Modern Mining June 2024

COVER STORY

“You can’t touch this” – Brelko stands firm Technology is important because it creates the future. We’re able to be a part of the “next” and create things that don’t exist. So said American entrepreneur and musician, Stanley Kirk Burrell, stage name MC Hammer, who is best known for hit songs such as “U Can’t Touch This” and “2 Legit 2 Quit”. By Nelendhre Moodley .

T his is exactly what sets conveyor belt cleaning equipment supplier, Brelko, apart from its peers – a drive to innovate. According to Brelko’s MD, Kenny Padayachee, innovation and technology are in Brelko’s DNA as evidenced in its very first bro chure, which illustrates the company’s commitment to enhancing its product range. Investment in Research & development (R&D) is crucial for enhancing the existing product range, developing new products and materials, and improv ing business efficiencies at plant level, amongst others. The Johannesburg-based equipment manu facturer has set the standard for “superior” quality

products, and established a brand renowned across mining destinations around the world. Padayachee took on the conveyor belt cleaning equipment business at age 24, growing it to become a leader in its segment. Thirty-seven years later the home-grown entity trades globally across six of the seven continents - Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe, and Australia. “Continuous investment in R&D ensures we remain ahead of the competition. As part of our R&D drive, we have several local and international pat ents to our name. The Brelko brand and its Keyskirt product-line are trade-marked in 74 countries. “The importance of patents, explains Padayachee, “apart from dissuading competitors from duplicating Brelko’s innovations, is that they set the standard for best-in-class product-lines. As of 2024, Brelko has amassed 14 – a move that establishes the company as a serious solutions provider.” While it is ‘easier’ to register a patent in South Africa, to do so in the US and Europe is a much more challenging task as the patent is put through rigor ous testing before being awarded. To promote the ethos of continuous improve ment, which pervades the entire business, Brelko’s teams, led by the R&D division, meet every Friday for a three-hour session to tackle challenges and action how to best improve the business. “Our Friday meetings have been hugely suc cessful as they encourage teams to highlight areas of concern – be they on the factory floor, plant pro cesses or equipment. No concern is too small, and all issues are interrogated. Our field service teams share all product installation and customer con cerns encountered onsite. As a solutions provider, challenges become the springboard for innovative solutions to enhance our product line and pro cesses. In fact, over the past eight years, we have achieved huge improvements in product innovation and have streamlined our business processes for increased efficiency, productivity, and lower cost of production.” The Friday meetings include the R&D depart ment, the Technical, Design, Graphics and Service divisions as well as management, including the MD and GM, Jay Pillay. “We require buy-in from all segments of our business. It is essential to understand that we can innovate all we want but if, for example, the service division is unable to implement the innovations, that is a challenge.”

Brelko’s research and development team meets every Friday for three hours.

Research and development team discussing Brelko’s patented Nip Guard.

6  MODERN MINING  June 2024