MechChem Africa April 2018

⎪ Products and industry news ⎪

BMG appointed sole distributor for SAFi thermoplastic industrial valves

Rockwell Automation recently an- nounced its investment in The Hive, a Silicon Valley innovation fund and co-creation studio, to gain access to an ecosystem of innovators and technology startups with a focus on of artificial intelligence (AI) applications for industrial automation. Rockwell Automation’s goals in- clude co-creating to solve customer problems, accelerating innovation and identifying new emerging technolo- gies that can help its manufacturing customers improve business perfor- mance by bridging the gaps between plant-floor and higher-level informa- tion systems. “Smart manufacturing requires the use of newanddisruptive technologies such as AI to create the future indus- trial plants and supply networks that are flexible, efficient, responsive and secure. AI can help manufacturers unlock data, contextualise it and take action,” explains Christo Buys, busi- ness manager for control systems at Rockwell Automation sub-Saharan Africa. “We continue to create part- nerships with leading innovators such as The Hive to further advance The Connected Enterprise, our vision for realising unprecedented industrial productivity from the integration of plant and enterprise operations.” www.rockwellautomation.com/en_ZA Artificial Intelligence for Industrial Automation

port services for productionefficiencyand reliability-centred maintenance ensure optimumefficiency and increased service life of every system. With broad technical capabilities, the team can solve problems in applications where conventional com- ponents have failed after short periods of service. “BMG’s expansion programme in the fluid technology sector also involves in- creasing product stockholdings through more than 130 BMG branches and a wide distribution network in sub-Saharan Africa,” says Lamprecht. The SAFi range, which conforms to stringent international quality speci- fications, incorporates ball, butterfly, diaphragm and non-return valves, as well as strainers and tank fittings – all manu- factured from high quality non-corrosive materials. www.bmgworld.net former technology from global leader Hammond Power Solutions (HPS), we are now able to design and deliver mini substations that are specific to customer requirements,” saysDavidClaassen, man- aging director of Trafo Power Solutions. Mini substations are traditionally built with oil-cooled transformers, says Claassen, but the incorporation of dry- type technology makes the new offering safer due to a lower fire risk. In addition, dry-type units require less maintenance and present no possibility of environmen- tal contamination through oil-spills. The units includemedium-voltage switchgear for the incoming power source, a primary step-down transformer and a lowvoltage distributionboard, whichareall contained within an enclosure.

BMG has recently been ap- pointedbySAFi Thermoplastic Valve Solutions as sole the distributor of SAFi thermo- plastic industrial valves in sub-Saharan Africa. “BMG’sstrategytoenhance its fluid technology division, incorporates the introduction of new products, with the lat- est developments in design technologies, materials and coatings, that meet exact mar- ket demand,” explains Willie Lamprecht, national product manager, Industrial Valves,

BMG. “Extreme care is taken in premium brand selection, to ensure product reli- ability, standardisation, flexibility, low maintenance and extended service life. “The company’s 24-hour process sup-

Dry-type mini substations from Trafo

Trafo Power Solutions is extending the benefitsofdry-typetransformersbyoffer- ing customised dry-type mini substations as a complete and customisable electrical distribution solution for users in mining, industrial, marine, commercial and resi- dential applications. “Using thewell-proven dry-type trans-

and large companies - to partner with it and allow it to assist inoptimising operations and increasing competitiveness. TheBIDF is home to someof the country’s finest chemists and engineers involved in technology development. The facility offers specialised chemical fractionation equip- ment, advanced analytical facilities and pilot facilities for upscale demonstrations of new and existing technologies and products ap- plicable to South African biomass sources. www.csir.co.za “Customers have flexibility when it comes to the design and manufacture of the enclosure: we can use various thick- nesses of mild steel to suit the harshness of the conditions and provide options for mobility such as a wheeled base or a skid- mounted base,” he says. www.trafo.co.za

Well-proven dry-type technology is being used in customised dry-type mini substations.

DST-CSIR Biorefinery Industry Development Facility (BIDF) Aging processing and manufacturing tech- nologies are resulting in significant biomass resources going towaste in SouthAfrica. The DepartmentofScienceandTechnology(DST)- CSIR Biorefinery Industry Development Facility (BIDF) based in Durban, works with forestry, agro-processing, and other bio- mass industries to improve manufacturing technologies and to develop and implement biorefinery technologies to create additional high-value products from their waste. Thefacilityintegratesbiomassconversion processes andequipment toproduce energy, composites materials and high-value chemi- cals, in addition to the traditional biomass product streams such as food, wood, paper, and pulp. The BIDF facility assists industry from the laboratory scale to the industrial scale with the aims of reviving ailing manufac- turers, creating new industry value chains and creating new jobs through improved competitiveness. The CSIR is inviting industry – both small

40 ¦ MechChem Africa • April 2018