS Cepcor.................................................16
Rainbow resevoir..........................................41
Eqstra Fleet...................................................28
ER 24............................................................13
Flow centric..................................................46
Generac.........................................................27
Intri-health.....................................................15
Reunko..........................................................36
Saab grintek..................................................11
Shiftwork solutions.......................................42
SMT Scharf...................................................34
IQS................................................................37
Stab a Load...................................................22
Liqhobong.....................................................44
Voltex............................................................IBC
Microstep......................................................21
Online auction...............................................38
Minopex........................................................24
IPAD.............................................................OBC
To advertise with us:
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or contact your nearest agency for more information.
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