MechChem Africa September 2018

⎪ Products and industry news ⎪

Collision-tolerant drone inspects furnace

Zinn points out. The March 2018 inspection took just a day to complete, equating to a massive timesaving over previousmethods. This is the first time Skyriders has worked with CHB, and a first for SAPREF, too. “All par- ties were so impressed with the results produced by the drone that we are in the process of putting together a memoran- dumof understanding (MoU)withCHBfor future inspections,” Zinn reveals. With thedrone technology, Skyriders is now able to carry out difficult or high-risk inspections such as those at chemical and power generationplants. “The timing, effi- ciency, and safety initiatives requiredwith chemical plants, in particular, means that sendingamachine intopotentiallyharmful environments, rather than humans, gives us peace of mind, and a huge reduction in potential injuries. Being able to enter difficult places means drones can ensure the areas are safe before general work continues. It’s definitely theway forward,” Zinn says. Skyriders continues to offer the drone option to its South African clients, while also pitching the solution to the rest of the continent. “I believe this exercise proved our worth to SAPREF and maintained our industry reputation for being able to successfully take on difficult tasks where height or confined space make the risk greater for humans toenter before checks have been carried out,” Zinn concludes. www.ropeaccess.co.za

marketing manager, Mike Zinn. The scope of the projectwas to inspect thehard-to-reachplacesthatareextreme- ly difficult or dangerous for humans to access. The drone enters the tight or even inaccessible space fromthe outside of the unit while the pilot, the CHB expert visual observer (VO) and engineers monitor the inspection via a live feed on a monitor. Flying from chamber to chamber, the drone picks up any irregularities on the screen. The VO can report immediately if a chamber is safe to enter. “It’s his job to focuson the safetyofthedronepilot,while the pilot’s focus is on flying the drone,”

Technology from refractory experts CHB Third Party Inspectorate recently brought in by Skyriders Access Specialists to inspect a high-vacuum furnace at the SAPREF refinery in KwaZulu-Natal saw the four chambers of the furnace inspect- ed by Elios, a collision-tolerant drone, de- signed for the inspection and exploration of the most inaccessible places. What appears to be a regular main- tenance inspection can quickly turn dangerous for the most experienced teams, particularly where chemicals or gas are involved. “This has always been a huge consideration for us,” says Skyriders

Flying from chamber to chamber, the drone picks up any irregularities on the screen.

Apex curtains selected for fire safety It makes sense that Firebreak SA, a company focused on provid- ing quality safety and fire solutions to industry, would select Apex General Purpose Strip Curtains to cordon off its receiving and des- patch area at its facility in Alrode, Johannesburg. Apex strip curtains are manufactured from specially formulated PVCmaterial, which can withstand the movement of both pedestri- ans and motorised materials handling equipment without snagging or scratching. The ends of the individual strips are reinforced by the patented Balledge ® which, when closed, provides an efficient seal that prevents unwanted contaminants from entering the cordoned off area. Receiving and despatch areas are often hubs of activity with products being received fromsuppliers, andothers beingdespatched to customers daily. Wim Dessing Jnr, sales director at Apex Strip Curtains&Doors, says that it is not uncommon for companies towant to control the ingress of dust and foreign particles at such facilities, especially when delivery vehicles are moving in and out for most of the working day creating excessive dust. “Therewas, however, an additional need at Firebreak SA, and this was to supply a solution that would allow the entrance to be opened completely, when necessary,” Dessing says. This was accomplished by installing Apex General Purpose Strip Curtains on a sliding rail in the opening. The specially designed track

allows the strip curtaining installation to be opened to allowvehicles to access the area, and then closed once the vehicle has left. Dessing Jnr says the company has been supplying fit-for-purpose products for door openings in industrial and retail facilities for more than 40 years and works closely with customers to find appropri- ate solutions. As well as general-purpose strip curtains, Apex Strip Curtains & Doors supplies high impact traffic doors and high-speed roll-up doors. www.apexstrip.co.za

Apex general-purpose strip curtains were selected by Firebreak SA to cordon off the receiving and despatch area.

38 ¦ MechChem Africa • September 2018