Mines are relying increasingly on ‘smart’ plants to optimise the performance and cost of their crushing, screening and milling functions. In these data-driven environments, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) must ensure that their systems can align seamlessly with the mine’s integrated data needs, according to Kim Schoepflin, Chief Executive Officer of vibrating equipment specialist Kwatani.
Kim Schoepfl in, CEO of Kwatani, and Kenny Mayhew-Ridgers, COO, observing the dynamic movement of a vibrating screen during the test phase.
“Recognising the value of innovation and technology has always been a pillar of Kwatani’s ‘engineered for tonnage’ philosophy,” says Schoepflin. “This is why we have probably the highest percentage of tertiary-qualified technical staff in our segment of this industry.”
She says it is this superior level of in-house expertise that allows Kwatani to design its equipment for the 4th Industrial Revolution where technology is fusing the physical world with the digital world. Schoepflin highlights the company’s capacity to design, engineer and build some of the world’s largest and most rugged screens, while at the same time incorporating modern electronics linked to leading-edge digital functionality.
“Our in-house design expertise, linked to the detailed monitoring of our screens’ performance in the field, has given us the capability to customise large and cost effective equipment that suits our customers’ specific and exacting needs,” she says. “Beyond this, we also ensure that our knowledge base includes both mechanical and metallurgical expertise – so that we understand how our equipment can help optimise upstream and downstream processes within the plant.”
In the digital age, collaboration with the customer – and even with other OEMs – has become increasingly essential, says Kenny Mayhew-Ridgers, Kwatani’s Chief Operating Officer.
“This needs to take place right from the concept phase of a project, so that data requirements are aligned,” he says. “While mines as the end-user are facilitating this alignment process, each OEM needs the expertise to leverage digital technology in their particular ‘module’ within the process plant.”
As an all-South African company with B-BBEE Level 1 status and 80 % local content in its sourcing and manufacturing, Kwatani actively participates in the project design teams with some of its leading customers, he says.
“The power of technology today allows mines to create a ‘digital twin’ of their actual plant enabling modelling and testing to be conducted digitally before any actual changes are introduced to the plant’s functioning,” Mayhew-Ridgers explains. “To do this accurately, however, requires a high level of technical input from OEMs throughout planning and implementation.”
He highlights the use of the appropriate sensors to measure key indices related to the screen’s condition and performance. These devices track aspects such as the power draw of motors as an indicator of bed depth, as well as key data such as tonnes per hour processed.
“There is a vast amount of process data that OEMs can gather for a modern plant, allowing operators to fine tune each aspect for optimal performance,” Mayhew-Ridgers says. “At Kwatani, we also regularly collect data that reflects the condition of our screens and monitor the health of the machines.”
This valuable information is important for maintenance scheduling on these large machines and assists in avoiding unplanned downtime.
Kwatani’s service technicians and mechanical engineers also work closely with customers on site analysing data and testing concepts to improve performance and life-span. “We invest heavily in our own research and development, not just through monitoring the equipment but in conducting innovative testing for continuous product improvement,” he says.
The company’s R&D leads to expert reports being published in peer-reviewed forums, thereby sharing valuable insights with industry. An example of this is at the South African conference on Computational and Applied Mechanics hosted by the Vaal University of Technology last year.
Schoepflin emphasises the company’s commitment to developing local skills while ensuring that the highest levels of quality are maintained in its manufacturing process. Kwatani is one of only 5 % of local manufacturers with ISO certification. It is also working with the South African Mineral Processing Equipment Cluster (SAMPEC) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to pioneer the processes to verify local content.
