MechChem Africa May-June 2021

MechChem MAY-JUNE 2021 AFRICA

Specialist solutions for water, wastewater and sewage treatment

This month: Resourcing the world through environmental services

Modular HVAC systems for adverse applications

Multipurpose bioplastic from soy residues

Mega screens: where materials meet engineering

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CONTENTS

Maintenance solutions and asset management 6 Progressive automatic lubrication systems for extended life Joe Barnard of Lincoln Lubrication SA describes the SKF Group company’s continual lubrication solutions for stationary and mobile machines operating in harsh and unforgiving environments. 8 Bosch Rexroth Ghana milestone repair project in Nigeria 9 Tube and drain cleaning – what you need to know Special report 10 Bonfiglioli SA: 30 years of commitment to local industry In celebration of its 30 th anniversary as a subsidiary of the Italian Bonfiglioli Group, MechChem Africa talks to founding members Tony dos Santos and retired CEO, Robert Rohman. Water and wastewater solutions 12 Veolia: resourcing the world through environmental services Chris Braybrooke talks to MechChem Africa about Veolia’s new and broader global purpose, which embraces the UN’s sustainable development goals (SGDs) through optimised and integrated resource management solutions involving water, waste and energy. 15 Pumping responsibly the only way to conserve groundwater 16 An integrated path to Africa’s water future 18 Dynamic Fluid Control sees a future in local valve designs Minerals processing and materials handling 20 Mega screens: where materials science meets mechanical engineering Annelize Van der Walt and Gideon De Villiers of Kwatani talk about the design of increasingly large vibrating screens. 22 FLSmidth high density thickeners double mine output 24 New composite liners for large sag mills 25 Raising beneficiation efficiencies in coal Heating ventilation and air conditioning 26 Modular HVAC systems for adverse applications Johan Pienaar of SME – Specialist Mechanical Engineers – talks about his company’s MicroKool MK series industrial HVAC solutions and describes an implementation success in the aluminium smelter industry. PowerGen, PetroChem and sustainable energy management 28 WEG IE4 motors: a zero-premium route to optimum efficiency With the introduction ofWEG IE4 super premium efficiency motors into SouthernAfrica at the same price as its premium efficiency IE3 range, Fanie Steyn of Zest WEG outlines why no other motor choice makes sense. 31 G7 Energy facility preferred bidder in RMIPPPP Local manufacturing and food processing 32 Bespoke drive solution for local animal feed equipment Phillip Steyn of SEW-EURODRIVE talks about a custom-designed 6.0 t twin-shaft paddle mixer drive solution developed in conjunction with Dalein Agriplan for a local agricultural feed producer. 33 siFramo: a modular non-welded steel support system Innovative engineering 38 Multipurpose bioplastic from soy residues: a pilot plant in Finland A biopolymer plant is being built in Uusikaupunki, Finland, in which bioplastic production from the soy residues derived from main stream food and feed production processes will be piloted on an industrial scale. Regulars 2 Peter’s comment: Global sustainability and progress for forestry industries 4 On the cover: Drive solutions for water, wastewater and sewage Kelly Mac Iver of BMG describes suitable drive solutions for the water industries. 36 Products and industry news 40 Back page: Smart cities promote best practice in urban sustainability

Published bimonthly by Crown Publications (Pty) Ltd Cnr Theunis and Sovereign Streets Bedford Gardens 2007 PO Box 140, Bedfordview, 2008 Tel: +27 11 622 4770 e-mail: mechchemafrica@crown.co.za www.mechchemafricamagazine.co.za Editor: Peter Middleton Design: Katlego Montsho Publisher: Karen Grant Deputy publisher: Wilhelm du Plessis Circulation: Brenda Grossmann The views expressed in this journal are not necessarily those of the publisher or the editors. e-mail: peterm@crown.co.za Advertising: Elmarie Stonell e-mail: elmaries@crown.co.za

Transparency You Can See Average circulation Q2 2020: 6 305 Printed by: Tandym Print, Cape Town

Front cover: BMG Contact: Kelly Mac Iver Tel: +27 (0) 11 620 1615 kellyM@bmgworld.net www.bmgworld.net

Publisher of the Year 2018 (Trade Publications)

May-June 2021 • MechChem Africa ¦ 1

Global sustainability and progress for forestry industries

T heInternationalCouncilofForestandPaperAs- sociations (ICFPA) has just released its biennial SustainabilityProgressReport,whichhighlights progress in seven key areas of sustainabil- ity: sustainable forest management; renewable energy; greenhouse gas and sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ) emissions; water use; health and safety; and recycling. The 2021 report alsohighlights the forest products sector’s global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently representing 18 pulp, paper, wood and fibre-based associations in 28 countries, along with manyglobal pulp, paper andwoodproducers, the ICFPA SustainabilityProgressReportshowsprogressonnearly all of the sector’s performance indicators. “In the face of the biggest health and economic crisis of our lifetimes, we are reminded that the global forestry sector has the potential to address some of our most urgent social, environmental and economic chal- lenges,”notesICFPAPresidentDerekNighbor,whoisthe president and CEO of the Forest Products Association of Canada. “Forestryworkers and forest products are in a unique position to drive our move to a lower-carbon world through sustainable forestmanagement, advanc- ing the forest bioeconomy and recovering more paper and paper-based packaging for recycling,” he says. Key progress on ICFPA’s sustainability performance indicators include: • 52.6% of wood fibre procured in 2019 came from third-partycertifiedsustainably-managedforests,a 41%percent increase fromthe2000baselineyear. • Greenhouse gas emission intensity decreased by 21% from the 2004/2005 baseline year. • The energy share of biomass and other renewable fuels increased to 64.9%, a 12% increase since 2004/2005,whiletotalonsiteenergy intensitywas reduced by 3.3%. • SO 2 emission intensity from on-site combustion sources decreased by 77% from the 2004/2005 baseline year and 38% from the previous report. • Water use intensity decreased by 12.5% from the baseline year. • Investment in health and safety interventions yielded a 30% reduction in the global recordable incident rate from the 2006/2007 baseline, with the annual number of recordable incidents falling to 2.88 per 100 employees. • 59.1% of the paper and paperboard consumed in 2019 was reused by mills to make new products, marking a 12.6% increase in global recycling rates since the year 2000. Commenting on the report, Jane Molony of the Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA), a member of the ICFPA Steering Committee says: “As a sector, both globally and locally, we continue to make

a positive impact and meaningful progress in areas of sustainability, societyandtheeconomy,providingcitizens with a renewable resource in the form of sustainably producedwood,celluloseandpaperproducts.Woodinits various formsnotonlymeetsessentialdailyneeds, italso provides a rawmaterial for conventional and innovative alternatives for sustainable packaging.” Also highlighted in the report is the role the forest products industry plays in climate change mitigation, through a four-pronged approach: preserving and opti- mising carbon sequestration in forests and forest-based products; reducing greenhouse gas emissions through energy-efficientoperations;avoidingemissionsbysubsti - tuting fossil fuels inseveral industries; andusingcarbon- neutral biomass energy inmanufacturing processes. Progress intheseareas ismeasuredusingmetrics list- edabove, including:GHGemissionintensity;percentage gains in bioenergy and renewable fuel use; total on-site energy intensity; andSO 2 emissions intensity–andall of these are shownmoving in the right direction. The 2021 ICFPASustainability Progress Report also includes the 2021 International Finalists for the presti- gious ICFPABlueSkyYoungResearchersandInnovation Award. The theme for the 2020-2021 Blue Sky Awards was: Boosting the Forest Bioeconomy: Nature-Based Solutions Toward a Lower Carbon Economy. Finalist Francine Ceccon Claro from Brazil devel- oped a low cost wound dressing manufactured using nanofibrillatedwoodcellulosemembranes,which is less expensivethanbacterialcellulosemembranesusedintra- ditional dressings,whileofferingthesameeffectiveness. Another young finalist, Jesús Rodríguez from Chilé, developed FLEXbio, a biodegradable and compostable bioplastic derived from Radiata pine sawdust, a wood by-productgeneratedby loggingcompaniesthatdiscard it in large quantities, where it piles up in company yards creating fire risks along with soil and groundwater con - tamination problems. In this issue of MechChem Africa , we have Chris Braybrooke talking about howVeolia has embraced the UN’s sustainabledevelopment goals (SDGs); SRK’sAvril Owens talking about planning andharmonising sustain- ability efforts across Africa; Zest WEG’s Fanie Steyn talking about the energy efficiency advantages ofWEG IE4superpremiumefficiencymotors;andour Innovative Engineering story for thismonth is about a newbioplas- tic production plant in Finland that will be using waste residues fromsoy-based food production as feedstock. Sustainability and circular economy principles are now a survival imperative, not just for life on our planet, but for the businesses and industries that we humans depend on. Ultimately, embracing them is essential to ensure that our industries and lifestyles remain sustainable. q

Peter Middleton

Comment

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March-April 2021 • MechChem Africa ¦ 3

Drive solutions and services for water, wastewater and sewage

Kelly Mac Iver, BMG’s Gears Business Unit manager for the ElectroMechanical Division, describes BMG’s drive solutions for the water, wastewater and sewage sectors, which encompass the supply of quality branded drive systems, enhanced by the BMG team’s technical expertise and installation, condition monitoring, maintenance and engineering support capabilities.

“B MG specialists with techni- cal knowledge and extensive experience inwater engineer- ing play an important role in upgrading ageing water and wastewater facilities, and designing newdrive systems, to ensure a dependable infrastructure,” explains Kelly Mac Iver, BMG’s Gears Business Unit manager for the ElectroMechanical Division. “The selectionof robust equipment,whichcan endure continuous operation under severe conditions, is critical. Every drive package se- lectedmustmatch theapplicationperfectly to ensure energy-efficiency, low running costs, minimum downtime and extended service life of the system. Care for the environment is also a priority at BMG and, for this reason, we select environmentally friendly drive solutions that help minimise CO 2 emissions. “It is also important to prevent unneces-

sary breakdowns, which is why reliability is our main focus when designing the drive systems for new and upgraded facilities. All BMG components are precisely matched to each other and to application requirements toensurehighproductivity, smoothoperation and long service-life. Apart from the supply of new drive systems, the company’s broad branch network offers original spares and advanced workshop resources that ensure all repairs to drive components meet pristine OEM standards.” BMG supplies an extensive range of drive packages from NORD DRIVESYSTEMS and Sumitomo Drive Technologies (Hansen, Paramax, Cyclo, HSM helical shaft mounts), which have been designed especially for optimum efficiency in harsh applications, including water, wastewater and sewage treatment plants.

Sumitomo Hansen and Paramax products Sumitomo’s Hansen product range includes gear units that drive aerators, water screws and brush aerators. Notable features of BMG’s locally-assembled Hansen agitator/ aerator gearboxes include the flexibility for application-specific product design to meet exact requirements, carburised and ground bevel and helical gearing for added strength, as well as high torque capacity, surface du- rability and low noise performance. In addi- tion, robust weatherproof housings raise the gearbox and drive motor above the service platform, to prevent contact with water. Hansengearboxes areavailable fromBMG with standard or heavy-duty output bearings and have the additional option of extended output bearing distance housings, which al- low for greater output shaft support. There is a large overhung load capacity of the gear units and the housing design ensures smooth transition of forces from the centre bore to the mounting feet. A rigid lantern housing seamlessly con- nects thegearunitwiththemotor.Continuous oil circulation through to thebearings is facili- tated via a mechanical oil pump and internal oil channels, which ensure extended service life of the gear unit. The internal construction of the gear unit housing allows for simple and complete oil drainage, while Hansen’s Oil-Lock and Oil-Guard systems offer maintenance-free sealing on high-speed shaft extensions. The drywell – available on Hansen P4 gear units –prevents oil leakageonvertical down shafts. Larger units, with inspection covers above the oil level, allow for convenient inspection of internal components on site. Hansen aerator/agitator units also allow for fitment of additional options, such as oil- sight glasses, flowswitches, temperature sen - sors, oil level switches anddipsticks. Standard

Sumitomo Hansen P4 size D and E aerators, with BMG motors, ready to depart the BMG workshop to a water treatment site.

4 ¦ MechChem Africa • May-June 2021

⎪ Cover story ⎪

designs are availablewith torque capabilities from 13 kNm to 328 kNm. BMG’s Sumitomo Paramax gear reducers, which are proven in the conveyor and mate- rials handling industry, also offer the water treatment sector a range of gearboxes that is well-positioned with regards to product capabilities and advanced features: with competitive pricing. This range is available as right angle or parallel vertical units and a tooth formwith a 25° pressure angle to deliver stronger gear- ing. The mechanical oil pump requires no electricity and the gears are carburised, heat- treated and finished to the highest standards of accuracy. Paramax units are painted with anti-corrosion paint for extended service life in harsh working conditions. NORD drives NORDdrives, which include aUnicase helical shaft-mount gearedmotor in the range, have special features tomeet the requirements im- posedduringwater treatment. “NORDdrives consist of gears, motors and brakes that are protected against corrosion. Special covers for thehollowshaft andmotor alsoensure the drive is entirely resistant to spray from tanks and the humid and aggressive conditions to which it is exposed in sewage treatment plants,” says Deon Crous, National product manager for NORD Drive Systems at BMG. “Explosion-proof motors with electrical and mechanical speed controls are fitted with anti-condensationheaters for stand-still periods and reinforcedbearings for extended lifeare standard. Special vent plugs, lubricants and a valve-type oil drainage facility also enhance performance in these demanding applications. Driveswithhelical flange-mountedgeared motorshave theflexibility tofit intorestricted and awkwardly shaped areas below tank de-sludgers. The traversing platform of this

Sumitomo Hansen 3-stage vertical parallel aerator units complete with motor lantern adapter.

Notable features of BMG’s agitator/aerator gearboxes include the flexibility for application-specific product design to meet exact requirements.

Also inBMG’sNORDrange is the compact combination of MAXXDRIVE industrial gear units and the Sealless Adapter For Mixers (SAFOMI), which offer operating reliabil- ity and reduced maintenance requirements. Important features of these gear units for mixers include fewerwearing parts – no shaft sealing is required between the gear unit and the IEC adapter. There are also fewer at- tached components andno additional oil tank is necessary. This reduces installation space. This NORD range has earned recognition globally for reliability, efficiency, lownoise lev - els, extended life and reduced maintenance. BMGhasmade substantial investments to ensure assembly, stockholdings and technical back-up for its comprehensive rangeof indus- trial gearedmotors. All gearboxes andelectric motors are in keeping with international standards. This facility enables the quick de- livery of world-class geared motor solutions in selected African countries while full repair and maintenance services are also offered. www.bmgworld.net

system is equipped with a four-wheel drive systemto prevent wheels fromslipping, even under load and in unfavourable wind condi- tions. Drives for revolvingde-sludgers (helical bevel gearedmotors) andpropeller-type ag-

itators andaerator driveswithflange mounted helical geared motors can comfortably handle continu- ous operation 24 hours a day. Foot mounted helical geared motors are recommended in paddle mixer drives and, despite heavy loads, design life can exceed 100 000 hours. A unique feature of these drives is the Unicase gearbox

that accommodates all the bearing seats within a rigid one-piece casting – no bear- ing seats are located on bolt-on flanges or covers. Sealing surfaces are not subjected to torque stress or overhung loads and hard- ened wheel bodies with specially treated teeth ensure smooth and quiet operation at maximum load capacity.

A Sumitomo horizontal, foot-mounted and integral CYCLO Drive Gearmotor.

May-June 2021 • MechChem Africa ¦ 5

Progressive automatic lubrication systems for extended life

Progressive automatic lubrication systems from SKF Group Company, Lincoln Lubrication South Africa, are specially designed for the continual lubrication of stationary and mobile machines and systems to ensure sustainable operation even in harsh and unforgiving environments. Lincoln Lubrication SA’s sales consultant, Joe Barnard, describes the advantages.

“Alongside extended machine and equip- ment availability and life span, customers will reap the benefits of increased uptime and productivity and reduced operational costs.” Bydelivering thecorrect amount of lubri- cant, the progressive automatic lubrication system eliminates the common and costly problem of under- and over-lubrication that is normally associated with inaccurate and irregular manual lubrication. Barnard explains that under-lubrication can lead to component wear and tear and equipment failurewhileover-lubrication iswasteful and pollutes the environment. “Furthermore, use of our lubrication systems will prevent unnecessary stoppages in order to perform

lubrication tasks and manpower is no longer required to lubricate all con- nected points.” Aprogressiveautomatic lubrication systemconsistsof apumpconnectedto at least one primary metering device. A second level metering device can be connected to theoutlets of theprimary meteringdevice if required, to increase the number of lubricated points, de- pending on the pump’s operating pressure. The outlets of the primary and second level metering devices are connected via branch lines to the lubri- cationpoints of themachine. Thepump supplies lubricant to the metering devices at a pressure of up to 550 bar (8 000 psi), depending on the pump model. The metering devices split the lubricant into even or predefined amountsof lubricant (dependingon the metering device), that are positively displaced to the lubrication points or to the inlet of a connected secondary metering device. These progressive systems can dispense a precise, metered amount of lubricant to up to 150 lubrication points over distances of approxi- mately 15 m, depending on case values. For oil applications, even in connection networks with flow limiters, distances of over 100 m can be accommodated. Barnard goes on to explain that progressive systems provide continuous lubrication as long as the pump is in operation. “Once the pump stops, the

“T he continuous delivery of the correct amount of lubri- cant to the correct points at the right t ime offers monumental savings for end customers,” says Lincoln Lubrication SA’s Joe Barnard.

A P205 lubricant pump station with a 30 kg reservoir from Lincoln Lubrication SA for a new coal processing plant.

pistons of the pro-

gressive metering d e v i c e s t o p i n their cur- rent po- sition and will restart as soon as the pump starts

P215 525 V lubricant pump station with a 30 kg reservoir from Lincoln Lubrication SA to meet lubrication requirements on a coal processing plant.

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⎪ Maintenance and asset management ⎪

failure, the injector’s closed structure chan- nels bypass lubricant to the bearing. Repair is then possible by simply replacing two components. “Lubricating manually takes extra time, requires the machine to be stopped, and tends to swing betweenwasteful initial over-greasing and,overtime,damaginglylowlubrication,”says Butler.Onthebenefitsof automatic lubrication, headds: “TheSL-6 injectorwith theSKFLincoln lubrication system helps customers to take a giant steptowards increasedproductivity.With less maintenance, less time spent on manual greasing, reduced grease consumption and longer component life, customers will soon see areturnontheir investment,”heconcludes. q These ultra-reliable robust progres- sive automatic systems can cope with stringent operating conditions, such as potentially high lubrication-point back pressure, low temperatures and dirty, wet or humid environments. The systems are extensively used in a wide range of small, medium and large machines and equip- ment: mobile machines (wheel loaders, excavators and trenchers), construction machines (concrete and mortar pumps), agricultural machines (harvesters, bal- ers, manure spreaders and sugar cane loaders), wood reclaimers, materials handling machines (reach stackers and soft to hard, triple-component mixtures of a base oil as the lubricating fluid, a thickening agent and additives. “In most instances, greases of NLGI grade 1 to 3 are suitable for use in our lubri- cation systems, but we recommend a compatibility check prior to using any oil or grease for progressive automatic lubrication,” advises Barnard.

crane carts), on-road trucks (waste press) and buses. Additional applications of theseversatile lubrication systems include hydro-electric plants (wind turbine generators), asphalt mixing plants, food&beverage facilities (fill - ersandwashingmachines),quarries (screens and crushers) as well as in the oil and gas industryforequipmentsuchasreciprocating compressors. LincolnLubricationSouthAfricarecently secured an order to supply and install 13 progressive automatic lubrication systems at a newly built coal processing plant in Mpumalanga. “The plant is building a new conveyor belt systemwith take ups, pulleys, drives, etc, which will travel from the new mining area to the existing plant. This is a large area that requires lubrication and we will be installing the durable, versatile and reliable P205 andP215525v pump stations with30kgreservoirs tomeet theapplication requirements,” concludes Barnard. www.skf.com

The new SKF Lincoln SL-6 injector has been designed with ease of use and maintenance in mind, with outstanding leak protection and service life, even with harsh extreme pressure (EP) greases. The SL-6 can easily be retrofitted to existing single-line pump systems. SKF product manager, Jordan Butler, explains: “With higher demands on produc- tivity, less time for maintenance and low tolerance for unplanned stops, lubrication performance is an important key tomachine performance. Reliable lubrication solutions are a must to get the uptime you have in- vested in.” Innovations in the SL-6 are focused on supportingtheharshenvironments forwhich it is designed, including in dump trucks, ex- cavators and other mining and construction equipment. Quick maintenance features include a highly visible red indicator pin, an ad- justing screw requiring only basic tools and a hex-shaped body which maximises working space, making it easy to handle and work with. For optimally effective lubrication, its vent speed is faster than that of any com- petitor. This is aided by a daisy-chain effect: as soon as each injector finishes venting, it helps the next one to complete its cycle by consuming grease from the main line. Improved sealing reduces the risk of lubricant bypass. In the unlikely event of a supplying lubricant again. The progressive circuit of one outlet of the pump will stop when only one lubrication point is blocked, alerting personnel to service the system.” In order to recommend an optimum lubrication solution, which includes the best lubricant for each individual ap- plication, trained Lincoln Lubrication SA application engineers first determine a number of variables such as the number of lube points, back pressures at the lube points, operating temperature ranges, the feed pump’s drive energy, and control and monitoring. “We prescribe different lubricants; oil, fluid-grease or grease, for example, which have different viscosities to suit each application,” Barnard contin- ues. The different types of oils include mineral, organic and synthetic, which are classified in ISO VG viscosity classes from 2 to 3200. NLGI grade 000, 00 and 0 greases are also known as fluid greas- es. Greases classified as NLGI Grade 1 to 6 are consistent lubricants that are

New SKF Lincoln SL6 grease injector with maintenance in mind.

The SL-6 injector is equipped with quick maintenance features such as a highly visible red indicator pin.

The SL-6 lubricant injector from SKF is equipped with quick maintenance features.

May-June 2021 • MechChem Africa ¦ 7

Bosch Rexroth Ghana milestone repair project in Nigeria Bosch Rexroth Ghana has recently completed repairs to the contaminated hydraulic power unit (HPU) pumps on the Framo Crude Oil Pumping System belonging to Shell Oil and Exploration in Nigeria.

T he hydraulically driven submerged cargo pumps used on the Framo Crude Oil Pumping System belong- ing to Shell Oil and Exploration in Nigeria provide safe, efficient and flexible cargohandlingof liquidcargo. Arepair project on these pumps by Bosch Rexroth Ghana, recently completed ahead of deadline, pro- vided a unique opportunity for Shell Nigeria to reduce its total cost of ownership, and to improve maintenance turnaround times. In January 2020, Shell Nigeria sought to repair nine of its HPU double pumps and turned to Bosch RexrothGhana. In establish- ing a repair plan, the Bosch Rexroth Ghana teamdrewon the technical expertiseof Bosch Rexroth South Africa, headed by Repairs Manager IanKidson, and supported bywork- shop technicians Ronald Seller, Eugene Roos and Allan Page. The team proposed a total hydraulic investigation and inspection, which found that all the pumps were contaminated. Shell awarded the order for repairs in July 2020, in themidst of SouthAfrica’s lockdown, and because of lockdown restrictions, the factorieswereunable toproduce the required spare parts immediately. The Bosch Rexroth repair teams opted to carry out the repairs in stages, as spare parts became available, allowing them to complete the repairs within the stipulated project timelines. In the interim, Shell continued its op- erations, using its two spare pump units. However, the required repairs were critical,

as the pumps were part of the asset pumping crude oil from the oil production platform into floating vessels – essential to Shell’s op - erations. BoschRexrothprioritised the repair plan to ensure that Shell’s operations would not be hampered. Under the guidance of Kidson, the team also directed the repair work, which included de-assembly of the A4VSO double pumps; stripping and analysis; identification of faulty components and the compilationof a detailed inspection report. “Repairs were completed on the first four pump units in December, whichwas soon enough toprevent any down- time to Shell’s operations,” explains Booth. The remaining five pumps were repaired and re-certified in January 2021, with the project concluding on 28 January 2021, 30 days earlier than the expected completion date of 5 March. All commissioning was carried out by Bosch Rexroth SA personnel and Shell resumed its activities successfully, following completion of the repairs. The repair project is a huge success for the Bosch Rexroth West Africa team. It also serves as a milestone for Bosch Rexroth’s Nigerian business development as it pursues market share growth in the large but com- petitive oil and gas sector. “We were pleased to report that the pumps were repaired and tested toOEMstandard, ahead of the project deadline,” says Alex Booth, Bosch Rexroth Regional Manager for West Africa. “At the time of global oil price instability,

providing timely repairs and alternative solutions to Shell Bonga FPSO as well as an analysis of inspection report and OEM standard test certificates, has generated a lot of commendations and praise from Shell/Snepco’s maintenance team,” said Sunday Alabi, Bosch Rexroth Business Development Manager in Nigeria. The repairs to the pumps carry a six- monthwarrantyandare further supported by a proposed agreement between both parties – Shell and Bosch Rexroth – to continue working together. For Bosch Rexroth Ghana’s workshop team, the project also proved to be a suc- cessful training project. “We provided hands-on trainingon the stripping, quoting and rebuildprocess aswell as testingof the pumps,” says Booth. TheBoschRexroth SouthAfricaGroup ofCompanies, previously theHytecGroup, is Africa’s largest fluid power and automa - tion company. It comprises eight specialist companies: Bosch Rexroth South Africa – previously Hytec Holdings, Hytec South Africa, Tectra Automation, Hytec Fluid Technology, Hydraulic and Automation Warehouse, Hytec Engineering, Hytec ServicesAfrica andHYSA. Collectively, the Group sources, markets and distributes over 30 international hydraulic, pneumatic and automation brands via a network of 40 sales and service branches across sub- Saharan Africa. q

Five of the nine contaminated hydraulic power unit (HPU) double pumps on the Framo Crude Oil Pumping System repaired by the Bosch Rexroth Ghana team with support from Bosch Rexroth South Africa.

8 ¦ MechChem Africa • May-June 2021

⎪ Maintenance and asset management ⎪

Tube and drain cleaning – what you need to know

Hawk Pumps, manufacturers and distributors of quality high-pressure pumping and cleaning equipment, shares insights into high-pressure tube and drain cleaning and the different nozzles used to remove the different substances causing restrictions and blockages.

Where sand is the main problem, flounder nozzles rise up and over blockages for the rear facing nozzles to fluidise the blockage, which enables the water flow to carry the sand back to the manhole.

P ipe cleaning machines have various requirements in order to function at their best. Some of the problems these machines need to be able to overcome include the following: • Boiler and heat exchanger tubes gener- ally get a layer of various types of scale that restrict water flow and reduce heat transfer. This lowers the flow and increases the amount of fuel needed to overcome the insulating effect of the scale. • Slurry transfer pipes in various indus- tries tend to become restricted by solids deposited on the internal walls of the pipes. • Waste drain pipes in industry, hotels, hospitals andgarages suffer fromdepos- its of grease and other sticky materials, especially from kitchen waste. • Sewers are notorious for clogging, usu- ally from foreign objects being flushed into the system. • Rain water drain pipes and stormwater drains tend to have litter and sand set- tling in the bottom of the pipes, eventu- ally blocking them completely, causing flooding during rain storms. Pipe cleaning machines all have one thing in common: they need special nozzles designed for each specific application. High pressurepumpmachines are readily available or can be custom designed, but the choice of the correct nozzle, water flow and pressure is very important.

The various types of nozzles have a few things in common. Most have jets facing backwards, which serve two main purposes; to pull the hose into the pipe and to clean the pipe’s walls. For cleaning walls, the jets tend to face backwards and outwards at a large angle. Sometimes, a forward facing jet is not necessary, which allows larger, rear facing jets to be fitted. If the problem is a blockage, a forward facing jet is important, because the rear facing ones don’t spray out- wards as much, making it harder for the forward pulling power to overcome the negative effect of the forward jet. Boiler tube nozzles usually require relatively low volumes at higher pres- sures to cut through the scale, which can be extremely hard. They don’t depend much on rear jets and don’t have front ones, but rather have side jets on a spinning body. Occasionally, when the tube is all but blocked, a chisel nozzle with sharp hardened facets in front is needed to physically break the scale with forward facing jets. These nozzles are fitted to rigidpipes, rather thanflexiblehoses. The pumps needed here have lowvolumes of about 20 ℓ /min at 500 bar pressure. Slurry transfer pipes require simple ‘bomb’ shaped nozzles with rear facing jets. Here, depending on the pipe diameter, a medium volume pump, typically 80 ℓ /min of flow at about 150 to 200 bar is used. Occasionally, a nozzlewith spinning chains will be needed to improve the cleaning effect. Waste drainpipes are alsousually cleaned using ‘bomb’ nozzles and require pumps simi- lar to the slurry pipe applications. If the pipe is blocked, a nozzle with a front jet is called for, while hardblockages need cutter nozzles. Sewers vary in diameter and have dif- ferent degrees of blocking. For normal domestic sewers, a 30 ℓ /min pump at 150 to 200 bar will suffice. The nozzles required are simple mini-bombs with forward and rear facing jets. Mains sewers are of a large diameter – up to 300 mm but usu- ally about 200mm– and these require a minimumof 80 ℓ /min at 150 to200bar. A 120 ℓ /minpumphelps topull thehosebet- ter, especially where the sewer has a long space between manholes. Cutter nozzles,

chain flail nozzles and bomb nozzles are all used in this application. Rainwater and stormwater drains require much larger pumps. They usually need 150 to 200 ℓ /minat150to200bar. Bombnozzles can be used, but where sand is the main problem, the ‘flounder’ nozzle is the most effective. This nozzle consists of a block of metal with a pointed front and usually four rear facing nozzles. When the nozzles reach sand, they tend to ride up and over it and, in doing so, cause the rear jets to agitate and fluidise the sand. The large volume of water carries the sandback to themanholewhere it is removed, either physically or by means of a jet pump that only needs a small portion of the pump flow to push the sand out. Hawk is a manufacturing company that primarily creates industrial high-pressure pumping and cleaning equipment. They also manufacture spraying solutions, including industrial nozzles. One of Hawk’s biggest differentiators is that they have the capacity to manufacture and custom design machines tailored to specific customer needs. Hawk serves a wide range of customers from virtually every industrial sector, includ- ing processing plants, factories, workshops, contract cleaners, drain & sewer cleaners, car, truck & bus washes, mines, agricultural and more. hawkpumps.co.za Chain flail nozzles are needed for cutting through and removing accumulated roots and debris from sewers.

Bomb nozzles with front, rear or both front and rear facing jets are used for drain and sewer pipe cleaning, depending on the material that needs to be removed.

May-June 2021 • MechChem Africa ¦ 9

Bonfiglioli SA: 30 years of commitment to local industry Bonfiglioli South Africa is celebrating its 30 th anniversary as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Italian Bonfiglioli Group. MechChem Africa talks to founding members Tony dos Santos, operations director, and retired CEO, Robert Rohman, about the company’s history and journey to success.

philosophies was that ‘substance is greater than form’, which manifested itself in his pas- sion for investing in the most sophisticated machine tool equipment and technologies. This enabled him to build a large component mass production facility in his home town of Bologna inNorthern Italy that allowed himto actively lower manufacturing costs through economies of scale while raising levels of production quality. A further advantage in the early days was that Bonfiglioli opted to use standard electric motors adapted to the gearbox ranges with mating IEC flanges. Not only did this provide customers with more flexible motor options but itmeant that a failedmotor couldeasilybe removed fromamachine via the dry coupling with only four bolts. In addition to simplifying maintenance procedures, this also reduces the cost of holding spares, because readily available standard motors can be used as op- posed to brand specific gearmotor units. Describing early successes, operations director Tony dos Santos continues: “Initially, we began to seek opportunities where light industrial worm drives could be used instead of costlier helical geared motors. We found a host of suitable lighter industrial applica- tions, such as fruit processing, packaging, the baking and food industries and general conveying in a broad cross section of distri-

Bonfiglioli South Africa opened for business on April 1, 1991. Shown here at that time are, from left: Luciano Marisaldi, Group CFO; Robert Rohman, the first MD; Clementino Bonfiglioli, global president; Tony dos Santo, the first sales manager for South Africa; Vittorio Bertaglia, global sales director.

B onfiglioli South Africa opened for business on April 1, 1991, 14 months after Nelson Mandela was released and three years before he became the first democratically elected president of South Africa. “These were un- certain, exciting but very turbulent times, so establishing a new industrial gearbox company back then was a very bold move,” recalls Robert Rohman, the company’s first managing director. “Iwas approachedbyFaustoCarboni, now CEO of the Global Group, to establish the company. At the time, I was general manager of the then distributor for Bonfiglioli, Stone Stamcor, and Fausto was our Italian contact. I was therefore able to put together an expe- rienced teamwith in-depth knowledge of the product and thebusinessmodel necessary for delivery and support,” he adds. Akey factor that differentiatedBonfiglioli from other Ital ian manufacturers was Clementino Bonfiglioli’s belief that custom - erswerebest servedthroughBonfiglioli’sown local operation. “This led to the development of a wholly-owned worldwide distribution network and we, as Bonfiglioli South Africa, were extremely proud to be one of the first. We were highly motivated youngsters and, over the years, became one of Bonfiglioli’s most successful subsidiaries, measured by relativemarket share, profitability, reach and scope,” says Rohman. The starting point of this success, he believes, was the vision and inspiration of Clementino. Although he had built up a full

range of gearboxes, he was able to identify gaps in the market that enabled him to at- tract a significantmarket share fromthe then dominant BritishandGermanmanufacturers. Mostnotabledevelopmentswerehisversatile MVF wormdrive range of gearboxes for light industrial use; and the 300 Series planetary Trasmital gearbox range for heavy-duty low- speed high-torque applications. Today, Bonfiglioli remains one of the world’s largest manufacturers of worm drive geared motors and is the leading supplier of planetary gearbox solutions to themobile and wind power generation industries One of Clementino Bonfiglioli ’s key

A view of Bonfiglioli South Africa’s expanded warehouse and one of the assembly stations at its considerably enlarged state-of-art assembly facility in Linbro Park, Sandton.

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⎪ Special report ⎪

ing facility, which further demonstrates her commitment to continuous investment in global operations for decades to come,” adds Dos Santos. “Today, Bonfiglioli South Africa has a state-of-art facility with a considerably enlarged heavy duty helical, bevel helical and planetary assembly area equippedwith up to date assembly and testingmachinery. Our lo- cal design and engineering offices along with ourwell-developed serviceand repair centres are testament to the continual investment over the years. In line with the Bonfiglioli Group requirement we are proud to be ac- credited with the ISO 9001 certification,” he tells MechChem Africa . Followingtheretirement in2018ofRobert Rohman as the MD of the South African sub- sidiary, HencoduPlooywas appointed to take over. “Henco has accumulated considerable experience in the growth and development of global Blue chip businesses across Africa. This experience is of considerable interest to our Italian shareholders, particularly

bution centres,” says Dos Santos On the other end of the power/torque spectrum, Bonfiglioli’s planetary drives be - came the industrystandard forheavydutyuse on apron feeders and thickeners onmines; for clarifiers forwater treatment; and for crystal - lisers in the sugar industry. Rohman continues: “Clementinowas ada- mant about local assembly. This enabled us to offer products from the broader global offer- ing. Stocking every range, size and available variant was impractical, but by assembling to order, we were able to rationalise the total stock holding while still offering a complete range on an ex-stock basis. “The engineering fromItalywas ingenious, too, because common sub-assemblies could be used in multiple different units. Instead of assembling from components, we imported sub-assemblies. This meant that all of the critical bearings and gear fitmentswere done in the high-tech Italian factories using very sophisticatedequipmentandautomated lines. Theprocessenablesus toconsiderablyreduce lead times while configuring units to specific speed ratios and torques at thehighest quality level,” Rohman says. “To best meet the local assembly, service and customisation requirements, webelieved we needed a locally owned, tailor-made facil- ity. Although initially reluctant, Clementino Bonfiglioli again demonstrated his commit - ment and belief in our success by insisting on purchasingbothadjacent stands, whichpaved the way for our continual expansion through the years.” continues Dos Santos In the mid-2000s, Clementino began to hand over the reins to his daughter, Sonia Bonfiglioli, who was, by then, a mechanical engineer steeped in the company’s traditions and values. “Sonia took over the oversight role for Bonfiglioli SA, and immediately dem - onstrated the same levels of support to our operation,” Rohman recalls. On the death of her father, she stepped into his role as Group leader and continued to advance the company legacy. “While Clementino was a mechanical man, Sonia began to expand the company in the area of mechatronics, automation and modern digital drive technologies such as inverters, variable speeddrives (VSDs), servodrives and advanced motion control,” he says. In2008, SoniaBonfiglioliwas instrumental in another “game changer” when she came to South Africa to announce that Bonfiglioli SA was to be the first subsidiary company in the Bonfiglioli Group to be accredited by its global parent to assemble the newly designed Bonfiglioli heavy duty (HD) helical and bevel helical gearbox range. “Globally, Sonia’s vision recently resulted inBonfiglioli opening itsEVOplant inBologna, the company’s 1 st Industry 4.0 manufactur-

with respect to growing our African export market,” notes Dos Santos. “His skill set, which embraces financial management in an equipment company servicing industry across South and Southern Africa, is ideal for our future needs,” he adds. Key toBonfiglioli SA’s ongoing growth and success, Dos Santos adds, is the retention of key staff. “Since our inception in 1991, we havemanaged to retain the skills of significant percentages of our highly trained staff. Out of a staff complement of over 80, more than 15 of our people have in excess of 20 years’ service with Bonfiglioli South Africa, which has givenus a stable andknowledgeable team andmade the transfer of skills to newcomers so much easier. “After 30 years of committed service, we areproud tobe a respectedname across South African industry. We have a very supportive global parent in Italy, a committed, skilled and experienced staff and a significant number of longstanding loyal clients,” he concludes. q

Bonfiglioli’s Industry 4.0 EVO Plant, with a production capacity of 800 000 units per year, is designed to be a zero net energy facility by generating more energy than needed from its 3.0 MWp photovoltaic plant.

Bonfiglioli South Africa has expanded its HD assembly area to cater for larger helical, bevel helical and planetary gearboxes.

May-June 2021 • MechChem Africa ¦ 11

Veolia: resourcing the world through environmental services Chris Braybrooke of Veolia Services South Africa talks to MechChem Africa about the new and broader global purpose behind Veolia’s rebranding, which not only reflects its historic water treatment expertise, but also embraces optimised and integrated resource management solutions involving water, waste and energy.

“O ur presence in South Africa over the years has been ce- mented through our water treatment expertise, tech- nologies and solutions, ranging from the treatment of industrial and municipal waste- water to the installation of many complex treatment plants for municipal and industrial clients alike.” Veolia has more than 350 tried and tested water technologies to draw from in establishing large, customised plants or even smallermodular or containerisedunits for the Southern Africa market; all of which can be designed, constructedand factoryacceptance tested at the Sebenza factory in Gauteng, South Africa. Globally, Veolia offers amuchwider range of environmental services. “Wehaveseenthat our stakeholders want to see what value we can add beyond the technologies. In terms of our Impact 2023 programme, Veolia chair- man and CEO, Antoine Fr rot asked us to

think about the broader purpose of Veolia, by finding answers to four questions: In what way is Veolia useful to society? What is our mission? How is Veolia different from other companies? And for whom and how is wealth generated and shared?” Braybrooke relates. “This led to a refining of Veolia’s pur- pose: to contribute to human progress by firmly committing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) in order to achieve a better and more sus- tainable future for all. So Veolia has set itself the task of ‘resourcing the world’ through its environmental services businesses,” he continues, “This programme is contained in a Multifaceted Performance approach. When we analysed the UN’s SDGs, we found that wewerealready involved in13of the18 listed in the document, proving that Veolia is more than just a profitable supplier of solutions,” he notes. In South Africa, Braybrooke says, the environmental principles embodied in SDGs

and the concept of the circular economy have long been an integral part of Veolia’s ethos. “In terms of environmental sustainability, Veolia is the frontrunner when it comes to water reuse, as illustrated by our Durban Water Recycling (DWR) plant. It is here that we receivemunicipal wastewater and treat it to a very high industrial specification for use by the largest industrial users in the region. This facility has had a large impact in terms of protection of the environment and has freed up potable water for community use. As a result, since the plant’s inception, the Durban municipality has freed up to 47 M ℓ / dayofwater. Thismeant, at the time, noCapex had tobe spent onnewfacilities to supply this amount of potablewater to thecity residents,” he notes. In addition, the project at the Wingoc facility in Namibia, where Veolia has been in operation for over 20 years, enabled Windhoek to become the first city in the world toproducedrinkingwater directly from municipal wastewater. “There is no doubt that plants like these contribute significantly to improving access towater and sanitation for local communities and society,” says Braybrooke. “Our redefined purpose, however, is leading us to proactively adopt sustainabil- ity principles. We are now going beyond the delivery of plant technologies by actively seekingout opportunities thatwill add further benefits for clients, theenvironment and local communities.” Braybrooke points out that technologies such as Sea Water Desalination, Membrane Bioreactors (MBR), RO plants and many more are regularly deployed these days, and to run these plants at optimum performance requires highly trained operators. “To ensure that we respect skills development as per SDGs 4, 5 and 8, our standard practise is to

Veolia’s purpose embraces an improvement approach to its Environmental, Social, Human Resources, Commercial, Economic and Financial performance, shared with and for all of its stakeholders.

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⎪ Water and wastewater processing ⎪

employ local community members where these plants are constructed and to then provide training to the standards required, especially with regards to safe working prin- ciples,” he reveals. “We have also adjusted our expectations for sub-Saharan Africa to include waste and energy, and not just focus on water. We al- ready operate aHazardous landfill site called theDolphinCoast Landfill Management situ - ated at Kwadukuza inNatal, for the safeman- agement and treatment of hazardous waste. Veoliaalsohas the capability toaddenergy generation fromwater treatment plants. “The by-products of Food and Beverage wastewa- ter treatment plants often include biological mass. We are now able to process this bio- waste to extract biogas (methane), which can then be used as a fuel for heating or feeding engines which then generate electricity,” Braybrooke informs MechChem Africa . He adds that large Municipal sewage plants can generate up to 70% of their en- ergy requirements fromprocessedbio-waste. Veolia recently established a plant in China (T-Park) that generates 100% of its energy needs through this method and therefore makes the plant 100% autonomous, in both electricity and water. “For clients, this means that energy costs are significantly reduced and lowering the carbon footprint ultimately lessens the environmental impact. This also brings significant reputational benefits to stakeholders,” he points out. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives play an important role in Veolia’s purpose. “We are co-founder of an organisa- tion called theBaobab, whichwas established to promote plastic recycling and community agricultural programmes. “At the Network’s core is skills development in entrepreneur- ship. With the circular economy in mind, we engageyoungpeople inentrepreneurial initia- tives: producing new products from recycled plastic, for example,” he says adding that this is a link to the SDG involving small businesses, jobs and wealth creation. Turning attention back to Veolia’s clients, Braybrooke says that Veolia strives to armcli- entswith innovativesolutions that arebeyond the core purpose of the service being offered. “We believe that a company’s value shouldbe determined by the contribution it makes to society and theworld, rather than its earnings and asset value. So whilst we still provide all our technical expertise, a big growth area is onsite-services, where we are tasked to take over themanagement andoperationof water or wastewater services at client sites. With water treatment, the more water resources become contaminated, themore complex and expensive the treatment gets,” he points out. “For the Overstrand Municipality in the Western Cape, for example, which includes

A Veolia filtration plant design for the front end of wastewater treatment, which comprises a settling plant followed by a Veolia Dual Media filtration plant.

“All organisations in this industry have a duty to look inwards and identify what their contribution to society and the environment can be,” Braybrooke believes.

scenic areas such asHermanus andGansbaai, we have a 15-year concession tomanage and operate the potable and wastewater treat- ment facilities for the entire region. Through this project, we have kept all previous em- ployees and focused on uplifting their skills. The number of training hours we deliver is a keyVeoliaKPI, which is recorded and audited and used tomeasure service delivery aswell.” Braybrooke tells MechChem Africa. On the industrial side there are many complexwastewater treatment applications, particularly for mine effluent, and Veolia has a history of taking care of several of these on a zero effluent discharge (ZED) basis. Braybrooke says that the concentrated or dissolved solid waste streams that remain after treating mine effluents can often be further treated to extract additional value. “For anickelmine inMadagascar, for example, we designed and constructed an evaporator- crystalliser plant for the production of Ammonium Sulphate, a high-value product used in the fertiliser industry. So instead of having to safely dispose of a hazardous substance, we help the mine to create a sale- able product that can subsidise the cost of wastewater treatment. Veolia also deploys a tool designed to calculate the ‘True Cost of Water’. “ A client’s focus is generally concentrated on elements such as water coming into a facility and the wastewater only, whilst the cycle in its entirety is ignored. Using our True Cost of Water tool, we conduct a study to compile a complete list of potential risks involving wa- ter; possible drought, water shortages, pos- sibility of flooding, the revoking of a license to operate, contamination reparation and plant shutdown risks. By identifying and reducing

these risks early, and simultaneously always moving towards a zero discharge approach, environmental clean-ups can be avoided and damage costs eliminated. “Another important tool, proving invalu- able during the COVID lockdown, is our Hubgrade digital platform which was de- signed formonitoring and optimising the per- formance of treatment plants. As specialists in optimising the plant operations, we have knowledge of best practices and are able to implement them.We can install Hubgrade on new or existing plants, establish critical mea- suring parameters and set alarm thresholds for each one. This information is then avail- able for alerting operators to the need for any interventions,maintenancerequirementsand ongoing optimisation of plant performance,” Braybrooke explains. Hubgrade packages can evenbe upgraded to a level where our Engineers can provide onsiteoperatorseasyaccess toVeoliasupport on a 24-hour basis. “Maintenance is vital and this systemlogs routinemaintenance require- ments, keeps historical data and alerts per- sonnel to the possible dangers of neglect,” he adds. An example of predictivemaintenance is when Hubgrade is utilised to monitor an ROplant, the algorithms can optimise a plant to such an extent that, in most cases, it can extend the life of the membrane. “I believe all organisations in this industry have a duty to look inwards and identifywhat their contribution to society and the environ- ment canbe. I amparticularlyproud tobepart ofVeolia,which is actively trying to implement the Sustainable Development Goals in order to leaveamorediverse,moreenvironmentally friendly and better world for future genera- tions,” Braybrooke concludes. q

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