43 / 52
PRODUCT News
February 2015
MODERN MINING
41
Hytec Services Africa (HSA), a Hytec Group
company, recently completed the supply
and installation of a lube and coolant dis-
pensing system at Acacia Mining’s North
Mara goldmine, located in a remote corner
of northern Tanzania. (Acacia was previ-
ously known as African Barrick Gold.)
The dispensing system enables more
responsive, immediate and efficient ser-
vicing and maintenance capabilities for
the mine’s heavy mobile material handling
fleets, comprising haul trucks, graders,
loaders and shovels.
The maintenance of heavy mobile
equipment in operation at North Mara was
previously constrained by the significant
distance between the main equipment
workshops and the remote workshop
located at an opencast pit. A more auto-
mated dispensing system – to facilitate
faster fluid ‘top ups’ – was required for a
more effective operation, for which HSA
was contracted.
The system covers the complete fluid
management and distribution
process, from the bulk offloading
of fluids from tankers into 20 000
litre holding tanks (coolant and
transmission oil are stored in
1 000 litre tanks), as well as the
steel pipe infrastructure for
transfer into remote hose reels,
from where machine services
can be carried out.
The dispensing system con-
sists of seven steel dispensing
lines dedicated for engine oil,
transmission oil, two variants of hydraulic
oil, coolant, compressed air, as well as a
waste oil pipe for the safe removal of used
oil from the site. Grease points were also
provided. Each oil and coolant flow is fil-
tered through Bosch Rexroth duplex filters,
while the bulk tanks are protected with
Hy-Pro desiccant breathers.
HSA, together with Hytec, executed
the design and layout of the entire dis-
pensing system. All the stands for the bulk
Hytec delivers dispensing system to North Mara gold mine
offloading pumps, filter stands, waste oil
pumps, as well as the cabinets for hose
reels, were designed and built by Hytec.
Hytec’s Installation and Servicing depart-
ments were involved in the pre-assembly
of pipework in South Africa, as well as its
final installation on site.
HSA coordinated the project, including
the logistics of delivering materials, equip-
ment and personnel to the site.
Gary Shaw, Hytec Services Africa, tel (+27 11) 573-5460
Holding tanks – of 1 000 and 20 000 litre capacity – store the various
lubricants and coolants required at the North Mara gold mine site.