DRA Mineral Projects - Plant Design and Control Engineers

DRA Mineral Projects is an engineering company which specialises in project management and process plant design. Established in 1984, DRA has grown to international status with plants operational on five continents. Qualified engineers in a staff of over 600 represent skills in engineering design; project and construction management; process, mechanical and winder engineering; and electrical and instrumentation engineering.

The company also offers services in feasibility studies, procurement of equipment and supplies, fabrication and erection, commissioning and training. An extensive contract operations capability provides processing services to the mining industry.

PROJECT AND CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

Efficient project management is a pre-requisite for project completion on time and within budget, both being criteria for which DRA Mineral Projects holds a proud record of achievement. DRA Mineral Projects manages total project control, both at home office and at site level. Home office services offered by the division include preparation of commercial terms and conditions, customised order formats, cost reporting to client's in-house procedures, scheduling and progress reporting. Site services emphasise safety as a no compromise objective, with inventory control, progress monitoring and chasing, Q.A. and drawing controls, and all additional site related activities to expedite a quality project.

PROCESS ENGINEERING

The DRA process engineering capability ranges from feasibility studies, through conceptual and detail design, to successful commissioning. The company has the expertise to conceptualise and design mineral processes from treating run-of-mine ore to producing saleable product. Innovative designs use most primary unit processes including crushing, milling, screening, flotation, leaching, gravity separation (dense medium, jigs, spirals, tables), thickening, filtration, driers and roasters and diamond sorting. Although the company's main strengths lie in treating coal, diamonds, chrome, base metals and platinum bearing ore, it also has substantial experience in designing plants to treat gold, heavy minerals, rare earth and industrial minerals.

DESIGN ENGINEERING

The DRA design team has the expertise and sophisticated technology needed to turn a flowsheet into an efficient production facility. Meticulous attention to design detail has allowed DRA to fast track without sacrificing quality, and has earned the company its reputation for completing its contracts ahead of schedule and within budget.

WINDER ENGINEERING

Winder engineering is the domain of DRA Technical Services. This company operates independently of DRA and is the only specialist winder consulting company in South Africa. The team offers the local and international mining industry a full and comprehensive electrical and mechanical service for hoisting gear. In addition to general services, DRA Technical Services is able to provide specialist expertise in new winder projects, winder refurbishment and upgrades, training and software engineering.

ELECTRICAL AND INSTRUMENTATION ENGINEERING

DRA provides a comprehensive range of 'in-house' project and standalone electrical engineering services for the mining industry in Africa. These include inter alia substation and reticulation design, quality of power supply studies, power system analyses and software development for power, control and SCADA system applications. In-house experts give regular lectures to clients within the industry as part of the company commitment to supplying a powerful electrical and control engineering competence.

CONTRACT OPERATIONS

DRA and its affiliated companies offer operations and maintenance contracts to clients who prefer to contract out these activities. The teams operate to ISO and NOSA international standards and guarantee clients a seamless hand-over from commissioning into production.