MechChem Africa September 2017

⎪ Products and industry news ⎪

SEW-EURODRIVE builds in East Africa

Property rights for the new development are imminent, following which a decision will be takenas to theexactmake-upof the newfacility. This is becauseSouthandEast Africa – including Tanzania, Kenya and 14 other countries –now fall under the ambit of the South African head office, “At present we are looking after 22 countries inAfrica fromthe SouthAfrican operation. Therefore the construction of the new facility will very much be in line with our expansion strategy for the continent. We will have to ensure that we are able to accommodate future growth in all of these markets. We are very con- fident about our prospects in Africa, and continue to do well in a lot of countries.” SEW-EURODRIVE’s new branch in Tanzania, staffed by 13 people and func- tioning as an independent subsidiary, looks after theDRC, Uganda, SouthSudan, Ethiopia, and Somalia, among others. “We have full technical back-up and service fa-

EastAfricarepresentsamajorgrowtharea for drive and automation technology spe- cialist, SEW-EURODRIVE, according the company’s South African MD, Raymond Obermeyer. “We have managed to se- cure a lot of business in Africa, and I see it contributing a large percentage of our turnover in the future.” SEW-EURODRIVE brand is well en- trenched in Africa, especially in diverse sectors such as mining and agriculture. In addition, the outward focus on expansion on the continent is necessary to counter the prevailing socio-economic climate in SouthAfrica. “That is the determining fac- tor.Weneedgrowth, political stability, and business confidence inorder toensure the continued sustainability of the business.” SEW-EURODRIVE remains fully com- mitted to South Africa, however, with the main Johannesburg manufacturing facility relocating to a new 50 000 m 2 site in an adjacent industrial business park.

SEW-EURODRIVE’s South African head office looks after 22 countries in Africa. cilities in support of themany projects we are involved with there, from road to rail and ports and harbours,”Obermeyer says. “While the investment for the new South African manufacturing facility is being providedby itsGermanparent com- pany, thenecessarybusiness decisions are allbeingmadelocally,”Obermeyerassures, adding that SouthAfrica itself is not being neglected, with the Port Elizabeth branch recently relocating to accommodate growth in the Eastern Cape market. www.sew.co.za

Compact, lightweight, self-retracting lanyard launched MSA Africa has launched its most compact and lightweight self-retracting lanyard to date. TheMSALatchways 3.0mPersonal Fall Limiter (PFL) has been designed specifically for environments where close anchorage is available. rotating attachment point allows for total flexibility, including 180° and360°. Precision engineering has resulted in a structurally reinforced pawl mechanism.

Latchways Personal Rescue Device (PRD), an integrated harness system, which is con- tained in a small backpack attached to a full-body harness and is designed to be used in conjunction with a fall protection sys- tem or anchor point.

The self-retracting lifeline (SRL) is housed inahighlydurablepolycarbonatecasingthatis transparenttoallowforeasyvisualinspection of critical internal components. All compo- nents have been manufactured from high- grade stainless steel and engineered plastics. The MSA Latchways PFL is supplied with a choice of steel or aluminium top carabiner, with a range of connectors to select from. These include a forged steel snaphook, an aluminiumor steel scaffold hook, or a forged steel swivel snaphook. The launch of the MSA Latchways PFL follows MSA Africa’s introduction of the

The secret behind the lanyard is the use of multiple spring radial energy-absorbing technology, believed tobe aworld-first. “The newdesign eliminates the need for an exter- nal energy absorber outside of the housing, resulting in this being themost compact PFL available on the market today,” says MSA’s NicolasAbry,businessdevelopmentmanager of Fall Protection. Suitable for a range of applications, the MSA Latchways PFL not only requires zero recalibration or adjustment, but a fully-

“There is a legal obligation to have a comprehensive rescue plan in place when individuals are working at height,” Abry stresses. Both the MSA Latchways PFL and PRD are exam- ples of the latest technology being introduced by MSA Africa into the localmarket toenhanceworker safe- ty,” he concludes. za.msasafety.com

September 2017 • MechChem Africa ¦ 39