Innovative solutions at Kroondal
October 2004
News
Information Security
Products & Solutions
In-house expertise at B&W Instrumentation and Electrical has resulted in the design and manufacture of innovative, purpose-built equipment to streamline operations on the company's 18-month electrical contract at AQP (SA)'s Kroondal Platinum Mine near Rustenburg.
To surmount the challenges at Kroondal, veteran director, Tom Lombaard, designed an industry-first electric cable winch and also conceived specifications for the complete rebuilding of secondhand 4x4 vehicles for use underground.
The contract at Kroondal Platinum mine includes the underground installation of conveyors, ventilation fans, lighting, substations, gully rigs and a ring main feeder, and involves many hundreds of metres of electrical cabling. The new winch enables the lowering of cables down boreholes up to 250 m deep instead of the conventional time-consuming and often dangerous practice of raising cables from underneath using turfors.
The winch has been tested and certified by Acoustosonics as compliant with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and capable of lowering up to 36 tons of cabling. It is fitted with two mechanical brakes on the drum and an hydraulic brake on the motor and gearbox.
Low-slung vehicles
B&W's new mine vehicles, formerly a Toyota Hilux 4x4 Diesel bakkie and a Toyota Land Cruiser, were rebuilt at the company's workshop in Alberton to a height of 1,2 m and 1,4 m respectively. The available height in the mine's decline shafts is about 1,7 m. The rebuilding of the vehicles included the removal and repositioning of the suspension, engine and driveshaft and fitting a new body, lower roll bar and mine-spec dead man's brakes. The vehicles are designed with a flat load bin for the transport of equipment and have been resprayed with mine-spec stonechip paint and rubberised inside. The pictures show the bakkie before and after the rebuild.
The Kroondal contract was awarded to B&W by Dowding, Reynard and Associates (DRA) and forms part of the Pooling & Sharing (PSA) Project at the mine.
For more information contact Ken Nel, B&W Instrumentation and Electrical, 011 907 1663, [email protected]
Further reading:
BMG achieves GBCSA Net Zero Waste Level 2 Certification
Bearing Man Group t/a BMG
News
BMG has achieved Green Building Council South Africa Net Zero Waste Level 2 Certification after diverting more than 90% of operational waste from landfill, demonstrating how practical sustainability measures can deliver measurable environmental and commercial benefits.
Read more...
In-ear hearing protection for firefighters
Fire & Safety Products & Solutions
Savox has launched Savox Fire Protect, a fully integrated firefighter communication system combining active in-ear hearing protection and wireless push-to-talk in a single, purpose-designed solution.
Read more...
Pump spares and parts for Africa
News
KSB Pumps and Valves explains how its decentralised stockholding and local manufacturing keep spares and parts available across its installed base in Africa.
Read more...
Inspiration for times of change
Endress+Hauser South Africa
News
More than 2000 customers, partners and experts gathered in Basel, Switzerland, for the Endress+Hauser Global Forum in April 2026. Under the theme of driving sustainable transformation together, the event combined keynote sessions on strategy, technology and the future of work with practical case studies from across the process industry.
Read more...
Local energy solutions rewiring resilience across Africa
News Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
Engineers across Africa are developing practical, scalable energy and mobility solutions supported by the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation.
Read more...
The gender gap in SA’s engineering sector
News
South Africa’s engineering sector is facing a critical gender imbalance, with women making up just 16% of registered engineering professionals compared to 84% of men.
Read more...
Safe removal of the historic US 181
News
Mammoet provided the heavy-lift expertise that helped remove the 2300 ton centre span of the historic US 181 Harbor Bridge in Corpus Christi, Texas, using a precision lift-and-lower method that protected nearby marine environments and reopened navigation channels swiftly.
Read more...
Seeing the threat is not always enough
Secutel Technologies
Fire & Safety Products & Solutions
With integrated Smoke Screen technology, businesses can remotely trigger a smoke deployment on demand or configure custom business rules that automatically activate the system when specific events occur.
Read more...
Going Green initiative sees African Group Lubricants adopt electric forklift fleet
News
African Group Lubricants is transitioning most of its forklift fleet to electric power, a move expected to cut diesel consumption by around 85% and improve conditions across its manufacturing facility while delivering a positive return on investment in the near term.
Read more...
Africa Energy Indaba 2027 aims to ignite the power revolution
News
Africa Energy Indaba 2027 takes place from 2 to 4 March 2027 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, bringing together ministers, utilities, investors and developers to accelerate energy generation, unlock investment and drive the continent’s industrial future.
Read more...
printer friendly version