Modern Mining August 2025

MINING NEWS MINING EQUIPMENT

Crushing trends drive focus on flexibility and return on investment

Mines have significantly transformed their approach to crushing and screening in recent decades, increasingly recognising the benefits of flexibility offered by mobile and modular plants. Modern Mining spoke to Pilot Crushtec to explore how these changes are reshaping the sector.

“Our modular crushing and screening units eliminated the need for much of that fixed infrastructure, and the industry soon saw that they could meet production requirements without relying on static plants,” says Warren. “It wasn’t long before others in the sector began emulating our approach, and the success of our designs helped establish a solid foundation for our local manufacturing capability.” By the 2000s, this shift was well underway with growing adoption of both mobile and modular solutions. Today, Marais notes, the entire processing cycle – from run-of-mine (ROM) to the pre-milling stage – can be efficiently executed using a fully mobile setup. “A key driver behind the popularity of mobile solutions is the growing trend of mines outsourcing their crushing and screening,” says Marais. “Contractors need to mobilise and deploy equipment quickly and mobile units offer that flexibility. At the same time, volatility in commodity prices adds to the appeal - mines want to ramp up production when prices are high, but without the long-term commitment and overheads of fixed infrastructure should the market turn.” Warren underscores the importance of maximising return on investment in today’s mining landscape, where securing finance for a mobile or modular plant - capable of generating immediate returns - is far more achievable than funding static infrastructure that may take months or even years to become operational. “A mobile solution delivers real value not just to the contractor, but also to their client and the financier,” he explains. “Its responsiveness aligns with the time sensitive demands of modern mining, and its versatility reduces risk, especially if a contract ends earlier than expected, as the equipment can simply be redeployed to another site.” As demand for more flexible solutions has increased, so too has Pilot Crushtec’s range of offerings. The DynamiTrac J100S compact mobile jaw crusher - with an integrated oversize screen - is ideally suited for junior miners, small-scale contract crushers and even construction material recycling. It is also available in a modular version, which can be easily relocated on site. “Our DoppiaTrac is a track-mounted self-driven

The DynamiTrac J100S is a compact, all-in-one jaw crusher for small-scale mining, recycling and construction.

“T oday, it is far more common for contractors to handle the crushing and screening on behalf of mining companies,” says Francois Marais, Sales and Marketing Director at Pilot Crushtec. “With a strong focus on reducing loading and hauling costs, strategies like in-pit crushing are gaining traction.” Marais notes that this represents a clear departure from the large static crushing plants that dominated mining operations three decades ago. Pilot Crushtec played a pioneering role in this industry shift, introducing an expanding range of mobile and modular solutions to support the transition. Adding to this, Wayne Warren, Africa Sales Manager at Pilot Crushtec, explains that the traditional model required significant investment in fixed infrastructure, which was both costly and time consuming to establish - with returns only realised progressively over the project’s lifespan.

28  MODERN MINING  www.modernminingmagazine.co.za | AUGUST 2026