July 2014
MODERN MINING
27
MECHANISED
MINING
TBSA offers world-class expertise on bulk solids
Now housed within the CMMS is TUNRA Bulk Solids Africa (TBSA), which
was officially launched in October 2012 and which represents a collabora-
tion between the University of Newcastle in Australia and Wits University.
TUNRA Bulk Solids (TBS) was established in Newcastle in 1975 and has since
emerged as a world leader in bulk solids handling, conveying and storage
technology.
Says John Sheer: “We have a licence agreement which gives TBSA full
access to TBS’s technology and we are now offering the full suite of services
locally that TBS offers in Australia. These include consulting and R&D servic-
es – for example, belt conveying design reviews and audits, wear and flow
design optimisations, bin and transfer chute design and stockpile design.
TBSA also operates a laboratory service which is able to undertake a wide
range of testing on systems and equipment.”
More information on TBSA is available from the CMMS website,
much on managing people as machines. This
situation is now starting to change, in part due
to the efforts of the CMMS, but there is still a
long way to go.”
While Pickering, as mentioned, believes
that South Africa has done well in mecha-
nising its mines, he does acknowledge that
there have been some failures – including one
instance where a prominent platinum producer
first embraced mechanisation and has subse-
quently reverted to traditional practices. “My
own belief is that there are two main reasons
for failure,” he says. “One has to do with per-
sonalities. Occasionally you’ll get a CEO who
believes in mechanisation and who drives the
process but, once he departs, for whatever rea-
son, there will often be a reversion to the old
ways. The second and more common reason
for failure is that the technology is thrown
out because of inappropriate implementation
rather than any fundamental problem with the
concept of mechanisation.
“I’ve already said that I don’t think we lag
our overseas counterparts when it comes to
mechanisation but perhaps I need to qualify
that statement. I did an analysis a couple of
years back where I looked at the performance of
equipment in our mines and compared it with
the performance of equipment in Australian
mines. My conclusion was that we ran our
machines very efficiently. What was missing
though was an appreciation of the systems that
are needed to support the whole process, which
is where the Australians are undeniably supe-
rior. For example, you need a mining layout
compatible with mechanisation, an organisa-
tional culture that supports and reinforces the
process, adequate infrastructure in the form of
workshops and stores in place and management
controls that allow one to measure compliance
to production targets. If any of these elements
are missing, then the entire mechanisation pro-
cess can be compromised.”
While Pickering believes that the major-
ity of underground mines can be successfully
mechanised, he does concede that there are
situations where a good case can be made for
sticking with conventional methods. “If a mine
is very mature with a limited life left, it may be
that the investment needed to convert to mech-
anised methods is not justified,” he says. “One
can also accept that if traditional methods are
working well and delivering the performance
required, then there is no compelling reason
to change. All I would say is this: whatever
way you chose to mine, do it well – and, of
course, safely. I can think of many conven-
tional mines which have been and continue to
be very successful. Equally, and if we look at
the platinum field, of the eight major under-
ground mines in South Africa and Zimbabwe
which are generally deemed to be profitable,
five are mechanised operations.”
When
Modern Mining
visited the CMMS at
Wits recently, the Centre was without a Director
but this is only a temporary situation. “Our
very first Director was Professor Alex du Plessis
– also well-known as the founder of Turgis
Consulting – and his tenure was from 2008 to
2011, when he was succeeded by Professor Jim
Porter,” says Sheer. “Jim recently resigned from
this position – although he still retains a close
association with the CMMS – and we are cur-
rently in the process of selecting a successor.
We are confident that the person we appoint
will build upon the fine work done by both
Alex and Jim and that the Centre’s reputation
as one of the world’s leading ‘think tanks’ on
mechanised mining will continue to grow.”
Report by Arthur Tassell
The old way – miners
working in a stope at
Smokey Hills platinum
mine (now no longer in
production) on the Eastern
Limb of the Bushveld
Complex (photo: Arthur
Tassell).
