Archive for the ‘October’ Category

Queensland mining company Reynolds Soil Technologies has a solution to the on-going problem to many port authority management teams of dust control.

By modifying its dust suppression products, RST has devised a solution for use at Australia’s ports.

After completing trials on Australia’s east and west coasts, RST is looking to secure contacts with Australia’s various port Authorities to offer a holistic dust management solutions.

RST technical and development director David Handel said the management of dust control while transporting minerals from mines to shop required specific procedures and technology that the company had developed over the past 20 years.

Mr Handel said, due to the sensitive environment around most ports, dust management has become more important

RST is using its Superskin technology, a veneer eco dust suppressant, to help control dust at ports. The Superskin technology, like all RST products and solutions are tailor-made to match individual job requirements.

“We work with a variety of shipping ports throughout Australia who are extremely proactive in managing their entire shipping process,” he said. “Shipping ports work in strict environmental guidelines. We are helping them meet these guidelines and complement the procedures they already have in place,” he said.

“We also offer cost-effective water-saving solutions and our proven technologies work.”

The company is also using purpose designed spray systems to apply foamers, water extenders and crusting agents to the transported minerals to suppress dust en route to the vessel.

RST technologies also include a non-stick agent called Release It, which is sprayed on the rail wagon and truck trays to eliminate any carry-back to the mine sites.

“This includes management stockpiles, loading, transporting and unloading throughout the whole material supply chain, ensuring dust is kept to a minimum or totally eliminated,” said Mr Handel.

The new Superskin uses 90% less product than anything else in the marketplace.

Mr Handel is pleased with the progress.

“Shipping ports are a new growth area for us. We ensure the transportation and movement of products is completed in the safest and cleanest possible way, so that there is generally a more pristine environment near the ocean and towns.”

“There is a strong market for our dust management solutions for the entire process from mines through to the transportation and movement of materials and, ultimately, to the ports.”

RST is fielding enquiries from a number of interested ports and has a contract in the pipeline with Queensland Rail.

The experts in haul road performance and optimisation, New Gold Coast engineering company Proof Engineers specialises in road stabilisation and performance.

The company uses the engineering skills of building suburban roads and applies these to the construction and maintenance of haul roads on mine sites, while investigating, measuring and recommending soil stabilising solutions to ensure cost-effective and environmentally friendly construction and maintenance.

Since its launch in February this year, the company have been working closely with mining resource firm Reynolds Soil Technologies in validating its revolutionary dust suppression applications on road structures across mines globally.

Headed by engineer Sebastian Karsas Proof Engineers aims to expand its alliances to eventually service any company that requires road performance and stabilisation services.

Mr Karsas is pleased with the progress of the company and is looking to the future.

“We’re relatively new and are still finding our feet, but we have been working with fellow Gold Coast company RST in their development of dust-free road constructions in and around mines,” said Mr Karsas.

“We are currently working with the University or Western Australia in building our business
model and are looking forward to expanding to new operations.”

Specialising in road performance evaluation and environmental control through high-tech monitoring solutions, Proof Engineers will go on to an existing mine site and conduct studies into the current road management status, providing detailed reports on road performance and operations, making recommendations on how to increase fleet performance, operate more economically and be more environmentally sustainable.

With interest already shown from various Australian and overseas mine site and government agencies, Proof Engineers will cover anything from project management or constructing a road, to haul road management for commercial mining operations.

With qualified site technicians managing each program, Proof Engineering will implement continual improvement programs to ensure that all products and systems and supplying clients with optimum results.

Mr Karsas believes safety is of the highest importance to his clients and said without this testing and management, the side effects of having to stop production to fix a road problem even for one day could cost the company millions of dollars.

“Our engineers identify dull or soft spots and structural damage that could possibly lead to dangerous and costly conditions. We recommend a specific treatment and management plan to best suit our client’s individual needs,” he said.
“We implement real-time monitoring solutions to measure road performance. If the road is defective we recommend the most applicable treatment, which could be from liquid soil stabilisation to bringing in extra additional materials.

“We are able to quantify cost savings In areas people normally wouldn’t notice.”

For instance, a one per cent change in rolling resistance can slow a haul truck down by 26 per cent, also having significant increases in fuel burn and other production cost.

“Weather its sealed or unsealed, we can better the road and quantify financial benefits for the company,” said Mr Karsas.

RST Technical and development director David Handel said this service in invaluable to mining companies in being able to prove how employing soil stabilisation products are imperative to the efficiency on haul roads, but also for improving environmental outcomes.

Mining Chronicle – October 2010

Reynolds Soil Technologies has just completed a major tailings dam project, using its Superskin dust management technology on a remote gold mine near Kalgoorlie.

The company is seeing proven results on site after putting the Superskin technology into action, assisting in the care and maintenance on the 100ha tailings dam in one of the most volatile environments in Western Australia.

The project involved the application of Superskin to the surface, effectively sealing the tailings dam until required for future use.

Where traditional long-wearing veneer crusting agents would use up to 60, 000 litres of product for the Kalgoorlie project, Superskin used only 6000 litres to achieve the same result.

RST business development manager Robert Baker said Superskin applications were now complete on the tailings dam.

“We began to see results within 24 hours of applying the Superskin agent,” said Mr Baker.

“From the point of application we began to see the dust being eliminated. It began to form a crust on the surface, eventually losing full moisture and drying out.”

“We’ve applied the technology to over 100ha. Being such a large scale project using the new product, we were delighted with the results.”

The revolutionary concept is setting a new benchmark for veneer dust suppressants by conversing more water, decreasing transport costs, cutting emissions and significantly reducing veneering cost per square metre.
Mining Chronicle – October 2010

RST is happy to announce that it is a finalist in the 7th Annual Australian Mining Prospect Awards for 2010 and have secured two finalist places for our technologies in Total dust Management and Superskin products in the Excellence in Environmental Management category.

Becoming a finalist in this category is recognition of RST’s commitment to providing solutions to meet ever changing industry needs and realisation that environmental impact is a large part of these changes.

Here is some more information on both technologies:

Total dust Management:
Our aim is to manage ALL of your project’s dust issues, allowing you to carry on with day to day activities in a safe and productive manner. Our Total dust Management solutions utilise;

• Leading Edge Products, Equipment & Systems
• Effective & Economical products
• Tailor made recommendations
• Over 20 years’ experience within the mining industry

Superskin:
A groundbreaking technology that uses 90% less product than our competitors, making it much more cost effective.

• Suitable for all forms of exposed stockpiles, ground, sand, minerals and tailings
• Forms a strong, durable and flexible crust
• Eliminates dust liftoff with a single application

The awards ceremony is in November at a gala dinner in Sydney. Stay tuned for any further announcements.

Reason for change

RST is expanding rapidly, both nationally and internationally. As such, it requires a strong branding concept that represents a global, modern, market-leading company.

Although the previous logo adequately represented these aspects of RST when it was created, it was felt that continual growth and expansion into new markets had diminished its pertinence and strength among competitors. It was also felt the previous branding was colourless and starting to become dated.

It was therefore decided RST could be better represented by a strong, fresh and recognisable branding that better reflects the company’s visions for today and for the future.

Inspiration behind the branding

Although the logo design needed to be updated, it was felt that the text, ‘RST – dust Earth Water Solutions’, needed to remain the same. As such, it was decided that the logo should encompass the original text, in addition to an identifying symbol.

You will notice the following elements in the new logo, thanks to clever design and use of colour:

• A haul road going off into the distance
• The water lapping up on the Gold Coast Beaches
• The letter ‘S’ to signify our beliefs.

RST is following a radically different path today, compared to five years ago. We wanted the symbol to reflect this journey. This is the motivation for the symbol representing a winding haul road.

The ‘S’ bend of the road signifies the beliefs of RST; safety, support, service, solutions, systems. And our adopted ‘Seven Steps to Success’ for Total dust Management.

Colours

The vibrant colours of the logo are indicative of the main office location – Gold Coast, Australia.

The orange, green and blue represent dust, Earth and Water respectively, and the areas of RST’s work encompassing the Amazon Basin, Asian Plantations, the rugged landscapes of our global mining regions and the precious resource we are so passionate about – water. We wanted each of these elements to be present in the logo. Our objective is fresh, appealing, happy, yet professional.

The green also represents the ‘environmentally friendly’ nature of RST processes and products.