In the last three years, diversified technology innovator 3M has made a concerted effort to provide new technologies and solutions for the global mining industry, taking advantage of the opportunity to showcase its latest offerings during the Investing in African Mining Indaba, which took place in Cape Town, last month.

“With our comprehensive range of products and solutions, we believe we can assist mining companies in increasing productivity and safety levels at their operations,” said 3M mining and minerals metallurgy solutions global business director Henk Beukman, who spoke to Mining Weekly on the sidelines of the conference.

3M safety and graphics group business leader for the Middle East and Africa Len Moult added that the company’s expansion plans for Africa were in line with its expansion plans for the rest of the world, which entailed considering the regions currently receiving noteworthy investments and further homing in on the countries that were registering significant growth, where 3M would subsequently establish business nodes.

“We have offices and/or manufacturing facilities in South Africa, Morocco and Egypt and, recently, we have established many new offices including in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Tunisia and Algeria,” he highlighted, adding that 3M would also establish an office in Côte d'Ivoire in the next six months.

Indaba Display

Throughout the conference, 3M facilitated product demonstrations held by several of its key product portfolios, including the Personal Safety Division (PSD), the Electrical Markets Division (EMD), Traffic Safety Systems (TSS), the Electronics Markets Materials Division (EMMD) and the Building Commercial Solutions Division (CSD).

PSD demonstrated a range of personal safety products, including its locally produced disposable respirators which, as Moult pointed out, were manufactured in line with the latest international standards, approved by the South African Bureau of Standards and endorsed by Proudly South African.

Other personal safety products that form part of PSD’s range include hearing protection from the 3M E-A-R fit category, protective overalls that offer breathable comfort and a 3M 6 500 half-piece reusable respirator.

Meanwhile, EMD showcased its cold shrink technology, which was developed for use in medium-voltage joints and terminations.

“The one-part joint bodies and terminations have built-in stress control, and semiconducting and insulation layers. The live memory action shrinks the component to give a durable seal, offering greater reliability, reduced labour costs and less hazardous working conditions,” said Beukman.

EMMD showcased the 3M Novec 1 230 fire-protection fluid, which Beukman said was “the only sustainable fire-extinguishing fluid that does not damage the materials it is sprayed onto, with the greatest margin of safety and no adverse effect on humans, and zero ozone-depletion potential”.

He also highlighted that the 3M Novec 1 230 is an appropriate solution for the protection of sensitive critical systems such as substations, and switchgear, server and control rooms in above- and below-ground scenarios.

TSS promoted its range of 3M reflective tapes and retroreflective road- signage material, which demonstrated a wide reflective angularity of up to 90°, helping road users to easily identify vehicles and traffic signs, and improving safety in particularly vulnerable situations such as turning, crossing traffic or reversing.

“This retroreflective technology has also been implemented on 3M’s range of reflective clothing, thereby improving worker safety in the mining environment,” noted Beukman.

Meanwhile, CSD presented the 3M Nomad matting system, which is typically applied to floors as a trapping substance that retains and conceals everything, from dirt and sand to water and other types of moisture, while also providing a nonslip walking surface.

Beukman pointed out that, in the mining environment, the matting system was also used to sieve gold and was commonly referred to as ‘miners moss’.

“3M’s technology is being used locally, making way for advancements in products that offer high-quality performance, safety and comfort,” said Moult, adding that 3M would celebrate 61 years of operating in South Africa this year.

“Our vision remains relevant – to add value to and lead with technological and innovative solutions that advance peer companies and enhance homes, as well as improve the lives of our customers, surrounding communities and the country,” he concluded.