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PRODUCT News
78
MODERN MINING
January 2015
Index to advertisers
AEL
OBC
ALCO-Safe
72
Allied Crane Hire
55
APE Pumps
21
Babcock
IBC
Barloworld Equipment
73
Bauma Conexpo Africa
17
Beka Schréder
10
Bell Equipment
13
bme
OFC
Booyco Electronics
77
Brelko Conveyor Products
26
Cummins
28
DRA Global
52
ELB Equipment
60
Fabricated Steel Manufacturing Company IFC/1
Flexicon Africa
9
FLSmidth
2
Joy Global
30
Komatsu
66
M & J Engineering
45
Marthinusen & Coutts
75
Master Drilling
11
MDM
68
MMD Mineral Sizing
46
Novatek
4
Orica Mining Services SA
54
Osborn Engineered Products
31
PANalytical
18
Pilot Crushtec
24
Raubex
37-42
Sedgman
64
SRK Consulting
14
Vital Engineering
34
Voith
36
WorleyParsons
19
Zest WEG Group
71
The drive by Booyco Electronics to pio-
neer Pedestrian Detection System (PDS)
technology in South Africa is expected
to change the face of mining. Legislation
under development by the Chamber of
Mines’Mining Industry Occupational Safety
and Health (MOSH) taskforce is being fast
tracked to compel the implementation of
PDS wherever Trackless Mobile Machinery
(TMM) is deployed, whether in under-
ground or surface mining.
“We will probably see some develop-
ments in this regard in the first quarter of
2015. There is a lot of attention being paid
to PDS technology at the moment,” says
Anton Lourens, MD of Booyco Electronics.
Booyco Electronics has been at the fore-
front of PDS technology in the mining
industry since 2006, and has since grown
to be the industry leader and innovator.
“When we started out with collision
warning systems, there were no specific
regulations or functionality requirements
that had to be complied with, whichmeant
that manufacturers simply adhered to their
BMG – Bearing Man Group, part of Invicta
Holdings Limited, has extended its opera-
tions in the fluid technology sector with
the recent acquisition of Klep Valves.
“This strategic acquisition follows an
18-month period where Klep Valves sup-
ported BMG in our expansion into the
dynamic valves sector,” says Gavin Pelser,
MD of BMG. “Klep Valves, which forms
part of BMG’s Fluid Technology division,
will retain its manufacturing facility in
Krugersdorp under the BMG banner.
Booyco at the forefront of PDS technology
own best practices in conjunction with the
specific needs of their customers,” Lourens
says.
It is for this reason that Booyco Elec
tronics has emerged as the market leader,
due to its continuous and considerable
investment in research and development
over the years, in addition to its rigorous
testing, verification and trialling procedures.
“The one factor in favour of our prod-
ucts is definitely the quality, while the
other related issue is the maturity of
our products due to our experience and
expertise. We do regard ourselves as prob-
ably the most experienced player in this
sector. Even we are constantly encounter-
ing new challenges, different scenarios
and applications, specifically because this
technology does not comprise simple off-
the-shelf solutions,” Lourens says.
The MOSH taskforce is adding definite
value to the South African mining industry,
particularly as progress has to be reported
on a monthly basis. “What is quite impor-
tant is that all the TMM suppliers have
acknowledged the technical complexity of
the PDS technology. An important break-
through in this regard is that the taskforce
has been able to define clearly where
accountability rests in terms of functional-
ity. In other words, what happens when a
PDS detects a worker and then relays that
signal to the TMM. Defining that boundary
of responsibility has been a really signifi-
cant achievement.”
Booyco Electronics’ PDS is based on
Very Low Frequency (VLF) technology,
which the original equipment manufac-
turer has verified as being the most suited
to the particular conditions of the South
African mining industry.
In terms of the latest developments,
Lourens says that Booyco Electronics has
added a data capturing or logging func-
tionality to its PDS, which is also included
as a DMR requirement in the near future.
“We have also increased the level of diag-
nostics in the equipment to ensure that
the system is fully functional at all times
and that it can be connected ‘fail to safe’
on a continuous basis.”
Booyco Electronics, tel 0861 BOOYCO (266926)
The mineworker is equipped with a two-way Radio
Frequency Identification (RFID) tag fitted into a cap lamp
cover that flashes a warning whenever he or she ap-
proaches machinery.
“This development augurs well for both
companies. BMG will broaden its prod-
uct range and service offering and, with
the combination of its positioning as a
respected manufacturer and BMG’s exten-
sive distribution reach, Klep Valves is set to
significantly extend its market share.”
Klep Valves specialises in the manufac-
ture of diaphragm, pinch and wedge gate
valves, which are designed for enhanced
operating efficiency.
BMG – Bearing Man Group, tel (+27 31) 576-6221
BMG acquires valve company