Monitoring equipment now included in CDC's product line-up
Dust Buster News

Leading coal dust suppression equipment supplier Colliery Dust Control has recently enhanced it product line-up with the addition of high quality monitoring equipment supplied by Monitech of Benoni.

The products, which the company markets following a co-operative marketing tie-up with Monitech, complement CDC’s extensive range of dust suppression products.

The Monitech products have been very well received by customers. "We offer them as optional add-ons to the range of products comprising our integrated dust suppression system. We also give the same level of support on them in terms of installation and maintenance backup as we do on our regular products," said Bob Johnstone, CDC’s general manager.

"The tie-up with Monitech extends and enhances the range of products and services we are able to offer our customers, while Monitech has gained more business on the back of our products and existing customer base."

The equipment includes a water pressure and flow monitor ideally suited for use on a continuous miner and an air speed monitor which may be used to monitor air speed through the CDC wet fan scrubber box. A monitor to detect the presence of methane in the air is also available.

The equipment is designed to trigger off an alarm signal on the CM, or alternatively stop it operating altogether, when for example there is a drop in water pressure or flow below the required limit. In the case of a methane detection monitor, the machine will trip when a potentially dangerous build-up of methane in the section occurs.

CDC has sold a number of Monitech monitors - mainly water pressure and flow units - to Sasol Coal for use in its Secunda mines, as well as to some Ingwe Coal Corporation collieries.

Springs-based CDC, a pioneer in the development of dust control systems used to improve working conditions and safety in underground coal mines in South Africa,

is the largest supplier of underground colliery dust suppression systems in the country. These include a three-fold integrated system comprising the unique CDC wet-fan scrubber box, water-powered air movers and spray fans operating in complementary fashion to achieve maximum dust suppression efficiency.

Tests carried out by the CSIR last year using CDC’s integrated system in conjunction with good mining practice and ventilation systems proved the high dust suppression efficiency of this system, which was found to consistently achieve dust counts of between 2 and 3 mg/cu m – well within the regulation minimum of 5 mg/cu m as stipulated by the Department of Mineral & Energy Affairs.

The company has also greatly broadened its product range to encompass the full spectrum of dust suppression equipment and accessories, as well as providing round-the-clock service backup and a service exchange scheme to ensure that customers maintain maximum productivity and incur minimum downtime.

Says Johnstone: "In addition, we offer a service contract option to collieries which prefer to hand over responsibility of service, maintenance and repair of their dust suppression systems entirely to us so that they can concentrate on their core activities. Several collieries that have taken advantage of this option have found it greatly to their benefit."