IWC, Africa’s leaders in industrial water cooling solutions, will join the continent’s heavyweights in mining, industrial, construction, engineering and related industries at the Electra Mining Africa 2014 exhibition, taking place from 15 – 19 September 2014 at the Expo Centre Johannesburg. Electra Mining Africa 2014 is one of the most prominent mining, industrial machine tools and electrical trade shows in Southern Africa, attended by over 850 manufacturers, suppliers and service providers who will be showcasing their latest products and cutting-edge innovations.

South Africa is estimated to have the world’s fifth-largest mining sector in terms of GDP value. The notable mineral resources of the country include gold, iron, phosphates, diamonds, manganese and platinum and the nation’s total reserves remain some of the world’s most valuable, with an estimated worth of R20.3-trillion ($2.5-trillion). Although production in the South African mining sector was marred by labour unrest in the previous financial year, the industry still adds significant value to the country’s economy with regards to GDP contribution, employment, tax and export revenues. Company MD Roger Rusch says, “South African mining companies are key players in the global industry and account for a significant portion of world production and reserves. IWC keenly looks forward to participating at Electra Mining 2014 to provide mining heavyweights with effective and competitive cooling solutions.”

IWC designs and manufacturers a type of forced draft counter flow cooling tower, known as a slurry cooling tower, that can withstand the severe conditions of deep-level mining. These dual composite cooling towers are able to operate in high temperature environments amidst the harsh chemical compositions of slurry, which is a by-product of the pressure-leach process used in cooper mining. The segmented, modular design of IWC’s slurry cooling towers allows for easy assembly and cost-effective maintenance.

Says Mr Rusch, “IWC has extensive experience in the South African and Zambian mining industry. We specialise in the design and manufacture of cooling towers and fibreglass products such as tanks, piping and process vessels that are used extensively in the mining and metals processing industry.”  IWC offers fully integrated cooling solutions. The company’s range of products are packaged cooling towers, large field erected cooling towers and natural draught cooling towers. The company also provides refurbishment services thereof. IWC provides a range of GRP solutions and the company’s fibreglass production facility, which is only the second such plant in South Africa, is capable of constructing custom GRP fabrications including large diameter tanks, pressure vessels, piping and ducting of all vital components in the mining process.  IWC also offers heat exchanger solutions and supplies plate heat exchangers from SONDEX that are capable of covering the easiest to the most challenging applications. Additionally, the company operates a state of the art service centre for the servicing and cleaning of plate heat exchangers.

IWC is able to provide a comprehensive range of replacement gaskets and plates for most brands and models of plate heat exchanger. “At the event, we hope to develop new relationships and tap into the flourishing South African mining sector. We are equipped to deliver solutions that focus on operational efficiency and cost optimization,” says Mr Rusch.