Mechanical Technology

Mechanical Technology — November 2015

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Local manufacturing and beneficiation

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ilotek was created to de-

velop and commercialise

Futran, the world’s first

automated, suspended,

bulk commodities fractional rapid transit

system. Off the back of the successful

completion and trials of a demonstration

plant near Brits, Milotek has been chosen

as one of the four finalists for the 2015

Swedish Steel prize, one of the most

prestigious awards for engineering in the

steel industry. To be a finalist is testament

to the engineering prowess and spirit of

innovation present in South Africa.

As motivation for selecting Milotek,

the Swedish Steel Awards jury released

the following statement: “Milotek has de-

veloped a completely new, innovative and

environmentally friendly system for high

capacity heavy transportation; a modular

elevated track with self-propelled trains.

The potential of high-strength steel is

fully utilised to enable cost effective

lightweight solutions. Prefabricated track

sections are bolted together for easy as-

sembly, which is advantageous especially

in far off regions. The system is very

SA finalist for the Swedish Steel Awards

Andries Louw, CEO of Milotek and inventor of

Futran System, and Gerhard Claassen, CEO

of RedPRO.

At Milotek’s 1.0 km Futran test track outside Brits, Milotek and RedPRO engineers are busy testing and

refining the heavy haul motorised units, before being installed at the first client sites.

SA-based Milotek, along with its engineering contractor, RedPRO, is one

of four global finalists for the Swedish Steel Awards. This is in recognition

of the invention and commercialisation of the Futran suspended transport

system, a new low cost, high availability, green alternative to trucks, trains,

buses and conveyor belts, with potential to lower the overall cost of mining

by between 5% and 35%.

flexible and can be adapted for many

different transport applications.

The Futran System was invented by

Andries Louw, the founder and CEO of

Milotek and then enabled by Milotek and

RedPRO, the engineering firm contracted

to do the detail design and development

of the system. By using an elevated, light-

weight steel track that can be suspended

over grasslands, wetlands, grazing,

agricultural land and existing roads, the

system has a very small footprint, while

allowing agriculture and animal migration

to continue underneath the track.

In built up areas the track can be

constructed on top of railway lines,

roads, pavements and walkways, thereby

minimising the need to create new right

of ways. Various types of automated,

driverless vehicles, propelled by power-

ful electric motors, are suspended from

the elevated track and used to transport

people and goods on demand from any

point along a grid network of tracks to

any other point – without stopping in

between.

Although the system was initially

developed as a low-cost public transpor-

tation system that can be retrofitted onto

existing urban infrastructures, Milotek is

first focusing on the deployment in the

mining industry, where a great need ex-

ists to lower the cost of haulage, while

limiting the impact on the environment.

At Milotek’s 1.0 km Futran test track

outside Brits, Milotek and RedPRO en-

gineers are busy testing and refining the

heavy haul motorised units, before being

installed at the first client’s sites.

From 2016 onwards, the company

expects the system to have a major im-

pact on mining, where the system has

significant cost, environmental impact,

and logistical and reliability benefits over

existing modes of haulage such as trucks

and conveyor belts. In the not too distant

future, the Futran System is expected

to enable low cost, long distance bulk

haulage across the African continent

and fast, efficient, reliable and low cost

public transportation in even the poorest

and most congested cities in the world.

“Being selected as a finalist for the

Swedish Steel Prize is an incredible

achievement for a young company dedi-

cated to improving the way we interact

with our environment and a remarkable

recognition for the power of local inno-

vation.” Andries Louw from Milotek and

Gerhard Claassen, the CEO of RedPRO

and lead engineer on the project, will

represent Milotek at the award ceremony

and hopefully, upon their return, bring

the Swedish Steel Prize back to South

Africa.

Previous winners of the award include

companies such as Lear Corporation,

Mack trucks, Fiat and John Deere, and

in 2014 the Steel Prize was won by

Belaz for constructing the largest truck

ever made.