MechChem Africa September-October 2023

⎪ PowerGen,PetroChem and Sustainable energy management ⎪

Marthinusen & Coutts (M&C) has completed an on-site winding and sub-assembly of an 18 MW gearless mill drive for a new ball mill at the Cobre Panama copper mine as part of the expansion of its processing plant. Gearless mill-drive winding project for Panama copper mine M &C’s seven-man on-site team, led by Divisional CEO Richard Botton, performed an on-site winding and sub-assembly of quadrants, each of which weighs 85 tonnes. We are responsible for the con necting and continuity between the four segments, which had been pre-wound by the OEM,” he explained.

ment that is needed.” As previously, M&C was contracted for the latest project by the Cobre Panama mine’s owners and op erators, Minera Panama, the Panamanian subsidiary of the international mining company, First Quantum Minerals (FQM). M&C has also executed four on-site winding and sub-assembly projects on gearless mill drives for FQM’s Sentinel copper mine in Zambia in recent years. q

an 18 MW gearless mill drive in 40 days dur ing October and November last year, this for a new ball mill at the Cobre Panama copper mine in Panama. “We already knew from previous experi ence that the working conditions at the mine are extremely tough, due to frequent heavy rain, high humidity and excessive heat. But our familiarity with the procedures involved helped to ensure that the project went ac cording to plan and was completed on time,” says Richard Botton, adding that due to their complexity the winding and sub-assembly had to be done on site. “Our preparation is extensive and starts about six months prior to site es tablishment. The machine is transported to site from the OEM in Europe in four

“About half of the tools we use for the on-site work are purchased and supplied by the mine itself, while we have to supply and bring with us the remaining more spe cialised tools, along with the test equip

The members of Richard Botton’s on-site team at Cobre Panama mine (from left): Wynand Willemse, Arno Snoer, Shadrack Mazibuko, Eugene Nekati and Donald Kolobe.

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