MechChem Africa September 2018

⎪ Products and industry news ⎪

High-speed door solutions fromMaxiflex are cool!

service delivery,” adds Janssen. The high-speed doors incorporate the latest and most advanced control and safety systems to deliver reliable interior climate control, increased energy savings and improved productivity. For end-users this translates into lowest total costs of ownership and greater returns on investment. Featuring modern drive technology and MCS frequency converter controls, the doors can open and close at speeds of up to2.4m/s. These highoperating speeds combined with higher cycles (>100/hour) and excellent sealing capabilities allow for efficienttrafficflow,minimisetemperature variations and maximise energy savings. Thedoorsmust be installed in conjunc- tionwith an insulated ‘night door’ in order tomaintaintheextremecoldtemperatures during periods where there is minimal or no traffic and can be set on a timer to open automatically to minimise ice build-up on the curtain and side-guides and keep the door functioning properly. Additionally, heating cables in the side columns and motor also prevent ice formation. During the design of the high-speed doors, ASSA ABLOY paid attention to worker safety and reduced downtime and has incorporated ‘intelligent’ features into the doors. Designed with a soft bottom edge with no rigid parts, the doors can mould around any obstruction to prevent injury or damage. Moreover, when an ob- jecthitsthedoor,thefabriccurtainabsorbs the impact and releases itself fromits side- guides without causing damage or being damaged itself. The door can be equipped with different sized windows or full door width vision panels to increase admission of natural light and visibility to create a more comfortable working environment. Another intelligent feature of these long life-cycle doors is the breakaway and automatic repair system: the curtain reintroduces itself after a crash to reduce downtime and maintenance. In addition, a zip closure system and a flexible, auto- matic curtain eliminate the risk of work stoppages and minor collisions. Designed for both small and large openings, the high-speed doors are suited to a wide range of industries offering specific solutions for applications such as hygienic food and pharmaceuticals manufacturing, machine guarding and protection operations. Maxiflex’s KZN and Johannesburg teams were responsible for installing the twohigh-speeddoorsateachoftheMakro stores. www.maxiflex.co.za

High-speed roll-up doors from Maxiflex are helping to maintain constant temperatures inside the cold storage and refrigeration areas of Makro Riversands and Makro Springfield located in Gauteng and Kwazulu-Natal (KZN) respectively. “Makro Riversands is a brand new store that opened its doors at

In these climates, maintaining tempera- tures in refrigeration and cold storage environments canbe challenging. Product spoilage caused by large temperature variations can be extremely costly for end-users. The sustainable control of the interior climate of cold storage/refriger- ated areas is therefore imperative and there simply can be no compromise. “So when we received the orders in mid-2017 for the high-speed doors from commercial refrigeration solutions specialist, Insulated Structures, we im- mediately recommended the high-speed door range from ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems for both Makro stores,” says Janssen. “Specially designed for interior freezer environments and featuring nu- merous bespoke characteristics, these intelligent, reliable, convenient, safe and energy-efficient high-speeddoors present the perfect entrance solution. “Long-standing Maxiflex customer, Insulated Structures, placed the orders with us because they are extremely satis- fied with the quality of our products and

High-speed roll-up doors fromMaxiflex are helping to maintain constant temperatures inside Makro’s refrigeration areas.

the end of November 2017 while Makro Springfield was recently renovated,” says Maxiflexmanagingdirector,BramJanssen. Discussing the application, Janssen ex- plains that products are stored in a cold room before being moved to a drop tem- perature area and then finally out into the store. “Two high-speed doors were required for each Makro store.” While Gauteng is known for tempera- ture extremes, KZN is notorious for its hot and humid climate and mild winters.

De Beers drives biodiversity Conserving large tracts of land for biodiver- sity, conservation and research is one of the important ways that the De Beers Group ensures its overall impact on the environment is positive, according toDeBeers senior envi- ronmental manager, Dr Patti Wickens.

issues that the company co-hosts each year. Fostering this vibrant network of specialists al- lows researchers to be readilymobilisedwhen, for instance, a rare spe- cies is identified on

Its properties near Kimberley in the Northern Cape and its Venetia Mine in Limpopo Province, together with conserva- tion areas at both the major diamond mines managed byDebswana inBotswana, make up about 200000 hectares that are dedicated to biodiversity conservation and research. “For every hectare of land used for min- ing by the De Beers Group, six hectares are dedicated to the conservation of nature,” saysWickens. “This approach is driven by our objective tohave nonet loss of significant bio- diversity, anaimwhich is nowstrengthenedby ourmajorshareholder,AngloAmerican,which is also committing to a net positive impact on biodiversity.” Working proactively with a network of conservationand researchpartners, including academic institutions and NGOs, De Beers supports a range of research projects that make a broad environmental contribution. The research conducted – into birds, mam- mals, archaeologyandother fields – is alsogiv- en the opportunity to be shared at an annual research conference on biodiversity-related

one of its proper- ties. Such research could even lead to specific initiatives that promote bio-

Patti Wickens, senior environmental manager for the De Beers Group of Companies.

diversity, while supporting this conservation research helps build capacity among young conservationists and scientists: as wildlife college students can avail the company’s properties for experiential learning; and the properties are alsomade available for specific research projects by post-graduate students. Wickens emphasises that a key part of De Beers’ business approach is to internalise all environmental and closure costs. “This gives us both a clear assessment of the various business risks and an ability to plan thenecessarybiodiversity actionswhere new projects are envisaged,” she says. “This means understanding, in detail, the levels of biodiversity risk in each of the areas in which we operate – hence our careful focus on this impact.” www.debeersgroup.com

36 ¦ MechChem Africa • September 2018