Pneumatic equipment manufacturer ATS 2000 is hoping to cash in on increased demand for its rail cutting and drilling machine (Railsaw), which it designed at the request of one of the world’s leading platinum producers in 2012.

ATS 2000’s Railsaw introduced portable, high-precision rail cutting and drilling to underground mines, boosting efficiency and safety.

“For the first time, a rail can be cut with high precision and twin-hole drilling in one setting. What was once only achievable in an engineering workshop can now be achieved on site with a non-artisan machine operator, in under five minutes,” says Deon Rebello, head of marketing and new business at ATS 2000.

The Railsaw makes it easier to establish new underground rail networks and to maintain existing ones. It also eliminates the need for the use oxygen acetylene cutting, which softens and weakens the rail, and contributes to poor installations and frequent derailments.

Rebello says large mining groups, such as Impala Platinum, Lonmin and AngloGold Ashanti, are introducing these machines into their operations and are calling for a complete ban on the use of gas for rail cutting.

“The demand for this product has grown to the extent that clients who are cutting 60 kg surface main line rails will also have a solution in the Railsaw,” he continues.

The Johannesburg, Gauteng-based company has pioneered the design and development of a range of products and continues to invest in research and development to meet the changing demands of the mining and industrial sectors.

Having adopted the motto ‘Making a Difference’, ATS 2000 focuses on quality and on meeting the requirements of its customers in their working environments when designing new products.

Customer-focused product development has earned ATS 2000 the coveted SABS Design Award for the ATS chainsaw in 2000. The focus in the development phase was on operators’ safety, portability, durability and ease of use.

“The ATS chainsaw has become the preferred machine in the platinum and gold sectors,” Rebello says.

Key features include one man operation, longevity of the air motor and tungsten chain, the unique tilt action of the cutting frame and safety timber securing mechanism.

With the awareness of the inefficiency of dewatering pneumatic sump pumps within mining, ATS 2000’s attention was once again drawn to ‘Making a Difference’.

“Heavy in weight, noisy and having high air consumption with low dirt/debris resistance, these sump pumps were ineffectual, while requiring constant lubrication and being difficult to move on site. Our unique design, using the vortex pumping principle, resulted in the weight and size being reduced by half, decreased air consumption and increased capability to handle dirty water,” Rebello explains.

Subsequently named the ATS Vortex Pump, the product has evolved over the years by upgrading various features based on customer needs.

In early 2013, ATS 2000 launched the lubrication-free Vortex Pump Mk4, as lubrication was the single biggest downfall of the product.

“The Vortex lubrication-free prototype pump ran for 2 000 hours nonstop at seven bar air pressure while producing eight bar water pressure, without a drop of oil in the vane pneumatic motor. This achievement is truly a world first for a pneumatic vane motor. Subsequently, we have applied this technology to all our product ranges where applicable,” he says.

The current (2") 50 mm Vortex Pump Mark 4 is made of SG42 cast iron and weighs only 17 kg. With an integrated microfilter, a low noise 85 DBa silencer, pumping capacity of 764 ℓ/min and a pumping head of 80 m, it has the ability to pump dirty water and more highly contaminated fluids. The motor is made of stainless steel and rust-free materials contributing to the extended operating life. ATS 2000 has also expanded the product range to include a (2") 50 mm Vortex in-line stage/water pressure boosting pump.

Its latest development is the (4") 100 mm Vortex Duplex sump pump, able to move 1 600 ℓ/min for areas requiring a large volume to be pumped in limited time and can be used as an in-line stage or boosting pump.

In 2007, ATS 2000 designed and manufactured the (1") 25 mm double diaphragm pump, known as G1. The main drive behind this was that existing diaphragm pumps were being manufactured generically, without considering specific requirements in the South African mining context. The G1 has an integrated micro air filter, variable power flow valve and restart button. The silencer is integrated into the valve body and a (1") 25 mm air inlet makes it more applicable for use in the mining industry.

ATS 2000 introduced its lifting range in 1990 by acquiring the rights for the THM air hoists, which are based on a top German product. The company has developed the product to suit local mining conditions under the name of RIGGA mining series hoists 1 t to 8 t.

Rebello says ATS 2000 has applied the same lubrication-free technology to its entire lifting range, resulting in less maintenance and downtime. The company is also fully compliant with SANS 1638, which will legally bind producers and users of lifting equipment to adhere to local and international safety standards. This applies to noise levels, a load limiting device from 0.5 t upwards, operators’ safety and other safety guidelines.

ATS 2000 has two hoist ranges focusing on specific markets. The rigging mining hoist range is marketed under the banner of RIGGA and the industrial range is known as INDU. These units are available in standard hook or motorised trolley mounts for use in standard, low- and ultra-low headroom applications.

The INDU range is from 0.25 t to 75 t. This has put ATS 2000 among a handful of manufacturers in the world to produce these capacities to ASME B30-16 standards. “This achievement is an African first for a local pneumatic hoist manufacturer to produce hoists above 15 t,” Rebello says.

Currently, ATS 2000 supplies INDU hoists into the oil and gas sector in the US, Australia, Europe and Africa.

Key features of the RIGGA hoist are a top hook chain linked for multi-directional pulling, and an unbiased motor delivering equal tonnage pull and load limiting on both pulling strands.

ATS 2000 employs over 150 staff in four provinces. The black economic-empowerment Level 6-compliant company holds ISO 9001:2008 quality assurance accreditation.

Hall 5 Stand B14