Engineering and Mining Journal - Whether the market is copper, gold, nickel, iron ore, lead/zinc, PGM, diamonds or other commodities, E&MJ takes the lead in projecting trends, following development and reporting on the most efficient operating pr
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SUPPLIERS REPORT Polypipe supplied more than 4,000 m of its 300-mm Ridgidrain perforated twin wall pipe to the rail marshalling yard at the Tonkolili iron ore mine in Sierra Leone for mine operator African Minerals Ltd. wall pipe, a product that combines both technology and sustainability. Tonkolili mine represents one of the largest iron ore resources in the world, contributing substantial economic benefits to Sierra Leone. To support the iron ore project, African Minerals has developed a significant port and rail infrastructure, which is fully integrated into the mining operations. Part of the railway, which provides the link between the mine and the port facility at Pepel, 200 km away, was originally built in the 1930s; this 74-km section has been completely replaced, and extended by a further 125 km of new rail to complete the link. Specifying HDPE (high-density polyethylene) for the surface drainage at the new marshalling yard, African Minerals selected Polypipe through a competitive tender process. The Polypipe Ridgidrain system features a proven structured wall construction with a reduced virgin plastic content. The wall design gives high ring stiffness and strength, and has a lower weight compared to clay or concrete products, which means reduced transport and installation costs and improved health and safety benefits for installers. HDPE provides excellent resistance to abrasion and chemical attack and withstands ground movement and differential settlement. The longer pipe lengths available reduce the number of joints required, significantly reducing the risk of leakage, while its extremely smooth bore resists blockage and makes the pipework system more easy to maintain. The product supplied for the Tonkolili project was fully perforated to allow effective sub-soil drainage. Polypipe export sales manager Philip Wood said, "HDPE is the material of choice in many mining infrastructure applications. In this case, African www.e-mj.com Minerals have specified HDPE for the rail marshalling yard in the knowledge that it is capable of delivering many years of reliable service in a very demanding environment." U.K. Heat Treatment Specialist Keighley Expands Furnace Capacity Keighley Labs, a U.K.-based metallurgical services laboratory, and a specialist in the heat treatment of metals, reported that it has enlarged the size of one of its pit furnaces in anticipation of customer demand for heat treating larger components. The company said developments in renewable energy, mining and quarrying, oil exploration, marine and other applications have led to significant increases in the size of power transmission components like gears, shafts, pinions and bearings, to handle greater productivity demands. As these large components are exposed to severe duty cycles, there is renewed emphasis on the heat treating methods needed to enhance their wear resistance and strength properties. Estimated by industry sources to represent around 10% of component manufacturing costs, heat treatment modifies the microstructure of metallic materials, influencing mechanical characteristics like strength, ductility, toughness, hardness and wear resistance. Keighley said it enlarged the size of one of its largest pit furnaces, increasing dimensions to 1,110-mm working diameter and almost 1,800-mm maximum length, in the process gaining 30% in overall capacity. At the same time, it has upgraded the lifting capacity of the overhead crane that services all seven pit furnaces, a salt bath and tempering equipment, to 3-metric tons maximum lift. Keighley Labs, a U.K.-based metallurgical services laboratory, has enlarged one of its heat-treating pit furnaces to accommodate rising demand for the process from its mining and other industrial-sector customers. JANUARY 2014 • E&MJ; 69