Modern Quarrying January-February 2015

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January - February 2015 MODERN QUARRYING 9
AROUND THE INDUSTRY
Former Richards Bay Coal Terminal chair-
person and Anglo American head for the
South African operations, Kuseni Dlamini,
has signed a deal with Caldas Engineering
and Manufacturing Services, a leader in
the supply of re-engineered wear parts
for fixed and mobile crushers. The deal
will see Dlamini, through his brainchild
KDI Holdings, own 35% of the 18-year old
Edenvale-based engineering company.
“We are very pleased to have signed
the deal with Kuseni Dlamini, and we
have no doubt that the experience and
expertise he will bring to the table will
be invaluable to us, as we embark on our
journey to take Caldas Engineering to the
next level,” says company founder and
CEO Rui Caldas.
Caldas Engineering currently provides
products and services to the quarrying,
construction, demolition and recycling
industries and is now looking at penetrat-
ing the mining industry as part of its strat-
egy. The company also intends spreading
The mining sector
has plenty of bright,
up and coming pro-
fessionals coming
through the ranks,
but the missing
ingredient in the
field of blasting is
experience, accord-
ing to BME technical
director Tony Rorke.
“The real problem
is that we have moved away from the
apprenticeship system, and also lost many
experts to other mining countries like
Australia, so there is now a gap between
the younger skills and the older special-
ists who are approaching retirement.”
He says this experience gap is prov-
ing difficult to close because many mine-
based blasting technicians and engineers
are not spending enough time in the field
of blasting technology to become fully
proficient. “Often they are moved into
other areas of production or management
as the operations try to spread the skills
available. The result has been a gradual
erosion in the depth of experience on the
Experience needed to up blasting skills
blasting side in many mining companies.”
As an explosives supplier and blasting
contractor, BME often finds itself called
upon to provide fundamental blast-
ing duties that mines have historically
assumed as part of their core competence.
Rorke says it is important for mines
to work collaboratively with blasting spe-
cialists from explosives suppliers rather
than becoming dependent on advice
from international sources who are not
as familiar with their operations and
not necessarily motivated to improve
the expertise of mine personnel on site.
Critical input from both sides is vital to
ensure that the best quality blasts can be
delivered cost effectively.
“We have the benefit of dealing
regularly with new blasting-related chal-
lenges, giving us a great deal of experi-
ence in troubleshooting and innovation.
However, training by itself will not solve
the challenge facing us. The sector really
needs to have skilled people in place who
will steadily gain experience over a num-
ber of years, learning every day from their
own activities and the mentoring of oth-
ers,” he adds.
Tony Rorke, director,
blasting technology
for BME.
its wings to the
rest of the African
continent.
“I am pleased
to be partnering
with the long-
established world-
class engineering
and manufactur-
ing firm,” Dlamini
says. “It is an excit-
ing opportunity
to be partnering
with an organ-
isation that has been providing supe-
rior products and services to business
in South Africa and across the world for
almost two decades.”
In addition to the head office in
Edenvale, Caldas Engineering has offices
in Durban and Kimberley with plans
to open another branch in Limpopo
Province.
/
Kuseni Dlamini has
partnered with Caldas
Engineering in a 35%
ownership deal.
Dlamini buys stake in engineering firm