MechChem Africa November 2018

Mech Chem NOVEMBER 2018 AFRICA

engineering. tomorrow. together.

This month: Stainless Steel Awards showcase local innovation

Hydrocyclone footprint expands across Africa

One-stop drive-train services and partnerships

Geobags for capturing dredged sludge

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Asset, maintenance and risk management 8 One-stop drive-train services and partnerships On November 1, 2018, Marthinusen & Coutts unveiled a new 140 t lathe at its 14 000 m 2 Power Generation facility in Benoni. MechChem Africa attends and talks to Mike Chamberlain, the business’ marketing executive.

P U B L I C A T I O N S CR O WN

10 Taking after-market service to the next level 12 Remote monitors and novel lubrication solutions

Published monthly by Crown Publications cc 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 e-mail: peterm@crown.co.za Advertising: Brenda Karathanasis e-mail: brendak@crown.co.za Design: Darryl James 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. P U B L I C A T I O N S CR O WN P U B L I C A T I O N S CR O WN 2015/02/10 01:17:09PM

13 Communication, automation and energy distribution solutions 15 Extending transformer life through condition-based solutions Materials handling 16 Hydrocyclone footprint expands across Africa Weir Minerals Africa has expanded its Cavex ® hydrocyclone footprint across Africa with its two most recent orders going into the Central African Copperbelt; one in Zambia and one in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). 19 Latest generation TS 5 conveyor: Modular, reliable, efficient 20 New contact-free belt system for bulk handling 21 Cranes at Mopani pass R100-million mark 23 Buffalo low capacity reclaim feeders Heating, cooling, ventilation and air conditioning 24 Maintaining HVAC systems Annually, heating and cooling systems in residential and commercial buildings are depended upon to keep the interior temperature continuously comfortable. However, many people do not realise how the wear and tear on a heating and cooling system can mount up over time. 27 Outsourcing refrigeration: The logical solution for Africa Water and wastewater processing 28 Geobags for capturing dredged sludge The use of geotextile dewatering bags is recognised globally as an efficient and economical method for desludging to

2015CROWN LOGO february.indd 1

improve the functionality and safety of wastewater treatment works. 30 New high recovery water treatment plant in Middle East 31 B-O-O offers affordable on-site water treatment 32 Zero water usage: more than an aspiration 33 Water treatment plant handed to Umgeni Water Innovative engineering 38 Stainless Steel Awards showcase local innovation and talent

Transparency You Can See Average circulation July-September 2018: 5 027

Printed by: Tandym Print, Cape Town

The winners of the 2018 Sassda Columbus Stainless Awards were announced at a Gala Dinner in Fourways, Johannesburg on Thursday October 25, 2018. From the 189 entries from 53 different companies, the judges compiled a list of more than 60 finalists, from which 18 winners had to be chosen. REGULARS 2 Comment: Artisan training and German cultural values 4 On the cover: The tkIS Training Academy: towards transferable skills Chris Bouwer and Willie Potgieter talk about the new tkIS Technical Training Academy at thyssenkrupp’s Chloorkop Service Centre. 6 SAIChE News: Water scarcity: responding to SA’s Master Plan 34 Product and industry news 40 Back page: Nitric acid-free pickling of stainless steel

Front cover: thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions Contact: Kgothatso Ntsie +27 11 236 1128, info.tkissa@thyssenkrupp.com www.thyssenkrupp-industrial- solutions.co.za.

November 2018 • MechChem Africa ¦ 1

Artisan training and German cultural values

O n November 8, 2018, in the presence of our education minister, Naledi Pandor; German ambassador, Martin Schäfer; deputy chief of the South African Navy, Rear Admiral DG Jamieson; deputy director of the Namibian ministry of mines and energy, Daniel Zaire; and several more dignitaries, thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions (tkIS) sub-SaharanAfricaopenedanewtech- nical trainingacademyat itsChloorkopServiceCentre. “Today is a big moment for us, we invested almost R30-million in our tkIS Training Academy and more than three years of time in the planning – andwe have been building this structure for the past 12-months,” saidPhilippNellessen, CEOof tkIS sub-SaharanAfrica. Why? “Our success is largely based on the excep- tional skills of our people; we need good people to be able to deliver good work. We also see a large pool of untapped potential and talent directly around us and wewant to establish an infrastructure to help develop this talent.” From the Department of Education’s perspective, Naledi Pandor said shewould like to see the TVET col- leges expand the provision of mid-level technical and occupational qualifications. “Governmentwantsmore youngpeople toattainskills andcompetencies thatwill help them find jobs or create their own enterprises.” Pandor described the partnership between TVET colleges and the thyssenkrupp Technical Training Academyas“mostencouraging”,whilecitingtherecent launch by her department of an initiative called the ‘Centres of Specialisation Programme’ that focuses on 13 trade occupations at 26 TVET colleges. “This initiative is designed to address the growing demand for the skills needed inour current state infrastructure build,” she revealed. “The Programme is part of a plan to build an ex- panded, effective and integrated post-school educa- tion systemthat is anchoredby theTVET colleges, and whichadequatelyprepares students for theworkplace or self-employment,” she continued, adding that itwas “deliberately structured in such a way that students will develop andmaintain close working relationships with employers in their areas of study, through equally close partnerships between colleges and employers”. Taking over the podium, Marcel Fasswald, Group CEO of tkIS said: “We attach importance to training young talent from around the world to meet high international standards and to make important con- tributions to the further development of their national economies…Young talent in Africa is the future of the continent and a major untapped resource”. ThroughthethyssenkruppTechnicalApprenticeship

Peter Middleton

Programme, our GraduateDevelopment Programme, our Commercial Advancement Training Scheme and variousinternships,FasswaldinformedusthattkIShad been supporting South Africa’s Sector Education and TrainingAuthority (SETA) programmes for eight years. “And it’s a similar situation with regard to our in- volvement in ‘Afrikakommt!’ – ‘Africa’s time is now!’ –a German industry initiative for young executives from sub-Saharan Africa,” he said. The tkIS apprenticeship programme is oriented to both South African standards and the ‘dual vocational training system’ that has been practiced successfully in Germany for many years. “If you want to learn a profession in Germany, it is highly likely you will go through thedual vocational training system. It is aimed at preparing apprentices in the best possible way for all areas and challenges of the subsequent job and helping them start work with as much knowledge and experience as possible–both theoretical andpractical. “Although the numbers of students at universities have been rising for years, the dual vocational training system remains incredibly important and is the step between school and starting work for around half of all young Germans,” he said. In an off script moment from his prepared speech, Fasswald invitedNaledi Pandor and the SouthAfrican nation to adopt an element of German cultural values. “InGermany”, he said, “artisanswith practical skills are highly respected as valuable contributors to society. There is nothing second rate about being a blue-collar worker.” If this attitude towards the practical trades could be adopted here, skills shortages could quickly be overcome. “And that’s where our new Technical Training Academy in Chloorkop comes in. Initially we will enable practical and theoretical training in technical professions for 30 to 35women andmen. But we have much more ambitious plans: We want to increase the number of apprentices to120by2021, providing train- ing beyond our own needs. thyssenkrupp sees it as its duty and responsibility to make a general investment in South Africa’s young talent. “For companies like us who are pursuing strong growth on the African continent in the coming years, this Academy is an outstanding opportunity to estab- lish and expand a network of young talent and raise our profile as an attractive employer in Africa. The morewe invest in training young Africans, the quicker they will be able to change the face of the continent,” Fasswald concluded. Hear, hear!

MechChem Africa is endorsed by:

2 ¦ MechChem Africa • November 2018

The tkIS Training Academy: towards

On November 8, 2018 thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions (tkIS) officially opened its Training Academy on the site of its Chlookop Service Centre. MechChem Africa talks to training manager Chris Bouwer and the manager of the newly implemented apprentice programme, Willie Potgieter.

During their first year, apprentices practice the manual skills of their trade: measuring, marking, sawing, filing and drilling.

S tanding upstairs in the customer trainingareaChrisBouwer notes that when thyssenkrupp customers come to The Academy for training on their operational equipment, they will have a clear view of apprentices below going about their daily business. On the left, he points out the basic training areawhere thefirst year apprentices practice the manual skills of their trade: measuring, marking, sawing, filing and drilling. “The right hand side of the workshop below is the conventionalmachining section.Wehaveone small lathe and a small milling machine that is dedicated to training, but most machines are being used by second and third year ap- prentices, under the guidance of our full time Journeyman, Jose dos Santos – and they do production work for the Service Centre. “We believe in starting to transfer skills very early. Jose is the specialist artisan in this area and he is physically helping the ap- prentices to do work directly related to the needs of the ServiceCentre,” Bouwer reveals. “By successfully completing real production work, apprentices are forced to followproper procedures to get the exact results required. You will see Jose constantly checking to see that they are reading the drawings correctly, choosing the correct tools, tool cutting angles and cutting speeds and then precisely set- ting up the machine’s reference points and measurement axes. “So one skilled Journeyman is busy trans- ferring his skills to 10 apprentices who have already been here for a year,” he tells MechChem Africa . In the far corner of workshop there is a CNC machining area with four machines

– “and in the production area we have two CNC machines with 100 t bed capacities,” Bouwer adds. “In their third year, apprentices will spend some months on the CNC machines to de- velop additional skills, but they will come back to the conventional lathes and milling machines just before the trade test, because it is their conventional machining skills they will be tested on,” says Bouwer. Relating his past experience of taking on partly trained apprentices, he says that the most recently qualified apprentices began their training before the global merger of tkIS into one company. “When I arrived at the company, this group had to be completely retrained. They had simply not had anymean- ingful practical experience and so the basic skills were missing. “On discussing their previous college- based training, we were told that the train- ing officer would demonstrate the working of equipment, but apprentices themselves never got the opportunity to develop their skills as their group was too large to afford them individual time on the machines. They were never given access to the conventional machines to develop their own abilities into skills. As a skills training methodology, this is completely ineffective. Apprentices can only develop a skill if they are allowed to practise, make mistakes under supervision, and retry until they get it right. Practisemakes perfect!” Bouwer believes. This group became the test group for the development of a more effective artisan- training programme that would develop genuinely transferable skills. “We sent them all back to theCTC (Colliery TrainingCollege)

in Emalahleni (Witbank) – which we believe is one of the best skills training centres – for a six-week refresher course. Then they were here for a year doing hands-on work, before going back to CTC for artisan train- ing. And while we had to spend a lot more time on them, all but two students eventu- ally qualified successfully, which reinforces our work-focused approached,” he tells MechChem Africa . Fully aligned with the Mechanical Fitter and Machinist trades as defined by Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) and the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO), tkIS has adopted a full 36-month apprenticeship programme consisting of skills training for the first 12 months followed by a move towards increas- ingly complex Service Centre work. “After the three years, apprentices take the Red Seal trade test at a reputable testing centre such as the Artisan Training Institute (ATI) in Roodepoort or at CTC. By that time we can be sure they are shaped to become properly skilled artisans,” continues Potgieter. While tkIS has several apprentices cur- rently advancing through the process, 16 new apprentices were taken on in October, eight onMechanical Fitter and eight onMetal Machinist (milling and turning) apprentice- ships. “Eventually we hope that some of the Mechanical Fitters will become Mechanical and Electrical Fitters or Millwrights, but this will take at least an additional year to fully satisfy the electrical requirements of the pro- gramme,” he adds. Describing the selection process Potgieter says that the new intake was first invited to submit CVs with a minimum entry

4 ¦ MechChem Africa • November 2018

⎪ Cover story ⎪

transferable skills

Above: 16 new apprentices were taken on in October, eight on Mechanical Fitter and eight on Metal Machinist (milling and turning) apprenticeships. Left: “Apprentices can only develop a skill if they are allowed to practise, make mistakes under supervision and retry until they get it right. Practise makes perfect!” Bouwer believes.

criteria of grade 12 with maths and science or N3 with maths and science. Those that met all the criteriawere put through aDover battery test to determine their aptitudewith regards to themechanical trades. The top 30 students were invited to participate in a six- weeks evaluation and selection programme. “It is critical to select people with the practi- cal potential and aptitude to function in the workshop environment,” Potgieter explains. “As we are a German company, once we get QCTO accreditation, we aim to couple the apprenticeship with the German quali- fications,” Bouwer continues. “Through TUV, our apprentices will receive an additional Germanequivalentqualification–andthetwo curricula have already been aligned,” he says. “We are using the standardGermanwork- pieces, which are more complex and better represent real work requirements than those typically used here. We have also adopted a project from the Brazilian programme: every apprenticewill be required tobuild a30-com- ponentmodel of amanually operated cement mixer that is fabricated frompartsbuilt during every stage of the programme, from basic to advanced levels,” says Potgieter. From a work related practical perspec- tive, Bouwer notes a host of typical products manufacturedby the thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions ServiceCentre inChloorkop: “Over there is a bogey wheel for the stackers we have sold to one of our mining customers,”

he points out. “We are locally manufacturing all the bogies for the stackers sold to this company. “And while we have long been doing manufacturing and refurbishment work for our HPGR (high pressure grind roll) crushers here: disassembling and remanufacturing the studded grind rollers, for example, themate- rials handling side of the business is relatively new to us. With the merger, though, localisa- tionhas increased significantlyanda lot of the parts that used to be imported fromoverseas service providers andmanufacturers are now manufactured at this service centre,” he says He cites slipper pads for the verybig grind- ing mills as an example. “These are actually white metal bearing pads that run on an oil film. An oil port in the centre of the pad forces oil into and between the pad and the rotating mill bearing surfaces. Under pressure, the oil lifts themill andcreates afilmof oil overwhich the mill can rotate,” Bouwer explains, adding that learning howtomill highly accurate com- ponents such as these gives Metal Machinist apprentices the necessary skills needed for long and fruitful careers. In addition to apprenticeship training, the thyssenkrupp Training Academy also of- fers customer training on best maintenance and repair practises for all of its equipment: stackers, reclaimers and drum reclaimer, HPGRs, conveyors, crushers, ship loaders and much more.

“We have established a schedule of cours- es across the year, each specific to amachine, whichhelpsmaintenanceprofessionals toop- timise site operations that use thyssenkrupp equipment,” says Bouwer. Generally limited to four to five days, as soon as possible after the training customers are taken onsite to unpack the knowledge gained and to make it real. “We strive to help operators and maintenance personnel to un- derstand changeout andmaintenance proce- dures and to develop a feel for the diagnostic side. You will be amazed at how much a walk around our equipment with a specialist can reveal about how well or badly maintenance practices are being applied,” he notes. “This new training academy strives to offer good quality training that results in transferable skills. We want to make 100% sure that when an artisan or customer leaves one of our courses or apprenticeships, they take with them the essential skills needed for their trade. “For people to become artisans, theymust start with a natural feel for mechanics. But most critically, they need knowledge and real work experience so they can develop the transferable skills that are desperately needed on all of our industrial sites. “By teaching themhowtouse their natural talent properly, they will develop skills sets that can be used for a lifetime on a host of different applications,” Bouwer concludes. q

November 2018 • MechChem Africa ¦ 5

In the light of the recently published National Water and Sanitation Master Plan (NWSMP), Aveng Water process engineer, Andrew Hammond, presents a holistic view of South Africa’s water challenges and highlights the need for innovative solutions and a committed response from us all. Water scarcity: responding to SA’s Master Plan

W ater is an essential life giving source and forms part of our daily value chain through a multitude of economic ac- tivities from agriculture and mining to the domestic supply through the municipalities. Poor quality of water resources result in adverse health effects, which impact on the social welfare of people and their ability to be economically active. Poor management or the lack of water resources adversely affect all aspects of economic activity. It stands to reason that in a water scarce environment, consumers will be willing to pay substantially more to meet their needs. However, in such an environment, indigent portions of the population cannot afford higher prices, bringing a social responsibility aspect into the equation when determining tariffs for this valuable resource. South Africa is considered a semi-arid country, with average annual rainfall lower than the global average. The recently pub- lished ‘National Water and Sanitation Master Plan (NWSMP)’ published by theDepartment of Water and Sanitation earlier this year, showsthatwithoutdemandmanagementand augmentation interventions, South Africa

will face a country wide deficit of 3.6-billion m 3 per annum by 2030. Bridging this gap is likely to take considerable investment over and above the investment required by the department to maintain the current infra- structure. The department has indicated that additional capital investment – above that already supplied by the fiscus – of R33- billion per year will be needed over the next 10years, witha total capital spendof approxi- mately R900-billion required to address the water infrastructure shortfall. In a constrained fiscal environment, this shortfall will need to be raised in the financial markets, for which financial stability of the water utilities as well as themacro-economic environment will be required. TheWED-OECDreportof2015notesthat only a fraction of the worldwide investments by financial institutions are being targeted at sectors and regions that advance sustainable development. In many regions of the world, the tariff imposed on the consumer is not suf- ficient to recover the cost of treatment. The typical tariff structure inmany countries, as is the case in SA, follows a block pricing model, were consumers pay a certain block rate for a specified quantity of water, thereafter, the

tariff increases as the consumption increases. Since the tariff structure is consumption driven, inperiods of drought, when supplyhas tobe sharply reduced, the revenue generated by the utility drops dramatically. This creates an untenable situation for thewater provider as the required fixed costs of supplying the water remain. The financial considerations of the utility aside, no availability dramatically impacts everybody within the value chain. South Africa is heading towards a large countrywide supply/demand deficit, which already exists in areas such as Cape Town and parts of the Eastern Cape. Demand management There are two ways one can view the supply and demand relationship, the first being to increase the supply of water through uncon- ventional sources. Alternatively, one could fo- cus on demand and catchment management. The NWSMP notes that current annual water losses within the reticulation system amount to 1.45-billion m 3 or 36% of the total production. Lost revenue is estimated to amount to R6-billion. With assistance from the WEF, Government is implementing a ‘No

The Middelburg Water Reclamation Project (MRWP), developed by Aveng Water on an EPCM contract, is a 20 M ℓ /d mine-impacted water (MIW) treatment plant that produces 7.3-million m 3 of potable water per annum. Photo: Aveng Water.

6 ¦ MechChem Africa • November 2018

⎪ SAIChE IChemE news ⎪

Drop Programme’ to monitor and intervene to limit these losses. The South African average daily water consumption per capita in urban areaswithin South Africa stands at 267 ℓ /c/d, which is substantially higher than the global average of 180 ℓ /c/d. According to theNWSMP, just by reducing consumption patterns of domestic urban consumers to that of the international average, domestic demand could be reduced by about 1 467-million m 3 per annum. Agriculture is by far the largest consumer of water in South Africa, contributing 61% to total consumption. Even a small reduction in this consumption through water wise inter- ventions such as drip irrigation could have a major impact on overall consumption. Alternate water resources SouthAfrica’s national water supplypredomi- natelycomesfromsurfacewatersourcessuch asdamsandriversthat,whennotpolluted,are sources of good quality water that requires minimal treatment. However, once those sources are exhausted, alternate sources, which requiremore extensive treatment, will need to be added to the water mix. Ground water, mine-impacted waters (MIW) and seawater present viable additional resources to augment supply. The treatment for groundwater generally only requires the removal of a few ground- water contaminants such as iron and manga- nese.Mine-impactedwaters (MIW) however, havewildly varyingwater qualities that differ from location to location and directly affect the operating cost of treatment, which can vary between R5 and R15/m 3 produced. The technology exists to treat these waters and produce a product that complies with the requisite drinking water standard. There are nominally six mine-impacted water plants of different capacities in the Mpumulanga coal belt that have an installed capacity of 40-mil- lion m 3 per annum. Eachoftheseplantsutilisereverseosmosis (RO)membrane technology as theworkhorse for producing the water quality required. In addition to theMpumalanga plants, there are three neutralisation plants built around the Witwatersrand area that have a capacity of about 200M ℓ /day. Theseplants partially treat the MIW decant from defunct underground workings and thereareplans todesalinate the effluent further toaugment thepotablewater supply to the Johannesburg region. Seawater desalination has received no- table attention during the recent crisis that grippedCapeTownCity anda fewsmallmem- branedesalinationplantswere installed toas- sistwith supply.Membranedesalination is the worldwide workhorse process for seawater and is still the most cost-effective treatment solution. The negatives around desalination

The Erongo Desalination plant in the Erongo Region of Namibia is the largest seawater desalination plant in Southern Africa with a design capacity of 20-million m 3 per annum. Photo: Aveng Water.

ment is around R10/m 3 produced. In general terms, water reuse refers to the reclamation of municipal wastewater for use in agriculture and industry – as is the case in Singapore– or directly for potable water – as is the case in Goreangap inWindhoek. As with mine water treatment, the tech- nology is available for large-scale treatment of treatedwastewater. In general, most tech- nologies focus around the use of membrane filtration technology, ultrafiltration and re- verse osmosis, in combinationwith advanced oxidation processes such as Ozone or UV disinfection. These combination processes can remove pathogens as well as micro pol- lutants such as endocrines. The key challenges for the large-scale introduction of water reuse – outside of fiscal constraints – are the stigma associated with drinking reclaimed waters; the complexity of the treatment; and the required level of monitoring, which is substantially higher than that for conventional municipal water and wastewater treatment plants. Closing remarks South Africa is certain to have water short- ages in the future and there exist challenges in terms of capital resourcing, demand man- agement and available supply. None of these challenges, however, are insurmountable. The capital and the technology is available if the projects can be made bankable and the bottlenecks in the system can be alleviated. Innovative solutions are likely to be re- quired: fromdomesticusers, industry, govern- ment and financial professionals, however. What is clear is that the impacts of awater deficit on the indigent, the economy and the country have to be avoided. Government has laid out the challenges in the NWSMP: it remains the responsibility of all of us to respond. q

focus on the capital cost of implementation, running costs and the belief that when scar- city diminishes, theplantswill be superfluous. While some of these concerns are valid, solutions need to be looked at within the context of the area of supply. In the Western Cape,theareaisalreadywaterdeficient,there is substantial urbanisation and it is currently the third largest contributor to South Africa’s GDP.Withwaterbeingsoessentialinthevalue chain, the lack of sustainable supply directly impacts economic growth of the region. The viability of seawater desalination for a coastal region shouldbe seen in the context of long-term planning and not a response to an emergency situation. To receive the benefits of seawater desalination plants, they must operate as part of the base loadwater supply. The overall cost of seawater desalination has decreased in recent times. If one looks at a 20-year payback for a 100 M ℓ /day facility, the operating costs of such a facility are now about R10/m 3 produced, with capital repay- ment costs in the region of R5 to R10 per m 3 produced. The latter canbe substantially reducedde- pending on the level of grants received for the project and, if the selectionof thedesalination site is done wisely, the water produced from these plants can be targeted to supply higher paying customers in industry, which would reducethedemandonconventionalupstream resources for other users. This approach also ensures security-of-supply independent of climate change or cyclical rainfall patterns. Water reuse Water reuse is becoming an essential com- ponent of the water mix within South Africa and throughout the world. It allows sustain- able use of the resource and can be done at a reduced cost when compared to membrane desalination.Theestimatedtotalcostoftreat-

November 2018 • MechChem Africa ¦ 7

On November 1, 2018, Marthinusen & Coutts unveiled a new 140 t lathe at its 14 000 m 2 Power Generation facility in Benoni. MechChemAfrica attends and talks to Mike Chamberlain, the business’ marketing executive. One-stop drive-train services and partnerships

M arthinusen & Coutts (M&C), a division of ACTOM (Pty) Ltd, started out as a motor rewind- ing company andhas generated considerable expertise and a large number of successful references over the years. Its origi- nal site in Cleveland, Johannesburg, remains the head office and its centre for rewinding excellence, while the design team and most of its expensive electrical testing equipment still resides in Benoni. The repositioning of M&C began about 12 years ago when the company found itself in a shrinkingmarket.“IthadlongheldtheNumber 1 position with respect to repairing electric motors, but that was not helping it to grow. “Basedonourhistoricalmissiontoimprove our customers’ businesses by understanding their needs and providing best possible solu- tions, weundertookanexpansionprogramme that consisted of a geographic expansion alongwithmovesintopowergeneration,large machines and onsite maintenance projects,” explains Chamberlain. “This has all helped us to re-establish growth in South Africa and north of our borders. “We bought this 14 000 m² site in Benoni about seven years ago, specifically to help us service large motors and generators for the power generation sector,” Chamberlain continues.

“Also, about four years ago, we acquired a mechanicalcompany,nowcalledActomTurbo Machines, which allowed us to upgrade our offering to include the mechanical machines and components of a drive-train: turbines, compressors, gearboxes, and all of the associ- ated alignment, installation andmaintenance services,” he adds. “Along with our industry leading motor rewinding service, this hasmadeMarthinusen &Coutts able to offer a one-stop solution for the entire drive-train of large machines and power generation systems,”Chamberlain tells MechChem Africa . Inaddition,M&Chasexpandeditselectrical offering to include transformers, switchgear and motor control centres (MCCs), which enable installations and services that include every aspect of powering the drive train, from the incoming electricity supply to the output drive-shaft or from steam or gas turbines and connected generators, through transformers tocreatetheoutgoingelectricalpowerneeded. “We are now striving to be recognised as the first choice service partner for all elec- trical and mechanical rotating equipment,” says Chamberlain. “We offer the full suite of drive-train maintenance services, which we can do from one of our seven facilities – four across South Africa and one each in Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe – or through agents

with workshops across Africa,” he notes. Also, M&C has become a specialist in on- site repair and refurbishment projects. “We have always had to carry out the very bigmo- tor rewinds onsite. We will build the coils at oneofourworkshopsorimportthemandthen ship themwith the insulation in a container to site. Now all of the actual re-installation and rewiring of the stator coils and the refitting is done onsite. “We did some rewinding for the Ingula Hydro Power Station this way: a complete ro- torpolerefurbishmentandstatorrewindofthe 373MVA,14polereversiblemotor-generator. Everyreplacementcoilsetwasfitted,connect- ed and brazed onsite from pre-manufactured and pre-packed components supplied by the OEM,” he informs MechChemAfrica . Describing the use of the new 140 t lathe in Benoni, he says that with a 3.2 m swing diameter, the new machine can be used to machine rotors weighing up to 40 t between centres. “A typical refurbishment of a large motor or generator will involve weld overlay cladding of the worn bearing surfaces fol- lowed by precision machining. The length between centresmakes this a difficult task as we need tomake sure that the journals run in precise alignment with each other along the full length of the axis, which can be several meters,” Chamberlain explains.

Marthinusen & Coutts’ new 140 t lathe at its 14 000 m 2 Power Generation facility in Benoni.

8 ¦ MechChem Africa • November 2018

⎪ Maintenance and asset management ⎪

“Micron tolerances are required to ensure that the rotor spins precisely true inside the stator of the motor or generator,” he adds. In the past, large rotor machining had to be outsourced to facilities such as Eskom’s Rotek, which is one of the few facilities in Africawithmachining capabilities of this size. “This machine now gives us another in-house capability, which we hope will steer more of the work that goes to overseas OEMs our way,” says Chamberlain. As a result of its partnershipwithNational Electric Coil, a world leader in generator sta- tor winding manufacture, Chamberlain says M&Ccannowconduct precisionmachiningon almostanysizeofgeneratorandguaranteethe end result will be as good as that from any of the OEMs. “We also offer a local service built around the awareness of our capabilities and the specific needs of clients. “Localisation gives us a competitive edge in terms of turnaround times, responsiveness and price – all without having to compromise on quality – and we are better than anyone in Africa on these issues. We offer the same warranty as any OEM and our refurbished machines have proved to last – typically 20 years for the larger machines,” Chamberlain assures MechChem Africa . In many cases, M&C can also reverse en- gineer an OEM motor to overcome inherent design issues, improving the original design for better reliability and performance. “We are currently near the end of a programme to rewind all the 36 MW motors that drive the compressors at Sasol’s oxygen plant. “After having run for 20 years, arcing on the rotor bars was found to have occurred due to expansion and contraction issues. We wereable todesignout theproblembyadding anexpansion joint and replacing the electrical connection from a dovetail joint to a brazed joint, which reduces electrical resistance and heat generation. We have now rewound and modified seven of thesemotors and have one or two more to do. “We have an excellent design team with many years of experience they can apply to improve the performance, reliability and ef- • In Panama, M&C won the contract to re- wind two150MWSkodaDoosan turbines and Siemens generators through its rela- tionshipwith FirstQuantum, whileActom Turbo Machines did the full centreline installation of the steam turbine genera- tor sets for the supply of power to a mine 450 km from Panama City. • The installation of the largest motors in the world for gearless mill drives. M&C has completed six of these for Zambia, and seven for Panama. These machined items are up to 30 m in diameter. ficiency of older OEM equipment. Other notable successes include:

Marthinusen & Coutts divisional CEO Richard Botton and senior artisan Shepherd Chigwa inspecting the 60 MW generator stator at Kelvin Power Station prior to repair.

Andrew Step, final year apprentice fitter and turner and qualified armature winder, Ricardo Bernardes, lower a refurbished field coil for Ingula onto its pole body using a custom rigging tool that applies even pressure along the coil surface.

• Kelvin Power Station, where M&C takes full responsibility for bothmechanical and electrical reliability. “This has been very successful for us. There are six 60 MW machines at Kelvin and right now they have five machines running continuously compared toonly twobeforewe tookover the maintenance,” says Chamberlain. • NamPower Van Eck Power Station in Namibia,wherefour30MWturbineswere refurbished. • For Gold Fields South Deep Twin Shafts, an Alstom 6 063 kW, 47 rev/min 1 470 V squirrel cage induction winder motor was refurbished. “From a life extension point of view, old mine winders, for example, can be refurbished and moved to a brand new mine or shaft for around 10%of the cost of a new installation – and newmodern controls and drives can also be included. In the current climate, investing in solutions such as these just makes sense,” Chamberlain argues. What makes M&C different? “Today, Marthinusen & Coutts is the largest repairer of electrical rotating machines in Africa. We havemachine shops equippedwith the latest

CNC lathes, full load test facilities for HV, LV andDCmotors and a 32 t balancingmachine; we offer a choice of four insulation systems and three VPI systems; we have redesign and re-engineering capabilities; and we offer 24-hour field site service support and on site diagnostics using Elcid, PD, TVA and Flux probe technologies.We also strive to partner with our customers on continuous improve- ments programmes,” he says. We cannowoffer single supplier responsi- bility and OEMpartnerships for total system care. In addition, our field services value add includes: • On site installations, repairs and refurbish- ment contracts. • Emergency breakdowns. • Planned periodic maintenance. • Level based maintenance. • In-house and on site training. “Our all round capability is stronger than ever. With our combined electrical and me- chanical capabilities and our increased rotor machining capacity, we can now offer better turnkey engineered services for the drive- trains on large machines than ever before,” Chamberlain concludes. q

November 2018 • MechChem Africa ¦ 9

According Floris Timmers, regional business line manager for Epiroc’s Mining & Rock Excavation Services, two factors differentiate Epiroc’s after-market service: its remanufacturing capabilities and its innovative after-market triad, a combination that takes Epiroc to a whole new level in the after-market space. Taking after-market service to the next level

“ W hen customers invest in our products they do so with peace of mind, rest- ing assured in the knowl- edge that they can count on the support of a competent team throughout their product’s life cycle – this is Epiroc after-market,” says Floris Timmers, regional business line man- ager for MRS. Epiroc’s after-market division is respon- sible for all capital ranges across all divisions, covering 11product lines including rock drills androtationunits throughtodrilling(pitviper, FlexiROC, SmartROC) and mining machines (Simba, Scooptram, Boomer). The extensive after-market solution, which comprises specialist tooling and tool kits, after-sales service, rebuild, technology, telematics, and training, is delivered to customers and end- users in South Africa as well as directly into neighbouring countries. Timmers notes two factors that differ- entiate Epiroc’s after-market service: their remanufacturing capabilities and their in-

novative after-market triad, a combination, he says, that takes Epiroc to a whole new level in the after-market space. “We do full machine remanufacture back to full life in accordance with OEM specifications at our Jet Park facility in Gauteng. As the machines and parts are rebuilt back to new, we offer warrantiesonourworkmanshipandpremium OEMparts just as those customerswould get when buying brand new machines,” he says. The after-market triad comprises stock holding, competent technicians and special- ised tooling. “Our three-pronged approach is geared to ensure that customers and end-users get the maximum service out of their machines and equipment,” continues Timmers, adding: “We put all this into a highly competitive package for our customers.” Stock holding, the first of this triad value package, is directly linked to building cus- tomer relationships. “This is a big part of after-market because we must be familiar with customers’ businesses and their exact requirements toenableus toknowwhat stock

Remanufacturing capabilities differentiate Epiroc after-market service. as well as what quantities to carry. Going be- yond that, we must get the parts out quickly tomaximiseuptimeforincreasedproductivity and ultimately profitability for customers.” Timmers adds that customers donot have the hassle of finding storage space and don’t pay for stock lying on the shelves. “They only pay for stock when they need the stock.” Next in Epiroc’s after-market triad is the team’s highly skilled technicians, who deliver expert, round-the-clock support. Timmers explains that the technicians receive regular training to stay up-to-date on all products, which arms themwith the necessary mainte- nance, service and repair expertise. Completing the triad is specialised tooling designed by Epiroc. “No matter how good the product or how qualified the technicians, the use of correct tooling when servicing or repairing equipment is just as essential in ensuring optimum and reliable machine performance.” Not all customersmake use of Epiroc’s full after-market offering, whichTimmers admits presents a challenge. “Customers who only buy parts from us don’t know when service is required on their machines or equipment. Our package removes the headache in the after-sales service space and we strongly encourage customers to make use of our service contract: it is an investment that deliv- ers significant savings over the lifespan of the equipment,” he advises. “In our endeavour to assist customers to extend the service life of their capital equip- ment and to keep operational costs as low as possible, we recently introduced CERTIQ.”

At the centre of Epiroc’s after-market triad is a team of highly skilled technicians, who deliver expert, round- the-clock support.

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⎪ Maintenance and asset management ⎪

customers can remotely log into their fleet to see if the machines are productive, if they are running or drilling, how many metres down they have drilled as well as their fuel consumption. CERTIQ also checks machine health and alerts the customer if there is a problemwith themachine suchas overheating, for example, and whether the operator has switched the machine off. “CERTIQbasically extends what theoperator is seeing,” notes Timmers, adding that it is currently available on all new Epiroc product lines – limited to specificmodels –but it can also be retrofitted, requiring a simple fitment of hardwareon themachine. “CERTIQ is an extension of our after-market service offering and definitely provides cost-saving benefits to those customers who are using our complete service package.” As no service is complete without train- ing, it is an area that receives a lot of atten- tion from Epiroc. “We regard training as a value-adding product for our customers. Appropriate training ensures the correct use of themachine, whichwill deliver long life for lowest overall total cost of ownership and rapid return on investment.” Timmers explains thatmost of the training is done at the customer’s site in South Africa and in neighbouring territories, by 14 highly trained professionals all with different fields

Epiroc’s after-market division is responsible for all capital ranges across all divisions, covering 11 product lines. of expertise. These trainers, together with Epiroctechnicians,receivetraininglocallyand overseas from Swedish experts. q

Timmers explains that this web-based solu- tion remotely monitors machine activity, providing insight into operator activities and productivity as well as information on the condition of the machine. Using a mobile device – cell phone, laptop, tablet or i-PAD –

November 2018 • MechChem Africa ¦ 11

SKF has announced the introduction of its LRM2 lubrication remote monitor. Compatible with oil or grease, the monitor is designed for use with lubrication systems that cannot be checked daily due to the nature or position of the application. The company’s key accounts manager for commercial vehicles, Ettienne Schoeman, talks about this and other novel lubrication solutions from SKF in partnership with Lincoln Lubrication Solutions. Remote monitors and novel lubrication solutions

S KF’s new LRM2 lubrication monitor can be used on single-line, dual-line and progressive lubrication systems and can communicatewith a pump or group of pumps on a systemof the same type. Themonitor utilises a SIMcard such as those found in cell phones to send and receive text messages via iOS or android mobile devices or via e-mail to a computer. Featuring two digital inputs and outputs, the LRM2 sends both low-level and faultmes- sages. The monitor can be used to start an additional lubrication cycle and can be reset simply by sending a message from a mobile

at a time on the production line for heavy- duty vehicle trailer axles was causing the manufacturer severe delays. In addition to the impact on customer delivery times, the existing lubrication system for this single component was proving to be very expensive both in terms of time andmoney as it was not dispensing the correct amount of lubricant at one time; the systemwas either over lubricat- ingandwasting lubricant or under lubricating, which required the process to be repeated. The innovative lubrication system deliv- eredbySKFandLincolnLubricationallowsfor eight bearings tobepre-lubricated simultane- ously. “Our solution enabled our customer to run its bearing pre-lubricant line eight times

ing savings for SKF’s customer. Importantly, the significant increase inproduction timehas led to vastly improved delivery times for the manufacturer. Inaddition, the correct amount of lubricant is now being dispensed per bear- ing, significantly reducing lubrication costs. According to Schoeman the customer reports total satisfactionwith the systemand is now looking for special lubricating systems to fit onto its new trailers, which Lincoln Lubrication is also able to supply. “The success of this lubrication system, the first to be supplied by SKF and Lincoln Lubrication, has strengthened our relation- shipwith our customer,” says Schoeman. “We are extremely proud of this solution, which is in perfect alignmentwith our relentless focus on providing product and service solutions thatcontributetoourcustomers’productivity and profitability,” he concludes. Combining more than 100 years of SKF and Lincoln expertise, SKF offers the indus- try’s most complete portfolio of innovative lubrication solutions – from manual lu- bricators and tools, to themost advanced centralised and automatic lubrication systems. SKF is represented in more than 130 countries and has around 17 000 distributor locations worldwide. Annual sales in 2017 were SEK 77 938 million and the number of employees was 45 678. q

SKF LRM2 lubrication remote monitor is compatible with oil or grease and can be used on single, dual-line and progressive lubrication systems.

device or computer. In addition, no special software is required as system information can be accessed using a web browser. The LRM2 is suitable for wind energy, railroad wayside, cable car and wastewater treatment applications, amongst others. Also, the LRM2 module is available without an en- closureforapplicationsthatrequiremounting in an existing control box. A seamless bearing lubrication solution from SKF, in partnership with Lincoln Lubrication SouthAfrica, has helped to significantly speed up the production line for a key OEM cus- tomer and leading local trailer manufacturer and supplier. The ability to lubricate only one bearing Innovative lubrication system eight times faster

SKF has also recently introduced its Lincoln

Lubrication pinion LP2 for efficiently lubricating open gear wheels and gear racks.

faster,” says Ettienne Schoeman. The ground-breaking system is powered by a 180 kg St Louis 50:1 pneumatic grease pump, driving an SSV 8 Progressive distribu- tionblock,whichdelivers0.2gramsperoutlet, per cycle. These outlets are individually con- nected to each of the eight VKN 550 bearing holders, which lubricate the HM 518445 bearings. The system, implemented in April 2018, is already showing positive results and deliver-

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⎪ Maintenance and asset management ⎪

Becker Mining South Africa’s stand at Electra Mining once again highlighted the company’s commitment to the highest standards in quality and safety. Communication, automation and energy distribution solutions

B ecker Mining’s extensive product portfolio, which complies with the most stringent government min- ing regulations and mining house specifications, includes high-performance, fit-for-purpose communication and safety solutions for undergroundand surfacemining installations: LeakyFeeder,Wi-Fi, tagging and tracking, aswell as environmental monitoring proximity detection systems (PDSs). In addition to communications solutions, Becker also offers intrinsically safe (IS) and flameproof underground electrical reticula- tionproducts, aswell as fluid transfer, rigging, rope attachment, steel arch tunnel support and underground transportation systems. An important feature of all systems is they are designed to facilitate future upgrades. Becker Mining’s critical service encom- passes the design and manufacture of prod- ucts and systems, using the latest technolo- gies and advanced materials. Mine safety is significantly enhancedby the implementation

of one or a combination of Becker’s spe- cialised multi-technological solutions. On display at Electra Mining were communication and automation solu- tions, energy distribution systems, mechanical, electrical and electronic mining products, as well as transportation and roof support systems. Of special interest on the stand was the Becker Varis Smartsense ® atmospheric and environmental monitoring system, which forms an essential part of critical under- and above-ground communications and safety systems. The h i gh ac cu racy Becke r Va r i s Smartsense gas monitoring system has in- tegrated features for the detection of ambi- ent temperature, humidity and barometric pressure. Every device can monitor up to four different gases, including oxygen (O 2 ), methane (CH 4 ), carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen sulphide (H 2 S) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ).

Solutions on display at this year’s Becker Mining South Africa stand. An important advantage of the Becker Varis Smartsense SSFM-100 device over conventional monitoring systems is that all features are integrated into one compact in- strument. There is no need for complex cable connections, troublesome programming or difficult calibration. This system – which adheres to stringent local and international quality and safety regulations – is also certified for safe and reliable use in hazardous areas. The mining sector in Africa benefits from Becker Mining’s ongoing research and development programme, where close international ties guarantee the edge on product design, impeccable manufacturing standards, cost efficiency, safety and reli- ability of equipment. q

November 2018 • MechChem Africa ¦ 13