Victor Moolman

https://staging1.creamermedia.com/

Victor Moolman

Victor Moolman is a Creamer Media Writer for Engineering News and Mining Weekly.

Tel: +2711 622 3744

System launched to enhance data protection

18th May 2018 Software security company Gemalto has created the Gemalto Assurance Hub (GAH) system, which uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to help protect data, such as login information, specifically of financial systems across Africa. →

Rapid advancement in mobile tech creates security complexities

18th May 2018 The rapid advancement and adoption of mobile technology and the trend of ‘bring your own device’ have added new layers of complexity to protecting organisations and devices at work, says security technologies company BT Africa information technology (IT) security head Alessandro Postiglioni. →

Company includes social media screening in background checks

18th May 2018 Background screening and vetting specialists Managed Integrity Evaluation (MIE) has added social media screening to its inclusive background screening service offering, to help companies to better identify whether potential employees will be a risk to the company. →

Autonomous mining vehicle test at SA coal mine successfully completed

11th May 2018 A global truck manufacturer in cooperation with multinational networking systems provider Cisco, has successfully completed a proof of concept (PoC) for autonomous mining trucks at an opencast coal mine in South Africa. Speaking at an In2IT networking event in Sandton, Johannesburg, Cisco... →

Photo by Bloomberg
CISCO SYSTEMS Cisco is creating networks that allow for autonomous vehicles to communicate with each other

Local company invests in significant rental fleet expansion

27th April 2018 Compressor and generator rental company Rand-Air has introduced 52 new generators, ranging between 60 kVa and 500 kVa, to its rental fleet. The generators arrived earlier this year from the original-equipment manufacturer and supplier Atlas Copco; and have subsequently been fitted with trailers... →

Power storage tech development on the rise

27th April 2018 With there being a rise in the development of technology for power distribution, storage and generation, power equipment manufacturer Himoinsa Europe, Middle East and Africa director Guillermo Elum says the company is also assessing ways in which technology will change the way electricity is... →

POWER GENERATION The company provides several power generation, distribution and storage systems worldwide

SA to remain among top nickel producers

20th April 2018 Market research company BMI Research forecasts that South Africa will remain among the top ten nickel producers in the world, with an estimated 49 500 t expected to be produced this year. South Africa has several nickel-producing mines, with one of the largest being the Nkomati mine, in... →

Photo by Creamer Media
SOUTH AFRICAN GROWTH New nickel mining projects that are under way will boost South Africa’s nickel production

Positive growth for African copper industry expected

20th April 2018 Market research firm BMI Research (BMI), a member of the Fitch Group, predicts positive production growth for the copper mining industry and in copper mine project development across Africa in its copper market research report ‘Global Industry Overview’, released last month. BMI commodities... →

Photo by Creamer Media
COPPER POTENTIAL The Prieska zinc-copper project in South Africa shows continued growth

Power tool systems’ new line launched in Southern Africa

6th April 2018 Hand-held power tool supplier Milwaukee has launched the patented Red Link Plus Intelligence electronics system for hand-held power tools. “The Red Link Plus system introduces new electrical controls throughout the hand-held power tools that the company supplies. It starts with the battery packs... →

APPLICATION Milwaukee has introduced an application that gives tighter control over a set of power tools

New measuring laser introduced to African market

6th April 2018 Tool and fixings distributor Upat has introduced the Stabila LAR 350 rotational laser (LAR 350) to the African market, which enables construction workers and foremen to measure, level and position equipment, explains Upat national product specialist Charl Weber. The LAR 350 has a wireless... →

LASER ALIGNED The laser can be used to align a new floor that is being created at a construction project

Company resupplies machine stock to keep S. African market supplied

6th April 2018 To keep its supply of stud-welding machines current, furnace and industrial services company The Dickinson Group keeps a range of such machines in stock at its Vereeniging headquarters at all times. The company has supplied more than 600 stud-welding machines over the past 24 years to the mining,... →

Company and distribution partner provide largest range of tools in S. Africa

6th April 2018 Owing to its well-established relationship with its loyal distribution partners and distribution network in Southern Africa, a large range of about 5 200 individual line items of hand tools from professional tools manufacturer Jonnesway are being used in Southern Africa, says Carel Venter, the... →

TOOL RANGE Jonnesway has a wide range of tools and works with original-equipment suppliers to ensure that tools are always available

Paper producer to upgrade Mpumalanga mill

30th March 2018 Pulp and paper producer Sappi will shut down its Ngodwana mill, in Mpumalanga, for four weeks in May, to install new equipment that will decrease bottlenecking. The company will install new machines, and upgrade the wood chipper, fibre line and pulp dryer, says Sappi Southern Africa CEO Alex... →

Lack of carton collection reduces recycling processes

30th March 2018 Although paper and plastics packaging company Mpact has been processing liquid packaging successfully, not enough cartons are being collected to use for recycling. “Consumers don’t realise that liquid packaging, such as juice and milk cartons, are actually recyclable. We need to put in an effort... →

Renewability driving forest and paper industry

30th March 2018 Renewable commercial forests that supply the pulp, paper and board industry with wood fibre provide key environmental services and conserve our indigenous forests, says Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (Pamsa) executive director Jane Molony. “Commercially grown trees have helped to... →

Forging and steel industries both affected by unpredictable steel price

9th March 2018 Owing to the volatile and unpredictable steel price from local raw steel mills, the steel industry is looking less to locally-forged parts and equipment, and more to imports, says steel supplier and processing company Allied Steelrode. “As an industry – and in common with the forging industry –... →

Photo by Duane Daws
STEEL FORGED Not all of the steel required in South Africa is economical to produce in the country

Company becomes exclusive dealer in Rosslyn area

9th March 2018 Steel supplier BBD steel, in Rosslyn, Pretoria, has become steel supplier and processing company Allied Steelrode’s exclusive distributor of Allied Steelrode Stretcher Material (ASSM) for the area. BBD Steel supplies ASSM products to car manufacturers that are located in the Rosslyn area. BBD... →

New directive will affect mining vessels off the shore of Namibia

23rd February 2018 In 2020, the International Maritime Organisation will implement a low sulphur fuel directive (LSFD) that will impact on the availability of fuel for ships and mining vessels off the coasts of African countries, including Namibia. The LSFD will require ships to use low sulphur fuel oil (LSFO),... →

BALANCING ACT The adoption of low-sulphur fuel in much of Africa is a delicate balance between cost, responsibility and profitability

Namibia mining sector is investor friendly

23rd February 2018 The Namibian mining sector has become more investor friendly than South Africa, as the country has clear policies that have been consistently applied, explains Sandton-based law firm Webber Wentzel partner Jonathan Veeran. Namibia has four policies governing mining and mineral prospecting: the... →

Photo by Duane Daws
NEW IN NAMIBIA Namibia has attracted investment in new mining ventures, including new uranium mines

Pipe for tailings system supplied on schedule

16th February 2018 An 840-m-long, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipeline was installed in October last year to transport corrosive tailings to a tailings dam at the ore beneficiation plant located close to the underground Morula chrome mine – owned by ferrochrome company Hernic – in Brits, in the North West. →

HIGHLY ABRASIVE High-density polyethylene pipes were chosen owing to their resistance to corrosive tailings

Effective drug and alcohol testing boosts project management

16th February 2018 Owing to the Mine Health and Safety Act of 1996, the process of employees entering mines in South Africa is often slow because breathalyser and random drug tests need to be completed, subsequently hampering a mine’s productivity, explains drug and alcohol testing equipment and accessories company... →

Photo by Bloomberg
SAFETY CONCERN One entrance to a mine decreases the effectives of alcohol and drug tests owing to too many people passing through at a time

Versatility still important as technology develops

2nd February 2018 While innovation is taking centre stage amid rapid technological development, gas equipment supplier Energas Technologies says versatility remains high on the checklists of manufacturers and end-users. The company has, therefore, supplied companies in South Africa with the Protectoseal Series... →

Photo by Bloomberg
FLAME The spread of a detonation can be stopped by preventing flames from spreading

Need for more energy increases demand for solar power

26th January 2018 With electricity demand in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region increasing, Stellenbosch University Faculty of Engineering’s Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies senior researcher Karin Kritzinger believes that solar water heaters can be one of the major... →

Photo by Duane Daws
WIDESPREAD POWER There are several solar farms across the member countries of the Southern African Development Community

Three-year project reaches completion

26th January 2018 Technology solutions provider Jasco has completed its three-year solar farm project, which has reduced its maximum electricity demand by 27% and its reliance on State-owned power utility Eskom by 33%. “Phase 1 of the project – which started in April 2015 – resulted in the installation of 53 kWp... →

Bakubung Koepe rope-up procedure successfully completed

19th January 2018 South Africa’s first locally designed and built mobile rope-handling system, engineered for installing both head and tail ropes onto a four-rope Koepe friction winder, was successfully used at Wesizwe Platinum’s Bakubung mine in the North West. The system was designed and manufactured by the Tech... →

Opencast mining tyre safety increased with use of up to 98% pure nitrogen

19th January 2018 On-site nitrogen generator supplier NitraLife has supplied numerous opencast mines across Southern Africa with nitrogen generators, and has noticed increased nitrogen use to inflate large off-the-road (OTR) tyres of mining vehicles. The company has established its client base in the region over... →

OPENCAST UPTAKE Most large opencast mines in South Africa and several opencast mines in Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo are using nitrogen generators from NitraLife

S Africa may lose out to other African gas sectors

19th January 2018 Several major international independent power producers and power generation developers are interested in South Africa’s gas-to-power programme (GPP), for which direction in the form of request for quotations and request for proposals from the Department of Energy (DoE) is keenly awaited.... →

Photo by Reuters
OILY CHALLENGES Owing to external issues, such as global market decline, some African oil-producing countries are facing increased challenges

Battling threat of sugar tax, excessive imports and low price

8th December 2017 The large amount of sugar being imported into South Africa has caused the country’s sugar industry, which may soon be further compromised by the introduction of a sugar tax, to start exporting sugar at world market prices to offload excess sugar, which it is unable to sell locally. While opposing... →

Photo by Victor Moolman
DEDICATED TO SUGAR CANE Large parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga, about 360 000 ha, are dedicated to growing sugar cane

New standards change filtration requirements

1st December 2017 With filters being exposed to a much broader range of particle sizes, which requires higher levels of filtration maintenance, filter technology manufacturer Freudenberg Filtration Technologies (FFT) says attention should be drawn to the new ISO 16890 standard for filter testing and assessment.... →

IDEAL OPPORTUNITY During the holiday season the closing of some workshops, factories and mines presents a good opportunity for system maintenance

Unfiltered air shortens air compressors’ life span

1st December 2017 With many industrial air compressors being used in dusty conditions, the lack of proper filtration of incoming air can shorten the life span of the compressors by 75% to 80%, says specialised engineering company RTS Africa Engineering MD Ian Fraser. “Air compressors used in industries are, for... →

Customised spillminator supplied to South African gold mine

17th November 2017 Engineering solutions and steel fabrication company Lani Service Centre, based in Sebenza, Johannesburg, has supplied a tailor-made spillminator equipped with vesconite bushings to a local gold mine for its underground conveyor and hopper system. “The bushings are self-lubricating, can withstand... →

HARD-WEARING The self-lubricating Vesconite bushings can cope with a dirty and wet mining environment

Shipments of SA sugar resume after storm-related repairs to terminal

17th November 2017 A shipment of 31 000 t of bulk raw sugar was dispatched to London, in the UK, from Durban’s Maydon Wharf, in South Africa, earlier this month. This shipment aboard the cargo ship Centurius marks the third export of sugar to a European Union (EU) country after the instatement of the new Southern... →

Photo by Duane Daws
SWEET EXPORTS Sugar is being exported to the European Union, China and Japan

Political tension slows mining activity in Tanzania

10th November 2017 Despite the fact that political tension in Tanzania has impacted the mining industry, with several operations subsequently closing, SEW-EURODRIVE continues to have a strong presence in the country, with Tanzania as its main hub for East Africa. SEW-EURODRIVE South Africa national sales manager... →

NORMAN MALEKA There will be demand for after-sales support in Tanzania, owing to new industries established in the country

Bearings company recommends predictive maintenance

10th November 2017 With predictive maintenance practices intended to help establish the condition of in-service equipment in order to predict when maintenance is required, engineering consumables and components distributor BMG operations manager Rouff Essop explains that predictive maintenance reduces downtime thus... →

New technologies further construction abilities

3rd November 2017 Using new technologies enables industrial tank manufacturer Metal Tank Industries to construct storage vessels, steel walkways, platforms and gantries, pumps, pipelines, control panels, electrical cabling, load cells, cooling towers and boilers that are used at food and beverage production plants. →

LARGE METAL TANKS The company is using new technologies to decrease the turnaround time for new plants

Mechanised mining produces indirect jobs, uptake increasing

3rd November 2017 Despite the popular belief that the proliferation of mechanised mines in the African mining industry will lead to job losses, mechanised mining does generate new employment opportunities, although indirectly through the maintenance, logistics, spare parts transportation, fuel requirements and... →

AUTOMATED SYSTEMS Sandvik is increasing its focus on automated mining equipment

Over 6 000 visitors expected at packaging event

20th October 2017 This year, Propak Cape, taking place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from October 24 to 26, will host more than 200 local and international exhibitors. Based on the previous Propak Cape, held in 2014, this year, the company is expecting more than 6 000 visitors. →

VISITOR NUMBERS More than 6 000 visitors are expected at this year’s Propak Cape

New labelling system introduced for HDPE PE100 stub ends in SA

20th October 2017 Thermoplastic piping company Plasti-Tech is supplying high-density polyethylene (HDPE PE100) stub ends, which have been labelled using a Lynx laser printer using invisible laser-radiation. “The significance of labelling the stub ends using the Lynx laser machine is that the manufacture, size and... →

New products showcased at Propak Cape

20th October 2017 Product identification solutions provider Pyrotec PackMark will focus on showcasing its newly launched ultra-portable Anser U2 handheld printer the 9405 Continuous Inkjet (CIJ) coder and the C340 laser from product identification and traceability solutions manufacturer Markem-Imaje at Propak Cape... →

CONVENIENT PRINTING The Anser U2 weighs less than 1 kg, can print on a variety of surfaces at different angles and has a seven-hour battery life

Rules, regulations reinforced to minimise fatalities

29th September 2017 With the biggest cause of fatalities in the working at height industry being workers falling from height, the Institute for Working at Height (IWH), together with the Department of Labour (DoL), is reinforcing rules and regulations within the industry that will assist in minimising these... →

NDT at height can start immediately after shutdown

29th September 2017 Industrial rope access specialist Skyriders Access Specialists (Skyriders) can reach high places as soon as ropes have been rigged after which nondestructive testing (NDT) can be done. Skyriders marketing manager Mike Zinn explains that the company uses rope access techniques to do different... →

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