By Tanya Olckers, writer at Interact Media Defined (IMD)
FUCHS has been serving the South African mining industry since the 20th Century. African Mining, incorporating Mining Mirror caught up with them at ELECTRA Mining 2024.
FUCHS creates the oils and greases for open cast and underground mining equipment, cement and process plants. Supplied by FUCHS
South Africa relies heavily on its mining industry, and that same industry relies on suppliers and manufacturers to keep it running smoothly. This is a task that FUCHS has helped the mining industry in South Africa to accomplish since 1931.
Mines don’t function without mining equipment – FUCHS creates the oils and greases for open cast and underground mining equipment, cement and process plants.
The company is also committed to producing and providing environmentally friendly, biodegradable lubricants to promote eco-responsibility, as well as efficient functioning of machinery. They have a number of products that are eco-friendly and reduce impact on the environment.
FUCHS actively pursues sustainability. They don’t just take a look at how they are able to create sustainability within their own factories, but take a broad view that extends into the value chain and the communities around them. The company is part of the effort to reduce environment impact, an initiative that forms part of their climate goals for 2040.
Part of this road to sustainability includes selling carbon-neutral products over the long term and to source biogenic raw materials. This has led FUCHS into the area of research to find better lubricants that have lower environmental impact.
The company also collaborates with organisations like the ROSE Foundation, which focuses on collecting and recycling used oil, achieving a goal of recovering up to 80% of collectable oils to minimise environmental impact. A key aspect of this effort involves educating the public and users of oil or grease about the possibility of responsibly collecting and disposing of these materials.
Overall, FUCHS has a reputation for high performance lubricants, which are used in a number of applications across the mining industry, with over 10 000 products available. When machinery functions optimally, mining operating costs are reduced, machinery lasts longer and production is optimised. However, the company is aware of the strain on the environment and are actively seeking ways in which to mitigate environmental impact and to bring about change through education.