People & Students

The people behind the questions.

Meet the staff and collaborators supporting RAMMS, then explore current students and alumni through the programme’s three connected research thrusts. Cross-thrust work appears in each relevant group.

Programme staff

7 programme leads and staff

Five RAMMS team members standing in an outdoor University of Pretoria amphitheatre — Members of the RAMMS programme team at the University of Pretoria. The programme connects mining and mechanical engineering, research coordination and postgraduate supervision.

Research Supervisor · Asset Managementassociate

Dr Johann Wannenburg

Johann supervises part-time research in mine productivity, reliability, predictive maintenance and asset-management decision support.

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Researcher · Digital Twins and Mechanised Systemscurrent

Dr Luke van Eyk

Luke develops digital-twin and hybrid-modelling methods for safer, more productive mechanised mining systems and helps coordinate student research.

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Research Supervisor · Mechanical Engineeringcurrent

Dr Stephan Schmidt

Stephan supervises modelling and machine-intelligence research, including visual odometry, engine models and conveyor digital twins.

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Research Supervisor · Mechanical Engineeringcurrent

Prof Abrie Oberholster

Abrie supervises the diamond core-drill digital-twin research and supports experimental machine-dynamics work in RAMMS.

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Research Competence Leader · Mining Engineeringcurrent

Prof Francois Malan

Francois leads RAMMS mining-engineering research and contributes rock-engineering expertise to mechanisation and stability studies.

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Research Competence Leader · Mechanical Engineeringcurrent

Prof Stephan Heyns

Stephan coordinates RAMMS and leads mechanical-engineering research in digital twins, asset integrity and equipment performance.

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Administrative Officercurrent

Thobeka Masango

Thobeka supports RAMMS programme administration and the coordination of its research, reporting and student activities.

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Research thrust 01

Cutting and Drilling Hard Rock

6 current students and alumni connected to this thrust.

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BEngHons Mechanical Engineering · University of Pretoriacurrent

Eduan du Plessis

Eduan is reviewing fractured-rock modelling approaches as a foundation for mechanised-mining rock-stability assessment.

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MSc Earth Sciences · University of Vendaalumni

Julia Maponya

Julia participated in RAMMS research on how rock properties can inform the selection of drilling equipment for hard-rock mines.

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MSc Mining & Environmental Geology · University of Vendacurrent

Mphaphuli Mavhungu

Mphaphuli relates measured rock properties and mineral content to drillability across platinum and gold mine lithologies.

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MSc Geology · University of Limpopoalumni

Ncedo Matukane

Ncedo developed mineralogy-informed brittleness indices for platinum-bearing UG2 reef in the eastern Bushveld Complex.

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MEng Mechanical Engineering · University of Pretoriaalumni

Ulrich du Preez

Ulrich designed a linear cutting machine and used experiments and finite-element models to study mechanical cutting of UG2 reef.

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PhD Mechanical Engineering · University of Pretoriacurrent

Zvikomborero Hweju

Zvikomborero is developing and validating a digital twin of a diamond core drill under changing rock, wear and control conditions.

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Research thrust 02

Productivity and Maintenance Optimisation of Mining Equipment

9 current students and alumni connected to this thrust.

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MEng Mechanical Engineering · University of Pretoriaalumni

Bismarck Louw

Bismarck developed a KPI-focused hybrid model of a Cummins QSB6.7 engine used in underground load-haul-dump vehicles.

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MEng Mechanical Engineering · University of Pretoriacurrent

Christophar Chagwedera

Christophar is developing a RAM-C-based decision model for choosing effective maintenance-sourcing strategies in mining operations.

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MEng Mechanical Engineering · University of Pretoriacurrent

Dion de Villiers

Dion uses discrete-event simulation and mine case studies to identify practical productivity improvements in mechanised operations.

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MEng Mechanical Engineering · University of Pretoriacurrent

Gael Mutombo

Gael models vibratory-screen dynamics to improve condition monitoring, supported by experimental measurements and industry collaboration.

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MEng Mechanical Engineering · University of Pretoriacurrent

Hloni Manyakoana

Hloni models the platinum-mining production cycle to test productivity and maintenance decisions before they are made underground.

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MEng Mechanical Engineering · University of Pretoriaalumni

Hlulani Rikhotso

Hlulani participated in RAMMS research on maintenance strategies for equipment in underground hard-rock operations.

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MEng Mechanical Engineering · University of Pretoriacurrent

Lesiba Moja

Lesiba applies reliability, availability and maintainability studies to productivity-critical components at remote mine operations.

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MEng Mechanical Engineering · University of Pretoriacurrent

Phemelo Selomane

Phemelo is building a conveyor-system digital twin for predictive maintenance, energy efficiency and safer operation.

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MSc Applied Science · University of Pretoriacurrent

Ryno Strydom

Ryno studies how digitalisation and predictive maintenance can strengthen physical-asset management in mining organisations.

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Research thrust 03

Utilisation, Performance and Condition Monitoring of Mechanised Mining Equipment

9 current students and alumni connected to this thrust.

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MEng Mechanical Engineering · University of Pretoriacurrent

Adam Neethling

Adam is developing underground visual odometry with deep-learning feature extraction and uncertainty-aware drift correction.

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MEng Mechanical Engineering · University of Pretoriaalumni

Bismarck Louw

Bismarck developed a KPI-focused hybrid model of a Cummins QSB6.7 engine used in underground load-haul-dump vehicles.

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BEng Mechanical Engineering · University of Pretoriacurrent

Franco Prins

Franco is exploring road-condition monitoring as an undergraduate contribution to data-informed mechanised mining systems.

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MEng Mechanical Engineering · University of Pretoriacurrent

Gael Mutombo

Gael models vibratory-screen dynamics to improve condition monitoring, supported by experimental measurements and industry collaboration.

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MEng Mechanical Engineering · University of Pretoriacurrent

Hanno Moes

Hanno developed a multi-physics digital twin of an Epiroc Scooptram ST14 to study terrain, braking and collision scenarios.

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MEng Mechanical Engineering · University of Pretoriacurrent

I'yaaz Kala

I'yaaz is building a Simscape diesel-engine model for LHD digital twins, performance studies and collision-avoidance simulations.

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MEng Mechanical Engineering · University of Pretoriacurrent

Phemelo Selomane

Phemelo is building a conveyor-system digital twin for predictive maintenance, energy efficiency and safer operation.

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PhD Mechanical Engineering · University of Pretoriacurrent

Vincent Kikanga

Vincent is extending multi-physics modelling to mine-shaft conveyance dynamics and steelwork-integrity inspection.

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PhD Mechanical Engineering · University of Pretoriacurrent

Zvikomborero Hweju

Zvikomborero is developing and validating a digital twin of a diamond core drill under changing rock, wear and control conditions.

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Collaborators

1 research collaborators

External Research Collaboratorassociate

Brian Ellis

Brian is an external research collaborator who has contributed to RAMMS work on digital twins and multi-physics brake-wear prognosis for mining vehicles.

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