Rugged Mobile Medical Systems - African Mining...

July - August 2016, Volume 10 No.4

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Liqhobong Diamond Mine, Lesotho

Infrastructure remains a hotbed for investment into Africa

Inside:Liqhobong Diamond Mine, Lesotho


Inside:

Rugged Mobile Medical SystemsRugged Mobile Medical Systems

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2 News / AssociATioN News 4 New ProducTs

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Contents July - August 2016, Volume 10 No.3

10 COVER STORYRugged Mobile Medical System

Cover picture:Mobile Field Hospitals


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The editor accepts letters and manuscripts for publication from readers all over the world. Include your name and address as a sign of good faith although you may request your name to be withheld from publication. We reserve the right to edit any material submitted .

Send your letters to: [email protected]

MANAGING EDITORRobert Barnes

COUNTRY EDITORSNigeria - Boladale Ademiju

Kenya - Francis MakariUganda - Mr. Dan Nsalasata

South Africa -Newton Mthethwa

WRITERS Jimmy Swira,

Lindsay Wagner,

GRAPHIC/WEB DESIGN Caleb Larum RoratAugustine OmbwaBonface Kimunyi

COUNTRY LIAISONThuthukile Mhlanga

Thuli Nkosi

ADVERTISING EXECUTIVESKenya:

Ken OkoreFrances 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

Malawi:Anderson Fumulani

Nigeria:Seni Bello

Ghana:Anthony Hondah, George Laing

Zimbabwe:Kenneth Mpyisi

Rwanda:Collison Lore

China:Weng Jie

Policy clarity and decisiveness needed

This 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 sector. some incentives should be introduced to cushion companies from effects of the commodities slump. Mining has been one of the biggest contributors to the country’s gross domestic product and it will certainly continue to be in the 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

Editors Note

African Mining brief is published six times a year and is circulated to members of relevant associations, governmental bodies and other personnel in the mining industry as well as suppliers of equipment, materials and services in Africa, the Middle and Far east. The editor welcomes articles and photographs for consideration. Material may not be reproduced without prior permission from the publisher.

The publisher does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or authenticity of advertisements or contributions contained in the journal. views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher.

© All rights reserved.

NEWS

4 July - August 2016

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”.

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.

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.

LOESCHE supplies vertical roller mills to cement plant in Angola

Oil and Gas centre of excellence

New custom-built Frick ammonia water chillers

World News Angola

Middle East and Africa News

Tanzania,The World Gold Council welcomes new Members

NEWS

July - August 2016 5

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 mini-grid 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.

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.

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.

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.

Policy certainty and shared value thinking in Mining Charter review

820 megawatt of power to be added into the national grid

New $130 million world-class bottling plant in Mozambique

Rwanda South Africa NewsBotswana News

Mozambique

World’s largest decentralised off-grid storage system

Mozambique Cola-13

EVENTS / NEW PRODUCTS


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.

Schneider Electric channel loyalty programme 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.

FAST-TRACK POWER A FLEXIBLE SOLUTION FOR CHALLENGES FACING MINING SECTOR

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 fire-fighting 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 product-lubricated 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. corrosion-resistant 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-to-replace standardised cartridge mechanical seals to eN 12756, the new Movitec 125 pumps are also easy to service and built to last.

Powerful new high pressure pumps

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.

A quality lubricant reduces wear rate and replacement costs of wire ropes


WATER IN MINING 2016

Africa Rail 2016

Dare: May 18-20, 2016 Venue :Hotel Grand Hyatt Santiago, Chile

Venue: Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg

Date: 28-29 June 2016

Siemens Stand

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.

Visitors at the CRRC stand

Scaw Metals stand one of the crowd favorite Scaw Metals stand

Luis Grunewaldand Sergio Castro

Andreína García andSoledad Chamorro

Javier Ordóñez and Maria MamelkinaJuan Sebastián Ossa, Ximena Echeverri, and

Laurie Reemeyer

Visitors at the Scaw Metals Stand

Miniature trains on display at the CRRC stand

ColumnInterview



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

Never 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

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

De Buys Scott, Head of Infrastructure Deal Advisory, KPMG in South Africa


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.


Shafltess screw conveyors

Tough, cost effective and convenientA 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.

As 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 materialshaft 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.

Addressing contemporary needs in numerous ways the application of shaftless screw conveyors facilitate significant cost savings and enhance productivity in various material handling requirements.

Shaftless screw conveyors


SCREW CONVEYORS

SPIRAL TECH

Tel: +27 11 578 [email protected]

12 Graniet Road, Jet Park, Boksburg

www.spiraltech.co.za

SHAFTLESS SCREWCONVEYOR SYSTEM

S

SHAFTLESS SCREWCONVEYOR SYSTEMCONVEYOR 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

1. Low operating costsGenerally, 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.

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 selectionThe 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-

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.

Shafltess screw conveyors


Most 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

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 Systemsaab’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 defence- the 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.

Rugged Mobile Medical Systemscritical in providing access to healthcare for mine employees and the host communities

Health and Safety


ER24- Providing Realhelp Realfaster24 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 serviceour 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.

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 SERVICESer24 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 on-site 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 SERVICESour 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

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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.

in 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

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

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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 after-the-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.

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.

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Expanding medical services and using technology to improve occupational healthcare in the mining sector

Mining 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 community-level 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.

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Plasma cutting technology

Why plasma makes the cutIt 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.

if 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 alternativeThankfully, 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 edgehypherm 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.

Precision is one amongst numerous plasma's comparative advantages over 'conventional' interventions


3. Cut Qualitywhat 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. SafetyThough high-pressure flammable gas and an open flame

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 CostsNoteworthy, 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.


Findings 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 orientationTo 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.

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Dock levelers

Addressing contemporary obligationsIn the current materials handling environment, there is a high preference for dock levelers that are safe, secure, energy-efficient and more productive.


There 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 experienceAs 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

downdealing 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 servicewith 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

"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

Outsourced Mineral Plants


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.

The 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

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

Yellow Plant Manager

GPS Fleet Management


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

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.

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Sand and gravel washing in Africa

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.

As 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.

A new way forwardwhilst 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

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.

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 efficiencywater 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, one-touch solution.

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,

Connecting, adapting and delivering

AquaCycle thickener on limestone wash plant


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 rubber-lined 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.

FutureprospectsNicolan 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 marketcde 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

EvoWashMaximum dewatering

Unrivalled control of silt cut points

In specification sands

Maximum wear resistance

AquaCycle Water Recovery and Management System

Recycles 90% of waste water

Increased efficiency

As little as R3/ton

The Perfect Match

cdeglobal.com

@cdeglobalCDE Global African Spirit Trading 14 (Pty) Limited, Van Dykspruit Mine, South Africa

MINING_ADVERT_FULL PAGE SPREAD.indd 5-6 09/06/2016 15:50

EvoWashMaximum dewatering

Unrivalled control of silt cut points

In specification sands

Maximum wear resistance

AquaCycle Water Recovery and Management System

Recycles 90% of waste water

Increased efficiency

As little as R3/ton

The Perfect Match

cdeglobal.com

@cdeglobalCDE Global African Spirit Trading 14 (Pty) Limited, Van Dykspruit Mine, South Africa

MINING_ADVERT_FULL PAGE SPREAD.indd 5-6 09/06/2016 15:50


Rolling stock

Safety throughqualityUtilising quality rail-bound transport systems is critical to improving safety in underground mines, where there is high incidence of accidents involving rail-bound equipment

it 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 trendin 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 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

Simply Reliable,

And Safe.

SMT Scharf provides complete solutions for the transport of men,

material and equipment.

SMT Scharf provides complete solutions for the transport of men,

material and equipment.

Simply Reliable,

And Safe.


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.

Sasol’s small business development

worryingly, 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 compliancein 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,


grow and sustain sMs by providing technical and business development support, through mentoring and coaching.

Fundingin 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

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...”

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.

Sasol Management breaking the ground for the development of Eco-Industrial Park in Sasolburg


Capital projects quality assurance

The pursuit of meticulous ImplementationBy 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.

Just 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 estimatingProject estimates can be incomplete or insufficiently detailed for budgeting. 4. Lack of integrated budgeting and planningProject 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.”

Online Auctions for Mine AssetsA better Future for SurplusGlobally, 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 assetsGoIndustry 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 under-utilized 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 ServicesLiquidity 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 SA1st Floor Silverberg Terrace, Steenberg Office Park

Tokai, 7945, Cape Town, South AfricaTel : +27 21 702 3206

[email protected] / Visit us at LiquidityServices.com.

Online Auctions for Mine Equipment in Africa

Online Auctions for Mine AssetsA better Future for SurplusGlobally, 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 assetsGoIndustry 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 under-utilized 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 ServicesLiquidity 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 SA1st Floor Silverberg Terrace, Steenberg Office Park

Tokai, 7945, Cape Town, South AfricaTel : +27 21 702 3206

[email protected] / Visit us at LiquidityServices.com.


Liquid storage tanks

Heavyweight storage handinessOver and above being toughened to handle the rigours of the rugged mining environment, liquid storage tanks have to meet safety and environmental requirements

why 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 lawFollowing 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

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 deliveryA 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 threatAll 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. Liquid storage tanks are requisite on every mine site in Africa

www.rainbowtanks.co.za

[email protected] | +27 (0)15 297 7641 | +27 (0)82 809 6516

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Unlocking the key benefits of optimizing your roster

Shiftwork solutions

optimised 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.

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.


Firestone Diamond’s flagship project set to contribute significantly on Lesotho’s GDP

The 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.

Liqhobong Diamond Mine Project, Lesotho

National & Overseas got involved with the Liqhobong Mine in 2001, when we construct-ed 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.

LiqhobongProject

National & Overseas Modular Construction (Pty) LtdOffice Number : +27.51.4342371 Fax Number : +27.51.4354948 Web: www.noversea.co.za

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 pro-moted 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 experi-enced 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 got involved with the Liqhobong Mine in 2001, when we construct-ed 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.

LiqhobongProject

National & Overseas Modular Construction (Pty) LtdOffice Number : +27.51.4342371 Fax Number : +27.51.4354948 Web: www.noversea.co.za

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 pro-moted 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 experi-enced 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


Mine Water ManagementFinding a balance between meeting regulatory compliance and cost savings involves innovative thinking.

water 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 technologiesThe 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.

Water management

PRODUCTS & SERVICESDUST SUPPRESSIONFlowCentric 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 • Desalinisation• Wastewater Evaporation• Chemical Treatment• Demineralisation • Self-Cleaning Automatic Backwash Filters• Patented R/O technology


The Benefits of Simulationover 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.

Routing and Scheduling

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