Ec industrial & business news issue 65 by The Media & Events Company

EASTERN CAPE INDUSTRIAL & BUSINESS NEWS

YOUR LINK TO INDUSTRY THROUGHOUT THE EASTERN CAPE

issn NO: 1996-9708

January / February 2015

R17,10 (VAT incl.)

Inside

EX CESA CEO heads for E Cape

Local innovation at its best - page 3 Engineering & Allied Supplies page 7

Automation & Robotics - page 9

Green Industries & Renewable Energy page 10

Industrial Property & Development page 11

Company & Product News - page 16

Waves of change arrive for EC

ith thousands of kilometres of coastline, South Africa is in a prime position to maximise on its ‘blue gold’, but none so much as the Eastern Cape with two major port cities and two established industrial development zones enabling Nelson Mandela Bay and East London to become leading hubs of maritime economic activity. The two industrial manufacturing coastal centres – with first-world components and fully serviced sites – hold several strategic competitive advantages for flagship maritime activities for the oceans economy. Actors in private and state sectors have already made rapid advances to harness locational advantages in the race for South Africa’s oceans economy. Government’s plans, unveiled earlier this month, aim to address widespread poverty, unemployment and socio-economic inequality by building an operational, turnkey oceans economy. Two decades from now, it is believed that South African maritime-oriented economic activities will contribute an estimated R177 billion to gross domestic product. A thriving maritime sector will shift the Eastern Cape into an era of prosperity. We have 800 kilometres of coastline and the momentum displayed so far by the local privatestate nexus shows a strong capacity

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and desire to further tap the potential of a sector that has largely shaped the history of these two cities. Ports have always been at the forefront of maritime economic organisation, catalysing economic growth through the trade of manufactured goods, commodities and raw materials. As both entry and exit points, the two ports have been critical in the past, present and future of the province and indeed the country. An important indicator of burgeoning maritime-economy is the Port of Ngqura. Adjacent to the Coega IDZ, the deep-water seaport is becoming the fastest growing terminal in the world, according to Drewry Maritime Research. Earlier this month, the South African government announced the establishment of a national shipping company in partnership with South Korea. World sea traffic passes by the Eastern Cape on the East-West pendulum trade routes, opening up major opportunities for ship-building and repairs in the region. The world merchant fleet last year comprised of 106 833 vessels shipping goods and commodities between the continents, including visits to the three ports of the Eastern Cape. During 2013 around 5 944 container ships, vessels and tankers were commissioned for construction by various countries.

South Africa’s ship-building industry holds international credibility with activities taking place at shipyards in Cape Town and Richards Bay. However, the Eastern Cape’s worldclass industrial manufacturing economy will make the province an excellent contender for future shipbuilding activities. Existing expertise, skilled labour, logistic services, skills related to the automotive and manufacturing industries and other ancillary services from the manufacturing industrial base will be highly attractive for domestic and foreign direct investment. But there’s more that can be done. Industrial clustering for mobility industries (air, sea and land) is an accepted form of economic organisation across the world. While Nelson Mandela Bay and East London dominate automotive manufacturing, the expertise of the industrial base should not only be extended for the ship building industries but need to be extended further. Regional economic growth can be further augmented by aeronautical components manufacturing. The ‘sky economy’ is a unique opportunity for the province in addition to an oceans economy. An opportunity exists to become Africa’s mobility manufacturing industrial zone. The focus on the oceans economy is in response to a number of criti-

onsulting Engineers South Africa (CESA) President Abe Thela announced that CEO Lefadi Makibinyane has unexpectedly resigned and is currently serving his notice until the end of January. Makibinyane stated that it was not an easy decision for him to make, but unfortunately after all considerations put before him, he found it to be the most optimal decision to make at this current moment in his professional career. He thanked CESA for the opportunity and support it gave him over the past 18 months of his tenure, wishing CESA and the sector it represents all the luck going forward. “CESA wants to acknowledge Makibinyane’s contribution to the organisation. We wish him well in his future endeavors, especially as the new CEO of Amatola Water,” Enquiry no: 1 says Thela.

cal challenges including global food security issues, and the need to stimulate much needed local job creation. Marine food resources are depleting at devastating rates. Between 60 and 70% of the world’s fish species are exhausted. And, with one out of every five individuals on this planet relying on ocean food as sources of protein, we are on the brink of food security crisis. Earlier this year the Coega Development Corporation (CDC) announced plans to address global food security while unlocking 5 000 local job creation opportunities, through the envisaged R2-billion (US$ 200 million) aqua-farming facility for marine animals and plants such as finfish, abalone and seaweed on 300 hectares in the Coega IDZ. We should also laud the work of local universities to provide the research and development platform for an oceans economy. Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) in Port Elizabeth continued on page two will be playing

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EC Industrial & Business News

Much in store for EC

a critical role in knowledge generation for maritime and marine industries. The university formalised ties with the UN-endorsed World Maritime University (WMU) in Sweden last year. NMMU is already making critical research contributions that will enhance the competitiveness of the region in environmental sustainable ways. Last year in November, several African countries attended NMMU’s African Maritime Domain Conference to develop responsible governance policies. There also exists a unique opportunity for the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency, Eastern Cape Department of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism and other state and private sector actors to innovate and promote the province through cruise vacations with extended land excursions. Data released this year shows that the demand for the ocean cruises increased with 77 per cent over the decade.

continued on page two

Our province is one of the most diverse and spectacular tourism destinations in South Africa, including rich cultural diversity, Big Five game reserves, stunning landscapes and of course a beautiful coastline with blue-flag beaches. We are also home to one of the first-ever Big Seven game reserves – the Addo Elephant National Park –which integrates the Big Five with the marine life, to include the Great White shark and Southern Right whale. Port Elizabeth is also positioned as the country’s water sports capital, home to major water sports event including the only international Ironman event on the African continent. There are many signs that we are on the right track. Nelson Mandela Bay and East London should be united in ensuring we are key roleplayers and benefactors of the oceans economy. It is especially necessary because poverty in the Eastern Cape remains widespread, deep and intergenerational in relation to other coastal Enquiry no: 2 provinces.

Know your gas installation regulations

he South African power grid is severely strained and is impacting both consumers and industry. Apart from Eskom rolling out regular load shedding in order to manage the power grid, electricity prices continue to rise and it is unlikely that they will decrease to what the country has been used to for the past 20 years. George Davis, Head: Construction and Engineering at Risk Benefit Solutions (RBS),

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an independent insurance and risk specialists, says that failure by various organisations to actively manage the performance of the grid, and to accurately predict the future pressure on its output, has led to staggering increases, and in turn, an upward trend of business and households making use of liquid petroleum gas (LP gas) as an alternative. “LP gas is cheaper, more efficient and in some cases more environmentally friendly. It can however be very dangerous to use if not operated properly.” He says that the majority make use of gas in a closed system, i.e. portable heaters and camping stoves. “Although dangerous to use, by virtue, if used correctly and the gas storage is contained, they are fairly safe. It is however the open systems, such as built in stoves and fridges, that can be extremely dangerous if not installed correctly.” In 1997 an amendment to the Occupational Health and Safety Act 1993 in respect of ‘The Vessels Under Pressure Regulations No.17468’ was passed and this states that as from the 1 August 1997 it is a legal requirement that: “No person shall install a fixed appliance, equipment or system for gas LP Gas fuel, unless such a person was a holder of a certificate of registration”. “It is important to ensure from a safety perspective, as well as a legal and claims aspect, that the gas installer is properly licensed, as failure to do so could result in a claim being repudiated, and / or the installation not being compliant with regulations,” says Davis. Other installation rules include: • Only class 1 or 2 copper pipes, or other approved gas piping, may be used (Note: This is not the same copper piping as used by plumbers); • Copper pipes going through a wall must be sleeved; • Approved flexible gas hose may not be more than 2 meters long and may not go through any partition (including wood, dry wall, cupboard wall etc.); • Request a Certificate of Conformity for Gas Appliances: The Machinery and Occupational Safety Act of 1993 require owners of buildings to hold a certificate of compliance in respect of any electrical installation. This has now also been extended to include a compliance certificate of conformity of gas installations. Enquiry no: 3

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P O Box 1322 Wandsbeck 3631 Fax: (031) 266 7514 Email: editorial@mediaevents.co.za www.mediaevents.co.za Managing Director: Janet Coom Editor: Jacqui Harris Email: editorial@mediaevents.co.za Sales & Marketing Manager: Cheryl Murphy Email: cheryl@mediaevents.co.za Any news items, press releases, articles and photographs relating to business and industry in Eastern Cape Industrial & Business News are welcome. All contributions will be considered for publication.

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manufacturing businesses in South Africa. The company does not only manufacture and export world-class quality beneficiated aluminium

products, it also helps develop businesses and facilitates job creation by sourcing from local companies. At the IDC, we support businesses like these to help build our economy. So, if you are an entrepreneur and have a business plan for an industry that the IDC supports and require funding of R1 million or more, take the lead and make history. Call the East London regional office on 043 721 0733 or the Port Elizabeth regional office on 041 363 1640 or visit idc.co.za to learn more about the funding criteria for the sectors that the IDC supports.

Disclaimer: The editor and management of Eastern Cape Industrial & Business News make every effort to ensure the accuracy of the contents of this publication. However, no warranty is made and no responsibility will be borne by the editor or management of consequences of any actions based on information published. The views and opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the editor and/or management. PUBLISHED BY: Hentiq 1910 (Pty) Ltd t/a THE MEDIA & EVENTS CO Reg No. 1999/019445/07 COPYRIGHT: All rights reserved

January / February 2015

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EC Industrial & Business News

Local innovation at its best

uch has been the growth of e-commerce in the past decade that whilst 20 years have passed since the launch of Amazon.com and eBay, warehouse technology is still adapting to cope with the large volumes of individualised merchandise and current systems are struggling to handle the variety and volumes of goods currently shipped by online retailers with delays frequently proving costly. This worldwide challenge has proved no hurdle to an innovative young team of NMMU students who have proved that thinking “out of the box” can change the landscape in an instant. This young team of four final year students are responsible for the conceptualisation of a world first innovation for the logistics industry and the concept is called Tetrastack. This system handles the placement, sorting and retrieval of packages within an automated storage system. According to Christopher Sephton, project leader, their concept is based on the old favourite game of Tetris, the tile-matching puzzle video game. Tetra is the Greek prefix for the number 4 and the purpose of the game is to manoeuvre a sequence of 4-block shapes so as to take up the least amount of space. It represents efficient stacking in its simplest form. TetraStack mirrors this sorting action in that it continuously rearranges the crates within a racking matrix so as to consume the least

amount of space, as low down in the matrix as possible. The TetraStack System’s principle component is a square shaped Automatic Guided Vehicle (AGV) capable of stacking four crates at a time. The AGV and racking matrix allow for concurrent placement, retrieval and defragmentation of packages, thereby ensuring that package placement and package readiness is continuously optimised, minimising the energy consumed in processing each package as well as the despatch fulfillment time. The system consists of three principle elements, namely a Crate, AGV and Racking.

The crate is a specially designed box/ crate in which any items or packages are placed in order for the AGV to manoeuvre them. The AGV is an automated guided vehicle that places, retrieves and manoeuvres up to four crates at a time. The AGV is capable of de-fragmenting the system by passing crates to other AGVs in a gravity assisted process. The TetraStack AGV and racking matrix allow for concurrent placement, retrieval and defragmentation of packages, thereby ensuring that package placement and package readiness is continuously optimised, minimising the energy consumed in processing each package as well as the despatch fulfilment time. When dealing with the complexity of returned and exchanged goods, the problems are compounded. Calculating the permutations of different source-destination requires algorithms that would keep even Google’s engineers awake at night. Whilst sorting and optimization algorithms are limited only by the clock speed

3 of the super computers they run on, implementing this movement with actual parcels requires complex mechanisms and storage solutions. The very best algorithms are nothing without a physical means of implementing them. In designing the system, three fundamental principles were adhered to at all times, namely the need to move minimally as all package movement must minimise the nett energy used by the system, the need to move laterally as much as possible as vertical movement requires more energy. However, if a package must move vertically it is critical that only the package is lifted. In a simple lift, energy is expended lifting both the contents of the lift and the lift mechanism itself. It is true that this cannot be entirely avoided (packages cannot manoeuvre themselves) however, minimising the moveable mass is especially critical in the case of lifting. The system is currently entering its prototype. Early this year, a private company - TetraStack (Pty) Ltd will be formed with the long term objective of commercialising the system. According to Sephton, “The short term objective is to develop the system to a demonstrable level so as to market it to second tier investors. Projects of the scale of TetraStack require multiple iterations of investment and development before the return on investment warrants sale to a final development partner. In this instance, prospective investors include companies such as Kiva Systems, Vanderlande, Knapp and Swisslog. “

Jobs Fund continues to grow local economy

HE Automotive Industry Development Centre (AIDC) Eastern Cape’s partnership with the South African government’s R9bn Jobs Fund will place 45 engineers into industry in the course of 2105. Ensuring that the Eastern Cape’s manufacturing sector was a major beneficiary of the Jobs Fund, the AIDC Eastern Cape trained and placed 37 unemployed engineers into the region’s manufacturing sector in 2014. It aims to place into industry an additional 45 engineers, who joined Phase 2 of the AIDC’s training programme at the beginning of this year. A unique feature of the programme, which includes 12 months of theory and on-the-job training, is the placement of the engineers into Eastern Cape manufacturing plants for 12 months at no cost to host companies. According to the AIDC Eastern Cape, engi-

neers on the programme in 2014 assisted their host companies in making savings of R16m annually through specific projects to which they were assigned. Trained in additional specialist skills including AutoCAD, PLC Programming, International Total Productive Maintenance, Lean Accounting, Project Management, Six Sigma, Energy Management and Statistical Process Control, 37 participants in Phase 1 were employed at manufacturers across the region, including Benteler South Africa, Johnsons Controls, Kansai Plascon Group and Mercedes Benz. As part of the AIDC Eastern Cape’s initial successful application, 135 engineers will be placed into automotive and affiliated sectors over a period of three years, providing scarce skills support to the region’s manufacturers.

Tall order for Jeffrey’s Bay wind farm

effrey’s Bay Wind Farm recently had a tall order for Johnson Crane Hire in Port Elizabeth when a rotor from a wind turbine had to be removed in order to repair a damaged blade. Each turbine comprises an 80 m high tower, three 49 m blades, a nacelle with the generator and gearbox and a transformer box on the ground. Johnson Crane Hire deployed its Liebherr LTM 1750-9.1 (750 t) all terrain crane, for client FairWind Installation on this challenging project, which it added to its fleet towards the end of 2013 due to an increased demand for

specialist lifting in the local wind energy sector. The rotor was replaced in July, with Grant Parker from Johnson Crane Hire’s Heavy Lift Division overseeing the set up and stripping of the crane to allow for the removal of a rotor to repair a damaged blade. The estimated time for these repairs was about seven days. However, strong winds delayed the repairs as well as the replacement of the rotor. The weight of the hub and blades totalled 62.5 t. The height from ground level to the centre of the hub was 80 m. “The crane was configured with a main boom of 49.1 m, an insert of 19 m and a 28 m luffing section, totalling 96.1 m, allowing for a hook height of 90.19 m,” Parker explains. He added that the LTM 1750-9.1 was perfect for this application as it was able to move quickly between the various hard stand areas due to its ability to be set up and stripped fairly quickly. The nine axle crane has the advantage of its complete telescopic boom remaining attached during transportation on public roads. Its maximum lifting capacity is 750 t at a 3 m radius while its operational weight is 108 t and its total counterweight is 204 t. Enquiry no: 6

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Enquiry no: 4

Funded through the Development Bank of South Africa’s R 9b Jobs Fund, the engineers will seek to improve the local automotive economy towards excellence under the AIDC’s internationally endorsed programmes and projects. The engineers will be placed at host companies around the Eastern Cape. In terms of the second successful application Classroom-Jobs Fund: to the Jobs Fund made by the AIDC Eastern AIDC EC Project manager Jason Artz, Cape, an Incubator is under development in inducts 45 engineers who will be placed in Buffalo City’s Mdantsane to train, equip and industry through the AIDC Eastern Cape quality accredit commercial entrepreneurs in Jobs Fund Programme the informal automotive repair sector. Enquiry no: 5

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EC Industrial & Business News

Top sectors for SA entrepreneurs in 2015

new year brings with it new opportunities and 2015 offers both established and aspiring entrepreneurs multiple business prospects to capitalise on due to the various challenges of 2014, which still face SA in 2015. This is according to Christo Botes, spokesperson for the 2015 Sanlam / Business Partners Entrepreneur of the Year competition, who says that these chal-

lenges, such as the weakened rand and poor infrastructure, have provided gaps in various sectors for entrepreneurs. “Entrepreneurs don’t fit into a structure. They are agile, versatile and quick decision makers.” “They are the first movers and have the ability to quickly capitalise on new opportunities, or market gaps, and turn a bad situation into a positive outcome,” says Botes.

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Botes points to a number of sectors that he views as providing significant opportunities for entrepreneurs in 2015: • E d u c a t i o n : B o t h Government and the private sector have allocated large budgets to improve this sector. More franchises are increasingly being established, especially Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges to meet growing demand. One of the known listed groups in the education and training arena, ADvTECH, recently announced their acquisition of the Maravest Group, and as a result is now expected to grow their student base by 70% in 2015, proving that there is a dire need and still some further niche markets to be serviced in the marketplace. • Manufacturing: While the sector will continue to offer opportunities in 2015, entrepreneurs should be exploring export orientated manufacturing. Government offers attractive incentives, such as rebates and tax deductions, for component manufacturing, as well as an entrepreneur’s ability to develop overseas markets for such products. • Tourism: While manufacturing should be export orientated due to the weak rand, entrepreneurs should take advantage of this in the tourism sector due to foreign tourists benefiting from the favourable exchange rate and entrepreneurs should consider using this to grow both business and leisure tourism in the country. • Mining: While at a low base due

bay view

to the labour disputes encountered over the last 18 months, the sector has recently experienced an increase in expenditure on capital programmes, especially in coal mines as older mines’ reserves are shrinking and coming increasingly under pressure to supply more coal to our mainly coal fired electricity generating power stations. This offers a myriad of opportunities for entrepreneurs in primary and secondary supply chains, such as shops and other infrastructure that is needed in the area where the mines are being developed and/or redeveloped. • Infrastructure at large: Government, at all levels, is investing in upgrading services and facilities and smaller contractors should seek ways to get involved in the various scheduled projects. • Apart from low-cost housing, basic services, such as water, electricity, sewage plants, as well as repairs and upgrades to Government buildings and recreation sites, are needed in cities and towns across the country. It is reported that the country’s next big crisis is water and much is needed to not only conserve water, but also to upgrade the existing poor infrastructure, which is under severe pressure due to old pipes bursting underground. “Those entrepreneurs that take initiative will not only create wealth for themselves, but they would also be investing in South Africa’s economic development and job creation,” concludes Botes. Enquiry no: 7

Kevin Hustler

Sowing seeds of hope

he Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber started the year with a bang, as we took the first opportunity we could to present the 2030 Business Vision to business leaders and Chamber members. Business Vision 2030 is a work in progress, and a strong indicator of the immense value of collaboration between business and academia. Together with the NMMU Business School, the Business Chamber is integrating activities across several critical stakeholders to ensure that the city is in a state of readiness to host medium to mega projects. “We need to sow hope in the city,” said Professor Kobus Jonker of the NMMU Business School, echoing the often-spoken words of Business Chamber President, Mr Mandla Madwara. “It is the responsibility of business to sow that hope.” Over and over again, business owners at the presentation praised the plan for its boldness, for its forward-thinking approach, and most of all, for the faith it demonstrated in Nelson Mandela Bay. Further collaboration will take place on the finer points of the vision. There is much to look forward to in 2015. We learned at the end of last year that the Baywest Mall Development, which has been on our city’s development horizon for a few years and is slated to open in April 2015, has exceeded the job creation targets it set for itself during the construction phase by over 40%. Every trip out towards Nelson Mandela Bay’s Western limit has brought fresh views of the construction, which has created a reported 4300 jobs already, with a projected 1500 once the mall is in operation. This development is a potentially huge economic driver for Nelson Mandela Bay, and we’d love to hear news like this from every development taking place in our region. Even once the mall has opened, construction will continue on the project, as the next phase kicks into gear in the building of what the developers refer to as a ‘lifestyle precinct”. Long may this job creation trend continue. 2014 also brought the exciting news of the Mandela International Film Festival to be held in Port Elizabeth in December 2015. The ten-day event is expected to attract international stars to our Bay, and represents an incredible opportunity for doors to be opened to entrepreneurs and those already in the creative industries. We are well into the first phase of the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber’s pilot Enterprise Development Programme, as over 30 small business owners and managers benefit from an effective combination of mentorship and skills development aimed at growing small business, enhancing their eligibility for funding, assisting them with export-readiness, giving them insights into new markets, and increasing their job creation potential. It is vital to the economy of South Africa that small business owners begin to operate sustainable businesses that will grow into new markets, and create new, much-needed opportunities for employment and job creation. For all there is to look forward to and hang our hope on, we cannot be blind to the reality that life and business will be harder this year. While Eskom has committed to a realign in actions with its critically-important maintenance plans, this does not spare us a very tough few months or more as we come up against regular load shedding. Following Eskom CEO Tshediso Matona’s address to the nation on 15 January 2015, business has urged him to lead Eskom in doing all things possible to ensure a minimal impact on business during the inevitable upcoming periods of load shedding. Eskom’s problems are severely impacting business, the economy, our country and its people. We have no choice but to implement change with immediate effect and to treat the situation with urgency so that we can pull through with our businesses and economy intact. While many business owners believe that they have seen the worst, I believe that, while 2015 will no doubt have its challenges, we are putting strong foundations in place to bring out the best in us, and set us on the path to prosperity.

January / February 2015

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EC Industrial & Business News

Orders intake more than triple

School Infrastructure Projects valued at more than R83 million delivered

EARNERS across the Eastern Cape will have started the school year in newly built schools thanks to the Department of Education Eastern Cape commitment to improve the learning and teaching environments for pupils. The Coega Development Corporation (CDC), which is the implementing agent for several projects on behalf of the Department of Basic Education, announced recently that it had delivered 17 schools of 25 Infrastructure Upliftment Programmes across the Eastern Cape. The CDC took on the construction of 25 schools in the Eastern Cape as part of the government-led Accelerated Schools Infrastructure Delivery Initiative (ASIDI). Sophumelela Senior Primary School in Keiskammahoek, Mtingwevu Senior Primary School in Cofimvaba and Lugongqoza Junior Secondary School in

Qumbu were opened in 2014 and schools expected to be completed in the first six months of this year include Nomzamo Madikizela Mandela /Thornhil Primary School in Port Elizabeth (R25-million), Nkanti Senior Public School in Ntabankulu (R17-million), Bomvini Senior Public School in Libode (R18million) and Mayibenye Junior Secondary School in Qumbu (R21-million). The remaining four schools Andrieskraal in Patensie, Dumezweni and Mbombo in Qumbu and Madlalisa in Mt Frere will start later this year. Mbulelo Jokazi, CDC DoE unit programme manager said, “Construction at these four schools will include new classrooms, admin blocks, a media centre, a science laboratory, nutrition centers, multi-purpose classes, fencing, electrical installation, water and sanitation, walkways, parking and assembly areas.” Enquiry no: 8

Proactive about dealing with crime

usiness Against Crime (Eastern Cape) will be hosting a Business Breakfast, with a distinguished keynote speaker discussing “Implications of the 2014 Crime Statistics for the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro and Eastern Cape.” The presenter is Gareth Newham; Head of the Governance, Crime and Justice Division at the Institute for Security Studies. Don’t miss this opportunity to glean an in-depth understanding

of implications, trends and projections that will enable you to make informed decisions impacting your doing business, and/or investing in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro. The event takes place on Thursday 12 February at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Summerstand, Port Elizabeth. Please e-mail bryanhoward@ mweb.co.za for more details, or to reserve a seat. Enquiry no: 9

Great results for local company

ord Motor Company of Southern Africa ended 2014 on an exceptionally positive note, recording its highest-ever market share in South Africa at 14.4% for December 2014. According to the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA), domestic new vehicle sales climbed by 10.7% to 51 461 units compared to December 2013. The new passenger car segment reflected a year-on-year improvement of 9.3% for the month, while the light commercial vehicle (LCV) market volume increased by 14.7%. Ford’s domestic vehicle sales reached 6 654 units for December, 815 units or 13.95% - higher than the corresponding month in 2013. In overall terms FMCSA’s final sales tally for 2014 reached 70 878, a substantial 20.9% higher than the previous year - a remarkable achievement considering the overall market faced a 0.7% year-on-year decline. FMCSA’s final market share for the full calendar year was equally encouraging.

At 12.4% it was the company’s best-ever result, built on the back of an entire year of double-digit share. “Last year was an exceptional year for Ford Motor Company in South Africa, as all the work we’ve put into producing desirable cars that offer exceptional performance, value, safety and fuel economy has paid off,” says Gerald Hong, Manager Sales Planning and Field Services, FMCSA. “We continue to experience unprecedented demand for several of our models, such as the popular Figo, EcoSport and of course, our star model, the locally produced Ford Ranger. This is validated by the fact that we’ve managed to grow significantly in a market that actually declined in 2014,” Hong states. The positive trend is set to continue in 2015 as Ford prepares to launch an exciting range of new products, spearheaded by the new Fusion. FMCSA’s positive results on the domestic front were echoed in terms of exports too.

Enquiry no: 10

onecranes Southern Africa’s order intake for cranes and service has grown by a spectacular 336% from early 2012 to date. This is an average of 112% per annum. John MacDonald, Sales, Marketing and Service Director of Konecranes South Africa, attributes this to dedicated and experienced management, supported by equally dedicated and enthusiastic staff. “We have concentrated on improving our service to all makes of cranes and hoists,” MacDonald continues. “In 2013 we introduced a comprehensive Service Documentation Manual for each crane and hoist under service contract so we can keep track of the performance of the crane and identify any problems before they become a major and expensive issue. This has been very well received by our customers. “Our focus is twofold”, MacDonald explains. “In order to improve our Service Contract and service package we looked at increasing safety, decreasing the maintenance costs and at the same time improving the availability and reliability of the crane.” Konecranes was established in South Africa in mid2012, when they took over Dynamic Crane Systems Konecranes Port Elizabeth Branch Manager Graham Meek (second from left) and his team. in Johannesburg. Since then another nine branches around the country have been added – in Durban, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Witbank, Klerksdorp, Ngodwana, Uitenhage, Maputo and Richards Bay. More branches are service network in the industry worldwide, providing highplanned in East London and Kathu. quality service 24 hours a day. The Konecranes Group has over 12 000 employees at Enquiry no: 11 626 locations in 54 countries. The company has the largest

January / February 2015

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East London Perspective

s South Africa starts moving into the “Green Economy” where the opportunities associated with traversing into a low carbon economy are maximised, there is already development and talks of the new “Blue Economy”, so have we entered too late and how will a city such as Buffalo City Metro benefit? Renewable energy powers about 19% of final energy consumption (2012) around the world. From this 10% is the new types of renewables that we are getting accustomed to such as solar photovoltaic (PV) panels and wind turbines, but the other 9% is energy from biomass which does not always result in a positive environmental impact. The burning of wood for heat and cooking is still very prevalent in developing economies and this contributes to pollution and carbon emissions and therefore this should not be confused with being a good renewable energy source.

EC Industrial & Business News

Capitalising on the Green Economy

So when asked if the renewable energy sector is something worthwhile to try incorporate into the South African GDP it is always good to look at international investment flows in the sector. During 2013 the investment in that year alone in new renewable project was US$249.4bn. The argument that we are doing this to lower carbon emissions to slow global warming and help the environment is always good, but multinational companies are finding this to be a strong and growing market in which to achieve significant profits. The biggest countries who are generating energy from renewables are; China, the USA, Brazil, Canada and then Germany (2013 figures). However there are still an estimated 1.3bn people globally with no access to electricity and more than 2.6bn people still rely on traditional biomass for heat and cooking. The argument for South Africa to enter into this market was made based on our international commitment to lowering our carbon emissions and to start the introduction

of renewable energy generation into our energy mix. Policies have been designed to localise manufacturing of these technologies with the hope that manufacturing, skills and jobs are transferred into our economy. So far we are doing quite well with the renewable energy programme known as the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) which has gone through 3 of 5 bid windows. The Eastern Cape has secured a number of REIPPPP projects with a total value of R21.62bn which are mainly attributed to large scale wind farms and also a small number of solar projects. There are a further 111 renewable energy projects which are in the pipeline which indicates that the Province certainly holds strong potential not only for renewable energy generation plants but manufacturing facilities can also be established to produce the technologies and components to support the roll out programme. East London is also progressing

well in this sector with two renewable energy investors in solar PV manufacturing as well as inverter manufacturing locating in the ELIDZ. Together these projects have brought in R135m of investment, creating approximately 178 jobs. The ELIDZ Science & Technology Park (STP) have also established a renewable energy training centre where the first batch of artisans have already completed their training. The STP has also been involved in the testing and prototyping of four different renewable technologies and two new inventions. It is intended to take these technologies to commercial stage and start mass production where further investment and jobs will be created in the ELIDZ. Projects on the horizon are still at confidential levels but it would be safe to indicate that East London may no longer have waste problems with interesting developments in the recycling of certain waste streams as well as conversion of waste to energy. Furthermore wood waste as well

excellence

abcock Ntuthuko Generation received an award for Technological Excellence at the 2014 Fossil Fuel Foundation awards recently, for its complete engineered solution for Main Steam System replacement at Eskom’s Matimba power station in Limpopo province. Ntuthuko Generation, a subsidiary of Babcock Ntuthuko Engineering (Pty) Ltd, a division of the Babcock International Group, provides engineering, construction, maintenance and upgrade opportunities specifically for the African water tube boiler market. “We have a well-developed piping engineering group whose members recognised that installing 350m of replacement high pressure piping through the same path as the existing route, during a single outage, would be a complicated challenge that required a new approach,” says Babcock’s Gerrie Visser, Special Projects GM. “Harnessing a combination of engineering excellence, cutting-

W edge 3D laser scanning technology and excellent construction skills, we were able to deliver a massive scope of work during one very short outage of 90 days. A Main Steam System has never been replaced at a power station in South Africa. “This brand new system, that includes safety enhancements, is now good for at least another 20 years, representing significant cost savings for Eskom.” “The damage on the system was widespread, impacting a large percentage of Class 1 components, which are a critical class of component from a safety perspective,” he explains. Enquiry no: 12

GRAMEC-FORBERG MIXER

THE TWIN SHAFT MIXER WITH WEIGHTLESS ZONE GIVES YOU: In many cases, as low as 10 seconds and an average mixing time of less than 1 minute

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Chris Ettmayr writes in his capacity as Renewable Energy Sector Manager at the East London IDZ. He also serves as Chair of the Border-Kei Energy Forum

Safeguard against load-shedding liability

Awarding technological

Short Mixing Time

as sewerage waste have renewable technologies that can convert these problems into energy and these are being closely explored together with potential investors. East London can be proud of the work done so far and it can certainly look forward to a future of increased energy security, new business opportunities, new jobs in a rising sector and better living and environmental conditions all because of the “Green Economy”. This is certainly a sector to watch closely as the opportunities are only starting and the scope of where this city can go is immense.

Up to 60% saving because of low power input and extremely short mixing times

Gentle Product Handling It even mixes breakfast cereals without breakage

GRAMEC (Pty) Ltd

P.O. Box 89380, Lyndhurst, 2106. 7 Brighton Road, Bramley View Ext.6, Johannesburg, South Africa. T:++27 11 882 1914, F:++27 86 615 1547, http://www.gramec.com E: gramec@gramec.com or torb@gramec.com

ith the occurrence of load-shedding remaining seemingly undeterred in the New Year, businesses and commercial property owners must begin to face facts and realise the possible liability that may arise from these black-outs, which could be put upon their shoulders. This is according to Simon Colman, Underwriting Executive at SHA Specialist Underwriters, who says as load-shedding becomes a regular occurrence, businesses and property owners must seriously consider revising their current insurance policies to ensure that they are covered in the event of injury or losses resulting from load-shedding. “Businesses may have to accept that due to the re-occurrence and subsequently, the foreseeability of these outages, it may be found that there may have been reasonable precautions that should have been taken to protect their own customers from losses and injuries.” Colman warns that businesses that have a frequency of visitors or customers on their premises are most likely to find themselves in hot water if a third party is injured during load-shedding. “Shopping malls, retailers, restaurants, banks and sports stadiums for instance cannot afford to ignore the possible liability and reputational harm that may result from an injury on their premises. Businesses that are operating in high hazard environments where

a loss of power is almost certain to result in injury, must also be sure to take extra precautions.” He adds that every time an allegation is made against a business - alleging its liability – the company will be obliged to defend itself regardless of the verdict, a process that could prove to be quite costly. “We already deal with loads of slip and trip claims every day and load-shedding has the potential to exacerbate the situation. Other big concern areas are generally related to elevator failure and stampedes where crowds could be trapped in a confined space.” Colman says that broadform liability policies are generally best for dealing with liability claims from third parties as these policies are primarily legal defense covers. “If the case is unsuccessfully defended, the damages or settlements are covered too, thus insuring that the company is protected from the cost of defending itself against frivolous claims and in the case of proven liability.” Even in the event of an unscheduled power cut, businesses must ensure that the necessary precautions are in place to protect their customers. “It is not impossible that a court may be sympathetic to an injured party if load-shedding is a daily possibility. It could be argued that businesses need to guard against even unscheduled power cuts,” concludes Colman. Enquiry no: 13

January / February 2015

EC Industrial & Business News

ENGINEERING & ALLIED SUPPLIES

Cutting edge of crane training technology

n a global first, Port Elizabeth-based engineering firm, Afri-Coast Engineers have pioneered the world’s first ever training crane for on-board ships, launched late last year in the city’s harbour. Afri-Coast, collaborating with their client, Bidfreight Port Operations (BPO), broke new ground on the development of what is likely to become a global benchmark for training and development in the maritime industry. The R2-million training crane arose, like many engineering and design challenges, from the identification of a problem, says BPO Regional General Manager, Jimmy Prinsloo. “We had been struggling to train crane operators. In South Africa we do not have shore cranes to load or unload cargo off and on to ships, so most of the work is done on board by ship cranes. The operation of these cranes is very technical and high risk for the stevedores who are responsible for the loading or unloading of a vessel. They require excellent handeye-coordination – you have to be able to catch

the swing, that’s the secret,” said Prinsloo. But all operational cranes on-board ships are designed for one-man only and the cabs are too small for training. In Europe, this is not as prevalent a problem, where there are whole training ships designed to school trainees. “We embarked on a global journey to find a simulator that would meet our needs – a journey which surprisingly led us back to Port Elizabeth,” he added. After realising they would need to build their own simulator crane, BPO’s leadership enlisted the support of their regular co-collaborator, local engineer Carl Jurgens, and initially approached two other engineering firms – one in George and one in Johannesburg – to design and construct it. Both firms backed out when they realised the scale and scope of the project. Enter AfriCoast Engineers, which took on the unconventional challenge head-on. “Normally we deal with static not dynamic structures, and the job was far more mechanical than it was construc-

tion. But it was a great challenge that led us to innovating and creating something that has never been done before. What more could an engineer ask for in their lifetime?” said JP Mulder of Afri-Coast Engineers, who was on the design team. BPO, Jurgens and Afri-Coast Engineers jumped on board what would be a seven month project. With nothing to go on, other than some sketches and a big idea, the team designed and constructed the pioneering, customised simulator training crane to the specifications outlined by BPO. “All fabricating, welding, drilling, engineering, construction and assembly was done in Port Elizabeth. There are some minor adjustments and electrical tweaks to be made, but as it stands, we have all given it a big thumbs up,” Prinsloo added. The simulator will be based at the Port Elizabeth Harbour where it is anticipated that over 500 stevedores from across the country Enquiry no: 14 would be trained.

High performance roller bearings

A landmark in subSaharan hydraulics Management team for the Hytec Group/Bosch Rexroth joint venture: From left, Roland Keller, Deputy CEO, John Wingrove, CEO, Dr. Karl Tragl, President Bosch Rexroth, John Dunmow, Group Finance Controller and Andrew Castle, CFO

Enquiry no: 15

he 50% acquisition of Hytec by Bosch Rexroth offers greater expansion opportunities into sub-Saharan Africa’s hydraulics and automation markets. The joint venture came into effect on 1 October 2014, concluding the first phase of agreements signed on 15 May 2014. The Hytec / Bosch Rexroth merger represents the next step in a relationship that began with Hytec’s accreditation as the sole importer of Bosch Rexroth products into South Africa since the 1960s. With the region’s mining, oil and gas, power and general support industries identified as a key growth market, the joint venture enables each entity to leverage the core offerings of the other to provide superior automation solutions for the region. The closer affiliation with the Bosch Rexroth brand will position the Hytec Group as the recognised service, repair and refurbishment

and automation

OEM partner of Bosch Rexroth components, such as pumps, cylinders, motors, filters and valves. “This will enhance our service support capabilities for the region’s industrial projects, and allow us to better fulfil the needs of our customers,” explains John Wingrove, CEO, Hytec Holdings. The merger will also see the Bosch Rexroth brand represented alongside several complimentary product brands as part of a complete turnkey hydraulic and automation solution, fully supported by the Hytec Group. With an established operational presence in the region, Hytec provides a strong local knowledge, proven technical capability and experience base for Bosch Rexroth into Africa. “Another important pillar of our expansion will be our training capabilities for the whole range of hydraulic, automation and servicing skills,” explains Roland Keller, deputy CEO,

Hytec Holdings. Hytec has a strong didactics engineering portfolio, with a fully-equipped training centre in Spartan, Johannesburg, and the company’s specialists are already delivering training courses in such countries as Nigeria, Kenya and Seychelles. The Hytec Group/Bosch Rexroth joint venture senior management board will be comprised of John Wingrove (CEO), Roland Keller (Deputy CEO), John Dunmow (Group Finance Controller) and Andrew Castle (CFO). Having widely modelled itself to the German manufacturer’s quality and competency standards – with the Group running one of just 11 Bosch Rexroth-Certified Service Centres of Competence across the globe (the single such facility in Africa) – the merger will not present any major organisational changes within the Group. Enquiry no: 16

Air Liquide - Leading the way in shielding gas innovation Simply High Performance

ARCAL™ NEW GENERATION A premium welding solution developed for quality welding applications.

AL14590

MG’s bearings division - which has secured the exclusive supply, service and distribution agreements with leading manufacturers, including NSK and NTN - introduces the latest technologies, trends and products to the local market, on a regular basis, to meet exact demand. “Recently launched spherical roller bearings for industrial machinery, include the NTN Ultage series and the NSKHPS series. NSK has also developed high capacity cylindrical roller bearings - EW and EM series,” says Rouff Essop, general manager, bearings division, BMG – Bearing Man Group. “Standard bearings have been developed by manufacturers, employing new technologies and materials, to produce spherical and cylindrical roller bearings that offer extended service life, greater reliability and improved ease of use.” NTN Ultage sealed spherical roller bearings (WA type) which are based on the internal design of NTN’s standard EA type spherical roller bearings, have larger roller diameters and the maximum number of rollers, to provide the industry’s highest load capacity. These rollers are guided with the window type press steel cage. This new series, with a light, compact design, offers up to five times longer service life than previous models. NTN sealed spherical roller bearings, which are pre-lubricated with long life grease, do not require cleaning or greasing when being mounted. An oil groove and holes on the outside diameter of the outer ring, ensure there is adequate greasing into the inside of the bearing. New developments of NSK EM and EW cylindrical roller bearings include a greater number of larger rollers than conventional bearings, to offer higher load ratings. One piece, high strength roller guided machined brass cages, ensure improved performance and reduced wear. The service life of these bearings has been doubled. Noise and vibration levels have been reduced by about 70% and the limiting speed has been increased by up to 25%. A special pocket profile enhances roller guide accuracy and ensures improved lubricant flow. These spherical roller bearings, with a 25% greater dynamic load rating than previous models, have a running life nearly double that of conventional bearings of the same size. The maximum limiting running speed has improved by 20% and a special cage design eliminates the need for a guide ring, allowing for the placement of additional larger rollers, which in turn increases load capacity.

Afri-Coast Engineers, Darryl Jarvis and JP Mulder celebrated the launch with Carl Jurgens and Jimmy Prinsloo, BPO Regional Manager

Air Liquide Southern Africa

Tel: +2711 389 7000, Rolf Schluep (Welding & Cutting Manager) +2711 389 7095 Or contact us online at www.airliquide.co.za

There is an Air Liquide solution that is right for you.

January / February 2015

ENGINEERING & ALLIED SUPPLIES

Capacitive sensor for more transparency

t last it is possible to integrate process values into the IT structure via an intelligent sensor interface and to achieve easier indication, analysis and evaluation. ifm electronic’s new KG5065 capacitive sensors allow the application to become transparent, while the process value allows effective processing. At present, this additional advantage is unique and offers solutions, even for difficult applications. The capacitive sensors detect bulk materials or liquids through non-metallic vessel walls. Typical applications for product detection can be found in the semiconductor, paper and wood industries. The parameters can be set either via the buttons on the sensor or via the IO-Link interface.

F This can be done using the USB interface E30396 or the E30398 memory plug. The Linerecorder Sensor software also simplifies the monitoring of different types of sensors. KG5065 allows easy parameter setting via IO-Link before installation of the sensor and versatile data processing via IO-Link. Enquiry no: 17

Specialists in Corrosion Protection

HotDip Galvanizing – 3m x 1.2m x 1.8m Thermal Zinc / Aluminum Metal Spraying

Protective Coatings and Linings Abrasive Blasting

Tel: 041 4511947 | Fax: 041 4510773 | Cell: 0824410692 E-Mail: henning@galvaspin.co.za | Website: www.galvaspin.co.za 2 - 5 Fearick Street, Sidwell, Port Elizabeth

Bold strategic decisions for growth potential

esto South Africa had an exciting year in 2014. Last year saw Festo engaging in some bold strategic moves, and despite a difficult economic climate, Festo actively participated in growing the company through expansions that have paid off. Festo is a company with a long-term perspective that recognises the importance of developing, maintaining and expanding infrastructure and facilities. “In order to realise our growth potential and to continue to grow our market position worldwide, we need to take proactive decisions that will enable sustainable growth moving forward,” explains Brett Wallace, General Manager, Festo. During the first quarter of 2014 Festo South Africa made the strategic decision to significantly increase its stock holding capacity. “As a worldwide leader in automation and a world

EC Industrial & Business News

market leader in industrial training and development, our company always seeks to stay one step ahead,” reiterates Wallace. “Our 16 700 employees in 176 countries continue to pursue a common goal of maximum productivity and competitiveness.” This first initiative required expansions in both resource and facilities investments in order to be able to cope with an immediate stock increase of more than 30%. “As a company, we keep our fingers on the pulse to ensure that we make correct and timeous business decisions that will benefit both our customers and our brand,” continues Wallace. “This decision was based on market understanding and a desire to enhance service delivery performance, supporting our customers through ever increasing completive demands.”

This was a bold strategic initiative, during a declining and conservative market period. Despite this, the move was well executed and the results inspired confidence in this move to expand. Reflecting on the past and current success of this proactive initiative, an even bolder strategic move was made to once again expand facilities and resource support during the final quarter of 2014. “This is in preparation for yet another increase to our national stock capacity by an enormous 50%,” says Wallace. “As with our previous proactive approach, we made this decision in anticipation of market expectations and future growth potential.” “It is imperative that we remain proactive in our business strategy and our decisions have clearly paid off.” Enquiry no: 18 concludes Wallace.

Specifying the right mill liner

election of the most suitable mill liner for different applications can be a tricky business, particularly when evaluating new materials against old “tried and tested” liners that have been used on certain operations for decades. Most commonly engineers may be tempted to stick to what they know and use liners that have been used before as they have a track record and there is a record whereby lifespan and performance is known and can be measured. Yet, according to marketing and business development manager, Vishal Gautam of Tega Industries, new liners are continuously being developed using ever-stronger and more

efficient materials that can outperform and outlast older generation liners. In certain instances combinations of different liners may provide additional benefits as the best materials can be selected for each section of the milling process to combat wear, absorb impacts, increase flow rates etc. “With such a wide range available nowadays it is best to have a specialist mill lining company come and assess the requirements and design a mill lining that is best suited to the operation’s requirements.

In these circumstances it is usually better to consult with a supplier that is able to provide different types of liners rather than a single type, as they may feel the need to adapt the process to suit their product rather than provide the right solution for the application. Tega Industries has years of local experience, as well as farreaching global expertise that allows the company to perform full-function design and development of mill liners on behalf of clients. Enquiry no: 19

Use of engineered replacement parts

he very real danger with replacement parts is that companies produce ‘copycat’ parts by duplicating the look of the original part. In contrast, IPD parts are engineered replacement parts produced under stringent quality control measures to ensure integrity and optimum performance. “Therefore they not only resemble parts from the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), but their performance under working conditions is identical to that of the OEM part,” says Andrew Yorke, Operations Director, Metric Automotive Engineering. As a local distributor of IPD engine parts, Metric Automotive Engineering has access to new part numbers released on a monthly basis to cover the popular Caterpillar C Series engines. IPD is an international manufacturer of engine parts for Caterpillar engines. “We are very proud to be first to market with aftermarket parts of this quality,” York says. Metric Automotive Engineering is one of South Africa’s most comprehensively equipped diesel engine and component re-manufacturers. “Since being appointed IPD’s distributor in South Africa in 2008, we have been servicing an increasing number of customers who have recognised and experienced the significant cost savings associated

WHERE QUALITY

COMES TOGETHER

TION FOR

AT960 is the aser trackers. ogy from over evelopment to offers the most a portable tracker ers measure their

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with world-class quality replacement parts,” Yorke says. “The focus of both Metric Automotive Engineering and IPD has been on helping equipment owners to save money without risk to reliability. Essentially IPD products are Caterpillar replacement parts but, unlike parts being sourced from the East, IPD parts are manufactured in a Lloyds accredited ISO 9001:2000 quality controlled environment.” Yorke says that Metric Automotive Engineering’s association with IPD effectively transforms itself into a single source supplier in terms of its engine component rebuild/remanufacturing service and its engine parts supply. Enquiry no: 20

Multifunctional relays

OCK C MEASUREMENT OLS

Laser Tracker Systems

Accurate | Flexible | Portable Powered by internal battery Highest level of precision Wireless all-in-one laser trackers Built to work in any environment

Coordinate Measuring Machines Accuracy without compromise Unique flexibility in any environment Tailored for maximum performance Increased productivity Fast and convenient

Portable Measuring Arms

Efficient tactile measurements Reliable part inspection Ergonomic, accurate and fast User-friendly Completely portable

Different models available, with a variety of attachments, features and accessories

PRODUCTIVITY | RELIABILITY | QUALITY Contact George or Vic Tel: 011 976 8600 | Fax: 011 394 2471 machines@retecon.co.za | www.retecon.co.za

RETECON (Pty) Ltd Cape Town: 021 555 2270/1 | Port Elizabeth: 041 453 2720 | Durban: 031 701 8149

full-featured, multifunctional range of low voltage electronic motor protection relays designed for conveyor, compressor, crusher, fan and pump motor protection is available from NewElec. The KD is ISO9001:2000 compliant and boasts a wide range of user-selectable protection features. The relays are easy to setup via a man-to-machine interface or via a computer with free setup software. Thermal overload, earth insulation lockout, earth leakage and short-circuit protection, as well as frequency and power factor measurement, are just some features which, combined with the 2 000 event records and 60 last fault records, make this a reliable protection relay. The KD relay monitors the parameters of the motor for the duration of auxiliary power supply. The auxiliary power supply is selectable (110 V ac or 230 V ac). When a trip condi-

tion occurs, the main trip relay will be activated. It will be energized or de-energized (non fail safe or fail safe respectively) depending on what mode of operation was selected. A time and date stamped trip record is also generated and saved in a non-volatile memory for later retrieval. Power Measurement (real and apparent) provides real time power utilisation monitoring, as well as power consumption monitoring over extended periods. All features and information can be accessed through an external Profibus communication unit. Voltages and earth leakage currents are detected by current transformers, attenuator circuits and a core balance current transformer respectively. The current and voltage signals are conditioned by appropriate circuits and converted to 0 to 5 volt analogue signals. The analogue signals are digitized to 10 bit resoluEnquiry no: 21 tion.

January / February 2015

EC Industrial & Business News

AUTOMATION & ROBOTICS

Taking command of core system functions

ndustrial operations in South Africa can remotely control numerous machinery functions without having to invest in large capital-intensive programmable logic controller (PLC) technology, thanks to the innovative new i-Commander control and telemetry device locally manufactured and distributed by Enviropower. “The i-Commander is a smaller, more affordable solution to a traditional PLC, which allows the user to control the required equipment or functions from a cell phone. It is the ideal solution for smaller systems that may not be covered by a PLC, but have certain aspects that need to be monitored, such as temperature, pressure and oil analysis,” explains

Enviropower, COO, Stewart Blanckensee . The i-Commander allows the user to set the parameters that it functions within, setting off an alarm if the system operates outside of those parameters. “Through 24/7 control of a system through i-Commander, users will be aware of issues within the system before they become bigger problems. This provides the user with tremendous safety and efficiency benefits,” adds Blanckensee. The i-Commander is not designed for any specific application, and can be used in a variety of industries, including mining, agri-

culture and power generation. “It is best-suited to smaller operations, however, if an operation expands and the user requires a larger system, it is possible to add multiple i-Commanders to the system. In addition, the i-Commander sends alerts directly to any number of cellular phones and not just to a controller in an operations centre.” A unique aspect of the i-Commander is its cable theft monitor feature. Cable theft is a major challenge and costly for farmers and other industries. The cable theft monitor func-

Encoder with user definable pulse counting

ET Automation Controls recently announced the availability of Turck’s incremental variant of its QR24 contactless encoder with pulse rates that can be defined by the customer. The user simply sets the number of pulses per revolution between 1 and 5,000 via the Pactware parameterization software. As before, the encoder can also be taught to one of the nine most common preset pulse rates using the Turck teach adapter. The QR24 can thus be used as a universal incremental encoder, which effectively reduces the number of encoder variants that have to be kept in stock and allows more standardisation. The right number of encoder pulses can be

selected for each application so that a virtually unlimited range of applications is possible. In spite of the large number of incremental encoders on the market, the number of pulses per revolution is normally fixed by the pulse disk, thus denying the user any flexibility. Unlike the conventional optical encoders, the inductive QR24 also offers the possibility to change the position of the Z track, as well as a burst function, which enables the user to output the absolute angle position of the encoder incrementally. Enquiry no: 23

Drive enhances machine performance and flexibility

apidly changing consumer demands require machine and equipment builders to reduce development and installation time while increasing machine flexibility. The Allen-Bradley Kinetix 5500 servo drive with integrated safety can help machine builders satisfy those requirements by taking advantage of a single EtherNet/IP network, as well as a common design environment with Rockwell Software Studio 5000 Logix Designer software. The Kinetix 5500 servo drive with integrated safety builds on the foundation of the recently released Kinetix 5500 servo drive. With the same high-speed coordination to meet

demanding motion requirements, the drive uses the EtherNet/IP network for streamlined machine safety functions. End users gain the benefit of improved personnel safety and increased machine uptime in the manufacturing facility. “Production requirements are constantly changing for end users in the packaging, converting and material-handling industries, meaning their safety requirements may change as well,” said Christo Buys, Business Manager Control Systems, Rockwell Automation.

tion allows the user to constantly monitor their cabling, setting off an alarm if any predetermined parameters are breached. The i-Commander uses a SIM card and can be run off of multiple cellular networks. It allows the user to enter numerous contact numbers for the most effective communication. For example, if there is a power failure where the device is being used, the i-Commander will send selected users a message indicating the time and date of the initial incident, and when the power is restored again. Predetermined command features also enable more effective communication between the user and the device. Enquiry no: 22

New microcontroller condition monitoring system

nstrotech, distributor and manufacturer of a range of process control instrumentation and specialised systems, has announced the launch of UK-based Monitran’s MTN/5000; a cost-effective and versatile microcontrollerbased condition monitoring system, for application in vibration monitoring and logging of any sensor-based design, for example temperature, pressure, voltage/current/power. The MTN/5000 is housed in an extruded aluminium enclosure and features a 9cm TFT touch screen with a high performance ARM Cortex-M3 processor. It has an easy-to-navigate menu that enables users to set data sampling periods up to 1million/second, ranges and accuracy levels plus vibration threshold (alarm) levels on a channel-by-channel basis

or across all 12 channels. In addition, the system has 12 digital I/O channels that can be used for multiple alarms or a communication channel for integration with other systems. As an optional extra, the system can be fitted with Modbus TCP/IP, for networking purposes or to enable multiple MTN/5000s to operate together within a larger monitoring or control system. The MTN/5000 system is made to order and, in addition to specifying how many input channels the MTN/5000 should have, the user can request front panel customisation, such as asset numbering. The system requires an input voltage of 24V DC and the enclosure dimensions, including glands are 372 x 250 x Enquiry no: 25 200mm.

Enquiry no: 24

A Joint Venture with Bosch Rexroth

72465 Tectra Automation Advert_EC.indd 1

2015/01/15 2:22 PM

January / February 2015

EC Industrial & Business News

GREEN INDUSTRIES & RENEWABLE ENERGY

Invest in customised solar solutions

he rising cost of energy paired with the unreliability of the national electricity supplier has become a growing concern for SA businesses that are heavily dependent on electricity supply. In the light of this many business owners are starting to consider

renewable sources of energy such as Photovoltaic (PV) solutions – better known as solar power –as a sustainable energy source, which is now accessible without risking upfront capital. This is according to Manie de Waal, Head of Sales at Energy Partners, a leading energy

solutions provider in South Africa, who says that a company can collaborate with a reputable solar partner that invests in its client’s site at its own cost by installing and maintaining the PV solution. “The solar power that is generated is then sold to the company at an agreed upon rate.” These Purchase Power Agreements minimise the financial and operational risk for the client as all the responsibility for system performance and maintenance falls on the energy partner. As part of the PPA the client has the option of purchasing the PV system at any time. He warns however, that it is imperative to partner with a reputable supplier. The minimum expected electricity generated by PV panels 25 years after installation should be at least

The first and most important step is to select the right PV solution for the specific site. The three basic solutions being: a grid-tied PV solution without battery storage; a grid-tied solution with battery storage, and an off-grid PV solution. He says that PV solutions are especially suited for sites that are exposed to a lot of sunlight, have north facing non-asbestos roofs and that have a tariff structure with a large energy (kWh) component. Enquiry no: 26

Compressed natural gas sector to create jobs

ith increasing uptake of compressed natural gas (CNG) continuing among both consumers and corporates, the sector looks poised to unlock significant job creation opportunities in the near future according to Zazi Dladla, director of CNG Holdings. Dladla outlined how key partnerships with government and private sector players can enable significant job creation opportunities, whilst reducing transportation costs and carbon emissions. “The potential of the industry is massive – with the process of switching to CNG in the transport sector alone set to create 776 jobs by the end of 2016. Current demand for vehicle conversions and CNG filling stations means an additional 4 343 jobs will be created in the short to medium team: exceptionally good news for the economy.” Dladla explained that downstream opportunities would include training

80% of the original production c a p a c i t y, says de Waal. “In addition to this, a 5 to 10 year guarantee is typically offered on the electronics. It is also critical to ensure that the rest of the components used in the installation are sourced from reputable suppliers, as these components will be exposed to the environment for decades to come.” Another aspect to keep in mind is that PV solutions in South Africa have not been standardised yet and should this come into play in future, taking shortcuts now can cost the company dearly in the long term.

programmes, the establishment of CNG filling stations, the assembly of buses and the manufacturing of trailers to transport CNG. “In the long term we would also see the direct manufacturing of equipment such as regulators and cylinders – boosting local manufacturing.” He added that skills development and transfer will ensure that people are adequately trained for these jobs, with a specific focus on upskilling entrepreneurs interested in owning their own filling stations and/or CNG conversion workshops. “A conversion workshop that converts two vehicles per day, will require an administrator, technician, mechanic and two labourers, while building the seat brackets will require a welder and a labourer,” Dladla explained to delegates. “Filling stations will also each provide jobs for between eight and 17 gas attendants, up to six cashiers, four security guards and a manager, depending on the size of the filling

station.” He emphasised that conversion to CNG was about far more than job creation however: “The process of switching to CNG is also set to reduce emissions by about 25% and earn R25 million in carbon credits over the next ten years for each 100 buses and 100 taxis converted.” Dladla called on stakeholders to collaborate and create enabling partnerships that would fast-track and promote conversion from fuel to gas. “With so many opportunities available both locally and beyond our borders, it’s time for players in the space to work together to create the necessary supply networks and channels to reach consumers. A number of countries, such as Tanzania, Nigeria and Cameroon have natural gas resources and CNG distribution infrastructure can be set up within six months in these countries. It’s up to us to convert these possibilities into realities,” he Enquiry no: 27 concluded.

Turning waste into worth

EDISA (the Recycling and Economic Development Initiative of South Africa), gazetted by the Department of Environmental Affairs, has developed a viable and sustainable waste management industry focusing on tyre recycling. The REDISA Plan is the first initiative globally where a government has removed the onus of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) from the manufacturer. This is achieved through the waste management fee paid, by tyre manufacturers and importers, to handle industry’s tyre recovery and recycling liability. We are not a recycling business. Our business is to turn waste into worth, specifically the millions of tyres that are deemed as waste. As a result we have created a circular economy for the tyre industry, in which a tyre recycling business can thrive. This means that, instead of making a product for consumers to throw away, the life of the product is extended beyond the consumer stage by recovering, recycling and reintroducing it into the economy. For example once tyres have gone through the recycling process, the resulting material is used in the construction of various products such as athletics tracks, playground surfaces, rubber matting

as well as tar roads. “We are proud of the impact the initiative has made to the many people employed by REDISA, and supported in secondary industries. In just over a year we have made remarkable progress in creating jobs and developing small businesses by turning what was considered waste into worth. As of December 2013-November 2014, we have created over 1600 jobs, collecting tyres from 1458 dealers, and have 34 depots operating throughout the country. For instance in the Eastern Cape

province we have two depots (East London and Port Elizabeth) that are already operational, and we have collected over 5 455 tonnes of waste tyres from the province. Nationally, we are providing support for 156 SMMEs. As the Plan rolls out nationally we will create 10 000 jobs by 2017. We look forward to continuing our work with our partners in building a more sustainable, efficient and a long-term circular economy in South Africa. Please visit www.redisa.org.za for Enquiry no: 28 more information.

January / February 2015

EC Industrial & Business News

INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY & DEVELOPMENT

Full cover for your security

lf Rentals, based in Charlo, Port Elizabeth, is a specialist electronic security-finance-maintenance company. It is also the only company offering clients an internally-funded solution with a contractual commitment that ensures client’s equipment is fully operational for the duration of the agreement failing which the client can withhold payment. In other words, the company puts its own funds at risk for the benefit of the client. What has always set Elf apart is that it invests its own funds into the client’s security. There is no bank financing or bank-type contract. This gives the client

the assurance that they are dealing with a reliable service company that is focussed on the long term security of the client’s premises as opposed to the install and run approach. By investing its own capital and being responsible for maintenance, Elf cannot afford to take short cuts, as this will ultimately cost the company in maintenance. In addition to maintenance, Elf offers clients full insurance cover. Elf was started 20 years ago in response to the increasing demand for the reliable management and servicing of electronic security. Typical installation involves perim-

eter electric fencing , access control (incl mix of motorized sliding gates, turnstyles, boomgates incl tag-readers, intercoms, biometric readers), CCTV (incl DVR’s with software for reviewing footage, harddrive storage, thermal imaging systems, motion detection, lighting). Typically the company services large residential estates and school campuses as well as commercial and industrial sites. Although the company was initially founded in Port Elizabeth, they have clients in all major centres. Typical clients include Coega, PPC, Sumitomo and Grupo Antolin Enquiry no: 28 amongst others.

Concrete canvas now in SA

aytech has recently signed a distributorship agreement with Concrete Canvas to supply Geosynthetic Cementitious Composite Mats into the South African civil engineering industry, including road and rail applications. Concrete Canvas is used specifically for the lining of culverts, channels, slope protection, and remediation of existing concrete structures. Concrete Canvas is part of a revolutionary new class of construction materials called Geosynthetic Cementitious Composite Mats (GCCM). It is a flexible, concrete impregnated fabric that hardens on hydration to form a thin, durable, water proof and fire resistant concrete layer. Essentially, it’s concrete on a roll. Concrete Canvas allows concrete con-

struction without the need for plant or mixing equipment. Simply position the mat and just add water. Concrete Canvas consists of a 3-dimensional fibre matrix containing a specially formulated dry concrete mix. A PVC backing on one surface of the mat ensures the material is completely waterproof. The material is hydrated either by spraying, or by being fully immersed in water. Once set, the fibres reinforce the concrete, preventing crack propagation and providing a safe plastic failure mode. Concrete Canvas is available in two thicknesses, which are 5 and 8mm thick respectively. Concrete Canvas can be laid at a rate of 200m/hour, up

to 10 times faster than conventional concrete solutions and is available in shorter rolls that are manageable by hand for applications with limited access. The concrete is pre-mixed so there is no need for mixing, measuring or compacting. Just add water. The speed and ease of installation mean the product is more cost-effective than conventional concrete, with less logistical complexity and is a low mass, low carbon technology, which uses up to 95% less material than conventional concrete for many applications. Enquiry no: 29

Powerful business management systems

uildings account for 40% of the world’s energy use. Employees working in these facilities are rarely incentivised to manage energy use so putting in the technology to automate systems, manage use and drive down costs makes great sense. There are fast wins: most buildings could shave 30% off their energy usage in the first month. But the benefits could be amplified with more complex strategies says Neil Cameron (pictured), GM, Johnson Controls Building Efficiency. If facility owners or lessees did more than integrate systems related to environmental control, typically heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, they could penetrate the next level of opportunity, achieving not just greater control, but greater operational efficiencies. With every piece of equipment within an organisation, in addition to a multitude of devices and sensors, injecting status reports and event-driven data streams into the cloud, there is incredible opportunity to harness data to operate smarter, optimising processes and facility systems according to key performance data and need. Indeed,

some BMS providers with global reach are creating platforms where clients can compare their facility’s performance to that of peers, and industry benchmarks, and receive automated alerts when performance flags. In terms of smart grid benefits, many facilities, especially in the manufacturing sector will become producer-consumers of energy, contributing to

and drawing energy from a grid that is very different from the one we know today. A BMS will help organisations keep track of usage and contributions, as energy consumption becomes an increasingly strategic component of profitability. Like any long term strategy, implementing a BMS and fully leveraging its functionality takes vision. A BMS will benefit the business but it is also good for the environment.

Enquiry no: 30

Leaders in Storage and Materials Handling Solutions • Pallet racking • Light duty racking • Fencing • Mezzanine ﬂoors • Conveyor systems • Vertical storage solutions • Linbins • Containers • Workbenches • Lockers • Cabinets • Shelving • Bulk storage • Trolleys & Ladders • Flooring & Matting • Drum storage • Pallets • Lifting equipment • Safety & Security equipment • Medical equipment • Refuse containers • Ofﬁce equipment • Washroom products • Cleaning products

JOHANNESBURG TEL: (011) 608-0250 E-mail: salesjhb@linvar.co.za

A flooring specialist has completed a 6 300 m² car dealership project using tools supplied by Diamond Products - a leading specialist in the manufacture, assembly and sale of diamond tools and equipment for industrial applications. The building consists of a basement, and three floors above ground. Work on the project started in mid-2013, and was recently completed according to specified deadlines and budgets. Diamond Products has played an important role in the continued success of this project, thanks to its high-quality range of machinery that is backed up by dedicated aftersales and technical support.

CAPE TOWN TEL: (021) 380-8760 E-mail: salesctn@linvar.co.za DURBAN TEL: (031) 700-1434 E-mail: salesdbn@linvar.co.za

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PORT ELIZABETH TEL: (041) 367-1178 E-mail: pesales@linvar.co.za

www.storagedirect.co.za or www.linvar.co.za

Enquiry no: 31

racking 150x200.indd 1

2014/05/05 10:09 AM

January / February 2015

EC Industrial & Business News

HEATING, COOLING & VENTILATION ohnson Controls Building Efficiency’s latest offering in its York YLRA series – the Air to Water Reversible Heat Pump

YLRA – replaces the discontinued YLAE HP and brings a number of advances: use of more eco-friendly R410A refrigerant; improved full

load efficiencies; a wider operating range, and plenty of customisation options, including a super low noise model. The Air to Water Reversible Heat Pump YLRA is available in six sizes, from YLRA0200 to YLRA0330, with a nominal capacity range from 181kW to 307kW in cooling mode and from 200kW to 327kW in heating mode. Users can tailor-make the solution, selecting from a wide range of electrical safety, control, EC fans, acoustic jackets, desuperheaters and hydrokit options to meet use specifications. Three key features make this product highly desirable: its improved energy efficiency, low noise, and ability to operate in very cold climates. The YLRA indicators are higher than the market average, with sig-

nificant increases in full load efficiencies both in cooling and heating mode. Energy Efficiency Ratios (EER) have increased by 10 percent and Coefficient of Performance (COP) by 24 percent, without compromising part load efficiency in cooling mode. The product’s European Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, or ESEER, has increased by 1 – 4 percent. It is also one of the quietest units on the market with the Super Low Noise (SLN) models ideal for applications, such as hotel terraces, where low noise is desirable. The Basic Low Noise version (BLN) is equipped with delta connected fans running at a fixed speed and is fitted with compressor boxes to reduce noise emissions. The SLN models have inverter fans driven by an EC

motor (a brushless, direct current, external rotor motor), fitted with a variable speed controller specially set to allow the fans to operate at a very low revolutions per minute. The chillers are supplied with compressor boxes and soundproof jackets on compressors reducing significantly the noise emissions. This product has a wide heating and cooling operating range. It is designed for very cold climates, operating in -18ºC ambient temperatures.

Enquiry no: 32

Technology makes radio system simple

B CONTAINERISED FIRE PUMP FOR EQUATORIAL NEW GUINEA

ooyco Electronics’ Remcon radio system is primarily used to transport data arising from remote monitoring of areas such as boreholes, reservoirs, ventilation fans and pump stations, up to 20 km away. This advanced technology eliminates costly annual license fees by making use of license-free frequencies. The system is modular, making extension a simple procedure. The Remcon radio system operates both through serial communication with Booyco Electronics’ fixed product range, or interfaces with other hard-

ware via Ethernet, for example, in the case of existing PLCs. The control room system is able to use any industrial type Scada software package, such as Adroit, iFix, Citect, InTouch and Wincc. All panels are supplied standard with battery backup, a feature considered critical in today’s mining environment where power supply is not always assured. Panels are IP55 rated, while the industrial enclosures are manu-

factured from mild steel, stainless steel or polycarbonate materials, depending on the application. Booyco Electronics is a single source market leader that supplies quality specialised electronic safety equipment, including collision intervention systems. Its range of reliable accurate warning, locating and monitoring systems is engineered to operate in the harsh African condiEnquiry no: 33 tions.

Lubrication for refrigeration, food and mining industries

ENISO Ultracool 68 is a Fuchs lubricant for the refrigeration, food and mining industries. The product is based on chemically and thermally high-stable hydrocarbons, developed specifically for applications where ammonia is used as a refrigerant. It is a high-tech alternative to mineral oil-based refrigeration oils and, as a synthetic component, reduces the oil consumption due to less oil carry-over, thereby improving system efficiency. “RENISO Ultracool 68 has a better lifetime compared to mineral oilbased refrigeration oils and delivers

an excellent low-temperature flowability which allows it to be used even at evaporation temperatures below -45°C. Low temperature flowability is suitable for low evaporation temperatures below -45°C.” said Andrew Cowling, industrial sales manager, Fuchs Lubricants South Africa. Compressor efficiency is also improved through the improved lubrication properties provided by the higher viscosity over a wide temperature range. The high temperature viscosity

Improved temperature control

Tel: +27 31 701 3261/2 Fax: +27 31 701 8216 Email: reception@natalpumps.co.za Website: www. natalpumps.co.za

esuperheaters are designed to reduce the temperature in a steam line through the direct contact and evaporation of water resulting in improved balance between the process steam and power requirements.

Mitech’s locally designed eSteam Desuperheater is a costeffective, low maintenance solution for cooling superheated steam to within a few degrees of setpoint. By simply changing the size of nozzle, the standard unit covers a wide range of requirements. It

Indoor Air Quality Brilliant Tools to measure quality Fluke’s responded to the growing importance of air quality in buildings, workplaces and homes by offering a range of tools to monitor temperature, humidity, air velocity, particulate and carbon monoxide levels. 975 AirMeter combines 5 air-monitoring tools into one, rugged and easy-to-use handheld tool. Use the Fluke 975 to verify the efficient operation of heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, and test for dangerous carbon monoxide leaks in all types of buildings. The new Fluke 985 Particle Counter is the preferred choice for HVAC and IAQ professionals. From filter testing to IAQ investigations, the Fluke 985 is the portable solution for determining airborne particle concentrations. 971 Temperature Humidity Meter quickly takes accurate humidity and temperature readings in the air. Invaluable to facility maintenance, utility technicians and HVAC-service contractors.

Fluke. Accurate tools you can count on.

The Fluke 922 makes airflow measurements easy by combining pressure, air flow, and velocity into a single, rugged meter.

Comtest Distribution 10 Enterprise Close Linbro Park 2090 Tel: 011 608 8520 info@comtest.co.za www.comtest.co.za For a FREE Demo & more INFO email: flukeDEMO@comtest.co.za

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Air to water reversible heat pump

leads to better wear and tear protection when compared with other oil-based refrigeration minerals. The advantages include higher ageing stability compared to naphthenic-based refrigeration oils, less residues, less varnish, less sludge, and low pourpoint. It is also compatible with refrigeration oils, based on mineral oil, POA and alkybenzene and as well as with seal materials in ammonia (NH3) refrigaration systems, for example chloroprene (CR). RENISO Ultracool 68 meets and exceeds the requirements of DIN 51 5031, category KAA: refrigeration oils which are not miscible with ammonia (NH3).

Enquiry no: 34

is designed for steam with flow rates up to 100 t/h at temperatures up to 500°C and pressures to 40 bar(g). A large water turndown of 20:1 is achieved by varying the number of nozzles in use and the proportion of the sample time that one of these is open. Typically, downstream steam temperature is cooled to within 2º- 5°C of the saturation temperature with an accuracy within ± 1°C. No additional control valves, steam assist or instrument air are required, only water, power and position signal. The device, which may also be used as an attemperator, offers a high turndown, good controllability with no moving parts in the steam flow. The eSteam Desuperheater can be used with water up to 20 t/h with up to 140°C water injection temperature up to 40 barg pressure. The nozzles for the eSteam Desuperheater are sized according to the required water flow rate needed for the given steam parameters. The custom designed microprocessor controller not only allows for smooth transitions across the turndown range, but monitors the number of cycles completed by each solenoid and spreads the load across all five, thereby increasing the overall lifespan of the unit. System components include nozzles, sparger, solenoid valves, manifold and controller enclosure. Temperature feedback is via the control room in the form of a 4 20mA position signal to the desuperheater.

Enquiry no: 35

January / February 2015

EC Industrial & Business News

COMPANY & PRODUCT NEWS Regional structures to

improve quarry industry

he Aggregate and Sand Producers Association of Southern Africa (Aspasa) has appealed to members and role-player within the aggregates industry to support their regional structures and in so doing to facilitate better communication between members, as well as respond more quickly to localised opportunities and threats. Regional chairpersons and committees are used as a conduit between local producers and the association in order to identify operational requirements relating to regulatory, training and other requirements and also plays an increasingly important role in facilitating discussions with all role players continuously improving the industry. According to Aspasa Director, Nico Pienaar (pictured), the regional Chairperson is chosen

from the association’s membership in each region and task are performed on a voluntary basis. “However, the role that they play is critical in moving the entire industry forward and their work is expected to positively impact the success of their region.” “For this reason we are appealing to all members, associate members and suppliers etc to the industry to find out who the local Aspasa chairperson is and to work actively with them to improve the industry in their respective regions,” says Nico. He adds that the national structures of Aspasa will also be able to respond more quickly to the requirements of the regions to facilitate workshops and training, or to liaise with role-players to find solutions to problems facing the local industry. The chairperson is also expected to establish a sound working relationship with local Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) representatives and in many instances will be able to directly address regulatory or law enforcement issues with them before escalating problems to the national structures where required. “Quarry operators and other role players can also speak to their local Aspasa chairperson to find out other issues affecting the industry,” concludes Nico. Enquiry no: 36

Exclusive master distributor status renewed

asco Power Solutions has renewed its Master Distributor agreement with global power electronics company Gamatronic Electronics. This agreement effectively extends Jasco’s exclusive distribution rights within Southern Africa for a three-year period, with the option to renew the contract at the end of the period. Gamatronic is an internationally recognised brand with representation on every continent, providing best of breed solutions for a variety of power environments. Jasco Power Solutions has been a Master Distributor of Gamatronic solutions since 2009, first as FerroTech, and then as part of the Jasco Group. The company’s product portfolio includes modular UPS solutions from 10kVA to 1200kVA and a range of Online UPS systems from 1-10kVA, as

well as static switches, controllers and spares for support. “Over the past five years we have cultivated an excellent relationship with Gamatronic. Their top quality products and solutions, along with solid technical support, have allowed us to grow our market penetration. This extension of our exclusive distribution rights will allow us to further grow our reach and implement a further-reaching marketing strategy that will be mutually beneficial for both Jasco Power Solutions and Gamatronic,” says Marco da Silva (pictured), Managing Director of Jasco Power Solutions. Jasco Power Solutions’ Master Distributor agreement gives the company exclusive rights to distribute Gamatronic solutions in South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland and Enquiry no: 37 Zimbabwe.

Celebrating 30 years

riginal equipment manufacturer Booyco Engineering will achieve the significant milestone of 30 years in business in February 2015. The company specialises in mobile air conditioning and environmental control systems used by the military, rail and mining/ earthmoving sectors. “We have specialised in supplying custom-designed air conditioning systems since we started the company in 1985 with only four employees. Today our staff complement includes engineers who are highly qualified experts in their fields,” Jeremy Pougnet, CEO of Booyco Engineering, says. The company is set to double its number of factory workers over the next 18 months and expand its assembly facility in anticipation of a slew of contracts related to major procurement announcements from Transnet and the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA). Such is the flow of work emanating from this long-term locomotive and commuter train build programme that Booyco Engineering has a solid order book for the next four years.

This marks the latest stage in the transformation of Booyco Engineering from a specialist military sector supplier to a force to be reckoned with in the global railway sector. “It has been my ambition at Booyco Engineering that we become a significant supplier of original equipment in global markets,” Pougnet says. “We are well on our way to achieving this. It is clear that Booyco Engineering is regarded at a high level by the top rolling stock builders in the world. This is good for Booyco Engineering and for South Africa as a whole.” Pougnet adds: “Some impressive statistics have emerged with respect to our climate control systems from the railway sector, indicating very low numbers of failures per million kilometres, which is the international yardstick of reliability for this sector.

By world standards we are obtaining good results, and the global railway fraternity is sitting up and taking notice.” In order to be both efficient and competitive, Booyco Engineering is ramping up its assembly. “Due to the fact that the projects we are taking on represent sizeable volumes, we will be adopting a ‘flow line’ assembly process. We are busy rolling out a new factory layout. There is also a whole lot of new equipment that we are installing. This represents a step change in the efficiency and utilisation of two critical factors, namely space and manpower.” “The work we have done over the last 30 years has brought us to a point where we not only have a strong business, but an adaptable business model to carry us forward,” Pougnet says. Enquiry no: 38

Bruker FTIR instrument commissioned

frox continues to maintain its competitive edge through the commissioning of the German-engineered Bruker FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared) instrument at its ISO 9001 Gases Operation Centre Laboratory in Germiston. This Bruker FTIR was designed specifically to analyse low level atmospheric contaminants, including; CO, COS, H2S, NOx, SOx, and will identify and quantify chemical species found in the atmosphere around us with Opus 7.0 Software and compare the spectra against an NIST library of spectra. This makes the analytical technique extremely powerful as an investigative tool in the laboratory, and it improves the analytical tolerance of the mixtures that Afrox can analyse and supply. It complements the ‘low ppm reactive component calibration mixtures’ Afrox

has been offering in stabilised cylinders, resulting in high accuracy and extended shelf life. The instrument is equipped with an eight meter glass gas cell with gold coated mirrors to ensure that the reactive components in the sample do not react with the cell itself. The MCT detector is cooled to -196°C, a

temperature where the infrared detector is at its most sensitive. Afrox manager for special products and chemicals, Marietha Strydom stated that this instrument will enable the analysis of gases to medical, pharmaceutical and aviation standards now required by Afrox customers. “It is also part of the ISO 17025 programme that Afrox has embarked on, in order to register as a calibration laboratory.” The Bruker FTIR was chosen by Afrox as training and technical backup comes standard with the instrument, which adds value for Afrox and its customers. “Afrox is keeping its promise of continuous improvement, to keep abreast of market requirements, and provide top quality products and services,” she concludes. Enquiry no: 39

Best performance award

urge Technology, trading as Surgetek, is a specialist supplier of a wide range of lightning, surge, safety and electrical test equipment. The company recently gained the Best Overall Performance Award from Dehn Protection South Africa during a partners awards evening recently. Surgetek gained the award for the period 2013 to 2014 for being the company with the highest sales of surge and lightning equipment out of the five official distributors countrywide. The floating trophy is made up with various Dehn surge protection devices. Pictured at the trophy presentation from left, Paul van As, LV Manager Surgetek, Kirk Risch, Sales Director Dehn Protection South Enquiry no: 40 Africa and Premesh Narismulu, MD, Surgetek

Automated time clocking reduces payroll fraud, improves accuracy & can provide employee-specific, area-specific security.

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uniclox Authorized Allegion Distributor

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Sales & Support offices in Cape Town, Durban, East London, Johannesburg & Port Elizabeth

January / February 2015

COMPANY & PRODUCT NEWS

Young South African shows off supply chain savvy

How to measure salt water

alt or seawater contains chemicals that cause different physical and chemical properties in comparison to fresh water. The salinity of seawater has an influence on density, on the different temperatures of freezing and mainly on the corrosion of any constructed object with which it may come into contact. The average salinity of seawater is around 3.5%. This means that each kilogram of seawater contains approximately 35g of dissolved salts, making seawater highly corrosive. Not only does it dissolve the metal ions of different alloys rapidly, seawater also has a negative effect on many other materials used in the manufacture of devices for measuring the flow of seawater. It is, therefore, critically important to choose suitable materials for sensor linings as well as the electrodes of induction flow meters used for continuous measurement of seawater. This ensures not

EC Industrial & Business News

only that the durability, longevity and functionality is optimal, but economical too. Instrotech has recently signedup a new agency, ELIS PLZEN, Czech Republic manufacturer and supplier of FLONET induction flow meters in different dimensions (DN20-DN800), suitable for saline applications. It may be a land-locked country, but that has not deterred ELIS PLZEN dedicating many years of R&D test experience with applications for seawater, to ensure their induction flow meter’s reliability and durability. ELIS PLZEN’s induction flow meters for saline application have sparked interest in the market, and particularly their FLONET model DN700, which was recently dispatched within 3 weeks of order to a client in Greece. ELIS PLZEN expects continued interest in their products for this demanding and growing market segment. Enquiry no: 41

lack of understanding of end-to-end supply chain management is at the root of many service delivery problems experienced in South Africa and a big part of the solution lies in a commitment to supply chain training to supplement current qualifications. In what appears to be a global first for the supply chain education sector, a young South African production planner has become an APICS CPIM (Certified in Production and Inventory Management) in record

time. 26-year-old Kyle Eckstein (pictured), who has worked for SAB for the past three years, successfully passed all five examinations, each three hours long, during November 2014. Kyle has been an APICS member since June 2014, and had roughly 3 months to complete the CPIM. According to SAPICS, through whom the APICS CPIM certification is offered in South Africa, most candidates take around 12 to 18 months to successfully complete all their exami-

nations. Since 1973, more than 97,000 professionals worldwide have earned the APICS CPIM designation. “The APICS CPIM is the strategic advantage that operations management professionals need in today’s world, where the rate of organisational and technological change is accelerating exponentially,” says Jenny Froome, general manager of SAPICS, the South African association for supply chain management professionals. Enquiry no: 42

Bloodhound’s airbrake backup

composite piston accumulator designed by engineering firm Parker is set to form a vital part of Bloodhound SSC’s attempt to break the world land speed record in 2016. Powered by a jet engine and rocket, the Bloodhound SSC (supersonic car) will begin high-speed testing at Hakskeen Pan in South Africa later this year with a target of reaching 800mph. Parker’s energy storage system will provide fast access to a big energy boost if this is needed, for instance, during rapid braking after the record attempt is complete. Although the vehicle will rely on powerful air brakes to slow the vehicle from 800mph and below, if a loss of hydraulic power occurs, Parker’s two composite piston accumulators will be ready to release energy stored within them and deploy the air brakes at a controlled speed.

Compared to the steel bladder accumulators that might normally be used on such a vehicle, the composite accumulators are more compact and are 60 percent lighter, while being stronger and less susceptible to fatigue. Traditionally, composite accumulators have used metal liners with an outer composite reinforcing structure, owing to the high-stresses involved. However, Parker’s engineers have been working for over 10 years to develop a high-performance hydraulic product that is almost entirely made of composites. Their piston accumulator therefore

uses a novel plastic liner, integrated into the carbon fibre reinforced epoxy composite product. The barrel design consists of two parts – an inner liner and outer barrel. The fully composite inner liner carries the hoop loads of the internal pressure, while a fully composite outer barrel is responsible for supporting the axial loads, allowing it to perform under high stress. The development phase has included fatigue testing up to approaching six million cycles, while the accumulator also features a safe failure mode where it can leak in the event of overpressurisation. Enquiry no: 43

10 000 hours of problem free operation

Bobcat S300 has reached 10 000 hours of problemfree operation working in a harsh application on the meat producing cattle farm, Braams Voerkrale. For the past 35 years, Braams Voerkrale has been using Bobcat machines to clean cattle pens and to take care of various odd jobs around the farm which is

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ordered the Bobcat S300 to lay bedding in the cattle pens and to load manure. “Because my existing Bobcats have proven time and again to be the best machines for these applications, it made perfect sense to continue sticking with the best. And the S300 certainly delivered. Without missing a beat, the machine works between 8 to 10 hours a day which adds up to approximately 208 hours per month, requiring only the standard regular service intervals.” Erik Joosten, who is responsible for Bobcat Equipment SA (Pty) Ltd’s Aftermarket Sales Western Cape, explains that the S300’s 250 hour services are taken care of by Pieter’s farm mechanic, Jiaan. “The bigger 500 and 1000 hour service intervals are done by Bobcat’s Cape Town branch. The machine’s tilt cylinders have been done, the radiator has been done twice and the starter and alternator have been replaced. We also overhauled the machine with new ‘bobtach’ pins and bushes.” The GRID Bobcat What is isresponsible for training the it? machine operators, who, having worked on the farm for the past 20 years, have become experts in handling the Bobcats. Bobcat has earned the coveted position of world leader in compact equipment by delivering a quality product range backed by dedicated after-sales service from a team of highly skilled technicians based at the company’s well-stocked branch network. The GRID is a graphic element that helps to create the ZEST indentity. Derivative of the proportions of the logo, it is based on a proportion of width and height of 2-to3. The distance between the GRID elements is 1/3 of the height of an element.

Enquiry no: 44

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home to approximately 6000 head of cattle. The Bobcat S300 started its working ‘life’ on the farm in 2011 and reached the 10 000 hour milestone during the second week of July 2014. Pieter Eksteen, who started with Braams Voerkrale in the late 1980’s when he was still a student and took farm ownership in the 90s, says that he specifically

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Jiaan Coetzee (left) receiving certificate from Erik Joosen of Bobcat

January / February 2015

COMPANY & PRODUCT NEWS

EC Industrial & Business News

High pressure waterblast hose

ower management company Eaton has launched the new Safeshield EC910 high pressure waterblast hose for their customers in Africa. This engineered hose is designed to ensure the highest levels of safety in settings where workers are performing non-polluting industrial cleaning, stripping and removal of corrosion, paint, chemical and organic residues. “With pressures high enough to meet even the most stringent waterblast applications, the Safeshield EC910 hose is the latest in Eaton’s long line of high-quality waterblast hose assemblies,” said Leonard Myburgh, product manager, Eaton, Africa. “This next generation hose is custom designed to perform at five times the industry impulse cycle life requirement, demon-

strating Eaton’s dedication to reaching the highest levels of reliability, operator safety and commitment of building a more energy efficient Africa.” he added.

Capable of withstanding operating pressures as high as 1100 bar (16,000 psi), EC910 meets and exceeds the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 7751 requirements. It is constructed with heavy steel wire reinforcement, featuring Eaton’s highly abrasion resistant DuraTuff hose cover, providing excellent flexibility, long service life and ease of

Safety light curtains as linked version

euze MLC 500 safety light curtains are now also available as linked versions, says Gerry Bryant, Managing Director, Countapulse Controls. “In those instances where multiple-sided access guarding is required or point-of-operation guarding is to be combined with area protection as stepping-behind protection, the use of cascaded MLC devices reduces the cost of installation and cabling considerably.” Rigid L and U-shaped connections as well as variants with flexible cable connections can be used.

The host-guest variants are Type 4 devices that provide reliable protection without dead space and with maximum system availability. A particular feature is that they are unusually slim (29 mm x 35 mm) and extremely sturdy due to the slightly set back front screens, reinforced side walls and metal end caps. Installation of the MLC safety light curtains is very easy due to the large variety of possible mounting brackets.

Local SAIMechE Workshops:

handling in the field. EC910 is available in sizes -08, -12 and -16, approved for working pressures from 1100 bar to 690 bar (16,000 psi to 10,000 psi), respectively, with a burst factor of 2.5 times the normal working pressure. Eaton’s waterblast hoses are assembled by professionally trained personnel to ensure the highest quality available. These hoses are also available in 15m (50 foot) and 20m (66 foot) lengths, with the following qualified hose fitting styles: male NPTF, DKO, and BSPP. Related adapters to connect multiple lengths of EC910 hose assemblies are also available emphasizing Eaton’s commitment to providing cross-business solutions in key industry segments critical to Africa’s Enquiry no: 45 growth.

March – June 2015

he South African Institution of Mechanical Engineering (SAIMechE) convenes over 90 specialised 1, 2 and 3 day workshops in six regions of South Africa. The following are scheduled for Port Elizabeth: • Machinery Failure Analysis & Prevention: 3 – 5 March 2015 • Running Effective Meetings: 17 March 2015 • Fans and Air Handling: 8 – 9 April 2015 • Technical Communication and Report Writing: 6 – 7 May 2015 • Coaching Skills of Managers in Engineering: 20 May 2015

• Value Engineering in Projects: 26 – 28 May 2015 For booking and enquiries contact carey@saimeche.org.za

The Leuze MLC 500 series includes the newest generation of extremely sturdy Type 4 safety light curtains. Three function classes – Basic, Standard and Extended – enable the most efficient use of devices from simple standard applications to complex controlled special safeguarding processes. The devices can be used universally, due to metal end caps, a flexible fastening concept and the option of formlocking installation. There are also variants which have an AIDA-compliant pin assignment. AIDA is an acronym for Automatisierungs-Initiative deutscher Automobilisten, or the Automation Initiative of German Automobile Enquiry no: 46 Manufacturers.

More reliable power plant operation

merson Process Management has integrated generator excitation capabilities into its Ovation control system. This capability helps to better control the generator and, in doing so, contributes to grid stability. Built on the Ovation control system platform, the Ovation generator excitation system offers precise excitation control for rotating, brushless or static exciters. The flexible, single-platform design allows it to be applied to generators with field current requirements of up to 8,000 amps. While Emerson has provided excitation systems for some time, this new solution leverages the power of

the Ovation platform through a highperformance I/O module dedicated to excitation control functions. Having native generator excitation capability on the Ovation platform provides a common plant automation platform from fuel supply through generator control, simplifying root cause analysis of events, simplified troubleshooting of the excitation system via native Ovation alarming, historical data collection and sequence-of-events monitoring capabilities, improved operator efficiency with the ability to monitor and control all plant systems from the same workstation, simplified excitation system configuration via a common

set of standard Ovation engineering tools and streamlined personnel training and deployment. Designed for any synchronous generator including those in hydro, fossil and nuclear power plants, the Ovation generator excitation system features integrated Power System Stabilizer software and a full suite of limiting and protection functions. The system is applicable to both new construction and retrofit projects, and Emerson’s team of excitation experts can tailor it to accommodate any plant’s unique layout and generator design. Enquiry no: 47

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the number relevant to the article then return fax this coupon to enquiries at (031) 266 7514 / 086 656 7452 or email: editorial@mediaevents.co.za Name: _______________________________________________ Surname: ____________________________________________ Company: ____________________________________________ Designation: __________________________________________ Address: _____________________________________________ _________________________________ Postal Code:________ Tel:________________________Fax:_______________________ Email: ________________________________________________ Nature of business: _____________________________________

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January / February 2015

COMPANY & PRODUCT NEWS

EC Industrial & Business News

Technology drives down crane costs

New ball rail system doubles service life

ectra Automation has introduced the new BSHP ball rail runner block from Rexroth which, by integrating its patented run-in zone and adding load-bearing balls, improves load capacities in the load zone, in turn doubling the nominal service life of the ball rail systems’ and increases their travel accuracy. Machine product quality has been improved as a result of these innovations and to ensure they cater for a broad spectrum of the market, the new runner blocks, which also fit on already installed profiled rails of the same sizes (sizes 15 to 65) without any restrictions, are available in all sizes, versions and accuracy classes. “Its operation is relatively simple,” says Greg Calder, Product Manager – Linear Motion & Assembly Technologies, Tectra Automation. “The axis travels toward the blank with a high level of dynamic capability and the tool machines the product with high force. This is where our BSHP runner blocks distinguish themselves from earlier versions as pulsation is greatly minimised, with no change in the high precision of the travel movement – even when subjected to heavy loads. The accuracy of cutting machine tools, measuring machines, glass machining equipment and other tooling increases, as does machining quality.” Calder says that Rexroth has improved the dynamic load capacities by about 26% across all sizes and variants with static load capacities improving by as much as 50%. “The higher load capacities also promote the trend toward energy-efficient lightweight construction for new machine concepts,” he says. “This is attainable as the new runner blocks are designed in such a way that manufacturers can use smaller sizes than before without sacrificing performance. This saves weight and installation space.” With increased versatility, the BSHP ball rail runner blocks align with Rexroth’s interchangeable design, allowing users to combine the runner block and profiled rails of identical sizes when required – reducing logistics, assembly and servicing outlay throughout the Enquiry no: 48 lifecycle.

local crane company with facilities in South Africa, South America and Europe claims to have lowered the overall lifetime costs of its products below those of its competitors, the result of successfully incorporating select and relevant technological developments. The company, Condra, has for many years held a hard won reputation across central and southern Africa for producing rugged, robust cranes that can withstand the harsh operating conditions associated with this continent. Since 2008, however, in order to deepen and extend footholds recently gained in European markets, Condra has developed its products to incorporate technologies that lower the cost of the machine, extend its useful life, or both. Among the product improvements introduced to achieve this goal are adapted V-belt hoist drives, live-axle direct drives on the endcarriages, case-hardened hoist gears, and

squirrel-cage motors with disc brakes. V-belt drives have been tested and proven in the motor vehicle industry for decades, delivering very low maintenance costs because of the need for neither greasing nor cleaning. Applied to hoists, they deliver a performance considerably superior to any alternative in tough operational environments where routine maintenance is likely to be overlooked. Within the end-carriages, Condra uses live axles to eliminate the cost of ring and pinion gears. With axles transmitting drive torque directly to the wheels, friction losses are lowered while energy efficiency is increased. Case-hardened gears optimise performance and extend gear life. Condra is using a 36B case-hardened material on most pinions, and

casting gearbox housings and some flanges in aluminium. Squirrel cage motors are used for similar reasons: rugged construction and lower maintenance requirements. Rotors are made from silumin. Further examples of using technology to optimise cost effectiveness can be found in hoist ropes and brake logic circuits. Small diameter ropes of high tensile strength are fitted to Condra’s hoists, enabling a reduced drum diameter and a smaller gearbox and motor, all of which help contain costs. Brake logic circuits extend the lives of brakes and motors by ensuring their optimal usage. Brake life is extended by a factor of up to three, with the logic circuit eliminating any operator tendency to over-work the crane. Enquiry no: 50

Increased production uptime

yrotec PackMark, a privately-owned South African product identification solutions provider, offers service contracts and hiring of equipment to their clients to assist with labelling, coding and printing needs for production lines. To meet the demand of the fast pace production environment, the PackMark division offers clients critical packaging machinery that is over and above the standard production requirements. The equipment is leased to clients in the event of a promotional offering or specific batch information that needs to be incorporated on a product range. The leasing of equipment is also offered to clients’ experiencing machinery downtime – it is critical that their production lines remain uninterrupted while the machinery is being serviced or repaired.

“Our clients cannot afford to add machinery downtime to their daily list of challenges,” explains Brandon Pearce, General Manager at Pyrotec PackMark. “With our advanced product offering, outstanding service and fully equipped workshops, we are able to increase production uptime for our clients.” In addition to the lease offering, Pyrotec PackMark’s workshops are developed to provide customers with the necessary support structure; thereby ensuring that downtime of critical packaging equipment is kept to a minimum. The service contracts ensure that clients’ equipment are kept operational and reduces disruption of the production line. Scheduled maintenance maximises uptime and improves productivity. The consumable contracts enable clients’ monthly call off to reduce their

stockholdings. Pyrotec PackMark will monitor clients’ consumable usage rate and supply the demand to prevent downtime in the production line due to lack of stock. "For our clients’, ensuring consistent uptime of critical packaging equipment is a vital requirement for an efficient, cost-effective manufacturing process. Through our streamlined customer support service Pyrotec PackMark, together with our expert team is able to speedily resolve any technical issues and get clients up-and-running again quickly and efficiently," concludes Enquiry no: 51 Pearce.

Guardrail standards to help reduce road death toll

he International Transport Forum’s (ITF) Road Safety Annual Report, released in May 2013, ranked South Africa the worst out of 36 countries in terms of the number of road fatalities. Road fatalities per 100 000 inhabitants was at 27.6 deaths in 2011. This is a shocking statistic when compared to developed countries like North America (10.4) or Australia (5.6). Even those developing countries included in the report did not exceed South Africa’s road death toll. Reducing the number and severity of road accidents, specifically on major roads and highways, is a multi-pronged approach that includes tests for alcohol use at road blocks, driver education, checking for roadworthiness

of vehicles and road design. While the first three points are driven by available manpower, road design is easier to address and amend. Road design includes the physical design

of the road layout (including sharp turns and bends), off ramps and on-ramps to the roads, bridges, road surfaces, adequate lighting, road signs and markings, as well as the inclusion of safety-related measures such as guardrails. In an effort to introduce the latest standards and technology to South Africa, Andrew Mentis is manufacturing the Easy-Rail modular guardrail system in South Africa under license from Volkmann & Rossbach of Germany. Easy-Rail is a crash-tested guardrail system representing the latest European safety and quality standards that has received attention from the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) and the South African Road Enquiry no: 52 Federation (SARF).

Low energy trunking

egrand’s commitment to keeping abreast with the latest global electrical and digital trends and requirements in residential and commercial buildings, is confirmed by the introduction locally of new products and systems. “The new multifunction illuminated DLP range is used to efficiently combine the distribution of high and low currents and LED illumination in a single product. Features of this system include cost efficiency, low energy consumption, enhanced safety and modern aesthetics,” states Luk Ivens, GM, Legrand Southern Africa. “LED lighting, which enables energy consumption to be controlled, also meets new requirements for ‘Green Buildings’. LEDs, which are integrated in the DLP lighting module, continuously diffuse a soft light, providing standby lighting less than 5 lux, which is easy on the eye.” This illuminated PVC trunking is designed for comfort, safety and aesthetics in reception areas and passageways of non-residential buildings, like hotels, offices, hospitals, exhibition halls, shops and museums and for specific needs in the residential sector. LED system covers can be installed in place of standard covers that are already fitted on mini-trunking, plinths, trunking and columns. LED lighting modules are available in lengths of 0,5 m,1 m or 2m, with standard light of white or blue. Other LED colours are also available, enabling users to personalise Enquiry no: 49 their lighting environments.

We don’t know what the car of the future looks like. But we know how it will be built. Making things right. Answers for the future of manufacturing.

To ensure long-term success in the automotive market, production has to react flexibly to its changing needs. Nowadays it is about more than just the mere manufacturing process – product design, production planning, and service performance are also key factors. Volkswagen has already collaborated with Siemens to make production more intelligent. In the future, machines will learn to communicate

independently and to optimize production steps. The goal is to simplify the manufacturing of different car models. The benefits include greater flexibility, ncreased efficiency, and improved global competitiveness. The answers for the future of manufacturing exist. And now is the time to make things right. Because the world of tomorrow needs answers that last today. www.siemens.co.za