Modern Quarrying Q2 2019

CNC Crushers’ working relationship with Weir Minerals Africa started at Shaft 5 back in 2015.

ON THE COVER

FULL PROCESS- FOCUSED SOLUTION PAYS DIVIDENDS

Having operated a downtime-ridden plant beleaguered by excessive breakdowns, extreme maintenance glitches and low throughput setbacks, the quest to increase production efficiencies and reduce operating costs saw CNC Crushers purchase a full process-focused solution fromWeir Minerals Africa. Four years on, the decision is paying big dividends, writes Munesu Shoko .

F or 14 years, CNC Crushers has been producing aggregates out of two old gold mines located at Buffelsfontein gold mine’s Shaft 4 and 5 in the North West Province of South Africa. The quality of the dolerite rock has made CNC Crushers a supplier of choice for a wide range of road building and construction material specifications. From an operational cost point of view, rehabilitating the waste materials from the old gold mines has provided CNC Crushers with a competitive edge, especially considering that there is no need for costly operational processes such as drilling and blasting. However, these operational gains were initially outweighed by inefficient processing plants plagued by high wear on crusher liners, excessive maintenance problems and unplanned downtime due to constant breakdowns, resulting in low throughput and high operating costs. In 2015, Weir Minerals Africa presented a full process-focused

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MODERN QUARRYING QUARTER 2 - 2019