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Manufacturer prioritises safety-assured equipment

31st October 2014

By: Pimani Baloyi

Creamer Media Writer

  

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Fulfilling its commitment to ensuring mineworker and property safety, rough- terrain machinery manufacturer Manitou Southern Africa says its mining equipment features the most advanced safety technology, such as flameproofing systems, explosion-resistant designs and enhanced operability.

Company MD Lindsay Shankland tells Mining Weekly that these safety offerings are evident in some of Manitou’s new products and incorporated as customisations in some of its well-known existing products.

“We have, for instance, adapted our Maniscopic telescopic handler range to feature a much lower risk of sparking or overheating in dangerous underground environments, where finely dispersed coal dust or gases can [result in] explosions or fires,” he explains.

The telescopic handler range complies with the Mining Health and Safety Act of 1996 and the Minerals Act of 1991, says Shankland. “We also have a complete range of underground attachments that meet all safety standards, arming operators with the right tools for the job.”

He emphasises that Manitou Southern Africa focuses on improving the safety of its machines; reducing maintenance costs for its customers; finding opportunities to mechanise materials handling procedures and underground transportation; and identifying different attachments that can be used on one machine to improve its functionality.

Product Portfolio
Manitou Southern Africa showcased three new flameproof mining machines at this year’s Electra Mining Africa exhibition: the Manitou Scaler and Manitou RoofBolter, which are appended to the MT-X 742 telehandlers as standard; the ManiTrax Tow Tractor; and the world’s largest telehandler, the MHT-X 14350S.

The Manitou Scaler attachment improves safety and underground performance, enabling operators to scale hard and soft rock from secure areas on its 7 m, 180º rotational turret, either from within its fully enclosed cab or from up to 20 m away using remote control.

The Manitou RoofBolter is an automated bolt rig that improves manoeuvrability and performance in confined soft- and hard-rock hanging walls, which can be as low as 1.8 m. The roof bolter, which is a permanent fixture on the Manitou MT-X 742 telescopic handler, comprises a single rotating carousel head, which carries six roof bolts.

The 35 t ManiTrax Tow Tractor is a utility vehicle used for hauling, towing and transporting in mining applications. Manitou designed this tow tractor with full four-wheel and crab steering functionality for maximum manoeuvrability, making the vehicle ideal for confined underground spaces.

The Manitou MHT-X 14350S has a maximum lift capacity of 35 t, a telehandler lift capacity unparalleled on the world market. With a 7.2 ℓ Mercedes-Benz engine, this model features advanced usability and caters for the growing heavy-industrial market and, in South Africa specifically, assists mining companies in the handling of conveyor belt reels, tyre assemblies and wheel motors.

Shankland adds that Manitou Southern Africa’s engineering division has developed a series of dependable wet-system flameproofing technology for telehanders, including flameproof diesel engine designs, radiators, header tanks, cowls, cooling fans, exhaust systems and intake manifolds.

The company has also introduced stainless steel flame traps for exhaust systems and flameproof electric starters, and has started fitting electrical gauges separately from mechanical gauges in the dashboard of vehicles as an additional precautionary measure.

“Our flameproof technology can be applied to any vehicle in theory, but, because of their compactness, the small MT-X 625 and 732/742 telehandlers and the Gehl 4240 skid steer are more suitable and popular for underground mining conditions.

“Our drive to supply flameproof technology has become the benchmark in an era of guaranteed operator safety in explosive gas and dust, and in coal environments.

“Further, our ability to customise Manitou machinery to address specific African mining issues is part of Manitou Southern Africa’s unique innovation and adaptability offering that sets us apart from our competitors,” elaborates Shankland.

Manitou Southern Africa covers Namibia, Mozambique, Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Malawi. The company’s current mining clients include platinum mining majors Anglo American Platinum and Impala Platinum; gold majors AngloGold Ashanti and Harmony Gold; coal majors Exxaro, Sasol Mining and BHP Billiton; as well as iron-ore miners Rio Tinto and Sishen Iron Ore, among many others.

Edited by Samantha Herbst
Creamer Media Deputy Editor

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