Allight lighting towers are a new feature of the night shift at Khumani iron ore mine in the Northern Cape following the order by Assmang of three MineSpec units from Barloworld Power.  The three Allight MS6K-9 lighting towers started work lighting up various work areas at the end of November 2013.

As the southern African Cat dealer, Barloworld Equipment has shared a strong partnership with Assmang at Khumani since its establishment in 2006 and, in addition to a significant fleet of earthmoving machines, the mine uses several generators supplied by Barloworld Power for the supply of  emergency power.

The order for the Allight lighting towers was placed following a demonstration of the units to Assmang at Barloworld’s Kathu facility by Rudolph van Tonder, Allight sales consultant at Barloworld Power.  “The Allight units significantly outperform competitive units and the customer was satisfied that the MS6K-9 model would improve the quality of light provided and thus the safety of night time mining activities at Khumani,” he adds.  “Customer feedback has been very positive since the units started operating.” 

AllightSykes

Barloworld Power sells and supports power systems incorporating Cat and Perkins engines and the Australian Allight lighting range was added in 2008. The comprehensive line-up of mine specification and heavy duty civil lighting products offered by Barloworld Power is manufactured by Perth-based OEM AllightSykes. Allight has led the mobile lighting field in Australasia for more than two decades and is used around the world. More than 3 000 Allight units are manufactured annually, meeting the strict health, safety and environmental requirements of the Australian mining industr

Barloworld Power’s ability to supply reliable power anywhere at any time applies equally to these fully mobile lighting towers, which are powered by Cat or Perkins engines. “A significant advantage for customers is the comprehensive warranty, parts and service back-up offered by Barloworld Power for both the lighting units and their engines,” says van Tonder. Barloworld Power’s extensive footprint across southern Africa is essential to the quick and efficient service demanded by mines.

MineSpec range

The mine specific design of the Allight MS6K-9 unit takes customer needs, environmental impact, cost and efficiency into account. “In addition to the well-respected Perkins engine, features that make it suited to the most rugged mining environment are compact design, hydraulic mast operation, single point operation console, hydraulic mast slew, mining safety features, fluid bunding to 110%, 500 hour service intervals, robust all terrain axle undercarriage, and high wall overhang,” explains van Tonder.

The tower features the exclusive Allight patented design of hydraulic horizontal extension. This offers significant benefits for mining by enabling the tower to be positioned above the work platform instead of directly in it. Machines can be located up to 250m above the work area, with the high wall overhang capability throwing high optimum light across large areas of the work platform below. Currently there are seven MineSpec models, with the MS6K-9 as a popular mid-range example available in single or double-axle trailer mounted configuration. The single-axle trailer was selected for Khumani. The unit has a gross weight of 1 500kg for legal on- and off-road towing. Once erected, the maximum mast height is 9m, with four durable 1 500W metal double-ended halide lights designed to withstand vibration and a 130 litre fuel tank. 

Customers also have the option of high pressure sodium lamps that shine powerful yellow light for applications requiring environmental sensitivity or sites with heavy airborne particulates such as coal, dust or fog. Hydraulic mast extension and retraction functionality via a ground level control panel provides ease of positioning for either vertical applications or horizontal in-pit lighting, with double acting rams, safety  check valves and safety micro switches safeguarding mine personnel when locking the mast in one of the seven preset positions. Up to 360 degree rotation for optimal light direction is possible with the mast fully extended. Barloworld Power has delivered MineSpec units to several major projects in southern Africa in the past year, with pit illumination solutions using a combination of towers to light up working areas up to a radius of 500 metres.

The full range

In addition to the popular mid-range MineSpec series, Barloworld Power represents Allight’s Combilite range for heavy construction and light mining environments and the Super Skid range for the most extensive mining environments. Excellent mine spec features coupled with a very compact design make Combilite units ideal for the mining contactor rental market. The top-end Super Skids are available in four models with a choice of either 15 x 1 000W high pressure sodium lamps delivering almost 2 million lumens of yellow tinted soft light, or the popular 12 x 2 000W metal halide lamp configuration delivering close to 2,3 million lumens of true-white illumination.

All Super Skid units come with a 12m fully extended mast and 10,7m highwall overhang capability which, when positioned according to a surveyed lighting plan, ensures that working areas, roadways and cross haulages remain highly visible and mine safe. Barloworld Power has six SS24K-12 Super Skid units operating on the Zambian copper belt, in addition to more than 30 MineSpec style mobile units. Barloworld has recently supplied the new version MSLED-9 model into this region. Many MS mobile units have also been delivered to Botswana mines and a SS24K-12 Super Skid was recently ordered by Debswana’s Jwaneng Mine.

New LED unit

Last year AllightSykes released its first LED (light emitting diode) unit to its portable lighting tower line-up. Barloworld Power launched the Allight MS9 locally at Bauma Africa 2013 in September. The Allight MS9 tower has a maximum raised mast height of 9m and features eight 240W LED floodlights providing a combined output of 176 424 lumens. Each of these lights provides around 50 000 hours of life. LED technology requires less energy to produce the same or equivalent light output compared to metal halide lamps, which in turn contributes to a reduction in the overall carbon footprint. Allight products are available “off-the-shelf” from Barloworld Power or for rental via Barloworld Power’s Rental business unit, with low hour certified used options available for purchase.