Mineral and mining laboratory equipment reseller and consulting company Mineral Innovative Technologies (MIT) Group has teamed up with Russian mineral sample preparation specialist equipment manufacturer Vibrotechnik to provide a full range of laboratory equipment for Africa, says MIT Group South Africa MD Mark Armstrong.

MIT Group sells equipment and provides installation, maintenance and laboratory design services into Africa, and Vibrotechnik’s range of sample crushing, grinding, milling and screening equipment is suited to client demands for performance, accuracy and repeatability.

Vibrotechnik deputy director Mikhail Krivelev says its equipment is robust, efficient and affordable; it is easy to maintain without the aid of a technician, which makes it suitable for the on-site laboratories of clients in Africa.

Armstrong highlights that there is good demand for MIT Group’s equipment from coal, copper, platinum, gold, ferrochrome and manganese companies, which realises steady business from the sale of laboratory equipment and consumables in Africa.

There is also an increase in demand for its equipment from platinum group metals, copper, cobalt and gold operations throughout Africa, he says.

“Accurate, repeatable analysis is inhibited without proper sample preparation. It is, therefore, a critical part of an effective and efficient laboratory.”

Vibrotechnik has a range of more than 60 machines that are built in its St Petersburg factory, in Russia, where special technical requests and bespoke designs are also done.

“We can also link various pieces of crushing, grinding, milling and sieving equipment to develop a single sample-preparation process for clients. Further, requests for the preparation of specific ore samples will be sent to our factory, where we will design and develop a sample preparation process for the client, which will take the form of a full laboratory report and design.”

The Vibrotechnik equipment also enables clients to change parts and the setup of machines quickly, even for hard ores like low-carbon ferrochrome and manganese.

MIT Group will provide the installation, maintenance and consulting services for its and Vibrotechnik’s equipment in Africa, confirms Armstrong.

“Vibrotechnik has sample preparation equipment that fits into our range of laboratory equipment, such as atomic-absorption equipment used for spectroscopy.”

Further, the partnership is aimed at tapping into growth, and MIT and Vibrotechnik will move into the Australian market over the medium term, adds Krivelev.

“We have a registered company in Australia and our next objective is to expand into that market, as well as New Zealand. The scale of the industry is much larger in Australia, and we believe that moving into this market will not only provide growth but also spur the development of our equipment and solutions as we tackle new mineralogical and metallurgical challenges,” says Armstrong.

With the addition of Vibrotechnik’s range, MIT Group’s capabilities are augmented and the company can provide turnkey solutions for clients in the mining, metals and electronics recycling industries, as well as other industries, such as wastewater treatment.

“We are very glad to go into business with MIT Group, which has a good reputation and client base in Africa – a growth market for us – and we are excited about the prospects of growing into new markets, including Australia and New Zealand,” says Krivelev.