Custom mining solutions from Bühler at MTE Richards Bay
July 2025
Motion Control & Drives
Bühler recently showcased its advanced material handling solutions at the Mining & Technical Exhibitions (MTE) in Richards Bay. The highly diversified expo reflected the MTE philosophy of catering to a wide spectrum of industries from mining and smelting to agriculture, sugar milling, forestry, and paper and pulp production.
Richards Bay is home to leading industrial operations like RBM, Hillside Aluminum and KZN Sands, along with sugar milling, paper production and port operations. This makes MTE Richards Bay an ideal platform for Bühler to engage directly with key industry stakeholders and decision makers across these interlinked sectors.
Bühler presented its heavy-duty chain conveyors and high-performance forged chains engineered specifically for demanding mining environments. These systems can transport up to 1200 metric tons per hour across spans of up to 100 metres. They are built for strength, wear resistance and longevity − the result of Bühler propriety forging and hardening processes.
What sets Bühler apart is not only the quality of its equipment but also its ability to custom-design solutions. “If you can imagine it, we can make it”, says Francois Knoetze, head of manufacturing at Bühler Southern Africa. “Thanks to our fully equipped manufacturing workshop at our Johannesburg head office, we work closely with customers to design and build equipment that meets their exact operational requirements.”
Bühler has been active in southern Africa since 1972 and maintains a strong operational presence in Johannesburg. Its regional manufacturing facility builds and supplies precision-engineered components for both local and international markets, ensuring that customers benefit from quality, locally manufactured solutions backed by global expertise.
Bühler’s enclosed conveyor systems are another key advantage, offering not only operational safety and efficiency but also helping to reduce dust and spillage, an increasingly important consideration in environmentally sensitive mining zones.
As a trusted partner to the mining sector, Bühler continues to invest in innovation and sustainability. By providing end-to-end solutions for chain and conveyor needs from design and production to installation and after-sales service, Bühler’s participation at MTE Richards Bay highlighted its commitment to delivering robust, sustainable and custom solutions that reduce downtime and improve safety and performance.
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