Ansys has won a R20-million contract to supply eight continuous rope-monitoring (CRM) systems to gold-mining major AngloGold Ashanti.

The CRM systems will be installed at the Moab Khotsong mine to enhance mine safety.

Engineering and technology company Ansys has won a R20-million contract to supply eight continuous rope-monitor- ing (CRM) systems to gold-mining major AngloGold Ashanti. The CRM systems will be installed at the Moab Khotsong mine to enhance mine safety.

Ansys CEO Alan Holloway reports that the technology used in these CRM systems is being specifically designed and developed by Ansys and Moab Khotsong mine management. The driving force for the initiative is the safety of the mine personnel as the company and all its mining affiliates subscribe to a strong safety culture.

The purpose of the equipment, which is still being tested, is to continuously monitor the health of the mine’s winder ropes, a requirement owing to the extreme depth of wind at Moab Khotsong, to prevent possible rope failure. “The CRM systems trigger an alarm if the tolerances on the steel cable used on the mine’s winder equipment differ by a certain agreed amount,” says Holloway.

He adds that mine safety is a critical issue in South African mines and, as human lives are at stake daily, there can be no margin for error. “Ansys is developing this equipment specifically to assist mining houses in monitoring the condition of their winder ropes to proactively prevent rope failure,” says Holloway.

Ansys will assist in the installation, testing and commissioning of the system, with AngloGold Ashanti being responsible for the overall installation of the equipment.

Measured output data from the system will also be dis- tributed to AngloGold Ashanti, Anglo Field Services and Ansys. A data record will be built up over time to ensure maximum system performance and increased fault detection.

Ansys will ensure the system’s continuous performance, which includes calibration and servicing as well as data monitoring and enhancements under a separate contract with AngloGold Ashanti.

Holloway points out the system being developed should have wide application throughout the mining industry in South Africa.