Transvaal Rubber Company (Truco) manufactures and supplies a host of quality products to the industrial market.
“We work with the client to develop and manufacture hose and pipes that are specifically suited to the demands of an application.”
Effectively functioning Truco recently designed, manufactured and supplied rubber pulp and slurry hoses, bends and rubber socks to the value of R200,000 to the newly built De Beers Canadian diamond mines, Snap Lake and Victor. The mines were commissioned in July 2008 and it is anticipated that they will yield approximately two million carats per year.
The pulp and slurry hoses supplied were of different sizes, lengths and shapes, with internal diameters ranging from 100mm to 200mm, and are being used in different areas in the mines’ recovery plants. The hoses were custom manufactured from a special compound in order for them to function effectively in adverse weather conditions – minus 40 degrees Celsius in winter. Snap Lake mine, Canada’s first completely underground diamond mine, is located northeast of Yellowknife in the Northern Territories, while the Victor Mine is situated in the James Bay Lowlands of Northern Ontario.
Due to the remote locations of the mines, De Beers' first outside Africa, the supplied hoses were checked in South Africa before being shipped to site, to ensure that they fitted correctly and worked according to specification. “This order was originally put out to tender, but Truco was the only company that could supply the specified hoses and advise the client on their correct selection and most efficient use within the plant. “Over the years we have built up a good relationship with De Beers, reinforced by the quality of our products and dedication of our team, and are currently supplying items to a number of their other projects,” says Crooks. www.truco.co.za
