MechChem Africa February 2017

⎪ Products and industry news ⎪

New head for SEWRepair Service Centre

Eurodrive has a range of preassembled products precisely for such emergencies. There are certain companies that engage in proactive maintenance, send- ing units in to be checked in order to prevent any potential problems or future breakdowns. “SEW-Eurodrive plays a major role in training customers about the importance of maintenance through its Drive Academy, in addition to full training on our entire product range,” Clark adds. The Repair Service Centre has a fully automated system in place, whereby re- pairs are logged in. “We open a parts list in conjunction with an assessment sheet. The unit is stripped, cleaned, and then inspected. A full quotation is submitted to the customer. Thenecessary repairs are then processed upon receipt of an order number. Theunit is testedaccording to full German specifications, and a warranty is- sued in terms of the repairs that havebeen carried out,” Clark concludes. www.sew.co.za

pany’s comprehensive product solutions and provides direct technical product information through links to supplier information sites. “This gives us the benefit of staying up to date with product developments and sharing the latest technology with our customers,” adds Swart. An interactive enquiry field ensures that sales and any other enquiries are di- rected to correct departmentswithin Lincoln Lubrication. The Google-active website will conveniently direct customers to the loca- tion of Lincoln Lubrication’s Germiston head office as well as the company’s six country- wide branches and regional distributors in Mozambique and Zambia. www.skf.com Clarksays.Whereasmajorcustomerssuch as mines tend to opt for new equipment, smaller companies prefer repair as the more viable and cost-effective option. “While a unit can be restored to its original condition, it is important toweigh up this cost against that of a new unit. Our aim in the Repair Service Centre is to restore units as completely as possible to their original mechanical and electrical condition,” he explains. The Repair Service Centre is flexible enough in that it can turn a repair around in a single afternoon, if required. “We have to be very responsive, especially if you take into account clients such as breweries ormanufacturing plants, where any downtime has amajor impact on total production and the bottom line.” The Repair Service Centre also oper- ates a Standby Service to cater for any un- foreseen contingencies. In addition, SEW- match application flow require- ments. The manifold offers piping options to the top, side or bottom with various port size options. This results in a flow rate of up to 1 500 ℓ per minute through the biggest valvemountedon themanifold. The SY series offers further savings due to its ability todrive bigger cylinders with reduced cycle times, mitigating the need for larger, more expensive solenoid valves and is available in either rubber or special metal seal versions with the latter opti-

New trends in automation for flexibility and products that are lighter and more compact is on the rise, and according to SMCPneumatics SouthAfrica (SMC), this type of product development is becoming more andmore standard. The all-purpose series of valve manifolds from SMC is available in three sizes, namely: SY3000, SY5000andSY7000. Thanks to its flexibil- ity and innovative redesign, the SY series sees a 29% space saving in installation while offering increased flow rates. Looking at the SYseries’ use, twoof the smallervalvesizesortwolargervalvesizes can be mixed on one manifold to closely SEW-Eurodrive recently appointed Paul Clark to headup itsRepair Service Centre. “Effective and efficient repairs are an integral part of our Zero Defects drive”, says Clark who has given significant input regarding SEW’s assembly line at the Johannesburg manu- facturing facility. He explains that all units that can be repaired are passed onto the Repair ServiceCentre, or the SalesDepartment if a quotation is required for a new replace- ment unit. In addition, any equipment that breaks down or requires attention on-site is attended to by the Field Service Department. “It is important to find a balance be- tween repair andmaintenance on the one hand, and capital equipment on the other,”

New-generation SY-series pneumatic valve manifolds

mised for higher operating frequencies andextendedlifetimeperformance;boast- ing switching of up to 200-million cycles. The SY series incorporates SMC’s energy-efficientV100pilotvalve,apower- saving option that reduces power con- sumptionper valve coil down to just 0.1W. The series offers a myriad of op- tions, optimised for customised projects and applications. A single valve can be mounted on a base, for example, which will offer flowrates exceeding 1500 ℓ /min – connectedwith SMC’sM12waterproof connector. Overall safety in applications has been improved via optional configurations such as the addition of a built-in back pressure check, which means it can also be retro- fitted. A manual pressure release valve for every cylinder canalsobefitted, where required. www.smcpneumatics.co.za SMC’s SY series can use two smaller valve sizes and two larger valve sizes mixed on one manifold to closely match application flow requirements.

Interactive lubrication website launched Lubrication system technology and equip- ment specialist, Lincoln Lubrication, launched its interactive website at the end of last year. “The new website incorporates the latest functionalities without compromising practicality and convenience,” says Lincoln Lubrication sales manager for Africa, Danie Swart. “While a website serves as an essen- tial marketing platform, simplicity and user- friendliness are fundamental to its success. We have populated our website with useful information but, with user convenience as a key driver, we have also made sure that it is easy to navigate, placing everything at the browser’s fingertips.” The new website encapsulates the com-

38 ¦ MechChem Africa • February 2017