MechChem Africa October 2017

⎪ Products and industry news ⎪

No weak links in EKD energy chain

A shout to advances in hearing protection

Rugged, superior quality energy chain from electrical and mechanical equip- ment and energy supply systems special- ist, Powermite, provides reliable and cost-effective protection of cables and hoses for the seamless operationofmobile equipment. EKDKolibrienergychain,alsoknownas drag chain, is produced by a leading global energy chain manufacturer in Germany. “We have been supplying energy chain to the Southern African industry for more than three decades,” affirms Powermite marketing director, DonovanMarks. Especially engineered toprevent snags andprematurebreakdowns,theextremely wear-resistant and reliable EKD Kolibri energy chainhelps extend component life, reduces the need for spares and requires very little maintenance. Additionally, the chain can operate long-term in extreme temperatures ranging between -20 and +100 °C. “The consequences of these feats of engineering include substantially reduced operational costs and lowest total cost of ownership,” says Marks. “Unsurprisingly the energy chain has found wide accep- tance in sectors such as ports, harbours, materials handling, industrial and water treatment plants where the protection of cable, hose, or hydraulic supply on a fixed plane over a required distance, at a fixed or variable speed, is needed on equip- ment such as cranes, milling and boring machines.” The comprehensive EKD energy chain range includes galvanised steel, stainless BMG has extended its range of Eaton hydraulic components to now include Eaton’s advanced conveyor solutions, designed for safe and efficient electrical power management. “Under the terms of the new distri- bution agreement, which was signed in Johannesburg recently, BMG will now distribute Eaton’s complete conveyor protection and safety solutions across sub-Saharan Africa,” says Gavin Pelser, managing director, BMG, part of Invicta Holdings Limited. Pelser was recently ap- pointedCEOof InvictaHoldings Limited’s Engineering Solutions Group (ESG) busi- ness segment. “The addition of Eaton’s electrical power management solutions – which include conveyor safety switches and accessories – completes the conveyor sys-

Hearing protection is vital to prevent long-term, irrevers- ible hearing loss. However,

due to the fact that there are no immediate conse- quences, hearing protec- tion is often not taken seriously enough. MSAAfrica has addressed this problem by introducing the lat-

Wear-resistant and reliable EKD Kolibri energy chain helps extend component life, reduces the need for spares and requires very little maintenance. steel and carburised (hardened) steel. According to Marks, Powermite’s energy chain product portfolio also extends to a plastic range, consistingof self-extinguish- ing, ATEX, anti-static, steel-coated and robotic bi-directional chain. He adds that all the plastic chains are equipped with integrated connectors and thus require very few spare parts. Powermite supplies different types of EKD Kolibri energy chains to the African market, including: the one part link or flap-open link range; variousbending radii; as well as chain with separate end-con- nectors or links that can be used as end- connectors. The EKD Kolibri ranges from external sizes of 15×15 mm through to 65×225mm, while theEKDPKKrangecan handle external sizes up to 100×340 mm. Powermite, a division of Hudaco and ISO9001:2000 certified, was established in the late 1960s as a ‘one stop’ supplier of electrical crane materials and flexible cables to the localmarket. ItsAfrican foot- print spans approximately 15 countries outside South Africa, includingMauritius. www.powermite.co.za

est technology in hearing protection, namely its Left/RightWW(WirelessWorld) communication solutions. The solution is available in two product versions, bothwithBluetooth-enabled headsets. “Hearing protection is often under-consid- ered, when taking into account other forms of protection suchas respiratory andhead-and-face protection. There are no immediate effects asso- ciated with hearing loss, which occurs gradually over time. It is critical that end users understand the basics of hearing protection and what solu- tions are available,” says Tshepo Lebona, MSA’s Africa development sales manager. The ‘cut-off’ surrounding sound function on theMSALeft/RightWWDual versionmeans that surrounding sounds suchas voices and signals are reproduced inside the earmuff, with an adjust- able sound gain. This means end users are fully aware of their surroundings at all times, while being protected by passive attenuation. It also allows workers to communicate in noisy areas while keeping their hearing protection on, which improves safety and efficiency. “Hearing protection can now be connected to a smartphone or Bluetooth radio, meaning that incoming calls can be received even while working in noisy environments. Workers remain protectedwhileon the call, witha safe sound level inside theearmuff, as surroundingnoise isfiltered out by a high-performance microphone,” Lebona concludes. za.msasafety.com

BMG adds Eaton advanced conveyors

part of every process,” Pelser says. Through this partnership, the market has greater accessibility toEaton’sWinner brand of hose and hose fittings and com- plete conveyor solutions, which are avail- able from BMG’s distribution network of over 130 branches. Eaton’s rangeof conveyor solutions en- compasses safety switches, which include double and single ended conveyor trip switches, conveyor rip/torn switches and double-end slack rope switches, as well as belt alignment and belt trip switches. These components are used extensively in the mining industry, as well as other sectors, including aggregates, sugar and pulp and paper. www.bmgworld.net

temsrangesuppliedbyBMGandenhances the company’s comprehensive range of engineering solutions. “This also fits with BMG’s ‘Bolt-On’ strategy to offer customers the full basket of products and solutions, in line with our commitment of adding value and being Seydou Kane, managing director, Eaton (Africa) and Gavin Pelser, managing director, BMG, sign the partnership agreement for BMG to distribute Eaton’s advanced conveyor protection and safety solutions.

October 2017 • MechChem Africa ¦ 35