JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – South African mining must mechanise to become more productive, says new Witwatersrand University Centre for Mechanised Mining Systems (CMMS) director Dr Declan Vogt, who adds that research has a crucial role to play in helping the industry to become more competitive.

“We’ve seen a tremendous drop in productivity and we’re now under enormous pressure to become more productive,” says the former acting manager of the now closed Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Centre for Mining Innovation, who points out that the deterioration has been accompanied by a simultaneous decline in the quality and quantity of mining research.

As a result, there is an urgent need for mining research in South Africa, particularly around mechanisation, and Vogt sees the CMMS as South Africa’s best-placed research option.

“Now is the time and this is the place,” says the new CMMS head, who has published at least 35 refereed conference and journal papers, two book chapters and two conference proceedings, and more than 25 reports for the Chamber of Mines Research Organisation and the CSIR.

In addition to conducting research, he sees the CMMS as having an important role in training middle management.

Because most attempts to introduce mechanised mining have floundered on systems failures, a systems and operational redesign approach will be adopted by the CMMS, which is funded by mining companies that include Anglo American, Anglo American Platinum and Impala Platinum.

Currently, South African mining companies are redesigning their labour-intensive manual mining processes.

“This does have value, but where they’ll really see benefits is if they take a clean sheet,” says Vogt, who sees the CMMS’ chances of realising its mechanised mining vision as being good, since most major mining companies have announced their intention to mechanise.