Following worrying discrepancies in the monitoring of production output, sales and inventory, a belt scale from Tru-Trac is winning the day for KwaZulu-Natal-based AfriSam Coedmore Quarry. With groundbreaking static calibration accuracy error levels as low as 0,06%, the belt scale provides reliable data for sound decision-making.

Over the years, AfriSam Coedmore Quarry has had issues with stock capturing and evaluation. “Accurately measuring production, sales and stock levels is critical for effective management and efficient operations,” says Lloyd Maringa, Works Manager at AfriSam Coedmore Quarry.

“Traditionally, we conduct quarterly stockpile surveys though an independent third-party to gauge the levels of stock on the ground. It was during these surveys that we would always encounter huge discrepancies between what we had produced, what would have been sold and what should have been on the floor.”

Proof-of-concept approach
In some instances, the variations were as high as 70 000 tonnes (t). In the quest to resolve the problem, the operation resorted to monthly surveys instead of the usual quarterly routines. The more frequent surveys, however, did not yield different results. Further investigations eventually pinpointed issues with the existing belt scale between the intermediate stockpile and the secondary crusher. Despite several interventions, including regular calibrations by the supplier and even the installation of a second belt scale, the challenge persisted.

Gravitas® Minerals is revolutionizing the chrome beneficiation industry with its innovative ‘right technology, right application’ principle. Chief Executive Tebogo Kale emphasizes the significance of this approach in developing efficient processes that align with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) sustainability goals, as well as contributing to the circular economy.

Chrome is a critical industrial metal known for its hardness and resistance to corrosion, widely used in stainless steel production, nonferrous alloys, pigments, and leather processing. The beneficiation process of chrome typically involves four stages: ore preparation, coarse chrome beneficiation, fine chrome beneficiation, and water recovery. The chrome undergoes a smelting process to produce ferrochrome. Post the smelting process, some ferrochrome is often trapped in the slag, necessitating further processing to recover this valuable material.

However, the traditional methods of chrome and ferrochrome beneficiation face significant challenges, particularly in meeting ESG requirements. High carbon footprints, extensive water usage, and chrome losses due to technological limitations and ore variability are some of the critical issues.

“Typical plants require multi-level structures, which not only demand substantial real estate but also result in higher carbon footprints due to the extensive use of steel and cement,” explains Kale. “Moreover, water is a scarce resource, and its recirculation and reuse pose significant challenges, especially with losses occurring in tailings storage facilities.”

Now in the final stages of installation and commissioning, an important substation E-house facility at Sasol’s Upstream Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) Project in Mozambique has relied on WEG Africa’s depth of experience, locally based technical infrastructure and specialised skill sets.

The E-house solution with transformers and generator set, procured by EPCM contractor Wood, was locally designed and manufactured by WEG Africa and supplied in partnership with local engineering firm Proconics.

“The project has been a successful demonstration of our product quality and technological capacity, delivered to the highest global standards,” says Lukas Barnard, WEG Africa’s Sector Specialist Oil and Gas – Business Development. “Our scope of supply was really the ‘electrical heart’ of the project – with the electrical supply and control for the entire PSA plant coming through the E-houses.”

The PSA Project includes the construction of facilities to produce 23 million gigajoules of gas/annum, which will power the Temane Thermal Power Plant (CTT) to generate 450MW of electricity and excess gas for export.

Conveyor belt scales are indispensable components for measuring bulk materials in mining and industrial operations – but their value is compromised if accuracy is poor.

“The ability to measure moving material in real time allows mines to monitor their mass balance and to ensure that the correct volumes are being fed by conveyor into various plant functions, for instance,” says Tinus Ludik, Sales Manager Bulk Materials Handling at Tru-Trac. “Operating under demanding conditions, belt scales must ideally remain not only functional but accurate – which is why we have developed solutions which stand out in terms of quality, repeatability and accuracy.”

Ludik notes that belt scales can also become less accurate over time, so there needs to be regular calibration to ensure that any extreme deviation is quickly rectified. When accuracy errors are high, a plant is prevented from operating at optimal productivity as plant operators can never be sure whether they are overloading critical equipment like mills.

Standards
“To avoid these risks, Tru-Trac’s range of belt scales are designed and manufactured to the highest standards, so operators can be confident of the readings they receive,” he explains. “This allows plants to operate at their highest efficiencies, with reliable data being provided for decision making.”

Separation or process solutions for commodities from chrome to iron ore must comply, or exceed, any mining company’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategy. This is where a holistic separation solutions technology provider like Gravitas® Minerals can co-create an optimal solution based on its 40 years’ collective experience in commodities, technologies, and systems.

“We provide technologies that have a low carbon footprint that can recover and reuse scarce resources, such as water, and produce minerals that are much leaner,” says Gravitas® Minerals Chief Executive Tebogo Kale. The end product has a much higher value, in addition to less tailings deposition, which ultimately mitigates the client’s environmental liability and reduces costly rehabilitation measures.

ESG goals

A key aspect of Gravitas®’ approach is offering a process guarantee to derisk clients’ projects, ensuring they achieve their ESG goals in a sustainable manner. “The biggest value driver for us as Gravitas® is our process knowledge and collaborative partnerships,” highlights Kale. The technology provider understands different systems for different commodities and designs customised solutions.

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Its values are building longstanding client relationships, constantly improving and innovating, and being accountable and ethical in everything it does.

“We co-create sustainable mineral separation solutions based on our extensive process knowledge and collaborative partnerships,” says Kale. For example, Gravitas® has partnered with Fluid Systems (Dewatering), MetQ (Spirals), and Magquip (magnetic separators) to ensure it provides an extensive range of fine mineral separation technologies. From these technologies, using its flowsheet development and process integration capability, it is able to find suitable solutions for clients.

Gravitas® also stands out for its innovative technologies. “Our overall capability is very broad now,” Kale says of Gravitas®’ growth and development over the years. “If you look at our value chain, we start with our clients from a grassroots level because our aim is to co-create. We do not just propose a one-size-fits-all solution.”

Instead, as an important first step, Gravitas® interrogates the most pressing pain points its clients are experiencing in their operations. “Something that is very close to my heart is our customer journey. From the day we interact with the client, it becomes a journey with the customer, up until the solution.”

Key to Gravitas®’ partnerships is the development of their own technologies, which are at the forefront of the company’s innovation. The company has developed modular systems for both materials and commodities, including pilot systems for the beneficiation of tailings and run-of-mine material. They have also developed modules that recover 90% of water while producing a stackable product.

Gravitas® offers gravity separation for high-capacity fine mineral separation using a water-only process in the form of its Optima Separator. Magnetic separation provides for the separation of paramagnetic ultrafine material such as iron ore, chrome, and manganese by means of the SuperMag™ unit. Finally, ultrafine dewatering is available for dewatering and desliming at 50 micron.

“We are able to supply test units in order to give our clients proof of concept, so they have peace of mind in getting a viable solution tailor-made for their requirements,” adds Kale. “Our strategic focus is growth through technology adoption and to be a trusted partner for our clients in a range of commodity sectors.”

Kale concludes: “Our solutions-based approach brings people and technology together for the purpose of co-creation,” concludes Kale. This approach, which places the triple bottom line at the heart of their partnerships, ensures that Gravitas® is not only meeting but exceeding industry standards in sustainability and client satisfaction.”

Adjustable chocks from SKF will play an important role in the world’s largest visible/near-infrared telescope, the ELT, which is currently under construction in Chile

An unsung product from SKF’s catalogue – the adjustable chock – has played a key role in the construction of a huge telescope.

The European Southern Observatory’s Extremely Large Telescope (ESO’s ELT), now being built in Chile, will be the world’s largest visible/near-infrared telescope on completion in 2028. Its 39m-wide main mirror comprises 798 separate hexagonal pieces, attached to a base structure using steel flanges and SKF Vibracon adjustable chocks.

“Each flange sits on four adjustable chocks,” says Marco Colussi, a structural engineer at Italian engineering firm Cimolai, which is responsible for assembling the mirror. “The ability to readjust each mirror segment is key to the success of the telescope.”

Each low-profile Vibracon unit typically allows up to 12 mm of adjustment. However, the application needed up to 15 mm of adjustment – meaning several design tweaks were needed.

First, Cimolai inserted extra washers, allowing the adjustment range to be extended to 15 mm. This had to be performed with a positioning accuracy of tenths of millimetre, across the 39 m span of the mirror. The chock also had to fit into a limited design space – which was restricted to 25 mm in height.

In addition, the chocks were installed upside-down, to help Cimolai meet the stiffness requirements of the system. The high stiffness helps to reduce the weight of the mirror – which improves the telescope’s stability and performance.

Overall, the main mirror will use more than 9,500 SKF Vibracon SM 16 ELP-ASTR low-profile chocks – 12 for each mirror segment. Chocks are individually surface treated, to give them consistent quality and extend their performance in such a demanding environment.

The ELT will cost an estimated €1.4 billion to build. It will, among other things, search for exoplanets and study early galaxies. Hard to think that, for its vast size and cosmic ambitions, its success will rely partly on adjustable chocks just three inches in diameter.

1. Choose the right specification
Thickness – The thickness of the tank is very important. It is always recommended to use thicker fuel transport trailers for sale, especially when transporting large amounts of fuel.
The thickness of materials used in construction is an important factor in determining the service life of your palm oil tanker semi-trailer.

Tank capacity – You can choose according to the storage tank capacity. This will depend on the amount of fuel you want to transport to meet your needs.
Our diesel fuel trailer for sale has different capacities, 20 cubic meters, 35cbm, 40cbm, 60cbm.

Petroleum trailers for sale tank shape – There are different tank shapes. These include round, oval, and rectangular.

2. Choosing between carbon steel and aluminum tanker trailer
Steel fuel trailer for sale is usually a stronger construction in terms of withstanding weight compared to those of aluminum construction. This is an important factor to note in your choice of the fuel tanker.

The steel option is cheaper compared to the aluminum semi-trailer due to the manufacturing processes involved. It is easier to manufacture with steel than aluminum.

On the other hand, aluminum offers the best fuel capacity by volume due to its lightweight. The main challenge with an aluminum semi trailer is the costs due to the complexities involved in welding aluminum.

However, if you are taking into consideration how much fuel to transport at ago, then this would be the best option for you. It will increase your cost efficiencies during operations.

3. What liquid you want to transport
Different liquids have different requirements hence the material used for building petrol, diesel and edible palm oil tanker truck trailer will be different.
Different liquids have different chemical and physical characteristics that go a long way into determining the choice of truck fuel tanker trailer for sale to make.

Petrol and Diesel – Petrol tanker for sale used in the transportation of petrol and diesel are usually made of carbon steel. A carbon steel semi fuel tanks for sale is a low-cost construction and most importantly, it is easy to process.

Cooking oil – This is usually transported in an aluminum tanker trailer because it can avoid contaminating liquids. The fuel trailer for sale made of aluminum is also of a big advantage when it comes to clean-out.
Again, the semi fuel tanks for sale body are completely encapsulated using insulation materials that help in minimizing the loss of heat.

4. The Price of Palm Oil Tanker for Sale
The petrol tanker price is composed of chassis price, modification price, and optional equipment. Different chassis, different engines, different national exhaust emissions, different tank volumes, and different indeterminate factors make up the price of the gasoline tanker.