Road delivery of typical overhead crane. (Image source: Condra)

According to crane and hoist manufacturer Condra, while high-capacity overhead cranes often make headlines because of their impressive size and technical complexity, their smaller and simpler cousins should not be overlooked and are often the workhorses of the factory and beyond

This was the assessment of Marc Kleiner, managing director of Condra, as he commented on a slew of recent orders taken for Platreef Mine, ranging from a giant 40/5-ton double-girder headgear crane, through smaller single- and double-girder cranes, hoists and crawls, to no fewer than nineteen chain blocks, including a 2-ton explosion-proof chain hoist. These are all for installation at Platreef Mine’s Number Two Shaft, part of the Platreef PGM project near Mokopane, Limpopo Province in South Africa.

Often the go-to company for buyers seeking proven ability at the more complex end of the technical design spectrum, these orders highlight Condra’s capabilities in smaller and more standard lifting equipment. Nevertheless, the standout machine for Platreef remains the very large headgear crane: a 40/5-ton double-girder electric overhead travelling giant spanning 17 metres, which will itself weigh almost as much as its 40-ton maximum load.

Murray & Roberts Cementation supplied the procurement recommendation for this machine, which will install and maintain the shaft’s headgear-mounted winders and sheave wheels, raising and lowering component parts over a lifting height of 94 metres. The order was placed by Ivanplats itself.

Switching to a long list of other overhead cranes and hoists ordered from Condra for Platreef by consulting engineers Dowding Reynard and Associates, Kleiner emphasised their importance.

“These are all workhorses,” he remarked. “Even the smallest 2-ton explosion-proof chain hoist will play an important role.”

Essential equipment

Condra’s first deliveries to Platreef took place in late 2023, comprising a short-headroom hoist for the mine’s tailings filter, and a K-Series hoist for the mill feed conveyor. Both are being used for maintenance work.

A 5-ton single-girder overhead crane for the mine’s filter building followed soon afterward, with a 10-ton double-girder overhead crane for the plant workshop. One of these machines was dust-ignition-proof rated to ATEX Zone 21/22 standard. Control of both is by radio remote with manual pendant back-up.

“Compared with the headgear crane, these are simpler, more straightforward machines, but each one meets an important requirement,” Kleiner said.

Elaborating on the headgear crane itself, Kleiner explained that design challenges had included the delivery of above average lifting speeds over the very high lifting height of 94 metres. The 40-ton main hoist will travel at up to 8,4 metres per minute, and the 5-ton auxiliary hoist at up to 12,2 metres per minute. Both speeds are variable.

Kleiner explained that the modularity of Condra’s hoist range had made it possible to accommodate the Platreef specifications, with careful design of the crane’s end-carriages facilitating installation at lowest possible cost to the customer.

“We replaced the normal one-piece end-carriage with a double-bogey design,” he noted. “This will allow a 35-ton tower crane to lift the headgear crane into position one girder at a time. Without the doubled-bogey arrangement the entire crane would have had to be lifted into position as an assembled unit, a more difficult operation.”

Other features of the headgear crane include an automatic storm brake to counter wind loading, a full-length work platform, and radio control with mobile pendant back-up.

Click here to discover more information around Condra's deliveries to the mine

Live demonstrations will give visitors an opportunity to see products and machinery in action. (Image source: Specialised Exhibitions)

An exhibition viewed by industry as one of the most important events on the calendar, Electra Mining Africa will provide a unique platform where exhibitors can launch new products and showcase their latest innovations and technologies

Taking place at the Expo Centre in Nasrec, Johannesburg, from 2-6 September, visitors to Electra Mining Africa will have the opportunity to connect with more than 950 exhibitors and explore thousands of new products, ground-breaking machinery, latest innovations and world-class technologies at what will be the biggest show ever in its history. The many live demonstrations will give visitors an opportunity to see products and machinery in action during the five days of the exhibition.

“We knew it was going to be one of the biggest shows we’ve ever had, but we can now say that this year’s Electra Mining Africa is the biggest show in its history.” remarked Charlene Hefer, portfolio director at Specialised Exhibitions a division of Montgomery Group, the organisers of the show. “That means more top brands, products and innovations at this year’s show with a much bigger footprint of exhibition space. It’s very exciting to have reached this milestone.”

One of the largest trade exhibitions in southern Africa

Electra Mining Africa is the largest mining, electrical, automation, manufacturing, power and transport trade exhibition in southern Africa. Local manufacturing will play a prominent role at this year’s Electra Mining Africa, and, for the first time, the Local Southern African Manufacturing Expo will be incorporated within this year’s show.

“In addition to the exhibits, we are delighted to have some excellent speakers at our free-to-attend seminars who will be sharing their expertise on many topics mostly aligned with our theme days,” commented Hefer. “These include sustainability, skills, safety and innovation. Also taking place alongside the exhibition, the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy is hosting a Mine Planning and Design Colloquium, the Lifting Equipment Engineering Association of SA is hosting a conference, and WiMSA is hosting a half-day women in mining workshop.”

“Electra Mining Africa has built its reputation as a platform for trade; the place where buyers and sellers meet to do business,” says Gary Corin, managing director of Specialised Exhibitions. “It’s a massive trade event taking place over five days, contributing to the stimulation of trade in the industrial, manufacturing and mining sectors of the South African economy.”

For further information, visit www.electramining.co.za

Decomposed emulsion and water. (Image source: BME)

BME, a bulk mining explosive and blasting technology supplier, has found innovative solutions for an iron ore mine in South Africa that was struggling with a decline in blast performance

To support the customer, the Omnia company investigated a new mechanism for bulk emulsion breakdown. Publishing the results in the International Society for Explosives Engineers’ Journal of Explosives Engineering, experts from BME revealed an encounter with potential acidic sulphate soil (PASS) – sharing valuable insights for the mining sector globally. The article’s authors – BME global manager blasting science, Scott Scovira; BME general manager production & logistics, Dirk Voogt; and BME senior chemist, Quentin Steyl, noted that iron ore mines are not normally associated with reactive or acidic ground. Indeed, they conducted ground sample reactivity testing which confirmed that neither reactive ground nor acidic water was to blame.

What, then, caused the emulsion to break down; the same emulsion continued to be used by other customers around the country to normal effect? They conducted many tests, including the testing of a mixture of the straight gassed bulk emulsion plus mine blast hole water and blast cuttings – representing the total hold loading condition at the mine. These tests showed that this mixture created an environment in the blast hole leading to autocatalytic acid generation, with subsequent over-gassing and breaking down of the emulsion.

“A deeper investigation into the ground mineralisation revealed the presence of PASS, which is a new mechanism for bulk emulsion breakdown,” they noted. The condition was remarkably uncommon and was the first occasion that it had been observed in over 50 years of emulsion usage. Despite an extensive search of publicly available knowledge in this field, no-one had described PASS in the context of bulk emulsions. Research did reveal, however, that PASS can become an acid sulphate soil in the presence of a strong oxidizer.

“This conversion reaction results from the presence of reduced inorganic sulphur (RIS) in the soil,” they continued. “Actual acid sulphate soils (AASS) – soil materials that contain RIS – have undergone oxidation to produce acid; any pH drop indicates the soil’s potential to form sulphuric acid when it is disturbed and exposed to oxygen.”

In the absence of water, soil samples from the mine showed no reactivity with the straight gassed bulk emulsion. Some samples showed the potential to become reactive, and to start breaking up when a strong oxidiser was present. When a sodium nitrite-based gassing solution was used to sensitise the emulsion in contact with soil, a reaction began that impacted negatively on the emulsion matrix.

“To manage this challenge, we therefore investigated the difference between the effect of standard sodium nitrite and water solution, and an emulsified gassing agent (EGA),” they explained. “EGA is an emulsion which is incorporated more readily into the base emulsion – thus preventing contact between the gassing agent (a strong oxidiser) and the PASS.”

It was this homogenising of EGA into straight bulk emulsion which significantly inhibited PASS ground reactions with the emulsion – creating a product of very high viscosity which held its form. The resulting emulsion was found to reduce contact between the gassing agent and the PASS.

“These modifications to the bulk explosives system have provided a window of protection for the straight bulk emulsion against these site ground conditions,” they stated. “They have also enhanced resistance to product degradation by the action of dynamic water present at the mine site.”

Important performance improvements were achieved, with the increased dispersion of the gassing agent in the emulsion – as well as reduced bubble size in the gassing agent. Field measurements demonstrated that detonation velocity was increased – when compared to non-homogenised gassed bulk emulsion.

“As PASS has been only recently discovered as an emulsion decomposition mechanism, we expect there will be considerable learnings achieved in the future,” they concluded. “The focus will be on continuously improving the inhibition process against sulphate ground types – through chemical formulation and mechanical manipulation. We trust that our investigation and solutions will add valuable insights to blasting professionals and the global explosives engineering community.”

Recently, African Review sat down with experts from BME to learn how the company is incorporating ESG into its operations and product portfolio. Access the extended interview by clicking here.

With all the project’s core agreements requiring compliance with the highest ESG standards, Simandou also delivers a significant new source of high-grade iron ore that will strengthen the decarbonisation of the steel industry. (Image source: WFW)

Watson Farley & Williams (WFW) has announced that the US$15bn Simandou project, the largest greenfield integrated mine and infrastructure investment in Africa to date, has now completed, including the required Guinean and Chinese regulatory approvals

WFW, an international sector-focussed law firm, has been advising the Republic of Guinea through a multidisciplinary cross-border team. Whilst Simandou revolves around the exploitation of four world-class iron ore blocks in southern Guinea, the project goes beyond mining and includes the construction and operation of a 600+ km multi-use railway line connecting the blocks to a large, newly constructed state-of-the-art mineral port to export up to 120mn tonnes of iron internationally. This new rail and port infrastructure will act as a catalyst for transforming Guinea’s economic development, unlocking prosperity well beyond the Simandou corridor.

The closing was followed by the second anniversary celebration for Compagnie du Transguinéen (CTG), the joint venture consortium that will own and manage the Simandou rail and port infrastructure and is comprised of Guinea, Baowu Group, Simfer Jersey, and WCS. The signing of the first locomotive order to service the project was also celebrated.

“The strength and depth of our experience in our core sectors and ability to work seamlessly and collaboratively across our international network meant we were able to provide Guinea a truly global legal team to help it complete this historic project which represents a new era for the development of the African mining sector,” commented Alhassane Barry, Dubai projects partner, and London corporate partner and global mining & commodities sector co-head Jan Mellmann.