by Richard Cosgrove | Tue 02 Sep 2025
QMS provides new B3 cone crusher for Tanzania gold mine
Extracting gold from rock can be a tricky process. The rewards are high however, which leads to the sourcing of highly productive, safe, efficient and tough equipment to be of vital importance. To this end Tanzanian company Shanta Gold recently acquired a Quarry Manufacturing & Supplies – QMS - B3 cone crusher for its New Luika Gold Mine. The acquisition was based on the attributes of the cone crusher and the aftermarket support provided by the UK based manufacturer.
Shanta Gold is an Africa focused gold producer, developer and explorer. Shanta’s avowed aim is to be a growth driven, people focused, and responsible business, motivated by a commitment to deliver long term value for all stakeholders. Shanta’s portfolio includes two operational gold mines in Tanzania: the New Luika Gold Mine and the Singida Gold Mine (as well as the West Kenya Gold Project in Kenya). The New Luika Gold Mine is based in the Songwe District of Southwestern Tanzania, approximately 700 km south west of Dar es Salaam. The mine is an open pit and underground operation with a reputation as a safe and efficient gold mining operation.
The mine’s open pit operations is contractor based, whereby the contractor supplies and operate the equipment. In this case, Shanta Gold provides technical guidance and supervision including mine design, mine planning, mine survey and geological inputs. The underground operation, in this case, involves mechanised long hole stoping with paste backfilling. All underground operations are performed by New Luika employees.
The processing of the rock at the New Luika Gold Mine, in this case granite, is metallurgically simple and conventional involving proven crushing and milling techniques with carbon-in-leach gold extraction delivering robust gold recoveries. New Luika has two tailings storage facilities designed and engineered to meet the leading industry practises and in alignment with New Luika life of mine production plan. Playing a key role in the development of the mine has been Dutch company Maagd Industrial Engineering BV, which has more than 25 years of experience in developing bulk handling technology.
When it came to the replacement of the existing cone crusher at New Luika, Maagd was instrumental in assessing what was on offer globally, and what was the most suitable for the mine. To this end, and following an exhaustive process, a QMS B3 cone crusher was selected and acquired. QMS is already active in this part of Africa, with a reputation for supplying hard wearing, functional and productive equipment all backed by leading aftermarket care.
The B3 cone crusher was installed by QMS’ Tom Evans, who due to his familiarity with the site and how the B3 fits in with the production process, will also be on call to provide any technical help should the situation arise. Tom has also been integral in training Shanta Gold staff in the use of the cone crusher. The B3 cone crusher now runs for approximately 100 hours per week, crushing granite down to -25mm. This is designed to aid the gold extraction process whilst at the same time produce a valuable aggregate for use on the site and local infrastructure projects.
QMS’ B3 cone crushers consist of different sized models that have been specifically engineered to deliver the maximum productivity with reduced operating costs. Designed, developed and manufactured in the UK, the QMS B-Series – of which the B3 is an integral part - is manufactured with high quality cast steel components and premium spherical roller bearings that directly contributes to reliability and high performance. This sturdy manufacturing is key in providing the New Luika Mine with a productive, reliable and hard wearing piece of equipment.
“A blend of high motor power, large eccentric throw and increased speed give the B3 cone crusher at the New Luika Mine greater capacity than other crushers of comparable size, whilst its truly modern design creates excellent product shape, being able to be configured to maximise production of premium single sized aggregates,” says Jonathan Beck, QMS managing director, who adds: “We are able to support our equipment with our own engineers and have the industry knowledge to adapt the plant to suit Shanta Gold’s New Luika unique requirements. This shows that our products and service provide the ideal solution whatever the size of operation, whatever the material, wherever the equipment is required in the world.”
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