Modern Mining October 2016

PRODUCT News

Victaulic systems can help mining industry reduce costs install and maintain these connections. “In the current environment of low commodity prices, the mining industry is under immense pressure to contain ris- ing costs. At the same time there is still a widely held perception that pipe coupling technology can only be used on a tempo- rary basis, but Victaulic offers a permanent and much more cost-effective alternative,” says Barry van Jaarsveld, Victaulic Regional Manager for Africa.

tions in the Rustenberg area. A traditional flanged joining method would have required extensive pipe end preparation and longer installation times, while weld- ing the galvanised pipe would have been a long and tedious process that resulted in toxic emissions. According to Van Jaarsveld, the use of Victaulic couplings and fittings led directly to installation time being reduced by 60 % as compared to welded or flanged methods. Van Jaarsveld says mines need to think about the cost of a project in a more holis- tic way.“Mines should not only think about the cost of the fittings they are installing but also consider the cost of labour, poten- tial health and safety risks and the cost of transporting workers underground to install pipelines,” he states. “It is also very important to take into account the oppor- tunity cost of dragging out expansion projects longer than necessary. The sooner a plant can begin operating, the sooner it can start being profitable.” However, the Victaulic system not only reduces installation costs, but also the cost of maintenance. Van Jaarsveld says the impact of the reduced time necessary to maintain Victaulic’s coupling systems becomes especially evident in cases of unplanned maintenance. “Mines lose money during every minute production has to stand still. For example, a mining client recently told us that every hour his plant stands still effectively costs him R250 000 in lost production. This means that reduced maintenance time when replacing a Victaulic knife gate valve can save him as much as R687 500 in just one day. Over a year where several cases of unplanned maintenance can occur this number can be much larger.” The Victaulic knife gate valve has been designed to contain all the parts subject to wear in a single cartridge kit. This cartridge can be swapped out and replaced easily and it is no longer necessary to replace the entire valve. “It can take between two and three hours to loosen and replace a flange. The Victaulic knife gate valve can be maintained by only replacing the cartridge inside, instead of taking out and replacing the entire valve. This cuts the time neces- sary to maintain it to between 15 minutes and half an hour,” explains Van Jaarsveld. Barry van Jaarsveld, Victaulic, tel (+27 82) 963-3667

Van Jaarsveld says Victaulic’s coupling systems allow mines to install piping sys- tems in 15 % of the time it would have taken to install a flanged system.“You need fewer people working on site for a shorter period of time. This not only helps to dras- tically reduce installation costs but also reduces health and safety risks.” AngloGold Ashanti has recently installed two slurry lines at its Stilfontein mine with a total length of 8 km of pipe. Making use of the Victaulic system report- edly allowed the company to save 30 % on the total installation cost of the piping system. Impala Platinum also recently added Shaft 16 to its platinum mining opera- Manager: Solar at Barloworld Power. “The technology is best suited to instal- lation on rooftops or carports for businesses wishing to reduce their energy costs and improve their ‘green’ credentials. It is not only cost efficient and environmentally- friendly but can also be fully integrated with other Cat power technologies renowned for their superior engineering and reliability.” The PV systems are available exclusively through Barloworld Power – Cat power sys- tems dealer for Southern Africa – for the C&I segment in Southern Africa with sizes ranging from 25 kW to 5 MW. Barloworld Power provides installation, commission- ing and after sales support for all deployed systems. The company is currently install- ing a 300 kW test site at sister company Barloworld Equipment’s Isando campus, which is expected to save about R500 000 per year on energy costs. First Solar, which established a presence in South Africa in 2012, will continue to independently pursue utility-scale opportu- nities of 5 MW and above in Southern Africa. Barloworld Power, tel (+27 11) 323-2683

Among the exhibitors at this year’s Electra Mining Africa was Victaulic which show- cased its pipe joining systems including its new Series 795 knife gate valve, said to be the industry’s first knife gate valve designed to be maintained in-line without having to remove the entire unit from the pipeline. Victaulic pipe joining solutions offer an alternative to the use of flanges or weld- ing to connect piping systems and are said to drastically reduce the time necessary to Barry van Jaarsveld pictured on the Victaulic stand at Electra Mining Africa.

Solar energy solution from Barloworld Power Barloworld has launched a new, high per- formance photovoltaic (PV) solar energy solution targeted at Southern Africa’s com- mercial and industrial (C&I) power segment. The Cat® Thin Film PV solar energy system features Cat-branded PV module technology, manufactured by First Solar, that can deliver up to 4,3 per cent more energy in South Africa than conventional crystalline silicon panels.

The solution is the result of a strategic alliance between Caterpillar and First Solar, launched in 2015. First Solar, which has over 13 gigawatts of global experience, manu- factures the solar panels and associated components, which are Cat branded, and sold and supported through Caterpillar’s dealer network alongside its other power generation offerings. “This solution offers our customers the opportunity to invest in reliable, affordable, high performance PV modules backed by multiple gigawatts of First Solar’s exper- tise, combined with the familiarity and trust that comes with the Cat brand,” said Grant Kirchmann, Business Development

48  MODERN MINING  October 2016