MechChem Africa March-April 2024

⎪ Products and industry news ⎪

Extra layer of detection for Fluke acoustic imagers

one roof. The streamlined supply chain conveniently gives customers access to the gates when delivering or collecting products, eliminating the need to travel on the premises, which improves safety and saves on time and costs. Efficiencies in the workshop, which is fitted with a customised wash bay, are ex pected to significantly improve from a pre vious several-hour turn around to just one hour. This will serve to empower techni cians to complete the full-service process from start to finish more effectively and productively, boosting customer service. “Our new streamlined facility has gal vanised the Compressor Technique team and as proud custodians of our quality Atlas Copco brand, we are ready to meet the demands of a fast-growing market with customer service excellence our top agenda,” concludes Van Wyk. www.atlascopco.com/en-za Using the Fluke ii910 acoustic imager with MecQ, the process of carrying out non-contact inspection on conveyor sys tems is simplified considerably, with the unit immediately identifying the locality of a mechanical area of interest through sound pattern comparison. Once the issue is displayed on-screen, the maintenance professional can note it, share it with their team and address it on their maintenance schedule. www.comtest.co.za effective way of detecting a problem, fol lowed by contact temperature and ther mography. Testing using contact vibration or airborne ultrasound also represented a challenge – with ease of use being an issue with the latter. Acoustic imaging offered the most effective method. Not only did customers say the ability to localise issues was vital if substantial cost savings were to be achieved, but they also needed a scalable solution that could help those with lengthy conveyor systems or where accessibility was an issue.

To help users identify and localise ‘me chanical areas of interest’ within short timeframes, COMTEST, a local represen tative of Fluke, has added a unique new feature to its ii910 precision acoustic imagers. The Firmware 5.0 update brings a MecQ facility to the ii910, which helps minimise unplanned downtime and cut re pair costs by enabling early identification of potential mechanical problems. Energy

the Compressor Technique business area and adding value to our supply chain by ensuring that we are ready to meet the challenges of our long-term growth and expansion plans for our operations both in South Africa and the sub-Saharan region,” says Van Wyk. The warehouse was designed and con structed on the basis of a detailed analysis by the Compressor Technique team in col laboration with national and international warehouse and logistics solutions experts to determine the strategic needs of the business, employees, customers as well as industry. Ergonomically-designed workshop and warehouse streamline work processes with the additional benefit of creating a positive working environment con ducive to health, safety, efficiency and improved employee morale and produc tivity. Racking is an essential component and careful deliberations took place to optimise the roof height and space. Every cubic metre was used to increase the efficiency of the material flow. The ware house supervisor's expertise in controlling the inventory and being strategically agile with future market growth demands is vital for the business’s sustainability and increase in market share. Owing to the smart new layout, there is no disconnect between the warehouse, the workshop and the outside storage facilities, which are all housed under Looking at various types of conveyor systems, the research showed that non driven bearings are often the root cause of many mechanical faults. Because these systems are integral to the overall pro duction process, lengthy downtime could substantially impact the factory and cause significant issues along the supply chain. Despite a line going down representing a huge concern – and costing anything up to R2 430 000 an hour – Fluke found that around 59% of conveyor belt systems are never inspected. In comparison, another 11% are checked manually. The research showed that human sensing was the least savings are also achieved by carrying out repairs early and reducing faults. The update was developed following extensive research involving Fluke cus tomers worldwide. Maintenance special ists and technicians said their crucial focus was identifying issues on the potential failure curve as early as possible.

COMTEST, a local representative of Fluke, has added a unique new MecQ facility to Fluke ii910 precision acoustic imagers.

Atlas Copco CT invests in new warehouse and workshop

Atlas Copco’s Compressor Technique business area has officially opened its new state-of-the-art, custom-designed warehouse and workshop at the Jet Park HQ in Gauteng. The all-under-one-roof facility sees the business area doubling its warehouse space, as well as increas ing the workshop area, adding a complete undercover outside storage section and significantly expanding office size. “Atlas Copco Compressor Techniques' strategic intent is to double the business within the next five to seven years and having the correct warehouse logis tics in place is critical in achieving our goal,” asserts Atlas Copco Compressor Technique General Manager, Pieter van Wyk. “Moreover, we need a warehouse that matches our renowned innovative, high-quality compressed air machines and advanced technology solutions. “The decision to invest in our own ware house, which we previously outsourced, meets our narrative of adding value for both customers and employees. We are now in full control. Our objectives are to create a cost-effective and efficiently run warehouse and workshop for accurate and on-time delivery, to optimise space, to foster a safe and pleasant working environment for employees, to improve distributor satisfaction and ultimately to enhance the customer experience. “With immense growth in the demand for spare parts, it’s about future-proofing

Atlas Copco Compressor Techniques’ state of-the-art warehouse and workshop at the Johannesburg headquarters.

34 ¦ MechChem Africa • March-April 2024