Remanufacturing
Delivery of seven speed reducers for SNIM in Mauritania - Africa
On-the-ground proximity at the heart of industrial support for MERGER in Africa
Manufacturing of special reducers for conveyors equipped with a protective cover
MERGER Provides speed reducers since the 1970s in Africa and maintains a presence on the continent in order to provide solutions to manufacturers seeking performance and reliability.
Recently, SNIM (Société Nationale Industrielle et Minière), a Mauritanian state-owned company specializing in iron ore mining, approached MERGER to modernize its equipment. The group operates several mines around Zouerate before transporting the ore to Nouadhibou, where it is stored, processed, and then shipped to steel industries worldwide, particularly in Europe, China, and America.
Custom-made remanufacturing is inevitable
Gear reducers are used throughout the entire production chain: from crusher with cannonballsincluding the largest in Africa, crushers, conveyors Long, high-torque magnetic separators, and even loading gantries. Their lifespan varies depending on the environment and their position, requiring constant replacement. The majority of this equipment exhibited a wear gear advancement: pitting of corrosion, oxidation and performance loss. Given the impossibility of modifying the customer's powertrain, the solution of the custom remanufacturing was retained.
The specific context of mines and quarries in Africa
SNIM's facilities in Africa
The facilities of the SNIM are among the most important in Africa. They include, in particular, two grinders semi-autogenous gas turbines (SAGs) equipped with rings 12 to 14 meters in diameter, considered among the largest on the continent, as well as a network of conveyors, crushers, separators magnetic and gantries loading facilities are spread across several mining sites. The ore is then transported to Nouadhibou by a train that can reach nearly three kilometers in length before being shipped.
An exceptional but particularly busy machine park
In total, nearly a thousand reducers de speed are currently in operation at the various operating sites. Depending on their position in the production chain, their lifespan varies from 7 to 15 years on the most heavily used applications up to nearly twenty years on the least exposed equipment, leading to a progressive renewal of the fleet each year.
The success of an operation built over time
MERGER has been a supplier to SNIM for many years. Maintaining this relationship requires significant fieldwork. For this operation, eight trips were made, sometimes involving more than ten hours of driving to reach the mining sites. The objective was not simply to respond to a call for tenders, but to perpetuate a a relationship of trust initiated since more 50 years, to identify the right contacts, to visit the facilities, to understand the operational constraints and demonstrate the ability to MERGER to propose appropriate technical solutions.
The equipment supplied: seven gearboxes for ore extraction conveyors
The first concrete result of this approach came at the end of 2024 with the awarding of a contract for the manufacturing of seven reducers of speed intended to equip conveyors ensuring the transport of ore.
The tender concerned the replacement of existing gearboxes on conveyors powered by engines 250 kW for the most part. The specifications initially provided were relatively limited and mainly outlined the need for to have irreversible gearboxes equipped with an anti-rollback system in order to ensure the maintenance of the conveyors during production shutdowns.
MERGER Therefore, the following was manufactured for this operation:
- two reducers NORPA 500-3 SP ;
- two reducers NORPA 400-2 SP ;
- a reducer NORPA 355-2 SP ;
- two reducers NORPA 450-3 SP, with respective reduction ratios of 24 and 35.
This equipment is part of the overall modernization program for SNIM's facilities, the objective of which is to progressively improve the reliability of production methods while ensuring the continuity of mining operations.
The client's constraints: availability, harsh environment, and responsiveness
Iron ore mining places significant constraints on the systems of power transmission.
The conveyors operate continuously and ensure the power supply to all the workshops of crushing, grinding and traitementAny failure of a gearbox can lead to a production stoppage with significant economic consequences.
The equipment thus operates in a highly charged environment. sand and dust abrasives. Mechanical stresses are high, transmitted torques are significant, and the requirements for replacement can evolve quickly because of breakages orunforeseen incidents.
In addition to these technical constraints, there are organizational constraints inherent to the functioning of large structures, where every decision must be made collectively with purchasing managers, technical managers, and site directors. The sector manager Africa de MERGER thus engages in ongoing work of met, dialogues, follow-up, of legacy information and summaries of the business relationship. At the same time, calls for tenders (as was the case here) remain subject to competitive pressure where the criteria “technical” detectors. must be associated with an offer economically competitive.
Our service: remanufacturing and technical improvement specific to the sector
Beyond the supply of the seven reducers, MERGER accompanied SNIM throughout the phase of design in order to secure their integration on the conveyors existing.
After the contract was awarded, the client wanted to delve deeper into several technical points before the final launch of manufacturing. The teams at MERGER design office then carried out several CAD drawings in order to validate the congestion, mechanical interfaces and the sizing new reducers. This collaborative work has confirmed the compatibility of the equipment with existing installations.
Le manufacturer also proposed a improvement specific adapted to mine operating conditions : the integration of a protective cover placed on the reducer in order to limit the deposits of sand and dust on the sump. This solution, developed by MERGER, helps to preserve mechanical components and improve equipment reliability in a particularly abrasive environment.
But this achievement primarily highlights the ability to MERGER to support its clients well before manufacturing. Securing this contract is the result of a long-term effort combining on-the-ground presence, technical expertise, understanding of operational constraints, and ongoing dialogue with the teams. maintenance, the technical offices and the purchasing departments.
For MERGERThis order represents more than just a simple supply of gearboxes. It confirms the legitimacy of the company, well after its relocation from Strasbourg à Corbas, in a strategic market where nearly a thousand gearboxes are used daily and where the need for renewal is part of a long-term industrial vision.
Discover more photos related to the MERGER remanufacturing project in Mauritania
