A truly groundbreaking diesel-saving innovation poised to revolutionise surface mining and quarrying operations was unveiled at Electra Mining Africa by Booyco Engineering. Recognising that diesel consumption is one of the highest operating costs in these sectors, Booyco Engineering has developed an anti-idle auxiliary Power Unit (APU) that when applied across operational fleets, particularly haul trucks, will result in significant cost savings and a reduction in carbon emissions.

The Booyco Engineering APU is designed to keep the HVAC system running inside an operator cab while the machine’s main diesel engine is turned off. This ensures operators remain cool and comfortable during idle periods, such as waiting for loading. By eliminating the need to use the main engine to power the HVAC system while idling, diesel costs are dramatically reduced.

Grant Miller, Executive Director at Booyco Engineering, says the company, a specialist in heating, ventilation and cooling equipment for mobile mining machinery, engineered the APU to drive in-cab air conditioners. “In the high ambient conditions prevalent on southern African mines, mining truck operators must often keep the main engine running to maintain a comfortable cab temperature while waiting to be loaded. While this is understandable in terms of maintaining a cool environment from both a safety and productivity perspective, this practice can consume between 30 and 50 litres of diesel per hour,” he explains.

Miller says that the Booyco Engineering APU addresses this inefficiency by allowing the main engine to be powered down during idle times. “And our APU consumes just 1.5 litres of diesel per hour while still keeping the cab cool and comfortable.”

Safety is not compromised with the introduction of the Booyco APU. The unit ensures that all essential systems, such as proximity detection systems and communication systems, remain powered and operational even when the main engine is off. This attention to safety, combined with enhanced efficiency and reduced operating costs, makes the APU an indispensable tool for modern mining operations.

Developed in response to the need for comfortable working conditions and reduced costs, the Booyco Engineering APU is particularly valuable in hot climates such as those found across the African region where daytime heat necessitates constant use of HVAC systems. It maintains comfort during unproductive periods, such as when haul trucks are waiting to be loaded by mining shovels or similar equipment. Beyond reducing diesel consumption, the APU also helps lower carbon footprints, enabling mines to progress toward their ESG goals.

Significantly, the cost of the APU is offset by its relatively short payback period, thanks to its low running costs.

The robust 24 Volt air conditioning system used in mining trucks and other equipment integrates seamlessly with the APU. The APU is T3-rated and suitable for operation in ambient temperatures up to 46 degrees Celsius.

Further, Miller explains, it can be configured to suit individual customer requirements

By significantly cutting diesel consumption and carbon emissions, the Booyco Engineering APU is a pivotal advancement for the mining industry, enabling operations to enhance efficiency, reduce operating costs and meet carbon emission targets while ensuring safety and comfort for operators.

There has been a noticeable uptick in demand for the locally manufactured Booyco HVAC systems by South Africa’s Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM). Brenton Spies, Managing Director of Booyco Engineering, says that the upswing is seen as a promising indicator of growth within the South African OEM landscape, highlighting a robust response to local manufacturing capabilities and innovation.

Booyco Engineering, known for its high quality locally engineered and manufactured HVAC solutions, has received an influx of orders from a range of local OEM facilities. Some of these facilities specialise in producing underground mining machinery such as Load-Haul-Dump (LHD) units and utility vehicles, while other manufacture surface mining equipment and construction machinery. 

Spies say that the growing demand for Booyco’s HVAC systems underscores their reputation as a reliable and purpose-built solution, capable of enduring the extreme conditions often found in Africa’s challenging environments.

“South Africa’s mining and construction sectors, in particular, are notorious for their demanding operational contexts, where equipment must withstand not only physical stresses but also extreme temperatures,” he says. “With summer temperatures frequently exceeding 34 degrees Celsius, the need for durable and efficient HVAC systems has never been more critical. By designing for T3 conditions of ambient temperatures up to +46 degrees Celsius, our offerings stand out in this regard, providing a range of standard HVAC systems alongside the ability to partner with OEMs for custom-designed solutions tailored to specific equipment requirements.”

A key differentiator for Booyco Engineering has been its commitment to local production underpinned by rigorous in-house testing. Each HVAC system is developed and tested under the harshest conditions to guarantee performance reliability in the field. This local manufacturing approach not only supports the South African economy but also ensures that products are ideally suited to local conditions.

Supporting these systems in the field, Booyco Engineering operates a team of skilled artisans as part of their field service crews. These professionals are essential for maintaining the high performance and reliability of Booyco HVAC systems in the field, with the company even offering man on-site contracts where necessary to provide continuous support.

Moreover, Spies says, Booyco Engineering is aggressively expanding its reach within Sub-Saharan Africa by appointing distributors and service providers. This strategy aims to provide localised support and service to customers across the region, further enhancing the accessibility and reliability of Booyco’s HVAC solutions.

“We believe the increased demand for Booyco Engineering’s HVAC systems from South Africa’s OEM sector is a testament to the company’s innovation, quality and commitment to supporting local industries,” Spies concludes.

Heavy duty cooling and air conditioning specialist Booyco Engineering has installed the innovative Sy-Klone engine air filter pre-cleaners on two drill rigs at a South African coal mine, allowing the customer to save on the costs of both replacement air filters and operational downtime.

“In dusty mining conditions, engine air filters quickly clog and need replacing,” explains Gordon Postma, Sales Manager at Booyco Engineering. “On this coal mine, the drill rig filters were lasting only two or three days before they needed replacing; the customer really needed a more sustainable and cost effective solution.”

This was provided through the supply and installation of four Sy-Klone Series 9000 engine air filter pre-cleaners – two on each drill rig. This leading technology from the US has been proved over decades, and has been continuously refined and improved.

“The result is that these Sy-Klone engine air filter pre-cleaners can collect and expel 92 to 95% of the ambient dust before it even reaches the engine’s air filter,” says Postma. “The scientific design and robust manufacture of the pre-cleaners – using hard polymer plastics for strength – ensures they need little to no maintenance, and can withstand operating in harsh mining conditions.”

The operating principles of these air pre-cleaners make them remarkably effective, he says. Air enters the underside of the dome design through screened louvers. This prevents any large debris from entering the pre-cleaner which could cause restriction in airflow. Curved particle-accelerator blades push dirt against the sidewall, and strakes – or angled fins – along the interior surface move all heavier-than-air debris towards the ejection slot. This leaves the clean air to continue swirling to the centre of the dome and through to the engine air filter inlet pipe into the engine’s air filter housing through the filter and then into the engine.

“By installing the Sy-Klone engine air filter pre-cleaner, the mine can significantly extend the service life of its engine air filters,” emphasises Postma. “While the savings on the costs of these filters will be important, the real cost to the mine is in drill rig downtime while the filters are changed. The operation will now benefit from better efficiency and productivity due to less maintenance.”

He adds that, by keeping the engine’s air filter cleaner for longer, the pre-cleaner also enhances the performance and fuel efficiency of the engine – as there is less restriction of air moving into the combustion chambers.

“These various benefits add up to a comprehensive solution for the customer, with minimal technical intervention as the pre-cleaners can be readily sized and installed with little disruption to production,” he says.

As a relatively recent addition to Booyco Engineering’s market offering, the Sy-Klone distributorship shows considerable potential in South Africa’s mining sector, as well as in other applications where machinery must operate in high levels of dust. Postma says there is potential for more pre-cleaner installations by this coal mining customer, while a number of other expected installations will soon confirm the product’s efficacy under a range of local conditions.

South Africa-based Booyco Engineering has upgraded the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system for a customer’s 8×8 armoured personnel carrier.

With almost 40 years of experience in custom designed robust HVAC solutions for the defence sector, the latest prototype is the third iteration of a bespoke unit for this longstanding export customer. According to Grant Miller, Executive Director at Booyco Engineering, the key advances in the latest system have been its integrated electronic control system and the addition of heating functionality.

“This version of the unit allows the driver two-way engagement with HVAC related information on the vehicle’s touchscreen dashboard consol, rather than via a standalone control panel,” says Miller. Using a controller area network (CAN bus) enabled controller, the HVAC’s control system is now fully integrated into the vehicle’s control communication network. The unit makes use of a micro-processor controller that was locally developed specifically for HVAC applications in military vehicles. The addition of heating to the system means that the vehicle can now be deployed in areas with colder climates.

Designed and manufactured in South Africa, the HVAC system is fully rated to stringent military standards. These include environmental specification MIL-STD-810G, MIL-STD-461C and MIL-STD-464C specifications on electromagnetic conformance and interference, and MIL-STD-1472F on general human engineering design. It was supplied to the customer in mid-2023 and has undergone extensive field testing under demanding conditions.

Ross Macphail, Engineering Manager at Booyco Engineering, highlights that the customer is also developing a hybrid electric-drive version of the same vehicle – in which the batteries will also require cooling.

“They intend to use our HVAC system for their new hybrid vehicle, where our equipment will be cooling not just the internal crew space but the batteries as well,” says Macphail. The large traction motor batteries on electric vehicles need to be actively cooled during operation.

He points out that this system also makes use of brushless DC compressors as opposed to a traditional engine driven compressor, which allows the HVAC system to be run independently of the vehicle engine.

Booyco Engineering’s HVAC equipment is designed to perform reliably in the high levels of shock, vibration and dust encountered in military applications. It also limits electromagnetic interference (EMI), which is unwanted electrical noise radiated and conducted from the equipment during operation. This aspect is particularly important in a military context, where EMI can negatively affect communication and other electronic equipment in the vehicle.

The commitment to Corporate Social Investment (CSI) should go beyond mere compliance and obligatory tick boxes, according to Brenton Spies, Managing Director of Booyco Engineering. According to Spies, the company has entrenched a genuine focus on lending substantive support to non-profit organisations dedicated to uplifting women and girls, forming a central part of Booyco Engineering’s corporate ethos.

For several years, Booyco Engineering has contributed significantly to the Frida Hartley Shelter located in Yeoville, Johannesburg. The shelter serves as a haven for homeless women and their children, who often bear the scars of neglect, abuse, trauma and incessant hardships of life on the streets. It also supports women who have lost employment, young homeless mothers striving for a fresh start and individuals navigating through financial turmoil due to retrenchment or unemployment.

Spies says that the Frida Hartley Shelter is not just a shelter; it is a platform for empowerment and renewal. The non-profit organisation offers more than just accommodation. Women at the shelter receive crucial psycho-social support, employment assistance and access to training programmes designed to equip them with skills for a better future. Further and importantly, the shelter ensures children accompanying their mothers receive proper nutrition and childcare. This provision allows mothers to focus on job-hunting and rebuilding their lives without undue stress.

Aligned with its own goal of facilitating skills development and learning, Booyco Engineering extends its support to other non-profit organisations concentrating on tertiary education. The company particularly backs educational initiatives that align with its business operations, thereby creating a synergy between its corporate goals and social investment endeavours.

“This strategic approach not only fosters a knowledgeable and skilled workforce but also ensures that the beneficiaries are aptly prepared for employment opportunities within and beyond Booyco Engineering,” Spies says.

Booyco Engineering’s CSI goes beyond mere token gestures of support, and the company is engaged deeply and sincerely with its beneficiary organisations, mirroring a commitment that is both strategic and heartfelt.

“By supporting organisations like Frida Hartley Shelter, we can not only provide immediate relief to women and children in distress but also invest in the long-term development and empowerment of individuals who have been marginalised and disadvantaged” he continues.

The alliance with Frida Hartley Shelter and other similar organisations reflects the company’s vision of a corporate identity that is deeply intertwined with social upliftment and empowerment, making a significant impact where it truly matters. This dual focus on immediate aid and sustainable development underscores Booyco Engineering’s approach to corporate social responsibility – an approach that is both responsible and visionary.

Keeping its mobile equipment operators comfortable in hot, cold or dusty conditions is a priority for a South African coal miner, so it has renewed its man-on-site HVAC maintenance contract with Booyco Engineering for another three years.

According to Booyco Engineering Managing Director Brenton Spies, the performance of HVAC systems is operationally and legally critical for companies wanting to optimise their uptime and production levels. Regular maintenance by specialised technicians can make sure that mobile equipment owners can achieve this vital goal, says Spies. 

“The conditions on many South African mines are demanding – especially the variations in temperature and the high levels of dust,” he says. “For this reason, the law requires that working conditions do not present any physical hazards to operators – including extreme temperatures.”

He highlights that underperforming HVAC equipment can result in a contravention of the Occupational Health and Safety Act – as driver cabs have extensive window space for improved visibility. This exposes operators to considerable heat in summer, he explains, and cold in winter – as the windows provide little insulation from ambient temperatures outside.

“Our man-on-site contract with this surface coal mining operation gives the customer three of our trained and experienced technicians – with vehicles – who work on the mine site to ensure ongoing maintenance is conducted,” says Spies. “This includes maintenance of the equipment’s air conditioners at intervals of 500 hours, 1,000 hours, 2,000 hours and 4,000 hours.”

Regular cleaning of HVAC systems is also important, as mines are dusty environments where these installations can be quickly blocked up by fine particles. Cleaning ensures not only better machine uptime, but also prolongs the lifespan of the HVAC system.

“In addition to the valuable preventative maintenance that the man-on-site arrangement allows, the technicians can also attend to any unexpected HVAC breakdowns on production equipment,” he explains. “To comply with strict health and safety regulations on mines, these technicians have passed all the mine’s medical requirements and have pit licences to drive their vehicles to where they are required – without undue delay.”

The technicians on the contract have more than 15 years of collective experience with the company, and are equipped with necessary Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Academy (ACRA) accreditations, as well as being certified for the safe handling of gases. They are also provided with the lifecycle analysis of each component in the HVAC systems on site, to enhance the impact and efficiency of their work.

“By having a specialist on site, a mine has someone who can focus on the HVAC aspects of the mission critical mobile equipment,” concludes Spies. “This allows the mine to focus on the business of mining.”

When the productive uptime of capital equipment is compromised by HVAC failure, a primary casualty is the machine’s total cost of ownership (TCO) – making regular servicing a vital investment.

With strict health and safety regulations, even faulty air conditioners can bring work to a standstill, points out Booyco Engineering managing director Brenton Spies. The answer, says Spies, is regular and quality maintenance planned in advance and conducted by skills technicians. 

“On mining or earthmoving sites – where temperatures can be extreme and dust is an ever-present factor – it is regulated that an operator’s cab must be comfortable,” he explains. “This means that when an HVAC system goes down, there is a real possibility that conditions become unconducive to safe work. The operator can stop work, and this can seriously affect productivity.”

To avoid such circumstances, Booyco Engineering not only supplies custom-engineered HVAC solutions for these trucks, but can also maintain and service them regularly. The company offers a maintenance agreement – also known as a ‘man on site’ – which dedicates the necessary skills and experience to the customer’s equipment. 

“With our ‘man on site’ service, we can also offer customers an extended warranty on our equipment, as we feel confident that it is receiving the necessary attention,” he says. “We know from our own experience that Booyco Engineering’s HVAC units can last 20 years or more when they are well looked after.”

He notes that a five year warranty on any equipment used in the mining sector is generally unheard of; however, the company has been known to offer such warranties for HVAC equipment in mining vehicles if there is a Booyco Engineering maintenance programme in place. 

When the company designs its products, it develops the optimal schedules for replacement of certain components, according to Grant Miller, executive director at Booyco Engineering. These schedules also set out the intervals for service interventions. 

“This is specifically designed for the customer to achieve the lowest TCO from these units, but the designated work does need to be conducted timeously – and by a specialised technician,” says Miller. “We can therefore put the required skills and equipment on site, depending on the customer’s fleet size.”

Building on its depth of technical expertise, Booyco Engineering has introduced a learnership scheme for field technicians to support its pipeline of skills. Taking young technicians after their college courses, they are given 12 months of intensive theoretical and on-site training in the company’s HVAC range. 

“This kind of initiative gives us the skills foundation from which to grow our technicians; we can therefore offer customers maintenance contracts on a range of HVAC installations,” he says. “Most mines have HVAC systems on trucks and vehicles, but some also need support on HVAC for rail locomotives.”

An important aspect of the company’s service is its compliance with the necessary health and safety requirements on mines – making it quicker and easier to get staff onto site and operational. With onerous compliance to achieve a ‘pit licence’, it often takes time to new entrants to be allowed to attend to a vehicle in the mining area. 

The interventions within a maintenance agreement are planned to fit in with the customer’s work programme so that there is as little disruption as possible. Booyco Engineering has recently rationalised its product offering so that HVAC units can be deployed over multiple vehicle types. This has allowed a streamlining of the stockholding strategy, so that lead times can be reduced. 

“All in all, our maintenance contracts ensure that customers can achieve the lowest TCO on their high value mining trucks by planning and budgeting in advance for servicing HVAC units,” he says. “In this way, the TCO can be driven down by ensuring a longer operating life, while also avoiding costly downtime undermines the trucks’ ability to generate value.”

Catering for the increased focus on the environmental aspects of surface mining, quarrying and construction, there are now enhanced options available for air filtration on mining and earthmoving equipment.

Well known for its specialised mobile HVAC solutions, Germiston-based Booyco Engineering is now a distributor for Sy-Klone International’s air filtration technology. According to Booyco Engineering’s Field Services Sales Manager Gordon Postma, this brings a range of exciting products to its local customers. The Sy-Klone offerings include enclosed cab filtration, air precleaning for engines and high efficiency air filtration for heavy equipment.

“We can offer customers a complete cab air quality system that includes both fresh air and recirculated air systems combined with high-efficiency HEPA and EPA filtration as well as real-time CO₂ and pressure monitoring,” says Postma.

“Tighter international standards – embodied in the ISO 23875 global standard for cab air quality – are leading the world’s major mining companies to adopt better air quality control systems for their heavy machinery cabs and other operator enclosures,” he explains. “The trend is also being felt in southern Africa, as mining and construction companies look for more effective dust control solutions.”

The new ISO standard will require machine cabs to have a fresh air pressurisation solution, a recirculation system and a monitoring device, he points out. They will also need to be fitted with filtration that exceeds 94% efficiency at 0.3 microns, such as Sy-Klone’s EPA and HEPA filters. Many mining and earthmoving vehicles and equipment are imported with filtration systems that are not suited for the region’s dry and dusty conditions.

“Sy-Klone solutions can be retro-fitted onto vehicles and equipment to provide unsurpassed levels of protection and be in compliance with emerging standards,” says Postma. “Higher levels of filtration also support the safety of machine users, promoting operator alertness and improving productivity.”

He highlights that the Sy-Klone distributorship is a natural fit with Booyco Engineering’s HVAC specialisation and experience – as more effective filtration for the cab also enhances the performance and lifespan of the air conditioning system.

“This collaboration allows us to offer an even more comprehensive solution to our customers’ needs, harnessing the latest technology to meet rising global standards,” he concludes.

With a solid reputation for built-to-order heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) systems for mobile mining and earthmoving equipment, Booyco Engineering has now cut the lead time on these systems in line with trends in mining. 

“The market has shifted, and mines can no longer afford any downtime on the HVAC units in their mining trucks and other earthmoving equipment,” says Grant Miller, Executive Director at Booyco Engineering. “Our strategy has kept pace with a standard HVAC range that is available at short notice.”

Miller highlights the stringent health and safety environment in mining, where it is mandatory to provide a comfortable working environment for operators. In open pit operations in hot areas of the country, it is not unusual for temperatures to rise above 40 degrees Celsius, he notes. 

“The impact of an HVAC system failing under these conditions can be significant, as it could take the entire vehicle out of the operation cycle,” he says. “The negative effect on production – perhaps even triggering penalties for contractors – invariably has financial consequences much more serious than the cost of cooling the operator’s cab.”

Booyco Engineering is well known for the cooling performance and long lifespan of its HVAC units, and customers are sure to appreciate not having to compromise on their expectations when procuring units under time pressure. 

“We have applied strategies to ensure that the same levels of engineering excellence are applied to each HVAC unit that we supply,” he says. “Unlike many imported products, our units are designed and manufactured to facilitate regular and ongoing maintenance – which makes them very reliable and extends their life well beyond what customers expect from most of our competitors.”

Going forward, Booyco Engineering will maintain a stockholding of fast moving spare parts allowing ready access which is especially relevant for customers with larger earthmoving fleets and will reduce lead times. The standard HVAC units come in a modular integrated format as well as split systems, to suit a wide range of mobile equipment. Depending on the application, the integrated unit is available with either an engine-driven compressor or a 24VDC electric compressor. Booyco Engineering’s trained and experienced service teams are there to install and maintain the units, and the company can also provide a ‘man on site’ package to oversee HVAC maintenance and repair.

Replacing large non-ferrous alloy bushes in mining equipment like cone crushers can be time consuming and expensive, but Booyco Engineering’s Bush Cooler provides an innovative solution to this challenge, and can be purchased or rented under certain conditions.

Specialists in custom engineered industrial HVAC systems, Booyco Engineering developed the mobile Booyco Bush Cooler so that mines could conduct the bush cooling process cost effectively and safely on site. This process traditionally makes use of liquid nitrogen – a hazardous chemical – or dry ice, which must be purchased specifically for each use, and transported to site on often significant lead times. In contrast, the Bush Cooler can be quickly put to use as often as it is needed. When purchased outright, it is estimated that the cost of the Bush Cooler will be recouped in its first usage.

According to Grant Miller, Executive Director at Booyco Engineering, the Bush Cooler can be trailer or skid mounted, and can even be fitted down a shaft for underground use. This innovation could also be used by manufacturers of crushers, when fitting bushes to new equipment.

“Our dual stage cooling technology will cool the bush in the Bush Cooler’s chiller to minus 40 degrees Celsius in just six hours, even in ambient temperatures as high as 40 degrees,” says Miller. “This provides a much safer, more convenient and cost effective process than the conventional use of liquid nitrogen or dry ice, especially since the Bush Cooler obviates the need for consumable expenditure every time.”

With a chiller area measuring 1,2 metres in each direction, users can cool large bushes measuring up to 1 metre in length and 1 metre in diameter, with a wall thickness of 20-30 mm. The bush is lowered into the cooling box through a hatch, which is then closed for the cooling phase.

In its trailer mounted configuration, the Booyco Bush Cooler has a total mass of about 1 300 kg and can be towed by a light utility vehicle. The trailer is fitted with a jockey wheel to facilitate manual parking, and stabilisers are provided at each corner to enable the user to level and stabilise the cooler irrespective of the underfoot conditions.

The cooling system uses the internationally accepted, ozone friendly R507 refrigerant. The main electrical housing and controls are easily accessible on the side of the unit, and all components are secured in place, including copper pipes and electrical harnesses, using pipe retaining clamps and straps to prevent chafing, fatigue and abrasion during transportation.