Integrated crushing, mining and minerals processing solutions provider B&E International is offering its operational expertise in the design and engineering of custom-built solutions for projects specific to the mining and construction industries, says B&E International MD Dewald Janse van Rensburg.
“We have been designing and manufacturing plants at our Port Elizabeth facilities since the 1980s, but always on an in-house basis. However, over the past two years, we decided that, owing to the skills and expertise we have garnered in this regard, we will now be offering our expertise to the market, as we believe there is a definite gap that we can fill in terms of purpose-built plants, as well as maintenance and operational plants for mine owners,” he says.
B&E International was initially established in 1972 as a drilling and blasting specialist in the Eastern Cape and soon diversified into the mobile crushing sector with its own mobile and static crushing division.
In 1993, it entered the mining services sector and diversified further into bulk mining, processing and minerals beneficiation. Construction, infrastructure and mining group Raubex acquired B&E International in 2008, which completed B&E’s transformation into a focused crushing, mining and minerals processing company.
In terms of mobile crushing and screening, the company operates various crushing plants ranging in size from about 50 t/h to 500 t/h, from single-stage plants, all the way up to five-stage crushing plants.
“Our equipment fleet comprises the most modern crushers on the market, giving B&E International the capability to produce a range of products, from road stone to high-quality manufactured concrete sand, base course, concrete aggregates, water-bound macadam, ballast and filter media,” says Janse van Rensburg. The high-quality aggregates produced are deployed from greenfield sites to projects on existing commercial quarries in sub- Saharan Africa.
“B&E International’s mobile crushing and screening skills set includes the ability to design our own mobile plants, complete with the requisite trailers, conveyors and bins. This encompasses rapid and efficient mobilisation and installation, in addition to prospecting for suitable rock and the operation and subsequent rehabilitation of project-dedicated quarries,” comments Janse van Rensburg, adding that the company’s continued success in this sector is predicated on its proven ability to achieve product consistency at high volumes and in remote locations.
On the surface mining and minerals processing side of the business, the company has accumulated significant build, operate and transfer expertise ranging from in-field preconcentration of minerals to processing run-of-mine material for further treatment, such as heap-leach extraction or heavy- media separation.
“We have been operating these types of plants for many years and are, therefore, able to design plants that are maintenance- and user-friendly, as well as more durable, with a much longer service life.
“We are also able to run this with a very low overhead, as engineering is not our core business. Therefore, we have all the necessary skills combined with highly competitive pricing,” says Janse van Rensburg.
In addition, B&E International has the flexibility to cater for a range of plant sizes, from a 200 t/h plant in Queenstown to a 500 t/h plant for UK-based resources company Weatherly International’s Tschudi copper mine project, in Namibia.
“We are capable of designing and manufacturing plants with even greater throughputs. It all depends on what the client wants,” says Janse van Rensburg, adding that the company is also looking to expand its geographical footprint, with Africa being a definite focus.
“We can size any plant accord- ing to market demand. Obviously, commercial crushing is a totally different ball game as it does not help if you are able to crush 100 000 t a month but can only sell 30 000 t. We can match the plant to whatever the specific market need is,” he adds.
B&E International believes its service offering is a particular boon for mining companies facing a depressed industry, compounded by declining commodity prices, which has shifted the industry’s focus to cost-cutting initiatives and value addition.
“We financed the crushing, screening, agglomeration and stacking portion of the Tschudi project and had the client pay us back on a per-ton basis. This enables the client to take over the operation of the plant when its cash flow and margins have achieved a satisfactory level. While it exposes us to a certain amount of risk, it is something we are willing to do for reputable mining companies,” says Janse van Rensburg.
This system works equally well for both parties as B&E Inter-national has a guaranteed income stream, while the client has peace of mind in terms of plant performance. “We are prepared to run it for you on a per-ton basis, which is agreed on from the outset. If the plant does not perform according to specification, then we will tweak it.”
Janse van Rensburg concludes that B&E International’s vast experience in the industry has allowed it to offer these value-added services to its most important clients. “Not only do we now have an established track record, but it is also starting to gain momentum.
“If our order book increases significantly in this regard, then we will seriously look to expand our design, engineering and manufacturing capabilities.”