Importers and distributors of underground mining, surface mining and quarrying rock tools, Schwalbe, which supplies the Orange Rock Tools range to the Southern African market, reports that it is experiencing some challenges in a stressed mining industry.

Schwalbe MD Jonathan Betsalel explains that there is negative sentiment in the market as the industry faces several challenges.

He notes that the mining industry is volatile and all stakeholders involved need to realise and respect each other’s relevance and importance. “The employees and employers need to find a balance which benefits both parties and ensures the health and longevity of the industry. Current long-standing players in the industry have a good understanding of local conditions and are well suited to find that balance”.

Explaining the environment in which the company operates, Betsalel says, “Orange Rock Tools’ drill bits are used in underground and surface mining as well as quarrying, to drill holes that are later filled with blasting material. The rock surface is blasted, whereafter, quarrying processes, such as screening and crushing in order to extract, work and refine the resulting orebody, are carried out”.

He adds that the Orange Rock Tool range has been fine-tuned to deal with the unique and challenging conditions experienced in South African and Southern African mining. Betsalel emphasises that companies should be weary of products claiming to have a ‘one-size-fits-all solution’.

“South Africa has, in many instances, a combination of very hard, and in some cases abrasive and unique, ground terrain. Adequate drilling speed, longevity and robustness are the core factors that make a drill bit favourable for use in South African conditions,” explains Betsalel.

Further, he adds that Schwalbe offers customised drill tools where a standard drill bit’s performance is not suited. The Orange Rock Tool’s drill bit is unique, as the generic drill bit is first tried and tested on site. “Cognisance is given to the ground conditions, and the aforementioned information is sent back to the factory so that engineering can be adjusted to manufacture samples,” Betsalel explains, adding that once a prototype product is developed, its performance is measured against existing and current performance data. This process is repeated until the product is refined and the customer is satisfied with it.

He concludes that despite the negative space the industry has occupied recently, Schwalbe’s outlook is optimistic and he believes the mining industry will flourish in the latter half of the fourth quarter and 2014 in light of the realisation of its importance to the South African economy.