Modern Mining August 2018

ELECTRA MINING PREVIEW

a preview

that can work more productively and remove workers from the high risk exposure zones in mines. Information systems such as Sandvik’s pro- prietary OptiMine ® provide miners with tools to more effectively manage their operation. Sandvik’s AutoMine ® mining solutions are also making it feasible to automate parts of – or entire – mining operations. Automation solutions from Sandvik range from single machine tele-remote operation to full fleet automation. This includes driverless trucks and loaders, roof bolters and drilling equipment that can automatically respond and adapt to conditions and improve the lifespans of consumables and equipment. Leveraging digital technologies in its range of mineral processing equipment will again allow Multotec to display new product devel- opments at Electra Mining Africa that optimise recoveries and reduce cost of ownership for mineral processing plants. “Technologies such as smart panels and 360 deg virtual reality video can make a valuable contribution to pioneer greater efficiencies, by helping predict and schedule equipment main- tenance,” says Multotec group CEO Thomas Holtz. “This assists planning at plant level and means less unexpected downtime as a result of equipment failure; every step we can take on this innovation journey gets us closer to a more sustainable mining sector.” Inspired by the philosophy ‘think global and act local’, Multotec can draw from its experi- ence around the world to feed into its ongoing research and development programme that continuously improves its wide range of offer- ings from screen media and wear solutions to solid-liquid separation and mill linings. “Retaining the technological edge is one

Above: Operational cyclone innovations will be show- cased on Multotec’s stands at Electra Mining Africa 2018. Left: A bustling exhibition hall at Electra Mining Africa 2016.

industry speakers who will be presenting at the conferences/workshops hosted by leading industry associations, specifically the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM), the Lifting Equipment Engineering Association of South Africa (LEEASA) and Women in Mining South Africa (WiMSA). The SAIMM conference promises to be particularly interesting as it will focus on the ‘hot’ topic of Artisanal and Small-scale Mining (ASM) and aims to provide a platform which brings together stakeholders working in the ASM sector to share experiences and learn from each other. Turning to the exhibitors, one of the ‘blue chip’ mining equipment suppliers participat- ing is Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology Southern Africa . It will be showcasing mining solutions which have been developed in con- junction with mines to boost overall safety and productivity across all types of mines. According to the company, barriers to achieving safety and production outputs that seemed impossible just a few years ago are being overcome and innovation is undoubtedly making mines more productive and safer with intelligent equipment, better systems and the proliferation of autonomous mining solutions

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