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April 2016
MODERN MINING
43
COMPANIES
The laboratory is a sophis-
ticated facility which can
handle sample preparation
and testwork on behalf of
clients.
always important in Africa,” says Späth. “The
concrete segments can be produced on site in a
small precast plant, thus opening up employ-
ment opportunities and, in addition, delivering
savings on transport costs.”
Also ideal for the junior market is one of
Tenova TAKRAF Africa’s ‘signature’ prod-
ucts, the well-established Bradford breaker
which has been enduringly popular since first
being introduced to the South African mining
industry in the 1980s and which falls under its
specialised handling and comminution equip-
ment product line.
“We manufacture the Bradford breaker
under licence to Terrasource Global in the
US but in truth it is almost an entirely South
African-designed machine as we have adapted
it over the years to suit the particular character-
istics of South African coal – which differ quite
substantially from those of typical American
coals,” says Späth. “The most recent develop-
ment is a semi-mobile, skid-mounted version
which is particularly aimed at those miners
who are exploiting small coal resources and
who need a machine that is economically
priced and which can be moved from one block
or resource to another.”
Turning to the air environmental product
line, Späth says demand for this equipment
remains buoyant, reflecting in part the more
stringent air quality regulations which have
recently come into force in South Africa. “The
demand is coming not just from the mining sec-
tor but also general industry,” he notes. “We are
well placed to meet this demand as we are able
to offer the broadest range of air environmental
products in the country – and can point to more
than 2 700 air pollution control solutions sup-
plied over the past 40 years by Tenova TAKRAF
Africa and its predecessor, BET, across the
Southern African region.”
Examples of Tenova TAKRAF Africa’s capa-
bility in this field are recent orders from Petra
Diamonds for its Finsch and Koffiefontein
mines, both in the Northern Cape. Placed in July
last year, the orders comprise the replacement
of a Tenova dynamic scrubber at Koffiefontein
and the installation of a new, upgraded system
at Finsch. The original dynamic scrubber sys-
tems at these mines were installed decades ago
by BET, with the system at Koffiefontein dat-
ing back to the late 1970s. The systems, with
capacities of 15 to 20 m
3
/s, are installed at the
transfer points of the kimberlite materials han-
dling systems at the two mines.
Tenova TAKRAF Africa’s dynamic scrub-
bers are simple to operate and enable low dust
emissions to be achieved with relatively low
capital and operational costs. They are used
for general dust collection of medium to heavy
dust loads with an efficiency of 99 % for par-
ticles in the 1 to 2 micron range. The smallest
dynamic scrubber can handle 0,2 m
3
/s while
twin arrangements of the largest scrubber han-
dle up to 65 m
3
/s.
The company has recently extended its air
environmental range by acquiring the local dis-
tributorship for US company Dust Solutions Inc
(DSI), which manufactures dust suppression
systems. These include dry fog agglomerative
dust suppression systems, which use ultra-
sonic, air atomising nozzles, compressed air
and plain water to produce a dry fog that
agglomerates to airborne dust particles.
“This is a relatively new distributorship
for us but we see huge scope for the DSI tech-
nology in mining and quarrying,” says Späth.
“The systems are ideal for transfer points,
crushing and screening plants, truck tips and
indeed anywhere where dust is being gener-
ated. The technology offers the driest form of
dust suppression available, which is big plus
in a relatively water scarce country such as
South Africa, and – as further benefit – does
not involve the use of chemicals.”
Looking ahead at the outlook for Tenova
TAKRAF Africa, Späth says the company is well
placed to take advantage of the upturn when it
comes. “All the branding and organisational
issues which inevitably stem frommergers such
as the one between BET and TAKRAF are now
behind us. We are already performing strongly
relative to market conditions and see exciting
growth ahead as we continue building on the
nearly 100-year history we have in South Africa
of meeting the needs of industry in general and
the mining sector in particular.”
Tenova TAKRAF
Africa’s dynamic
scrubbers are
simple to operate
and enable low
dust emissions
to be achieved
with relatively
low capital and
operational costs