Modern Mining August 2018

COVER STORY

range of industries, most particu- larly mining and power generation. We’re also active throughout Africa although currently the bulk of our work is in South Africa. Our diversification in terms of what we do and where we do it has enabled us to maintain a respectable order book and remain profitable over this very long downturn in min- ing,” Meijers observes. While ELB – which will be cel- ebrating its centenary next year – has built its reputation on its mainstream engineering and mate- rials handling skills, increasingly it is positioning itself for what has been dubbed the ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’, which builds on the digital advances seen over the past several decades. In particular, it

has entered into a technology partnership with IoT.nxt, a relatively new South African com- pany which has created a platform through their Raptor TM Intelligent Edge Devices that allows operations to seamlessly integrate exist- ing legacy systems as well as state-of-the-art sensors, improving efficiency and driving down costs. “We are already applying the technology to mineral processing with the first applica- tion being at the new 200 t/h DMS plant being constructed for Sedibeng Iron Ore Pty Ltd, near Postmasburg in the Northern Cape,” says Meijers. “This plant – which will be operational shortly – will be the first IoT-driven minerals processing facility in South Africa and will incorporate a range of technologies including ‘big data’ analytics, image recognition, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, all with the goal of optimising operations, cutting costs and enhancing safety.” In another technological step forward, ELB has also just been appointed as a business part- ner of US-based Kymeta Corporation, which

has developed ground-breaking new ‘plug and play’ satellite antenna technology that prom- ises to revolutionise the field of connectivity. The Kymeta™ technology overcomes the limi- tations of conventional satellite antennae and offers full broadband connectivity anywhere in the world, at any time, at competitive prices. Meijers sees many applications in the mining field, including the control and monitoring of process plants. The partnerships with IoT.nxt and Kymeta reflect ELB’s determination to embrace ‘disrup- tive’ technologies. As Meijers says, “The world is changing fast and we need to ensure that we change with it. Digitalisation is affecting every industry, including mining, and we need to have a full competence in this key area if we are to thrive in the years ahead. Our strategic technology partnerships are key to achieving this and we’re very pleased with the progress we’re making. In particular, we’re very excited by the Sedibeng project and look forward to rolling out the same technology to other clients within the mining industry.” 

ELB recently refurbished this tippler at Transnet’s Port Elizabeth Manganese Terminal.

August 2018  MODERN MINING  21