Equipment and solutions provider Weir Minerals Africa, which enjoyed excellent attendance at its stand at the last Electra Mining Africa in 2018, will once again be exhibiting its extensive range of minerals processing equipment at this year’s show where it will have a capacious 300 m² outdoor exhibit.

“After the cancellation of Electra Mining in 2020 owing to Covid, we see this year’s event as an excellent opportunity to see our customers and to display some of our latest products and technology-driven solutions,” says Weir Minerals Africa regional MD Rajen Govender.

Weir Minerals Africa forms part of the global, LSE-listed Weir Group.

“We’re hoping to see not only our South African customers at the stand but also our customers from other parts of our region, including the Middle East, Central Africa, West Africa, East Africa and SADC, regions where we’re currently experiencing a significant upsurge in business. We’re making a special effort to send out invitations in advance to ensure maximum face-to-face interaction with our customers.”

Weir Minerals Africa is busy extending its sales and service network across the African continent and the Middle East, with a particular focus on West Africa, which has emerged over the past two decades as one of the world’s growing mining regions.

The company already has branches in Ghana and Senegal and, in a recent breakthrough, secured its first major order for Nigeria.

“Our strategic intent has always been to be where our customers need us to be,” remarks Govender.

“While we are well represented throughout Africa and the Middle East, we believe there are still opportunities to extend our footprint – and the technologies we offer – to countries where we currently have little or no permanent presence.”

While the African reach of Weir Minerals Africa will be highlighted at Electra Mining Africa, the company will also be emphasising its significant manufacturing capability.

Not only does it have factories in Isando and Alrode, in Gauteng, but it also owns and operates the Heavy Bay Foundry in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape. This facility will soon be expanded, increasing the capacity to serve the African market.

“We’re very proud of our manufacturing facilities, which are extremely sophisticated and which are turning out products with a very high local content, in some cases 100%,” says Govender.

“This capability gives us a competitive edge in terms of costs, customisation and fast turnaround of orders. Like most companies, we have been affected by the current disruption of the global supply chain but the impact has been lessened by our ability to manufacture locally.”

All Weir Minerals Africa’s world-class brands, including Warman, GEHO, Cavex, Enduron, Trio, Delta Industrial, Linatex and Isodry, will be featured on the stand, although the sheer size of some of the equipment will limit the ability to have entire units on display.

“We will probably have a larger jaw crusher on show,” says Govender.

“Visitors can also expect to see some of our Warman pumps, our rubber products and hoses, the Enduron range of screens and high pressure grinding rolls (HPGRs), as well as our latest Cavex 2 hydrocyclone, which marks a major leap forward in hydrocyclone technology. Equipment that cannot physically be accommodated on the stand will be represented by 3D models and illustrated via audio-visual displays.”

Weir Minerals Africa will make a particular point of showcasing its digital capabilities, notably its Synertrex digital ecosystem that is easily integrated into customers’ existing systems. Synertrex technology enables customers to access all recorded data of their Weir Minerals equipment, as and when required. This information can be integrated into existing control room systems in real time or accessed remotely, around the clock, on any device.

Another high-tech product on the stand will be the Synertrex InteliWear condition monitoring system for hoses and spools, which can be accessed remotely through a dedicated online dashboard.

This provides a complete solution to many of the problems that are faced in maintaining hoses handling highly abrasive materials. It eliminates the need for physical inspections and averts costly downtime.

The Weir Minerals Africa exhibit will also highlight the ability of the company’s products to reduce consumption of resources such as energy and water, thereby allowing customers to achieve their sustainability goals. A prime example is provided by the Enduron HPGRs which can achieve energy savings of up to 40% in crushing and grinding.

“Our products and solutions address virtually every aspect of comminution and minerals processing and we will have many of our technical experts on the stand to engage with visitors and explain how Weir Minerals Africa’s equipment can lower costs and enhance productivity,” says Govender. “Electra Mining Africa is a big commitment for us and we are pulling out all the stops to ensure that visitors to our stand will have a rewarding experience.”