First Mining Drc-Zambia Jan/Feb 2020

CENTRAL AFRICA'S PREMIER BUSINESS TO BUSINESS MINING MAGAZINE

VOL 13 | ISSUE 1 | January - February 2020

African Mining Indaba Bigger, Better & Bolder for 2020

In this issue...

Anglo determined to enter fertiliser space with polyhalite Pg 06

The countdown to DRC Mining Week 2020 has started…Pg 16

Renewables to become the new normal at remote mines Pg 22

Introducing the SuperStack® Wet Sizing Screen Up to 3X the capacity of the 5-Deck Stack Sizer® Derrick® has once again redefined high capacity, fine particle wet screening with the introduction of the SuperStack®. With 8 decks operating in parallel and a 35% increase in the effective width of each deck, the SuperStack has a demonstrated capacity equivalent to 2½ to 3 times that of its precursor, the 5-Deck Stack Sizer®. All this added capacity comes with only a slight increase in the space required per machine, significantly reducing CAPEX and OPEX for any screening installation.

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CONTENTS NEWS

04

PRODUCTS

EVENTS

FQM to invest millions in Zambia’s copper mine

PROFILE

Heavy Duty applications

18

28

10

24

Mesh and screening surfaces in mining

How to choose the right servo coupling

FEATURE

DPM monitoring system

Real time moisture analysis in mining

2

30

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CENTRAL AFRICA'S PREMIER BUSINESS TO BUSINESS MINING MAGAZINE

Editor Bertha M. bertham@fmdrc-zambia

VOL 13 | ISSUE 1 | January - February 2020

Sub-Editor Nita Karume

urces

& resource industry & thermal solutions.

ledge

TEAM

African Mining Indaba Bigger, Better & Bolder for 2020

nts

In this issue...

Anglo determined to enter fertiliser space with polyhalite Pg 06

The countdown to DRC Mining Week 2020 has started…Pg 16

Renewables to become the new normal at remote mines Pg 22

Contributing Writer Oscar Nkala, Mfuneko Jack Lindani Mkhize Caroline Thomas

www.annexuswa.com

COVER STORY: PG 12 African Mining Indaba

Bigger, better & bolder for 2020 Building on a hugely successful 2019 edition, this February, Investing in African Mining Indaba will be packed with rich content and exciting sessions to bring the entire mining value chain together. www.fmdrc-zambia.com

Sales and Marketing Victor Ndlovu victorn@fmdrc-zambia.com +27 11 044 8986 Isabel Isiziwe isabelsiziwe@gmail.com zambia@fmdrc-zambi.com +260 96 187 4888 Advertising Consultants Meshack Ndzendevu Polite Mkhize Gladmore Ndhlovu Leslie Nyembe Production Coordinator Kholwani Dube kholwani@fmdrc-zambia.com Graphic Design and Layout Irene Faith Omudho Art Director Augustine Ombwa Arobia Creative Consultancy austin@arobia.co.ke

EDITOR’S COMMENT Happy New Year!!!!

F

irst Mining DRC-Zambia kicks off 2020 laden with expectations especially for the upcoming African Mining Indaba!

This issue is paying an ode to the 2020 Mining Indaba which is set not only to be the best yet, but is Bigger, Bolder and Better. This year, the premiere mining event holds promise to deliver on: More space to allow for even more junior miners and investors. Among the usual dignitaries, this year will also host not one but two Presidents. That, and much more are in store.

Catch the latest news across Africa, from promising investments in Angola’s Kitungo mine and Kanshanshi copper mine in Zambia, to a whopping 117 carat diamond discovery from Lulo mine in Angola.

The new wave of technology has influenced different industries and mining is no different. Manufacturers are now looking on coming up with efficient equipment for heavy duty applications, and FMDRC is here to highlight some of these equipment.

We begin this year with a renewed purpose to bringing you the best and current information pertaining to mining in and across Africa.

Nita Karume

Published By Mailing Times Media Circulation/Sales info@fmdrc-zambia.com sales@fmdrc-zambia.com +27 11 044 8986

Mailing Times Media (Pty) Ltd makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the contents of its publications, but no warranty is made as to such accuracy and no responsibility will be borne by the publisher for the consequences of actions based on information so published. Further, opinions expressed are not necessarily shared by Mailing Times Media (Pty) Ltd

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NEWS

Comanganês to invest US $17m in Angola’s Cassala Kitungo mine exploration of diamonds, iron ore and phosphates.

According to local media reports, the numbers show that seven proposals were focused on phosphate mining in Cácata, in Cabinda province, which has an area of 21,16 square kilometres, as well as Lucunga, in Zaire province, an area of 171 square kilometres, for which three proposals were received.

C

omanganês is looking to invest US $17m in the Cassala Kitungo mine located in Angola’s Kwanza Norte province.The company’s Managing Director Miguel Neto said that the concession’s potential is yet to be fully determined and that initially

iron ore would be extracted and, later, derivative products, in the concession that covers an area of 7,750 square kilometres. A total of 17 proposals were announced back in 19th December 2019 after proposals were opened for the first international tender for mining right for

The proposals, which are from competitors from Angola, Australia, Switzerland and the United States, were presented via email to the Ministry for Mineral Resources and Oil by Wednesday, 18 December.

The chairman of the tender’s Assessment Commission Mankenda Ambroise, when opening the proposals, said the aim was to grant the mining rights to the successful proposals on 24 April 2020.

FQM mulls over investing US $1Bn in Zambia’s Kansanshi copper mine

F

irst Quantum Minerals Ltd. is considering a US $1Bn investment in Zambia’s Kansanshi copper mine. The funds, according to media reports, will go towards lifting output at the mine.

The investment will go a long way in adding a decade of life and head off production declines at the Kansanshi copper mine. This, in turn, will increase annual production to 300,000 tonnes over time from an expected 235,000 tonnes last year.

However, and according to analysts and miners with knowledge of the country, securing board approval, which would be needed over the coming year, is likely

approval without significant changes to Zambia’s tax regime.

The possible investment comes at a time when the Canadian-listed company is entangled with Zambian state miner ZCCM-IH over profits from the mine that have been set aside for the project.

ZCCM-IH owns 20% of Kansanshi Mining PLC, with First Quantum holding the balance. to be complicated by disputes between miners and the Zambian government over taxes and assets.

According to media reports, these plans will be presented to the company’s board this year, but the project is unlikely to win

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Over the period of December 2019, First Quantum began arbitration proceedings against ZCCM-IH following a criminal complaint made by the state miner to Zambian police over a transfer by Kansanshi Mining to a First Quantum subsidiary.

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NEWS

Bezant Resources gets extension on the Buffalo exploration project in Zambia receive a conditional option to acquire a 50% interest in a licence number that includes the Buffalo exploration project.

Further, and as part of the original terms of this option agreement, Bezant was also required to complete an initial assessment of the licence area for US $200,000 by February this year.

According to media reports, the initial assessment has been now extended until this April in order to enable the progression of the ongoing assessment of the exploration project.

B

ezant Resources has acquired an extension on the Buffalo exploration project in Zambia. This will be added to the initial expenditure phase for its conditional option to buy a 50% stake in a copper mining licence area, which includes the project.

DOC_I_SRBZZ_AP1_GBa - NTN-SNR © 12/2019 - Photos: NTN-SNR / PEDRO STUDIO PHOTO / SHUTTERSTOCK -

Located in the Central Zambian iron oxide copper-gold (IOCG) belt, the 398ha

copper-gold deposit is approximately 300km north-west of Lusaka. In the first quarter of 2019, Bezant signed a memorandum of agreement with KPZ International for the option over an interest in the small-scale copper mining licence. A released statement elaborated that under this agreement, the UK-based copper-gold exploration and development company would

Bezant Resources executive chairman Colin Bird said that the extension will allow Bezant to fully understand the geological structure as well as mineral potential in an area, which has produced promising copper results and indicated the presence of other base metals.

The development company completed a review of the Buffalo project in July 2019.

The review, which was carried out by the company’s geological survey team, discovered a structural zone centred on a site of artisanal copper/gold mining activity within the Buffalo open pit.

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With You

09/01/2020 14:03

5

NEWS

Anglo determined to enter fertiliser space with polyhalite

“

Anglo American is keen to enter the fertiliser space by acquiring an underground polyhalite mining project in North Yorkshire, UK, on which more than $1-billion has already been spent on physical development.The focus area of 750 km2 is both onshore and offshore.

Sirius Minerals, the London-listed developer of the project, has secured the required approvals and mineral rights for the mine, which has a design capacity 20-million tonnes a year of multi-nutrient, low chloride polyhalite, a fertiliser mineral currently mined in small volumes, but one which potash analyst Humphrey Knight writes has accumulated “significant interest”.

Mr Stephen Pearce, Anglo FD said during a conference call that Anglo had approached Sirius, the developer of the project, with a possible offer of 5.5 pence per Sirius share, which put Sirius’ entire share capital at “just a touch over $500-million”.

Pearce recounted that the Sirius board had stated that it expected to be able to recommend a firm offer at this price,

subject to the safeguarding of employees and other stakeholder interests. Anglo has until February 5 to make the offer.

Prior to Anglo’s approach, Sirius was drawing close to the final stages of capital raising for the project to mine the hydrated potassium, sulphur, magnesium and calcium evaporite mineral.

“This asset clearly has the potential to be a tier-one asset in terms of scale, resource life, operating cost profile and the nature and premium quality of its product,” said Pearce.

Described as the world’s largest known high-grade polyhalite deposit, the resource totals 2.69-billion tonnes, the reserve 290-million tonnes and the grade 88.8%.

The orebody is as thick as 50 m in parts, averages 25 m and lends itself to bulk underground mining. The project is calculated to have the potential to operate at a 50%-plus earnings margin. Pearce stated that Anglo intended to update the project’s development timeline, optimise the mine design and ensure its appropriate integration.

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“As we all know, fertilising is one of the most effective ways of improving crop yields on the limited additional land available for agricultural use,” he said.

Poly4, the trademark name given to the product, can be used as a cost-effective alternative to traditional potassiumbearing minerals products, Pearce emphasised, in addition to pointing out that integration into Anglo would: provide mine-to-market capabilities; help to progress the project over time in the interests of Sirius’ broader stakeholders; and reinforce the quality of the Anglo portfolio.

“We think it’s well placed to progress,” he said of the project, which a conference participant described as looking “dead in the water” before Christmas.

“This is almost the ideal time. You very rarely get an opportunity to come across a tier-one asset and secure it in this way,” Pearce responded.

Anglo presents its full results in February.

www.fmdrc-Zambia.com

Leading suppliers of Chemical Raw Materials and Mechanical Engineering products Massive Quantum (Pty) Ltd is a Level 1 B-BBEE South African based company, established in November 2012.

Massive Quantum supplies a wide range of speciality and commodity chemicals to various industries in South Africa and internationally. Industries such as Oil & Gas, Mining, Energy, Water & Steel. We also supply quality equipment, parts and instrumentation for production processes.

We source products across the globe and have a trusted network of reliable product suppliers and manufacturers.

Our major focus is the import, export and international trade of our products.

Some of our key products are:

MECHANICAL & ENGINEERING:

CHEMICALS: • Phosphoric Acid; Sulphur • Ion Exchange Resin • Aluminium Sulphate • Hydrochloric Acid • Activated Carbon • Sodium Chloride • Hydrated Lime • Ferric Chloride

• EDTA • SMBS • Soda Ash • Flocculants • Caustic Lye • Chlorine Gas • Sulphuric Acid

• Mobile Transformer Oil Purifiers • Pump and Pump Spares • Hoses and Accessories • Grinding Media • Instrumentation • Limit Switches • Pneumatics • Flow Meters

What we can do for you:

• Seals • Valves • Drones • Fittings • O-Rings • Bearings • Actuators • Couplings

• Imports and exports • We offer competitive pricing • Source, Procure Supply scarce/rare chemicals • Deliver to your site via road, sea, air or rail freight • Ensure exceptional service levels are met at all times • Ensure the highest quality products are supplied consistently and according to specifications

info@massq.co.za| contact no: +27 21 761 7042 220 Ottery Road, Ottery, Cape Town, South Africa, 7800

www.massq.co.za

NEWS

117-carat diamond discovered from Lulo mine in Angola

A

117-carat diamond was recovered from the Lulo alluvial mine in Angola.

Lucapa Diamond Company, the Australian-listed firm that operates the mine in joint venture with the Angolan government said that the recovery represents a positive start for Lulo in 2020. This, they further added, is as the firm continues with the rolling out of their plans to increase production and revenues in the new year.

According to MD of Lucapa Diamond Stephen Wetherall, the gem-quality 117 carat stone is the fourteenth 100 carat or larger diamond recovered to date from Lulo by Lucapa and its partners and the first for 2020. The media reports indicate that the 117 carat diamond is among the ‘specials’- a description used for

diamonds with a weight of 10.8 carats or higher – recovered recently from Mining Block 19 of Lulo alluvial mine.

Mining Block 19 is located between the prolific Mining Blocks 6 and 8, which have together produced 12 +100 carat diamonds.

In November 2019, Lucapa Diamond said it was in advanced discussions with the Angolan government to lift its stake the Lulo exploration joint venture to above 50% from the firm’s current 39% holding.

Discussions were held between Angola’s mineral resources and petroleum ministry and the national diamond company, Endiama, which owns a controlling 51%

stake in the Lulo joint venture that holds a kimberlite exploration licence for the 3,000km² Lulo diamond concession in Angola.

In addition to the shares owned by Lucapa and Endiama, a local firm, Rosas & Petalas, owns a 10% share in the joint venture holding the mining licence area.

Lucapa reported a record quarterly production for the three months leading to-September with the best numbers ever recorded flowing from its Mothae mine in Lesotho.

Red Metal Mining Commisions 20MVA Transformers at South African Coal Mine Johannesburg-based project engineering firm, Red Metal Mining (RMM), is currently completing the installation of two 20MVA transformers at one of South-Africa’s largest coal mines.

This project also includes the network integration of both transformers (where it is required to run in parallel with the existing transformers on site), as well as the testing and commissioning of the substation protection system.

A total of eight 20MVA transformers will be delivered, installed and commissioned, and at this time RMM has successfully commissioned one 20MVA transformer, and is in the preparation phase of the next installation - where one of the main incoming transformers to the mine will be replaced. +27 (0)11 794 9845 tech@redmetal.co.za www.redmetal.co.za

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www.fmdrc-Zambia.com

With DWD Drilling DRC’s Elephants bigger (and deeper) are better for mine dewatering! ____________________________________________________________________________________ DWD Drilling (DRC) is a DRC registered company based in Lubumbashi and a subsidiary of the Botswana based, DWD Group. DWD Drilling DRC focuses on specialised drilling operations with purpose-designed and built equipment directed at large diameter, deep, high volume and high yield, vertical and horizontal dewatering wells and, large diameter, deep, directional coring. The DWD Group operates a fleet of equipment ranging from Schramm TX 130 rigs to purpose built Elephant drill rigs capable of servicing a full spectrum of our clients’ needs from greenfields exploration through to brownfields resource expansion programmes. Qualified and competent personnel form an strong base of knowledge and experience in various fields of expertise allowing DWD Drilling (DRC) to offer clients a solid and unique partnership and service.

The DWD Group through DWD Engineering an ISO 9001:2015 accredited company has designed and built proprietary drill rigs inclusive of the Buffalo multipurpose drills and Rhino blast-hole and horizontal dewatering rigs while also developing equipment in anticipation of the growing gas and oil discoveries, worldwide. DWD Engineering operates from our facility in Rasesa (Botswana) with a focus on drill rigs, structural steel, hydraulics, service and repairs of vehicles and support equipment. The group has and continues to operate across the SADC region inclusive of Botswana, DRC, South Africa, Angola, Zambia and Mozambique.

DWD Drilling (DRC) operates two Elephant drill rigs in the DRC and successfully completed the first DRC dewatering drilling contract (20” and 24” holes to depths of 350m) at Frontier Mine in early 2017. A dewatering contract at MMG Kinsevere Mine and a further contract at Frontier Mine are being serviced at present. In 2015 a 24” hole to 600m was completed at 20” to 754m at the Lubambe Mine in Zambia.

DWD Drilling (DRC) is also willing to deploy horizontal secondary in-pit dewatering technology to the DRC and / or Zambia for dewatering and side-wall stress relief purposes by means of 6 ½” horizontal boreholes and 4 ½” slotted casing installation to depths of 350m, subject to demand.

Enquiries regarding the group or drilling operations can be directed at: Rudie de Wet (Director – DWD Group)

+267 713 00 166

email: rudie@dwddrilling.com

Dannis Sumbu (General Manager - DWD Drilling DRC) +243 842 281 348

email: dsumbu@hotmail.com

Corne van Rooyen (Ops.Manager – DRC / Zambia)

email: corne@dwddrilling.com

+243 896 766 985

PRODUCT

Heavyduty Applications McCloskey 628RE trommel screeners

H

PE Africa’s comprehensive range of McCloskey crushing and screening equipment includes mobile 628RE trommel screeners, designed for flexibility and high efficiency in heavy-duty applications.

McCloskey 628RE trommel screeners which are available as wheeled units, or with a hydraulic raise/lower track bogie system – can be fitted with numerous drum and feeder options, to suit specific requirements.

“Apart from achieving high-production rates of more than 200 TPH in topsoil and sticky materials and over 300 TPH in sand and gravel, enhanced safety has been an important factor in the design of these machines,” says Rasheel Sukdhoe, McCloskey product manager, HPE Africa, part of the Capital Equipment Group (CEG) of Invicta Holdings Limited.

“Safety features include external belt alignment and grease points, sirens, engine shutdown systems and emergency stops, as well as full safety guarding for nip points. Another advantage of this system is the fast-onsite set-up time of less than ten minutes.

“McCloskey International makes a substantial investment in research

McCloskey 628RE trommel screeners - which are available from HPE Africa as wheeled units, or with a hydraulic raise/lower track bogie system – can be fitted with numerous drum and feeder options, to suit specific requirements. and development of all equipment and continually improves design features to meet exact customer requirements and to ensure the highest quality endproducts.”

McCloskey 628RE trommel screeners, with a screening area of 34,5 m² and drum size of 1,83 m x 8,53 m, are fitted

with a 130kW engine and a 1 210-litre diesel tank. The remote-controlled radial fines conveyor has a 160° swing and a variable discharge height for maximum stockpiling flexibility. The maximum radial stockpile height is 5,13 m.

The heavy-duty oversize conveyor at the end of the trommel offers adjustable speed and a maximum stockpile height of 3,08 m. Other features include a 5 m³ hopper, user-friendly groundlevel adjustable brushes for minimal downtime and an intuitive, icon-based user interface, which allows all functions to be easily controlled and closely monitored.

HPE Africa is the sole distributor in Southern Africa for Hyundai Construction Equipment, as well as McCloskey crushing and screening units and Soosan hydraulic hammers. The company offers a technical support service, as well as a spare parts, maintenance and repair facility throughout the country.

For further information Lani van der Watt, Marketing Manager HPE Africa, Capital Equipment Group (CEG), Invicta Holdings Limited Email: lani.vdwatt@hpeafrica.co.za | Telephone (011) 397 4670 Web: www.hpeafrica.co.za

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PRODUCT

SANY excavators are ideal for arduous mining applications

E

xcavators from SANY, distributed locally by Goscor Earthmoving (GEM), are ideal for arduous mining applications such as iron ore, chrome, and manganese, GEM Sales Consultant Murray Leith comments.

“These are strong, reliable machines with simplified electronic components giving you minimal downtime,” Leith adds. GEM also has qualified service technicians in all major mining areas.

An example of GEM’s recent successes in these mining segments include supplying two SANY SY335 medium excavators to a chrome mining contractor in Limpopo. In the Northern Cape, the Kathu branch is heavily involved with major mining houses for their manganese operations.

In tough operating conditions, equipment must be highly, which is where SANY’s philosophy of using only world-class components like Isuzu engines and Kawasaki hydraulics comes into its own.

With an emphasis on cost-effectiveness, the SANY SY335C medium excavator features an auto deceleration system that reduces fuel consumption by 5% to 10%.

When an operation stops for 3.5 seconds, the engine speed drops automatically to idle level, and maintains this idling state.

The strengthened structure makes it an efficient and robust machine for a range

of applications. The dual-pump, dualcircuit constant power control system means that the Isuzu engine outputs a continuously strong operating force.

Other excavators in the range include the 50 t SY500H and the 76 t SY750, both with greater breakout forces and digging depths for larger mining operations. Additional features to boost productivity include bigger buckets and increased engine power.

Commenting on the current state of the mining industry, Leith highlights the growth in contract mining with a high number of new entrants. “We have found that there has been an increase in mining activities, as seen in increased sales over the past few months.”

This is particularly encouraging given the slow state of the economy, combined with the reluctance of banks to finance yellow metal.

“However, we are able to assist contractors in this regard by having access to our own inhouse finance, which has proved to be a major differentiator for us,” Leith concludes.

www.fmdrc-Zambia.com

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EVENT

Bigger, better & bolder for 2020 F

or over 25 years, Investing in African Mining Indaba has been the go-to event shaping Africa’s mining future. Building on a hugely successful 2019 edition, this February, Investing in African Mining Indaba will be packed with rich content and exciting sessions to bring the entire mining value chain together.

employing CTOs and CIOs, we look at the importance of these positions in fostering a culture of innovation in the workplace, whilst looking at pioneering technologies already available and discuss what is blocking greater investment into technology across the industry.

Attracting more junior, mid-tier and major mining companies, more investors and as always, the largest gathering of mining Ministers in Africa. We’ve got no plans of slowing down for 2020. Meet everybody who’s anybody, from the world’s biggest industry giants to tomorrow’s barrierbreaking disruptors, everyone who is anyone is here for you to connect with and learn from – transforming the trajectory of your business.

General Counsel Forum – NEW

Your deal-making is unrivalled at Mining Indaba

Battery Metals Day – back by popular demand!

For 2020, the intelligent business matchmaking platform has undergone significant development, as well as our expanded Investor Relations team to increase your deal-making potential and meeting your next business partner just got even easier.

In addition to unrivalled networking opportunities, Investing in African Mining Indaba 2020 offers an unmissable lineup of sessions to discuss the most prevalent issues and drive the industry forward.

Key discussions will be taking place across 8 content streams, here are just some of the must-attend features this February .

Mining 2050 – extended to two full days!

With only 25% of top mining companies

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The GC Forum is dedicated to discussing the key regional and global legal trends facing mining lawyers working in Africa.

‘A Legal Indaba’ provides a platform for the mining lawyer community to connect and discuss the growing expectations placed on the mining GC by the board and investors in response to regional trends and global policy reforms.

Taking place as part of the Junior Mining Forum, the Battery Metals Day will provide a key platform for discussing issues surrounding the rising global demand for battery metals and how Africa’s mineral can continue to meet demand.

Main stage

The main stage will host unmissable pioneering discussions, interviews and presentations with mining’s most senior stakeholders from across the value chain focussing on optimising growth and investment in the digitised mining economy.

Junior Mining Forum

Find out what is driving investment decisions within the African mining market?

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for all your

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EVENT

President of the Republic of Sierra Leone to attend Mining Indaba 2020

T

he President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Brig. Rtd. Julius Maada Wonie Bio, is confirmed to attend the 2020 Investing in African Mining Indaba, taking place in Cape Town from 3 – 6 February 2020. President Bio was elected as the 5th President of the Republic of Sierra Leone in May 2018 and is popularly referred to as the “Father of Democracy” because of his contribution towards the restoration of democracy and attainment of peace in the country.

Sierra Leone has large reserves of diamonds, iron ore, rutile and bauxite as well as small-scale artisanal mining of gold and diamonds. The country possesses one of the largest rutile reserves in the world. Whilst mining contributes about 20% to the national GDP, it is said to account for around three quarters of the country’s exports.

Prudent management of natural resources is a stated pillar of the national Agenda for Prosperity, and there is a strong commitment to using the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) as a tool to bring reforms that will attract much-needed investment in Sierra Leone.

As part of their drive to attract investment, Sierra Leone will be exhibiting at Mining Indaba and their delegation will

Sierra Leone will be exhibiting at Mining Indaba and their delegation will also include the Minister of Mineral Resources, Hon. Foday Rado Yokie who will be presenting a country case study - “The new direction for Sierra Leone’s mining sector” also include the Minister of Mineral Resources, Hon. Foday Rado Yokie who will be presenting a country case study - “The new direction for Sierra Leone’s mining sector” - where he will be reporting on the recently completed airborne geophysical survey and the achievements that the country has made in formalising the artisanal mining sector which has not only benefitted local communities, and women in particular, with a source of income but also the economy as a whole.

Minister Yokie will also be participating in the West Africa panel discussion as part of the Intergovernmental Summit on Wednesday at Mining Indaba.

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President Bio’s vision for the future of Sierra Leone is underpinned by his belief that the key to economic development lies in the investment in human capital - 20% of the national budget supports free, quality education, and women admitted to university to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics receive a full scholarship.

“We will have a healthier, better educated and highly skilled young population fit for the 21st century global economy, and that will lead and drive the country’s national development. They will be wellequipped to deploy science, technology and innovation which in term will attract investment.” Explains President Bio. “The theme for Investing in African Mining Indaba 2020 is Optimising Growth and Investment in the Digitised Mining Economy – and His Excellency Julius Maada Wonie Bio is the new generation African leader recognising that innovation and technology with drive mining investment on the continent.” comments Tom Quinn, Head of Content for Mining Indaba.

The programme content for 2020 is geared towards exploring the key drivers of investment decisions within the African mining market and forging the future direction of the African mining industry. The Ministerial

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F I N A L CH A N C E TO RE G I S T E R !

10% OFF FOR FIRST MINING DRCZAMBIE READERS USE CODE: FIRST10

03-06 February 2020

CTICC, Cape Town

HEAR FROM THE LARGEST NUMBER OF SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS HEADS OF STATES CONFIRMED:

H.E. Julius Maada Wonie Bio President Republic of Sierra Leone

H.E.Felix Tshisekedi President Democratic Republic of the Congo

Unmatched by any other mining event, Mining Indaba is the chosen event by Presidents and Ministers to address the industry on new policies and regulation updates.

3 5 + M I N I S T E R S CO N F I R M E D S O FA R I N C LU D I N G :

Hon. Gwede Mantashe Minister of Mineral Resources South Africa

Hon. Willy Kitobo Samsoni Minister of Mines Democratic Republic of the Congo

Hon. Aissatou Sophie Gladima Minister of Mines and Geology Senegal

Hon. Mohamed Abdel Vettah Minister of Petroleum, Energy & Mines Mauritania

Hon. Winston Chitando Minister of Mines and Mining Development Zimbabwe

Hon. Richard Musukwa Minister of Mining Zambia

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EVENT

All roads that lead to Lubumbashi are paved with copper, cobalt and gold The countdown to DRC Mining Week 2020 has started…

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RC remains a fascinating business destination with its boundless resources and vast spaces. Lubumbashi is still talking about the “June invasion” with the almost 5000 participants at this year’s DRC Mining Week, which marked the record breaking 15th anniversary of this pre-eminent mining exhibition and conference on the Copperbelt.

“DRC Mining Week is a great platform to showcase capabilities in the mining and metals space” says Amedeo Anniciello, CEO: Standard Bank, DRC, which is returning to the 2020 edition of the event as the Diamond Plus sponsor. He adds: “at Standard Bank, Africa is our home and we drive its growth. At DRC we believe in the potential of the country and mining as a core to support this great economy.

DRC Mining Week thus provides a unique platform to engage and dialogue on the best ways to develop this great nation through mining. Standard Bank supports DRC Mining Week.”

“It was clear from this year’s sold out, packed conference and exhibition that the interest in this country and its mining potential is just growing exponentially every year” says event director Elodie Delagneau.

“The 2020 edition therefore will be bigger in expo space but we will also make sure that we take our lead from the industry with a programme that is relevant and sector-focused, not only deep-diving into the challenges but also showcasing success stories and giving every opportunity for mining operators and suppliers to meet and talk business. We are also grateful for the DRC’s Ministry of Mines’ high-level official support and presence at DRC Mining Week.”

More than 230 sponsors and exhibitors from more than 45 countries will partner with DRC Mining Week 2020 which is taking place from 17-19 June next year.

The trend of increasing international pavilions is also expected to continue with six country pavilions, including a first dedicated Chinese pavilion, while some 1500 mining executives will attend the conference and more than 5000 visitors roam the expo. Apart from an extra focus on China, the event will also boast a dedicated session on the growing sector of battery metals, junior mining, a special focus on investment and training for ASMs and then, a definite highlight, an exclusive Women in Mining briefing.”

To be part of this long running, flagship event, contact: Event director: Elodie Delagneau elodie.delagneau@clarionevents.com Sponsorship and exhibition: Jean-Tite Oloumoussie: jeantite.oloumoussie@clarionevents.com Marketing: Caroline Plateaux caroline.plateaux@clarionevents.com Conference and workshop programmes: Audrey Bading; audrey.Bading@clarionevents.com Office telephone: +27 21 7003500 Website: http://www.drcminingweek.com

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The Clarion Events office in Africa, formerly trading as Spintelligent, is a multi-awardwinning Cape Town-based exhibition and conference producer across the continent in the infrastructure, energy and mining sectors.

CLARION EVENTS

MINING

With a track record of over 16 years, the mining portfolio offers turnkey events in Africa’s mining hotspots such as the DRC and emerging markets such as Nigeria and Rwanda with respectively: DRC Mining Week, Nigeria Mining Week and

Conferences & Exhibitions Print and Digital Media

East and Central Africa Mining Forum. The portfolio is supplemented by the key industry publication: Mining Review Africa and its news portal: miningreview.com, produced by Clarion Events’ in-house media department.

EVENTS IN THE MINING SERIES: 17 - 19 June 2020

Lubumbashi, DRC

The annual meeting place for mining decision makers and stakeholders doing business on the Copperbelt

5TH ANNUAL

26 – 28 October 2020 Abuja, Nigeria

The one event shaping the Nigerian mining landscape

BOOK YOUR SPACE jeantite.oloumoussie@clarionevents.com T: +27 (0) 21 700 3508 kudakwashe.tsingano@clarionevents.com T: +27 (0) 21 700 3588 benjamin.weinheimer@clarionevents.com T: +27 (0) 21 700 3515

AFRICA

MINING FORUM KIGALI - RWANDA

November 2020 Kigali, Rwanda

Promoting investment and trade of regional minerals

www.miningreviewafrica.com

www.clarioneventsafrica.com

FEATURE

Mesh and screening surfaces in mining

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teel wire mesh is used for surface ground support in mining. The response of the mesh depends on the overall sample size, the restraint conditions and the loading. More sophisticated analysis techniques that directly model the behaviour of the mesh are required to simulate a wide range of loading configuration and boundary restraint conditions.

Stainless steel wire cloth and mesh is used as screening media in quarries and mines for cleaning, grading, washing, separating, shaking and sizing extracted ores Screening separates a flow of material into grades, which are further processed to an intermediary product or a finished product. Like many other industries, wire mesh and wire cloth are also used to prevent contamination

of unwanted materials such as tree branches, grass, metal slag and other mineral types

Increased demands on screening machines Screening machines were long neglected by plant operators, as they were thought to be less important compared to the grinding plants. Screening machines were required to be robust, wear-resistant and easy to maintain. Therefore, in the development of such machines during recent decades, almost all machine manufacturers concentrated on these key features. However, things have since began changing. On the one hand, this can be attributed to the screening machines themselves and the different construction types and operating principles of the machines or their suitability for specific applications. Alternatively, it could be due to the required increases in throughput and optimization of the grinding and screening circuits.

Screening is mainly used in the mining sector in primary and secondary crushing systems, coarse screening (scalping) in the pre-heap leaching process, fine screening and fine-grain elutriation in

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various process stages, enrichment of valuable materials, e.g. of the iron content in iron ore, grinding and screening circuits (open and closed) and screens in DMS circuits (DMS = Dense Media Separation).

Since ore grades are declining worldwide, another growing field of application is in washing plants. In this field, the variety of requirements ranging from very fine to very coarse cuts can only be covered using different screening systems. In many applications, different screening machines are combined in order to more effectively meet the growing demands.

The most common screening machines in the mining industry are linear vibrating screens and circular vibrating screens. In the case of linear vibrating screens, the entire screening unit is excited into a linear oscillation by force exciters, double- shaft drives or unbalance motor drives.

Depending on the application, the machines are designed as single-deck or multi-deck screening machines, which make use of all available screen linings of wire mesh, press welded mesh, plastic or rubber linings. Linear vibrating screens are designed with screen widths ranging to more than 5 m and screen lengths ranging to more than 12 m. Banana screens represent a special version of both linear and circular vibrating screens.

Banana screens usually have several different screen inclinations arranged in series, in order to improve the overall screening efficiency by rapid screening of the fine fraction.

Derrick Corporation was founded in 1951 to solve some of the most challenging mechanical separation needs of the Mining Industry. They boast of the first Integrated Vibratory Motor which was invented by the company’s founder and gave life to an entire line of innovative separation technology.

Metso screening media, lining, and conveyor accessories distribution strengthened with addition of L.S.W. Wear Parts Ltd.

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etso’s North American aggregates distributor community is excited to welcome L.S.W. Wear Parts Ltd. of Eastern Canada. L.S.W. is a second-generation, family-owned and operated business incorporated in 1993. The company has grown over the years to be a major supplier of aftermarket parts to the mining, construction, forestry, and energy industries.

To support their growing business and better accommodate future Metso customers, L.S.W. will be opening a new Bend & Band facility in 2020. The distributor has two current locations in Fredericton, New Brunswick, and Truro, Nova Scotia.“

Our company’s philosophy has always been quality, value, and service to our customers,” said Gregg Carr, President of L.S.W. “The Metso line of products coupled with our new bend and band facility only furthers our commitment to better facilitate solutions for existing and new clients.”

“We have found in L.S.W. a solid partner with a customer service focus,” said Jean Hebert, Vice President, Services Sales Canada at Metso. “We know that partnering with them will provide customers with added value screening solutions.’’

L.S.W. will serve Metso customers in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador beginning January 1, 2020.

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FEATURE

Holistic Approach Needed To Close Mining Gender Gap Sisi-Safety-Wear-Mine-J54-100Cotton-Boilersuit-212x300

The mining industry has traditionally been a male-dominated space, particularly with regard to heavy work and – despite many strides having been made in terms of gender inclusivity – the environment still remains a tough one for women. It must be remembered that even performing basic bodily functions still holds significantly more challenges for women miners than their male counterparts. For instance, consider that the simple task of going to the toilet can be a hardship. Often, women who work underground must walk to toilets that are up to 400 metres away from a blast site (legal requirement) just to relieve themselves.

Another challenge upon reaching the toilet is the removal of the garment.

Because women are making use of a men’s boilersuit, the only way to relieve themselves is to unzip the boiler-suit and remove it in its entirety (from top to bottom). To do this, women further need to remove other parts of their mandatory kit, such as their hard hat, safety pack and torch battery.

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he number of women working in the mining sector has increased significantly over the past 17 years, with the numbers growing from 11 400 in 2002 to over 53 100 today.

This represents about 12% of the entire mining workforce of 464 667.

However, an area that has lagged significantly in the facilitation of women’s entry into mining has been the provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), designed specifically for women miners. This can largely be attributed to a general lack of awareness within the industry, with many still considering PPE for women as being more about adding a “feminine touch” rather than addressing the practicalities of workwear that is tailored to the female anatomy.

A commonly observed trend is that many companies still procure male and/ or unisex safety wear due to a lack of understanding that the anatomy of a

women differs greatly to that of a man and, as a result, the PPE procured should reflect that. Comfort can have a profound effect on productivity, which means that ill-fitting PPE could seriously impact a wearer’s quality of work.

Another factor that affects a women’s dignity is that the colour of their underground mining boiler suit is unbleached. When women have sanitary-related accidents underground, it shows up on this colour and exposes the accident to all.

A critical consideration is thus that illfitting safety footwear and workwear leads to several issues, which include discomfort and pain, lowered productivity, absenteeism due to healthrelated problems such as urinary infections and even a psychological barrier to the work environment.

Thus, the issue of discomfort due to design, as the anatomy of a woman is different to that of a man, is a critical point that needs to be explored when considering the health and well being of female workers on the mines, as well as increased productivity.

Industrial psychologist Uma Naidoo says if one is not comfortable in their attire, in which they spend about eight hours of the day, it could lead to frustration, poor concentration, increased breaks and many other debilitating effects on productivity. She says workers who are uncomfortable in their clothing, are not functioning at their best.

To address this, a range of safety wear that challenges the status quo that one size fits all has been designed through extensive research and consultation with women in industry. This includes a ground-breaking boiler suit for women miners, which includes innovative features such as the V-flap at the back of the boiler suit to improve the ease

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with which women use ablution facilities and the inclusion of navy fabric between the hip and thigh area to save her the embarrassment of a sanitary-related accident.

Sisi-Safety-Wear-Mine-Boilersuit1024x724 Now, when going to the toilet, the top part of the boiler suit does not need to be undone or removed, due to the V-flap design in the back, This makes it easier for women to relieve themselves more regularly rather than holding it in for the greater part of the shift, compromising on their comfit and increasing the chances of a urinary infection.

The design of the boiler suit is cut according to a women’s anatomy with a narrower back area, and wider front area and shorter crotch to waist ratio than a man’s. Also, women naturally have wider hips and a more pronounced posterior, which is accommodated in the design, allowing for the elasticated waist band to rest where a women’s waist line typically is and not where a male’s waist line would be.

For above ground workers, female conti suit jackets are tailored at the back, to accommodate for a women’s narrower back, but broader at the front to accommodate for her bust area. This enables a women to move freely within her jacket without restriction when moving her arms.

than simply hiring women to make up the numbers. A holistic approach needs to be taken to address the physiological requirements of a female workforce to put women on an equal footing with their male co-workers.

To view the SISI Safety Wear Range visit https://www.sisi. co.za/safety-wear/

Trousers are also designed to have a higher waist to prevent the exposure of the back and midriff regions when bending over or raising arms. Garments designed for men often result in trousers that sit below the belly button and place pressure on caesarean scars, and expose the upper half of a women’s posterior when she bends over.

To combat this, women have tendered to wear nylon tights underneath their pants for modesty purposes. Nylon does not absorb moisture, keeping the skin damp during the day which becomes a breeding ground for bacterial and fungal infections. Furthermore, because sweat in not absorbed, the salt crystals remain on the skin, rubbing together causing chauffing. In hot, moist environments, many women contract bacterial and vaginal infections due to such undergarments.

If the mining industry is truly close the gender gap, more needs to be done

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FEATURE

Renewables to become the new normal at remote mines

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he Energy and Mines World Congress that took place in Toronto provided great insights into the recent developments of onsite renewable energy applications at remote mines. Generally, the year 2019 has been identified as the tipping point. The business case for partly substituting expensive fuel like diesel, heavy fuel oil (HFO) or gas by solar and wind had been positive on paper for years. However, actual projects have evolved slowly.

In 2019, almost a dozen new projects have been officially announced and at the same time many more projects are

under development and on the verge of being announced.

Nick Holland, CEO of Gold Fields, a mining company that is a pioneer in integrating renewables, pointed out in his keynote that costs savings are possible, and a cost-efficient decentralization of power generation enabled by renewables comes with further advantages: “Renewables make for great business – lower cost and supply security. Independence from the grid is critical – microgrids are the future!”

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Sustainability goes well beyond renewables Mining companies see the need to decarbonize and pursue initiatives that go well beyond renewables, such as electrification of mining vehicles.

These initiatives will further increase the electricity demand in mining and in the long run the need for locally generated renewable energy.

Trust in renewables has been building up over the years Miners are gaining trust in renewable energy solutions. The fear of production

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losses has been decreasing over the past years with every new renewable energy system that has been added to a mine globally.

Before, the general attitude was characterized by “wait and see”, but the mode has been changing in 2019 to “let’s act now”. The individual decision makers today run a relatively low perceived risk by driving forward renewable energy projects. The solutions that are being built now are often more sophisticated than they were before, and they incorporate a higher share of renewables that is also enabled by storage solutions.

Australia and Africa are leading the way

The epicenters of these developments are Australia and Sub-Saharan Africa, two regions having substantial areas with insufficient public grids and typically excellent solar resources. At the same time, renewable energy development also has a local driver. Though the mining sector is rather global, the word-ofmouth and political pressure on mining players to add renewables unleashes additional speed on a local level.

Shorter power purchase agreements (PPAs)

In comparison to the physical lifetime

of solar and wind assets, the lifetime of mines or the mining licenses are often rather short. In addition, miners are used to relatively short-term energy supply for diesel, HFO and gas. Long-term purchase agreements for renewable energy often require a change of thinking and have slowed down the development of many projects in the past.

More and more companies have come up with redeployable solar solutions that allow for offering short-term PPAs. On the hardware-side, the costs of redeployable solar solutions have come down significantly, but at the same time this approach is a bet on future growth of this segment. Redeployability also means that new target projects need to be available within a reasonable time period in the future. If not, the solar assets would have to be stored in warehouses until new deployment, which can prove to be costly.

Combining different renewable energy sources and energy storage

Several newly announced projects combine solar and wind power. One of the biggest disadvantages of solar and wind solutions is that they generate unsteady energy. Solar and wind output are often negatively correlated, which

means that when solar irradiation is high wind speeds are typically low, and vice versa. This phenomenon allows for increasing the renewable energy share in the system while minimizing the need for storage.

In his presentation at the Energy and Mines World Congress, Thomas Hillig, Managing Director of the consulting firm THEnergy, said that for mining companies it makes sense to consider all sustainability levers and that also hydro could experience a real renaissance: “In a research project that is supported by the German government with approximately USD 1 million, THEnergy is analyzing in collaboration with two universities, RWTH Aachen and TU München, the potential of hydro-electric solutions in the mining sector. We are still looking for mines in Peru to participate - free of any charge.”

The epicenters of these developments are Australia and Sub-Saharan Africa, two regions having substantial areas with insufficient public grids and typically excellent solar resources

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FEATURE

DPM monitoring system could change the face of mining safety in South Africa

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he South African mining industry’s focus on the health and safety of its workers makes it uniquely placed to adopt world best practice in the realtime monitoring of Diesel Particulate Matter in confined spaces.

That’s the view of an Australian businessman whose company has developed the world’s first real-time DPM monitoring system that is set to revolutionise the safety of mining operations across the world.

Brisbane-based company Pinssar has developed a low-maintenance, durable DPM monitoring system which is capable of measuring emissions in the critical sub-800 nanometre particle range.

The system has been designed to deliver reliable DPM data to management in real-time, via smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktops. It is ready for deployment in many environments, particularly underground mines, where diesel engine exhaust emissions present a serious health threat to workers.

Pinssar owner and managing director Francois Velge, who spent four years developing the ultra-low maintenance continuous DPM monitor specifically designed for harsh environments, said South Africa was a shining light in the protection of mine workers and his company’s system could enhance that even further.

“South Africa’s tripartite MOSH process, where miners, unions and regulators work together to protect mine workers, is unique and something the country’s mining industry should be proud of,” Mr Velge said.

“Globally, the new gold standard for regulator support is coming out of the UK with the release of the British Standards (BS 6164) that clearly states the dangers of diesel particle matter and the recommendation that real- time DPM should be undertaken in confined spaces.

“But I believe South Africa leads the way internationally in mining with its step-by-

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step validation process of best-in-class technology and systems designed to support the evolving DPM regulatory changes in the mining environment.

“A large number of safety initiatives are covered in the MOSH process and the industry has recently completed the process to enable the monitoring of dust and noise.

“I believe the South African mining industry is perfectly placed to consider including real-time DPM monitoring in the MOSH process and making it the gold standard for all mining operations in the country.”

Mr Velge said the real-time capabilities of Pinssar’s monitoring system meant protecting the health of workers was paramount, as it had previously not been possible to monitor DPM and sub-300 nanometre particles in real-time in harsh environments. The monitor uses laser light scattering photometry technology (LLS) and Pinssar has overcome previous issues with using the technology

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in underground environments, while delivering real-time usable data to an above-ground server.

work proactively to minimise the risk, while having supporting data to protect themselves against false claims.

“Current random spot checks via handheld monitors or personal gravimetric systems, offer some localised benefits however, because they require off-site processing and analysis of samples this creates long delays in understanding the level of the threat and makes real-time decision making impossible,” Mr Velge said.

“So, we feel very confident that ultimately both the South African workers and managers would benefit by deploying the Pinssar real-time DPM monitoring system,” he said.

“When considering real-time monitoring, we would always caution our customers to remember that while DPM is reactive and on occasion high levels will be naturally occurring on any worksite, as a direct result of the interactions between the emitting technologies and the ventilation; it’s actually not that useful to know.

“That has meant workers could be exposed to unsafe conditions for up to three weeks while conventional test results were processed.

“If unsafe conditions occur spasmodically, traditional testing normally undertaken every four weeks even more drastically increases the risk of missing significant exposure events.”

Pinssar’s monitors are being used in sites across the world, with operators reporting greater confidence in working conditions and workers feeling reassured they are working in a monitored and safer environment. Mr Velge said the South African mining industry was focused on moving away from Tier One diesel engines to the cleaner Tier Three engines and using real-time monitoring of DPM would help validate the process and offer quantitative, realtime measurements of the outcomes associated with that expenditure.

“While saving lives is the critical reason for making such a change, there are also potential cost savings associated with ensuring mine workers have a healthy and safe environment,” he said.

“The focus of our DPM monitoring is managing the effectiveness of engineering controls as well as enabling real time actions and responses to a group one carcinogenic.

“It can monitor a whole mine simultaneously and in real-time, enabling customers to move away from a reactive mode to one where they can drive a proactive approach.”

Mr Velge said he believed it was important for mining companies to understand that rather than being fearful of their DPM levels, Pinssar was specifically designed to confidentially help them by “monitoring to manage” DPM levels and trends over time.

It had the unique ability to support risk mitigation by ensuring companies understood their DPM levels and could

“It’s the time weighted averages which the regulatory bodies consider, and we highly recommend this position as instantaneous peaks have little effect on DPM shift averages or a specific time weighted average.

“Don’t be fearful – it is highly likely your DPM averages are not as bad as you think, and it’s better to know than to worry unnecessarily.

“And finally, do not collect data for data’s sake. Form a DPM committee, manage the data and test your controls, and if your strategies are not working as you hoped – pivot and drive another strategy in pursuit of a safer, healthier, more productive operation- this is the key to the value in real time DPM monitoring.

“But ultimately - “together we will save lives.”

“Providing ventilation chews up between 40% and 60 % of all electricity costs in the mining process, so there is the potential for huge savings.“ Mr Velge said an added bonus was that Pinssar’s DPM monitoring system was compatible with both Vuma 3D and Ventsim 5 ventilation simulation software, or other SCADA based control and response systems, so could provide real-time DPM monitoring alongside their existing monitoring of temperature and humidity, toxic gases and air velocity.

“The benefits of including the Pinssar monitoring systems in the South African mining industry are many,” he said.

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FEATURE

Hexagon’s MinePlan still improving with age after half a century!

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exagon is a global leader in sensor, software and autonomous solutions. The company’s mine planning software, HxGN MinePlan turns 50 this year with a raft of new features and functionality, plus improvements in performance and interface.

MinePlan 3D (MP3D) is the foundation of the mine planning suite and visualizes output from all MinePlan solutions. Its core functionality includes creating and manipulating 2D and 3D data, editing, querying, and plotting/display of all types of geology and mining data.

In the latest version of MP3D, Hexagon has added functionality to the Help menu to assist users with troubleshooting and sharing information with technical support. A log folder can be created to store log files, which can be easily found and shared. This is extremely useful for troubleshooting issues.

their drillhole traces by these attributes that are stored in the collars.

Sub-blocked models can be viewed as blocks in 3D and as filled polygons in 2D! This is a great visualizing tool that shows exactly where every sub-block is in space and allows users to set attributes to each block by the items stored in it.

Hexagon has improved its already powerful scheduling tool, MinePlan Schedule Optimizer (MPSO). Users can import their opening stockpile balances from CSV and use the Comparison Tool to compare as many MPSO projects side by side.

Performance has improved by up to 10 times using a wide array of real-life data in Hexagon’s GeoLogic solution. New

Users can also now code their drillhole sample site custom fields from solids or polygons. Geometric information can easily be stored into collar information through the Drillhole View editor. After coding, users can color

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interface functions improve the workflow, such as the ability to turn off country rock creation. Validation for data and for the user interface is a great addition to this tool.

Users can view their downhole core images directly in MinePlan Drillhole Manager with the new Image Viewer.

This tool allows you to quickly and easily revisit the visual data from the field to validate and interpret the data. Hexagon worked closely with Imago to develop a unique way to display this information for all drillhole views (including acQuire) and for 3D and 2D Views.

New hyperlink support is available and allows users to open any local or network files that are supported by Microsoft Windows (media files such as videos and images as well as documents such as Excel, Word and PDF).

Watch an overview video of all these updates at https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=exaLnG0bZZE Expect more MinePlan improvements from Hexagon during 2020.

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FEATURE

How to choose the right servo coupling

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n order to find the right clutch for a drive train some factors have to be taken into account. The required torque range, the offset and the ambient temperatures of the clutch are particularly important.

First, the required maximum torque is determined. The clutch should be selected accordingly and not permanently used with overload or in the absolute limit range. The misalignment goes hand in hand with the possible life span, since the greater the misalignment, the lower the life expectancy of the coupling. Therefore, the most accurate possible alignment is essential.

The compensable lateral offset moves in ranges of about 0.15 - 0.3mm. This also depends strongly on the number of bellows shafts. For example, a 4-shaft clutch achieves multiple possible higher offset values than a 2-shaft clutch.

Basically, however, the lateral displacement is the most important factor to be taken into consideration after the torque since it has a great effect on the possible force transmission. A high misalignment can also lead to an uneven run which can be reflected in increased wear, larger noise windings or even damage to the complete drive train.

When measuring the maximum operating temperature, it is also important to take into account the possible heat development of the machine and its components during operation.

The choice of the material of the couplings is also important in this context. The often used, light aluminum is replaced by stainless steel components at very high maximum temperatures, for example.

Once all criteria have been taken into consideration, a suitable coupling can be selected. In case of doubt, the manufacturer is happy to advise you.

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“COMPACT, LOW COST ENVIRONMENTAL AIR QUALITY MONITORING SOLUTION FOR UNDERGROUND MINES.”

Change your mine-set.

Lost Time = Lost Productivity.

Zephyr AQS™ Air Quality Station The Zephyr AQS™ is an IIoT device that accurately monitors real time environmental conditions reported back to surface via a digital Ethernet or an analog output connection to your network. Now there’s a cost-effective solution for reducing downtime and getting back to the face sooner and safer.

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FEATURE

Real time moisture analysis in mining using MoistScan moisture analyzers

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he minerals industry is understanding the benefits of onbelt microwave monitors being used to provide operators with moisture analysis of their ore every minute. For example, if plants have regular, minute by minute analysis of the moisture content of the incoming ROM, then down-stream processes may be adjusted to achieve greater efficiencies and in fact, increase yields.

One of the most common moisture monitor applications in recent times has been to monitor ore shipments as they are being loaded, so as to ensure that the moisture content is less that the transportable moisture limit (TML). TML represents the maximum safe moisture content before the shipment is at risk of toppling. Data from an onbelt moisture monitor can alert the operators of a high moisture content during the loading, who many then decide to stop the loading.

Real Time Instruments has designed, manufacture and market their MoistScan microwave moisture monitor for these purposes. Analyses are updated every minute, which, along with average values, are communicated to the plant usually via 4-20 mA current loop outputs.

Moisture is very difficult to measure accurately. Whilst the laboratory moisture measurement of a few grams of ore is accurate, sampling and preparation errors are often significant. As soon as the ore is handled, moisture is lost. As it is crushed and divided dust is lost, ie the dry fines are being lost and thereby lowering the average moisture content.

to install moisture analysers to have an understanding of the day to day moisture variability.

As an example of the benefits of having access to results every minute, operators will know and react to very wet ore. At such times, the ore becomes sticky, and may cause blockages as it cannot flow through their plant. Such blockages are a major problem. Having access to real time results means that operators are able to stop receiving ore when it is very wet.

The crushing and dividing process adds heat to the ore, which again dries and lowers the measured moisture content.

These problems are greater in heavy, dense ores like copper than in fine, light, homogenous ores. However, an onbelt moisture monitor does not suffer from these issues, providing the operators with an accurate measure of the entire ore body every minute.

RTI is aware of at least one copper plant, where, because of these sampling problems, they assume an average moisture content of their ore. Rather than using even a simple sampling system, they assume a moisture content of about 4%, even during the couple of months of extreme rain and during the long, hot dry season. They are aware that this strategy leads to errors in processing and accounting, and so they are looking

Over the last two decades the use of online moisture analysers that provide real-time data on the moisture content of the ore as it travels on a conveyor belt has become increasingly common.

Real time Instruments (RTI) is the global leader in online moisture analysis. With over 700 MoistScan analysers installed throughout the world it is the most popular online moisture analyser on the market today. In the minerals industries, the analysers are installed at strategic places including on the ROM (Run-ofMine) belt after the primary crusher, on the outfeed conveyor of an underground operation, on the feed conveyor to the beneficiation plant, on the product conveyor from the beneficiation plant, and on the train load out conveyor after the product stockpile.

Please contact Michael Edwards, RTI’s African Sales Manager, MichealE@rtiaustralia.com, to discuss your particular application.

Alpeco Limited supplies highquality fuel and liquid handling equipment across a wide range of industries We offer an extensive range of road tanker products, alongside a range of fuel and chemical handling, depot and industrial processing equipment such as flow meters, pumps, valves and loading skids and loading arms. www.alpecoltd.co.uk Email: sales@alpeco.co.uk Tel: +44 1296 619510

Alpeco is an ISO9001 Quality Assured company

FEATURE

Small Size Brush Style Conveyor Belt Cleaner

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onveyor Components Company is pleased to announce the addition of a smaller version of their popular brush style conveyor belt cleaner. The drive assembly and belt guard assembly are reduced in size from the standard heavy-duty version known as the Model BR. Brush style belt cleaners are effective on a variety of carry-back materials.

The Model SBR is an efficient way to remove fines and carry-back material from a conveyor belt. This brush action design cleans materials when other belt cleaners cannot.

The Model SBR utilizes proven brush cleaning technology. This conveyor belt cleaner uses an electric motor to drive a helical-shaped, open face brush to remove build-up from conveyor belts.

The hanger rail mounting, and oversized width allows for field customizable mounting on most conveyors. When mounted under the head pulley, the

excess material is thrown into the discharge stream. The brush is selfcleaning and will not clog or load.

Standard nylon bristles (or optional polypropylene) are durable, long lasting and easy to replace when required.

If you would like additional information on this or any other product that Conveyor Components Company offers please contact their sales department toll free at 800-233-3233, fax: 810-679-4510, e-mail: info@conveyorcomponents.com

ADVERTISER’S INDEX Agruline...........................................................................................01 Alpeco Ltd........................................................................................31 Anexus_wa....................................................................................OBC Derrick Corporation.........................................................................IFC DRC Mining Week.............................................................................17 DWD Drilling.....................................................................................09 Geokatanga......................................................................................27 Greenmined.....................................................................................13

Maestro Digital Mine........................................................................29 Massive Quantum.............................................................................07 African Mining Indaba.......................................................................15 NTN.................................................................................................05 Red Metal Mining..............................................................................08 TTV Fluval......................................................................................IBC

FMDZ is a bi-monthly magazine for mining industry incorporating, exploration, oil, power, drilling and other large scale extraction, storage, transport, Market and utilisation of Africa’s Copper Belt wealth and resources.

First Mining DRC-ZAMBIA is published 6 times per annum: Jan/Feb, Mar/Apr, May/Jun, Jul/Aug Sept/Oct and Nov/Dec.

TO ADVERTISE CALL: +27 11 044 8986 Email: sales@fmdrc-zambia.com

Affiliate publications: THE JOURNAL FOR PUMP INDUSTRY LEADERS

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Mining & Resources Annexus WA offers the mining & resource industry a range of ceramic based wear & thermal solutions.

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