Belgium-based manufacturer of mobile track-mounted crushing and screening equipment, Keestrack, exhibited at the inaugural bauma Africa 2013, in conjunction with the sole accredited sub-Saharan dealer, Metal’lum, which also introduced Metal’lum’s new range of track-mounted crushing and screening equipment to the South African market.

The exhibition was held at the Gallagher Convention Centre, in Midrand, Gauteng, from September 18 to 21.

Metal’lum CEO Tom Bajkay says the new range is well suited for the conditions of the sub-Saharan mining and aggregate industries, as well as for the specialised materials handling industries, such as recycling and material stacking.

“We brought this product to South Africa as we felt that there was a need in the market for a company with adequate application engineering experience. The equipment can be applied correctly for customers when big capital purchases are made,” he tells Mining Weekly.

Bajkay explains that the Keestrack product range is suitable for the South African market as the equipment is rugged, well designed and modern, owing to the operators, of similar machines, being involved in the design process.

In addition, Keestrack’s effective maintenance programme ensures that the machines are in good working order after 20 000 hours of operational time.

Further, Bajkay notes, Metal’lum also displayed a range of impactors and low-cost coal crushing equipment.

In comparison with the bauma exhibitions in Munich, Germany and in Shanghai, China, the African exhibition is substantially smaller, says Bajkay.

However, Keestrack SA MD Stan Fischer adds that the exhibition was significant for Keestrack as it was the first bauma exhibition on the African continent and it exposed the company’s product line to several major players in the mining, crushing and screening industries, that were present.

Fischer explains that the Keestrack’s head office is in Munsterbilzen, Belgium, and the impactors and screening machines are manu- factured in the Czech Republic. The jaw crushers are assembled in Omtrack, Italy.

“An agreement with Keestrack denotes that, initially, the machines will be imported by Metal’lum in complete form. However, over time the equipment will include local content. For example, spare parts can be manufactured locally,” says Bajkay.

He says bauma Africa was the first step in introducing Keestrack to the South African market and future prospects include expansion into sub-Saharan Africa.

“Keestrack equipment has already been well received in Panama and parts of northern Africa, where the equipment has been operating successfully,” he concludes.