Modern Mining August 2015

PRODUCT News

New triple deck screen offers volume and versatility

Pilot Crushtec International believes its recently launched DynamiTrac TDH6118 triple-deck screen is one of the most excit- ing developments in the company’s 25-year history. Designed and built completely in-house, it represents a new departure in high output screen technology. Pilot Crushtec International CEO Sandro Scherf describes the rationale behind the new product’s introduction: “The mining and construction industries have become even more competitive as a result of cur- rent market conditions, both locally and globally. This in turn puts increased pressure on margins and, as a result, more emphasis than ever on designing and building equip- ment that will bring down the average cost per tonne of a givenmaterial.That is the pur- pose for which the DynamiTrac is intended.” The unit is by far the largest product ever built at the company’s Jet Park-based manufacturing facility situated close to OR Tambo International. The track-mounted, mobile triple-shaft, triple-deck horizontal screen is designed to produce as many as four products simultaneously with a capac- ity expected to easily exceed 350 tonnes per hour (tph). SEW-EURODRIVE Johannesburg has improved its operational efficiency by as much as 40 per cent, after rolling out its new standardisation of logistics and assem- bly processes (SLAP) system earlier this year. SLAP specifically focuses on the goods receipt process, assembly and capacity planning, commissioning assembly, and packing and shipping. SLAP was initially implemented at SEW-EURODRIVE Germany, with South Africa being the sixth country to roll out the efficient new system. According to SEW-EURODRIVE General Manager Finance Gerd Seuffert, it took eight months to implement SLAP due to the large-scale factory refitting, re-orientation and training necessary to accommodate the system. “Now that the system is up and run- ning, it has become apparent that all the hard work and investment was worth it. Conservatively, it’s safe to say we have seen an operations improvement of between 30 to 40 per cent,” he states.

The track-mounted, mobile triple-shaft, triple-deck horizontal screen is designed to produce as many as four products simultaneously.

The site belongs to SANRAL and is currently servicing five separate road renovation projects. Danoher Contracting, which is managing the operation, is keep- ing a critical eye on the DynamiTrac and Director RoydenWebster is impressed with the machine’s potential. “Even at this early stage we rate it as a very capable screen, highly productive and easy to operate. As this is a brand-new product, we’re taking things cautiously and operating at around 150 tph, but esti- mate that it could be capable of delivering as much as three times that amount.” Pilot Crushtec International, tel (+27 11) 842-5600

Since the implementation of SLAP, Seuffert says there has been a marked improvement at the Johannesburg branch on the goods receiving side. “One of the major benefits is that SLAP barcodes enable local warehouse staff to identify exactly what parts are in a fully-loaded container from Germany, for instance.” He adds that each part can be quickly matched up with the corresponding job via the SLAP interface, before being sent for assembly. Prior to the implementation of SLAP, Seuffert reveals that it would have taken a significant time to perform this task. “Now it takes a matter of hours, which has resulted in significant time and cost sav- ings,” he continues. Seuffert indicates that efficiencies have also been greatly improved on the assembly line. Once the assembly department receives the parts, job sheets are printed and allo- cated for assembly by SLAP according to a work cell’s availability, capacity and skill set. “The SLAP system also tracks how long export markets. “On the one hand, it will serve as a key import replacement, pro- viding local operators with a homegrown solution for the cost effective production of high quality aggregate,” he says. “We do believe, however, that the economies offered by the DynamiTrac also make it a paying proposition in export markets, espe- cially with exchange rates at current levels.” The TDH6118 will be going into produc- tion around the last quarter of the year. In the interim, the initial prototype is under- going an exhaustive 2 000-hour field trial at a quarry in Ventersburg, 180 km north of Bloemfontein.

Scherf believes that the DynamiTrac is poised to succeed in both domestic and ‘SLAP’ system boosts operational efficiency

it takes each particular cell or worker to retrieve the necessary parts, assemble and pack a unit. This not only enhances productivity, but also enables the branch to accurately predict when an item will be ready for dispatch,” says Seuffert. “Dispatch matters had to be handled manually in the past. Now all dispatch items are electronically logged, located and invoiced via the SLAP system, which can also automatically transfer data to a courier’s system via standardised message formatting. Depending on the require- ments, this in turn triggers a carrier sticker or list, and opens up the opportunity for multiple deliveries via one transport or delivery group,” he says. The rollout of SLAP at SEW-EURODRIVE Johannesburg represents the first step in SEW-EURODRIVE South Africa’s nation- wide rollout of the system. A further four branches will implement the system in the near future, taking into consideration the lessons learned during the rollout in Johannesburg. SEW-Eurodrive, tel (+27 11) 248-7000

August 2015  MODERN MINING  59