Modern Mining September 2021

SUPPLY CHAIN News

Sustainability focus in various Multotec initiatives company’s electricity needs. Already, the positive environmental impact of Multotec’s solar facilities amounted to the removal of some 250 tonnes of carbon dioxide emis- sions. This is the equivalent of planting 7 000 trees. In addition, LED lighting and other initiatives in the workshops also save on power consumption.

Sustainability has become a key driver for Multotec, promoted by its efforts in range of environmental, social and gover- nance (ESG) initiatives. Its ‘Our Multotec Way’ guides the culture and vision of the business and reflects in the way the com- pany nurtures its people and conserves resources like energy and water. Johan Robbertse, group financial direc- tor at Multotec, highlights that its ‘Our Multotec Way’ guides the culture and vision of the business in various aspects of sus- tainability. This approach reflects in the way that the company nurtures its people and conserves resources like energy and water, says Robbertse. “In recent years, as global aware- ness about energy efficiency has grown, Multotec started looking at renewable energy sources,” he says. “This led two years ago to our first solar panel installa- tion of over 400 kWh at our manufacturing facilities in Spartan, followed by a second project to take our self-generation capacity to 800 kWh.” The company is planning a third solar installation at its facilities in East Rand and Tshwane to raise its capacity to 1,4 MW, which will provide about a quarter of the Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions is introducing a new reverse circulation (RC) sampling option for its Leopard DI650i down-the-hole (DTH) drill rig. The new RC drilling system offers a reliable and accu- rate method for ore body identification and grade control in opencast mining. Fully integrated into the Leopard DI650i platform, the RC drilling system maximises drill rig utilisation and increases produc- tivity. The possibility to drill inclined holes with a boom-type drill rig, such as Leopard DI650i, provides an easy and accurate ore body identification method and enables the use of RC face sampling for grade control in opencast mines. An isolated sample route from the bit face to the cone splitter unit ensures no contamination and makes the Leopard DI650i RC drilling system reliable, productive and extremely accurate. The Leopard DI650i RC drilling system is equipped with an industry-proven Metzke RC sampling unit, optimally integrated onto the rig. The drill pipe setup is either 102 mm

“We also support our customers in the mining and power generation sectors to operate cleaner,” he says. “Our samplers, for instance, help to improve the quality of coal going into power stations, so output is more efficient with less emissions.” Water quality and conservation is also in Multotec’s spotlight, with a mineral recovery range of equipment that gener- ates cleaner water for mines. Multotec also assists customers in removing brine so that on-site process water resources can be retained in a closed loop, or discharged in a clean state. “Our social contribution includes our commitment to skills development and creating a culture of diversity,” he says. The company has supported over 350 learnerships since 2016, with special focus on women and people with disabilities. This has led to the training of 60 disabled or 114 mm RC pipes. The MRH6-RC heavy duty rotary head of Leopard DI650i is designed to be com- patible with Metzke RC components. The longer feed beam and robust boom give maximum support for drilling inclined holes with heavy RC tooling. In addition, a hose reel optimises the routing of the sample hose and a new breakout table enables bigger hole sizes and easier maintenance. For operational efficiency and added safety, the RC system works seamlessly with full-cycle one-hole drilling automat- ics, and the iCab cabin provides excellent visibility for RC drilling. The Metzke cone splitter unit can be lowered and mainte- nance can be performed from the ground level, thanks to the horizontal service position. To manage the added weight of the reverse circulation system and to increase safety, Leopard DI650i RC comes with iBalance and iFold options as a standard. iBalance monitors the carrier and boom

Johan Robbertse, group financial director at Multotec. learners, a number of which have been absorbed into the business. Economic transformation is another aspect of sustainability that Multotec has prioritised. In addition to its BEE compli- ant company status in terms of the Mining Charter, the company recently created a 51% broad-based black-owned entity for its services operations. With almost 300 people employed in a country-wide branch network, this company supports the Mining Charter goals and promotes the local economy in the regions around key mining hotspots.  angles for safer tramming, while iFold automatically folds the feed to tramming position for optimum balance. If Leopard DI650i is equipped with the TIM3D drill navigation system and Driller’s Notes measurement-while-drilling (MWD) option, the operator can easily add the sample bag number with comments at a specific location and depth to a graphi- cal user interface inside the cabin for later analysis at the office. 

Sandvik adds RC sampling capability to Leopard DI650i drill rig

Leopard DI650i with the RC drilling system is easily mobilised for relocation, offering a valuable asset for streamlining mine operations.

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