Engineered transfer points are becoming central to plant performance as mines push higher throughput, with Weba Chute Systems’ Technical Director Dewald Tintinger warning that poorly designed chutes can disproportionately constrain material flow and equipment life. Misaligned or under-designed chutes accelerate liner wear, increase blockages and spillage, and drive up dust emissions, directly affecting conveyor availability and downstream crushers and screens. Better-controlled flow paths and impact angles at transfer points are now being used as a primary lever for debottlenecking existing plants without major capital upgrades.

Load and haul attachment specialist Schlam is expanding its global operating model by adding a wider range of mining buckets, new high-quality ground engaging tools (GET) and installation kits for truck bodies and buckets. The move consolidates all product categories – including truck trays, buckets and GET – under a strengthened global leadership team focused on international market development. For mine operators, the broader portfolio and standardised installation kits signal more options for matching tray and bucket designs to specific loading tools and material conditions.

SSH Group Ltd has signed a binding agreement to acquire Elphinstone Mechanical Services (EMS), a long-established mechanical services provider to major mining operations, in a deal it expects to be immediately earnings and margin accretive. The move expands SSH’s national footprint and strengthens its ability to deliver integrated mining services under its existing operating model, particularly for large-scale mobile and fixed plant maintenance. For mine operators, the combined business signals broader single-contractor options for mechanical support, shutdowns and on-site service coverage across multiple regions.