SA Mechanical Engineer March/April 2020

S MECHANICAL A ENGINEER Mar/Apr 2020

Publication of the SA Institution of Mechanical Engineering, incorporating News of Associate Organisations

THE CASE FOR SATELLITE BROADBAND TECHNOLOGY

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THE SOUTH AFRICAN MECHANICAL ENGINEER

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AN ENGINEER’S VIEW

Connecting with the World of Engineering Education

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n July 2019, people from all over the world gathered in Cape Town to participate in the Research in Engineering Education Symposium (REES 2019), an event co-hosted by the global Research in Engineering Education Network (REEN) and the South African Society for Engineering Education (SASEE).

The participants were researchers investigating engineering education in local, national and global contexts; educators who teach engineering students everything from fundamental mathematics to the professional communications skills they’ll require to become professional engineers; technicians and technologists; academic support staff who work hard to help students and lecturers in crafting effective, efficient, innovative and equitable learning opportunities.

We even had engineering students alongside lecturers participating in a workshop where researchers juxtaposed approaches to decolonisation relevant to engineering in San Diego, CA, USA with those in Cape Town, RSA. Over the few days we met, I was struck by the similarity in challenges facing engineering education across the globe.

The fundamentals of engineering science have not changed significantly over the past 20 years, however the number of students in our classes has grown dramatically. Our students’ educational, socio-economic and cultural identities are far more diverse, and the challenges that they face are those related to the rapidly changing context of our global society, and the uncertainty and unpredictability of the future of humanity, exacerbated by Covid-19.

At the same time, there has been innovation to teaching and learning in engineering education over the past couple of decades. We use the internet, smart phones, teamwork projects, project-based learning – basically any innovative idea that we can access in order to reach the many students in our classes.

Furthermore, we no longer teach classes of 50 students, but up to 500.

Modern academic

excellence in order to move up the academic ladder. Within this productivity driven environment, it is understandable that lecturers are gathering to share practices Prof. Deborah Blaine and ideas that relate to both engineering and learning.

In South Africa, SASEE (founded in 2011) has been instrumental in building this community of practice and creating opportunities for engineering education stakeholders to work together to navigate the complex world of building knowledge, transferring skills, and preparing young engineers for industry.

Collaboration

The REES 2019 conference provided an exceptional opportunity for our South African community to collaborate and share their experiences with colleagues from Europe, North America, Asia, Australia, South America and the rest of Africa. What was encouraging to observe was the quality of engineering education in South Africa, the dedication of the educators and researchers who are truly invested in growing engineers for our country, and to recognise that the issues we struggle with resonate with those experienced by our colleagues across the globe.

And the uncertainty and unpredictability of the future of humanity, exacerbated by Covid-19 What we missed at the conference was the voice of the industrial and commercial engineering community, a critical stakeholder in the engineering education project. Each of our SAIMechE members studied engineering somewhere. We are living in the same dynamic and challenging world for which engineering educators are trying to prepare our student engineers. SASEE would like to invite and encourage our mechanical engineering community to get involved in shaping the engineers of our future.

The number of students in our classrooms who are first-generation university goers has increased dramatically; there are more than five girls in our graduating classes; we know that some students learn well through pictures, others through discussions and groupwork, others through reading. The days of a lecturer standing in front of a class for 50 minutes, three times a week, and speaking to the class non-stop, are gone.

Despite all the complaints that we make about our educational systems and the difficulties we face with our economy, we have so many vibrant, intelligent and dedicated young people who want to become engineers, who want to grow our country and our engineering community. It is our duty to work together to create a fertile academic environment in which they can grow and succeed.

Many universities across the world now require the modern academic to submit a teaching portfolio showcasing their reflection on and practice in teaching and learning, as well as their disciplinary research

Stay Home and Stay Safe Prof. Deborah Blaine SAIMechE National President 2018-2020

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THE SOUTH AFRICAN MECHANICAL ENGINEER

VOL 70 Mar/Apr 2020

S MECHANICAL A ENGINEER Mar/Apr 2020

Publication of the SA Institution of Mechanical Engineering, incorporating News of Associate Organisations

S MECHANICAL A ENGINEER Mar/Apr 2020 VOLUME 70

Contents THE CASE FOR SATELLITE BROADBAND TECHNOLOGY

THE COMPLEX WORLD OF EDUCATING YOUNG ENGINEERS

SAIT Tel: (011) 804-3710 Email: secretary@sait.co.za www.sait.org.za

Cover Story

Mining

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28 Digital Transformation Roadmaps

Tribological Challenges at the Railway Wheel-Rail Interface

Good Neighbourliness

Satellite Technology

10 A Number of Strategies

23 Unlocking SA’s Development and

Economic Potential

Expanded Operations

Slurry Flow

12 West Africa

30 Dry Installation of Pump

Safety 14 Underground Ventilation Mine Doors

Steam Boiler 31 Understanding your Options

Power Transmission

Refineries

16 Speeding Up Design of Bearing Arrangements

32 Ethylene Capacity Threatened

Getting to the Core 22 Faster Drilling and Reduced Fuel Cost

Energy Savings Rebate 25 12L Tax Incentive worth Billions of Rands

Regulars 3

An Engineer’s View

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Institution News

34 Market Forum 38 On the Move

Copyright

All rights reserved. No editorial matter published in “SA Mechanical Engineer” may be reproduced in any form or language without written permission of the publishers. While every effort is made to ensure accurate reproduction, the editor, authors, publishers and their employees or agents shall not be responsible or in any way liable for any errors, omissions or inaccuracies in the publication, whether arising from negligence or otherwise or for any consequences arising therefrom. The inclusion or exclusion of any product does not mean that the publisher or editorial board advocates or rejects its use either generally or in any particular field or fields.

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Disclaimer

PROMECH Publishing and The South African Institution of Mechanical Engineering as well as any other body do not take responsibility for the opinions expressed by individuals.

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Official Publication of

THE SA INSTITUTION OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING and endorsed by:

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CONSULTING ENGINEERS OF SA CORROSION INSTITUTE OF SA INSTITUTE FOR CERTIFICATED MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS NATIONAL SOCIETY OF BLACK ENGINEERS NUCLEAR INSTITUTE SA ASSOCIATION FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY SA CAPITAL EQUIPMENT EXPORT COUNCIL SA INSTITUTE FOR NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING SA INSTITUTE OF TRIBOLOGY SA PLASTIC PIPE MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION SA PUMP MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION SA VALVE AND ACTUATORS MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION VALVE & ACTUATOR MANUFACTURERS CLUSTER OF South Africa

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WORLD-CLASS performance requires speed, agility and endurance

STRATEGY

INFRASTRUCTURE

OPERATIONS

Planning strategic direction benchmarked to world-class standards

Development of world-class infrastructure from concept to realisation

Development of operations to best practice and world-class standards

Supply Chain Strategy

Facility Design & Development

Process & Operations Design

• Supply Chain network analysis & design • National & Regional DC strategy development • Facility Sizing and OPEX estimates • On-line fullllment • Slow vs. Fast movers network set-up • A Supply Chain that supports business strategy • Site development strategies • Technology, IOT and digitilisation strategy

• Greennelds site development

• Operations assessment and benchmarking • WMS / WCS review • WMS / WCS functional requirements • Process and operations optimisation • Long term operational development strategies • Process audit • Labour standards and incentive programs

planning • Brownnelds site development planning • Functional building requirements speciication • Technical liaison to professional / development team • Facility sizing requirements (short to long term) • Design to execution • Procurement, program and vendor management

In today’s competitive business world you need to focus on every opportunity to advance your company mission

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ils-ct@ils.co.za ils-jhb@ils.co.za www.ils.co.za

SA INSTITUTION OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING Council 2018 - 2020 Office Bearers President........................................................ Prof D Blaine (Debby) Vice President..........................................H Makwarela (Hangwani) National Treasurer............................... Prof JL van Niekerk (Wikus) Branch Chairpersons Central ................................................................. P Motleka (Portia) Eastern Cape.............................................. G van den Berg (Gideon) KwaZulu-Natal ........................................... Dr J Padayachee (Jared) Mpumalanga Highveld .................................... M Mashele (Mishael) Vaal................................................................. N Swanepoel (Niekie) Western Cape ....................................................Dr G Erfort (Gareth) Portfolios: Procedures..............................................................SZ Hrabar (Steve) Communications and Marketing.....................G Bartholomew (Bart) Professional Development Programme (PDP)................................. ......................................................................MAE Black (Malcolm) Projects and Systems Awards........................HG Bosman (Tertius) Membership .................................C Molomo-Mphephu (Cillia) Diversity and Transformation ..................R Tshitahe (Rudzani) Student and Candidate Affairs.......M Jansen van Rensburg (Marietjie) Chief Executive Officer............................... Vaughan Rimbault National Office Co-ordinator………...........… Carey Evans PO Box 511, Bruma, 2026 Tel: (011) 615-5660 Email: info@saimeche.org.za Website: www.saimeche.org.za Membership Email: membership@saimeche.org.za

Company Affiliates Autodesk as represented by Wordsview Technologies

Plant Design & Project Services (Pty) Ltd (PDPS)

Babcock Nththuko Engineering Pty Ltd

PPS Insurance Co Limited

Eskom Rotek Industries SOC Ltd

Redheads Engineering Services (Pty) Ltd

Exxaro Resources (Pty) Ltd

S.A.M.E Water (Pty) Ltd

Festo (Pty)

SA Power Services (Pty) Ltd

Fluor SA (Pty) Ltd

Sasol Technology (Pty) Ltd

Kelvion Systemes (Pty)

Siemens (Pty) Ltd

Hatch Africa (Pty) Ltd

Spirax Sarco (Pty) Ltd

Howden Power (a Division of Howden Africa)

Tenova Mining and Minerals SA

Howden Projects (a Division of James Howden)

Proconics

Thyssenkrupp Engineering (Pty) Ltd Vital Engineering (Pty) Ltd

MBE Minerals (SA) (Pty) Ltd

Weir Warman Africa

Megchem

Thysssenkrupp Engineering (Pty) Ltd

Mod-U-Flow cc Osborn Engineered Products SA (Pty) Ltd

Vital Engineering (Pty) Ltd Weir Warman Africa

UJ Student Chapter Roadshow 2020

T

he SAIMechE UJ APK Student Chapter Roadshow was hosted at the University of Johannesburg on 21 February 2020. The event was intended to educate new members about the benefits of joining SAIMechE and was divided into two parts, namely: the presentation and the fun day.

that the students might become more comfortable to socialise and network with one another. Food and refreshments were also offered by the committee members and, lastly, two raffles were held to keep the students engaged and excited. First prize was a R200 voucher from Van Schaik and the second prize was a slab of chocolate.

The first part took place in a lecture hall where Marietjie Jansen van Rensburg, a member of SAIMechE Central Branch and Council member, gave a presentation on what SAIMechE is and how to become a member as a student as well as a professional engineer. She also emphasised the importance of being a part of SAIMechE while studying as this sets students apart from all other graduates when you are looking for prospective employment.

60 students took part in the Roadshow.

Mechanical Engineering Department SAIMechE UJ APK Student Chapter

She further explained how the SAIMechE Student Chapter looks out for the needs of mechanical engineering students by organising site visits to engineering companies, hosting events like Career Day, where different companies come to the campus to market their company and the different opportunities they offer.

After the presentation by Marietjie, the fun day event took place at an open field near the UJ gymnasium.

Here, the mechanical engineering students could meet up and take part in games prepared by the members of the SAIMechE UJ Student Chapter.

These games were intended as an ice breaker so THE SOUTH AFRICAN MECHANICAL ENGINEER

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Tribological Challenges at The Railway Wheel-Rail Interface Contact at the railway wheel-rail interface results in a fascinating array of problems and challenges to the Mechanical and Metallurgical Engineer.

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ll of these challenges occur in an area typically as big as a South African R1 coin. Contact in this area can be classified as an open tribological system with a constantly changing environment and exposed to all kinds of contaminants. This is different from a closed system such as a sealed gearbox operating in a controlled environment that enables better control of friction, wear and applied lubrication.

the rolling-sliding contact. When the entire contact area is saturated with slip the adhesion coefficient approaches the Coulomb limit and gross sliding occurs in the contact patch. The dependency of the adhesion/traction coefficient on relative sliding (creepage) in the contact area is governed by an adhesion curve as shown.

Happy marriage

The creepage occurring at the wheel-rail interface

Creepage occurring at the wheel-rail interface is responsible for the vast majority of challenges Friction at the wheel-rail rolling-sliding contact provides the means of vehicle propulsion and braking as well as vehicle steering. Here the friction/creep/ traction force increases as the area in the contact patch associated with sliding (relative slip/creepage) increases compared to the area of adhesion for

Adhesion curve (Zakharov 2001)

Railhead corrugation

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COVER STORY

is responsible for the vast majority of challenges that the wheel-rail practitioner needs to address/ solve to enable a happy marriage between the wheel and rail. As with any other good marriage, the marriage between the wheel and the rail is governed and influenced by the system within which this marriage operates. Of significant influence is the interaction between the vehicle and track and their corresponding dynamics.

Rails and wheels typically experience uniform/regular wear in the longitudinal direction for rails and the circumferential direction for wheels. This wear is governed by adhesive, abrasive and corrosive wear and typically modelled using wear models like the Archard wear model. In addition to the regular and uniform wear, wheels and rails can also experience irregular and/or periodic wear. The periodic wear originates from the dynamics associated with the vehicle-track system.

Periodic wear on the rail’s running surface is called railhead corrugation and closely resembles the transverse ripples in the surface of gravel roads also termed corrugation. When wheels experience periodic wear around the circumference of the wheel the phenomenon is called wheel tread polygonisation. Both corrugation and polygonisation

close to the surface inside the rails and/or wheels due to overstressing the rail and/or wheel material.

This type of fatigue crack differs from fatigue cracks observed in the majority of engineering components as it develops under compressive and not tensile loads. The biggest challenge associated with RCF is that ultrasonic rail flaw detection fails because the RCF cracks mask any internal rail defects.

RCF is often made worse in curves by the migration of lubricants, meant to reduce wear at the rail’s side bearing surface, to the top-of-rail running surface RCF is often made worse in curves by the migration of lubricants, meant to reduce wear at the rail’s side bearing surface, to the top-of-rail running surface.

This lubricant migration significantly reduces the wear in the area where RCF typically forms and prevents the cracks from wearing away due to wheel-rail interaction. This in return requires the use of rail grinding to artificially wear the cracks away. The term magic wear rate has been coined as the wear rate that equals the crack growth rate and naturally keeps the RCF under control. Controlling RCF by means of the magic wear rate has however eluded the railway fraternity to date because of system complexity.

Optimal design

Closely linked to addressing the tribological challenges at the wheel-rail interface is the optimal design of the wheel and rail transverse profile combination to optimise vehicle curving, lower contact stresses, lower wear rates, improve vehicle stability on straight track, to achieve the desired worn wheel and rail profiles with minimal changes compared to the design profiles as well as to improve adhesion for tractive rolling stock.

Wheel tread polygonisation

causes severe dynamic loading into the wheel-rail interface and pre-mature failures of track and vehicle components.

Rolling contact fatigue

In addition to wear, railway wheels and rails also experience rolling contact fatigue (RCF). RCF cracks can manifest themselves on the surface or

Last but not least and related to tribological aspects at the wheel-rail interface, self-excited friction induced noise in the form of tonal wheel squeal provides another challenge to the wheel-rail practitioner.

Self-excited systems begin to vibrate on their own accord, at a natural or critical frequency of the system, essentially independent of the frequency of any external stimulus to the vibrating system.

In the case of railway wheel squeal the self-excitation results from negative friction or mode-coupling instability resulting in positive work being done and cyclic growth of vibration at the wheel-rail interface.

Squeal results in a significant contribution to environmental noise and is the loudest noise source originating from railways.

Wheel-rail interaction being at the heart of railway mobility is a science enriched with tribology engineering.

Dr Danie Fourie Senior Engineer Transnet Freight Rail

Rail rolling contact fatigue

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Piecing together your success.

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PPS is an authorised Financial Services Provider.

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GOOD NEIGHBOURLINESS

A Number of Strategies Increasingly hemmed in by urban development, AfriSam’s Jukskei quarry and readymix plant have been applying ever more stringent controls and standards to remain a friendly neighbour.

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This is done at seven sample points, ensuring that any seepage from the quarry is not negatively affecting water quality

hen the Jukskei quarry began operation some seven decades ago, its location was decidedly rural. However, the surrounding area of Midrand developed rapidly, and in the last 10 to 20 years in particular, various neighbours have closed in around the Jukskei aggregate and readymix operation.

“Today, we are surrounded by residential, commercial and industrial developments,” Zielas du Preez, regional manager for AfriSam’s Gauteng Aggregates Operations, says. “This process, alongside changes in environmental regulations, means that we are constantly improving the way we work.”

Measuring points

Noise, dust, blasting and water quality are among the most important areas of focus. To minimise the impact on surrounding areas, noise monitoring is

regularly conducted. Measuring points around the operation relay information on how noise is being dissipated. The data populates an annual survey against which performance can be checked.

With the crushing of blasted granite into various aggregate products, and the constant movement of trucks and other equipment, dust is inevitable.

A number of strategies to control dust are applied, Zielas explains. These range from sprays inside the high speed crushers, activated on start-up, to water spray systems along the roadways to suppress air-borne dust.

This success is measured through the monthly analysis of dust fallout buckets, strategically placed in numerous positions around the operation. The collection and analysis of these buckets are performed by an independent consulting group.

Monitoring of water quality is also critical, both upstream and downstream of the pit. This is done at seven sample points, ensuring that any seepage from the quarry is not negatively affecting water quality.

Better blasts

Controlling blasts in the quarry leverages the latest technologies to keep noise, vibration and other impacts low.

“Using electronic blasting technology and blast planning software, we can simulate each blast within optimal parameters,” he says. “We keep air blast, vibration and fly rock to a minimum, while still achieving our required fragmentation for the crushers.”

There is even a public engagement element to the blasting programme, where neighbouring properties are kept informed through a roll-call list.

Zielas concludes by saying that extra security measures have been applied in the quarry, including lighting and surveillance, as human settlements encroach ever closer.

Various aggregate (stone) products are produced at the Jukskei quarry to meet the requirements for construction and infrastructure projects

AfriSam Tel: (011) 670 5500 Email: customer.service@za.afrisam.com www.afrisam.com

The Jukskei quarry has been part of the Waterfall community for over 60 years

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EXPANDED OPERATIONS

West Africa South African condition monitoring specialists, WearCheck, has upgraded their laboratory in Tarkwa, Ghana into a stateof-the-art testing centre which can now conduct transformer oil, coolant and fuel analysis, among a host of additional services, as well as traditional used oil analysis.

T

arkwa’s new laboratory, now housed in a building a block away from the original converted shipping container, is kitted out with various new instruments that enable extensive advanced testing to be done, and additional laboratory technicians have been employed.

The company also opened a second laboratory in Ghana recently, providing world class oil analysis and reliability solutions services to industries in the Ashanti region, in Kumasi.

This brings to 17 the number of laboratories operated

by WearCheck, which was founded over 40 years ago in Durban This brings to 17 the number of laboratories operated

by WearCheck, which was founded over 40 years ago in Durban, South Africa, and today processes in excess of 800 000 used oil samples annually.

Scientific analysis

Since 2013, WearCheck Tarkwa has successfully serviced Ghanaian mining operations and other industries, conducting the scientific analysis of used oil and other condition monitoring techniques, all of which reduce maintenance costs and boost

WearCheck managing director,Neil Robinson, is grateful for the warm welcome from Ghanaian industries, whose investment in the company’s condition monitoring programmes has led to a second world class laboratory opening in the country

productivity by improving equipment reliability and availability.

Managing director Neil Robinson is delighted to be expanding business operations in Ghana. “The positive feedback from our Ghanaian customers has inspired our company to expand into the Ashanti area to meet the local need for our top quality laboratory services.”

Neil is dedicated to providing top quality service and is proud of WearCheck’s status as the only condition monitoring company in Africa with ISO 9001 quality certification and ISO 14001 certification for its environmental management programme, as well as

Adus distillation unit

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Kruss tensiometer

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ISO 17025 accreditation for its laboratory-centric quality management programme.

Assistance

Backed by a team of highly-skilled scientists and technicians, the company assists customers to select the best condition monitoring programme, which incorporates services such as the analysis of used oil and other fluids, thermography, vibration analysis, balancing, technical compliance, rope condition assessment, non-destructive testing, and a wide range of aligned services.

Mining, industrial, marine, earth moving, aviation, construction and power generation are just some of the industries in which WearCheck’s customers operate.

The company’s network of laboratories spans nine countries on the continent and beyond in Dubai and India. Laboratories are situated in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, DRC and Mozambique, with WearCheck branches in several other African countries.

WearCheck Tel: (031) 700-5460 Email: marketing@wearcheck.co.za Email: supportgh@wearcheck.com.gh Email: martin@wearcheck.com.gh www.wearcheck.co.za

Kumasi laboratory supervisor Martin Acheampong (left) processes used oil samples in the company’s new lab in Ghana, while lab technician Charles Aggrey looks on. The company provides oil analysis and other condition monitoring services to industries to boost machinery availability and reliability.

Oil analysis tests

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SAFETY

Underground Ventilation Mine Doors An innovative and robust range of underground ventilation mine doors has been launched into the Southern Africa’s mining sector.

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hese doors are manufactured by global mine door solutions specialist, USA-based American Mine Door, and are available locally from Maxiflex. Thanks to their unique design, the door wings open in opposite directions, enhancing safety, efficiency and productivity.

In addition to giving the mine doors the ability to endure water gauge pressure, the patented ‘opposing wing’ design cancels out the effects of static pressure. Moreover, this key differentiating feature enables the mine to reverse air current without accumulating the costs of disassembling and reassembling doors in opposite directions. As the same air assists the doors to open and close, the air pressure is equalised, reducing potential stored energy concerns.

The risk of ramp slope effects is eliminated as the door wing that operates downhill helps the other wing uphill.

Owing to the equal force principal, these versatile mine doors can be installed in most slope applications.

Innovative robust range of underground ventilation mine door

Key differentiating feature enables the mine to reverse air current without accumulating the costs of disassembling and reassembling doors in opposite directions The underground ventilation mine doors are available in three unique designs: low, medium and high-pressure in sizes ranging from 1.5m - 7m wide to 1.5m - 5m high.

The doors are installed at a 12/6 pitch and the door wings both open at 63° versus 90°; which significantly reduces the open/close cycle resulting in improved productivity.

Door speed is further increased by cushioned cylinders.

Safety awareness

All door functions are controlled by advanced automation control technology. The custom programmable logic control (PLC) package provides operators with greater control and increased productivity, while improving their safety awareness.

The PLC package helps to maintain airlock integrity by allowing only one door to open at a time while the other door is ‘locked out’. Traffic lights and audible alarms at each door signals door positions. The mine doors can also be opened and closed from above ground.

The PLC package can be utilised to count cycles and forecast when maintenance is needed. The units are available in electric, hydraulic, pneumatic and manual actuation systems as well as in single, two and three door configurations. In addition to standard logic packages, custom-programmed solutions assist operators to customise their doors to meet their individual operational needs.

Additional options including lighting systems and audible

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The door wings of underground ventilation mine doors open in productivity

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rs

alarms, interlocking doors, thru-door safety scanners as well as motion trip sensors.

Safety of mineworkers

American Mine Door has incorporated its innovative ‘opposing swing door’ technology by also offering the option of separate personnel man doors, further improving the safety of mine workers. Concave and sliding door options complete the personnel man door range available from Maxiflex.

According to Maxiflex Managing Director, Bram Janssen, these underground ventilation mine doors are ideally suited to the Southern African market as they are well-designed with proven reliability and of, utmost importance, offer complete peace-of-mind with optimum safety for mineworkers.

These products are also reusable and can be easily moved from one location to another “Additional benefits include hassle-free installation and maintenance as all components are supplied with drawings. These products are also reusable and can be easily moved from one location to another.

Moreover, the doors are able to use stored energy enabling operation in the event of a power failure.

Full range

“This product extends our range of automated door solutions for above ground applications,” continues Bram. “We are the sole distributors of a range of vertical lifting fabric doors, better known as Megadoors, as well as high-performance rubber doors from global automated door specialist, Assa Abloy Entrance Systems.

“These doors serve a wide range of facilities typically found on mines such as wash bays, truck shops, loading docks, maintenance facilities, parking garages, transportation centres, distribution facilities, wastewater management and utilities.”

Maxiflex’s turnkey industrial entrance solutions meet a multitude of applications across diverse industries from automotive manufacturing and mining to food and beverage, refrigeration, hospitality and pharmaceutical. The product offering includes: a range of industrial sectional doors; vertical-lifting fabric doors for large openings and heavy-industry environments; loading dock equipment; protection screens and impact doors.

The company is also an industry leader in the manufacture and supply of PVC strip curtains. Maxiflex was recently awarded the sole distributor rights for the supply of Stackdoor, a pioneering security grille manufactured in The Netherlands.

Maxiflex Door Systems SA (Pty) Ltd Tel: (011) 392-1709 Email: info@maxiflex.co.za www.maxiflex.co.za

n opposite directions enhancing safety, efficiency &

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POWER TRANSMISSION

Speeding up Design of Bearing Arrangements Engineers can now design complex bearing arrangements more quickly and easily, thanks to a simplified version of powerful simulation software from SKF.

B

earings are a fundamental part of any machine: designing the moving parts properly can mean the difference between an efficient machine and one that continually wears out and breaks down.

For this reason, bearing manufacturers are keen to help their customers get this part of the design absolutely right. This takes many forms, from providing up-to-date online catalogues (including direct support from application engineers) to developing software to help them design their products more effectively.

While customers were demanding more advanced analysis of their bearing designs, they wanted to be able to do it in an intuitive way, using tools that were not excessively complex One way that SKF has done this is to take their in-house software called SimPro Expert, which it uses to develop and design highly complex bearing arrangements, and make it far more user-friendly for customers.

SimPro Expert can be used to model an entire gearbox, in order to see the influence of one shaft on another, to determine the supporting properties of the housing, and to understand the detailed bearing behaviour for the given conditions.

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“Our application engineers have grown up with this software, but you need to be a relatively frequent user and have a good level of bearing knowledge to get the most from it,” says Francisco Serrano, Manager for Product Line Engineering Tools at SKF.

Solid knowledge

“Although design engineers within OEM companies should have a solid knowledge of bearings, many may not consider themselves “experts”. They may not be designing bearing arrangements all the time, as SKF application engineers would do – with long intervals between individual bearing projects. Also, they cannot devote the time and effort to learning complex simulation software in detail.”

This is one of the reasons why SKF has developed SimPro Quick – a stripped-down version of its more specialised bearing design programme. This software has the same core as more advanced products such as SimPro Expert and SimPro Spindle, and retains many of their advanced features, but is far easier to use. While customers were demanding more advanced analysis of their bearing designs, they wanted to be able to do it in an intuitive way, using tools that were not excessively complex.

SimPro Quick is a single-shaft bearing simulation tool that was developed to quickly evaluate the design of bearing arrangements and their field performance, based on relevant application requirements and conditions.

Catalogue link

A key feature of the software is that it ties in with SKF’s new online Roller Bearing Catalogue, which

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is a live database of products. This means that anything incorporated into a design will be a current product.

“If we were still using a paper catalogue, it would go out of date on the day it was printed,” says Francisco. “Now, with the software, it’s live so any product that is selected will be available and up to date.”

A fundamental part of a design engineer’s job is to design to a budget. The link with the live database not only gives the latest products, but also allows them to be selected according to specific criteria such as whether it has high availability (and is therefore more cost efficient).

An integrated e-Learning module allowed the user to quickly start modelling relevant bearing arrangements “A design engineer might come up with four different designs, then ask which one is the most economic, as well as making a choice based on key technical attributes.”

Model building

SimPro Quick builds a complete model in three steps: components; boundaries; and lubrication and clearance.

In the first step, the model is built using common components such as bearings, springs and spacers. These are all incorporated into the model by ‘dragging-and-dropping’ them onto the shaft.

Bearing types can be searched based on dimension, designation as well as whether it is a ‘popular item’. Other elements such as gears can also be ‘dragged’ onto the shaft.

The second stage is to set applicable boundary conditions. Factors such as shaft rotational speed, radial and axial forces and gravity can be added to the model. Force, power input and moment are all applied using ‘drag-and-drop’, while other boundaries are added with an icon click.

template set-up for the report. These might show factors such as bearing loads, operating internal clearances, friction, misalignment, deflection and SKF rating life. Other features include visual plots and animations, including a shaft deflection plot.

Real example

In one case, a manufacturer of high-end textile machinery used SimPro Quick to increase the speed and accuracy with which it designed bearing arrangements.

Here, running accuracy of the bearings is critical to the overall performance. Using SimPro Quick helped the company to speed up its design process, while also evaluating an optimal bearing arrangement, without external help.

This was due in part to the user friendliness of the software, combined with its advanced analysis capabilities. An integrated e-Learning module allowed the user to quickly start modelling relevant bearing arrangements.

Next steps

SimPro Quick was first launched towards the end of 2017, and has had a good response, says Francisco. It is now being rolled out more extensively. “There are two ways to get hold of it: one is to contact your local SKF contact to request a licence; the other is to register through our website, after which the request will be passed on to a local SKF representative.

“If you are known to SKF, you will then be able to download SimPro Quick from a link. And if we don’t know the requester, we would very much like to,” Francisco quips.

The programme has an embedded ‘e-Learning’ module within it, making an intuitive piece of software even easier to understand.

“We will develop the tool in the direction of what users want,” he concludes. “This software is for all design engineers working with bearing arrangements.”

Analysis

Machine designers know how crucial it is to get the design of their bearing arrangements absolutely correct, but without having to master complex software programme. SimPro Quick has proved to be an efficient way of doing this, combining an intuitive interface with powerful simulation to produce designs that can be validated quickly and effectively.

The output of the analysis includes data tables and visuals that enable the user to create a preferred

Agri Hubs solution with a bearing and seal integrated in one housing for seeding

For now, all modelling is done within the programme itself. SKF has added a CAD import functionality, allowing users to import a CAD design into SimPro Quick.

The third part is to apply the lubrication and fit conditions. SimPro Quick allows the user to define the lubrication method and type, oil viscosity and contamination level. All lubrication properties affect outputs, such as relubrication interval for greases and bearing friction.

Once these steps have been completed, SimPro Quick carries out an analysis of the model. Here, users can run a single data set analysis (single analysis) or several conditions at once (a load cycle analysis) based on defined operating boundaries.

A time weight portion can be applied to each step, which is useful when determining bearing life over several different operating conditions.

Agri Hubs solution with a bearing and seal integrated in one housing for disc Plough.

SKF SimPro Tel: (011) 821-3500 www.skf.com/skfsimpro

THE SOUTH AFRICAN MECHANICAL ENGINEER

Agri Hubs solution with a bearing and seal integrated in one housing for tillage.

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SUGAR PROCESSING

Advanced and Efficient Equipment “We have served the global sugar industry for over 58 years, offering a comprehensive service to customers, encompassing strategic planning and feasibility studies, sugar technology selection, project structuring and funding, design and engineering, project delivery and operational support and training,” explains Steve Rosettenstein, sector director: sugar, Bosch Projects.

“

A critical part of our service to the sugar sector is in equipment design: from the front-end cane off-loading, cane preparation and juice extraction, through to processing, sugar drying and refining.

“Our research and development team works closely with associate sugar consultants and technologists around the world, to develop high-performance equipment. Every system is designed to meet the client’s requirements for cost-efficiency and improved productivity.

“Although new equipment is designed, combining the latest technologies and advanced manufacturing trends, we incorporate tried and tested technologies favoured by clients into new designs.”

Over the past 20 years, the Bosch Projects Equipment division has developed an extensive range of sugar processing equipment, which includes its patented chainless diffuser and continuous vacuum pan.

Best-sellers

Other best-selling equipment includes rotary juice screens, juice heaters and clarifiers, cane preparation equipment, long tube evaporators and entrainment separators. The company has also recently sold sugar dryers, refined sugar conditioning silos, continuous vertical massecuite reheaters, vertical continuous crystallisers and batch pans.

Recently supplied and commissioned six vertical massecuite reheaters around the globe and has submitted proposals for another four units to clients looking to upgrade their current design “Our patented Continuous Vacuum Pan (CVP) design has become the preferred system of many of the world’s biggest sugar processing groups,” adds Neil du Plessis, sector manager, Sugar Equipment, Bosch Projects. “When supplying a CVP for C boilings, we recommend to clients that we provide the full C station, which includes the CVP, the continuous vertical crystalliser and the continuous massecuite reheater. By offering the entire system, we guarantee optimum performance of the total C station exhaustion.

thus follows natural convection tendencies. This results in favourable plug flow through the heater, thereby minimising the purity rise across the unit.”

Horizontal reheaters tend to have over-heated channels of massecuite near the top of the vessel and static cool areas at the bottom. This causes short-circuiting of massecuite inside the reheater, reducing the unit’s efficiency.”

Bosch Projects has recently supplied and commissioned six vertical massecuite reheaters around the globe and has submitted proposals for another four units to clients looking to upgrade their current design to their reheater. These units are fabricated from stainless steel which minimises maintenance costs and reduces the need to treat the heating water.

Clients are offered either a full turnkey installation or the stand-alone equipment can be supplied.

Clarifier

The company has also developed the lamella clarifier, especially for the sugar industry, to satisfy demand for short retention clarification.

Although various lamella clarifier systems are wellestablished in water treatment applications, this technology is new in sugar processing and is especially effective for juice, syrup and

Reheater

“Another system that has been well-received by the sugar sector is our vertically orientated reheater, with significant performance benefits over conventional massecuite reheaters, that are horizontally orientated. The major advantage of the vertical reheater design is that massecuite rises as it is heated and

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refinery phosphotation clarification.

The Bosch Projects system, which utilises a series of inclined plates for fast, effective particle separation and settling, is much smaller than conventional clarifiers and substantially reduces liquor retention times.

Although various lamella clarifier systems are well-established in water treatment applications, this technology is new in sugar processing and is especially effective for juice, syrup and refinery phosphotation clarification The design of this new settling lamella clarifier reduces the size and footprint of conventional juice clarifiers by approximately 30%, significantly lowering capital investment costs. Important features include short residence times, reduced sucrose degradation and improved turbidity removal. This highly efficient system, which operates with minimal moving parts, requires low maintenance.

Compact size

The syrup clarifier is similar in design to the lamella juice version, except that it operates as a flotation clarifier, as opposed to settling. This system can be switched on and off as desired when syrup qualities are low and it can be easily installed inside an existing factory, due to its compact size.

The Bosch Projects team works closely with its technology partners and fabricators globally, to ensure manufacture of all equipment adheres to stringent international quality standards and exact design specifications.

The company has an extensive network of

The vertically-orientated reheater has been well-received by the global sugar sector. It has performance benefits over conventional horizontallyorientated massecuite reheaters. The major advantage of the vertical reheater design is that massecuite rises as it is heated and thus follows natural convection tendencies. This results in favourable plug flow through the heater, thereby minimising the purity rise across the unit.

offices in Africa, South and Central America and the United Kingdom. The company also has technology partners in the South East Asian region and the USA. Bosch Holdings (Pty) Ltd Melanie Elsworth Tel : (031) 535 6192 Email: elsworthm@boschholdings.co.za www.boschholdings.co.za

The patented Continuous Vacuum Pan (CVP) design has become the preferred system of many of the world’s biggest sugar processing groups.

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TRACE In is a glo antio leading party ri

TRACE due diligence solutions are based on internationally accepted best practices and our experience and familiarity with the compliance needs of multinational companies. Services range from a denied parties screening to enhanced due diligence, including TRACE Certified Due Diligence.

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nternational, Inc. obally recognized bribery business organization and provider of third isk management solutions.

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GETTING TO THE CORE

Faster Drilling and Reduced Fuel Costs In a first for Rand-Air, the company has acquired Atlas Copco DrillAir Y1260 variable high pressure (21 to 35 bar) compressors.

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his new offeringhas been scientifically designed around pressure and flow for a wide range of high-capacity drilling applications.

These two new units are ideally suited for applications such as mineral exploration drilling, geothermal drilling, construction and blast hole

Being able to match flow and pressure to their application requirements now eliminates the need to have two separate machines

drilling; as well as for services such as aerated drilling and the drilling of wells.

“Choosing the right compressor to match hole depth and hammer size is critical,” says Rand-Air Fleet Manager, Craig Swart. “With these two new compressors, our mining customers can choose the right compressor for their core business; and have the flexibility to adapt to changes in well depth and hammer size for any custom application.”

Ideal combination

Craig adds that DrillAir compressors can achieve maximum air flow at any pressure, as the relationship between pressure and flow is optimised, thereby creating the ideal combination of these two

Portable LED lighting units

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variables to improve drilling efficiency through the most efficient use of compressed air, ultimately dramatically reducing fuel costs.

system ensures fuel efficiency and partial load with an additional fuel filter for better engine protection,” he explains.

What sets these two compressors apart is their advanced Pace and DrillAir AirXpert technologies, which are simple to use and place drill operators firmly in control. Pace (Pressure-Assisted through Cognitive Electronics) is a dynamic optimisation feature, which allows the user to tap into the compressor’s electric engine to control pressure and flow.

“The combination of DrillAir AirXpert technology, the Atlas Copco screw element and the Cummins Stage III engine provides high efficiency for a wide range of pressure and flow settings,” Craig adds.

Being able to match flow and pressure to their application requirements now eliminates the need to have two separate machines.

Performance management system

DrillAir AirXpert furthermore offers up to 30% improved drilling speeds. This performance management system includes software (Dynamic Flow Boost, Dynamic Control and XPR), as well as a LED hardware controller (Xc4003), electronically controlled inlet valve and a variable minimum pressure valve.

The Dynamic Flow Boost provides up to 4m³ a minute additional flow when flashing and during drill stem refills. In addition, it gives 10% more flow at lower working pressure for large diameter drilling. The key benefits include quicker flushing, faster drill stem refill, and a shorter time to complete drilling.

“Atlas Copco’s XPR (Extended Pressure Range) extends the working pressure range while setting it as low as 21 bar. In addition, the FuelXpert

Simple maintenance

With its 500-hour service intervals, the compressors offer customers trouble-free service, quick and simple maintenance and low operational costs. The machines’ centralised drain and air filtration systems facilitate easy servicing; while the design of the new oil separator system reduces maintenance time by over an hour.

Compressors have been chosen for their robustness, and the fact that they are therefore well-suited for use in remote and harsh environments A dedicated service door allows for convenient oil level observation and oil filling. A three-layer coating on the body of the machine offers an extended life of corrosion-free service, further contributing to lower operational costs.

“Our new compressors have been chosen for their robustness, and the fact that they are therefore wellsuited for use in remote and harsh environments, where support is sometimes hard to access,” Craig concludes.

Rand-Air, Tel: (011) 345-0700 Email: info@randair.com, www.randair.co.za

SKF Power Transmission Power transmission products are a vital link between moving parts in equipment and consequently play a key role in overall bearing performance.

We have developed our own range of power transmission products to help optimise overall machine performance.

Well matched to given bearing applications, SKF power transmission products are designed to give engineers a wide design choice according to performance and cost considerations.

The SKF power transmission product range includes: Belts, Pulleys, Chains, Sprockets, Couplings, Bushings and Hubs, and Smart Tools.

All products are available through our local Authorised Distributor network and backed by our international logistic centres.

SKF South Africa (Pty) Limited 6 Marlin Road, Jet Park, PO Box 13157, Witfield, 1467 Tel: 011 821 3500 ® SKF is a registered trademark of the SKF Group. | © SKF Group 2020

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Your BBBEE Level 1 Partner KSB Pumps and Valves, operating out of Activia Park, Germiston, is part of the KSB group, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of industrial pumps, valves and related systems. With a company history that dates back to 1871 in Germany, the KSB Group is one of the most experienced pump manufacturers worldwide.

Since 1959, KSB Pumps and Valves South Africa has brought the groups extensive expertise and portfolio of world class products to the Local Irrigation, Water Transfer and Treatment, Water Supply and Sewage, General Industry, Chemical and Petrochemical Industry, Mining and Construction markets.

Setting the Standards for 60 years.

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We are one of the largest KSB manufacturing entities outside of Germany and France, and proudly hold the KSB MBK quality certificate. This certificate is issued to KSB manufacturing sites within the group which are accredited to produce the KSB range of world products for distribution worldwide. This noteworthy accolade underscores the quality processes within our facilities and is a testament to our local manufacturing capabilities.

This combined with the group's unparalleled expertise makes KSB Pumps and Valves a leading pump and valve manufacturer in the local South African market.

KSB Pumps and Valves (Pty) Ltd www.ksb.com/ksb-za • Tel: +27 11 876 5600 VOL 70 Mar/Apr 2020

ENERGY SAVINGS REBATE

12L Tax Incentive Worth Billions of Rands The 12L Tax Incentive (Section 12L) has delivered more than 24 Terawatt-hours (TWh) in energy savings which equates to a total gross rebate of R19,9-billion to South African taxpayers since November 2013, according to the South African National Energy Development Institute (Sanedi).

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he figures also show a total reduction of 24.479 megatons of CO2; indicative of the success of Section 12L and its role in creating a local economy that is based on energy efficient practices. Significantly, the total TWh savings have grown tremendously; from 5.217 TWh in 2015 (before the rebate was increased from 45 c/kWh to 95 c/kWh), to 24.727 TWh in 2020.

It provides a tax deduction for all energy carriers (not just electricity) but excludes renewable energy sources The regulations for Section 12L set out the process and methodology for claiming an allowance for energy savings. A baseline (benchmarking) model and report must then be compiled and submitted to Sanedi for approval. Sanedi reviews and oversees the application process of the incentive.

Mining and manufacturing

At the forefront of the incentive’s energy savings are the South African mining and manufacturing industries, both sectors rolling out 69 certified projects each since 2015. Coming in third, is the wholesale industry which has implemented 17 Section 12L certified projects.

“The figures speak volumes as to how well the Section 12L tax incentive has been received across industry. It is making a tangible difference, offering important relief to a variety of energy users and will undoubtedly continue to do so while

helping to stabilise the grid. We look forward to seeing the energy savings curve grow even more in the coming years,” says Barry Bredenkamp, General Manager at Sanedi.

Drilling down to the cumulative impact per energy carrier, a mix of non-renewable (energy carriers), account for the highest saving of 21 255 624 091 kilowatt hours and total rebate of over R17 billion.

Tax deduction

According to the Income Tax Act, 1962 (Act No. 58 of 1962), Section 12L provides an allowance for businesses to implement energy efficiency savings.

It provides a tax deduction for all energy carriers (not just electricity) but excludes renewable energy sources. It features the following important points: • Section 12L of the Income Tax Act came into effect in November 2013, with amendments effective from March 2015; • The 2015 amendments included an increase in the tax allowance from 45c/kWh to 95c/kWh; and • Taxpayers can claim savings for an individual project or for a combination of projects. The improvement of energy use across all energy sources potentially qualifies for a tax allowance.

The Carbon Tax, introduced in 2019, gives effect to the polluter-pays-principle and helps to ensure that companies and consumers take the negative adverse costs (externalities) of climate change into account in their future production, consumption and investment decisions. In turn, this tax will continue to fund the Section 12L tax incentive.

Sanedi has also commissioned a detailed review on the full economic, environmental and socio-economic impacts of the Section 12L incentive with a report due later this year.

Sanedi Tel: (011) 038-4300 Email: information@sanedi.org.za, www.sanedi.org.za

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“THE LINK FOR AFRICAN TRADING”

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TRANSNET FREIGHT RAIL

www.transnetfreightrail-tfr.net

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MINING

Digital Transformation Roadmaps Against the backdrop of Covid 19, a slowed economy and an increasingly volatile market, digital transformation in mining companies has become a business imperative to drive efficiencies, optimise competitiveness and reduce risks associated with human error.

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his shift, which brings the convergence of Operational Technologies (OT) and Information Technologies (IT), creates new cyber security challenges for mining enterprises and calls for proactive strategies to manage these risks.

their IT and OT under one management structure.

Stringent measures

“While mining companies must ensure that their OT and IT systems are effectively aligned to create value, they must have stringent measures in place to manage the cyber security-related risks associated with this convergence. As mining was one of the highest cyber-attacked industries in 2019, it is crucial to make sure the convergence of systems eliminate room for these kinds of threats and that access control is well-managed,” says Charl Ueckermann, CEO at AVeS Cyber Security.

“A combination of market volatility, rising costs, and Citing the World Economic Forum’s Digital Transchanging global demand are driving formation Initiative whitepaper, Charl says that a shift in the mining industry. digital mining is set to become a significant driver As with most industries, As for the global mining sector. The whitepaper mining companies are mining was states that digitisation could create more increasingly looking one of the highest than $320 billion in value for the industry for ways to leverage cyber-attacked industries by the end of 2025. technology to imin 2019, it is crucial to Although South African mining companies prove the efficiency make sure the convergence lag behind their Australian mining counterof their operations parts, technology, digitalisation, and data of systems eliminate room and reduce their planning are becoming more advanced. operational risks. for these kinds of threats Charl says that leading mining companies Most of our mining and that access control in Southern Africa are actively implementing clients have collapsed

is well-managed

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massive digital transformation projects that are connecting more systems.

For example, one such mine is based in the Northern Cape, South Africa. They have one of the biggest undeveloped zinc orebodies globally and are building their entire strategy around being a fully digital mine in the near future.

Mines are also adopting Industrial Internet-of-Things (IIoT) and intelligent automation processes across pit-to-port chains, from autonomous vehicles to robotic drilling. IoT systems are implemented for multiple reasons, such as gathering and displaying production data to monitor key performance areas, tracking environmental data to monitor health and safety issues, and gaining overall visibility in areas that were not visible or accessible before.

“Connected systems, including the mining operations’ programmable logic controllers (PLCs), are now all operating on common Ethernet protocols and not propriety protocols as they used to in the past, which requires the implementation of secure operating systems and networks.”

Full understanding

Mining companies should first have a comprehensive understanding of their OT and IT environments and how the different parts of the organisation are connected before they implement OT security solutions. Translating their understanding into governance policies before they call on technology to protect their systems and data will result in more cost-effective and long-term solutions.

An OT security vulnerability assessment should be performed on interconnected systems to understand how they are exposed to other engineering workstations/ SCADA systems and the internet. This includes all internet-connected devices, such as smartphones, which employees might be plugging into their computers.

This is a vital building block to determine where are the high-risk security areas of the operations, and where to prioritise security efforts.

Knowing what to tackle first is crucial, and will be important when security alerts are set up to notify OT security experts of anomalies or possible security incidents.

Operations centre

Charl recommends that mining organisations implement a Security Operations Centre from where interconnected systems can be managed from one place, and the mine’s OT security posture can be monitored and analysed on an ongoing basis.

“With supporting technologies, mining companies can implement role-specific dashboards, that are present on the production floor and provide real-time access to data that is relevant to specific roles. These dashboards help people

make better decisions on the fly because they have all the information they need to hand, whether the information is on their screen or on a They screen next to their workstation in the processing plant. have one

Dashboards

of the biggest

undeveloped zinc There are three main areas for dashboards that include executive orebodies globally and dashboards, maintenance or engiare building their entire neering dashboards, and logistics strategy around being a dashboards. Executive dashboards fully digital mine in can, for example, provide data on the near future financial performance indicators in the office; maintenance and engineering dashboards can provide information on environmental performance indicators in the production plant; and logistics dashboards can, for example, provide important on-time shipping schedule data in the loading bay.”

“Dashboards can be built in line with Key Performance Areas (KPAs) to achieve predictability around production efficiencies and production risks. It is possible to visually track, analyse, and display KPAs, key metrics and workflows to monitor risks of the different areas and production processes,” Charl adds.

Multiple variables

“Dashboards can connect you to essential data in your files, attachments, services or APIs, and enable the user to visualise the data in a single dashboard in a way that makes sense, whether it’s displaying it in the form of tables, line charts, bar charts, or gauges. A data dashboard is the most efficient way to track multiple variables because it provides a central location for businesses to monitor and analyse performance, and make informed decisions in real-time.

“Real-time monitoring reduces the hours of analysing and long lines of inefficient back-and-forth communication, which can result in miscommunication, that previously challenged businesses. It can, therefore, assist in identifying when something is ‘out-of-the-ordinary.’

Smart environments

Charl concludes, “These are challenging times for mining companies. Leveraging digital mining technologies has tremendous potential to create value and drive efficiencies in mines all over the world. For a start, with machines becoming more automated and interconnected as well as connected to the internet, mines can now collect real-time data about stock levels, as well as minimise human safety hazards.

“New smart mine environments should be built on a foundation of industry-specific cyber security solutions to manage risks effectively. With IT and OT convergence, digital roadmaps need to be implemented to achieve a decent risk profile.”

AVeS Cyber Security Tel: (011) 475-2407 Email: info@aves.co.za, www.aves.co.za

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SLURRY FLOW

Dry Installation of Pump An iron ore mine in the Northern Cape is benefiting from the versatility of a Grindex Bravo 800 pump, which was recently dry-installed by Integrated Pump Technology for boosting slurry flow.

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ccording to Justin Bawden, key account manager at Integrated Pump Technology, the submersible pump is best known for operating in a liquid environment. In this case, however, it needed to be used as a booster from the wall of one of the mine’s settling dams.

“The distance from the settling dam to the collection pit was about a kilometre, and the fluid being pumped was high in solids,” says Justin. “This meant that we needed to boost the pressure considerably from the dam wall. The solution therefore needed to consider both the abrasiveness and the specific gravity of the slurry.”

Colloborative solution

He notes that the previously installed pump was a normal dewatering pump. It had failed due to the extreme wear from the heavy sedimentation in the mine’s settling pond.

We dry-installed the new heavy-duty pump so that it could receive material from below and boost it to the collection pit In a solution developed in collaboration with Integrated Pump Technology, the mine submerged one of its existing Grindex Bravo pumps in the settling dam. This unit pumps into a 5-inch pipeline over a distance of about 30 metres at a head of 8 to 10 metres to the newly supplied Grindex Bravo 800 at the top of the dam wall.

sediment did not block the pipeline.”

He highlights that the heavy sedimentation in this application required a fit-for-purpose slurry pump like the Grindex Bravo 800. With its impeller and pump housing made of Hard-iron, the pump was able to provide the high wear-resistance required.

“The sand and stones in the slurry would quickly cause extreme wear and cavitation inside a normal dewatering pump, which is usually made of cast iron.” The large throughlet of the Bravo pumps also allows them to handle solids of varying sizes.

Extended warranty

With a rated output of 45kW and a shaft speed of 1,475rpm, the 800 is able to deliver an output of almost 100 litres per second in this application. In addition to the pump’s thermal protection to avoid overheating, an optional cooling jacket on the pump can be fitted for use in dry pit applications.

Integrated Pump Technology is the official distributor of Grindex pumps in sub-Saharan Africa.

So confident is Integrated Pump Technology in the quality of these submersible pumps, that the company extended the warranty on these pumps to 30 months.

Integrated Pump Technology Tel: (011) 894-2906 Email: info@pumptechnology.co.za www.pump-technology.com

“We dry-installed the new heavy-duty pump so that it could receive material from below and boost it to the collection pit,” Justin explains. “It was vital to provide sufficient pump capacity so that

The Grindex dewatering pump range

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STEAM BOILER

Understanding Your Options With so many types and makes of steam boilers on the market, from electrode to gas, diesel or coal-fired options, it’s difficult to know which one is best for your specific requirements. Given the safety issues of operating steam boilers, the capital outlay required and the running and maintenance costs, it’s important to understand your options before making a selection.

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ionel Maasdorp, General Manager at Allmech, a South African manufacturer of boilers and supplier of water treatment components, says that the starting point is to understand how much steam your application requires.

They have a lower carbon footprint and only require operator input to switch on and off, rather than requiring two to three people to operate at all times, like a coalfired boiler “Our recommendation is that if you need anything less than a tonne, your best bet is an electrode boiler,” he says. “If it’s not an option for you – for example if there is no electric power supply – you can look to diesel or gas-powered options. For applications that require more than five tonnes of steam, you need to look at coal-fired or heavy furnace oil boilers.”

Another important consideration is whether your steam requirement is for a constant flow, or if you’re working in a batch processing environment. For example, Lionel says that one of their clients in the glass manufacturing industry needed a low average steam generating capacity, but when they looked into the production process, the company realised

that significant steam was required at specific intervals. This necessitated a bigger boiler size.

Carbon footprint

On the other hand, a bakery client was able to cut costs substantially by moving away from diesel-fired boilers to electrode boilers because the maintenance and servicing requirements were much lower. “Electrode boilers are cleaner and don’t require as much space (or fuel storage space), and are quicker to reach temperature,” Lionel explains.

“They have a lower carbon footprint and only require operator input to switch on and off, rather than requiring two to three people to operate at all times, like a coal-fired boiler. They were thus the perfect choice for the bakery application.”

Beyond size and initial cost, companies also need to consider a boiler’s “life cost”. How much will it cost to run, service and repair? “Ask about the warranty on the boiler, and find out about whether the company you are purchasing from is able to undertake servicing and supply replacement parts if required,” Lionel advises. “Check that you are buying from a reputable supplier with a good track record, who is able to help with a solution for your specific requirements. When it comes to boilers, there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all product.

Safety is paramount. Look at certification and accreditation. For example, all our boilers are certified to UK BSEN12953 and SANS 347 standards.”

Water treatment division

An added benefit for Allmech customers is that the company operates a water treatment division and is thus able to supply a comprehensive range of products and services, from the boilers themselves to the valves, chemicals and water softeners required.

“We look at the whole picture before recommending a boiler,” Lionel states. “We can supply anything from a 12kW element boiler to a 2 500kW electrode option.”

Allmech supplies boilers throughout South Africa to southern Africa and beyond, with installations in eSwatini, Mauritius, the DRC, Zambia and Saudi Arabia, among others.

Allmech Lionel Maasdorp Tel: (011) 849-2731 Email: lionel@allmech.co.za www.allmech.co.za

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REFINERIES

Ethylene Capacity Threatened At least 6.6m tonnes/year, or 26% of Europe’s ethylene production capacity is threatened by oil refineries running at reduced rates or ceasing production, according to new analysis by ICIS.

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he ethylene is produced by crackers attached to refineries hit by collapsing demand for petroleum products including jet fuel as coronavirus-linked restrictions cut road and air transport; aviation has come to a standstill across the region.

There are some planned stoppages, but most are due to reduced fuels demand from coronavirus and associated lockdowns These ethylene crackers may be forced to reduce operating rates or close because they rely mainly on naphtha or liquified petroleum gas (LPG) feedstocks sourced from the refineries to which they are linked.

ICIS analysis suggests the 6.6m tonnes/year represent about 50% of the refinery-linked steam cracking

capacity in Europe, and 26% of the region’s steam cracking capacity.

For propylene, 5.9m tonnes/year of capacity is linked, while for benzene the figure is 4.0m tonnes/ year. The analysts are aware of around 6.5m bbl/ day of oil refining capacity that is not operating at typical capacity.

Minimum turndown

There are some planned stoppages, but most are due to reduced fuels demand from coronavirus and associated lockdowns. The experts believe that at least 2.2m bbl/day of reductions are in place, versus the expected forecast throughput of 12.2m bbl/day for Europe.

“The reduction is almost certainly even higher in reality and could be as high as 5m bbl/day when considering those sites which do not share such information,” according to Michael Connolly, Senior Consultant at ICIS global refining team.

The refineries are operating in the range of 50-60% utilisation, which reflects the typical minimum turndown for most distillation units.

However, the crackers that are directly linked are probably able to run at higher utilisation rates than this.

Light naphtha

Michael says that while the normal feedstock of light naphtha is reduced in tandem with refinery utilisation, the mid-portion of naphtha that is generally used in the gasoline pool (via further processing) can be directed to steam cracking instead, which produces a lower quality feed than light naphtha.

“This would assist in decoupling refinerycracker utilisation rates, to enable the better margins on naphtha cracking to be captured and meet supply demand for the types of polymers that are essential for the fight against coronavirus,” he adds.

This ability could be maintained while the upstream refinery is operating. But if the refinery is forced to shut down completely, many of these crackers are unlikely to have the logistics to support importing sufficient feedstock to maintain operations, particularly inland crackers which represent 2m tonnes/ year of this ethylene capacity.

Icis Mike Perkins (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Tel: +44 20 8652 8125 Email: Mike.Perkins@icis.com, https://www.icis. com

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SATELLITE TECHNOLOGY

The Case for Satellite To stimulate the economic growth potential of South Africa, especially in the light of Covid 19, it is imperative to address the need for connectivity in the farthest-reaching regions of the country. This is the view of MzansiSat COO Victor Stephanopoli, who reiterates the company’s readiness to provide fast, reliable satellite infrastructure to South African telecommunications stakeholders.

H

is call for action follows the recent underwater sea cable breakage, which left countless South African consumers frustrated with access to little or no internet connectivity. And although some service providers experienced minimal disruptions, it has been reported that some providers are experiencing significant downtime as a result of the breakages of both the SAT3/WASC and WACS cable systems.

Running along Africa’s western coastline, the breakage in these cable systems disrupted international connectivity between South Africa and Europe.

Further, the plight that many South Africans can attest to is the hassles associated with providers digging up pavements in order for fibre lines to be laid in a bid to further enable connectivity in urban areas.

According to Victor, satellite broadband technology presents a more stable connectivity link that is not influenced by factors such as breakage or other terrestrial impacts. “As satellites are orbiting in the atmosphere, there is a notable difference in a satellite’s reach as opposed to that of physical cable. If you can see the sky, you can be connected.”

Victor reiterates that such technology is in place in other nations, and often acts as a back-up when conventional internet broadband connections are interrupted. Having this technology already to hand, would have been an ideal backup solution

to mitigate the frustrations of South Africans when the cable breakages occurred.

“However, with urban areas as a predominant focus of telecommunications providers, we often forget that to drive growth of the economy, we have to enable connectivity in rural areas,” Victor adds.

Satellite broadband presents a more stable connectivity link that is not influenced by factors such as breakage or other terrestrial impacts Creating opportunities

The working-age population in Africa is expected to increase by some 450-million people between 2015 and 2035. If current trends continue, less than a quarter will find stable jobs. Broadening internet access can translate into creating millions of work opportunities in the future.

So, why not simply install fibre to the far-reaching areas? The answer lies in the sums. Given the immense financial layout required for fibre which often far outweighs the number of customers in the area, MzansiSat believes that a very compelling answer to this dilemma would be via the use of satellite broadband technology.

Although the speeds enabled by the physical cable are highly attractive, it is the dispersal of connectivity that gives satellite broadband technology an advantage over its counterpart, enabling a wider and more far-reaching availability of broadband connectivity.

Base station

Once the infrastructure is in place, all that is then required is a suitable base station to be constructed in the designated area so that broadband signals can be sent and then dispersed between hotspots in the area.

Victor says the costs of broadband via satellite technology makes economic sense, especially when considering outlying areas and the ability to connect South Africans with the rest of the world in an affordable way.

MzansiSat is currently working with various investors and stakeholders to make the widespread connection of South Africa a reality, with Victor saying that the company is aiming to launch its satellite in the near future.

Mzansisat, Tel: (010) 594 - 5350 Email: HQ@MzansiSat.com, www.mzansisat.com

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MARKET FORUM spec, you’re looking at a few months before you receive the truck. To help our customers bridge the gap, we decided to make one of our Impi Combi units, a premium quality, locally-manufactured unit, available for hire.

“This means that customers can call on us for a rental unit when their own trucks are being serviced, or while they are waiting on delivery, and their businesses can keep operating as usual, without any downtime.”

Rental jetting trucks Werner Pumps, a leading manufacturer of high-pressure jetting equipment in South Africa, has expanded its service offering to customers by making one of its combination jetting and vacuum truck units available for rental.

“We realise that the long lead times on vehicles affect customers’ businesses,” says Sebastian Werner, MD of Werner Pumps. “Whether you import a unit or you order one from a local manufacturer like us and have it built to your own

The Impi Unit offers a tilting 12 500-litre, 304 stainless steel tank, with a hydraulically-driven highpressure pump capacity of 295 l/min at 135 bar, and a vacuum pump with 1850 m³/ hr suction capability. The high-pressure pump is fitted with a pneumatically operated regulating valve, making infinite pressure adjustment possible, thus increasing the safety of the operator during use.

Werner Pumps Sebastian Werner Tel: (011) 362-6280 Email: sebastian@wernerpumps.com, www.wernerpumps.com

��� ��� ����� �� �� ������� ��� �������� ��� ����� ������������ ��������� ��� ���� ����������� ��� ����������������� áƺ ȵƏȸɎȇƺȸ ɯǣɎǝ ɵȒɖ ƺɮƺȸɵ ɀɎƺȵ Ȓǔ Ɏǝƺ ɯƏɵِ ɯɯɯِƫƺƏȸǣȇǕɀِƬȒِɿƏ ۴ ‫ ׎׎׎׎ חחז ׏׏ ואڷ‬۴ ǣȇǔȒ۬ƫƺƏȸǣȇǕɀِƬȒِɿƏ‫ژ‬ 34

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MARKET FORUM

Welding operations Industri Tools & Equipment’s manufacturing division offers the production of a wide range of custom-made industrial materials, including welding screens, strip curtains, fire blankets, spill mats, tarpaulins and dam liners.

“Safety regulations which require the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other personnel protection during the operation of arc welding equipment, have been introduced to protect workers in or near welding areas,” explains Lynette Badenhorst, Product Manager – Manufacturing, Industri Tools & Equipment, part of the Engineering Solutions Group (ESG) of Invicta Holdings Limited.

“Our locally-manufactured welding safety curtain and screen products are used in conjunction with other protective measures, like ventilation, cooling fans and respirators, to keep everyone in the environment safe.

Data management The days of trying to convince the C-suite of the imperative of a comprehensive digitalisation roadmap are well and truly over. There doesn’t appear to be a CEO in the world who doesn’t appreciate the immense value, efficiencies and competitiveness that can be unlocked by fully harnessing the power of the fourth industrial revolution.

The company’s flame-resistant welding curtains and screens form a safe enclosure, that withstands extreme heat exposure and limits the movement of welding chemicals and fumes, to protect welders and others in the facility, from the harmful effects of flashes, radiation and other debris, during welding work.

Of massive concern, however, is that while almost all CEOs in the world agree that digital advancements such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning will change their industries, most of them aren’t confident that their workforce is futureproofed with the right skills to manage data effectively and unlock the kinds of value through efficiency and insights that they need.

The welding screens are manufactured using a laminate vinyl material with high tensile strength and the seams of the safety curtains are electronically-welded for durability and tear-resistance. These systems, which have been designed for quick installation, easy access and simple re-arrangement, can also be positioned to create a sound barrier that contains the noise produced on-site during welding operations.

While business, globally, has never been more technologically advanced and employees have never had the array of devices and platforms at their disposal that they do now, many organisations are utterly dependent on their information technology (IT) systems.

INDUSTRI Tools & Equipment Lynette Badenhorst Tel: (011) 922-5300 Email: info@industri.co.za www.industri.co.za

In South Africa, where IT skills are few and sought-after, the answer lies in intelligent, automated software that ticks a vast array of boxes previously thought out of reach due to the skills gap.

In other words, CEOs need to know that there is enough automation and intelligence built inherently into their technology providers’ platforms and instead of a resourcehungry environment that requires a large team of experts who are in short supply and expensive, they have the opportunity to drastically reduce the number of experts originally required.

It can also be argued that by seeing the advantages that truly smart digital solutions bring to the table, organisations are able to unlock other business benefits.

There will always be a need for specialist, technical skills and expertise, and it is crucial that the next generation of employees – who were all born into a digital world are encouraged and incentivised to pursue careers in IT, engineering, analytics and programming.

The impact of intelligent software, such as a fully automated and intelligent Cloud Data Management platform, will be profound in the freeing up of workloads that previously took up a lot of “man hours” in organisations.

Veeam Tel: (011) 062-3011 www.veeam.com

A wide range of custom-made industrial materials, including welding screens, strip curtains, fire blankets, spill mats, tarpaulins and dam liners

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MARKET FORUM

Supply chain expertise Local supply chain consultancy Bridge-Building (BB) OpEx Solutions, and Kaizen Institute South Africa, have joined forces to boost supply chain skills in South Africa’s emerging manufacturing sector.

The new partnership offers client companies a range of results-driven, process simplification and operational excellence solutions, particularly in the area of supply chain optimisation.

eliminates waste and inefficiencies.”

Although BB Opex Solutions has a wide variety of clients, it offers key expertise in leading supply chain and operational improvement programms as well as providing project management services.

BB Opex Solutions Tel: (011) 466-0368 Email: info@bbopex.co.za, www.bbopex.co.za

“We find that many of South Africa’s small to medium manufacturing companies struggle in the area of supply chain and the costs that are associated if not done well,” says Mbuso Nkosi, MD of Kaizen Institute SA. The sector, worth an estimated R164billion annually (Statistics SA Q4 2018), is vital to the growth of South Africa’s economy and to job creation.

“BBOpEx has a proven method of improving operational excellence across a range of manufacturers. We do this by engaging people’s hearts and minds, aligning their roles with processes to ensure ongoing value for customers. This

Software for refiners DataManager v8.2 analysis software continuously monitors high risk internal corrosion levels in hydrofluoric acid alkylation units to prevent acid leaks, unplanned shutdowns and offers better predictability of equipment lifespan Emerson’s new DataManager software v8.2 helps refiners monitor corrosion of hydrofluoric (HF) acid alkylation units to prevent costly, unplanned shutdowns and maximize profits and productivity. DataManager Analysis Software for Rosemount Wireless Permasense corrosion and erosion monitoring systems offers continuous sensor monitoring that provides early detection of corrosion in HF acid alkylation units and mitigates the risk of loss of containment.

Alkylation units ensure facilities meet gasoline quality specifications and allow for the production of premium gasoline grades, adding significant economic value to the refinery operation. These units are extremely susceptible to aggres-

www.pumprental.co.za

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sive corrosion. Corrosion can lead to an HF release, which may cause significant production loss and place the health and safety of the refinery staff and local community at risk.

Measuring corrosion damage in HF acid alkylation units using traditional methods is difficult. Iron fluoride can scale and build up on the inside of pipes, confusing normal ultrasonic thickness measurements. Additionally, traditional intrusive probes or frequent manual inspections present safety risks due to the hazardous environment of these units.

Emerson’s new version of DataManager solves these problems by helping refiners gain a better understanding of the correlation between corrosion rates and upsets or changes in process conditions.

Emerson Tel: (011) 451-3700 Email: devesh.roopnarain@emerson.com, www.emerson.com

ring e t a w e d k c o l c e h t round-

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tel: +27 11 894 2906 email: admin@pumprental.co.za

MARKET FORUM

Exceptional quality housings Such has been the success, of the housings, imported from the Masta Group of India that leading supplier Bearings International (BI) is offering these to be used in conjunction with its FAG, Koyo, KML, and Craft bearings. This forms part of BI’s strategy to continually expand its product range with reputable global brands.

“Masta housings have been used by most of our major Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) customers due to the exceptional quality,” Product Manager Matthew Tyler highlights. In addition to the OEM sector, BI is also focusing on supplying the aftermarket, as well as major project houses. Key OEM customers are manufacturers of conveyor pulleys for the mining industry, including Hudaco Group company, Bosworth.

BI carries the standard Masta range, comprising the SN, SD, and SNH/SNL housings with seals and locating rings.

“We will look at introducing the SDJ series, which is an extension of the SD design for carrying exceptionally heavy loads,” Matthewreveals.

The SBD/BND series is a one-piece housing without any splits and two covers, which could include an end cover. Other items that BI will stock for specific customers are the THD/ SPA one-piece take-up units and the PDN one-piece cylindrical housing, commonly referred to as a dual-fan housing.

Heavy-duty connectors Powermite has introduced the Molex range of heavy-duty connectors to customers across Southern Africa.

States Donovan Marks, Director of Powermite, “This globally renowned brand is synonymous with quality, durability and versatility and the products are the perfect fit for a wide range of heavy-duty industrial control and power applications found in test bays as well as in the food & beverage and medical sectors.”

The Masta housings boast some of the latest design features offered by major bearing manufacturers. The benchmark SNL housing has a flat base and sides, provision for an oil inlet, a drain plug, a connection for vibration, and a temperature probe as standard.

This housing also has a sturdier base, with a crossed rib and centre and side ribs for increased load-carrying capacity. It is available in standard-grade 250 cast iron, or very strong ductile (SG) iron. Adding to its flexibility is that the seal is interchangeable with major bearing manufacturers.

The Molex GWConnect heavy duty connector portfolio includes industrial connectors (including multipole), inserts, aluminium enclosures and more than 6 000 complementary products. “The products we supply are a representation of our brand and therefore we ensure that our entire portfolio adheres to strict quality standards,” continues Marks.

The Masta housings conform to all international quality and dimensional standards in support of the company’s zerodefect product policy, underpinned by its ISO 9001 quality certification. BI offers full aftermarket technical support for the range in South Africa, from standard to custom-made housings as per specific application and customer drawings.

“We can assist with selections, drawings, designs, on-site fitting via our field service, or supply any other information that is needed by customers,” Matthew concludes.

All components in the Molex range are fabricated from the finest quality materials and are compliant with international standards and UL/CSA requirements. Customers can therefore rest assured that their Molex products will contribute to increased uptime and productivity.

BI Tel: (011) 899-0000 Email: info@bearings.co.za Web: www.bearings.co.za 24 HOUR HOTLINE: 083 250 9191

The Molex multipole connectors are designed and developed for heavy-duty industrial applications. Perfectly suited to be utilised with alternate or direct current, these robust connectors facilitate the manufacturing process, installation and maintenance of sectional electric parts in complex electric and electronic machinery and are also used in robots, electric panels, control equipment as well as power, control and signal circuit connectivity.

Powermite Donovan Marks Tel: (011) 271-0000 Email: donovan@powermite.co.za www.powermite.co.za

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On the Move

Cecil Oates

Lettie Mashau

Goscor Lift Truck Company has appointed Cecil Oates as the MD of the company

Lettie Mashau has been appointed as the new CEO of Motheo Construction Group

Attie Hendrikse

Ross Collard

Neil Griezel

Bosch Rexroth has appointed Attie Hendrikse as Country Manager, Hytec Namibia

Ross Collard has been appointed Managing Director of HPE Africa

Neil Griezel has been appointed as the Production Manager for Hytec Engineering

IPPs in the sugar industry SEW-Eurodrive (Pty) Ltd offers a range of transmission solutions to assist sugar millers in cutting costs. Sugar millers depend on high plant availability for maximum input versus output. This makes SEW-Eurodrive (Pty) Ltd the ideal transmission solutions partner to add value to the sugar industry, due to its expertise which is available locally 24/7, seven-days-a-week.

The main opportunity in this market segment lies not only in upgrading old and outdated systems, but the value-add for Independent Power Producers (IPPs) in the sugar industry.

Recently Illovo Sugar MD, Mamongae Mahlare, was quoted by the Sunday Times as stating that IPPs provide “a critical lifeline� for the sugar industry, which is faced with constraints such as the sugar tax and falling prices for exports.

Sugar millers produce their own power by burning cane fibre to generate additional power. Here the expertise of Sew-Eurodrive. in energy-efficient solutions is key. It can apply real-time power-saving solutions to produce the same performance from older existing equipment and applications.

These energy-efficient transmission solutions potentially produce more output power or torque by drawing even less power from the grid.

Applications for these mechanical and electrical transmission solutions in the sugar industry include milling tandems, bagasse conveyors, juice agitators, clarifiers, crystalises, sugar dryers, and many other production applications.

SEW-Eurodrive (Pty) Ltd Tel: (011) 248-7000 Email: sewjhb@sew.co.za www.sew-eurodrive.co.za

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High security welded mesh

Pallisade

Gates

Gate Automation

Razor wire and more ....

What is High Security Weld Mesh HIGH Security Weld Mesh is wire fused and welded at a Horizontal distance of 76.2mm and a vertical distance of 12.7mm also known as 35B/3510 where 3 denotes 3”(distance between vertical wires), 5 denotes 0.5” (distance between horizontal wires), and B or 10 denotes gauge of wire

Salient Features • Difficult to Climb: The spaces between the Horizontal wires are too narrow for fingers to have grip • Impregnable: Extremely difficult to cut with a hand cutter as the beak of a wire cutter will not be able to penetrate the horizontal wires • Excellent Replacement option to Solid Wall as: 1. More economical than a solid wall 2. Faster to install than a solid wall 3. CCTV Camera has a clear view • Further upgrade possible with electric security system • Anti-corrosive & low maintenance

Standards

• Manufactured according to BS EN 10016-2 • Wire Sizes in accordance with BS EN 10218-2 • Tolerance on Mesh Size in accordance wiht EN 10223-7 • Tolerance on Panel Size in accordance with EN 10223-4 • Welding Strength in accordance with BS EN 1461 • Zinc Coating in accordance with EN 10245-1 • Anti Corrosion in accordance with BS En 3900 E4/F4

Tensile Strength • Wire has a tensile strenght of min 550 MPA

MARK: 083 454 6488

Email: mark@palifence.co.za

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