Modern Mining August 2015

PRODUCT News

Coal handling equipment in demand

Despite tough times in the coal sector, Johannesburg- b a s e d e q u i p m e n t manufac turer Osborn reports continued demand for its robust coal handling equipment, both locally and as far afield as Turkey and China. Since Januar y this year, Osborn has sup- plied a range of machines to coal producers in South Africa’s Waterberg area, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal, as well as

A typical Osborn rotary breaker installation.

in China and Turkey. The equipment sup- plied includes two 3054 Osborn double roll crushers, two vibrating grizzly feed- ers, a 6’ x 16’ triple deck modular screen, a 3 600 mm x 6 700 mm Osborn rotary breaker and two 3036 Osborn double roll crushers, says Product Specialist Etienne Swanepoel. “Osborn has been supplying the coal industry with tough, high quality equipment for more than five decades. The current economic climate may be challenging, but our customers clearly recognise the value of hardworking, long wearing machines that have proved them- selves in the market and have the backing of a well-established, reputable manufac- turer,” he adds. Osborn supplies coal handling equip- ment ranging from the largest jaw crusher and rotary breaker to mineral sizers, double roll crushers, rolling ring crushers, modular plants and vibrating equipment, right down to the smallest components, laboratory crushers and conveyor idlers. Swanepoel says that the company’s recent sales enquiries and its order for a rotary breaker for an Mpumalanga coal mine reflect the resurgence of this machine in the coal industry. “The rotary breaker has come back into favour in the coal industry. Its simplicity and the fact that it offers reduced operating costs and minimal downtime is making it sought after – particularly in these difficult eco- nomic times.” He notes that the rotary breaker has proved to be the most effi- cient machine for use in ‘dirty’ coal mining environments. Osborn rotary breakers are capable of

processing up to 2 000 t/h with amaximum feed size of 600 mm, depending on the type of coal being processed. Swanepoel says that the machine is generally fitted with screen plates to continuously produce one product size. “Should the product size need to be changed, new sized screen plates would have to be fitted. Due to vari- ations in the types of coal being processed, capacities and power requirements will also vary from mine to mine,” he stresses. Swanepoel says that the Osborn rotary breaker’s benefits include its ability to simultaneously size and clean raw coal. “By removing the uncrushable material, it decreases the wear rates on equipment downstream. Fines generation is also min- imised since the coal fractures along the natural cleavage lines.” A new service offering called a ‘Drop Test’has recently been launched by Osborn to ensure that rotary breaker customers get the ideal machine for their require- ments. Swanepoel explains that this test is used to accurately size the rotary breaker needed for customers’ specific applica- tions, based on coal hardness. Other Osborn machines that he says are continuing to hold their own in the coal industry include the manufacturer’s largest jaw crusher. “Osborn’s immense Hadfields 80 x 60 single toggle jaw crusher is firmly positioned as the primary crusher of choice in the African coal industry. It handles up to 2 m x 1,5 m feed size with throughput in excess of 1 600 t/h. This impressive machine, which weighs 140 000 kg and stands as tall as a double-decker bus, is one of the largest manufactured in the world.” Osborn Engineered Products, tel (+27 11) 820-7600

August 2015  MODERN MINING  67