Modern Mining September 2018

PRODUCT News

Containerised transformer supplied to Husab

design is fit-for-purpose and engineered for a specific application. Such a custom design now makes it possible to retrofit the existing units currently on site, as and when necessary. The mobile transformer was designed upward from a robust steel base-frame with a modified 12 m shipping container on top. The mine was provided with an interface point to receive 33 kV from the mains reticulation, stepping down with a 5 MVA transformer to 6,6 kV, which was fed out to the equipment. Keeping within the dimensions of the container to facilitate mobility, the engi- neering design includes a switchgear chamber for the 33 kV supply, a transformer chamber and another switchgear chamber for the 6,6 kV output. The container also protects the electrical equipment from debris such as fly rock in areas close to drill- ing and blasting activities. Provision for ventilation has been pro- vided in the container, and the transformer chamber roof is removable so as to allow for easier access during maintenance. The new design also includes both 33 kV and 6,6 kV quick couplers, making for safe and fast connection of the power XPLOLOG™,” she says. “Where there is reac- tive ground on a block, for instance, this can be recorded as a safety issue on the data- base. In line with safety regulations, the rugged hand-held device is inherently safe.” BME does not believe in the one-size- fits-all principle, so the system is designed to be customised for each customer’s spe- cific requirements – and is tailored to suit the mine’s application and the data they need to generate. “In one of our customisations, for example, we introduced a parameter on sleeving for a customer who required this information on their dashboard,” she said. “We were able to create an entry for this data, as well as report on it; our standard package can be easily modified to add further value for the mine.” The XPLOLOG™ system is able to inte- grate fully with BME’s powerful BLASTMAP III™ software, allowing users to view and edit XPLOLOG™ designs in BLASTMAP III™, and to sync designs from BLASTMAP III™ to the XPLOLOG™ database. BME, website: www.bme.co.za supply into and out of the unit. Zest WEG Group Africa, tel (+27 11) 723-6000

When Swakop Uranium’s Husab mine near Swakopmund in Namibia needed mobile pit transformers, Zest WEG Group’s Integrated Solutions Division was able to not only custom-design a fit-for-purpose solution but also to adapt its design to suit new requirements. “Having initially provided four skid- mounted pit transformers to Husab back in 2014, we were contracted to provide a further unit more recently, but the solu- tion needed to be adapted to the changed conditions,”says Alastair Gerrard, ZestWEG Group Integrated Solutions Division execu- tive. “The first units were designed to be located in the pit, and dragged short dis- tances to follow the drill rigs and electric shovels. The new unit, however, needed to

offer the capability of improved manoeu- vrability across longer distances within the operational area.” In some cases, transporting a skid- mounted containerised transformer greater distances outside of the mining area meant employing a crane and low- bed, and the mine was looking for a more efficient and cost effective solution. To optimise the mobility of these units, Zest WEG Group Integrated Solutions Division designed a removable gooseneck system on the front of the unit, and a removable bogey at the back. “In adapting to the unit’s new opera- tional requirements, our optimised design took into account modifications that could also be applied to the existing units,” says

Sollie Herbst, General Manager at Zest WEG Group Integrated Solutions Division. “ The adapted mobile transformer can now be easily moved as a truck and trailer configuration to various operational areas, and when positioned the gooseneck can be removed and the landing legs extended.” Gerrard emphasises that these solutions are not off-the- shelf; rather, everything they

Skid-mounted containerised transformer built for Swakop Uranium’s Husab mine near Swakopmund in Namibia.

Real-time blast block data reporting from BME Getting real-time data from a blast block during drilling, charging and stemming operations is difficult with traditional manual reporting systems – but BME’s XPLOLOG™ system has changed all that. By allowing on-site personnel on the block to enter key parameters electronically using a rugged mobile hand-held device, XPLOLOG™ gives managers the power to improve the quality of blast preparation – leading to better blasting results and more profitable mining.

about any issues picked up in the data – before the blast is detonated.” Users can upload their survey and blast designs to the central XPLOLOG™ database, and these can in turn be downloaded onto all the hand-held devices out in the field. The database also automatically synchronises all data coming in from the blast blocks. “Our system is designed to be very simple to operate – both to upload and download data – as well as for the whole mine to gain a holistic picture of exactly what is hap- pening on the blast blocks,” she said. “The most important part of the system is that it presents all the data on a dashboard for management decision-making.” A mine blaster can use the system to closely monitor the activity and perfor- mance of the various teams responsible for drilling, charging and stemming – which can help to control the utilisation of key resources like emulsions. “There are also safety benefits to using

According to Dr Rakhi Pathak, Product Manager at BME, the key advantage is that information about each hole can be easily captured on the device and will upload to a centralised database as soon as a data net- work is available. “This ensures quick and seamless inte- gration of data, removing the time lag and reducing the chances of data-related errors in the capturing phase,” said Pathak. “Decisions can then be made timeously

50  MODERN MINING  September 2018