Electricity + Control February 2017

VALVES + ACTUATORS

Inside The Manufacturing HUB

A visit to an actuators factory

A ctuator Technical Services (ATS) is situated in Jet Park, Boks- burg, one of the vibrant manufacturing hubs of Ekurhuleni, South Africa. Established in 1979 by Fanie Opperman, ATS locally designs and manufactures Quarter Turn, Linear Pneumatic and Hydraulic actuators to customer specifications, locally and in many parts of the world. A little history In Fanie Opperman’s words: “After working a number of years for an international actuator company based in South Africa, I saw the pos- sibilities of a local Company, which will specialise in manufacturing Pneumatic valve actuators and various other related products. In May 1979 my wife, Barbara, and I took the bold step, and started Actuator Technical Services cc. The only finance we had was our Metal Indus- tries Pension Fund valued at +/- R3 500. In 1992, we moved into our own premises in Jet Park and set-up a very successful manufacturing plant”. Casper and Elize Broodryk (the Opperman’s daughter) became owners of the company in 2010 when Fanie retired. The ATS actuator range The ATS actuator range is adaptable, trusted and reliable. A wide range of valves can be fitted with ATS Actuators, e.g. Butterfly valves, Knife Gate valves, Ball valves, Plug valves, Gate Valves ,Globe valves, Diaphragm valves and Pinch valves. Product identification The products are identified by the letters BG for Quarter Turn, followed by another letter, i.e. ‘L’ indicating that the actuator has a linear mo- tion or ‘BG/H’ indicating that the actuator is Hydraulic powered. The Pneumatic actuator is designed for the local market and is distributed worldwide on valves through valve manufacturers in South Africa. The Scotch yoke, with its unique design, is used to cater for various valve torque requirements. BG Quarter Turn actuators do not have side loads within the frame, as the side load is taken up by a slide bar

within the frame which eliminates friction and wear. All single acting units are fitted with a spring that is encapsulated to prevent death or serious injury when the actuator is dismantled.

Design Casper discusses the design: “The BG Quarter Turn design is based on one type of frame to which different size cylinders can be mounted which has great advantages when sizing different types of valves. Cost saving, adaptability, inline maintenance and interchangeability are some of the benefits. The actuators’ high quality and reliability make our products a sound investment”. Spring valves Asked about Spring valves, Casper responds: “In the past and, unfor- tunately still today, actuator manufacturers have not, and do not ap- preciate that Spring Return Actuators or Double Acting Actuators are very dangerous pieces of equipment”. In ATS actuators the capsulated design is utilised for many reasons which include (among others): • The spring capsule can be removed without danger • By compressing the spring 1mm, the full pre-set thrust is achieved • The spring cannot flip or jump as all the energy is within the capsule • The spring coils are not exposed and therefore cannot nip or amputate fingers The team A very close-knit enterprise, ATS has retained the values instilled in the early years. The company comprises a teamof dedicated individu- als – management and employees – who value each other; therefore regular training takes place, mentorship is ongoing and ‘wellbeing for all’ is the order of the day. Enquiries:Tel. +27 (0) 11 397 4756 or email sales@actuator.co.za • The spring cannot damage the bore of the cylinder • The pre-set of the spring cannot be tampered with

ATS Admin staff: Tanita, Casper, Elize, Japie, Magda, Rebecca, Alishé and Gert.

ATS factory staff: (Back): Japie, Sam, Vuyo, Zolani, Jimmy and Jacob. (Front): Raymond, Alfred, Stanley and Thimoti.

Electricity+Control February ‘17

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