MechChem Africa December 2017

Mech Chem DECEMBER 2017 AFRICA

Quality certified gases for the food, beverage, water and automotive industries

This month: Utility-scale floating wind production

Quality remanufacturing for multiple engine lives

Proudly South African pump manufacturing

Bringing the Connected Enterprise to life

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Pump systems, pipes, valves and seals 8 Proudly South African pump manufacturing

P U B L I C A T I O N S CR O WN

MechChemAfrica visits the SouthAfrican manufacturing facility of KSB Pumps andValves in Germiston and talks to members of the company’s senior management team about its cost-effective local pump production capability, which meets all of the KSB Group’s global quality standards. 11 eDART valves and samplers enhance plant efficiency 12 Turnkey dewatering and slurry-sucking 14 Custom-designed gland service water system for Grootegeluk 15 Through-port knife-gate valves for abrasive, scaling applications Power generation, sustainable energy and energy management 16 Utility-scale floating wind production Statoil is currently at the final commissioning stage of its Hywind Scotland Pilot Plant, the world’s first floating windfarm, which consists of five 6.0 MW, 170 m wind turbines floating on 78 m submerged steel cylinders anchored to the seafloor using a simple three-line mooring system. 17 Containerised switchgear for DRC copper mine Petrochemical, oil and gas 18 Natural gas: powering a revolution in SA’s industry Natural gas provides about one fifth of the world’s total energy requirements, with industry accounting for around 40% of total gas consumption.Virtual Gas Network, together with fellow CNG Holdings division, NGV Gas, has already converted some canneries, manufacturing and assembly plants in Gauteng and will soon be operative in KwaZulu-Natal. 18 Feel equipped and safe from contaminants Environmental, waste management and cleaning technologies 20 Bioenzymes revolutionising industrial cleaning According to Managed Care Economical Solutions (MCES) biological action is always preferable to chemical action, as it is non-caustic, non-corrosive and offers maximum effectiveness in this tough environment. 21 Green and efficient – the trend in wine farm cleaning 21 Washing green – no greenwashing Local manufacturing, production and food processing 22 African electrical and mechanical provider consolidates Marthinusen & Coutts, a division of ACTOM (Pty) Ltd, is consolidating its role as an integrated electrical and mechanical services provider across Africa, and internationally. 23 Quality remanufacturing and regular maintenance for multiple engine lives 24 Lifecycle costing for the Eiffel Tower Based on a thorough costing analysis of the Eiffel Tower, Sassda’s 2017 Lifecycle Costing Competition winner, Amrish Punwasi proved that while the upfront costs of stainless steel can be higher than other materials, it can often deliver lower long-term costs across the complete lifecycle of a construction. Innovative engineering 28 Rockwell Automation Fair 2017: Bringing the Connected Enterprise to life Peter Middleton attends Rockwell’s annual Automation Fair in Houston, conducts executive interviews and highlights the company’s exciting IIoT and Connected Enterprise innovations. REGULARS 2 Comment: A declaration of energy independence 4 On the cover: Driving performance to the next level Air Liquide’s Jonathan Hough, Fanus Labuschagne and Gabriela Figueira talk about gas solutions for improved efficiency and quality of food and beverage production. 6 SAIChE Spotlight: Wits dedicates Peter King Minerals Processing Laboratory 25 Product and industry news 32 Back page: Gamification reaches the process industry

Published monthly by Crown Publications cc Cnr Theunis and Sovereign Streets Bedford Gardens 2007 PO Box 140, Bedfordview, 2008 Tel: +27 11 622 4770 e-mail: mechchemafrica@crown.co.za www.mechchemafricamagazine.co.za Editors: Peter Middleton e-mail: peterm@crown.co.za Glynnis Koch e-mail: glynnisk@crown.co.za Advertising: Brenda Karathanasis e-mail: brendak@crown.co.za Design: Darryl James Publisher: Karen Grant Deputy publisher: Wilhelm du Plessis Circulation: Karen Smith The views expressed in this journal are not necessarily those of the publisher or the editors. P U B L I C A T I O N S CR O WN P U B L I C A T I O N S CR O WN 2015/02/10 01:17:09PM

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Front cover: Air Liquide Elana Pienaar +27 87 288 1179 elana.pienaar@airliquide.com industry.airliquide.co.za Cover image: © 123RF

December 2017 • MechChem Africa ¦ 1

Peter Middleton A declaration of energy independence I read with interest a press release from a new kid on the block in the energy sector, which notes that, when it comes to energy, most South Afri- cans talk about “the increasing dent it is making in themonthly budget alongwith endless controversy surrounding Eskom”.

Given this,Walters says, $50/MWh could easily be achieved in Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia, orMorocco, where DNI typically reaches 2 500-2 800. Based on solar maps released by Stellenbosch University in co-operation with GeoSUN Africa, the DNI in South Africa is as high as 3 200 kWh/m 2 per year in the Northern Cape, which, if implemented in SA, wouldbring the costs of thisCSP technology down further by between 15 and 26%. Potentially, this puts the LCOE of new CSP in the Northern Cape Province at between 58 and 68 South African cents per kWh. Belen Gallego of Empresarios ATA Insights and a colleague of Walters points out that six to 12 months ago nobody in the CSP sector would have dared men- tion LCOE. “Now the numbers are looking better and the industry is buzzing.” PV is at $20-30/MWh, andCSP has reached as low as around $60/MWh in Australia and Chile, despite there being only 5.0 GW of global CSP installations compared to 80 GW of global PV installations, she says. “If we keep growing this market, the cost will continue to come down. CSP is very simple and there is nothing in the value chain that is rare or limited in supply” – or dangerous! The $73/MWh LCOE for ACWA’s Dubai plant also includes 15 hours of storage, which allows the power producer to “sell a lot of energy” and “to spread the fixed costs to get down to something low like 7.3 cents (US),” Gallego points out. With 15 hours of storage, surely capacity factors must be exceptionally high? And thiswithout the unaf- fordability that we have been told is associated with renewable storage technologies. There in an uncomfortable sense that we are racing to finalise a nuclear deal in South Africa, one that cannot easily be justified in terms of current or mediumtermenergy needs. Nor is it obviously afford- able, unless we adopt the build-own-operate (BOO) model, which is likely to prove even more expensive in the long termand, like the e-toll project, could com- mit the nation to paying huge amounts of money for something that is not needed. Thedecentralised, modern approach, basedmostly on renewable options, makesmuchmore sense tome. We should be looking towards organic growth of our energy sector, using smaller installations to meet im- mediate or mid-term needs. Fusion Energy is currently looking to become “South Africa’s first listed, diversified, clean energy brand”. I think the company isworthyof our support. q

About the government’s Renewable Energy Programme, the article suggests most will say these newrenewable technologies aremore expensive than coal power, and so, either way, the consumer is going to be hit. People are resigned to paying more for less and indirectly supporting a more polluting future for South Africa and the world. When it comes to the subject of power, Fusion Energy suggests that South Africans feel powerless. I couldn’t agreemore, but: “While energywrestleswith amurkypast, FusionEnergy is blazinga cleaner future,” reads the article. “Our core business fully embraces the principles of social, economic and environmental sustainability,” says Wendy Green, CEO of the Stellenbosch-based company. Can we say the same of the Medupi and Kusile projects? How does the nuclear proposal stack up against social, economic and environmental sustainability? “The reality is that, whilst fossil fuel-produced electricity costs are increasing, renewables and grid securitytechnologycostsaredropping–andthisdiver- gence is becoming an unstoppable force. This means that anewenergy future is coming inwhich consumers can enjoy lower costs, minimal environmental impacts andaworldof opportunity tocreate jobs andeconomic empowerment through good business sense and the inherent innovation of all SouthAfricans,” says Green. Hooray! Corroborating this view, a New Energy Update articleon concentrated solar power (CSP) reports that the levelised cost (LCOE) of CSP-generated electric- ity in the Middle East could fall to below $50/MWh next year, according to the predictions of two of the industry’s leading consultants at CSP Seville 2017. The article cites ACWAPower’s 700MWCSP project in Dubai, which is in its fourth phase of development. This project combines tower and trough technolo- gies andwill deliver aUS$73/MWhLCOE (7.3UScents or 98SAcents per kWh) fromdirect normal irradiance (DNI) of about 2 050 kWh per square-metre per year, notes Jonathan Walters, MENA CSP Knowledge and Innovation Programme Team Leader and a senior figure at Castalia Advisors.

MechChem Africa is endorsed by:

2 ¦ MechChem Africa • December 2017

Driving performance to the next level Gas innovations for the food industry

CO 2 production facility in theverynear future – by January 2018 – to support the growing beverage industry in the province,” he says. The plant, according to Hough, uses a recovery and purification process to extract and clean to food grade quality, CO 2 from the emissions stream of a combustion-based processing plant. “The current Cape market has been in short supply with respect to food grade CO 2 for several years, because of the lim- ited CO 2 plant development opportunities in this region,” continues Hough. As a norm, Air Liquide sources unrefined/rawCO 2 from industry, which is then captured, purified to food grade quality and liquefied for stor- age and transportation. In the Cape region the availability of reliable and consistent sources of such raw CO 2 , is very limited. “When Air Liquide’s new CO 2 recovery and purification plant in the Cape region be- comes operational in January next year, we will be able to offer back-up support to our existing customer base and leave opportu- nity to supply additional volume into the regional market,” he says. It’s uses? “CO 2 is used in carbonation and most food preservation activities during the production, transfer and storage of products suchaswine, beer andpackaged freshanddry foods,”Hough responds. “CO 2 andmixtures of CO 2 and nitrogen are used in the dispensing of beer resulting in, not just the fizz, but it is also directly responsible for the head or

MechChem Africa talks to Air Liquide’s carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) product manager for Southern Africa, Jonathan Hough; bulk and on-site business manager, Fanus Labuschagne, and food application manager, Gabriela Figueira, about gas solutions for improved efficiency and quality of food and beverage production.

A ir Liquide supplies industrial gases in packaged gas, micro bulk and bulk volumes from small to large customers, as well as on-site gen- eration solutions for oxygen and nitrogen. “Wemanufactureoxygen,nitrogen,hydrogen, argon, carbon dioxide, special gas mixtures and other industrial gases in large-scale pro- duction facilities throughout South Africa, whichwe deliver to customers using our fleet of road tankers and packaged gas vehicles,” begins Labuschagne. “Our expertise extends fromoffering safe and reliablepackagedgas; bulkandmicrobulk storage and supply systems in a range of sizes

efficient freezing of food, as well as dry ice for providing a protective atmosphere – as is the practice during the harvesting of grapes for the making of wine to prevent oxidation and associated deterioration of the grapes compromising final wine quality. 2 expansion for the Cape market “Air Liquide is one of the key Food Grade CO 2 producers and suppliers in the South African market, mostly for CSDs,” Hough continues, adding that there has been a supply shortage for CO 2 in theCape for several years. “As part of Air Liquide’s national strategy toovercome this problem, wewill be commissioning a new CO

and capacities customised to meet the needs of any industry; through to the installation, maintenance andmonitoring of these gas supply and storage systems at customers’ sites,” he says. According to Labu­ schagne, gas applications for the food and beverage industry range acrossmulti- ple applications and all food types. Typical examples are the use of CO 2 for carbon- ation of soft drinks (CSDs); specialised gas mixtures, specific per food type and factors such as moisture content of food, for use dur- ing packaging to extend the shelf life of packaged fresh foods; liquid nitrogen (LIN) and liquid carbon dioxide (LCO 2 ) for faster and more

Air Liquide supplies cryogenic tunnels that use timed conveyors and liquid nitrogen mist to flash freeze fresh produce.

4 ¦ MechChem Africa • December 2017

⎪ Cover story ⎪

foam above the beer,” he continues adding that cold transportation and freezing of food also remain key.” As with all of its food-grade industrial gases, Air Liquide’s entire CO 2 supply chain is FSSC 22000 (food safety standard certi- fication) compliant. Our FSSC food-safety certificationappliestotheentiresupplychain, from our CO 2 production facility, all the way through the distribution chain, including on- site bulk storage facilities and gas regulation equipment,” he adds. The new Air Liquide CO 2 plant will be aligned with the other Air Liquide facilities in having on-site stor- customers’ sites need to keep about 10 days of continuous supply on-site. Their storage capacity is customised to their consumption profile, so if they use 2.0 t/day then we install a 20 t storage tank,” Hough says, “andwecanoffer10 to100 t of onsite storage to suit any consumption requirement.” Another ‘rule of thumb’ is that bulk stor- age is refilled as soon as capacity drops below 50%. “All our new bulk storage vessels are fitted with modern telemetry that connects the customer’s site to our gas ordering sys- tems. These automated systems will notify site-basedproductionmanagers andnational planning managers, by email and SMS, when gas levels reach the reordering point, trigger- ing an immediate response to deliver to the site,” Hough points out. Nitrogen is supplied via packaged gas, liquid bulk ormicro-bulk to foodproducers, “butwe can also install onsite nitrogen generators, depending on preferences, volumes and the distance of the customer from the nearest liquid facility. In Upington, for example, we tend to use nitrogen generators, because it is so far away from the Air Separation Units that produce liquid nitrogen,” continues Labuschagne. MAP involves mostly the use of nitrogen, CO 2 and nitrogen/CO 2 mixes in sealed pack- aging in order to create an inert atmosphere to extend product shelf life. “Pure nitrogen is used to inflate a packet of crisps, for example, just prior to the packet being sealed. This keeps the product dry, crisp and fresh, sig- nificantly extending the shelf life,” heexplains. “In the non carbonated soft drinks indus- try, PET plastic-bottlematerials as well as tin cans have become increasingly thinner. For age and full online analy- sis. “Generally speaking, Modified atmospheric packaging (MAP)

Above: Trial bulk supply and freezing units are available to enable customers to test the financial value and returns achievable by using Air Liquide technology. Left: Fruit, berries, vegetables fish and meat can all be frozen fast using nitrogen.

ing mechanical chillers, making them more energy and time efficient,” continues Figueira. The liquidnitrogen is used toquickly drop the temperature of a product by 30 °C deg, from say 20° deg to -10° below freezing, before passing the food into a traditional vapour- compression chiller. Air Liquide supplies cryogenic tunnels that use timed conveyors toflash freeze fresh produce. “While the food is being carried on the conveyor, liquid nitrogen mist is sprayed onto the product, which very quickly drops its temperature.Oncefrozen,itiscarrieddirectly into a mechanical chiller for deeper freezing or cold storage. “Compared to using traditional chiller systems, the use of nitrogen drastically re- duces the energy requirements for freezing food,” she explains, adding that this cuts down operating costs, while making the operation muchmore efficient with respect to process- ing time. “Air Liquide has trial freezing units to enable customers to test the financial value and returns achievable by using this technol- ogy. Producers can run an operational test on their produce with this technology for a couple of months, after which Air Liquide can assist with developing a business case around a longer-term investment,” adds Labuschagne. As part of the value add, Air Liquide offers the use of these mobile trial units over a short to medium period of time, to determine the cost effectiveness of a bulk gas option for a carbonation, bottling, MAP or any other application. “We do not simply sell industrial gas. We partner with our customers to opti- mise their food-processing applications: from equipment installation, supplying the product andmonitoring the system’s perfor- mance to verify its value and effectiveness,” he concludes. q

still water, for example, a drop of liquid nitrogen is inserted into the filled PET water bottle immedi- atelybeforecapping.Theliquid nitrogen vaporises immediately,

expelling the air above thewater and, once capped, pressurising the bottle. The nitrogen forms a blanketing inert layer above the bottle contents, keeping it fresh. In addition, the positive pressure inside the filled bottle makes it more rigid and prevents stacked bottles from collapsing under the weight of the bottles above,” Labuschagne explains. MAP is now routinely used for packaging of crisps, juices, fruit, lettuce, nuts and coffee. “For fresh food such as fruit and vegetables, shelf life can be extended by 10 days com- pared to traditional packaging techniques,” he adds. Describing the use of Air Liquide’s onsite nitrogen generators, Labuschagne notes that a local family-owned farming business is us- ing the company’s membrane-based Floxal units to package ready to eat salad blends, baby leaf salads, fresh-cut vegetables and herbs using MAP technology, while one of Africa’s leading food brands is a bulk user of Air Liquide’s liquid nitrogen for packaging its perishables and someof its other fast-moving consumer goods. Liquid nitrogen and fast freezing Liquid nitrogen is now increasingly popular for flash freezing in the food industry, which enables freshly picked produce to be rapidly frozen so as to maintain all the flavour and nutrients it had when fresh – so food fro- zen in this way is as nutritious as the fresh equivalent. “Fruit, berries, vegetables, fish and meat can all be frozen fast using nitrogen. Liquid nitrogen is nowwidely used to support exist-

December 2017 • MechChem Africa ¦ 5

Wits dedicates Peter King Minerals Processing Laboratory A new laboratory has been established at the University of the Witwatersrand in honour of the late Professor Peter King, admired for his rapport with students and for pioneering work in metallurgical engineering.

T he School of Chemical and Metal- lurgical Engineering at Wits held a ceremony on the 7 th November 2017 to mark the naming of the Peter King Minerals Processing Laboratory in recognition of the late Prof Peter King’s contribution to the mathematical modelling of minerals processing. AWits alumnus, Prof King was an accom- plishedmetallurgistwhoservedas theheadof

the Department of Metallurgy andMaterials Engineering for over a decade from 1976 to 1990before accepting an appointment at the University of Utah in the USA. Thelab-namingceremonywasattendedby industry,manyof Prof King’s former students, and guests of honour, his wife, Ellen and son, Andrew. Wits Professor Sehliselo Ndlovu, presi- dent of the South African Institute of Mining

Metallurgy, said the laboratorywould ensure the continuation of Prof King’s vision. King was passionate about capacity building and world-renowned for developing useful techniques to quantify mineral liberation, said Ndlovu. “Metallurgy is key to our economy. For

Two views of the newly dedicated Peter King Minerals Processing Laboratory.

About Professor Peter King Ronald Peter King wasbornon12March 1938 in Springs, east of Johannesburg and spent his youth in the gold fields of South Africa.

On December 19, 1995, he became a US citizen, and in1999, hewas appointed chair- man of the Department of Metallurgical Engineering at the University of Utah. Between 1999 and 2006, he receivedmany additional honours. King excelled in both research and edu- cation. His research on the modelling and simulation of mineral processing operations led to the highly successful MODSIM com- puter software system for the simulation of plant operations. In addition, his pioneering research in mineral liberation represented a quantum leap forward in the accurate, quantitative description of multiphase par- ticles. In fact, his research in mineral libera- tion provided a basis for collaboration that eventually led toa state-of-the-artmicro-CT

family, which soon included Jeremy, Andrew, and Janet. From 1963 to 1990, King taught at Wits and led a research group at the National Institute ofMetallurgy. Hewas the recipient ofmanyhonoursduringthisperiod,including election as president, and later a life fellow, of the South African Institute of Mining Metallurgy (SAIMM). Hewas also amember of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Prime Minister. In 1991, the SAIMM awarded King its Gold Medal. In 1990, he was appointed professor of metallurgy and director of the Generic Mineral Processing Centre in Comminution at the University of Utah.

Wits awardedhimaBSc (Eng) Chem, cum laude , in 1958 and an MSc (Eng) in 1962. Upon graduation, he received a scholarship from Shell Oil to pursue his doctoral stud- ies at Manchester University. He married Ellen while living in Manchester. In 1963, after receiving a PhD from the University of Manchester, King and his wife returned to South Africa, where they started their

6 ¦ MechChem Africa • December 2017

⎪ SAIChE IChemE news ⎪

Left to right: Head of School, Prof Herman Potgieter, looks on as Mrs King talks about her late husband. Mrs King unveiling the plaque. Mrs Ellen King with her son Andrew, after the unveiling at the ceremony.

of advanced engineering procedures. With the advent of the worldwide web, new dimensions in engineering education became a reality. King’s leadership in this new arena of education was exemplified by his highly successful Internet course, ‘Modelling and Simulation of Mineral Processing Plants’. Another online course, ‘The Virtual Laboratory’, was created and enhanced under King’s leadership. By simulating metallurgical equipment, pro- cesses, and reactions, the virtual laboratory environment made it possible for students to perform laboratory experiments easily, quickly, conveniently, and accurately. Adapted from a memorial tribute published in Vol 11: National Academy of Engineering, National Academies (2007). Professional staff also praised King for being an all-rounder and for his hands-on approach and open-door policy. Bruce Mothibedi, a senior technician atWits, recalls manymomentswhenKingwoulddonanover- all to lend a hand in some of the messy pilot plant projects. “Rarely do you find a man of Prof King’s calibre sacrificing his time to lend a hand in plant processes, but he gladly did it. Staff development across different grades was also important to him and he would ar- rangeappropriatetrainingforhisteam,beitat industry, themines or related technical fields, so that one could gain more understanding and passion for their work,” says Mothibedi. Lastly, Prof King’s son, Andrew, delivered a short talk on his father, before the unveiling of the plaque by Prof King’s widow, Mrs Ellen King and the dedication of the laboratory took place. Mrs King talked about her late husband’s involvement withWits continuing across the seas, fromtheUSA. “Peterwas very proud of the accomplishments of the depart- ment and took great interest in the progress of the studentsonce theygraduated,” saidMrs King, who continued to give guests a glimpse to provide online courses in response to the modern world.

into personal joys and loves of her husband. Head of School, Prof Herman Potgieter, said the lab was a fitting tribute to a “world- renowned member of our family”. To make a donation, please contact the Wits Development and Fundraising Office. www.wits.ac.za/givingtowits.

laboratory in theDepartment ofMetallurgy at the University of Utah. King was truly a ‘distinguished teacher’ in every sense, and he gave other educators in the field a model to emulate. In recogni- tion of his contributions, he received the University Utah Departmental Teaching Excellence Award in 1987 – as a visiting professor –and in1996, 2000, and2001–as a regular faculty member. King’s career was dedicated to educa- tion. He was a pioneer in the use of modern engineering methods in the classroom. Students were taught computer-based methodologies and software was inte- grated, not only into classroom work, but also into traditional lectures so students came away with a confident understanding Speakers at the ceremony described King as a great teacher who instilled confidence and a desire for continual progress, especially among average students.Wits graduates and colleagues of Prof King, Prof Michael Moys and Dr Leslie Bryson, as well as Prof Laurie Woollacott, also reflected on King’s technol- ogy flair. He was among the first to incorpo- rate technology in his teaching methods and more than 100 years, metallurgy at Wits has been inextricably linked to that of the mining industry,” he said. “Extractivemetallurgyplays a critical in role maximising returns from the processing of mineral resources such as gold, platinum, coal, and so on.” A well-equipped laboratory for teaching and research is essential to continue produc- ingexperts inmineralsprocessing. The labora- torywill be a dedicated, technology-intensive extractive metallurgy laboratory that serves to meet the needs of industry locally and internationally, through training undergradu- ate and postgraduate students inworld-class facilities andby providing the tools necessary for high-level, applied research. TheKing fam- ily was amongst the first donors and donated R500 000 towards equipping the laboratory. But much equipment is still needed.

SAIChE IChemE

SAIChE Board members: President: C Sheridan Imm. Past President D van Vuuren Honorary Treasurer L van Dyk + Vice President: Honorary Secretary: EMObwaka Vice President: D Lokhat Council member: JJ Scholtz Council member: AB Hlatshwayo Council member: K Harding Council Member: M Low Council member: BK Ferreira Council Member: HMazema Council Member: MChetty Council Member: A de Bondt Council Member: MMabaso Council Member NN Coni Member (co-opted): MD Heydenrych Chair Gauteng: C Sandrock Chair KZN: D Lokhat Chair Western Cape: HMazema Contact details SAIChE PO Box 2125, North Riding, 2162 South Africa

Tel: +27 11 704 5915 Fax: +27 86 672 9430 email: saiche@mweb.co.za saiche@icheme.org website: www.saiche.co.za

December 2017 • MechChem Africa ¦ 7

MechChem Africa visits the South African manufacturing facility of KSB Pumps and Valves in Germiston and talks to members of the company’s senior management team about its cost-effective local pump production capability, which meets all of the KSB Group’s global quality standards. Proudly South African pump

K SB, with original roots going back over 140 years, is today an inter- nationalpumps,valvesandservices company with its headquarters in SouthWest Germany. “The global Group has sales volumes of some €2.4-billion and a staff of about 16 000 employees. While Europe is still our home, more than half of our people are currently employed outside Europe, with nearly 500 of them in Africa,” begins Sven Baumgarten, the company’s MD. “Starting with our South African facility here in Germiston, KSB has had a manufac- turing presence in Africa since 1959, but our pumps were available for 30 years preceding that, through a local KSBdistributor,” he adds. Describing the company’s core markets, Baumgarten says KSB has developed know- how for a huge variety of pumping applica- tions and pump types, including those for water transport and wastewater treatment; energy; process engineering; building ser- vices; mining, slurry and solids transport. “Wehaveaverywellbalancedsupplychain across mining, manufacturing, chemical and petrochemical, energy, water andwastewater andconstruction,”henotes,addingthatahuge range of KSBpump types is available fromthe company’s South African hub. On themining and slurry pump side, Jones adds that KSBalsoowns aUS-based company called GIW – Georgia Iron Works – which is KSB’s technical leaders for slurry pump solu- tions. “We manufacture these here for the African market, based on the GIW patents and intellectual property, but we brand these pumps KSB for our African markets,” he says. “While our ownership is through a BEE- compliant holding company, KSB South Africa is a locally registered legal entity that operates as a fully independent com- pany to service local and African markets,” Baumgarten continues. “We have our own manufacturing, our own service division, our own technical engineering department and our own branches and distribution networks. We are an independent and fully equipped local pump manufacturing and distribution company,” he asserts. Service division manager, Jan Avramov adds: “All of our products are made to German manufacturing standards and, like

cars manufactured in different automo- tive manufactur- ing facilities, a KSB pumpmanufactured here in South Africa is identical in every way to one made in any of the other 33 KSB production fa- cilities around the world.” “All-in-all, we are highly indepen- dent from a manu- facturing sales and

engineering perspective,” reiterates Grant Glennistor, operations manager. “We ben- efit from close links to our global network systems to the vast amounts of accumulated technical history and expertise, without be- ing restricted with respect to what we can or cannot manufacture,” he says. Localisation begins with engineering “It is important to realise what it takes to set up a manufacturing facility such as the one we have here in South Africa,” continues regional sales manager, David Jones. “This includes all of the investment required, the training and skills development and the expe- rience in all of the differentmarket segments. “Many manufacturers in South Africa pay ‘lip-service’ to localisation, by importing components and doing some simple assem- bly, for example. For our locally made pumps, however, we start by developing the casting patterns and getting the casing-blanks cast. We then machine the individual castings be- fore assembling the entire pump,” Jones tells MechChem Africa . In addition, adds Glennistor, “we do this according to ISO 9001 quality management, ISO 14001 environmental management and ISO 18001 OHSAS certificates from TÜV Rheinland.” Avramov adds that the manufacturing side of KSB’s business also supports servic- ing. “From an engineering perspective, we strive not to supply pumps in isolation. All pumps have to fit into a system, so we look to optimise the pump to best suit that system.

Local manufacturing allows us to engineer and thenmanufacture special pumps to oper- ate much more efficiently and reliably in the pumping system and at the actual pumping duty required,” he explains. “We also manufacture auxiliaries such as base frames and we customise every pump in terms of the drive assembly, seal solutions and the specific impeller trim. For existing systems, we can also evaluate the pipework, the valve conjuration and the wear and cor- rosion performance of the impeller and liner materials used,” he notes. Available through the servicing division, Avramov describes KSB’s System Efficiency Service (SES), which enables complete pump systems checks to be undertaken so as to best overcome existing problems. “Through a combination of right sizing and customis- ing the internals of our pumps and modify- ing the external pump system, we can offer best-efficiency and best-reliability solutions for the most difficult of pumping scenarios,” he believes. “Simplyput,” continues Jones, “localmanu- facturing begins with engineering services. We are much more than product suppliers. We manufacture with specific applications in mind so that the pump is a cost-effective best-fit for the pumping task involved.” Describing the local capability available in Germiston, Jones starts from the companies fully equipped engineering department: with 3D modelling and CAD systems, finite-ele- ment (FEA) and computational fluid dynamic (CFD) expertise and all of the systems’ tools

8 ¦ MechChem Africa • December 2017

⎪ Pump systems, pipes, valves and seals ⎪

manufacturing

KSB Pumps’ testing station, which can produce certificated pump performance curves for each individual pump manufactured.

Above: KSB’s locally made pumps start with the development the casting patterns and getting the blanks cast. Left: KSB Pumps and Valves in South Africa has state-of-the art pump manufacturing and assembly facilities in Activia Park, Germiston, which produce to global quality standards.

necessary tooptimise impeller andpump cas- ing patterns for the manufacture of castings. “Over theyears, wehaveproduced thousands of customised casting patterns based on KSB or GIW designs, which we store for specific applications,” Jones says. “We manufacture for two key reasons. First, we have the volume market for our standardpumpproduct ranges, which include our flagship ETANorm pumps and the high- pressure WKLn multistage pumps for gland services and other high-lift transfer applica- tions,” Jones continues. KSB’s ETANorm is theworld’s best-selling standardisedwater pump and it is continually being improved. Optimisedhydraulic systems save thousands of kWh of energy per year, which translates into tens of thousandof rand per pump and markedly reduced CO 2 emis- sions. “Higher efficiency means we can often choose a smaller pump that costs less – and it will also be driven by a smaller motor, so it will daw less power, saving on electricity,” explains Glennistor. The second manufacturing driver is the engineered pump side, which is more diverse and niche. “As well as the strong demand for our ETANorm pumps in Africa, we have a significant installed base of their bigger siblings, the KSB Eta C and D pump ranges. These are well known in the African market as highly reliable units for larger water flows and we continue to service the expansion and replacementmarkets inAfrica for people wantingtoretaincontinuitywiththeircurrent installations,” Jones explains.

“There is also a niche markets for our API 610 pumps for the local petro- chemical and oil and

KSB South Africa’s state-of-the-art assembly facility.

gas markets. We manufacture to order the very latest API 610 pump designs, which generally demand high levels of material certification and performance testing. “Local manufacture and certification for these high- spec pump units represents a coup for South Africa,” Jones believes. “We have invested heavily in the equip- ment required for this work and we are very proud of the success we are achieving,” he says adding that KSBPumps SouthAfrica has recently manufactured a significant number of API 610 units for export to Russia, “which is further evidence that the quality of our lo- callyproducedpumps is at globallyacceptable levels,” Jones says. Pumps for the energy business – in sup- port of the substantial KSB installed base at Eskom power stations, for example – along with GIW-based rubber-lined or hard-metal slurry pumps for mining, minerals sands and quarrying applications, also fall under the engineered pump manufacturing offering – with best-fit pump customisations available that are near to 100% local. “We have the ability to manufacture any pump should the manufacturer prefer. We also invest more than 10% of our turnover in capex to expand and improve our local manufacturing capability and productivity. “This facility is a South African showcase.

We have beenmanufacturing here for nearly 60 years, to international quality and cost competitive standards,” Jones concludes. q Component machining being performed on a multi-axis CNC vertical milling machine. Multiple components can be set up simultaneously to maximise productivity.

December 2017 • MechChem Africa ¦ 9

⎪ Pump systems, pipes, valves and seals ⎪

eDART valves and samplers enhance plant efficiency

eDART dual valves and poppet samplers continue to offer exceptional level control at Northam’s Booysendal plant near Lydenburg, Mpumalanga.

e DART Slurry Valves director, Richard Rule says: “When Booysendal was originally built in 2010, we supplied dual dart valves and poppet samplers, andwe continue to be involved in the commissioning and after-sales support toBooysendal, which has sourced additional samplers fromus over the years. Our dart valves have kept the level error to less than 2.5% over an eight-hour period at this plant. This is a great and important achievement as level control is vital in or- der to maintain the required ‘grade’ of the concentrate”. “External dart valveswere initially chosen for flotation level control to concentrate the metal from ore, and they currently have 27 flotation machines each fitted with a dual dart valve. It can be argued that this is the most important valve on a concentrator as it is the last controllingelement that determines if the metal reports to the concentrator or is lost to the tails. “Booysendal has commented that our dart valves offer the best level control they have experienced on a plant,” notes Rule. “We do not just sell our product and walk away. We offer a considered assessment of valve re- quirements toour customers and, throughout the first year of operation after our original installation at Booysendal, we assisted in the optimisation and fine tuning of the plant to ensure that the best possible performance was obtained from our valves.” Drivenby theneed for improvedefficiency and throughput, good concentrators continu- ally evolve. Samplers play an important and useful role in themonitoring systemrequired to direct this evolution. “The Booysendal

plant in particular has been very proactive in using our samplers and analysis to im- prove their processes. I believe eDART’s valve technology played a role in Northam’s im- proved results at their Booysendal plant due to their superior qual- ity,” says Rule. Brian Whitehead, plant superintendent:

eDART’s dart valves at Booysendal offer the best level control they have yet experienced on the plant.

Technical at Booysendal adds: “Through the proper sizing of valves, we have been able to increaseour feed rate to theplantwithout any major control issues on the valves.” Together with Afrivalve, part of the eDART Group, eDART was responsible for servicing and maintenance of equipment at the Booysendal plant, which included all the calibration and servicing of its valves to maintain optimised operational efficiency.

Inline options include the y-Dart , flash-dart and the premium poly y-Dart valve, which is suitable for use in high wear zones. Also offered are pre-pinched, restricted and characterised single and dual actuated pinch valves with either a standard rubber or a propriety dual layer polyurethane sleeve. Whatever the slurry application, think slurry and call eDART. q Other control loop elements also had to be correctly selected, calibrated and tuned in order to ensure peak plant performance. eDART is a specialist in the design and manufacture of slurry equipment and offers external and internal dual/single dart valves, as well as pinch, dosing and slurry valves; pneumatic actuators, instrumentation, sam- plers, flow analysis technology and related accessories. q

eDART Slurry Control Valves. eDART is a specialist in thedesignandman- ufacture of slurry equipment. For flotation machinesitofferstheinternallyplugguided i-Dart Valve for deep tanks and the tri-Dart Valve for the shallower conventional cells. The company’s single and dual exter- nal slurry control valves are excellent for Brownfield upgrades where safety is important and there are restrictive space constraints.

December 2017 • MechChem Africa ¦ 11

Turnkey dewatering and slurry-sucking Wherever there is a need for dewatering and slurry dredging, Integrated Pump Rental has a solution to fit the challenge. Two recent jobs, one at the Vaal River and the other at a wastewater treatment plant in Limpopo, showed that the company has a wide range of capabilities and skilled service teams.

I ntegrated Pump Rental recently made short work of dewatering a large pipe deep under theVaal River, expelling over 1 800 m³ in one day in a rapid turnkey solution. The job was to clear a 2.5 m diameter pipeline of water, so that engineers could safely enter the tunnel to conduct their in- spections. Runningunderneath theVaal River fromGauteng towards Sasolburg, thepipeline drops 50mdown from the surface, then runs a horizontal distance of 270munder the river before rising the 50 m back up again. “We were requested by the contractors to dewater the tunnel expeditiously, and to remain on site to ensure that any water ingress during the inspection period could be removed,” says Integrated Pump Rental managing director, Lee Vine. To conduct the job, four Grindex Master SH drainage pumps were installed with level regulators; the pumps are 11.7 kWunitswith 3-inch discharge connections. In this applica- tion, the pumps needed to overcome a 70 m

head due to the static lift and the friction losses through the lay-flat hose. “Our service team reported to site, sup- plying all the necessary accessories such as electrical panels, lay-flat hoses and other fittings,” says Vine. “We were then able to commission the equipment and dewater the tunnel in a 24-hour operation, although we stayedon site for about twoweeks in caseour services were required while the inspections were underway.” Thecontractdemonstratedthewiderange of capabilities offered by Integrated Pump Rental, which can offer around-the-clock projects in dewatering along with skilled and experienced service teams on site– timeously and with reliable, fit-for-purpose equipment. “We nowcontract to a range of customers on a turnkey basis, in industries ranging from mining and wastewater to golf courses and industry. Wherever there is a need for dewa- tering and slurry dredging, we have shown that we have a solution to fit the challenge.” “Our technical team conducts a full needs

assessment of each application, and supports customers in the selec- tion of the appropriate solution, which are all ISO 9001

certified,” he adds. “We can also offer

a full engineering capability, from design through to finite element analysis (FEA), experi- mental fluid dynamics (EFD) and

computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simu- lations – as well as supply and installation.”

SlurrySucker Mark II excels The new, high solids capacity SlurrySucker dredging unit from Integrated Pump Rental recently proved its mettle at a Limpopo municipality’s wastewater treatment plant. “We were requested to clean two waste- water settlement ponds which had silted up and were no longer performing their func- tion of settling the sewage before it left the

Integrated Pump Rental recently made short work of dewatering a large pipe deep under the Vaal River. As well as the four Grindex Master SH drainage pumps, the company supplied all the necessary accessories such as electrical panels, lay-flat hoses and other fittings.

12 ¦ MechChem Africa • December 2017

⎪ Pump systems, pipes, valves and seals ⎪

The design of the SlurrySucker allows it to be used on plastic-lined dams without risking any damage to liners, as it uses water to agitate the solids, and does not have cutters that could damage the pond liner.

The new SlurrySucker Mark II, with a vortex-type impeller and a redesigned dredge head, achieves up to about 50% solids concentration by volume.

when operating at any point on the hydraulic coverage curve with 1.0 SG. Grease lubrica- tion is standard. These pumps have a heavy-duty construc- tion,withchromeironCR28%material,which has been hardened to withstand abrasive materials and for increased service life. When in its annealed state, it is 280‑400BHN and, after undergoing heat treatment, it is 650‑700 BHN. Other available materials include cast iron and SS316. q “This is particularly important froman en- vironmentalperspective,aswastewatercould leakout if the linerwas cut or damaged, which could contaminate groundwater,” Vine says. Inaddition to the turnkey serviceprovided here, IntegratedPumpRental alsooffers con- tracts where the teamwill come to site every year to inspect anddredge thedams toensure they are kept operational and efficient. q werepleased tohave completedourmandate successfully without a single blockage,” he adds. “It took just one day at the end of the process to decommission the equipment and move off site.” Vine emphasises that the design of the SlurrySucker allows it to be used on plastic- lined dams without risking any damage to liners, as it uses water to agitate the solids, and does not have cutters that could damage the pond liner.

compared to the 30-40% concentration with the standard dredge head. Larger holes and a vortex-type impeller allow for larger solid objects such as boots, gloves and hessian bags to pass through without blocking the system. “After being awarded the contract, we quickly moved our equipment onto site. The total weight of the SlurrySucker is only about two tonnes –perhaps four tonneswith acces- sories – so it is relatively lightweight and easy tomovearoundusinga road trailer,” saysVine. “We spent a day setting up the unit, then 25 dayscleaningeachdam,workinganeighthour shift each day.” Operatedbyjustoneperson,thesix-metre long and three-metre high unit agitates the sediment in single metre-wide paths as it moves up and down the pond. “After about two months on the job, we

property,”LeeVine explains. “Each dam measured about 100m

by 100 m and was about three metres deep. Weestimated that theywereabout 70%filled with sediment.” The company’s new SlurrySucker Mark II, witha vortex-type impeller in the slurrypump and a redesigned dredge head achieves up to about 50% solids concentration by volume. Vine says this is significant especially when

Vortex pumps for slurries with solids Becker Mining South Africa’s PVS range of vortexpumps has beendesigned toefficiently pump sludge and slurries containing large abrasive solids and fibrous materials in light, medium and heavy service industries. and a large stock holding of spares and raw materials ensures swift delivery throughout the country.”

The PVS series, with a robust one-piece casing, has been designed to efficiently cope withall typesof solids andfibrousmaterials. A locknut that fastens the impeller to the shaft prevents the impeller from turning off if the motor is started in the incorrect direction of rotation. These pumps have a

The PVS range, which can handle solids to 72 mm and SGs to 1.5, achieves up to 87 m heads at speeds of 2950 rpm. These units are available in two- and three-inchmodels, with a 0.7mspindle length and singlemotor drive. “Themost important feature of these ver- tical pumps is the recessed, non-clog impeller design that prevents binding and clogging problems. Since the impeller is clear of the pump casing, any solids and fibrousmaterials that enter the suction inlet will be expelled through the pump discharge, without dam- aging the impeller,” says Rick Jacobs, senior general manager (SGM) for consumables, Becker Mining South Africa. “Another advantage of Becker’s pump design is that spares are completely inter- changeable. This reduces inventory man- agement costs and simplifies on-site repairs. Because all components are locally manu- factured, these pumps are readily available

sleeve stuffing box clear- ance thatminimises blow- back of materials being pumped around the shaft sleeve, without requiring sealing contact. A high strength pipe column maintains alignment be- tween the bearing frame and its casing. There are no submerged bearings on the cantilevered shaft. Bearings have been se- lected for a minimum ser- vice life of 24 000 hours

Becker Mining South Africa’s PVS range of vortex pumps has been designed to efficiently pump sludge and slurries containing large abrasive solids and fibrous materials in light, medium and heavy service industries.

December 2017 • MechChem Africa ¦ 13

Pretoria based engineering firm, Thuthukani Engineering was contracted by Exxaro to supply a gland water service system for their largest coalmine, Grootegeluk near Lephalale in theWaterberg District of the Limpopo province. Custom-designed gland water service system for Grootegeluk

Tshifhiwa Ndouvhada

G rootegeluk has the world’s larg- est beneficiation complex where 8 000 t/h of run-of-mine coal is upgraded in ten different plants. To ensure long-term longevity and availabil- ity of the GG7 and GG8mega-plant at Groo- tegeluk, Thuthukani Engineering deployed a turnkey, fully automated and centralised gland service water system. The GG7 and GG8 plant at Grootegeluk play a crucial role in the provisionof coal, sup- plying directly to the Medupi Power Station. The plant comprises ten modules running 44 slurry pumps in total. “Therewere challenges with low availability and reliability of the pumps due to lack of a suitable gland service water system. Low availability of the plant impacts on increasedmaintenance costs, lost production tonnages and there are issues with higher risks of slurry pump failure,” says Tshifhiwa Ndouvhada, technical director at Thuthukani Engineering. Thuthukani Engineering was tasked with thedesign,manufacture,installationandcom- missioning of the gland servicewater system.

Says Ndouvhada: “Thuthukani Engineering was contracted to design the whole system andwe proposed a centralised systemwhere youwouldhave a tankwith two supply pumps – one being operational and one on standby. Further to this, we also automated the whole system – complete with a PLC and SCADA system.” A slurry pump has its own delivery pres- sure and the pressure and the flow rate need to be constantlymaintained as gland seal wa- ter prevents the water inside the pump from leaking out of the pump to maintain balance on the seal. The challenge is that in this type of system there is a pump, tank, filters, and regulator valves. In this instance, the system is supplying 44 pumps, each with a different flowrate requirement. Thus therewas a need for a fully integrated system that employs numerous different control and measure- ment instruments that communicatewith the automation PLC. According to Ndouvhada, automation of the system played a very important role in ensuring that the systemwas feasible as well

as inensuring success onaproject of thismag- nitude. Typically, glandwater service systems are installed for up six slurry pumps, not 44. “It is a very complex system because water is being supplied to different kinds of pumps that require different gland supply pressure and flow rate and need to be monitored on a continuous basis,” Ndouvhada explains. “Connection to the PLC and the SCADA system allows each pump and seal to be monitored from the plant central control room where there is live monitoring of pres- sure flow to all the pumps in the system in the plant.” He says that additional benefits for Exxaro include the fact that they will be able to determine and predict failures before they loseapumpand that theyarenowable to carryout scheduledmaintenanceon thegland water service system and the pumps, which will result in less downtime overall. NdouvhadaexplainsthatfromthePLC,the operator can view pressure and flow on each pump in the system. According toThuthukani Engineering’s design, the pumps are set for automatic shutdown when pressure is lost,

To ensure long-term longevity and availability of the GG7 and GG8 mega-plant at Grootegeluk, Thuthukani Engineering has deployed a turnkey, fully automated and centralised gland service water system.

14 ¦ MechChem Africa • December 2017