Electricity and Control September 2023

DRIVES, MOTORS + SWITCHGEAR : PRODUCTS + SERVICES

Advanced switchgear for enhanced performance

MV Switchgear, a division of ACTOM (Pty) Ltd and provider of innovative electrical solutions, recently launched its SBV4XE switchgear. Developed as a successor to the SBV4 and SBV4E models, the

and cost-effective solutions.” With these new features the SBV4XE sets a new standard for switchgear performance and efficiency. New features include: enhanced mechanisms, improved energy efficiency, reduced maintenance needs, cost-competitive assembly, emissions reduction, streamlined manufacturing, lighter weight and durability, improved circuit breaker carriage, enhanced gears, user friendly design, and advanced current transformers. Donovan Stevens, CEO of the ACTOM Switchgear Division said, “The SBV4XE represents a significant leap forward in switchgear technology. Its innovative features and cost-saving enhancements offer customers unparalleled value, reliability, and ease of use.” Mervyn Naidoo, Group CEO of ACTOM, added, “At ACTOM, we are committed to delivering cutting-edge electrical solutions that address the evolving needs of our customers. The SBV4XE is a testament to our dedica tion to innovation and excellence, and we are confident it will set a new benchmark in the industry. “ For more information contact ACTOM MV Switchgear Tel: +27 (0)11 820 5111 Visit: https://www.actomswitchgear.co.za/ Cleveland, Johannesburg, workshop in March this year, can form coils at the rate of one a minute. “This is almost 30 times faster than the rate at which we can form a coil with one of our six old labour-intensive machines. Production on the old machines is also subject to human error and therefore more prone to inconsistency in quality,” says Teixeira. The new machine, one of only a few fully automated coil spreaders in operation in South Africa, has been specially modified by the manufacturers to protect it from the potentially damaging effects of local loadshedding conditions. “In addition to protecting the machine from sudden loss of power supply when loadshedding occurs, this modification ensures that the spread sequence as it was at the time of the power interruption is retained in the memory, so when the power is restored, the machine can carry on operating from where it left off,” Teixeira says. Like the new coil spreader machine, the other three newly acquired machines are faster and more efficient than their respective predecessors. They include specific features that present key benefits. “All the advantages improve quality and efficiencies in the production of the coils, ensuring faster turnaround times for customers’ machines,” Teixeira says.

SBV4XE represents a significant advance in switchgear technology, incorporating a range of features to deliver superior performance, functionality, and cost savings. Since the early 1990s, the SBV4 and later SBV4E withdrawable pattern switchgear ranges have been widely used in southern Africa, appreciated for their low profile, compactness, robustness, and adaptability, which make them ideal for applications with limited space. Building on these features, MV Switchgear began developing the SBV4XE in mid-2017, to enhance the switchgear’s capabilities. Rhett Kelly, MV Switchgear’s Design & Development Manager, said: “In developing the SBV4XE, we sought to retain the outstanding features of our previous mod els and to introduce a host of significant improvements. Drawing on our extensive experience in switchgear man ufacturing – over 50 years – we have reimagined the SBV4E product, to incorporate advanced technologies To advance its already strong standing in the marketplace as a repairer and refurbisher of large and medium-sized rotating electrical machines, Marthinusen & Coutts (M&C) has acquired four new state-of-the-art coil production machines for its Johannesburg coilshop. The new machines, purchased from a manufacturer in Europe, are: an automated CNC coil spreader machine, an automated looping machine, a CNC hydraulic coil heat press, and an automated high-speed taping machine. “The automated CNC coil spreader machine repre sents a major advance on the manually operated hy draulic spreader machines we’ve been using up to now,” says Shawn Teixeira, M&C’s Coilshop Manager. “It is a game-changer for us in terms of serving the market more effectively. With this new machine, the

ACTOM MV Switchgear has introduced its news SBV4XE switchgear to the market.

New coil production machines for coilshop upgrade

Coilshop Manager, Shawn Teixeira (left) and Operator, Mbukeleni Musibuko, with the new automated CNC coil spreader machine.

speed of production and the product quality are hugely im proved. The production rate is much faster and because the process is fully automated, the product is now consistently of the highest possible quality, reliability and uniformity,” he adds. The nine-tonne eight-metre long new machine, which M&C started operating at its

For more information contact M&C. Visit: www.mandc.co.za

12 Electricity + Control SEPTEMBER 2023