Mechanical Technology

Mechanical Technology — November 2015

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Local manufacturing and beneficiation

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Metal manufacturer increases turnover, job creation and production efficiency

abrinox, a Western Cape metal

manufacturing company, has reported

increases in areas such as job cre-

ation, production efficiency, black economic

empowerment (BEE), skills development

as well as financial turnover – 20% higher

than anticipated – subsequent to the suc-

cessful implementation of a Firm Technol-

ogy Assistance Package (FTAP).

The FTAP is one of the solutions offered

by the Technology Localisation Plan of the

Department of Science and Technology

(DST). Fabrinox, as a supplier to state-

owned companies, was selected to form

part of government’s drive to improve the

competitiveness of local original equipment

manufacturers, and could benefit from the

mechanism established for this purpose,

the Technology Localisation Plan.

“Fabrinox offers manufacturing solutions

such as component manufacturing, sub-

assemblies, under-licence manufacturing,

project management and global installa-

tions. Manufacturing processes include

state of the art precision laser cutting, bend-

ing, welding and surface treatment,” says

Masande Dlulisa, project manager at the

Technology Localisation Implementation

Unit, a DST-supported initiative hosted by

the CSIR.

He continues: “To enhance its inter-

national credibility, Fabrinox focused on

increasing its competitiveness through

continuous improvement of its operational

systems and investment in technology

and quality outputs. We started off with

identifying a suitable skills development

programme linked to a new machine

purchased by Fabrinox. The intervention

involved the development of high-end

technical skills in Germany, to enhance the

capability of the local workforce. Fabrinox

also required an upgrade of their enterprise

resource planning (ERP) system to offer

customers real time feedback.”

Key employees received advanced pro-

gramming and machine operator training

at Trumpf Germany, enabling Fabrinox to

improve operator capability, which resulted

in improved confidence and motivation lev-

els as well as improved operating efficiency

of machinery.

Fabrinox has also reported a significant

increase in the number of permanent job

opportunities of 120% more than originally

planned.

Andre Visser, managing director of

Fabrinox, comments: “The most important

component of the programme is that we are

able to employ people best suited to the job

and with the correct BEE profile. Our black

employees as a percentage of total staff

complement increased from 57% to 65%.

The female component improved by more

than 150%. The programme also assisted

us in unlocking potential by leveraging our

existing black employees to higher levels.

This will result in a totally different BEE

profile for Fabrinox.”

An upgraded ERP system and increased

confidence and skill levels also resulted in

an increase in turnover of almost R10 mil-

lion. “Improvements in efficiency contribute

substantially to the improved bottom line.

We fully expect these gains to increase

significantly with the roll-out of the ERP

system resulting in double digit growth for

the next financial year,” Visser concludes.

BATAC

jig technology has excellent separation accuracy,

is relatively small in footprint and has a comparatively low

capital cost.

A view of the Batac jig plant at Khumani.

with electromagnets. Because it is a per-

manent magnetic separator, the PERMOS

MIMS does not require electric power for

generating the magnetic field, despite

strong field intensities thereby guaran-

tee high iron recoveries with minimum

operating costs.

MBE Minerals’ Pneuflot

technology

improves product quality and overall

recovery. It is an attractive alternative

to conventional agitator flotation due

to its lower capex and opex, as well as

reduced wear and higher levels of effi-

ciency. Pneuflot systems are available in

sizes ranging in diameter from 800 mm

to 6.0 m and have been successfully

installed in almost 150 industrial ap-

plications worldwide. Slurry feed rates

of 10 to 1 400 m

/h can be achieved in

a single cell, depending on cell diameter.

A large footprint of MBE Minerals’

vibrating screens in the African mining

industry stand testament to the durabil-

ity and effectiveness of the products.

Options are available for wet and dry

classification as well as for dewatering

and depulping of coal, minerals and

ores. Variants include RSL and RFS

resonance screens and conveyors; type

VSL and USL linear motion screens; type

VSK and USK circular motion screens;

type VRL micro screens; and type VMSL

vibrating screens.

A range of vibrating feeders, designed

in Germany and manufactured locally,

feature feed capacities of 100 up to

3 000 tph. These feeders are suitable

for all applications where controllable

discharge of bulk materials is required.

Replaceable bolt-on wear liners are

fitted to the feeder troughs to prolong

feeder life.

Ongoing R&D

Due to extremely wide variations of min-

eral deposits and requirements for final

products, MBE invests substantially in

undertaking pilot scale test work at its

fully equipped R&D centre in Cologne,

Germany. The R&D Centre is able to

simulate complete separation processes

with its own crushers and mills, using

wet as well as dry classification on

screens, in cyclones or in air classifiers,

and finally separating the minerals by

gravity, magnetic properties or using

specific chemical surface attributes for

flotation.

“A well-established product base, a

team of experienced and knowledge-

able engineers and technicians and a

large and varied database of customers,

provides MBE Minerals with the ability

to customise efficient solutions for the

iron ore beneficiation sector,” Kottmann

concludes.