Solutions provider TAKRAF Africa, part of the global TAKRAF group, supplied two coal granulators towards the end of 2018 for a project to be commissioned in October this year, as part of the coal handling and preparation plant for a new mine in Mpumalanga, South Africa.

The 660-mm-diameter granulators – designed with a base frame to allow for stable positioning on the underlying steelwork – are 1 020 mm in length and are the smallest in TAKRAF Africa’s range. The granulators boast a feed rate of 100 t/h, handling a maximum feed size of 80 mm, and produce a product size of 40 mm and 50 mm.

The coal granulators are supplied by TAKRAF Africa under licence from materials handling specialist Terrasource Global of the US, for simultaneously sizing run-of-mine coal and removing debris.

TAKRAF coal granulators have worked effectively at various mines, and are thought to offer superior quality, performance and an efficient service life, and boast unique features and systematic modifications compared with conventional crushers.

“TAKRAF Africa made modifications to the granulators by including inspection doors in the frame to facilitate accessibility and maintenance,” highlights TAKRAF Africa regional sales manager George Jacob.

Recognising the need for integrated systems in the coal sector, TAKRAF Africa also aligned three of its most popular coal mining components to offer a total solution to junior minors and smaller operations globally, he adds.

Working in conjunction with the granulators are the Bradford Breaker and TAKRAF’s most recent technical innovation, a range of mineral sizers – all integral parts within a crushing plant system.

The semi-mobile Bradford Breaker demonstrates how TAKRAF’s technology is, through constant research and development (R&D), adapting to the evolving needs of the industry. The breakers are manufactured locally by TAKRAF Africa subcontractors, under licence from Terrasource Global.

The Bradford Breaker is an important part of coal preparation plants, as it removes impurities cost effectively. The more waste material that can be removed from the coal, the lower its total ash content, the greater its market value and the lower its transportation costs.

TAKRAF added a range of sizer equipment to its product portfolio to integrate these crushing machines into a complete mining solution for its clients.

The primary sizer product range covers inlet sizes from 2.5 m to 4.0 m with a throughput from 3 000 t/h to 12 000 t/h. The TAKRAF sizer range also includes models that can be selected for secondary and tertiary applications, as well as for heavy-duty hard rock applications.

TAKRAF’s X-TREME Class Sizer range offers maximum reliability in the most extreme conditions, and can handle material typically considered to be outside the application window of a standard sizer – owing to high levels of hardness and abrasiveness, and large fragment sizes – with a size reduction ratio from 1:5 to 1:6.

Moreover, given the capital constraints faced by mining operations and the need to increase productivity levels, clients are looking for equipment that offers ease of maintenance, reduced downtime and a long service life.

Jacob says TAKRAF Africa believes that innovations – such as automation – are a “productivity game changer”. He stresses that increased automation in the mining industry allows for enhanced safety and operations at mines and also mitigates problems, such as shortages in adequately trained staff.

The focus is on overcoming increasingly difficult mining conditions, meeting the pressures to prioritise workforce health and safety, and implementing the required cost and energy efficiencies to effect sustainable mining.

“TAKRAF Africa is committed to innovation and benefits from the R&D conducted through our various global R&D centres, our head office in Leipzig, Germany, and in Kempton Park at its South African operation,” concludes Jacob.