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Consulting Services: Worldwide Interest in German Expertise Germany's consulting companies—including those that are members of the VDMA's mining branch and others such as the membership of FAB (The German Federation of International Mining and Mineral Resources)—offer expertise across the board when it comes to exploration, mining, materials-handling and mineral processing. Some are highly specialized in particular disciplines, others cover the engineering aspects of pit design and materials movement, while some companies focus on providing expertise in specific commodities such as potash and salt. Mine subsidence and rehabilitation, bankable feasibility studies, hydrogeology, GIS-based mapping, safety at work, legal and institutional frameworks, training, financing: these are just a few of the areas covered by German consultancies on a worldwide basis. Consulting and Engineering Services with a Long History Formed in 1990 through the merger of three engineering organizations whose roots extended back to 1737, Essen-based DMT GmbH & Co. KG is a member of the TÜV Nord group, one of Germany's largest providers of technical services. DMT offers engineering and consulting services for the mining and exploration sectors, as well as coke-plant technology, civil, mechanical and plant engineering, and product- and building-safety services. In addition, the company designs, develops and builds measuring systems and testing products for use in a wide range of industries, with three accredited test laboratories and 16 officially recognized safety specialist offices. DMT says it has the capability, know-how and practical skills to carry out projects at almost any scale. Typical clients include private mining companies, merchant banks or major financing institutions such as the World Bank, investment banks, governmental institutions, lawyers and insurers. In November 2012, the company increased its presence in Southeast Asia with the establishment of a new subsidiary in Jakarta, Indonesia. Part of its International Mining Consulting (IMC) division, PT DMT Exploration Engineering Consulting Indonesia will strengthen existing connections and provide Asian clients with easier access to DMT's services, the company said at the time. "The new local presence will result in quicker response times, more integrated planning and increased efficiency," said Heinz Gerd Körner, DMT's CEO. As in other parts of the world, DMT provides a full range of mining-focused services to customers in southeast Asia, covering exploration surveys, resource/reserve statements, investor support, feasibility studies, underground and open-pit mine planning, mineral processing, project or risk management and other special services. DMT followed this with the acquisition of a majority share in Höntzsch GmbH, the specialist German manufacturer of fluid mechanics and flow-meter technology. It explains that demand for measurement technology is booming because of increasing needs for monitoring and a steady rise in automation levels, so by combining their expertise, the two companies can make use of even broader market knowledge to serve both national and international clients. 2013 • VDMA MINING SUPPLEMENT VDMA Having been involved with the effects and consequences of mining, such as subsidence and gas emissions for many years, as well as the rehabilitation of old mining areas, last September DMT was awarded the contract for a feasibility study into the better utilization of methane from mine waste. Centered on a methane-emitting site in Bochum, the study is evaluating different options for using the gas, including local heating projects, injecting it into the natural-gas grid, or power generation. 'We Know How…Because We do it Ourselves' RAG Mining Solutions GmbH (RAG MS) markets German expertise in the underground coal-mining industry worldwide. The Hernebased company also offers a wide range of consulting and engineering services, as well as training in areas such as technical planning, logistics, support technology and development, ventilation and air-conditioning, extraction, automation, health, safety and environment (HSE), and testing. Together with its associate company, RAG Deutsche Steinkohle, RAG MS uses integrated approaches for process optimization in underground coal-mining. The company says its testing facilities and in-house accredited Testing Institute is attracting growing demand from the international mining sector. The services provided by the Testing Institute are based on scientifically established analysis and testing procedures and on a widely diversified body of knowledge that has been built up over many years. RAG MS adds that for more than 40 years, the high quality demands imposed by the German mining industry have stamped their mark on fundamental testing practices such as quality assurance, materials testing, damage analysis/management (B2B) and supplier evaluation. As well as carrying out investigations for the German coal industry, the Testing Institute has also been increasingly involved in projects for mining and industrial companies all over the world. The availability and intrinsic value of mining equipment is assuming growing significance at the international level, and for this reason customers are investing increasingly in the field of quality assurance and supplier evaluation, the company says. In May 2012, for example, it signed a cooperation agreement on supplier auditing with the Russian testing institute VOSTNii, which is generally responsible for the specific certification and approval of mining equipment and machines for the Russian mining industry. Another example concerns the planning of electro-technical installations and control-room facilities for the mining sector. Recording and using machine data in real time not only requires in-situ measurement technology but also calls for an efficient and scalable process data network for data transmission, and a corresponding process control center where the incoming information can be analyzed and displayed. Past experience has shown that huge volumes of data can be generated for which there is often no suitable analysis system, so much of the information goes unused. Real-time data acquisition only makes sense when these data can be used very quickly for decision-making, and today RAG MS is marketing worldwide its expertise in planning electrotechnical installations and mine control rooms built up over many years by the German coal industry. VDMA 49