Opencast mining, under- ground solutions and materials handling equipment supplier Tenova Takraf has delivered and assembled a new Bradford coal breaker for a new coal project in Mpumalanga, as well as completed a major breaker refurbishment and replaced two slew bearings on a stacker and reclaimer for coal mines in the same area.

Tenova Takraf delivered the new breaker to the client last month and, as part of its client-support services, completed the slew-bearings change in May and a breaker tyre-grinding project in April.

Tenova Takraf client-support services GM Paul Davies explains that the lower split slew bearing in the stacker and reclaimer was failing, owing to normal wear and tear over the 22 years that it had been installed on the machine. This restricted the slewing movement of the stacker and reclaimer.
“A routine reclaimer slew bearing inspection at the mine indicated that the lower split slew bearing was failing and, on further inspection of the machine’s centre column, we detected that the middle slew bearing’s seals had also failed, which is normally an indication that the bearing needs to be replaced. The time required to replace the two bearings is about 14 days, but we were requested to complete the replacement in ten days, which we achieved,” Davies states.

Tenova Takraf also replaced both bearings in one shutdown period – something that has never been done before because of design restrictions during the jacking of the machines which allows access to these components.

Tenova Takraf carried out the tyre-grinding project on the Bradford coal breakers as two of the breaker’s tyres had developed flat spots, owing to slight misalignment, which caused damage to the trunnion tyres.

“The damage to the tyres was detected by our field specialists during the periodic machine reports and inspections that we provide our clients as a free service to assist with maintenance planning and ensure high levels of equipment reliability,” Davies states.

The project entailed the refurbishment of the tyres through on-site machining to return the tyres to their original degree of vertical and horizontal true dimensions. The work was carried out over a weekend to reduce the impact on production.

Davies notes that there has been an increase in machine refurbishments in the coal indus- try, as many companies are using their budget sparingly and are looking at extending the life of their plants and machines.

“The tyre-grinding project has extended the life of the machine by two years, which is a significant contribution to containing costs, given the average price of a new Bradford breaker drum replacement is about R13-million,” he states.

He adds these projects are a good example of the com- pany’s ability to offer comprehensive client-support services and says all Tenova Takraf equipment comes with full support throughout the life of the machine.

The after-sales client-support services department supports all the equipment sold by Tenova Takraf and other businesses of its parent group, Tenova Mining & Minerals, which includes specialised equipment such as apron feeders, mills and granulators and bulk materials handling machines, which range from conveyors through to rapid load-out stations.

Tenova Takraf supports instal- lations throughout Africa and, within the coal industry, is particularly active in Mpumalanga. Therefore, the company has a Middel-burg office with field service specialists who conduct inspections on machines and provide detailed reports on the state of customers’ machines; the company also has maintenance crews and supervisors, Davies says.

He adds that the company’s aftermarket income has increased about fivefold in the last ten years and that it is considering further expansion with another office in the Northern Cape.

This is planned for the company’s next financial year and will support the machines that Tenova Takraf has supplied to operations in that region, such as Redler conveyors, electrostatic precipitators, crushers, load-out stations and the Jetfloat floating platforms.

Tenova Takraf Africa MD Ricardo Tonini says expanding its client support services is a focus area of the company.

“Our support to the client does not simply cease at project handover. We believe in building long-term client relationships through living with and supporting our products over their complete life cycle. In this way, we provide our clients with assurance of immediate support to avoid unnecessary downtime – a critical factor in this capital-intensive industry – as well as deepen our understanding of our clients’ business requirements. This posi- tions us well to tailor appropriate solutions for our clients when further business opportunities arise,” he notes.

Tenova Takraf Africa’s Bradford coal breakers are sold under licence from crushing machinery and replacement parts manufacturer Pennsylvania Crusher Corporation, in the US, but Davies says that the coal breakers have been developed further by Tenova Takraf for the South African market, owing to its rugged terrain and harsh mining environment.

“We are constantly upgrading the technology and, as a result, the latest machines have heavy-duty beams with cast ends, an upgraded wheel support assembly and a grid-type screen plate, which is a lot more robust, giving three times the life of the previous design and is user-friendly during maintenance. It also allows higher volumes of product throughput,” he says.

Tenova Takraf Africa also provides a 24-hour call-out service for its clients.