Modern Mining November 2020

process. That, coupled with the company’s cus- tomised engineering design, results in equipment robustness, longevity and safe operation, which is always a priority. In the current environment, major coal miners are typically looking for large-scale equipment to boost efficiencies and high tonnage throughputs, she says. “Kwatani offers a comprehensive, customised range that includes some large, high capacity screens, for example, the 4,3-m wide banana screen which is well suited to this requirement.” Kwatanis’s engineering team places a major focus on optimising the structural integrity, weight distribution and lifespan of the equipment. The OEM’s screens can therefore process high ton- nages in heavy duty applications, while delivering high efficiency. “We consider various factors that affect the fatigue life of the screen in order to provide a dura- ble, robust, long-lasting and high performing unit. We have supplied a large number of screening machines, with the majority of them currently oper- ating at some of the largest opencast coal mining operations in the world,” she says. Kwatani’s brute force grizzly feeders for run-of- mine (ROM) operations are capable of sizing and feeding material from high drop heights, operating at up to 2 000 tph. “Furthermore, we ensure that we engineer our equipment to seamlessly fit into the existing structures, avoiding the need to make costly changes to given infrastructure,” says Mabotja. The junior coal sector, she adds, operates at the opposite end of the scale and typically requires smaller-scale, modular plants processing up to

Additionally, the appetite for funding of new coal plants and expansions is low, resulting in signifi- cant uncertainty in the sector. Consequently, there is a strong drive for continuous cost reduction and increased productivity across majors, juniors and the industry at large,” says Mabotja. Apart from the initial capital expenditure, she says, processing equipment at mines has an enor- mous influence on production efficiency, tonnage and operating costs. With that in mind, Kwatani offers long-lasting, robust vibrating screens and feeders designed for continuous tonnage and high efficiency, which reduces the processing cost per ton and the overall cost of running the machine over its lifetime. “There have been few changes in mining and processing of coarse coal in recent years. Although some of the old technologies are still being used, we have over the years seen increased demand for high-capacity equipment for small to fines coal processing, with banana ‘high capacity’ screens commonly preferred in that application,” she says. Holistic approach Given that screening equipment is a critical compo- nent of any coal plant, and as such can be the cause of unscheduled and costly plant shutdown if failures occur, regular maintenance is essential to prevent this. With its holistic approach, through collective processes and mechanical expertise, Kwatani con- tinues to successfully offer and implement tailored value adding models to coal mines in South Africa. The approach is to pay attention to the complete

A large banana screen leaving Kwatani for a customer operating in the coal mining sector.

November 2020  MODERN MINING  21