Modern Mining March 2023

thereby greater profitability for mining houses,” says Bartram. Driving the diamond agenda Following the launch of the COM XRT 300/FR which specialises in concentrating different sized streams in final recovery applications, the technology has been gaining attention from the diamond industry with numerous installations already completed and the company receiving several enquiries from key diamond producing countries, including Botswana and Angola. “TOMRA’s COM XRT 300/FR high precision machine is an industry revolution as it is really the first technology able to detect all types and colours of diamonds. The high efficiency final recovery sorter delivers concentration factors of up to 1 million and is the only solution on the market that guarantees 99% diamond recovery. In other words, this technol ogy offers the potential to change flow sheets in the diamond industry and to add to these benefits, the machine is equipped with the latest security features relevant to the diamond industry.” The diamond sector holds prime importance to the solutions provider, accounting for as much as a third of its revenue. “Out of our diamond business portfolio, southern Africa accounts for between 70 and 80% of our business.” Tomra strengthens commitment to southern Africa In 2020, TOMRA opened new regional headquarters in Johannesburg aimed at strengthening its commit ment to customers in southern Africa. The initiative is designed to enhance customer care through even better technical support, service, and training, and to ensure prompt availability of spare parts. TOMRA’s new facilities are housed in a two-sto rey, 1 800 m 2 building which accommodates offices,

Above: TOMRA’s new offices in South Africa.

Left: TOMRA’s sorting solution at work.

a warehouse, a spare parts area, two training rooms, and three meeting rooms connected to TOMRA’s global network of more than 4 000 employees. There is also space to demonstrate TOMRA’s sensor based sorting technologies. “We already have more than 20 people working at the office in Johannesburg offering services and support for our products. Furthermore, our demo centre which houses the COM XRT 2.0 and COM XRT 300 /FR sorters is extremely popular, especially after Electra Mining where we showcased the prod uct’s capabilities.” 

TOMRA technology in South Africa  Although TOMRA has innovative technology for most commodities, the dia mond industry remains its prime focus.  “The first piece of TOMRA technology to be adopted in South Africa was the optical sorter used at Anglo Platinum’s Waterval Smelter in Rustenburg, which was installed in 2005,” says Bartram.

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