Tramecon is a turnkey laboratory solutions provider, servicing mining projects worldwide from its wholly owned Randburg facility, comprising two mini factories covering 400 m2.

The company has recently supplied South Africa-based product logistics monitoring for a Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) client and has an International Organisation of Standardisation (ISO) and laboratory consulting contract with a mine in Turkey.

Tramecon specialises in work-load determination, laboratory architecture and services design, equipment specification, equipment, chemicals and consumable acquisition, equipment installation and commissioning, laboratory commissioning and staff training.

The Kya Sands-based company, established in 2007, also offers laboratory management, comprising laboratory audits, change management and quality improvements.

Tramecon employs 14 people and additional quality contractors, generating a yearly turnover of R10-million. The company’s clients include midtier mining group Metorex’s Ruashi mine and Kinsenda project, both in the DRC; mining major Glencore’s Mutanda mine, in the DRC; Teal Exploration & Mining’s Lubambe copper mine in Zambia and an Anagold Madencilik Gold mine in Turkey.

Tramecon is 100% owned by Dr Hannelie de Beer, while its subsidiary Qotho Laboratory Services, a black-owned small to medium-sized enterprise, is 34% owned by Tramecon, 33% by Nhlanhla Mamba and 33% by Phuti Mathopa.

Qotho, which opened in January 2013, already generates an annual turnover of more than R1-million.

The subsidiary offers support services to mineral laboratories and is working towards ISO 17043 certification of its proficiency testing scheme (PTS). The service provider and ISO Guide 34 reference material producer is equipped with drying ovens, milling capacity to less than 75 microns, screening equipment, a blending capacity of between 50 kg and 1 000 kg, has X-ray fluorescence sample analysis capabilities and sample vacuum packaging equipment.

Its services involve proficiency testing schemes, reference material preparation and certification from 50 kg to 1 000 kg batches – depending on customer requirements.

Qotho’s workflow comprises the receipt of material from suppliers, rigorous material preparation to ensure homogeneity, homogeneity testing, packaging and labelling, distribution, the receipt of results, the statistical processing of results, the scientific interpretation of results and laboratory performance, and the preparation and distribution of performance reports.

Qotho has recently been involved in the expansion of its PTS suite of products, which now covers chrome, manganese, iron, nickel, platinum-group metals, gold, copper and cobalt, all for ore, concentrate and final product.

Qotho’s client base includes mines and commercial labs in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana and the DRC, as well as the Philippines, Holland, the UK, the US and Canada.