⎪ Minerals processing and materials handling ⎪
by proactive monitoring and predictive main- tenance programmes to maintain high levels of equipment availability. Maintenance best practice Maintaining equipment longevity and avail- ability requires a structured and proactive maintenance approach. Best practices include on-site inspections to assess equipment condi- tion and monitor wear on critical components to better anticipate and schedule replacements. “By implementing regular condition monitoring and predictive maintenance interventions, early signs of mechanical issues can be identified and addressed before they escalate,” Slabbert states. Despite the clear benefits, mining opera - tions often face practical challenges in keeping samplers and centrifuges performing optimally. These include the temptation to defer mainte- nance, running equipment out of specification, limited on-site technical expertise for special- ised equipment, and spare parts shortages that can delay critical repairs and replacements. “There is a tendency in plants to do what is urgent and not do what is important,” Slabbert points out. Important proactive maintenance is not done as regularly as tending to an equip- ment failure, which is regarded as urgent. “A proactive maintenance strategy, which includes predictive maintenance and well-managed
spare parts inventories, helps mitigate risk and ensure consistent equipment performance,” Slabbert notes. Support and lifecycle management Importantly, the long-term reliability of sam- plers and centrifuges extends beyond the initial equipment supply. “Tailored service-level agree- ments and structured field-service and technical support programmes from equipment suppliers enable more effective maintenance planning, faster issue identification, and timely resolu - tion,” du Plessis notes. Multotec’s experienced field-service techni - cians work closely with customers to maximise equipment life cycle, given the specialised skills required for effective maintenance of centrifuges and samplers. “The company conducts regular site visits and check-ins with maintenance staff to ensure that daily, weekly or monthly maintenance checks are completed, to ensure that monthly and quarterly mainte- nance activities are undertaken, and to plan for monthly, quarterly or bi-annual maintenance shutdowns,” du Plessis explains. “Support also extends to maintenance staff training if required and guidance on critical stock and spare part holding.” Moreover, Multotec’s operating and mainte- nance manuals, underpinned by the company’s
application knowledge, technical expertise and understanding of process flow sheets, provide best-practice guidelines to help clients get the most out of their equipment. “When these practices are followed, equip- ment can operate reliably for over 20 years, while poor maintenance can lead to catastrophic failures in as little as 18 months if operating conditions are not monitored and maintenance is not undertaken,” Slabbert concludes. https://www.multotec.com/ Multotec Vezin slurry samplers need to reliably extract highly accurate, representative samples from a material stream for quality control, process tracking and metallurgical accounting.
EMVAfrica MechChem Africa Digimag Advert _130X180MM_2026_AWP.indd 1
2026/06/19 08:57
July-August 2026 • MechChem Africa ¦ 19
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker