MechChem Africa March 2017

⎪ Products and industry news ⎪

Up the uptime with high quality products

The locking method is based on com- pressive pressure at the intersections, engi- neered touse the full depthof thebearer bar. The grating panels – with a pitch of 40 mm by 40 mm – are flat, square and untwisted, so there areno cracks or crevices at intersec- tions where corrosion could take place. “We undertake all manufacturing at our worldclass facility inElandsfonteinnear Johannesburg, where the most strin- gent standards areapplied,”VanRooyen says. “These quality processes allow the combination of high load-bearing capacity with a low relative quantity of metal. Filler bars distribute the load and stiffen the construction, while support- ing bars take the load and transmit it to the bearing support.” Andrew Mentis’ RS40 floor grating is engineered to take a specific loading, ensuring the safety of people walking or working on mezzanines, catwalks, platforms and ramps. The grating’s non- slip characteristics are created by the positive raised sections that produce multi-directional obstructions on the top of each bearer bar, allowing for a far larger surface contact area. www.mentis.co.za as an 11 kV, 800 A tunnel coupler and adaptor for open cast applications, 22 kV 400A couplers for draglines. More recent additions include a new 35 kV, 400 A coupler and adaptor for overhead line skids. Anextensive series of plugs, sockets, couplers and adaptors, is also available from Proof, for underground equipment. The company’s unique phase-to-phase segregation eliminates the risk of faults which can cause costly downtime and lead to serious injury to personnel. Another innovation from Proof Engineering is the unique ProAlloy cou- pler. Manufactured from a non-theft zinc, copper and aluminium combination material, the coupler is a remarkable 33% lighter than its brass counterpart and perhapsmore importantly, holds no resale value. “The subsequent reduction in theft risk lowers the potential for unplanned downtime and subsequent production losses,” explains Marks. Available from the Ampco stable are plugs and sockets suitable for certain underground operations. The company also manufactures a range of products that focuses primarily on industrial ap- plications and is ideally suited for mobile generators, pumps, weldingmachines, and factory installations, for example. www.powermite.co.za

ment. “Increased product lifecycle goes hand in hand with optimised uptime and productivity, thus quality therefore takes centre stage when it comes to our range of electrical products and components.” Powermite’s ISO 9001:2008-compli- ant electrical products are manufac- tured locally by sister companies, Proof Engineering and Ampco, under one roof in a new, advanced manufacturing facility on Johannesburg’sWest Rand. Both com- panies carry SABS approval to IEC 60079 Part 1 and 2, and SANS 1489 – 2005, and to 60309 Part 1 and 2 respectively. “Pooling the talents and resources across both businesses has created the largest plug and socket manufacturer under one roof in Africa,” statesMarks. “In addition to lowering our cost base, combiningthestrengthsandsynergiesof the two companies has improved efficien- cies across the board and has resulted in more streamlined processes and logistics. Proof Engineering is a flame- and ex- plosion-proof product specialistwithover 45years’experienceinthemanufactureof world class components, equipment and systems for southern African industries. The company produces PLM366 and PLM415/515 plugs and sockets as well

Hudaco company component, equipment and system specialist, Powermite, is a leader in the southern African market in the supply of a fully comprehensive range of highquality, locallymanufactured, elec- trical products for a wide range of mining, marine and industrial machinery compris- ing mobile generators, pumps, welding machines, continuousminers, shuttle cars, tunnel borers, and transformers. According to Powermite’s marketing director, Donovan Marks, quality and reliability are prerequisites for extending the lifecycle of products operating in the notoriously stringent mining environ-

Powermite produces PLM 366 and PLM 415/515 plugs and sockets.

Floor grating must be well engineered Walkways can be aptly described as the ‘arteries’ of most minerals beneficiation and industrial plants, providing functional access while bearing substantial loads and allowing air and light intoworking areas. It is essential that thefloor gratingused for suchwalkways be well engineered to ensure long life and optimum safety for users.

specific non-negotiable factors that Andrew Mentis applies in the production of all its floor grating products,” she says. “The manufacturingmethodwe use, for instance, ensures that the transversals are positively and permanently locked to the bearer bars.”

Leading local floor grating manufac- turer Andrew Mentis operates an ex- tensive facility that produces significant volumes of itsRS40Rectagrid, whichhas long been the benchmark for walkways in southern Africa. Elaine van Rooyen, marketing man- ager at Andrew Mentis, says that apart from supplying a standard floor grating product, the company is also able to pro- vide a fit-for-purpose floor grating solu- tion based on customers’ requirements. “A technical representative from Andrew Mentis meets with customers to determine their precise needs and ensure that the structural integrity of the chosen product is maximised,” she explains. “While taking into account the cus- tomer’s application needs, there are

Mentis Rectagrid RS40 floor grating has proved itself over years of application in the construction and mining sectors.

38 ¦ MechChem Africa • March 2017