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:
Reinstatement opportunity for ECSA registration
News
In 2023 the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) announced a special opportunity for engineers in South Africa to reinstate their registration status if it had been cancelled. This exclusive offer is available until the end of August 2024.
Read more...
A strategic milestone for Conical Technologies
Conical Technologies
News
Conical Technologies has been appointed as the sole distributor in southern Africa for Mibbo, manufacturers of a vast array of products for the automation industry.
Read more...
Robotics TechTalk at UKZN
News
The Scientific Multidisciplinary Advanced Research Technology Lab at the University of KwaZulu-Natal recently held an exciting TechTalk. It was an opportunity to introduce students to the IEEE Robotics and Automation chapter, SAIMC, and the Robotics Association of South Africa.
Read more...
Top laboratory industry trends in the spotlight at analytica Lab Africa 2025
News
The future of laboratories and transformative diagnostic technologies will come under the spotlight in July at analytica Lab Africa, South Africa’s only trade fair for laboratory technology, analysis, biotechnology and diagnostics.
Read more...
Schneider Electric honoured with Gender Leader Award
Schneider Electric South Africa
News
Schneider Electric has been awarded the Gender Leader Award at this year’s Africa CEO Forum. This award acknowledges those organisations operating in Africa that have shown a significant and continuous commitment to gender diversity and inclusion.
Read more...
Africa Automation Technology Fair 2025 closes on a high note
News
The Africa Automation Technology Fair 2025 officially wrapped up after three dynamic days at Gallagher Convention Centre, cementing its status as Africa’s leading platform for industrial automation, AI and IoT.
Read more...
A new generation of solar professionals
News
A new generation of solar professionals is rising in Cape Town. The second cohort of the Solar Youth Project has just completed an intensive eight-week training course and is ready to take on the next stage, 10 months of work experience.
Read more...
From the editor's desk: The age of superintelligence
Technews Publishing (SA Instrumentation & Control)
News
In this issue of
SA Instrumentation & Control we say farewell to our longstanding contributing editor, Michael Brown, who is retiring soon. His outstanding contribution over the years in the field of
...
Read more...
Driving digital transformation in the new wave
SAIMC Supplier Advisory Council
News
The latest presentation in the series ‘Knowledge Sharing 4 Industry’ will be held on Wednesday 25 June. It will be presented by Johan Potgieter, Cluster Industrial Software Leader for Schneider Electric, South Africa.
Read more...
Top laboratory industry trends in the spotlight at analytica Lab Africa 2025
News
The future of laboratories and transformative diagnostic technologies will come under the spotlight in July at analytica Lab Africa, South Africa’s only trade fair for laboratory technology, analysis, biotechnology and diagnostics.
Read more...
printer friendly version