product news
73
08.13
Strong demand
for Pewag tyre
protection chains
While most industries are finding the going a
bit tough in the current economic climate, the
tyre protection chain sector is doing well for
OMSA Pewag, which markets tyre protection
chains from Pewag Austria Gmbh.
“OMSA Pewag announced in mid-2012 a
R4,1 million order for tyre protection chains
for three large earthmoving machines in Lum-
wana, Zambia. These chains were recently
installed on the mine’s earthmoving machin-
ery which is used for copper mining excava-
tion applications. The installation took three
days, followed by training for local staff and
machinery operators,” said Siegfried Errath,
MD of OMSA Pewag South Africa.
Following on the success of the Zambian
order, the mining company contracted OMSA
Pewag earlier this year to supply a further
R1,1 million worth of chains for its mining
operations in Botswana. In addition, an iron
ore mining operation based in Sishen has re-
peated an order for R1,7 million worth of pro-
tection chains.
“It makes sense to install tyre protection
chains on major capital equipment such as
above-ground and below-ground excavators
and earthmoving equipment,” says Errath.
“They offer major cost savings in terms of
the large reduction in downtime, as well as
cutting the budget on tyre replacement quite
drastically.”
OMSA Pewag, tel (+27 11) 793-7421
Atlas Copco is launching a new, compact rig
for rock bolting in small to medium sized tun-
nels and drifts. The rig, called Boltec S, is fully
mechanised and can operate in drifts as low
as 2,8 m and up to 7,5 m.
“With this launch, Atlas Copco is filling
a gap in the market in terms of small, fully
mechanised rock bolting rigs,” says Da-
vid Shellhammer, division President for At-
las Copco Underground Rock Excavation.
“We’re glad to be able to offer a rock bolting
rig that fits the smallest tunnels and mines.
No one should ever have to work beneath un-
supported ground, and with this rig you will
be able to eliminate manual bolting which, in
many cases, has previously been the only op-
tion in this segment.”
“The low operating height is due to the
short dead length on the feed and the low
cabin height,” explains Paul A O’Neill, Prod-
uct Manager at Atlas Copco. “The Boltec S
has a dead length of only 1,1 m, which is the
best in its class.”
The Boltec S can be equipped with the
new 14 kW COP 1435 rock drill offering up
to 30 % faster drilling than the lighter 11 kW
COP 1132. At the same time, both rock drills
are built from the same, short housing parts,
Atlas Copco launches compact rock bolter
giving maximum room for installing longer
bolts.
Another feature is a new operator panel with
only two multifunctional levers that control the
whole operation from drilling to bolting.
A new resin injection steering system,
which is also controlled from the operator
panel, makes the loading of resin cartridges
into the pre-drilled hole easier since it is not
necessary to move the whole bolting unit.
The bolting unit is mounted in a forward
facing position. This makes it easier to install
bolts in both the left and right hand corners,
and also allows for face bolting when neces-
sary. The bolt carousel can be loaded in a ver-
tical position, resulting in a much faster re-
load time and a better working environment
for the operator.
Atlas Copco Mining and Rock Excavation
Technique, tel (+ 27 11) 821-9000
The Boltec S is fully mechanised and can operate
in drifts as low as 2,8 m and up to 7,5 m.
