https://www.miningweekly.com

Mechanisation crucial for sustainability of South African mines – Wits academic

AGE OF MACHINES Mining is becoming more dependent on machines and computers, therefore miners are having to up their their game

DECLAN VOGT There needs to be a major cultural transformation in the workforces whereby the goal of ensuring safer, more productive mining operations is achieved

18th March 2016

By: Ilan Solomons

Creamer Media Staff Writer

  

Font size: - +

It is imperative that South African mines adopt mechanisation to improve their operational efficiencies and remain sustainable businesses entities, says University of the Witwatersrand Centre for Mechanised Mining Systems (CMMS) director Dr Declan Vogt.

Vogt, who gave a keynote address at the Council for Geoscience’s recent 2016 conference, in Tshwane, noted that fewer than 30% of platinum mines had a cost of production that was lower than the market price of the metal in 2015.

He also pointed out that 30% of South Africa’s platinum was produced by mechanised underground mines, with an additional 9% being produced by platinum mining company Anglo American Platinum’s Mogalakwena opencast mine, in Limpopo.

“Most of the profitable platinum mining operations in South Africa are mechanised. Therefore, the message is very clear: mines must mechanise or perish,” Vogt asserted.

He added that the situation in the gold sector was similar, as most gold mines were running at a loss.

Further, Vogt stressed that safety standards at local mines had to be improved. “Something radical needs to be done, which gold miners agree is the case. Mechanisation offers the solution, as it enables mines to remove workers from dangerous areas and prevent harm coming to their employees.”

He averred that, as mining became more dependent on machines and computers, miners were having to up their game.

“As a key part of the mining process, the lives of geologists are also going to change, as more is going to be required by them; but they will also have better tools and more data available to them to carry out their work,” Vogt stated.

He said that mechanisation led to concentrated mining, with fewer faces that could be advanced faster than was ever possible previously.

“Future machines will acquire geological information such as lithology and structure directly through photography or remote sensing. The availability of dense geological data will also greatly improve interpretations by geologists,” Vogt remarked.

He stressed that there also needed to be a major cultural transformation in the workforce, whereby the goal of ensuring safer, more productive mining operations was achieved.

He said that, once a mine adopted a level of automation, the issue of coordination became critically important.

“There is a close relationship between the pieces of equipment at work and the fast pace of operations. This means that problems need to be diagnosed and solved very quickly, or substantial production will be lost,” Vogt stated.

He elaborated that a key challenge for the mining sector was the legacy of workers and managers in a conservative industry. Vogt said that moving them towards a culture in which mechanisation would work best had to be achieved as a matter of necessity.

He noted that the CMMS followed “a systems approach” to mining, which included people, processes and technology, to act as a connector between mining companies and equipment suppliers.

Vogt commented that mines often did not fully comprehend the inherent mining challenges at hand.

“With our unique combination of mining, mechanical and industrial engineering skills, the CMMS can assist in bridging this gap,” he contended.

Vogt said that the centre had a “proven record” of generating various options during prefeasibility studies that had the potential to turn a lossmaking operation into a profitable one by thinking laterally about the challenge.

He added the CMMS also researched issues that were shared by the mining industry and its suppliers, such as skills development challenges.

Edited by Martin Zhuwakinyu
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

Comments

Showroom

Environmental Assurance (Pty) Ltd.
Environmental Assurance (Pty) Ltd.

ENVASS is a customer and solutions-driven environmental consultancy with established divisions, serviced by highly qualified and experienced...

VISIT SHOWROOM 
Werner South Africa Pumps & Equipment (PTY) LTD
Werner South Africa Pumps & Equipment (PTY) LTD

For over 30 years, Werner South Africa Pumps & Equipment (PTY) LTD has been designing, manufacturing, supplying and maintaining specialist...

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Hyphen, Eva mine, ferrochrome price make headlines
Hyphen, Eva mine, ferrochrome price make headlines
27th March 2024
Resources Watch
Resources Watch
27th March 2024

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







sq:0.12 0.155s - 88pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now