Capital Equipment News September 2016

AFRICA’S DEAL-CENTRIC PLATFORM

E xhibitions are valuable for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and equipment owners alike, be- cause they allow businesses to meet the people that matter to them in one place, in- cluding existing customers, new prospects, suppliers, investors and key decision mak- ers in the targeted industries. For African mining, construction and indus- trial sectors, there is no such better platform than Electra Mining Africa; it is a great plat- form to learn of newer technologies that, in most cases, are predominantly upgrades or radical redesigns of what is currently avail- able in the market. Scheduled for 12-16 September 2016 at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa, this year’s Electra Mining will see a total of 850 local and international ex- hibitors showcasing their products, services, technologies and trends. PDS in the limelight Following the recent promulgation of legislation compelling the mandatory use of proximity detection systems on South Africa’s opencast mines, including quarries, one of the technologies likely to be in the limelight will be the Proximity Detection System (PDS). Prior to the promulgation of the legislation, there were about four

New products are at all times at the centre of every trade fair. OEMs are targeting this year’s Electra Mining Africa as the perfect launch pad for their new offerings, while fleet owners are embracing it as a platform to shop around for their equipment and technological needs in one place, writes Munesu Shoko .

ty. It also affords easy access to information for production reporting. Lourens says there has definitely been an increased interest in Booyco Electronics’ PDS technology following the promulgation of the legislation in South Africa. However, he be- lieves that there is still need to educate end users about the differences between tech- nologies available in the market. “When it comes to something as critical as the safety of people, there is need to be sure that the system applied is fit for a particular purpose, reliable and will perform in accordance with the prescribed performance parameters,” adds Lourens. Lourens believes Electra Mining is a per- fect platform for the company to engage the African mining fraternity and showcase the capabilities of Booyco Electronics’ PDS of- fering. He is of the view that South African miners and their SADC counterparts, to some extent, have gone down the PDS road further

suppliers of PDS technology in South Africa. To date, in excess of 40 suppliers are vying for a share of this market. Among the leading manufacturers of PDS technology is local supplier Booyco Electronics. Managing director Anton Lourens tells Capital Equipment News that one of the major highlights at the company’s Electra Mining stand will be its PPS for surface operations, which is an enhancement to the Booyco PDS which is already considered to be a leading system for underground mining operations. “Following further development, the system now includes GPS, providing a fit-for-purpose solution for surface operations,” says Lourens. “Visitors to the Booyco Electronics stand at Electra Mining Africa 2016 will also be able to have a look at our BEAMS offering, an asset management system that allows ac- curate real time management of data,” adds Lourens. The technology allows operations to actively monitor assets and enhance safe-

CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS SEPTEMBER 2016 20