Capital Equipment News September 2016

ELECTRA MINING PREVIEW

Becker Mining South Africa will use Electra Mining 2016 to showcase its communication and automation solutions, as well as electronic mining products.

Raymond Obermeyer, MD of SEW- EURODRIVE, believes Electra mining is a perfect platform to meet existing and potential new customers.

Anton Lourens, MD of Booyco Electronics, sees Electra Mining as an ideal platform to engage with the African mining fraternity.

New launches abound Elsewhere, Becker Mining will be show- casing a wide range of its mechanical and electronic products. This year’s exhibit will display the company’s communication and automation solutions, energy distribution systems, electronic mining products and transportation systems. “In today’s severely depressed mining environment, we expect Electra Mining to provide important growth opportunities for companies in the mining and industrial sectors,” says Tom Searle, senior general manager: mechanical, gold and export at Becker Mining South Africa. BeckerMining’sequipmentismanufactured through its wholly-owned South African manufacturing companies. These are EMIS, for electrical energy distribution systems; Bellambie Mining & Industrial for hoist rope attachments, roof support systems and lifting equipment; and Becker Electronics for electronic automation and communication systems. The company’s products on show will include shaft safety components, underground and tunnel supports, transport systems, as well as communication and collision avoidance systems. “Electra Mining is a platform which grants any personal protection or mining supplier the opportunity to meet operational personnel and decision makers.”

Booyco Electronics will use Electra Mining Africa 2016 to showcase its Proximity Detection System for surface operations.

heavy-duty), integrated drywell sealing and pressure lubrication as well as a thermal- ly-optimised housing. Demag lifts stakes high For industrial crane manufacturer, Demag, the major highlight of its Electra Mining Africa 2016 exhibit will be its newly- launched V-Type crane girder. It was initially launched in sub-Saharan Africa in March this year. “We chose Electra Mining Africa 2016 as it is sub-Saharan Africa’s premier event which has always been well- attended,” says Richard Roughley, senior sales & marketing manager at Demag, adding that the V-Type crane girder will be available at highly-discounted prices at the exhibition. Regardless of the model type selected, the V-Type crane girder can be adapted easily to any building shape. It is said to be an ideal solution for both existing build- ings and new construction projects. A par- ticular feature of the crane is that tapered diaphragm joints have replaced the solid box-section design of conventional cranes. Tapered diaphragm joints are said to ac- commodate pressure and tensile forces more effectively to reduce resonant fre- quency by 30%. Consequently, the V-Type crane girder is 17% lighter than compara- ble cranes with box-section girders. b

Despite the current downward trend in mining commodity prices, Searle is optimis- tic of what the future holds. “Becker Mining has endured difficult trading conditions in the local mining industry. Although the local operation has been forced to downsize, mea- sures are in place to optimise our production and sales capabilities,” he says. “With the anticipated recovery of commodity prices, we predict an upturn in business, with increased awareness of safety and improved methods of preventing injuries and loss of lives.” Elsewhere, SEW-EURODRIVE, which has had a presence at Electra Mining since the 1980s, will use the exhibition to unveil a range of new products. “Electra Mining is the largest exhibition of its kind in Africa. Therefore, it is important for us to be there,” says managing director Raymond Obermeyer. “We see Electra mining as an opportunity to welcome existing and potential new custom- ers to our brand and product range.” New products to be launched include the DRN series of asynchronous motors. The new motor range is fully downward-com- patible with all SEW-EURODRIVE’s existing products. Another new product making its debut is the X-Series agitator, based on a modular concept that incorporates many parts from the company’s standard product platform. Features include an integrated extended bearing distance (moderate and

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