Powerful new forces as two giants join
Southern Africa´s minerals and coal processing industry is to benefit significantly by the latest purchase of Humboldt Wedag Coal & Minerals Technology by leading Indian plant construction company McNally Barat Engineering (MBE),

headquartered in Calcutta. The purchase includes Humboldt Wedag´s subsidiaries in South Africa, India, Russia, China, Australia and Brazil. as well as the engeering workshop in Cologne, Germany. The new company, MBE Coal & Minerals Technology, will have its headquarters in Cologne, Germany, and in South Africa be known as MBE Minerals SA.The merger of these two giants will make massive new resources and expertise accumulated over more than 150 years available to South Africa. Representatives of the industry will be able to have a first-hand taste of what is in store at Electra Mining Africa 2010, where Humboldt Wedag will be exhibiting for the first time under its new name. "New name, new colours, but the expertise, the technology and the superb customer service remain," says the new MBE Minerals SA MD Johannes Kottmann. MBE will extend its global footprint in coal and minerals processing benefitting from Humboldt Wedag´s expertise in supplying proprietary technologies and equipment and engineering/design services for coal and minerals processing, while bringing to the table its own professionalism in providing turnkey solutions in the power, steel, coal and minerals, ports, aluminum, materials handling and minerals processing industries.

The combined experiences, equipment and sophisticated technology available to South and sub-Saharan Africa is impressive, including the BATAC JIG, the ROMJIG, the TESKA heavy media separators, the JONES WHIMS magnetic separators, the PNEUFLOT flotation cells, the PALLA vibrating mill, the EKOF range of flotation reagents and a broad range of vibrating screens and feeders. Vistors to Electra Mining Africa 2010 will be able to have hands-on experience of the company´s separation and classification technology capability, which will be the main focus at the exhibition. Exhibits will include a model of a BATAC JIG and a ROMJIG, as well as a multislope screen,while the range of separation technology will also include the JONES magnetic separators, the PNEUFLOT flotation cells and the EKOF range of flotation reagents. Classification technology will showcase desliming and dewatering screens and PALLA vibrating mills. "We invite current clients, as well as all representatives from the industry to join us at Electra Mining," Kottmann urges. "Many of our products, such as the PNEUFLOT pneumatic flotation cells, incorporate the latest in design and materials and the industry needs to be kept abreast of what is happening internationally so that it retains its competitive edge." The BATAC jigging system, for instance, represents the cutting edge of underbid pneumatic jigging technology. Highly efficient and accurate, it has been successfully implemented in numerous processes, ranging from coal, ferrochrome and ferroalloys to manganese and iron-ore recovery operations.

"South Africa, with its power and water constraints, can benefit enormously from the moving-bed ROMJIG, which is both water and energy efficient and has been used to great advantage in Europe, China, Russia, India and Australia, providing cleaner coal and improving the quality of the end-product while reducing associated production costs," says Kottmann. The PNEUFLOT pneumatic flotation cells are another must-see (product), offering high-selectivity, low-energy, space and personnel power requirements and providing considerable savings on capital and operating expenditures. "The full range of EKOF coal flotation reagents will be on display too. Tailor-made to meet specific requirements, they are constantly enhanced for improved environmental sensitivity," he says. MBE Minerals manufactures all vibrating screens for the entire global group, and will be demonstrating linear and circular motion units, as well as various resonance screens, available in single, double or multislope deck arrangements. "We will also have a model of a linear multislope vibrating screens which offers a variety of screening media and vibrator motors. It grades coal and ore in wet and dry applications and offers a higher specific throughput for the equivalent footprint offered by linear or circular motion screens," Kottmann says.

Beside a wide array of equipment, the new MBE Minerals SA company undertakes feasibility studies, financing concepts, electrical and mechanical engineering and automation processes, erection and installation, as well as commissioning and training. "Don´t miss this opportunity to see our new improved capabilities and discuss your specific requirements with us," Kottmann says. "We look forward to introducing you to our impressive new range of offerings and reaffirming our commitment to you".

© MINING WEEKLY // 24.09.2010