MechChem Africa March 2017

⎪ Products and industry news ⎪

SKF South Africa provided a turn- key solution in order to assist an OEM customer to reduce lead times and streamline planned downtime. In addition to the long lead times on seals for their underground earth- moving equipment, the customerwas alsounhappy with general service delivery from its supplier and decided to look for a single source supplier. The logicalstepwastoapproachSKFasthe customerwasalreadyusingSKFbearings and happy with its service delivery. SKF’s OEM division suggested the Turnkey solution of new generation seals Speedi-Sleeve as the best sealing solution for the earthmoving equipment. The new generation Speedi-Sleeve, developed by SKF, uses a proprietary stainless steel material and manufacturing process that gives an optimised seal counter-face sur- face which minimises wear on both the sleeve and sealing lip. The contact surface iswear-resistant. Imperceptible lubricant pockets enable the lubricant to reside on the sleeve and thereby prevent dry run- ning of the sealing lip that otherwise can create excessive wear. Thethin-walledSpeedi-Sleeveissimply pushed in position over the worn area. There is no shaft disassembly or machin- ing involved, minimising costly downtime.

Furthermore, since the installation tool is suppliedwith the sleeve, no special equip- ment is required to fit the seals. In addition to supplying the Speedi- Sleeves, SKF also provided product train- ing, assisted with planning of downtime to replace worn seals and helped the customer to achieve the goal of reducing its supplier and vendor lists. Thecustomer expressedgreat satisfac- tion as now it conveniently deals with a single source supplier for both seals and bearings.SKF’sprofessionalandexpedient service also impressed the customer; SKF sales representatives assisted with back orders and continue to hold regular plan- ning meetings to ensure that the correct products are on the customer’s shelves. www.skf.co.za usually between 01:00 and 04:00 am. “We could not interfere with anything in terms of potentially switching off any live system. In addition, we had an excep- tionally narrow window of opportunity, when air traffic was minimal, for us to execute the project,” Otoo says. He concludes that this flagship proj- ect was an excellent showcase for the Cummins brand, which extended beyond simply supplying products to actually adding value to the client’s business. “We managed the entire project, right from the initial contract win, resulting in the best possible solution for our client, in the shortest timeframe possible.” www.cummins.com

Standby power solution for Ghana Airports Company

Cummins Power Generation has pro- vided a standby power solution to provide back-up power for Ghana’s six major airports. This major turnkey project was undertakenonbehalf ofmain clientGhana Airports Company Limited of Accra. The back-uppowerwill support air transporta- tion systems in Accra, Tamale, Suyani, and Kumasi, Ho andWa. An end-to-end solution was provided tomeet theparticular requirementsof this major new customer for Cummins Power Generation. AlfredOtoo, projectmanager for Cummins Ghana comments: “Our role was comprehensive, from compiling the tender package for the project all theway through to supervising the installation,

commissioning, and handing over.” The scope of supply for this presti- gious project was a C1100 D5, four C500 D5, and two C450 D5 units. In addition, Cummins Power Generation supplied 1 600 A ACB, four GTEC 800 A transfer switches, and four GTEC 630 A transfer switches. Ghana Airports Company Limited also specified low noise levels, which meant Cummins Power Generation had to pay special attention to the ambient environment. Another challenge associ- atedwith this project was adhering to the strict timelines of the various airports, which meant that installation could only be carried out when air traffic was low,

Safety-helmet suspensions improve comfort Painful compression headaches due to safety helmets that do not fit properlyarenowa thingof thepast thanks to flush suspension tabs

areaonany safetyhelmet, which improves perspirationabsorptionby covering more of the headband and the wearer’s forehead. “Extensive customer researchhas revealed that theMSAFas-Trac IIIwheel-ratchetsuspensionispreferredbymostusersoverwhatthey are currentlywearing,”Mohun continues. “This is because of themain benefits of improvedhelmet comfort, retention and stability, with the added advantage of easy single-handed adjustment.” The premiumMSAFas-Trac III suspension also comeswith a lower nape strap than any other protection helmet suspension, which im- proves balance and means that the safety helmet stays on when the wearer leans over. Separating the ratchet from the neck also allows the comfort pad to cradle the wearer’s head, increasing air flow. The ratchet has a smooth rotation and an easy-grip knob that can be adjusted even when the user is wearing gloves. Superior nape fit and compatibility with other personal protective equipment is ensured by three levels of height adjustment. MSAFas-Trac III suspensions are available for all V-Gard industrial safety helmets fromMSA Africa. www.za.msasafety.com

on the latest MSA Fas-Trac ®  III ratchet suspensions, available from MSA Africa for its V-Gard range of safety helmets. The latest suspensions can be ordered pre-fitted on any MSA V-Gard helmet, or as spares. “We have made it ‘painless’ for customers

to standardise on these new suspensions as there is no change in part numbers for complete helmet assemblies.MSAFas-Trac III is the answer to everyone’s safety-helmet requirements,” SurakshaMohun, product marketing manager, MSA Africa, comments. Inaddition,twodifferentsweatbandoptionsareavailable,depend- ing on applicationor preference. These arePVC, perforatedwipeable or sweat-wicking and replaceable foam, which is alsomachine-wash- able. The foam sweatband is made from breathable fabric for direct air permeation.MSAFas-Trac III boasts the largest sweatband surface

40 ¦ MechChem Africa • March 2017