MechChem Africa July-August 2023

Steam boilers added to Rand Air’s rental fleet To further enhance its new power boilers market segment, Rand Air has invested in two 3.0 t (3 000 kg) fully packaged fire-tube steam boilers, which are conveniently housed in a standard 20 ft container with a feed water tank inside a separate 10 ft container. Rand-Air Fleet Manager, Craig Swart, presents the new offering. A steam boiler, which essentially consists of a water-containing vessel that transfers heat from a fuel source into steam, is used for ity, the objective is also, most importantly, to secure the safety of Rand Air and customer employees during set up, operation, service, and maintenance.

a variety of applications, including domestic and industrial heating; industrial cleaning for the removal of oil, dirt and chemical residue; the generation of mechanical or electrical power via turbines or electricity, respectively; as well as to deliver the process heat needed by chemical and minerals processing plant equipment. “The fact that these application-wide units serve virtually every industry pre sented us with a tremendous rental opportu nity, prompting our decision to invest in two 3.0 t (3 000 kg) steam boilers,” says Rand-Air Fleet Manager, Craig Swart. The full rental package consists of the steam boiler, which is conveniently housed in a standard 20 ft container, with a feed water tank inside a separate 10 ft container. Rand Air appointed a special project team to customise the two steam boilers. Swart explains that they created strategic entry points to ensure that every critical part of the steam boiler can easily be accessed ex ternally. In addition to enhancing productiv

The uniquely designed steam boilers are fitted with a 440 V/3 phase/6 0 Hz/32 A power supply; an eight-hour capacity stainless steel fuel cell; and a lockable boiler control panel with external access. Safety features include an external visual and au dible alarm, a certified spark arrestor and an integral CO 2 extinguishing system. The steam boilers conform to all re quired international regulations including EC Directive (CE marking), HSE and BS EN ISO 9001:2000. “We have ‘rentalised’ the containerised steam boilers to be plug-and-play solu tions, with easy transportation and on-site placement,” continues Swart. He points out, however, that due to the very nature of the steam generation process, set up is a complicated and lengthy procedure. It is critical that best-practices and all necessary protocols are followed and all required cer tifications are in place to ensure optimised performance and safety. Steam boilers are a new market segment

for Rand Air and consequently a learning process for the rental team. “We therefore made the smart decision to collaborate with supplier partners who are specialists in their respective fields with years of experience in operating steam boilers in South Africa,” notes Craig Swart. Rand Air works closely with a profes sional water purification company that is able to carry out highly technical procedures such as chemical dosing, which is required to ensure the water purity in the feed tank is of a high quality. “We are looking at investing in a further two 3.0 t and two 8.0 t steam boilers over the next few months, giving us a total of six rental units by 2024,” he reveals. The addition of a third rental utility, steam, to its power-generator and air-compressor solutions, aligns with Rand Air’s strategy to become a supplier of all utilities. “The move also supports our growth am bitions and the deliberate business decision to extend our rental offering for our existing customer base as well as for potential new customers,” he concludes. Part of the global Atlas Copco Group, Rand Air was established in 1973 as a rental equipment provider. The company offers adaptable, flexible, and responsive services, in partnership with customers, to address technical and business challenges. With a solid national footprint and serv ing a diverse customer base both locally and in sub-Saharan Africa, Rand Air’s product portfolio includes TUV-certified oil-free, diesel or electric air solutions; nitrogen solutions; power generation; flow (pumps); steam boilers; and lighting solutions. www.randair.co.za

Rand Air’s full rental package consists of a steam boiler conveniently housed in a standard 20 ft container, with a feed water tank inside a separate 10 ft container.

32 ¦ MechChem Africa • July-August 2023