Material Handling and Mining Components
Tailored approaches and eco-friendly innovations
Companies are increasingly prioritizing customized solutions that address the specific needs of clients and the unique environmental conditions of mine sites, moving away from standardized approaches. The benefits are evident on both sides: for mining customers, tailored solutions result in a better rate of improvement, addressing their specific challenges more effectively. On the service provider side, offering customized solutions fosters long-term relationships, increasing the likelihood of clients returning to rely on their services repeatedly.
This trend has also shifted to the material handling segment. Steffen Gjorvard, president of TAKRAF USA, commented that the company's client-focused philosophy and direct collaboration with them provide TAKRAF with a smoother and more personalized engagement: "This client-focused philosophy is especially noticeable in our work with Kennecott, where we operated as an integrated team, including the client and other engineering and construction companies, to create the best possible solutions. A comparable strategy defined our engineering contribution to Nevada Gold Mines, emphasizing our commitment to close cooperation to meet their specific needs," he commented.
On the topic of customized equipment, Gjorvard provided an example of how they can also deliver eco-friendly and sustainable solutions that are cost-effective, as seen in Kennecott: "In the case of downhill conveyors, like in Kennecott, we can generate energy, making our systems efficient and cost-effective in terms of energy consumption. At Chuquicamata in Chile, for instance, the use of gearless drive conveyor technology in the conveyor systems not only allowed us to save a lot of space in terms of drive footprint but also, more importantly, these highly efficient electric drive motors replaced diesel truck engines, cutting CO2 emissions produced when transporting the material by more than two thirds for the same copper volume," he elaborated.
Gjorvad sees promising opportunities on the horizon for TAKRAF in the Western USA, particularly in the copper and gold segment: "As demand grows, we aim to foster organic growth and are keen to expand our involvement in projects across mining states like Nevada and Arizona," he concluded.
Another company that plans to tap into growth opportunities in the Western USA mining sector, but in emerging areas like lithium, is Bosch Rexroth, the German Hydraulic specialist: "Our focus is expanding to include high-pressure grinding applications, addressing challenges in conveyors with variable speed and load. Over the past 30 years, we have diversified into drum drives for rotating equipment and adapted components for broader applications, showcasing our solutions' versatility and meeting evolving industry needs," said Ashok Amin, mining segment manager – Americas.
Unlike TAKRAF, although there is a notable difference in terms of the suite of products, Bosch Rexroth asserts that providing a single-concept and one-platform approach delivers a consistent and effective solution globally, setting them apart in the market. This has likely contributed to the company experiencing improved activity and enhanced results in 2023 compared to 2022, mainly driven by growth in copper and gold mines. Bosch Rexroth has worked with key players across the mining spectrum, such as Komatsu, Freeport McMoRan, BHP, Barrick and Newmont.
“Direct collaboration with clinets provides a smoother and more personalized engagement. This client-focused philosophy is especially noticeable in our work with Kennecott, where we operated as an integrated team, including the client and other engineering and construction companies, to create the best possible solutions”
Steffen Gjorvard, President, TAKRAF USA
Cathodes for the green revolution
On the topic of lower-carbon products, according to Thomas Charmichael, VP-mining technology at Caid Industries, commented that the green energy movement has put increasing demand on necessary resources like copper to be produced more sustainably. "Mining operations not only need to produce more copper but there is a recognition that energy consumption during copper plating must be reduced," he explained.
Caid's flagship product is the stainless-steel cathode, which, according to Carmichael, is the longest-lasting cathode in the market and are called "permanent cathodes" because, with reasonable maintenance, they last at least 20 years.
Article header image courtesy of TAKRAF