Tracy Hancock

https://staging1.creamermedia.com/

Tracy Hancock

Tracy Hancock is Creamer Media Contributing Editor for Engineering News and Mining Weekly.

Cables for corrosive conditions

26th June 2020 Industrial equipment supplier BMG’s extensive portfolio of Tsubaki Kabelschlepp cable carrier systems and safety cables includes S/SX steel cable carriers, which have been designed to carry heavy mechanical loads in harsh environments, including corrosive conditions. “The S/SX series comprises... →

Aeris Mask copper filtration face mask takes off

12th June 2020 The “slide-in” copper filter inserts for cloth masks manufactured by South African startup Aeris Mask in accordance with government guidelines have had massive interest, with the company selling its first units days after it finalised commercial production runs in mid-May. “We are now launching a... →

Energy efficiency part of futureproofing assets

12th June 2020 Local building owners are looking to futureproof their assets for the secondary market, and reduce operating costs across all sectors, including the commercial, office, retail, industrial and residential sectors. This is according to independent nonprofit organisation Green Building Council of... →

GRAHAME CRUICKSHANKS The rate of energy efficiency-related retrofits is high in commercial office, retail and industrial spaces

Great demand for infection control across Africa

12th June 2020 The demand for infection control solutions manufacturer SteriTech’s products has increased significantly across Africa since the Covid-19 outbreak, but so have the company’s lead times. “Demand in the rest of Africa existed prior to the outbreak and was steadily growing at a rate just slightly... →

SOUGHT-AFTER SteriTech has increased its production capacity twenty-fold to meet demand across Africa

Cogen technology heating up in Africa

12th June 2020 South Africa needs to realise that the rest of Africa is becoming more business friendly, and it may no longer be the sole gateway to Africa, which is showing noticeable demand for co-generation (co-gen) technology, says heat generation technology specialist Steam Generation commercial director... →

PLANTATION POTENTIAL Steam Generation receives many enquiries from Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania, which is known for its tea plantations that present potential for the supply of biomass and co-gen technology

Africa still viable for business

12th June 2020 It is possible to work in most African countries, provided there is an investor-friendly fiscal regime, the correct asset, a diverse management team and a flexible execution strategy, says mining consultancy Madini’s Andries Cilliers. Madini has supported African mining projects for the past 20... →

Photo by Credit: Alufer Mining
GUINEA-FOCUSED Madini is focused on Guinea, where it has been involved from first drill hole through to production at Alufer Mining’s Bel Air Mining bauxite project

Covid-19 compounds challenges in Africa

12th June 2020 The legislation put in place amid the Covid-19 pandemic is compounding the “exceptionally challenging” business environment already faced by companies when operating in Africa, where each country presents its own challenges, says Macsteel Exports senior branch manager Adrian Isemonger. He... →

AFRICAN REACH Macsteel Exports supplies sub-Saharan Africa with the broadest range of carbon steel, stainless steel, specialty steels, aluminum products and value-added processes to all industry sectors

Expedited change in stainless steel industry expected

29th May 2020 The Covid-19 pandemic will have long-term ramifications, including permanent change in the South African stainless steel industry, Southern African Stainless Steel Development Association (Sassda) acting executive director Michel Basson tells Engineering News. “The stainless steel industry could... →

ADDED STRESS The national lockdown has compounded the challenges faced by the already stressed stainless steel industry

Lockdown further strains stainless steel recycling

29th May 2020 Prior to the national lockdown, South Africa’s stainless steel recycling industry was under strain, facing a dramatic drop in available recycling material and increasing input costs, says Johannesburg-based stainless steel recycler Cronimet director Bernard Maguire. The stainless steel recycling... →

SIGNIFICANCE OF SCRAP The cost of recycled stainless steel is much less than that of virgin primary alloys

R&D on hold to keep doors open

29th May 2020 Stainless steel cylinder manufacturer Jooste Cylinder & Pump Company has implemented various measures, such as delaying research and development (R&D) projects, to assist staff as much as possible and “keep the doors open” amid the Covid-19 crisis. “Jooste re-invests much of its income in new... →

Crisis highlights sense in sourcing locally made First Cut blades,welding consumables

28th May 2020 Covid-19 has brought with it doubts and concerns about supply chain security, availability of stock and lead times, says First Cut’s Consumables Division director, Gary Willis. The pandemic has caused companies accustomed to ordering international private-label products to re-evaluate their... →

Effective mine closure vital amid current economic crisis

21st May 2020 The depressed economic climate emanating from the global Covid-19 pandemic is expected to increase requests about the authorisations process →

EDS Systems developing first South African carbon tax tool

19th May 2020 Software developer EDS Systems is developing the first cloud-based carbon tax tool tailored to the South African market, in response to the introduction of the country’s Carbon Tax Act last year, and has entered the final stages of quality assurance. “There are many carbon tax calculators online,... →

EDS Systems developing first South African carbon tax tool

15th May 2020 Software developer EDS Systems is developing the first cloud-based carbon tax tool tailored to the South African market, in response to the introduction of the country’s Carbon Tax Act last year, and has entered the final stages of quality assurance. “There are many carbon tax calculators online,... →

Zambia resilient despite challenges

15th May 2020 The copper-dominant Zambian mining industry is resilient despite the impact of Covid-19, volatile commodity prices, a lack of foreign direct investment and poor, ill-advised government actions, says African Mining Network chairperson Yolanda Torrisi. Various larger companies, including China... →

BEYOND COPPER Exploration must be encouraged throughout Zambia – and not just for copper – to ensure the survival of the country’s mining industry

World’s largest emerald mine not exempt from pandemic

15th May 2020 The turmoil stemming from the global Covid-19 outbreak represents one of the most serious challenges that many companies face globally, and the world’s largest emerald mine, Kagem, is no exception, says emerald and ruby mining and marketing company Gemfields CE Sean Gilbertson. Kagem, in... →

RESTRICTED REVENUE Auctions accounted for about 93% of Gemfields’ 2019 revenue, but dates for upcoming auctions are uncertain

Chamber paints bleak future

15th May 2020 There remains no incentive for further investment in copper-rich Zambia’s mining industry, says the association for mining and allied companies Zambia Chamber of Mines (ZCM). In January, Mines and Minerals Development Permanent Secretary Barnaby Mulenga said government was upbeat about the... →

TRYING TIMES The already challenging operating environment in Zambia has been compounded by Covid-19

South Africa has duty to address SADC energy efficiency

8th May 2020 South Africa has a duty to make the energy efficiency knowledge accrued through the Industrial Energy Efficiency Project (IEEP) more accessible to the rest of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region to help drive its economic development through globally competitive... →

ENERGY HEAVY South Africa’s industry consumes more than half of the energy used by the industrial sectors in all the remaining SADC States

Local energy not managed efficiently

8th May 2020 South Africa is not using its world-class renewable energy resources to drive energy efficiency, says independent conservation organisation World Wide Fund for Nature South Africa (WWF-SA) urban futures project manager Louise Scholtz. “If we were, South Africa’s Integrated Resources Plan 2019... →

TRANSFORMATIVE DEVELOPMENTS The decreasing cost of renewable-energy technologies, such as rooftop solar photovoltaic, are one of the developments transforming South Africa’s energy market

New label can improve consumer education

8th May 2020 The next challenge for the South African domestic appliance industry is the migration to a new energy efficiency label under the Appliance Energy Efficiency Standards and Labelling (S&L) programme to improve consumer education. The label will simplify energy classes and provide explanations of... →

ON PAR The energy efficiency of domestic appliances in South Africa is generally of a high standard

UJ creates open-source, low-cost ventilators

6th May 2020 The Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) is coordinating efforts to further develop open-source ventilators in response to initial reports that between 40% and 70% of South Africans could become infected with Covid-19, depending on the national... →

UJ creates open-source, low-cost ventilators

30th April 2020 The Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) is coordinating efforts to further develop open-source ventilators in response to initial reports that between 40% and 70% of South Africans could become infected with Covid-19, depending on the national... →

Time to consider TES?

29th April 2020 The temporary employment services (TES) model keeps the construction engineering industry alive, providing manpower when required and relocating staff to other projects when demand for their skills decline. There is a huge market for TES in South Africa’s construction engineering industry, owing... →

Consider compliance when buying second-hand TMMs

24th April 2020 Mining companies buying second-hand trackless mobile machines (TMMs) on auction need to ensure that only proximity detection systems (PDSes) from suppliers that have been approved by the original-equipment manufacturer (OEM) are fitted to such machines when complying with the Mine Health and... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Donna Slater
SECOND-HAND SUPPORT Mines that decide to buy machinery on auction are those that have strong maintenance teams that can undertake on-site rebuilds

Upswing in online mining auctions expected

24th April 2020 Mining companies, like most industries, will investigate all methods of generating capital following the loss of trade caused by South Africa’s three-week lockdown to limit the spread of Covid-19, says South African Institute of Auctioneers (SAIA) chairperson John Cowing. Speaking to Mining... →

ONLINE APPEAL Online auctions have been pushed into the forefront of the auctioneering industry because of the Covid-19 outbreak

South Africa-born XinaBox chips in sub-zero Antarctica, space

20th April 2020 From collecting data in sub-zero Antarctica to rapid circuit prototyping on the International Space Station (ISS), South African modular “xChip” manufacturer XinaBox, pronounced "X-in-a-box", claims to be reinventing the way in which the Internet of Things (IoT) is approached while inspiring... →

Decarbonising of local power generation sedate

17th April 2020 Decarbonising South Africa’s electricity generation is no longer a technical challenge, it is a political and economic issue, says University of Pretoria Graduate School of Technology Management professor David Walwyn. The Integrated Resource Plan 2019 (IRP 2019) forecasts that it will take... →

RENEWED PROJECTION The growing appeal of grid-tied and standalone rooftop solar systems may alter the Integrated Resource Plan’s 30-year projection for the decarbonising of South Africa’s electric power generation

Suppression system averts oil transformer fires

17th April 2020 Mitigating risks on oil-filled transformers is a primary concern for various firms that make use of this high-value equipment. Although safety in the engineering of transformers is increasingly being improved, efficient fire-suppression technology that will mitigate the risk posed on the business... →

LOCALISED SUPPRESSION I-CAT has several installations of its localised suppression system scheduled for transformers in Mozambique and Ghana

South Africa-born XinaBox chips in sub-zero Antartica, space

15th April 2020 From collecting data in sub-zero Antarctica to rapid circuit prototyping on the International Space Station (ISS), South African modular “xChip” manufacturer XinaBox, pronounced "X-in-a-box", claims to be reinventing the way in which the Internet of Things (IoT) is approached while inspiring... →

3D printers answer call to produce PPE for healthcare workers

3rd April 2020 Three-dimensional (3D) printing solutions provider Additive Manufacturing Solutions’ (AMS’) initiative to mobilise the 3D printing community to produce personal protective equipment (PPE) for Gauteng healthcare workers treating patients with the Covid-19 virus has been rolled out to all nine... →

FACE OFF The three-dimensional printing community is called to help the fight against Covid-19 by helping manufacture face shields for healthcare professionals

Lack of port development a concern

27th March 2020 While there is some movement in the development of South Africa’s port infrastructure by the private sector, the overall stagnation of its development is concerning, law firm Bowmans ports, transport and logistics head Andrew Pike tells Engineering News. He says this lack of activity may largely... →

ANDREW PIKE The Port of Durban is often congested with trucks that should be transporting up to five or more containers a day but only manage one, if lucky

Various trends shaping Africa’s port infrastructure

27th March 2020 The development of inland container terminals, or dry ports, to decongest port traffic is a trend that is gaining significant traction in Africa, says WSP Africa maritime technical director Marthinus Retief. In landlocked Ethiopia, the development of inland dry ports to store containers... →

MARTHINUS RETIEF Africa’s ports need to be larger and deeper to accommodate larger vessels to improve their connectivity to global maritime trade

Interest flares for SustainPower combined heat and power unit

20th March 2020 There is growing interest in the locally designed combined heat and power (CHP) unit from containerised sustainable power generation solutions provider SustainPower, as more companies begin to develop greener outlooks, says SustainPower COO Ames Martin. He explains that environmental concerns and... →

K-Way designs down suits for all-female SA Everest team

20th March 2020 South African outdoor technical brand K-Way has designed and manufactured bespoke climbing suits that will enable a four-women team to withstand the arduous weather conditions and terrain of Everest, in the Himalayas. The South African women will attempt to summit the world’s highest mountain... →

Privatisation slowly becoming reality

20th March 2020 The type of participants attending this year’s Power & Electricity World Africa & The Solar Show are proof that Africa seeks to become less reliant on governments for its electricity supply, says event organiser Terrapinn Power & Electricity World Africa conference producer Caroline Mubima.... →

DRIVEN DISCUSSION The growing adoption of electric vehicles is one trend expected to dominate discussion at Power & Electricity World Africa 2020

Collaboration needed in electrical sector

20th March 2020 South Africa’s entire electrical sector needs a “shake up” and a lot more collaboration, Electrical Conformance Board of South Africa (ECBSA) MD Peter Pedrick has learnt since taking up his position in May last year. Historically, South Africa was internationally recognised for its effective... →

FIRE STARTER There has been a significant rise in fire damage in South Africa over the past ten years amid a lack of regulation policing and governance

Growing interest in green bonds

20th March 2020 Local interest in green bond and/or securitisation instruments is robust and growing, says financial services provider Nedbank’s Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB) debt capital markets origination principal, Arvana Singh. Nedbank issued R2.7-billion in 2019 across two auctions, which it says... →

ARVANA SINGH Increasing pressure is being placed on investors and financiers to allocate capital responsibly

Africa can develop on low-carbon growth path

20th March 2020 Choosing between a low-carbon future and Africa’s economic growth is a false dichotomy, as these goals do not need to be in competition, says independent power producer Pele Energy Group founder Fumani Mthembi, a speaker at this year’s Power & Electricity World Africa. “The global investment... →

SUNNY DISPOSITION The global investment sector is increasingly more interested in funding renewable-energy projects, such as solar farms, as opposed to coal projects

Re-engineering of coal sector skills needed

20th March 2020 The South African renewable-energy sector will not have an adequate pipeline of competent individuals to train if it does not endeavour to re-engineer the skills of workers in the Limpopo and Mpumalanga coal mining regions, South African Renewable Energy Technology Centre (Saretec) director Naim... →

Jacobs Transport strives to be a reliable and ethical company, providing its clients with the most efficient services possible.

K-Way designs down suits for all-female SA Everest team

16th March 2020 South African outdoor technical brand K-Way has designed and manufactured bespoke climbing suits that will enable a four-women team to withstand the arduous weather conditions and terrain of Everest, in the Himalayas. The South African women will attempt to summit the world’s highest mountain... →

Online purchasing first for South Africa

6th March 2020 US construction machinery manufacturer Caterpillar’s mini excavators will be one of the first Cat product lines to be sold online through its Southern Africa dealer, Barloworld Equipment, this year. Following the launch last year, there is growing excitement around the Cat Next Generation mini... →

SOUTH AFRICAN INFLUENCE Air conditioning has also been introduced as an option on all Cat Next Generation mini excavator model sizes in response to direct feedback from South African customers

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