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PRODUCT News
76
MODERN MINING
August 2016
Index to advertisers
Afrimat Management Services
72
ALCO-Safe
18
Allied Crane Hire
9
Aury Africa
53
B&E International
48
Babcock
IBC
Barloworld Equipment
OFC
Belaz Africa
11
Bell Equipment
66
Beowolf Mining
13
Booyco Electronics
7
Brelko Conveyor Products
75
DRA Projects
26-27
FLSmidth
OBC
Franklin Electric
59
Hytec Holdings
63
Johnson Crane Hire
70
Joy Global Africa
34
Maelgwyn Mineral Services Africa
14
Marthinusen & Coutts
73
Metso Minerals
54
MMD Mineral Sizing Africa
64
MSA
56
Multotec Group
24
Novatek
52
PANalytical
IFC
Powermite
67
SA French
5
Sandvik Mining
60
Scania
2
SEW
37-40
Simantel – Caterpillar
22
Tenova TAKRAF/Tenova Delkor
62
ThyssenKrupp
50
Transcor Truck Hire
41
Wearcheck
65
Weba Chute Systems
71
Weir Minerals
68
Winder Controls
15
Wirtgen
19
WorleyParsons
17
Industry-first for underground arc flash protection
Surgetek, a specialist in lightning and surge
protection, electrical safety, and test and
measurement equipment, has launched
what it says is an industry-first, high visibil-
ity, 15 cal/cm² arc-rated low voltage overall,
the highest cal-rated low voltage overall in
the industry. Its high-visibility is attributable
to its unique bright yellow colour which
was developed for mines whose personnel
become difficult to identify when wearing
the conventional dark blue 12,4 cal/cm²
rated low voltage overall in dimly lit under-
ground environments.
The lightweight, brightly coloured
arc-rated material was sourced from PPE
specialist manufacturer Protal. The design,
stitching and make-up, however, are under-
taken locally providing a local solution. The
first samples were produced in January
2016, subsequent to thorough testing by
the Aitex Laboratory in Spain.
This product is available as a one or two-
piece overall. Surgetek stocks and distributes
accompanying electrical protection clothing
such as the 8 cal/cm² arc-rated double layer
Nomex balaclavas; 18 cal/cm² arc-rated face
shields and helmets; 32,8 cal/cm² arc-rated
Dehn gauntlet gloves; and water and heat
and electric shock-resistant safety boots.
Sikhumbuzo Ngwenya, Surgetek, tel (+27 11) 792-1303/4/5
The fast-track nature of many large indus-
trial and mining projects on the continent
has seen an increase in the demand for
containerised housing for Motor Control
Centres (MCCs).
These stations are quicker to establish
on site than their brick-and-mortar coun-
Fast-track solution for fast-track projects
terparts and they are assembled off-site in
factory-controlled conditions.
There is no limit to the size of the MCC
stations, with containers connected side
by side or stacked on top of each other
to provide the necessary space. Being a
modular solution, individual containers are
easily transported to the project site
and then erected.
Shaw Controls’Chief Commercial
Officer, Johan van Niekerk, notes
that the company has supplied
these solutions tomany project sites
including Eskom’s Medupi Power
Station project and the associated
Exxaro Grootegeluk expansion
programme.
A division of Zest WEG Manufac
turing, Shaw Controls manufactures
the containers at its 12 000 m
2
manufacturing hub in Robertsham,
Gauteng, to customers’ specifica-
View of the Shaw Controls MCC and panel manufactur-
ing facility.
tions. “All our containerised housings are
built from scratch. We install all the nec-
essary fittings and claddings, based on
individual customer requirements,” says
van Niekerk.
This approach is in line with Shaw
Controls’ strategy of keeping manufactur-
ing in-house to reduce costs and maintain
close control over quality. The company
says that the strategy is working consider-
ing that its order book for all its solutions,
including its leading range of MCCs, is five
times the size it was a year ago.
A sizeable share of this comprises
orders from blue-chip mining houses
and international engineering companies
involved in brownfields and greenfields
mining projects in Africa. Van Niekerk says
the company’s close affiliation to the min-
ing industry means that it has to comply
with the highest standards in the design
and manufacture of MCCs and panels.
This includes all quality and safety
standards adhered to by Australian engi-
neering firms, who are dominant players
in the African mining industry. These are
more stringent than those followed in
South Africa, and this compliance has
given Shaw Controls a competitive edge
when tendering for projects across the
country’s borders.
This is complemented by Shaw Controls’
IEC 61439 certification which proves the
integrity of its panels. As van Niekerk
points out, these stringent tests require a
high capital outlay and, for this reason, only
a few South African companies have been
certified. “We have subjected our products
to all these tests, and re-verified the out-
come of the tests in 2014. This is one of the
reasons why we are so busy,” he says.
Shaw Controls, tel (+27 11) 434-8100