Mineral processing equipment Polysius recently launched a new service centre in Midrand, north of Johannesburg, as part of the German multinational's worldwide initiative to extend the application of high-pressure grinding rolls (HPGR) to a broad range of industries.

The growing demand for HPGRs in South Africa and Africa also contributed to the decison to establish the service centre to support the growing customer base.

The service centre is geared up to support HPGR equipment with a comprehensive stock of spare parts. Services such as maintenance, refurbishment and machine manufacture are also provided.

The 2 000-m2 factory has a 15-m height to accommodate some of the the largest machinery of its kind in Africa.

The centre is equipped with a 220-t overhead gantry crane and a massive vertical lathe that boasts a diameter of 3,5 m , a maximum work piece diameter of 4 m, a maximum work piece weight of 100 t and a 2,2-m height under the tool. There is a horizontal milling machine with a 3,2-m diameter rotary table, a 7-m bed length and a 3-m bed, which can handle a maximum work piece weight of 100 t.

The service centre will be taking overflow from the factory in Germany and, from the middle of this year, non-Polysius equipment will be accepted for repair, refurbishment and machining.

Polysius MD Ralf Hesemann says that the service centre will also provide the opportunity to contribute to the development of skills in South Africa, and that this is also crucial to building up the scarce skills base on the continent.

An additional 20 jobs were created as a result of the centre. With the development of skills and a ramp-up in production over the next two years, it is expected that a further 20 jobs will be created, with a work day of two or three shifts.

Polysius has established a local training facility to provide a three-year German apprenticeship training programme that will be linked to the local education system.

Hesemann says that, as a major supplier of HPGR technology, Polysius would be failing in its duty to local industry if it did not invest in developing its infrastructure in preparation for the inevitable economic upturn.

"South African industry has always been resilient and projects are continuing [despite the current economic downturn]. With a formidable reputation for ongoing improvement by using advanced technology to research, develop, engineer and manufacture to world best standards, equipment of this calibre will always be in demand for applications where reliability, efficiency and performance are priorities and even more so in this adverse economic climate," he adds.

Service centre manager Hannes Maritz says that the company has already serviced some roll units and manufactured new ones.

Maritz forecasts significant growth for the company. "New HPGRs will also be manufactured. We will use some local subcontractors who adhere to strict codes of excellence. However, the main components, such as bearings, gearboxes and forgings, are supplied by our German head office," he says.

Polysius says that its investment in research and development has resulted in an increase in production using HPGR technology with an energy saving of about 30%.

HPGRs are suited for comminution in hard rock mineral processing in diverse mining applications, with a high profile in the copper, diamond, iron-ore, molybdenum, nickel and platinum sectors.