Hencon Group, a global supplier and manufacturer of special mobile equipment for heavy industries, which has subsidiaries in Mozambique, Russia and India vows to adapt to stay relevant.
David de Oliveira, Hencon Vactech General Manager believes the company has to ensure relevance in the mining industry by ‘constantly improving and ensuring that we always add value to our customers’ businesses’.
He states that the aim is achieved through the company’s after-sales service maintenance and training initiatives which include using software to simulate a customer’s potential needs to avoid bottlenecks and production downtime on their part.
De Oliveira said it is essential in the African mining industry that value is added to a customer’s business, adding that ‘the industry cannot afford to have suppliers that are not true partners’.
Hencon Vactech told Mining Weekly that it is dedicated to its partners in mining, to grow the industry, adding that improved efficiency levels are the biggest opportunity for growth in the African mining industry.
De Oliveira stressed that improved efficiency will allow the mining industry ‘to become more resilient in the face of the constant changes and challenges’.
In addition, facilitate adaption to change, while greater efficiency will also result in better production and investor confidence.
Hencon Vactech aims to make its business more efficient by keeping up with the latest technological trends such as mechanisation, automation and the Internet of Things.
In adapting to change, De Oliveira explains that Hencon Vactech is developing products and services related to vacuum recovery and conveying technology in line with mining industry trends.
“Our heavy-duty vacuum systems can be custom-built to meet the exact requirements of clients to handle the toughest mining environments in the gold, platinum, nickel, copper and other similar industries.
“These vacuum systems are proven to be highly efficient in the recovery of high-grade material that is generally very fine and cannot be collected and transported with conventional equipment,” explains De Oliveira.
Meanwhile the company’s heavy-duty Robot Mole cleaning technology is designed to vacuum dust and dirt in unsafe or hard-to-reach spaces.
The product is controlled with an electric remote and is powered by an external energy source such as a generator, battery pack or suitable transformer unit. It is equipped with lights and video camera capabilities and can be configured according to the customer’s requirements.
Another heavy-duty vacuum system is Hencon Vactech’s under belt cleaning vehicle (UBCV).
De Oliveira said the UBCV was originally designed to clean under conveyors at rock phosphate mines, but can also be used as an independent vacuum vehicle for cleaning spillages, as well as for high-value material recovery.
The UBCV has a 3 m3 capacity and uses a 150 mm pipe, which can handle particles up to 80 mm. It is designed to be used in harsh underground mining environments.
Hencon Vactech’s vacuums and accessories for mining applications include smaller vacuums for light plant cleaning and dedicated belt cleaning systems and robotic mechanised hose control for access to hazardous and confined spaces.
Systems can be customised to meet a client’s stringent requirements, with standard vacuum machines available in an electric – from 15 kW to 110 kW – or diesel version – from 37 kW to 230 kW.
Hencon Vactech will exhibit its Robot Mole, UBCV, diamond mining and processing products, as well as its mechanised nozzles and related equipment, at the 2017 Electra Mining Botswana exhibition and conference, from September 12 to 14, at the Gaborone fairgrounds, in Botswana.
Organised by trade show organisers Specialised Exhibitions Montgomery, in collaboration with Botswana-based communications company Soapbox Communications, this year’s Electra Mining Botswana will mark Hencon Vactech’s first time exhibiting at the show.
De Oliveira hopes that, through the show, Hencon Vactech will make contact with mines and other prospective clients in Botswana that it has not targeted in the past.
In light of uncertainty in the African mining industry, he believes attending the event will also allow businesses the opportunity to gain a comprehensive overview of the status of the industry.
