maXem Holdings
Engineering Services in Johannesburg

maXem Holdings (Pty) Ltd is primarily a mining, engineering and construction based holding company.

The MA X EM Group of Companies started off and developed out of growing gap in the mining sector. We realised there was a need for a focused- and industry driven solution, and set out to fill this gap. And this is supported and offered by an excellent TEAM with many years' of industry specific experience and knowledge. We believe that every challenge is as an opportunity, and with MA X EM every challenge has a solution. We focus on supplying only the highest quality drilling equipment to the mining industry. MA X EM offers a vast range of drilling equipment for both Open Pit- and Underground Mining. This technology is not new, it has been used as far back as history can record. In recent history it has been used in dimension stone and large-scale open pit operations for enlarging blast holes. Now this technology has been developed further, specifically for underground applications. The Thermal Fragmentation Mining Method has been developed to solve this particular challenge. And, with Thermal Fragmentation, less rock needs to be mucked, and hauled from the stope. Thermal fragmentation is a continuous mining method that does not rely on explosives. Soft explosives can however be used to break out any vein or rock remaining between the thermal holes. This blasting activity can be managed much more effectively within the mining cycle. A strong, diesel powered thermal lance is inserted into this pilot hole. The thermal lances creates heat energy which spalls the rock into small fragments. The waste hanging and foot walls on either side of the ore are left intact without any blast damage. The Stope Hanging Wall conditions will be improved and will lead to a dramatic reduction in FOG risk, with access to the ore body never being compromised. In stope dilution and inefficiencies associated with traditional mining methods are enormously reduced. The process of fragmenting the rock is optimal in hard, dense rock. In the case of vein mining, the finely fragmented ore can be more efficiently handled and transported, and requires no crushing before entering the mill. Conventional Raising is associated with severe safety risks. Drop and Inverse Raising is therefore the preferred, but carries the risk of freezing a blast. A thermal cut can significantly reduce the risk of Drop and Inverse Raising. It has been tested in South African and has shown that it is one of the most promising methods which provide significant advantages in a short space of time.