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 Weir Expands in Comminution Market The Weir Group PLC recently expanded its market presence in mining and minerals markets through a number of agreements, which, according to the company, significantly enhance its platform for growth in the comminution segment of minerals processing. Weir said it signed an exclusive license with KHD, giving direct control over the design, manufacture and distribution of High Pressure Grinding Rolls (HPGR) in minerals processing applications using KHD technology. KHD will receive royalty payments on equipment sales. Over the past three years Weir has acted as KHD's agent for the marketing of HPGRs in the minerals sector, operating on a commission-only basis. During 2011–2012, KHD's annual order intake from this agreement averaged €25 million ($32 million). In another venture, Weir said its entry into the crusher market has been secured through a partnership with Minyu Machinery Corp., a Taiwanese designer and manufacturer of crushing equipment. Weir now has an agreement to sell Minyu's existing range of cone crushers to Weir Minerals' customers. The two parties have also formed a joint venture, majority owned and operated by Weir, to develop higher-capacity machines suitable for use in larger mine applications. It is expected that the line of new, larger cone crushers will be launched within three years. Weir also completed the acquisition of Aspir, an Australia-based centrifuge producer whose technology, said Weir, will enable Weir to provide packaged minerals classification solutions when combined with its existing screens and hydrocyclones portfolio. Under an exclusive license deal signed with KHD, Weir Minerals will assume control of the design, manufacture and distribution of KHD's High Pressure Grinding Roll technology and will pay KHD royalties on equipment sales. 152 E&MJ; • JUNE 2013 The combined upfront cost of these agreements, according to Weir, is £7 million ($10.7 million) with a similar amount expected to be invested over the next three years. Weir Chief Executive Keith Cochrane said, "These agreements will extend our addressable market by around £750 million and represent the logical next steps in our growth strategy in minerals processing, providing access to attractive markets that we know well and can benefit from our capabilities and technology." Simulator Upgrade Focuses on Fuel-economy Awareness Immersive Technologies has launched a fuel efficiency technology aimed at giving mine management an affordable way to address the challenges of rising fuel costs and environmental responsibility. This technology is embedded in an upgrade to Immersive Technologies' range of Advanced Equipment Simulators. According to Immersive, it is designed to give mining equipment operators the skills and knowledge they need to operate in a productive manner while assessing and eliminating behaviors that cause excess fuel consumption. The company said its simulator technology includes detailed monitoring of operator behaviors, which directly relate to excess fuel consumption including levels of throttle and brake application for specific situations. This has resulted in an enhanced assessment tool for managers to determine which fuel inefficient operator behaviors are most prevalent on their site and represent the greatest opportunities for savings. This technology and training service can be applied to any Immersive Technologies Advanced Equipment Simulator running the latest version of SimControl software version 4.6. A training service is also now available from Immersive Technologies to facilitate rapid implementation into existing training programs. The fuel efficiency service includes a session to train the trainer, fuel efficiency simulator curriculum, lesson plans, and on-site training consultant support to fully integrate the new fuel efficiency training capabilities. www.e-mj.com