Cradle to grave
The future of facilities management
Facilities management is a broad term
that brings together many aspects of any
business. It often does not get the attention
it deserves.
The goal of effective facilities
management is to ensure the smooth
running of the practical aspects of a
business. This could include phone
lines, electrical services, air conditioning,
employee safety, meeting building codes,
and ensuring that the work environment is
both healthy and supportive for clients and
employees.
For many businesses, it makes perfect
sense to appoint a single vendor that
can manage all their facilities — from
security systems to laying optic cables and
servicing the air conditioning. Not only is it
cost-effective, but it also gives the company
the added benefit of focusing on their core
business.
“There’s a lot to consider in terms of
facilities management. It’s not just about
taking care of the building’s facilities
and keeping them in good condition. It
also involves communication systems,
project management, human capital, and
considerations for the environment. If the
infrastructure that supports the smooth
running of a business is neglected, it may
result in a negative impact on the business
itself,” explains Themba Gumbi, director at
BT-SA.
The digital revolution is having an impact
on the facilities management industry and
today, a building is no longer just bricks and
mortar: it’s a rather complicated piece of
machinery. The Internet of Things (IoT)
is continually gaining ground and will
undoubtedly influence how businesses are
run in the future. While, at this point, cost
may be a factor in not pursuing IoT, the
reality is that most systems will eventually
need some sort of IoT integration in the
coming years — at the very least, a central
hub from where devices are operated and
monitored.
Automation is also something that
businesses are moving towards, and with
the advent of IoT, it can become a reality.
As businesses embrace the way that
technology can streamline day-to-day
tasks, they move towards a more automated
workplace where employees can be more
effectively utilised, ensuring a more
productive environment.
“Businesses have no time to waste as
far as adapting to new technologies and
deploying them in facility management is
concerned. The digital age is transforming
the way we do everything, and we at
BT-SA are forward thinking. Digital is
already here,” says Gumbi.
Transformers custom-designed
for pit conditions
[38] MINING MIRROR NOVEMBER 2018
The Zest WEG Group mobile transformer was
designed upward from a robust steel base frame
with a modified 12-metre shipping container on
top, catering for a switchgear chamber for the
33kV supply, a transformer chamber, and another
switchgear chamber for the 6.6kV output.
the mine was looking for a more efficient
and cost-effective solution. To optimise
the mobility of these units, Zest WEG
Group Integrated Solutions designed a
removable gooseneck system on the front of
the unit, and a removable bogey at the back.
The adapted mobile transformer can
now be easily moved as a truck and trailer
configuration to various operational areas
and when positioned, the gooseneck
Mobile pit transformers are essential in
opencast mines where electricity is needed.
At times it is also necessary to custom
design transformers so that they can be
adapted to local pit conditions. When new
pit transformers were needed at Swakop
Uranium’s Husab Mine near Swakopmund
in Namibia, Zest WEG Group’s Integrated
Solutions division was able to adapt its
design to suit new requirements.
“Zest WEG Group provided the mine
with four skid-mounted pit transformers
in 2014. More recently, the company
was contracted to supply the mine with
another unit.
According to Alastair Gerrard, Zest
WEG Group Integrated Solutions
executive, “The first units were designed
to be located in the pit and dragged short
distances to follow the drills rigs and
electric shovels. The new unit, however,
needed to offer the capability of improved
manoeuvrability across longer distances
within the operational area,” says Gerrard.
In some cases, transporting a
skid-mounted containerised transformer
greater distances outside of the mining area
meant employing a crane and low-bed, and
can be removed and the landing legs
extended. The mobile transformer was
designed upward from a robust steel
base frame with a modified 12-metre
shipping container on top. The mine
was provided with an interface point to
receive 33kV from the mains reticulation,
stepping down with a 5MVA transformer
to 6.6kV, which was fed out to the
equipment.
www.miningmirror.co.za