Anglo American : explores 3D printing technologies to boost supply chain efficiencies and support local...

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27 May, 2021

Anglo American has partnered with the South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and US-based technology company, Ivaldi Group, to explore opportunities to digitally distribute spare parts for mining and processing equipment to be manufactured locally using 3D printing.

The project includes an analysis of Anglo American's inventory of spare parts, such as impellers for pumps, shaft sleeves, gasket bonnet valves, and mining rock drill bits, exploring the impact of adopting a digitally distributed supply chain, and then digitising, locally producing and testing these parts at Anglo American's operations in South Africa.

This partnership is the latest manifestation of Anglo American's Collaborative Regional Development (CRD) approach to helping create thriving communities, as part of the company's Sustainable Mining Plan commitments. Through strategic partnerships, CRD aims to create long-term economic prosperity within Anglo American's host communities and regions beyond the expected life of a mine. To that end, Anglo American launched the Impact Catalyst in 2019 together with its partners the CSIR, Exxaro, Zutari, World Vision SA and the provincial government of Limpopo.

Matthew Chadwick, Head of Socio-Economic Development and Partnerships at Anglo American, said: 'Our FutureSmart Mining^™ approach to sustainable mining is presenting us with new and innovative opportunities to build thriving and resilient communities, now and into the future. Through partnerships like this one with CSIR and Ivaldi, we are re-imagining long-established norms to help deliver enduring value to society.

'The ability to send files - not physical spare parts - will reduce our carbon footprint, delivery lead times and logistics costs. Importantly, this has the clear potential to create industrial and service jobs for host communities and surrounding regions through on-demand manufacturing systems to produce spare parts locally.'

Espen Sivertsen, the CEO of Ivaldi, said: 'We believe that digital distribution of physical goods is a natural next step for the global spare parts supply chain. It's part of the fourth industrial revolution. Working with world-leading organisations like Anglo American and the CSIR, we are now practically demonstrating that there are significant savings for businesses and a net positive impact for the environment and associated communities.'

Charl Harding, the CSIR's Business Development Manager, added: 'When we first explored this opportunity to develop sustainable local on-demand manufacturing solutions we saw an immediate fit with our additive manufacturing and materials expertise. The 3D printing of parts along with the application of additive manufacturing technologies to refurbish worn parts offers the potential to create local jobs, promote innovation for the inclusive and sustainable advancement of industry and society whilst responding critical issue of climate change.'

Through Collaborative Regional Development, Anglo American and its partners aim to be a catalyst for thriving communities that can benefit in new ways directly from mining, while new economic activities such as 3D printing, agribusiness opportunities, biofuels, game ranching and tourism begin to develop - building on mining's contribution to sustainable communities.

For further information, please contact:

Media	Investors
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James Wyatt-Tilby	Paul Galloway
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Marcelo Esquivel	Robert Greenberg
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Katie Ryall	Emma Waterworth
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South Africa
Nevashnee Naicker
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Sibusiso Tshabalala
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Nomonde Ndwalaza
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Notes to editors:

About Ivaldi Group
Ivaldi provides advanced digital inventory management solutions for the global spare parts industry. In collaboration with leading companies across the heavy industries, Ivaldi is working to digitally transform the worldwide supply chain by sending files, not parts, to local on-demand manufacturers.

About CSIR
The CSIR, an entity of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, is one of the leading scientific and technology research, development and implementation organisations in Africa. Constituted by an Act of Parliament in 1945 as a science council, the CSIR undertakes directed and multidisciplinary research and technological innovation, as well as industrial and scientific development to improve the quality of life of all South Africans. For more information visit www.csir.co.za

About the Impact Catalyst
The Impact Catalyst is an initiative founded by Anglo American, the CSIR, Zutari, Exxaro, the Provincial Government of Limpopo and World Vision South Africa, to create mechanisms that drive large-scale, socio-economic development initiatives through public-private partnerships. The initiatives will be designed to leverage collaboration across all sectors and will be selected for impact beyond the scale of individual participants.

About Anglo American
Anglo American is a leading global mining company and our products are the essential ingredients in almost every aspect of modern life. Our portfolio of world-class competitive operations, development projects and undeveloped resources, provides many of the metals and minerals that enable a cleaner, greener, more sustainable world and that meet the fast growing consumer-driven demands of developed and maturing economies. With our people at the heart of our business, we use innovative practices and the latest technologies to mine, process, move and market our products to our customers - and to discover new resources - safely and sustainably.

As a responsible producer of diamonds (through De Beers), copper, platinum group metals, the steelmaking ingredients of iron ore and metallurgical coal, and nickel - with crop nutrients in development and thermal coal operations planned for divestment - we are committed to being carbon neutral across our operations by 2040. We work together with our business partners and diverse stakeholders to unlock sustainable value from precious natural resources for the benefit of the communities and countries in which we operate, for society, and for our shareholders. Anglo American is re-imagining mining to improve people's lives.

www.angloamerican.com

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