Voith is launching its PowerDrive Mining electrified conveyor drive system at Electra Mining Africa 2026, held at the Johannesburg Expo Centre, Nasrec, from 7–11 September 2026. The package combines an electric conveyor drive with an integrated control solution, supplied as a fully coordinated system rather than separate components. Voith is pitching the system as a cost‑attractive alternative to conventional conveyor drive trains, targeting large overland and plant conveyors where harmonised drive and control design can reduce lifecycle and integration costs.

BHP has awarded Worley study and EPCM contracts for planned expansion projects at the Olympic Dam underground copper-uranium mine and the Carrapateena sub-level cave operation in South Australia, both still subject to BHP final investment decisions. The work covers front-end studies through detailed engineering, procurement and construction management to support BHP’s Copper South Australia growth strategy. For geotechnical and mining teams, the contracts signal upcoming demand for cave design optimisation, shaft and materials handling upgrades, and brownfield integration around existing underground infrastructure.

Surface reliability issues in drill rig breakout and rotation systems are being traced less to inadequate material hardness and more to surface engineering and load-path design, according to MASPRO’s field work on high-load components. MASPRO’s engineering team reports premature failures on rigs operating under continuous, shift-by-shift high torque and axial loads, where surface treatments and contact geometries, rather than bulk wear, govern life. For maintenance and design engineers, the findings point to closer scrutiny of surface finish, residual stress and lubrication regimes before simply specifying harder alloys.