Although 2023 was tough – and particularly so for South Africa’s mining industry, a traditional sector for Iritron’s electrical, instrumentation, control systems and decision support systems expertise – the company reports some highlights from the year.
CEO Alwyn Rautenbach notes the buoyancy of the technology sector worldwide, with advances in IIoT (Industrial internet of Things), smart sensors, online asset management, digital methodologies and information sharing in the IT environment – and this produced some green shoots for Iritron.
He says this buoyancy is manifest in Gauteng and the Western Cape in the manufacturing and agricultural sectors, and in the application of integrated digital control systems for large and smaller solar energy installations, which is a growing aspect of Iritron’s business. The same is true in the mining sector. “In particular, by combining our instrumentation and control expertise in the mining space with solar developments, we have launched the concept of solar-powered wi-fi trailers, which bring wi-fi into the open pit environment. This allows for remote control of autonomous drilling operations and traffic control of vehicles operating in an open pit – with benefits accruing in safety improvements, control, cost and fuel savings for the mine.”
Additionally, with advanced technology solutions, Iritron has commissioned several projects in the mining sector and in food processing lines.
“Automation, digital control and the complex synchronisation of electric motor driven equipment have been core to Iritron’s success and established us as experts for commercial and industrial control management, plant optimisation and data recording,” Rautenbach says.
In mining
In the mining space, the company has delivered automation and on-site instrumentation for crushers at an iron ore mine and, for a different customer, is involved in the upgrading of complex motor control and variable speed drives (VSDs) of plant controlling fans, pumps and conveyors.
“The first four of a total of 67 motor control centres have been commissioned on this project, on time and within budget,” Rautenbach says, noting the complexities the project entails.
He reports that other mining projects have involved management consulting to devise strategies and specifications for asset management systems, data sharing at ERP level and the integration of existing communication systems with more advanced communications and telemetry. These Iritron-designed and -installed systems can provide management with an integrated dashboard for day-to-day operations and for disaster management incidents, providing situational analysis of multiple factors – power, water, utilities, firefighting equipment, pumps and compressor availability, performance and consumption information – which can be shared across the organisation if necessary, in real time.
He also highlights that the global nature of the mining industry has placed greater emphasis on ESG (environmental, social and governance) issues and the accurate accounting, tracking and reporting of metals production. Global mining companies view the accurate accounting for and reporting on production and work in progress on par with financial accounting and reporting. With its systems integration and software expertise, Iritron addresses these challenges.
In food processing
In the food processing sector where Iritron also offers its expertise in production lines, recent projects are concerned with optimising canning and packaging operations for major producers.
“Currently we are commissioning a data recording system for measuring line efficiency of a canning plant producing condiments in Tzaneen. Having set a target to increase plant capacity by 50%, the customer sought an integrated solution which would measure the line efficiency and performance of its fill and cap machine. Bringing together two different technologies, our engineers were able to provide a system that records throughput against a target plan, identifies quality issues, and records downtime and line blockages using electronic capture techniques. It is a sophisticated system that allows for a plant manager to interrogate it from anywhere via a smart phone,” Rautenbach says.
In a separate project, Iritron has upgraded a TrakSYS system to allow the tracking and seamless capture of palletised products’ mass and throughput from production to warehouse with an automated solution, replacing a previously manual, paper-based system.
And in 2024?
“Mines are demanding more tech to provide automation and real-time online equipment condition monitoring for critical equipment, such as drainage pumps, compressors, and bulk handling equipment like crushers and conveyors, to improve efficiency and control costs. Collection of operating data on these assets and presenting the information in a visual form allows mine engineers to optimise operations and to predict and prevent equipment failures, and at the same time records machine performance and power consumption.
“Demand for copper and platinum group metals from manufacturers of batteries for electric vehicles has led to an upswing in mining activities further north in Africa. Iritron has provided automation and system solutions for enterprises in Gabon, Senegal, Zambia and Tanzania. This is likely to grow as the switch to EVs gathers momentum,” Rautenbach notes.
With its commitment to supporting efficiencies in mining and its move into the solar power industry providing control systems and specialised wi-fi enabled solar trailers, Iritron sees opportunities ahead, despite local economic headwinds.
For more information visit: www.iritron.co.za
