Anglo American Thermal Coal’s Landau colliery, near Witbank, Mpumalanga, has recently expanded its movement and surveying radar (MSR) fleet with the addition of a number of MSR 060Vs.

The MSR range provides precise, real-time and around the clock surveying and slope movement measurements in highly demanding, and often extreme, mining conditions around the globe.

The MSR 060V is the latest addition to the MSR range. It is a compact, vehicle mounted and has an operating range of 600 m.

“Reutech Mining offers a proudly South African product that provides a real-time immediate alarm within the pit, and we are very impressed with the quality of the after-sales service,” commented Landau colliery GM Vijay Kumar.

The delivery of the first system was marked with a technical handover session, which Reutech Mining hosted in Witbank. The event served as a platform for the leading role-players in the mining and geotechnical fields to discuss technology training courses.

Presentations by Anglo American rock engineering manager Gift Makusha and Anglo American principal rock engineer Des Mossop provided a platform for discussions regarding the advances made within radar technology in the slope stability monitoring fields.

“Using the radar allowed mines to perform tactical monitoring and to mine areas that would have been disregarded historically,” said Mossop, emphasising the importance of this technology in the modern mining environment.
Makusha stated that he was impressed with the manufacturing design concept of the MSR 060V, recalling that he had been integrally involved during the early production phase when Reutech had consulted with clients.

“Reutech Mining believes that continuously improving and developing our technology and staying ahead of the pack is only made possible if clients, users and other stakeholders are included in all aspects of the development and design period,” said Reutech Mining executive Jan de Beer.

He added that the MSR 060V had been specifically designed with the coal mining indus-try in mind to allow ease of use in conditions where access and space is limited.

“With Anglo [American Thermal] Coal being the first mining group to adopt the original MSR technology on the New Vaal colliery in 2006, and subsequently on many of their other sites, this occasion is truly indicative of the valued relationship between Reutech Mining and Anglo [American Thermal] Coal and we look forward to what the future holds together,” said De Beer.

The success of the initial delivery of the MSR 060V to Landau colliery has allowed other collieries and Anglo American Thermal Coal sites to follow suit.

Reutech Mining is a division of Reutech Radar Systems, a company within the Reunert Group. Reunert is listed on the JSE, has a turnover of around R11-billion a year and employs almost 7 000 people.