SA Mechanical Engineer October 2018

S MECHANICAL A ENGINEER Publication of the SA Institution of Mechanical Engineering,

October 2018 incorporating News of Associate Organisations

revenue through servitisation

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AN ENGINEER’S VIEW

The Benefits of SAIMechE membership

T

he most common question that I am asked about SAIMechE goes something like, “What is the benefit of being a member of SAIMechE?” Instead of a clinical corporate response, I decided to reflect on my own membership of SAIMechE, and consider how I have benefited directly from it. To be fair, I have excluded anything to do with my role as CEO, and have only considered my experiences as a member.

Looking back on my professional career, I can now clearly see that it took a turn for the better from about the time I was first drafted onto the KZN Branch committee in the early 1990’s. At that time, I wasn’t thinking of my professional development, but probably didn’t have a good enough reason to dodge the invitation.

I admit to often giving of my time grudgingly in those early years, and considered my service on the committee as part of an obligation to give something back to the profession, with no expectation of a benefit in return. Now I recognise the significance of that point in my career, and am able to identify the many benefits that followed.

From the first committee meeting my mechanical engineering world started to expand. I immediately met a handful of professionals and started hearing more about the world of mechanical engineering.

Up to that point, my only engineering contact was at work, which presented me with a very narrow and uninviting view of the profession.

a more appropriate space in which to encounter these.

I have been the KZN Branch Treasurer for more years than I can remember, and this office has helped me to become a very competent bookkeeper and Pastel operator. Vaughan Rimbault, CEO, SaiMechE Branch accounts are quite small and manageable, and give great opportunity for learning. I now properly understand accounting and financial statements and can hold my own against any commerce professional. Solid financial skills are quite lacking in the engineering profession, very much to our disadvantage, and it’s a pity more of us don’t realise how simple it actually is.

Great exposure

In the role of Branch Chairperson I was able to practise and develop skills in chairing meetings, and developed an effective method of taking minutes which I still use to this day. I was given many opportunities for public speaking such as hosting technical presentations, dinners and even the national awards banquet at the Durban ICC, which has been very much to my benefit.

For the first time in my career I interacted with people who were focused on mechanical engineering, and it felt like home

Connecting the dots

I had very few professional colleagues at work, and spent most of my time engaging with the engineering trades on the one side, and management on the other. By attending committee meetings and assisting with the organisation of activities, I started hearing of new industries, technologies and machines. I heard the names of people in industry and started to connect the dots in the profession.

For the first time in my career I interacted with people who were focused on mechanical engineering, and it felt like home.

In the early years I didn’t fully realise the value of a network of professional colleagues that I was creating. Looking back, I would consider my professional network to be the most significant contributor to my development. This network has consistently presented me with knowledge, experience, advice and support, and I could not imagine

I could list a few more direct benefits that I’ve received, but the point I would like to make at this stage is that all the benefits came as a result of service. I never set out to get any benefit from my service to SAIMechE, but reckon that I’ve received at least ten times that which I put in - perhaps even more. I didn’t plan it that way, but just as exercise brings about health benefits, so service to the profession brings about professional benefit.

I look forward to many more years of enjoyable and productive service to the Institution, and to the multiple benefits that will follow. The difference these days is that I think a lot more about it beforehand.

That’s just the way it works.

Vaughan Rimbault CEO, SaiMechE

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VOL 68

October 2018

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S MECHANICAL A ENGINEER Publication of the SA Institution of Mechanical Engineering,

October 2018 incorporating News of Associate Organisations

S MECHANICAL A ENGINEER October 2018 VOLUME 68

Contents REVENUE THROUGH SERVITISATION

EXACT LOCATION OF PIPELINE WELDS WITH THE USE OF GPS

Our drive is your performance.

On the Cover

Hägglunds Drives South Africa Tel: (011) 454-4933 Email: info@za.hagglunds.com www.hagglunds.com

Energy Saving

Water Saving

8 Water, Energy & Digitalisation

28 Above Ground Treatment Plants

SA Institute of Tribology

Slurry Valves

10 Don’t Damage your Engine!

31 Benefit of Head Guided Plugs

Manufacturing Industry

Pumps

14 Game-changers

32 Most Agressive Duties

Mining Data

Traceability 35 Tracking Pipeline Welds

18 Reality on the Shopfloor

3D Printing

Regulars

21 New String to its Bow

Cyberattacks 22 Industrial Networks of Energy

Preventing Fires 26 Evaporation & Tank Blanketing

3 6 40 46

An Engineer’s View Institution News Market Forum 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.

Produced by: PROMECH PUBLISHING, P O Box 373, Pinegowrie, 2123, Republic of South Africa Tel: (011) 781-1401, Fax: (011) 781-1403 Email: samecheng@promech.co.za, www.promech.co.za Managing Editor Susan Custers Editorial Contributors

Liesl Venter/Patricia Holburn Advertising Sales: Louise Cresswell Cell: 071 886 1263 DTP: Anne Rotteglia Circulation: Belinda Siegruhn Subscriptions Please email us at accounts@promech.co.za if you wish to subscribe to “SA Mechanical Engineer” at R550,00 (excl postage and VAT) per year; R1 380,00 per year for Africa/ Overseas.

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.

Printed by: Typo Colour Printing, Tel: (011) 402-3468/9 FSC (Forestry Stewardship Accreditation)

Official Publication of THE SA INSTITUTION OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING and endorsed by:

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        

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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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SA INSTITUTION OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Council 2016 - 2018

Company Affiliates

Office Bearers President.....................................................Prof D Blaine (Debby) Vice President ...................................... H Makwarela (Hangwani) National Treasurer............................Prof JL van Niekerk (Wikus)

Branch Chairpersons Central .............................................................. A Celliers (Alicia) Eastern Cape .......................................... G van den Berg (Gideon)

Amoricom

Megchem

Autodesk as represented by Worldsview Technologies

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

Ainsworth Engineering (Pty) Ltd

KwaZulu-Natal ....................................... Dr J Padayachee (Jared)

Babcock Ntuthuko Engineering Pty Ltd

Mpumalanga Highveld ....................................N Lecordier (Noel)

Bosch Projects Pty Ltd

Vaal ............................................................. N Swanepoel (Niekie)

Eskom Rotek Industries SOC Ltd

Western Cape .............................................. Dr M Venter (Martin)

PaCMan Projects & Maintenance

Alstom Power Service SA (Pty) Ltd

Plant Design & Project Services (Pty) Limited (PDPS) PPS Insurance Co Limited Redheads Engineering Services (Pty Ltd) S.A.M.E Water (Pty) Ltd

Esteq Group (Pty) Ltd

Portfolios:

SA Power Services (Pty) Ltd

Communications and Marketing .................G Bartholomew (Bart)

Exxaro Resources (Pty) Ltd

Technology Programme and Procedures........... SZ Hrabar (Steve)

Festo (Pty) Ltd

TBC...........................................................MAE Black (Malcolm)

Fluor SA (Pty) Ltd

TBC.............................................................G Bartholomew (Bart)

Kelvion Systems (Pty) Ltd

Chief Executive Officer..................... Vaughan Rimbault

Green Plan Consultants (Pty) Ltd

National Office Manager................ Anisa Nanabhay PO Box 511, Bruma, 2026

Sasol Technology (Pty) Ltd Siemens (Pty) Ltd Simera Technology (Pty) Ltd Spirax Sarco (Pty) Ltd Tenova Mining and Minerals SA

Hatch Africa (Pty) Ltd

Thyssenkrupp Engineering (Pty) Ltd

Howden Power (a div of Howden Africa)

Tel: (011) 615-5660 Email: info@saimeche.org.za

Vital Engineering (Pty) Ltd

Website: www.saimeche.org.za

Howden Projects (a div of James Howden)

Membership Email: membership@saimeche.org.za

MBE Minerals (SA) (Pty) Ltd

Weir Minerals Africa

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SA INSTITUTION OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Upcoming Changes to Training Activities

O

ver the last decade, SAIMechE’s Events Department has delivered quality training activities for engineering professionals, all offering CPD credits. These activities generated a nett income of R2.5m to the Institution which has been used to fund other activities. These same activities provided income of R4.1m to course developers and presenters, most of whom were SAIMechE members.

We hosted over 300 activities delivering more than 5 000 delegate-days of training. In short, we have been an effective hub for the transfer of mechanical engineering knowledge and experience, and have contributed significantly to the development of the mechanical engineering profession.

Of late, however, we have been experiencing increasing challenges in this market, which has required a fresh look at how we offer training going forward.

Online platforms

The depressed economy is probably the biggest influencer on training. Historically, training is always one of the first areas to feel the effects of cost cutting, and the current experience is no different. Although we have experienced an increase in the number of in-house events, this has not been sufficient to balance the decrease from public events.

We also have an increasing number of competitors in the training market, many of whom have nowhere near the technical credentials as SAIMechE. Unfortunately, business generally places more value on other credentials, and we can do little about the disadvantage of our current empowerment rating.

There is also an increasing demand for training to be delivered via online platforms in addition to traditional face-to-face activities. The opportunities for effective learning using activities such webinars, chat rooms and online content are very attractive, and there is already a lot of material available.

Creating content

However, there still is plenty of room for quality technical training, and SAIMechE is well positioned to deliver this type of content. Creating the content is a key restraint at the moment, and we are looking at ways of empowering our members to produce attractive effective online learning.

With this as background, Council decided to make some significant changes to the way SAIMechE addresses the ongoing training of its members. From 2019, our Events Department will cease to arrange the traditional face-to-face seminars or workshops on a national level, and these activities will be delivered by the Branches.

Included a commercial framework to offer fair remuneration for presenters and a fair price for the activity Branch committees will decide on topics and speakers and will arrange the activities themselves, making use of independent contractors if necessary. In this manner, we hope to create local centres of training, using local members, and marketing to local industry. We anticipate that branches will be able to deliver relevant training to their members at a lower cost which should make them more attractive.

At the same time, Council have decided that SAIMechE needs to place more focus on the development of our e-platform, which includes the provision of online training activities. We have access to a sophisticated learning platform through our current web service provider, which is designed for the management of continuing professional development.

As mentioned earlier, the creation of online training content is our biggest hurdle, and we have yet to fully grasp the nuances of effective online teaching.

Total overhaul

We invite members who have something valuable to contribute to engage with us in producing good content and to drop us an email at info@saimeche.org.za.

Our previous training model was based on using members to create and present training activities, and included a commercial framework to offer fair remuneration for presenters and a fair price for the activity.

We aim to continue with this philosophy going forward, conscious that this is not business as usual and that a total overhaul is required. It may take a bit of time to achieve, but we are confident that this is the way forward.

Final 2018 Training Workshops SAIMechE Training Events should be viewed by members and the industrial community as service benefits. Only events which have attracted sufficient delegates will take place. Events which do not have sufficient delegates by their bookings closure dates will be cancelled and all relevant parties will be notified accordingly. Therefore, if you book on an event, we recommend that you delay making your travel arrangements until you have been notified that the event will take place as planned.Workshop programmes, 2018 Delegate registration forms, and Fees structure may be obtained from Workshop programmes, 2018 Delegate registration forms, and Fees structure may be obtained from Carey Evans Tel: 031 764 7136 or email: carey@saimeche.org.za In-house workshop enquiries, fees and bookings - Linda Robinson Tel: 031 764 7136 or email linda@saimeche.org.za Code

Days

Start Date

End Date

Region

Bookings Closure Date

Leadership and Management Roles in Engineering Workshop CPD Validation Number: SAIMechE-1109-12/20 The Workshop is developed and presented by David Ramsay, B.Sc (Civil Eng.), MEngMan, MSAICE, COMENSA E7018

2

19 Nov

20 Nov

East Rand

9 Nov

Leadership and Management Principles and Practice in Engineering Workshop CPD Validation Number : SAIMechE-1101-12/20 The Workshop is developed and presented by David Ramsay, B.Sc (Civil Eng.), MEngMan, MSAICE, COMENSA E6118

2

21 Nov

22 Nov

East Rand

9 Nov

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ENERGY SAVING

Henning Sandager - Regional Head Grundfos sub-Saharan Africa

Water, Energy & Digitalisation Water demand will increase by 30% and electricity demand by 35% by 2030. When you add in the likelihood of higher prices for these resources, businesses face significant challenges. World leading pump supplier, Grundfos is focusing on turning these challenges into opportunities.

“

SA Mechanical Engineer” was a virtual delegate at the 2018 Intelligent Connectivity Grundfos Forum and shares how the company is using technology and expertise to help their customers meet future challenges.

Eric Lai, global business director for the machining industry, with colleagues Morten Gylling, director global multi stage program, and Niels Fielsoe Petersen, director business development for industry, presented: ”Industry 4.0 Connecting Intelligently”, highlighting water scarcity, energy optimisation and digitalisation as three key challenges.

So we will have pumps talking to pumps, pumps talking to systems, systems talking to processes and probably at the end of the day, processes talking to processes Here to stay

“Industry will always require water making the scarcity of this resource of major importance,” Eric comments. “Our customers really have to start thinking about the direct water consumption they require for their production systems, and about water re-use.”

New generation CR pump

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THE SOUTH AFRICAN MECHANICAL ENGINEER

He points out that zero liquid discharge (ZLD) is becoming more common in the global arena. “This will be regulated more and more so it will no longer remain just a discussion about the necessity to treat water before discharge. More than that, water needs to be returned to the source and used again so a zero ZLD status is achieved,” he explains.

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ENERGY SAVING

A health check “As a responsible company, we are leading the charge, together with our customers, on water re-use.”

Grundfos has a lot to offer in terms of pumps including big flow units, high pressure and multistage pumps that can be used for desalination, dosing and disinfection systems that can neutralise pH, and water pumps.

Control and monitoring systems support customers in maintaining water quality at the right level.

Dedicated to individual applications

Morten says digitilisation is inevitable and exciting if a little scary “to an old pump nerd like me.

“In the future I envision we will see no pumps without sensors. So we will have pumps talking to pumps, pumps talking to systems, systems talking to processes and probably at the end of the day, processes talking to processes.”

Morten says if we do this right, we all become more efficient and smarter. “Optimisation is key. We’ll see energy optimisation and process optimisation so there is less downtime, and safer operations.”

Being no slouch, the company is already working on optimisation using digitalisation. “In Grundfos terminology we call it iSolutions which is about taking our collective experience, putting it into the pump to make the smartest ‘kid on the block,’ he adds.

“We can produce pumps that are dedicated to individual applications. So the boiler feed pump knows it is going to be a boiler feed pump and has all the knowledge embedded to be a good boiler feed pump.”

Efficient solutions

A good pump also needs to be cost and energy effective. According to Niels, energy optimisation will be a key focus in the years to come. Key to finding the right solution is understanding the problem.

“Pumps use a lot of energy. 10% of all electrical energy used globally is used on pumps. But there is also huge waste,” he comments. “So top of mind is how we can help our customers to optimise energy consumption.”

One of the key places to start looking for energy savings is where pumps run 365 days a year, 24 hours a day.

“It’s very important to start understanding that energy is not used equally everywhere in the factory, some areas are heavier users than others,” he says. “We look first at the area where there is constant use.”

Niels gives an example of where Grundfos expertise helped a UK brewery achieve 75% energy savings, on a $6 500 investment. “They knew their electricity bills were high, but didn’t have an idea where to start looking for energy savings,” Niels explains.

With the help of Grundfos, a solution was found that paid for itself in six months!

Huw Lloyd, energy optimisation manager for the Asia Pacific region, gave delegates a run-down on how Grundfos analyses energy consumption and comes up with solutions for more efficient use through a pump energy check.

This ‘health check’ on the customer’s pumps, that includes Grundfos’ technical expertise on site using the latest technology, uncovers the good, the not so good, and the pretty bad. Huw identifies ten things customers can expect from a pump health check, depending on their needs, use and systems.

1. Advice and assistance with legislation and standards compliance 2. Installation check and assessment 3. Check for worn or failing parts – and why some parts wear so frequently 4. Optimum performance check 5. Identify potential energy savings 6. Potential CO2 savings 7. Service and maintenance assessment 8. Water savings 9. A report with a plan and payback period 10. Peace of mind

Rands and cents

Think your pump’s purchase price is high? Take a look at the energy costs, this is where you can really save. Actual costs vary, but the bulk of a pump’s lifetime outlay is energy.

Moving The Limits The much-anticipated new generation of the world-famous Grundfos CR pumps will increase efficiency and maximum working pressure while almost doubling maximum flow to 320 m3/h.

The new generation, which will also introduce three extra-large flow sizes, is based on extensive research, development and testing of new hydraulic designs, and engineered using state-of-the-art production methods – including a fully automated and flexible production line.

“The new CR will significantly move the limits for energy efficiency, which is extra-important when you are working with large pumps.

The increases to maximum working pressure and flow will also mean that the new generation can be used even more widely.

Engineers working with the new CR will literally have millions of customised solutions available to them”, explains Niren Rohanlal, Lead Business Development Manager at Grundfos, Sub-Saharan Africa.

The new 40 bar standard working pressure is ideally suited for applications like filtration, reverse osmosis and boiler feed. And with its increased 320 m3/h flow capacity, the CR will even be able to take on high-flow applications - such as large waterworks - which have until now been served by other pump designs.

Grundfos South Africa launched the new generation at the recent Electra Mining Exhibition, moving the limits on inline multistage pumps.

Grundfos, www.grundfos.com/cr

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Don’t Damage your Engine!

Many people regularly ask me why there are so many different automatic transmission fluids recommended by the various vehicle manufacturers.

Let me begin by stating, “There is no such thing as a universal ATF (automatic transmission fluid) and you cannot up-treat an ATF, by adding aftermarket additives.”

A

ccording to my Castrol handbook from 1991, 27 years ago, there were six automatic transmission fluids available, namely: GM Type A Suffix A; Dexron; Dexron II; Dexron IIE; Ford M2C 33 (Ford Type F) and Mercon fluid. This excluded the two commercial Leyland and Allison transmission fluids.

Nowadays, we have many more with some oil companies offering up to 45 different OEM recommended and approved ATFs. Using the OEM approved lubricants is in the best interests of owners and their vehicles.

This is because vehicle manufacturers often have vastly different specifications for the range of transmissions they manufacture or supply in their vehicles, and one is often not suitable for another.

An example is that early BMW automatic transmissions used only hydraulic control with no electronic intervention. Subsequent refinements, such as electro-hydraulic (EH) transmissions, introduced a new acronym: EGS (Elektronisch Getriebe Steurung), electronic transmission control. These modern automatic transmissions are now able to achieve better fuel economy, reduced engine emissions, greater shift-system reliability, improved shift feel and shift speed and improved vehicle handling, but only when the correctly specified automatic transmission fluid is used.

Specific fluids

OEMs like BMW provide their customers with automatic-transmission options such as ZF, and GM’s Hydra-Matic, which require very specific fluids. OEM specifications often denote a minimum acceptable performance level, to which they often add particular requirements or tighter tolerances on a general ATF specification. Extensive testing therefore helps OEMs to maintain an active list of approved lubricants.

An example of such a reference to specification and approved fluid, may be seen in all BMW manuals where the specified automatic transmission fluid is always accompanied by the following text: “The

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SA INSTITUTE OF TRIBOLOGY

automatic transmission provides pressure regulated hydraulic fluid which is filtered for all of the transmission’s functional requirements. All BMW automatic transmissions are designed to operate with specific fluids. Use of non-approved oil will cause malfunctions and irreparable transmission damage which is not covered by BMW’s warranty.” (Please pay careful attention to the word “will” in that last sentence).

Some mechanics will put an incorrectly specified universal ATF in an automatic transmission and, because it works, they believe this is acceptable They don’t know better

Some mechanics will put an incorrectly specified universal ATF in an automatic transmission and, because it works, they believe this is acceptable. This is despite not knowing the long-term effects of using the incorrect fluid, while presuming to know better than the OEM who has spent millions of dollars (or deutschmark, or yen, or rand) in scientific testing of every component of the transmission, over the full expected lifetime of the transmission.

ZF transmissions are fitted to many vehicles, including Land Rover, VW, Jaguar, Ford, Audi and BMW. The ZF website states the following: “In modern transmissions, the oil is a ‘constructional component’ that needs to match the different transmission functions and materials as perfectly as possible. ZF transmission oils are especially developed for the individual transmissions and adapted to their specific requirements.”

Special requirements

Remaining with the “universal ATF” theme of many oil companies, let’s consider the technical service bulletins of an OEM like Toyota. These bulletins provide information regarding the usage of the correctly specified ATF in their vehicle’s transmissions.

Toyota technical bulletin TC003-99 which is dated 21 May 1999 is proof that these special fluid requirements have been in place with Toyota for quite some time. In this bulletin a clear instruction is offered, that “with the exception of mixing ATF Type T with Type T–IV fluids, different types of fluids must not be mixed”.

In their technical bulletin TC006-03, Toyota states that the new automatic transmission fluid (ATF) “WS” has been introduced on 2004 – 2005 model year 4Runner, Land THE SOUTH AFRICAN MECHANICAL ENGINEER

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October 2018

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Your boutique business destination Surrounded by lush gardens in the hub of Johannesburg’s northern suburbs, The Peartree in Craighall Park caters for groups of two through to 100 guests in nine well-appointed and equipped business suites.

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SA INSTITUTE OF TRIBOLOGY

Cruiser and Prius vehicles. Once again, Toyota warns that ATF “WS” is NOT compatible with any other type of transmission fluid.

ity, improved fuel economy, anti-shudder, friction durability, shear stability, low-temperature fluidity and improved oxidation stability.

In Technical Bulletin TC010-07 Toyota warns “ATF –WS is NOT compatible with T-IV or Dexron ATF”.

Also, in the same bulletin “the use of additives or aftermarket fluids that are considered compatible or substitutes may result in shift concerns and damage to the internal transmission components”.

The theme remains consistent, use the OEM specified ATF only.

Blanket claims

Many lubricant marketers make blanket claims about the suitability of their products for universal use in the consumer marketplace; however, the lubricants marketed by all oil companies cannot be seen as equivalent and compatible. As mentioned, there is no such thing as a ATF, and an ATF cannot be up-treated by the addition of aftermarket additives.

Learning the hard way

I have many customers who have learnt this lesson the hard way. Compare the co-efficient of friction for Ford specification M2C -33G and you will see it has exactly the opposite frictional curve to Dexron fluids. These are examples of how most OEMs consider only their own automatic transmission fluids to be suitable for their automatic transmissions.

OEMs are demanding longer drain intervals and fill- for-life capability for passenger cars. Automatic transmissions are changing in design from 5 to 6 and 7 speed and now even 9 speed capability, improving drivability and performance. To improve fuel economy, transmission components are lighter, viscosities are lower, despite increased engine horsepower. And now new fuel-efficient transmissions exhibit higher torque and higher operating temperatures.

All these factors are severely stressing the automatic transmission fluid. Problems such as transmission shudder, poor shift feel and accelerated wear are becoming more common as drain intervals are increased. ATFs must provide fill-for-life capabil-

There is no such thing as a universal automatic transmission fluid (ATF), and an ATF cannot be uptreated by the addition of aftermarket additives The importance of these variations in OEM requirements and specifications is often underestimated or ignored by workshops until a problem arises; and only then do they become concerned about the critical importance of selecting the correct lubricant, almost always at the expense of the vehicle owner.

So vehicle owners should take care when it comes to choosing a workshop to service their vehicle, and pay more attention to the lubricant quality and brand offered by them. The same amount of care should be exercised by DIY enthusiasts, as advice from spares shops on lubricants is mostly extremely poor, and in many cases, completely non-existent.

Freddi Stafford MD Oil Wise Lubrication (OWL) SAIT Member

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Game-changers IoT, manufacturers adopting a more service-centric business model, and 3D-printing reaching the tipping point of realising business benefits on a large scale, these are the three gamechanging trends that Antony Bourne, Global Industry Director of Industrial and High-tech Manufacturing at IFS, outlines for the near future.

1

He claims by the end of 2018, over 50 percent of manufacturers will be building IoT technology into the design phase of their products.

By 2020 most manufacturers will earn over half of their revenue from services “When you think ‘IoT’, is your first thought newlyaffordable, available sensors being added to products after they’ve been manufactured? I believe this perception will change as IoT takes a decisive step forward in its evolution. If we think of IoT as a product’s nervous system, we will now see it grow from picking up signals at the periphery to being the brain of the product. It will constantly send, receive, grow and gather information, from the centre of the product throughout its lifetime.”

Manufacturing is one of the markets most heavily impacted by IoT today. According to Global Market Insights, IoT in the manufacturing market was valued at over US$ 20 billion in 2016 and will grow at more than 20 percent (CAGR estimate) from 2017 to 2024. Three initiatives are unique to the manufacturing environment: • Smart manufacturing to increase production output, product quality, or operations and workforce safety as well as lower resource consumption • Connected products to impact product performance, including collecting detailed information on products in the field, remote diagnostics and remote maintenance • Connected supply chains to increase visibility and coordination in the supply chain, tracking assets or inventory for more efficient supply chain execution “We will see IoT being included as a part of the

MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY

design process in all three of these IoT initiatives. Manufacturers are realising that by engineering IoT technology into products and equipment already in the design process, they will be able monitor not only the equipment’s performance to predict when it needs repair, but also how and when it is being used—which provides game-changing competitive advantages!”

Soon more than 50 percent of manufacturers will be building IoT technology into their products from day one, and asking themselves what services and revenue this product can generate throughout its lifetime.

“In fact, where will our revenue be coming from in the next five years?’ It’s a good question. And it leads us to my next key prediction,” says Antony.

2

Servitisation speeds ahead

duced iTunes to increase loyalty, differentiate itself, and generate more revenue.

“You may think that it will never apply to your business, but companies are now reaping the benefits of servitisation across many different sub-segments. For example, Philips provides Schiphol airport outside Amsterdam with ‘lighting as a service” which means that Schiphol pays for the light it uses, while Philips remains the owner of all fixtures and installations. Philips and its partner, Cofely, will be jointly responsible for the performance and durability of the system, and ultimately its re-use and recycling at end of life. This has resulted in a 50 percent reduction in electricity consumption without having to buy a lamp!

Servitisation is a way for manufacturers to add capabilities to enhance their overall offering in addition to the product itself

By 2020 most manufacturers will earn over half of their revenue from services. With the manufacturing industry becoming more and more commoditised, the need for companies to differentiate themselves is key to survival and profitability. We now see that a large number of manufacturers are shifting to a more service-centric business model, the buzzword is “servitisation”.

For global furniture manufacturer Nowy Styl Group, servitisation has been crucial to its growth. In 2007, it announced ‘for us, chairs are not enough’, starting a transformation from pure manufacturer to world-class office interior consulting company.

Servitisation is a way for manufacturers to add capabilities to enhance their overall offering in addition to the product itself. One famous example is Apple, which did this a few years ago when it had gained the majority of market share with the iPod and intro-

Another example is a customer that manufactures cleaning products and started to offer delivery and service dosing systems. The company understood that choosing the right cleaning products was just part of its customers’ main objective, ie, keeping

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MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY its premises hygienic. Applying the products in the most effective way, choosing the right accessories, establishing the right routines— all these too were crucial in keeping premises clean.

maintenance will become more and more common as it is a natural next step after implementing IoT to optimise service efforts,” Anthony adds.

Both these customers realised that no matter how beautifully designed a chair, or how effective a cleaning product, today’s luxury products turn into tomorrow’s commodities faster than ever, pulling prices down with them. With servitisation, manufacturers escape the corrosion of commodification. Expert services built on years of experience provide a kind of value customers will always pay for, regardless of technology trends.

“My third prediction is that 3D printing, just like IoT, will enter a new, more mature phase.

No matter how big the ‘wow’ factor is when we first see it, apart from smaller-scale manufacturing production like hearing aids and jewelry, 3D printing has so far failed to live up to its full potential. All this could change soon.

New technology like IoT adds an additional layer to servitisation According to the IFS Digital Change Survey conducted by the research and publishing company Raconteur, 68 percent of manufacturing companies claim that servitisation is either ‘well-established and is already paying dividends’ or ‘in progress and is receiving appropriate executive attention and support’.

However, one in three manufacturing companies is still to derive value from servitisation. They are missing out on revenue streams and new ways to develop their offerings. To be successful in their response to customer needs and increasing demands, manufacturers must look to new business models to compress time to market, taking an idea through from design to a saleable item as quickly as possible.

“New technology like IoT adds an additional layer to servitisation. With sensors detecting when your product or equipment needs service, this data can trigger an automated service action that will realise significant benefits to make your service organisation more effective. This type of automated predictive

3

The hype around 3D printing

“We are seeing a couple of developments that point in this direction. The first one is the improved scalability of 3D printing solutions. A new generation of 3D printing companies is moving into manufacturing traditionally dominated by injection-moulding manufacturers, with new, faster, better connected automated systems that reduce some of the timeconsuming pre- and post-processing that has been such an obstacle to wide-scale uptake”.

One company, Stratasys, for example, has collaborated on a new printer, the Demonstrator, that combines three printers into a stack system—each printer able to communicate to its neighbours in real time.

The new printer is highly scalable, meaning it can significantly increase production capacity, printing from 1 500 to 2 000 components a day. “This means that you can achieve an economy of scale to bring costs down, which will be an important catalyst for the success of 3D printing technology.

“In the aviation industry, one successful example is the new GE turboprop ATP Engine, which was 35 percent 3D printed, taking it down from 855 components to 12 and contributing toward the engine being lighter, more compact, and delivering a 15 percent lower fuel burn and 10 percent higher cruise power compared with competitors’ offerings,” Antony concludes. www.ideaengineers.co.za Email: renee@ideaengineers.co.za

Reality on the Shopfloor

T

he manufacturing sector needs to make better use of the valuable data that often sits unused within their production environments, in order to dramatically improve efficiency, production operations and quality management. This is according to Jason Chester, Director of Channel Programs at InfinityQS, who outlines how the channel can play a crucial role in helping organisations better integrate ‘information technology’, into the shop-floor within manufacturing plants.

Established programmes such as continuous improvement, Lean, Six Sigma for example, are delivering diminishing returns as the ‘low hanging fruit’ has already been harvested Jason comments, “Historically, technology investment by manufacturers at shop-floor level has been consigned to process and control technologies, such as automation, machinery, hardware, devices and PLC’s etc. However, investment in ‘information’ technology in the shop-floor has remained incredibly

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low and for many manufacturers almost non-existent.

“Therefore, manufacturers still struggle to address fundamental issues surrounding the improvements in cost, value, risk and agility among their production processes. This is despite years of Lean, Six Sigma and other lean manufacturing paradigms.

Greater insight

“For this reason, manufacturers are now looking ever closer at their production environments to see what greater insights can be gleaned from valuable production and machine data, to improve the efficiency of their production operations. Often in real-time rather than improvement cycles over the days, weeks or even months using more traditional lean manufacturing methodologies.

“These older more established programmes such as continuous improvement, Lean, Six Sigma for example, are delivering diminishing returns as the ‘low hanging fruit’ has already been harvested. It is worth remembering that many of these methodologies were developed decades ago, before we had ready access to digital information from PLCs, sensors

October 2018

MINING DATA

the foundations and getting this digital infrastructure in place.

IT versus industrial

“So how can the channel support this? More often than not, it is the operational management of a manufacturing business that is leading or pushing these projects, and IT are largely acting as facilitators and consultants to the process.”

and inline inspection equipment. Now we can put powerful workstations connected to sophisticated cloud-solutions powered by massive data-centres and ubiquitous networks in the hands of lineside operators. As a result, manufacturers are casting an eye on advanced shop floor information technologies such as manufacturing and quality intelligence and analytics to boost performance and better optimise manufacturing processes.”

Jason continues, “While artificial intelligence (AI) is on everyone’s lips, the shop floor is simply not ready for this yet. A critical component to the viability of those technologies is the widespread collection, aggregation and storage of digital information (read Big Data and IIoT), but most production environments are simply not capable of this yet and so investment would be futile.

“Really, the future needs to be about building

Jason concludes, “Unlike their IT counterparts, operational management has little experience of working directly with IT vendors or the IT industry.

So they are turning to their incumbent suppliers of industrial and automation services who are quickly having to extend their experience and remit to cover these information technology requirements.

“This also means that the vendors of manufacturing, especially shop-floor, oriented information technologies will increasingly find themselves working with clients via third parties, which in itself presents a massive future opportunity for the channel,” he concludes. www.infinityqs.com Email: infinityqs@spreckley.co.uk

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THESE BRANDS SUPPORT RESPONSIBLE RECYCLING OF USED OIL

Support brands that care for the environment Use ROSE approved collectors and recyclers to dispose of your used oil.

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3D PRINTING

New string to its bow Three-dimensional printing, otherwise known as ‘additive manufacturing’, gives minerals processing equipment solutions leader Multotec a new string to its bow, enabling rapid and effective technology innovation for optimal customer benefit.

W

hile computer-aided design (CAD) software has, for many years, allowed manufacturers to test new or improved products by simulating their behaviour on-screen, there comes a point at which it is quicker and easier to build a prototype of the product to elicit user feedback on the design and its functionality.

Multotec invested in 3D printing technology to improve its efficiency in creating and testing these prototypes, thereby improving the speed to market of its newly-developed products. There are already several examples of how successfully the group has done this, both here in South Africa and for its customers abroad.

Anywhere in the world

In one case, a Canadian customer had a specific requirement for its unique spiral application and wanted the concentrate splitter to cut the flow in a specific location. To do this, a spiral flow diverter was designed that would attach to the spiral’s working surface in front of the product box. A prototype unit was 3D-printed in-house, trial-tested and refined in South Africa.

To minimise the lead time, a digital model of the prototype was sent to Multotec Canada, which was able to have the item 3D-printed there within 48 hours, showing how rapid prototyping could create a customer-specific solution in just a short timeframe, almost anywhere in the world.

3D printed flow diverter

Similar success was achieved in developing a quick-release spigot holder and coupling for a cyclone, following feedback received from customers. The customers had noted that the process of changing out the spigots was taking a considerable amount of time and effort, as all the bolts to the spigot holder had to be removed to replace the spigot.

The solution pursued allowed the spigot holder to be screwed apart rather than unbolted; the prototype was 3D-printed in-house by Multotec and presented to the cyclones division, giving experts the ability to see and feel the product before any investment in tooling was made.

The screw spigot holder and coupling are now being injection-moulded, which has further reduced the component’s mass, as well as the cost and time it takes to manufacture.

Sliding splitters

In another example, a customer requested a solution to completely block material flow from the sliding splitters to the concentrate gully of their spirals. After a solution was designed, 3D-printed and successfully tested, a silicon rubber mould could be produced from the 3D-printed component. This mould was then used for casting polyurethane and producing a final product which met the customer’s needs, speeding up the time to market and cost of production.

Multotec’s 3D printing capabilities have also allowed the company to study the concentrate flow in a spiral, by using a 3D-printed spiral off-take prototype that fits to the profile and slope of the spiral. Research is underway to ascertain what the different grades are that exist within the concentrate section of the flow, so that equipment and processes can be continually optimised for customers, thereby enhancing plant efficiency and the overall cost per ton.

Multotec Group Tel: (011) 923-6000 Email: marketing@multotec.com www.multotec.com

3D printed coal spiral take-off

Industrial networks of energy

A

lmost 40% of all industrial control systems (ICS) in energy organisations, protected by Kaspersky Lab solutions, were attacked by malware at least once during the last six-months of 2017, closely followed by 35.3% of engineering and ICS integration networks. That’s one of the key findings of the latest report from Kaspersky Lab, ‘Threat Landscape for Industrial Automation Systems in H2 2017.’ Other sectors experienced an average of between 26% and 30% of ICS computers attacked. The vast majority of detected attacks were accidental hits.

The cybersecurity of industrial facilities remains an issue that can lead to very serious consequences affecting industrial processes, as well as businesses losses. While analysing the threat landscape in different industries, Kaspersky Lab ICS Cert recorded that nearly all industries regularly experience cyberattacks on their ICS computers.

However, two industries were attacked more than others: energy organisations (38.7%) and engineering and ICS integration businesses (35.3%).

The sector that demonstrated the most noticeable growth of ICS computers attacked during H2 2017 (compared with H1 2017) was construction, with 31.1%. For all other industries in question (manuTHE SOUTH AFRICAN MECHANICAL ENGINEER

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According to experts, the energy sector was one of the first industries that started to widely use various automation solutions and is now one of the most computerised. Cybersecurity incidents and targeted attacks over the past couple of years, along with regulatory initiatives make a strong case for the power and energy companies to start adopting cybersecurity products and measures for their operational technology (OT) systems.

Highs and lows

Organisations are not necessarily mature enough to pay the required attention to the protection of industrial computers

22

facturing, transportation, utilities, food, healthcare etc) the proportion of attacked computers ranged from 26% to 30% on average.

Moreover, the modern power grid is one of the most extensive systems of interconnected industrial objects, with a large number of computers connected to the network and a relatively high degree of exposure to cyber threats.

The relatively high percentage of attacked ICS computers in the construction industry compared with H1 2017 could indicate that these organisations are not necessarily mature enough to pay the required attention to the protection of industrial computers. Their computerised automation systems might be relatively new and an industrial cyber security culture is still to be developed in these organisations.

The lowest percentage of ICS attacks has been found in enterprises specialising in developing ICS software at 14.7%, meaning that their ICS research/development laboratories, testing plat-

October 2018

CYBERATTACKS

forms, demo stands and training environment are also being attacked by malicious software, although not as often as the ICS computers of industrial enterprises.

Kaspersky experts point to the significance of ICS vendors’ security, because the consequences of an attack spreading over the vendor’s partner ecosystem and customer base could be very dramatic, as was seen during the exPetr malware epidemic, for instance.

Researchers have also discovered a rise in mining attacks on ICS. This growth trend goes along with an increase in the cryptocurrency market and miners in general. Overall, during the period from February 2017 to January 2018, cryptocurrency mining programmes attacked 3.3% of industrial automation system computers, in most cases accidentally.

Survey results

Other highlights from the report include:

• The internet remains the main source of infection with 22.7% of ICS computers attacked.

The percentage of blocked web-borne attacks in Europe and North America is substantially lower than elsewhere.

• The top five countries by percentage of ICS computers attacked has remained unchanged since H1 2017 and includes Vietnam (69.6%), Algeria (66.2%), Morocco (60.4%), Indonesia (60.1%), and China (59.5%).

• The number of different malware modifications detected by Kaspersky Lab solutions installed on industrial automation systems increased from 18 thousand to over 18.9 thousand.

• 10.8% of all ICS systems were attacked by botnet agents, a malware that secretly infects machines and includes them in a botnet network for remote command execution; the main sources of attacks like this were the internet, removable media and email messages.

• Kaspersky identified 63 vulnerabilities in industrial systems and IIoT/IoT systems. 26 of them have been fixed by vendors.

Recommendations

Kaspersky recommends the following technical measures be taken: • Regularly update operating systems, application software and security solutions on systems that are part of the enterprise’s industrial network.

• Restrict network traffic on ports and protocols used on the edge routers and inside organisation’s OT networks.

• Audit ICS component access control in the enterprise’s industrial network and at its boundaries.

• Deploy dedicated endpoint protection solutions onto ICS servers, workstations and HMIs to secure OT and industrial infrastructure from random cyberattacks.

Percentage of ICS computers attacked in different industries*, H1 vs H2 2017

• Deploy network traffic monitoring, analysis and detection solutions for better protection from targeted attacks. www.kaspersky.co.za ics-cert.kaspersky.com

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PREVENTING FIRES Lavenda Sekwadi, Process Engineer at Energas Technologies

Tank Blanketing Valve

T

Evaporation and Tank Blanketing

he storage of flammable liquids carries with it the need to put in place fire protection mechanisms. Tank blanketing is deemed one of the best and effective ways of preventing fires in flammable liquid storage tanks by means of controlling the formation of explosive vapour or air mixtures above the liquid surface.

The threat of fires in flammable liquid storage tanks is not far-fetched. Fires can occur at any time for many reasons. Therefore, it is vital to safeguard both human life and material assets from the destructive effects of fires. Tank blanketing valves provide an effective means of preventing and controlling explosions in flammable liquid storage tanks.

It has the most compact design and fewest external connections of any other pilot-operated valve on the market

“It is a control practice that is widely used in the chemical, pharmaceutical, food processing and petroleum refining industries due to its potential to improve safety,” explains Lavenda.

The operational principle of the blanketing valve is simple; a blanket of inert gas in the tank’s vapour space prevents atmospheric air from entering the

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“The amount of inert gas required for a specific application is dependent on the maximum inbreathing demand and the maximum emptying rate.”

Nitrogen is the most commonly used gas for blanketing, because it is inert, widely available and relatively low-priced. “Other gases such as carbon dioxide or argon are also used on occasions. However, carbon dioxide is more reactive and argon is generally more expensive. The selection of an inert gas for a particular process is based on several properties, including flammability, non-contamination, chemically inactive, non-toxic, availability of large quantities of use and cost effectiveness.”

How it works

Lavenda Sekwadi, Process Engineer at Energas Technologies, explains that blanketing can reduce evaporation of the stored product and protects the tank from structural corrosion damage caused by air and moisture. He adds that contaminants, that may enter the vapour space to cause product degradation, are prevented.

Understanding tank blanketing

tank. “Inert gas is admitted only during the inbreathing cycles (vacuum cycles). An inbreathing cycle occurs when liquid is being withdrawn from a tank or when vapours condense in the tank as a result of a decrease in temperature,” explains Lavenda.

Typically, a blanketing valve is mounted on top of a storage tank along with a pressure/vacuum vent and an emergency pressure relief vent. The blanketing valve provides primary vacuum relief for the tank.

It opens and supplies gas to the vapour space when pressure decreases to the valve’s set point.

When vapour space pressure increases, the valve reseals. The pressure/vacuum relief vent is sized to take care of overpressure and vacuum conditions when nitrogen blanketing valve is out of service.

The pressure setting of the vent is set slightly higher than the blanketing valve setting but below the maximum pressure the tank can withstand.

Similarly, the vacuum setting is set higher than the normal operating vacuum but below the maximum vacuum pressure the tank can withstand.

October 2018

Since the failure of an inert gas poses the danger of a fire, a flame arrester can be mounted upstream of the pressure/ vacuum vent to prevent fire propagation into the tank. An emergency pressure relief vent should be considered for the relief of excessive pressure in the case of fire as per API 2000.

Preferred supplier

“There are two types of blanketing valves depending on the actual process requirements: 1” Pilot operated (for high flow rate applications) and 0.5” spring operated (for low flow applications) blanketing valves. We assist with sizing calculations to determine the most suitable solution for the application,” Lavenda advises.

In 2016, Energas added Protectoseal’s Series 10 2” tank blanketing valve to its range, which provided capabilities that the existing Series 20 1” could not offer in larger flow applications. This valve boasts a host of key features and benefits. It is specifically designed for tank blanketing and its pilot-operated design offers a very tight operating band.

It has the most compact design and fewest external connections of any other pilot-operated valve on the market. With uptime in mind, it is also field serviceable.

www.pumprental.co.za

The valve is available in a range of a materials.

The metal parts are available in 316 stainless steel and the seals and gaskets in Buna-N, Neo prene, Viton, EPDM, Chemraz or Kalrez.

Energas Technologies, Laetitia Botha Tel: (011) 397-6809, Email: laetitia@energas.co.za www.energas.co.za

g n i r e t a w e d k c o l c e h round-t THE SOUTH AFRICAN MECHANICAL ENGINEER

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

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WATER SAVING

An installation of a waste water treatment plant has been completed at the One&Only Cape Town that will result in a 40kl saving in municipal water per day. This translates to a R114 000 per month reduction in water costs for the well-known V&A Waterfront hotel.

Above ground treatment plants

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treatment in Cape Town versus the savings that our plant will achieve for the One&Only, it is clear that recycling waste water is an affordable and viable way for hotels in this region to save both water and money.

States SewTreat’s Theunis Coetzer, “Looking at the current costs of municipal water and sewage

“The current cost of potable water from the Cape Town Metro is R57 per 1 000 litres and the cost of sewage disposal is R38 per litre. In One&Only’s case, because the first plant recycles 40kl of sewage waste per day, the hotel no longer has a need to pay for 40kl of water or for the sewage

long with numerous water-saving measures already implemented at the hotel, the installation of above-ground HDPE waste water treatment plants has been completed by SewTreat. The initial Phase 1 plant removes 40kl of sewage per day from the hotel’s plumbing system and purifies it to product water standards. The purified water is then used in the hotel’s cooling towers.

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WATER SAVING

discharge. This can be calculated as a total saving of R3 800 per day or R114 000 per month. Annually they save R1 368 million from Phase 1 alone.”

Phase 2 involved the installation of a second plant that is used to treat sewage to potable standards for re-use in swimming pools, general cleaning, washing machines and the flushing of toilets. “Phase 2 sees an additional 80kl saving for the hotel per day.

Taking into account the total saving offered by both plants, this translates to an incredible annual saving of R4 104 million which means that the One&Only will see a full return on investment for the project in just eight months,” Theunis explains.

Desalination?

With both phases complete and operational, One&Only Cape Town will cut potable water usage from 220kl per day, to just 40kl per day being drawn from municipal lines. This is just 15% of the original quantity of water that they previously had to draw from Cape Town Metro. This remaining 15% will cover the hotel’s water needs for potable water to be used for drinking water, food preparation and showers. All other water requirements such as cooling tower water, pool filling, irrigation, car washes, general cleaning and laundry will be met through recycling.

Power usage

An additional benefit is the power usage and monthly operational costs of the plants. “The total power consumption of our plants is a mere 6kw, which is comparable to the power consumption of three swimming pool pumps. The monthly consumable cost of our system is just R2 500 per month.”

The One&Only will see a full return on investment for the project in just eight months As part of the installation, an air scrubbing system was included to ensure that there are absolutely no odour emissions from the plant. “We will also be involved in the design and implementation of ‘Liveview’ platforms that the hotel wants to install so that the water savings can be tracked in real time.

To further prove our commitment to helping them realise their water saving goals, we have offered the hotel a 100% money back guarantee should the plant not perform as per design efficiency,” Theunis concludes. www.sewtreat.co.za

SewTreat’s plants are easy to install due to the minimal civil works required while maintenance and operation of the system is effortless. The timeframe for complete installation of both phases from SewTreat’s initial consultation with the hotel’s management to being installed and completely operational was just 8 weeks.

“The hotel had previously considered desalination, but it proved to be three times more expensive than our plant in terms of total installation costs, ongoing maintenance and operation and power usage. It would also have taken four times longer to install,” Theunis points out.

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The Local Manufacturing Expo Aims to:

21 – 23 MAY 2019

Promote local manufacturing

EXPO CENTRE, NASREC,

Demonstrate Southern Africa’s export potential

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA

Provide access to global markets

A Showcase of Southern Africa’s Manufacturing Capabilities Who Will Exhibit?

Networking opportunities Develop public / private partnerships Public / private sector collaborations Identify industry challenges and opportunities for growth

Manufacturers across a variety of sectors, including:

Agriprocessing

Automotive

Business Process Outsourcing

Capital Equipment

Chemicals

Construction

Engineering

Food and Beverage

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ICT and Electronics

Metals

Mining

Plastics

Textiles/ Clothing/ Footwear

Transport

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th

ELECTRA MINING 2018

Benefit of Head Guided Plugs

G

ood guiding of the plug head with three or more guide bars offers better benefits to valve performance than otherwise offered by the conventional method of fitting guides around the shaft,” comments Richard Rule, eDart Slurry Valve Director.

“Benefits such as protection of the actuator, vibration control, prevention of rotation of the plug head and keeping the seat alignment intact, all play an important role in valve longevity and operation” he adds.

“The conventional method of fitting guides around the shaft of the plug head has shown that there are constantly re-occurring problems that are reported from this method. We utilise an alternative method throughout our range of valves that embraces three or more guide bars to guide the plug head which are polyurethane coated to provide wear resistance”.

Friction between the components will prevent all but the most severe rotational forces from twisting the shaft Five problems

Five main problems have been established with the conventional method of guiding plugged heads:

1

The guiding is a fair distance from the seat which is where it is best served to prevent the plug rubbing on one side of the seat ring bore, making any clearance between the shaft and guide magnified at the point of seating

2

In the case of eDart valves installed inside a tank, the guides are generally attached to the side of the tank. This makes for a more difficult installation and puts accurate alignment in jeopardy which can prove particularly costly when the site is remote.

3

The small clearance between the guide bush and the shaft makes this arrangement vulnerable to a deposit of solid material between the two components. Scale build-up on the shaft can result in the valve sticking and not moving smoothly.

4

There are forces on the plug head from the fluid flow that can cause the shaft to rotate

which is extremely difficult to prevent on a shaft with a relatively small diameter

5

Shaft guides wear quickly, leaving the shaft poorly guided.

Head guiding Guide bars are an interference fit directly on the diameter of the plug. Installation and commissioning is a lot easier when the guiding is attached to the seat assembly thereby eliminating the need for alignment from guide to seat. It also eliminates material build up that can result in seizure due to the fact that guiding takes place between two circles touching on the outside.

Richard explains, “Importantly, the plug head will be pushed against two bars by the line forces and the friction between the components will prevent all but the most severe rotational forces from twisting the shaft. For larger valves it is standard to fit an anti-rotation plate, or crown guide, on the back of the plug head which eliminates all rotation.

“The fact that our guide bars are polyurethane coated means that they are capable of handling fluid flow, and the velocity of this flow is much lower around the bars than between the plug and seat, substantially reducing the potential of erosion.”

“Answering the industry question of what plug shape is good for the job at hand,” Richard comments.

“We use Computer Fluid Dynamics to compare plug and seat type valves using different shapes. We have established that the inverted plug shape has a quick opening valve characteristic while the cone plug resembles a more linear valve characteristic.

“The cone plug is suited to control due to the valve characteristic being near linear, unlike the quick opening plug which is suitable for on/off applications,” he concludes.

The linear characteristic shape of the cone plug can easily be controlled by standard PID controllers and is therefore a popular choice for eDart’s range of slurry control valves.

Afrivalve Tel: (011) 791-1411, Email: sales@afrivalve.co.za eDART Tel: (011) 823-6620, Email: sales@edart.co.za

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Most aggressive duties

Marnus Koorts, product manager slurry pumps at Weir Minerals Africa

Engineered for use in the most aggressive duties, Warman mill circuit pumps easily manage large size particles in highly abrasive slurries. These pumps are designed for the most severe slurry applications such as ball and SAG mill cyclone feed as well as water-flush crushing in mineral processing plants.

M

arnus Koorts of Weir Minerals Africa says, “Like all pumps in the Warman MCR range, our 13 ton slurry handling machine with its massive 1.5 metre diameter is designed to increase productivity and decrease downtime, compared with older generation and other pumps in the industry”.

The mill circuit pumps are based on 80 years of fundamental and applied research, backed by wear performance field trials.

There is a patent pending on this innovative throatbush design which was developed to improve impeller eye wear life and reduce the wear caused by recirculation at the impeller-throatbush interface.

“Mill circuit applications are among the toughest in a minerals processing plant, and our pumps incorporate the latest in hypereutectic alloy and

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elastomer technology,” Marnus explains. “This significantly extends the wear life of the pump in highly abrasive and corrosive slurries, reducing operational costs.”

The high resilience rubber wear liner enables the handling of coarse particles and ball scats with ease, while its lightweight design, relative to other pumps in its category, facilitates safer handling. It is also at a lower cost than traditional heavy metal liners.

Reliable performance

Importantly, different material combinations are available to ensure that the customer gets a fitfor-application pump capable of providing reliable performance cost-effectively, tailored to their site conditions.

The MCR pump has a large diameter, low speed, high efficiency impeller. Marnus advises that it can be manufactured from a range of abrasion resistant alloys allowing the most appropriate material to be selected for the customer application. Wear life is increased and operating costs reduced when compared with other pumps in its category.

October 2018

PUMPS

Reduced recirculation is achieved by the deep expelling vanes on the front of the high chrome alloy impellers. Expelling vane tip turbulence is minimised by the patented shroud feature that traps tip vortices and prevents localised scouring on the throatbush face. This, again, extends wear life and reduces maintenance.

The split outer casing on the pump provides structural integrity and high operating pressure capability, ease of maintenance and safety. Thus internal liners can be fully worn before replacement.

Velocity Warman throatbushes feature pre-swirl vanes which offer optimum reliability and wear life. There is a patent pending on this innovative throatbush design

which was developed to improve impeller eye wear life and reduce the wear caused by recirculation at the impeller-throatbush interface. This has been accomplished by a series of guide vanes in the pump inlet which induce a rotational velocity in the slurry.

An adjustable stuffing box allows for the centering of the stuffing box and lantern restrictor to the shaft sleeve, thus increasing packing life and decreasing gland seal water consumption.

Another new design feature is the single-point gland adjustment which facilitates safe packing adjustment outside of the stuffing box guard while the pump is operating.

Weir Minerals Africa, www.minerals.weir

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THE SOUTH AFRICAN MECHANICAL ENGINEER

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TRACEABILITY

Tracking pipeline welds

I

n response to the growing need for GPS weld location traceability for high-end pipe installations, thermoplastic piping specialist, PlastiTech has launched Hürner’s new Whiteline series of welding units that can record the GPS location of a weld within a buried pipeline for future reference in case of a weld failure.

The new range, which covers all areas of application in electrofusion welding of PE, PP and PVDF pipes with heater coil fittings, takes electrofusion welding into a new era with its ability to not only trace who welded last, but also offer crucial GPS weld location traceability.

Brad Chamont, managing member of Plasti-Tech, explains that data logging capabilities of today’s welding units have only been able to address the issue of who welded what, when and how? Now we can answer the critical question of “where is the welded joint buried?”

Brad says it is very important to record the GPS location of a weld within a buried pipeline for future reference. “With a GPS location on hand, you know exactly where to excavate and repair the failed welded joint. Without GPS location, the whole pipeline would need to be excavated to find the failed weld, which is time-consuming and costly.”

Jointing

Hürner’s HST 300 Print+ 2.0 range is ideal for a wide range of applications, from jointing in the safety-sensitive area of gas networks, including

The HST 300 Print+ 2.0 model of the Whiteline series

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TRACEABILITY

The new generation 2.0 data loggers for welding reports also offer automation of component labelling.

accurate recording of geographic data, to jointing components with very small diameters, such as geothermal and sanitary fitting jobs, or very large diameters, for example, wastewater applications.

The range offers an intuitive data transfer menu that enables the download of all, or a finely-tuned selection of welding and traceability reports, as an abstract or extended report in PDF format, as a label printed by the optional label tag printer, or in the DataWork format sent to a PC. The new generation 2.0 data loggers for welding reports also offer automation of component labelling, which previously called for manual use of marker pens. The data transfer menu allows for printing off a mini-summary of a selected welding report on a label tag printer. The abrasion-proof plastic tag is then simply affixed to the fitting or pipe.

Local market

Meanwhile, the standard versions of the Generation Whiteline welders come with a state-of-theart, high-resolution, temperature range-extended character display. The novel GT keypad allows

convenient input of all required parameters. “The input is possible as you would use a traditional mobile device with a keypad.

Another unique functionality is the ViewWeld feature, which enables browsing, viewing and checking the logged welding reports on the display screen of the welder, without any need to print the reports off,� Brad explains.

The chlorine that will be produced by the plant will be used for disinfection and water treatment and is the basis for many industrial processes Bearing in mind the advanced nature of this range of welders, he advises that Plasti-Tech offers machine orientation training with the sale of every machine. To date, 25 units of the 14-model range are already operational in the local market Plasti-Tech Piping Systems, Brad Chamont Tel: (011) 609-5511, Email: brad@plasti.co.za www.plastitech.co.za

VerderAIr STANDARD double diaphragm pumps Verder S.A. Tel.: +27 (0)11 704 7500 info@verder.co.za www.verder.co.za

Product_Advert_Verderair_SA_180x65_DEF.indd 1

Verderair Standard Capacity: max. 1,200 l/min Pressure: max. 8.6 bar

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TRANSFORMING FREIGHT LOGISTICS

TRANSNET FREIGHT RAIL

www.transnet.net www.transnetfreightrail-tfr.net

MARKET FORUM

SLURRY APPLICATIONS

Extra high pressure pump

A range of slurry pumps from global minerals process specialist FLSmidth has brought new levels of hydraulic efficiency to Africa’s slurry operations.

Offered with a range of material options for liners and impellers, the Krebs slurryMax handles most plant applications across various industries. Its design is based on the success of FLSmidth’s millMax range of pumps, whose wear ring technology has created an efficient and long lasting slurry pump.

The slurryMax features an improved, more efficient impeller and an optional water drain plug for easier maintenance, allowing water that might have settled at the bottom of the pump to be quickly drained.

In the slurryMax 8 x 6 pump and larger units, a simple removable suction liner assembly allows for easy inspections of the internal components, as well as the replacement of the impeller without removing the discharge pipe. In addition, the volute liner has an integrated back liner that bolts securely to the outer drive side-casing.

This makes for easier and hands-free assembly, improving the safety aspects of the pump. Maintenance crews will also appreciate the easy-to-use lifting jig, for faster and safer rebuilds.

Other models in the slurryMax range include the XD version for aggressive applications, boasting thick elastomer liners and a heavy-duty impeller for extended wear life. The slurryMax HP is

SKF Multilog On-line System IMx-8

More data capture opportunities.

Even in a limited space.

Configure your IMx-8 and monitor your data wirelessly from your iOS or Android device.

The IMx-8 can be fully configured via luetooth, and can use existing template configurations stored in the SKF Cloud. Machine data can then be viewed on your iOS or Android device.

And with direct access to world-class software, analytics and support through SKF @ptitude or SKF Enlight, it’s the cost-effective route to high performance.

SKF South Africa (Pty) Limited Tel: +27 11 821 3591, Fax: +27 86 677 7876 Email: sales.za@skf.com, Web: www.skf.co.za ® SKF is a registered trademark of the SKF Group. | © SKF Group 2018

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the high-pressure version of this model, and is designed for multistage high pressure pumping systems.

Also in the range is the slurryMax XHP, which enables customers to design pumping systems with more stages and a higher final discharge pressure.

FLSmidth, Willie Van Wyk Tel: (010) 210-4820 www.flsmidth.com

MARKET FORUM

spotless sugar refinery Goscor Cleaning Equipment (GCE), in partnership with authorised dealer Maverick Industrial Cleaning Solutions, recently supplied and installed a state-of-the-art Delfin vacuum system at the Tongaat Hulett sugar refinery in Rossburgh, Durban.

points, of which five can be operated simultaneously.

The 11 suction inlets have Z21-certified micro switches, positioned strategically inside the facility on various floors to ensure that all areas can be cleaned easily.

The Delfin Atex Zone 22 compliant system consists of a CV 121 25 kW suction unit, DLF 0056 Z22 separator hopper with timer-controlled automatic reverse pulsing filters and level detector for automatic discharge.

The system is required for housekeeping purposes for the pan house, which is the actual factory in which the raw sugar is refined, and hence where a specific fire-protection rating is necessary. The products that needed to be collected by the vacuum system include sugar, icing sugar, castor sugar and sugar dust, at an estimated total of 750kg to 800kg per hour of material. This was achieved with four operators working simultaneously.

GCE National Sales Director, Peter Esterhuizen, explains that all these were connected to 147m of fixed stainlesssteel piping, with 11 hose connection

Goscor Group, Debby Marx Tel: (011) 230-2600 Email: dmarx@goscor.co.za www.goscor.co.za

The plant refines and packs approximately 610 000 tons of sugar a year, in various packaging forms ranging from sachets to bulk sugar.

Oil Seals BMG’s Garlock seals and sealing systems, which are manufactured in the USA and Europe according to stringent quality and safety specifications, have been developed by Garlock Sealing Technologies for safe and dependable performance in extreme operating conditions.

“The demands of modern engineering have made the selection of suitable sealing components a critical consideration, both in the design of new equipment and in the correct installation of products to replace those that are no longer suitable.

Failure to install the correct sealing system is highly dangerous, particularly in extreme conditions,” warns Marc Gravett, BMG’s business unit manager, Seals and Gaskets.

“The BMG team gives careful consideration to the correct selection of seals and gaskets, to ensure optimum safety, reliable fluid sealing solutions and care for the environment.”

Garlock sealing products, with a userfriendly design and advanced materials, ensure dependable sealing in all sectors.

These industries include chemical and petrochemical, pulp and paper, power generation, electronics, food and pharmaceuticals, as well as steel mills, mining and OEMs. Garlock seals and sealing systems include metallic and Gylon gaskets, oil seals, bearing isolators, expansion joints and butterfly valves. Components extend from a standard sealing ring, available from BMG stock and ready to install, to customised designs, which are fabricated to specific requirements.

BMG, Marc Gravett, Tel: (011) 620-1575 Email: marcg@bmgworld.net www.bmgworld.net

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MARKET FORUM

High-strength fixings German-engineered fischer chemical fixings are popular in the African mining sector due to their high-performance, added safety benefits and quick installation, which avoids costly downtime.

The chemical fixings from fischer used at mines comprise chemical mortar, glass-encased chemical capsules and epoxies, all with studs and accessories.

The complete fischer product range is available exclusively from distributor Upat. George Williams, Upat Mining and Exports Manager highlights that fischer is the best option for mines because, apart from their high strength, they are supplied with service guarantees of up to 50 years, a major advantage for long-life mining operations.

Before supplying any products to mining companies, fischer undertakes load tests to assess their suitability for the application required. The chemical fixings are used mainly on the mechanical side of mining operations, such as on conveyor-belt systems, crushers, and piping systems, as well as for the installation of ventilation systems in underground mines.

Chemical fixings are available that cure

to a strength of 180 MPa, almost double the strength of concrete, affording increased protection from the possibility of structural failure. “The safety features, combined with the reduced maintenance required for these anchoring systems, are the two main priorities for mines,�

George points out.

products are all in working order. This is particularly important, because seismic events can result in ground movement anywhere from 5m to 25m a month, heightening the risk of fall-of-ground incidents. This is why high-performance anchoring systems are essential in these challenging operating conditions.

He adds that fischer also undertakes regular mine-site inspections to ensure its

Upat, Tel: (011) 624 6700 www.upat.co.za

much more than just a pump in a

BOX

complete pumping solutions Email. info@pumptechnology.co.za 42

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MARKET FORUM

Improving Pump Suction

The new impeller is offered as an alternative to the standard product.

When developing the new impeller, KSB’s design engineers went to great lengths to ensure it can be used with a number of Movitec variants without necessitating modifications to the outer pump casing.

In its ongoing quest to push the boundaries of performance, pump manufacturer, KSB Group, has developed a special impeller to further improve the suction characteristics of its Movitec multistage high-pressure pumps.

The new impeller features a modified inlet diameter, vanes that allow a slightly diagonal throughflow and a newly designed stage casing, all of which serve to substantially improve the pump’s NPSH curve.

The new impeller is particularly useful in applications with critical inlet conditions such as boiler feed applications, as well as applications in which the pump is required to take in water from low-lying tanks or at higher temperatures.

These conditions are not always suitable for standard pumps, as a pressure drop in the intake area can cause cavitation in the first pump stage, resulting in excessive wear of pump parts or motor bearings as well as a reduced service life of the pump due to damaged parts and an unbalanced hydraulic system.

New impeller substantially improves the pumps suction characteristics (NPSH value)

The multistage centrifugal pumps from KSB’s Movitec range are designed for handling fluids such as water, coolants, condensate and mineral oils.

They are ideal for a wide variety of applications ranging from industrial boiler feed installations in steam circuits, recirculation and fire-fighting systems, cooling water circuits and washing plants to pressure boosting in general process applications.

KSB, www.ksbpumps.co.za

Zero Mass Water Source Hydropanels is a world-first technology which uses sunlight and air to make safe, pure drinking water.

hydropanels are built in arrays designed to meet the drinking water needs of each application.

drinking water needs of a hotel, lodge or office building.

Powered entirely by solar, Source extracts pure water vapour from the air and converts it into liquid water, similar to distilled.

This water is mineralised with magnesium and calcium before being delivered directly to a tap.

The Source Hydropanels are modular and can be aggregated to meet the

Rubicon, rubiconsa.com zeromasswater.com

Completely infrastructureindependent, Source makes water without any external electric or water input. This significant advancement in drinking water access is made possible through the combination of thermodynamics, materials science, and controls technology.

Developed by Zero Mass Water founder and CEO, Cody Friesen, a materials scientist and associate professor at Arizona State University, Source utilises an ultra-absorbent material that collects water from the air around it in even arid conditions. Producing an average of 3-5 litres of water per panel per day, the

Cody Friesen, Zero Mass Water CEO stands with US Consul General, Virginia Blaser, in front of an array of Source Hydropanels

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MARKET FORUM

Avoid production downtime With up to 20% of all bearing issues caused by incorrect installation, maintenance staff should first be properly trained and, secondly, use the right tools.

For this reason, NSK provides training courses for customer maintenance departments.

With the maintenance and service package AIP+, NSK offers high quality, workable tools for facilitating the typical bearing tasks found in industry.

The AIP+ portfolio includes mechanical and hydraulic assembly tools, as well as induction heaters.

Within the framework of AIP, NSK can perform on-site inspection of both bearings and operating conditions. Company experts then make a specific proposal on which bearings to use, supporting their recommendation with a cost analysis.

A case in point can be seen at a German automotive manufacturer, where motor

Induction heater

spindle bearings frequently required replacement in 15 identical production centres. NSK discovered that the premature failures were caused by external contamination and suggested using sealed high-precision bearings. As a result, bearing failures were reduced

Hydraulic, Drive, Control In a first for South Africa, Hytec Group companies Tectra Automation and Hytec collaborated to aid a motor vehicle OEM reduce energy costs at its Port Elizabeth engine plant. This was achieved with the installation of a Sytronix Variable Speed Pump Drive in mid-2017, which has subsequently achieved a proven energy saving of 68% on the machine for which it was installed.

To reduce energy consumption, Sytronix, which monitors the hydraulic pressure and adjusts the motor running speed so only the required pressure at any given time is delivered, was installed at the plant’s block machining line. This was the first of kind for this specific OEM and for the Hytec Group.

Sytronix, a Bosch Rexroth product, is a smart interplay of hydraulics and electronics to generate hydraulic power on demand. It maintains the ideal motor speed without using more motor power than is absolutely necessary leading to energy efficiency and cost-cutting. Additionally, Sytronix reduces the noise levels from 72 dB(a) to 62 dB(a), almost half of that experienced on conventional power units.

Tectra Automation Wiets Pretorius Tel: 011 971 9400 Email: wiets.pretorius@tectra.co.za www.hytecgroup.co.za Monitoring the hydraulic pressure and adjusting the motor running speed so only the required pressure at any given time is delivered

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dramatically. Service life increased from 12 months to more than 36, which in turn delivered annual savings of slightly more than â‚Ź50 000 in installation costs alone.

NSK, Nsk-sa@nsk.com

MARKET FORUM

Distribution Partner Verder Pumps South Africa has appointed Flo-Tek as its exclusive distributor in Nelspruit and surrounding areas.

“We are very pleased to bring Flo-Tek onboard as a distribution partner. Nelspruit and the Mpumalanga Province present significant growth opportunities for our business, particularly as the key economic contributors to the region fall predominantly within infrastructure development or industrial and consumer market sectors,” says Darryl Macdougall, Managing Director, Verder Pumps South Africa.

EMO Hanover 2019 The starting shot has been fired for EMO Hannover 2019. The invitation and registration documents for the world’s leading metalworking trade fair are currently being sent out to around 60 countries. “We contact almost every company in the world that does international business and that has some connection with the manufacture of machine tools, tools, components, software and automation for industrial production,” says Carl Martin Welcker, General Commissioner of EMO Hannover 2019.

From 16 to 21 September 2019, EMO Hannover will once again be providing a platform for innovative solutions, industrial applications and future technologies in the field of metalworking.

“It includes the entire international production technology value chain, covering everything from cut-to-length machines to cylinder saws. That’s exactly what makes it so attractive,” says Carl.

As Verder’s exclusive distribution partner in Nelspruit, FloTek will initially stock hoses for the VerderFlex range of pumps, and as the portfolio grows, strategic stock will be kept in Nelspruit. Flo-Tek will also continue to offer after-sales service support to their customers for quality and performance assurance.

Verder Pumps South Africa kirstin.adam@verder.co.za

Altair has introduced a new software licensing model for its solidThinking suite of simulation-driven design software. Based off of Altair’s patented units-based licensing model popularised through Altair HyperWorks, solidThinking Units (sTUs) will share similar and distinct advantages enabling SMB customers and the design engineering community to drive product innovation with simulation.

Under TU licensing, customers will now have access to all software titles available through the solidThinking suite as well as the ability to seamlessly run these applications on-demand locally or in the cloud.

“We believe the frictionless access to our entire solidThinking suite and cloud resources through this single licensing model is a market first and compelling offering for SMB and some enterprise customers,” says James R. Scapa, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Altair.

Mpumalanga is said to have higher than average growth rates which is mirrored by tremendous growth in Nelspruit, where the local microeconomy has generally shown growth of 6% per annum.

Flo-Tek is a leading manufacturer and supplier of pipes, fittings, tanks and irrigation products for various applications across multiple sectors, including mining and industrial, water and sanitation and irrigation. The company’s clients typically include government departments, municipalities, stateowned enterprises, mining and construction companies, and building material suppliers etc.

Software Licensing Model

“The new licensing provides tremendous value and flexibility to organisations that are just beginning with simulation, have limited simulation resources, or require a comprehensive simulation solution that cost-effectively scales with growth.”

Carl Martin Welcker

Around 2 200 exhibitors are expected, well over half of them from outside Germany.

The theme of EMO Hannover 2019 will be “Smart technologies driving tomorrow’s production!”

This shifts the focus onto the development and implementation of new Industry 4.0 functions.

The special IoT in Production show, for example, will be presenting a range of solutions, from individual machines up to cloud-based systems.

The theme will also be highlighted in a new area for individual control technology, software and automation technology exhibitors.

EMO Hannover, traditionally the largest innovation platform in the industry will, however, also be showcasing the latest developments in the full range of metalworking machining processes, from AM through to metal cutting. www.emo-hannover.de

The Altair solidThinking suite packages a subset of software titles available through the broader Altair HyperWorks offering to rapidly explore, investigate and create structurally efficient, manufacturable product concepts and electromechanical systems.

Inclusive of robust solutions for model-based development, generative design, hybrid concept modeling, multiphysics analysis, manufacturability, and photorealistic rendering, each delivers an intuitive user experience catering to the specialised needs of designers, design engineers, and manufacturing professionals with little or no experience with simulation. www.altair.com www.solidthinking.com/units

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MARKET FORUM

On the Move

46 SAMechEng.indd 1

Gert Nel

Vincent Sithole

Ashley Mayer

Stephanie du Plessis

Gert Nel, diagnostician, has been promoted to branch manager of WearCheck’s transformer oil analysis laboratory in Cape Town; Vincent Sithole has been promoted to junior chemist at WearCheck’s Pinetown labora-

tory; Ashley Mayer has re-joined WearCheck Pinetown as a diagnostician and Stephanie du Plessis has joined the team in Richards Bay as a vibration analysis technician.

Muzi Manzi

João Ramos

Muzi Manzi has been appointed the new CEO at the Aluminium Federation of South Africa.

Integrated infrastructure delivery company Aecom has appointed João Ramos as its Business Development Lead for Civil Infrastructure in East Africa.

THE SOUTH AFRICAN MECHANICAL ENGINEER 12/12/2017 18:17:18

VOL 68

October 2018

DEDICATED TO MAKING YOUR IDEAS

WORK

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Variable Speed Drives (VSD’s)

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Invincible Valves (Pty) Ltd was established in 1982 and since has grown to a medium sized enterprise located in Knights, Germiston Invincible Valves prides itself on service excellent and flexibility by striving to enhance our customer’s bottom line.

Our 6,500m² facility in Knights is made up of 4,500m² under roof being our stores and workshop. The facility is fully equipped to offer a one-stop resource for valves and ancillary equipment which we transport globally.

As an approved BBBEE Level 4 supplier to all major industries within South Africa, we maintain expertise and experience across a broad spectrum of industries and applications with a wide range of products. We offer a comprehensive range of local and imported valves and accessories for the mining, petro-chemical, power generation, water, sewerage and general industries. We have agents in all major centres around the country and service all four corners of the globe.

We offer an in-house rubber lining service for valves, pipes, fittings and vessels which is utilized by many of the country’s major valve manufacturers. In addition we offer complete service, repair and valve reconditioning services for all types of valves.

Our Core Values: We believe in treating our customers with respect. We grow through creativity, invention and innovation. We integrate honesty, integrity and business ethics into all aspects of our business functioning.

Our Mission Statement: Build long term relationships with our customers and clients, to provide exceptional customer services by pursuing business through innovation and advanced technology.

Our Purpose: To be a leader in the Valve Industry by providing enhanced services, customer service and profitability.

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Invincible Valves is a proud supplier of quality valve products and ancillary equipment backed by service excellence around the globe. It is the combination of these values that allows us to form lasting business relationships.

Invincible Valves (Pty) Ltd

If it's not INVAL®, it's not Invincible 33 Shaft Road, Knights, Germiston TEL: +27 (0) 11 822 1777 | FAX: +27 (0) 11 822 3666 EMAIL: enquiries@invalve.co.za | WEB: www.invalve.co.za