MINIMIZING DOWN TIME: ANGLO TECHNICAL SERVICES SWITCHES TO ANSYS SOFTWARE TO IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY IN THE MINING INDUSTRY

PITTSBURGH – October 11, 2010 – International mining enterprise Anglo American plc has selected engineering simulation software from ANSYS (NASDAQ: ANSS) for its in-house consulting and technology division, Anglo Technical Services. Based in South Africa, the division is responsible for specialized mining technologies that relate to innovation, operational efficiency, best practices, safety and sustainable development.

After an extensive evaluation of available products, Anglo Technical Services made a strategic decision to switch to ANSYS® software for all its finite element analysis needs. The suite from ANSYS enables customers to optimize designs throughout the product development process, especially in the early stages when changes can be efficiently and cost-effectively implemented.
Anglo Technical Services plans to leverage structural mechanics and explicit dynamics analysis tools from ANSYS to perform mining equipment failure scenario studies. Engineers will use numerical simulation to help identify the cause of the failure and develop new designs that will prevent future failures — all in a relatively short time, long before final design modifications can be suggested and implemented.

“It is clear that the ANSYS tools will dramatically improve our productivity. This is crucial in the mining industry, where every minute counts when equipment is down due to mechanical failure,” said De Wet Strydom, lead engineer, mechanical engineering at Anglo Technical Services. “We have found that ANSYS software has already reduced our modeling time significantly.”
 A typical example is Anglo Technical Services’ mudrush control chute in an ore pass, which in the past took up to 40 hours to mesh and analyze. Using ANSYS products, the division reduced modeling and analysis time to just eight hours. The team now expects to perform higher-value simulation by including significant details in vibrating screens, for instance, researching deformation of a mill shaft, or identifying specific transient thermal and structural effects of an overheated bearing.

“By choosing a smart simulation solution from ANSYS, Anglo Technical Services is helping to ensure that its equipment and processes are designed and deployed successfully and most competitively. Equipment in the mining industry is both costly and energy intensive; every piece is a potential candidate for engineering simulation and optimization, including trippers and reclaimers, earth-moving equipment, conveyor supports and cranes. ANSYS software solutions are used throughout the industry to enhance product performance, reduce energy use and minimize waste, improvements that are vitally important in any sector,” said Stuart Hartle, regional manager at ANSYS.
ANSYS channel partner Qfinsoft coordinated the implementation at Anglo Technical Services.

About Anglo American
Anglo American plc is one of the world’s largest mining companies, headquartered in the U.K. and listed on the London and Johannesburg stock exchanges. Its portfolio of mining businesses spans precious metals and minerals —  in which it is a global leader in both platinum and diamonds; base metals of copper and nickel; and bulk commodities of iron ore, metallurgical coal and thermal coal. Anglo American is committed to the highest standards of safety and responsibility across all its businesses and geographies and to making a sustainable difference in the development of the communities around its operations. The company’s mining operations and extensive pipeline of growth projects are located in southern Africa, South America, Australia, North America and Asia. For more information, visit www.angloamerican.com

About ANSYS, Inc.
ANSYS, Inc., founded in 1970, develops and globally markets engineering simulation software and technologies widely used by engineers, designers, researchers and students across a broad spectrum of industries and academia. The company focuses on the development of open and flexible solutions that enable users to analyze designs directly on the desktop, providing a common platform for fast, efficient and cost-conscious product development, from design concept to final-stage testing and validation. The company and its global network of channel partners provide sales, support and training for customers. Headquartered in Canonsburg, Pa., U.S.A., with more than 60 strategic sales locations throughout the world, ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries employ more than 1,600 people and distribute ANSYS products through a network of channel partners in 40+ countries. Visit www.ansys.com for more information.
 
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