MechChem Africa January 2019

⎪ Products and industry news ⎪

Local pumpmanufacturerKSBPumps and Valves recently showed-off itsworld-class engineeringabilitywhenitwascalledupon to develop a unique flywheel water pump system able to continue pumping long enough to mitigate the possible effects of water hammer in the event of power failures. Ruan Nel, KSB Pumps and Valves proj- ect engineer, explains that the pump was developed for the rural Tsomo District Municipality where it was required for Flywheel pump prevents infrastructure damage critical high lift pumping of potable water to supply water transfer requirements. Because of unstable electricity supply, however, the municipality required a solution to prevent the potentially cata- strophic backward rush of water in the event of a power failure that could lead to water hammer and the destruction of its water infrastructure.

fully concluded with Crushers Support Services (CSS), which is active in the mining and quarrying business sectors, providing service and support of crush- ing and screening applications. The sale preserves the full manufacturing capac- ity for the divested product lines in the original Meshcape Edenvale facility and, in so doing, 79 jobs were preserved. A preferred supplier agreement has also been concluded between FLSmidth and CSS to ensure that existing customers continue to receive high levels of support and to focus on future growth synergies. www.flsmidth.com least four minutes after power is inter- rupted. With a flywheel central to the design chosen, the pump selection was based on our high-efficiency Multitec multistage pumps, which we configured in an inline orientation with the suction side on the left front side of the pump and dischargeon right front side tomake room for the flywheels. “Considering the critical application in which the pump is used, we also elected to manufacture all internals in bronze for corrosion resistance and lowmaintenance as well as added durability. This is one of the only times worldwide that a flywheel pump of this size and such high revolution hasbeenundertaken, andpaves theway to apply a smart solution to an old problem,” says Nel. “Our flywheel solution now ensures that the inertia of theflywheel keeps turn- ing the pump and eliminates air pockets andwater hammer if power is interrupted. It is just the kind of reliable, mechanical solution that is required in this isolated rural area,” he concludes. www.ksbpumps.co.za

polyurethane and wedgewire, as well as its proven ceramic wear solutions, and to divest from the manufacture of woven wire screens, perforated plate and wire conveyor belts. The retained product lines are be- ing relocated to FLSmidth’s Delmas Supercenter, which is being expanded as part of its Phase II development pro- gramme. Thesemanufacturing lineswill be fullycommissionedandoperationalduring January and February 2019. The Delmas Phase II facility is a R75‑million expansion comprising the construction of a 5 360 m 2 workshop to This required the technical team to develop a reliable and failsafe method of maintaining water pressure long enough to reconnect power, or in the event of no availability of power, to gradually arrest theflowwithoutcausingcavitation.Owing to the rural location of the pump station, the team also needed to develop a reli- able solution with minimal maintenance requirements. “The requirement for a flow of 380 m 3 of water per hour, at a differential height of261mwithanefficiencyof80.8%,called for a powerful pump and motor combina- tionwith the addition of a heavy flywheel. “Weighing in at 681 kg each, the fly- wheels spin up to 3 000 rpm and provide enough momentum to pump water for at

KSB’s flywheel water pump system is able to continue pumping after a power failure to mitigate against water hammer and cavitation.

FLSmidth concludes deal with Crusher Support Services

FLSmidth South Africa has successfully concluded the restructuring of the op- erations of its Meshcape ® Screen Media business. The company took the decision early in 2018 to retain the manufacture of core screen product lines, including

New ContiTech fluid segment manager

Laurance Fineberg has been appointed product manag- er for ContiTech’s range of Industrial Fluid Hose. This is seen as a positive step for the company to reconnect with its hose customers and distributors. “With this range

accommodate a new heavy machining facility aswell as the relocatedandoptimisedmanu- facturing lines for the retained products from the Meshcape ® Screen Media facility. A total of 31 skilled personnel will relocate from Edenvale to the Delmas II facility. The Delmas II expansion will also create additional new employment opportunities for people from the greater Victor Khanye Local Municipality. The sale of the divested product lines has been success-

of industrial fluid hose from ContiTech, we have the products and expertise to meet the market’s needs,” says Fineberg. Fineberg is certainly not a newcomer. With over 25 years’ experience in the rubber industry, he has earned his stripes with industrial fluid hose and conveyer belting. “I have total trust in our products,” says Fineberg. “Our industrial hose range is considered to be of the best in the world for class and value.” www.continental-corporation.com

At the signing of the preferred supplier agreement between FLSmidth and CSS Engineering are, from left: Hentie Pietersen; Buks Roodt and Alistair Calver of FLSmidth; Reinier Fourie and Alec MacKie of CSS; with FLSmidth’s Brian Day and Deon de Kock.

32 ¦ MechChem Africa • January 2019