MechChem Africa November-December 2024

⎪ Products and industry news ⎪

ABB’s new service offerings for the mining industry ABB has launched a new suite of service of ferings designed to simplify maintenance and improve the operational health of crucial min ing assets. ABB’s Care framework offers proactive and preventive services that ensure operations run smoothly and efficiently. It is a robust stan dardised service framework built around ABB’s advanced services and digital technologies. With ABB Care for Mining Automation, customers will have access to a customisable set of services to select the components that best fit their needs.

technology and our industry expertise to bring performance enhancing service solutions to our customers.” ABB Care for Hoisting offers tiered service plans, designed to address chal lenges across every element of the hoist system from the powertrain to the brake systems. As standard, every plan includes remote support, guaranteed response times, annual inspections and a maintenance time bank. “Mine hoist systems are at the very of heart of many mining operations around the world,” says Björn Jonsson, Global Business Line Manager for Hoisting, ABB Process Industries. “They offer the most efficient way to transport heavy loads of ore from the depths, and must therefore operate at the highest possible levels of reliability and productivity. ABB Care for hoisting provides customers with a solution to swiftly adopt a predictive maintenance approach, enabling them to reach the world class maintenance standard established by ABB, and keep these crucial components operating with minimal availability loss,” he concludes. www.abb.com

Today, the mining industry is under immense pressure to meet production demands while navigating a complex landscape of rising costs, talent shortages and the urgency to meet sus tainability commitments. With productivity as one of the top priorities on every major mining organisation’s agenda, minimising downtime is crucial. Traditional approaches to maintenance often rely on reacting to issues after they occur, whereas shifting to a proactive approach not only prevents availability loss but also enhances the overall efficiency and longevity of systems. This was recently reinforced by the findings from ABB’s World Class Maintenance Standard for mine hoists study. Customers with proactive maintenance strategies had on average, 15% higher hoist availability than those primarily using reactive maintenance.

These services cover everything from alarm management and cybersecurity to lifecycle management and loop performance. “We know that every mine is different and that’s why we’ve created ABB Care for Mining Automation, so that our customers can choose the right service solutions for them,” says Max Luedtke, Global Business Line Manager for Mining, ABB Process Industries. “ABB delivered its first automation system for a mine in 1975. With over 1 200 control systems delivered to date, shaped by partner ships with some of the world’s largest mining organisations, we make the best use automation

SKF unleashes lubrication innovation

The SKF TLGB 21 battery-driven grease gun is ideal for efficiently lubricating bearings and machines in industrial, manufacturing agricultural and construction sectors.

Eddie Martens, SKF Product Manager MaPro, explains: “Under-lubrication can potentially cause premature bearing failure, while over-lubrication of bearings, especial ly in fast-moving equipment like electric mo tors, can result in excess lubricant damaging seals and generating high temperatures, significantly shortening lubricant lifespan and/or causing machines to break down. Moreover, under- and over-lubrication can lead to contaminants getting into the sys tem. The result of both unwanted scenarios is that downtime goes up, production goes down and operational costs soar!” Capable of delivering pressures of up to 700 bar, the TLGB 21 grease gun features an adjustable two-speed high and low volume

flow rate that allows for precise lubrication tailored to the customer's specific applica tion requirements. The TLGB 21 boasts durable ergonomics to ensure maximum operator comfort and ease of use. A built-in LED light illuminates the work area for easy location of grease fit tings in low-light conditions while the unit’s lightweight design with optimised balance, coupled with a convenient four-point stand, further facilitate ease of use. The TLGB 21 battery-driven grease gun is supplied in a convenient easy-to-store and use carry case for containing the grease tube assembly, lithium-ion battery, battery charger and lubrication hose. www.skf.com

SKF has introduced a innovative TLGB 21 battery-driven grease gun that optimises lubrication efficiency and reduces costs by seamlessly combining advanced technology with a smart, rugged design. Engineered for exceptional performance, the robust TLGB 21 is ideal for the efficient lubrication of bearings and machines that operate in diverse industrial, manufactur ing, agricultural and construction environ ments. At the heart of the grease gun is the integrated grease meter that monitors and tracks the exact amount of grease dis pensed. This practice ensures precise and reliable lubrication control, mitigating the risks and expenses associated with both over- and under-lubrication.

November-December 2024 • MechChem Africa ¦ 45