Mechanical Technology November 2015

November 2015

THIS MONTH: • Pipe sampler for tailings’ streams • Towards better beneficiation for the iron ore sector • The pioneer of industrial and commercial HVAC solutions • Mario on maintenance: Proactive maintenance beyond the starting line

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THERE’S ONLY ONE SUBSTITUTE FORA WARMAN ®

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Automotive manufacturing: a snapshot O n the occasion of the southern African celebration of Yaskawa’s global centenary earlier this month, NAAMSA director, Nico Vermeulen gave a keynote address entitled, ‘The SA Automotive industry, challenges and opportunities’ . Summarising the structure of the country’s automotive sector, he reported that seven global OEMs – BMW, Ford, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Toyota and Volkswagen – have manufacturing plants in South Africa, and several other OEMs, from Europe, Japan, Korea, India, China, Italy and America, import and support their vehicles. “In addition, a number of heavy commercial and bus manufacturers assemble vehicles here,” he said.

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“There are also approximately 500 automotive component suppliers, including diversified manufacturers, supporting the industry,” he added, making the automotive industry the largest of the manufacturing sectors with vehicle and component production representing about 30% of manufacturing output. Showing a slide of unit sales growth, Vermeulen pointed to substantial growth from 2003 to the beginning of the global financial crisis in 2007. “The South African economy grew at 5% during this period, creating a massive surge in demand for new cars, resulting in 20% year-on-year growth for the industry.” The impact of the crisis is reflected in the 2008 and 2009 sales figures, which dropped back to 2003 levels at their lowest point. But, in spite of slow current GDP growth of 1.5% or less, 2015 sales are at highest ever levels – the industry is on target to hit a production record of 630 000 vehicles this year and, most importantly, 330 000 of these are exports. “That is what drives this industry, the business of component suppliers and, ultimately, the busi- ness of manufacturing and automation service providers such as Yaskawa,” he said. “Even in these difficult times, the industry is performing well – probably one of the few manufacturing success stories of 2015.” The export growth began with the launch of the Motor Industry Development Programme (MIDP) in 1995, which was replaced by the Automotive Producers Development Programme (APDP) in 2013. “The APDP provides a clear, albeit ambitious vision for the SA automotive industry through to 2020. The programme was formulated on the basis of extensive consultation with industry stakeholders and represents a carefully structured set of provisions to support the future growth and development of the industry – balancing the interests of consumers, the broader automotive industry and govern- ments’ objectives,” Vermeulen said. The APDP target of 1.2-million vehicle production by 2020 was formulated in 2007 – prior to the global financial and economic meltdown. “A more realistic target – based on current global reali- ties, existing vehicle production plans as well as the possibility of new entrants – is probably around 850 000 to 900 000 vehicles produced by 2020 – a 45% increase on current production levels,” he added. This would elevate the industry’s contribution to South African GDP to nearly 10%. “The MIDP and the ADPD have resulted in massive investments by multi-national vehicle manu- facturers and component suppliers. Capital expenditure by the seven major vehicle producers over the last five years amounted to over R24-billion and projected capital expenditure by the OEMs for 2015 is R7.5-billion. “Model rationalisation has resulted in a reduction from 42 platforms produced in South Africa 20 years ago to 12 platforms today. This, in turn, has contributed to substantially higher volumes per model produced and has generated economies of scale benefits and reduced complexity for sup- pliers,” he reported, adding that employment in the vehicle and component manufacturing sectors, on the back of higher production numbers, has increased by 1 200 to over 31 000 jobs over the past 15 months. Since the start of the APDP, total local value addition rose from R41.8-billion in 2013 to R47‑billion in 2014 – an increase of over R5-billion or 12.3% in the first two years of the programme. In spite of the successful impact the ADPD has had on the automotive industry, Vermeulen high- lighted some challenges that could inhibit sustained growth. “Stability – including policy certainty and labour predictability – is a key imperative to drive industry investment, development and future growth. Strong global linkages along with supplier development and competitiveness improvements remain critically important to support the sustainable future of the SA automotive industry,” he said. “We also believe that vehicle taxes should be reviewed. If all taxes are taken into account, 18% of the cost of every entry-level vehicle goes to the fiscus, while for luxury vehicles, tax accounts for some 45% of the purchase price. This is excessive if the government wants more vehicles to be sold,” Vermeulen suggested. The growth potential of the South African automotive industry remains above average and, with the right policies, interventions and goodwill by industry stakeholders, including unions, this industry can go from strength to strength,” he concluded. And from a component point of view: ‘The global market would definitely buy from South Africa if the economic environment was stable and prices were competitive,” suggests Yaskawa Southern Africa’s Terry Rosenberg. Peter Middleton

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Mechanical Technology — November 2015

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⎪ November 2015 contents ⎪

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ON THE COVER

Features Special report 8 Customised rubber solutions improve margins MechTech attends and reports on Tega South Africa’s recent open day, at which it showcased its expanded and consolidated facilities in Vulcania, Brakpan. Proactive maintenance, lubrication and contamination management 10 Reliability innovations from the knowledge engineers SKF has recently released reliability innovations that include an intuitive App-powered shaft alignment tool and a wireless machine condition sensor for use in hazardous environments. 12 Mario on maintenance: Proactive maintenance beyond the starting line 15 Super-screw conveyor belt splicing 16 Easing electricity costs through enhanced lubricants

17 Thermal imaging camera can avert disaster Materials handling and minerals processing 18 Pipe sampler for tailings’ streams

Specialist equipment supplier to the minerals processing industry, Multotec, has designed a True Pipe ® Sampler that can provide correct sampling across pressurised tailings streams. 20 Comminution expansion drives sand and aggregate success 21 Drum reclaimer refurbished after 39 years of service 23 Buffalo high-capacity feeder breakers 24 Integrated service boosts materials handling efficiency

Engine protection completes HFT’s total fluid management offering Hytec Fluid Technology (HFT), the specialist hydraulic fluid management company within the Hytec Group, has co-invested in a distribution agreement with Cummins Filtration to become the ‘super dealer’ for the Fleetguard ® range of engine protection products in Southern Africa. MechTech talks to HFT’s general manager, Sandor Bottyan and Cummins Components director for Africa, Feroze Chowdary. For more information contact: Sandor Bottyan GM, Hytec Fluid Technology (HFT)

26 Heavy lifting for wind farm contracts Local manufacturing and beneficiation 28 Towards better beneficiation for the iron ore sector

Johannes Kottmann, managing director of MBE Minerals SA, outlines challenges in the iron ore sector – increasing beneficiation process outputs, adhering to safety regulations, and minimising maintenance – and highlights the advantages of locally manufactured, cost ef- fective solutions. 30 SA finalist for the Swedish Steel Awards 31 Improved valve design improves quality benchmark Heating, cooling, ventilation and air conditioning 32 The pioneer of industrial and commercial HVAC solutions MechTech talks to AHI Carrier South Africa’s managing director, Scott Meikle and its regional manager, Derrick Daubern. 35 BBE celebrates 25 years of HVAC innovation Innovative engineering 34 Stellenbosch wins PneuDrive Challenge 2015 The PneuDrive Challenge, a mechatronics design competition for engineering students throughout South Africa, has come to a close for 2015, with Stellenbosch once again walking away with top honours. Regulars 1 Comment 4 On the cover: Engine protection completes HFT’s total fluid management offering 6 Industry forum 38 Products and services 40 Nota bene

Tel: +27 11 976 7300 Fax: +27 11 760 3099 sandor.bottyan@hft.co.za www.hytecgroup.co.za

Mechanical Technology — November 2015

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⎪ On the cover ⎪

Hytec Fluid Technology (HFT), the specialist hydraulic fluid management company within the Hytec Group, has co-invested in a distribution agreement with Cummins Filtration to become the ‘super dealer’ for the Fleetguard ® range of engine protection products in Southern Africa. MechTech talks to HFT’s general manager, Sandor Bottyan (left), and Cummins Components director for Africa, Feroze Chowdary (right). Engine protection completes HFT’s total fluid management offering

Group; mobile and industrial oil filtration cartridges; offline filtration systems; water filters and dewatering units; con- tamination sensors; cooling systems; and a host of pumps, valves, flow and pressure control components. “Underpinning the collaboration between HFT and Fleetguard ® is our overlapping company cultures,” says Chowdary. “Cummins Filtration values integrity and investment in the local com- munity as core overarching principles. We are very strong believers in corpo- rate responsibility issues, so as well as promoting local manufacturing to create local jobs, we also sponsor schools and promote skills transfer into the region,” he tells MechTech . “Of all the economies in the world, we see Africa as one that is full of potential and we share the Hytec Groups African expansion ambitions,” he adds. Cummins Filtration recently opened its new Filtration and Coolant Manufacturing plant at the new regional distribu- tion centre (RDC) for Southern Africa in the Waterfall Commercial Park in Woodmead, Gauteng. As well as in- corporating Cummins component warehousing, the facility is also the site for local manu-

facturing of Fleetguard air filters and its modern Organic Acid Technology (OAT) engine coolant. “We have introduced an air filter manufacturing plant and a facil- ity to blend the best-in-class environmen- tally friendly Fleetguard ES Compleat TM organic acid (OAT) coolant formulation,” says Chowdary. Service delivery and overall customer satisfaction across the Cummins supply chain in southern Africa is set to dra- matically improve. “Network analysis revealed that from Pietermaritzburg, we were about 600 km from our South African customer base. By relocating, we have halved that to 280 km,” he adds. Addressing the advantages of the collaboration from HFT’s perspec- tive, Bottyan says that, across the world, Fleetguard is regarded as either Number 1 or Number 2 in the filtration market. Cummins Filtration has sent its top Fleetguard people over to its new base in South Africa to launch the brand into Africa. “Cummins and Fleetguard are investing into this country, in terms of technical skills, stockholding and local manufacturing facilities for the air filter elements and the advanced OAT diesel engine coolant,” Bottyan tells MechTech . “There are a number of synergies be- tween our two companies,” he continues. “We have been supporting the hydraulics side of mobile equipment for a number of years in the region. Bosch Rexroth, as a hydraulics OEM, understands and has a vested interest in delivering high qual- ity protection for its hydraulic systems.” Chowdary continues: “Cummins is an engine manufacturer, and the only one that has invested in its own filtra-

T he Hytec Group of companies is the largest drive and control so- lutions provider in sub-Saharan Africa, with 34 operations sup- plying components and turnkey systems to the industrial and mobile equipment markets. Now 50% owned by Bosch Rexroth, Hytec Group companies provide the full suite of hydraulic, pneumatic and automation solutions: from planning and design, manufacture and assembly, test- ing, installation and commissioning, in addition to having full service and repair capabilities. HFT is the Hytec Group company responsible for fluid management ser- vices within the

The Fleetguard ® product range is designed to protect modern diesel engines and includes: Fleetguard ES Compleat TM organic acid (OAT) coolant; Fleetguard NanoNet ® fuel filtration solutions; NanoForce ® air filtration technology, and much more.

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Mechanical Technology — November 2015

⎪ On the cover ⎪

“The diesel in Africa is amongst the worst in the world. While producers can manufacture low-sulphur clean diesel, the distribution infrastructure is often not suitable for keeping contaminants out,” he points out. At the pinnacle the Fleetguard fuel fil- tration solution is its NanoNet ® synthetic filter media. “When used in one of our diesel filters, such as the FF5782 spin-on diesel filter, the particulate in the diesel is removed to meet the 12/9/6 ISO 4406 cleanliness level. “Modern high-pressure common rail fuel injection diesel engines require high cleanliness levels to enable the fuel injectors at the combustion chamber to accurately inject the fuel air mix. Engine performance, efficiency and emissions all depend on these injectors, which are set to tolerances of between 1.0 and 3.0 µ m, so even the tiniest particles in the diesel or air can affect their performance,” Chowdary informs MechTech . Bottyan continues: “To allow an on-board fuel filter to maintain these high cleanliness levels, however, bulk fuel filtration systems are necessary to remove some of the contaminants before they enter the machine’s fuel tank. HFT supplies offline fuel filtration systems that can ensure acceptable (ISO 4406 18/16/13) cleanliness levels in storage and fuel tanks.” “The Fleetguard range however, in- cludes much more than just fuel filters,” continues Bottyan. “It is just as important to filter the air being mixed into the fuel. Using the same synthetic nano media, along with cellulose media layers, Cummins has developed NanoForce ® technology to use in conjunction with NanoNet fuel filtration. The whole aim is to extend the life of an engine and the service intervals, without increasing the breakdown risks. We can now offer an entire range of complementary products that, combined, offer the lowest possible total costs of ownership,” he reveals. Citing a typical mining vehicle, he says that fuel and oil filters are changed every 250, 500, 750 and 1 000 hours, with the air filter being changed at 500 and 1 ,000 hours. “Fleetguard air, oil and fuel filters are now designed to be changed every 1 000 hours, so an operator only uses half the air filters and one quarter of the oil and fuel filters compared to most OEM recom- mendations. This obviously also results in less maintenance downtime for the

vehicle, improving productivity. “In addition, coolant is usually drained every 4 000 to 6 000 hours. Fleetguard’s organic acid technology (OAT) is a lifelong coolant, which first needs to be changed during the midlife rebuild or stored and reused after the rebuild if the additive package is not compromised. This reduc- es the environmental impact of having to dispose of traditional coolants up and refill with new product.” Chowdary says. “The beauty is that our solutions work in tandem with each other,” says Bottyan. “Through the Fleetguard distribution collaboration, we can now offer total engine protection in addition to our total hydraulic fluid management offering. From a contamination protection point of view, we have truly become a one-stop shop,” he says. “In today’s economic environment, whether operators are running trucks, shovels, graders, dozers or excavators, they have to be cost conscious. Nobody can afford to spend more money than they have to. The Fleetguard OAT coolant and filtration combinations for engine oil, fuel and air, coupled with the hydraulic fluid filtration range from HFT, offers operators the absolute minimum total cost of ownership, and the maximum productivity from their equipment as- sets,” Chowdary concludes. q

tion manufacturing capabilities. We are unique in that we are closely involved with the research and development (R&D) of new engine technology. We are at the forefront of the development of the new emission-regulated diesel engines, which depend on very high cleanliness levels. Fleetguard ® is the only filtration and engine protection original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in the world that belongs to a high-tech engine manufac- turer,” he points out. “Africa is a receiving continent for mobile vehicles and equipment. Very few diesel engines are manufactured in Africa and, therefore, few African countries have emissions regulations mandating the vehicles that may be used. In con- sequence, vehicles from Japan, China, Europe, North America and other parts of the world, all manufactured according to different emissions regulations, are being used in Africa. This creates complexities with respect to aftermarket emission con- trols, which we see as an opportunity,” Chowdary says, adding, “our Fleetguard range has the breadth and scope to cover legacy vehicles all the way through to the most up-to-date emission-regulated diesel engines.” While Africa is predominantly non- emission-regulated, an increasing num- ber of modern vehicles are being brought into the continent. “In meeting the emis- sions regulations, the first thing needed is good quality diesel. Low sulphur diesel with 10 ppm (ULSD) or less, for example, is required for Euro V and above vehicles, while for Euro III and IV and Tier II and III off-road vehicles, you can get away with 50 ppm,” says Bottyan. HFT’s Spartan head office. The Hytec Group has 34 operations supplying compo- nents and turnkey systems to the industrial and mobile equipment markets.

The HY-PRO diesel coalescing filter unit from

HFT is and offline fuel filtration system that can ensure acceptable (ISO 4406 18/16/13) cleanliness levels in storage and fuel tanks.

Mechanical Technology — November 2015

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⎪ Industry forum ⎪

WearCheck mini-lab provides maxi service

Ten full-service WearCheck laborato- ries operate across the African continent and beyond, and are situated in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga, with international laboratories in India, Dubai, Ghana, Mozambique and Zambia – at Lumwana mine and Kitwe. WearCheck also has a presence in Cape Town, Rustenburg, Steelpoort, Port Elizabeth, Zimbabwe and Namibia. An eleventh full-service laboratory is scheduled to open soon in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), on-site at the new Kibali Gold Mine, potentially the largest gold mine in Africa. www.wearcheck.co.za

Condition monitoring specialist, Wear- Check, has set up a comprehensive network of world-class, full-service laboratories. One of these sits alongside its full-service primary laboratory in Pinetown. While one of the core functions of the Pinetown mini-lab is to do preparation for aircraft filter analysis, it also provides several other monitoring services and speciality tests on samples from around the country, where speciality analysis is required. Specialty tests conducted include the analysis of grease, coolant, Karl Fischer moisture, VPR (varnish potential rating), and aircraft and

Following the successful implementation of a DST Firm Technology Assistance Package (FTAP), South African compo- nent manufacture Daliff Precision Engi- neering has become globally competitive. The company specialises in complex machined components for the aerospace, defence and rail industries. According to Daliff chairman, Rowland Chutè, “The installation of Vericut Software enables us to verify and opti- DDL Equipment, a leading manufacturer and supplier of docking systems to South Africa’s materials handling market, has new owners. Private equity investment company, Helikaon Investments, has taken 100% ownership of the company and installed a new management team to increase local sales and expand into countries abroad. Helikaon Investments, a majority black-owned private equity investment company with wide experience of manu- facturing and logistics has placed its own people at DDL’s helm to oversee day-to- day operations and capital allocation. DDL is widely recognised as having driven the development of professional docking in South Africa. In addition to locally manufactured dock-levelling and cold-chain dock sealing systems, it is the sole authorised distributor for two leading European door brands, Nergeco and Alpha. “We have commissioned a new ERP system to provide a better overview of transactions and stock, and enable us to better communicate stock availability to the customer base,” Winter says. DDL’s new owners set course for growth refrigeration filtration analysis. The three highly specialised technical staff members who operate the mini-lab also conduct field visits to customers in a variety of industries, such as Illovo, Tongaat Hulett, Gud filters, and more. They take samples from gearboxes, turbines, compressors and any other component that needs monitoring. These samples are then processed and analysed in the mini-lab, and the results sent to the customer, with recommendations on what corrective maintenance action should be taken, if any is needed.

“With that in place, we are now reorganising and expanding the ser- vice department, in- creasing staff levels and re-equipping with new tools, new

August Winter, managing director DDL Equipment.

Trevor Pillay (left, at microscope) is the senior mini-lab technician, and has been at WearCheck for 26 years. With him is field and lab technician Shashay Rampersad, who has clocked up 13 years at WearCheck.

vehicles and a stockholding of critical parts for quicker turnaround times. This represents a significant expansion and improvement of the old facility,” he adds. He points out that increasing electric- ity costs were forcing cold storage users to re-examine the efficiency of their en- vironmental control, and users involved in maintaining the cold chain would seek the best possible sealing solutions. “Our big advantage is that we manufacture our sealing solutions locally, enabling quicker installation and a very much quicker service turnaround times than rival companies, which import components from Europe and elsewhere,” says Winter. “I believe that DDL will enjoy an excit- ing future, beginning now and continuing into the longer term,” Winter concludes. www.ddl.co.za mise all our CNC programs prior to run- ning the first article on a CNC machine. With Vericut, which we would not have been able to afford without the assistance of the TLIU, Daliff has been elevated to a globally competitive level.” The machine set-up time and ma- chining cycle time of Daliff Precision Engineering were both reduced by 20% as a result of the intervention. www.daliff.co.za

Monitoring service for reduced distraction risk

Caterpillar has launched of a 24/7 equipment operator monitoring service to provide custom- ers the power to see, mitigate and manage the primary variable impacting their operations – the human factor. Through industry-leading in-cab and wearable safety technologies, Caterpillar can provide customers with visibility to both machine and operator information. Inside Caterpillar’s 24/7 Monitoring Centre, analysts correlate data about the health and productivity of operators and equipment to re- veal conditions such as fatigue and distraction and their impact on operations. “Our customers want better visibility to the interaction between operators and machines, and how behaviour impacts safety and pro- ductivity,” says Tim Crane, Caterpillar Safety Services manager. “This innovative solution offers our customers the opportunity to mitigate risk and improve productivity. No organisation is in a better position to provide customers these sustainable improvement solutions than Caterpillar,” he believes. The solutions include Driver Safety System (DSS™), developed by Seeing Machines, an alliance partner of Caterpillar; and the wrist- worn Cat ® Smartband, an actigraphy solution powered by Fatigue Science. www.cat.com

Local component manufacturer goes global

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Mechanical Technology — November 2015

⎪ Industry forum ⎪

Fasteners Factory open in Durban

In brief Q8Oils – a subsidiary of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation – has signed a distribution and manufacturing licence agreement with South Africa-based Blue Chip Lubricants . With facili- ties in Randburg, Blue Chip’s role as sole im- porter and distributor of Q8 lubricants in South Africa will also see the company manufacture locally to ensure delivery of a high level service and a flexible offering. At the Green Building Convention held in Cape Town in November, the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) announced the 2015 winners of the Green Star Leadership Awards – and Alison Groves, Principle Sustainability Consultant for WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff , Africa, was honoured with the Established Green Star accolade. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has officially put into operation a new Schuler servo press line in Hanover, Germany. The line consists of six individual presses and has a total press force of 91 000 kN. It is driven by 15 torque motors with a total torque of 600 000 Nm. Botswana’s Karowe diamond mine has awarded a R6-million order to Osborn for new crushers, including a modular jaw crusher plant, This re- flects the continued success of Karowe, where a number of exceptional diamond recoveries have made headlines. Osborn secured this order from long-standing customer ADP Marine & Modular , which is supplying process and design services to the diamond mine. Johnson Crane Hire has recently been accred- ited to ISO 9001, underpinning the company’s commitment to its SHEQ policies and interna- tional standards and procedures. The company’s SHEQ systems are also aligned with OHSAS 18001 and ISO 14001 standards. Donaldson Company, Inc. (NYSE:DCI) a lead- ing global manufacturer of filtration systems and parts has announced that its facilities in Aguascalientes, Mexico; Cresco, Iowa; Frank- fort, Indiana; and Greeneville, Tennessee, have all received the Master of Quality Award from Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA). Leading truck and bus OEM, Scania is fostering its credentials as an environmentally-responsible corporate citizen, having recently invested in the Pandae GreenSolution offering to more effectively manage the waste streams at its Riverhorse Valley Dealership in Durban. Green- Solution representatives are now responsible for the sorting, collection and recycling of domestic waste, oil-contaminated waste, steel and used oil at the dealership.

The Fastener Factory, which was established in Durban recently, offers a specialist supply and support ser- vice to diverse industries throughout the country, including automotive, engineering, agriculture, mining and construction, as well as domestic and DIY sectors. “The company’s comprehensive range of quality branded fasteners and related products and accessories are carefully sourced from leading manufacturers and suppliers within South Africa, as well as from Europe and the Far East,” says Darryl Campbell, managing director, The Fastener Factory. “We have recognised the local need for many different types of fasteners, espe- cially those for specialised applications. Our pledge to industry is to obtain any fastener required. “The fasteners offering is enhanced by a wide selection of tools, abrasives, bear- ings, power transmission components and engineering supplies.” The company’s locally manufactured and imported products, which conform to DIN and ISO specifications, range from small diameter screws, to large diameter The Hytec Group of Companies has ap- pointed Adrian Smith (left) as regional manager, African Country Units. Smith assumes responsibility for four of the Group’s southern African operations – Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia and Zambia. His more than 20 years’ experience in the mining industry includes managing director of a multinational engineering company and, subsequent to moving to South Africa in 2005, regional respon-

The Fastener Factory offers a comprehensive range of quality branded fasteners and related products and accessories. high tensile bolts. The Fastener Factory has been appointed exclusive distributors throughout southern Africa for the Heico- Lock range of wedge locking washers and nuts, as well as ring lock washers. An important feature of the Heico-Lock wedge lock system is the securing of the bolt fastening, using preload force rather than friction. Leading brands of tools include Dewalt, Kraftwerk, King Tony, Microtec and Qualitools. The company also sup- plies DYZV-branded bearing and power transmission items, as well as Somta drilling and cutting products. www.thefastenerfactory.co.za

Hytec appoints African Country Units manager sibility for aftermar- ket operations in the DRC, Ghana, Mali, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. “Smith’s career

history in mining op- erations stands him

in good stead for the four African opera- tions for which he is responsible,” says Mike Harrison, Hytec general manager. www.hytec.co.za

Otis Southern Africa, part of Otis Eleva- tor, the world’s largest manufacturer and maintainer of elevators, escalators and moving walkways, has acquired the local service business of ThyssenKrupp Eleva- tor South Africa. The transaction will give customers access to Otis’ expertise in service and maintenance and expands the company’s capabilities in the region. “This acquisition will increase our operational footprint, connecting us with new customers and increasing the num- Otis acquires service business of ThyssenKrupp in SA ber of units we maintain and repair,” says Segren Reddy, managing director, Otis Southern Africa. “We believe this acqui- sition will result in great benefits for our new and existing customers, including the opportunity to discuss Otis solutions for new equipment and modernisation products in building rejuvenation projects in South Africa.” Employees currently working for ThyssenKrupp will be incorporated into Otis business units. www.otis.com/site/za.

Mechanical Technology — November 2015

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⎪ Special report ⎪

Customised rubber solutions improve margins

On November 4, wear lining and rubber products manufacturer, Tega South Africa, held an open day to showcase its expanded and consolidated facilities in Vulcania, Brakpan. MechTech attends and reports.

W ith roots dating back to 1978 in Calcutta, as a licensee of the Swedish company, Skega, Tega Industries limited is now the flagship company of the Tega Group of compa- nies and synonymous with customised aftermarket products in the mineral processing, mining, materials handling and industrial markets. Founded by the Mohanka family to provide ‘unique products and services for handling complex problems in materials handling and mineral processing indus- tries’, the company name was changed to Tega Industries Limited (Tega) in 2002 and it remains a family owned business with the same philosophy. Tega is cur- rently the largest non-OEM manufacturer of a number of moulded wear resistant rubber components for the mining and bulk materials handling industries, with approvals from all major global min- ing and mineral processing companies and manufacturing plants across four continents. “We are global company active in 72 countries of the world. Wherever there

With the addition of an injection-moulding machine, Tega South Africa can now offer injection moulded screen panels.

“Over 500 mills around the world are now operating using Tega mill liner technology,” says Imam. The company established a presence in South Africa in 2006 with the acqui- sition of Beruc Equipment. In 2011, it relocated local operations to its current 45 000 m² property in Vulcania. By 2012, Tega South Africa had won the contract to supply wear liners for all ships in the De Beers Marine fleet. The new plant was officially commissioned in 2013 and by 2014, with the addition of 24 new presses, local production capac- ity increased by 70%. The South African facility is ISO 9001:2008 accredited by TUV; has achieved a B-BBEE equity status of Level 4 and has recently begun to manufacture injection moulded screen panels. From the 40 people it took on from Beruc in 2006, Tega South Africa now has over 180 employees. “We specialise in a wide range of prod- ucts, with a mining focus that includes solutions from the run-of-mine side of operations, through the milling and ma- terials handling side, all the way through to extraction and flotation,” continues Imam, listing chute and hopper linings; mill liners and lifting bars; screens; and floatation cells as specialisations. “In Chile, we have recently com- pleted an entire optimisation project for a plant’s piping system, for example. We increased liner replacement intervals from two to 12 months. We are also routinely called to optimise comminution systems and to improve material flow via the complete design of the chute systems so that material can be delivered

is mining, we have representation,” says Syed Yaver Imam, director of global marketing and product management, speaking at the company’s South African open day. “We have three major manufacturing facilities in India, along with one here in South Africa, one in Santiago, Chile and one in Perth, Australia. We have sales and marketing facilities in Europe, Australia, Africa and the Americas, with a good presence in Latin America and Canada – and we have offices in Russia and Uzbekistan, which makes China the only place were we are not well represented,” he says, emphasising that the company is a solution provider rather than a manufacture and supplier of standard product.

South African production capacity from Tega’s 45 000 m² facility in Vulcania, Brakpan has been increased by 70% through the addition of 24 new presses.

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Mechanical Technology — November 2015

⎪ Special report ⎪

continuously and efficiently,” he says. “In India, we have over 150 engineers working on design aspects of plant opti- misation. For us, the process of delivery starts from the design and basic engi- neering. We use simulation software and in-house routines to model the interaction between the flow of materials and our lining products, to as near to real plant operating condition as possible. This enables our solutions to overcome prob- lems unforeseen by the OEM installer of the original systems,” says Tega’s global marketing director. “Then, once manufactured, we have R&D and testing systems that we use to validate our designs as well as to improve them. By the time a design solution arrives at a plant, the client can be assured that it has been thoroughly optimised and tested for the real service conditions,” he adds. In the current difficult economic cli- mate, many more mines have to shave costs to remain profitable. “Our focus on life extension enables us to provide solu- tions for deeper mines, while plants with flow and reliability problems can improve productivity through optimisations. If the

Tega manufactures moulded wear resistant rubber components such as lifter bars for grinding mills. “Over 500 mills around the world are now operating using Tega mill liner technology,” says Imam.

suffering from delays in implementing greenfield projects. Our focus has always been on plant upgrades, which are more in demand now than ever. As long as plants do not shut down, the demand for our solutions will not slow,” Imam concludes, adding that the company still expects 20 to 30% year-on-year growth for the foreseeable future. q

life of a liner can be extended, then the mine benefits in more ways than one, via lower maintenance costs and less downtime,” he says. “We continuously look at plants for cost saving opportunities through our solutions – and we can always find them. Fortunately we are not dependant on the capex cycle so our turnover is not

Mechanical Technology — November 2015

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⎪ Proactive maintenance, lubrication and contamination management ⎪

Reliability innovations from the knowledge engineers SKF, a leading global supplier of bearings; seals; mechatronics; lubrication systems; and services that include technical support, maintenance and reliability services, engineering consulting and training, has recently released a number of new reliability innovations. These include an intuitive App- powered shaft alignment tool and a wireless machine condition sensor for use in hazardous environments.

A s a highlight of Hannover Fair 2015, knowledge engineering company, SKF, presented the TKSA 51 shaft alignment tool, the first instrument designed for intui- tive shaft alignments using tablets and smartphones. Key to the development is the use of an App to make it quick and easy to set up motors, drives, fans, gearboxes, pulleys and couplings, even by operators who using the instrument for the first time. The new TKSA 51 comprises two compact and lightweight laser measur- ing units, designed to suit almost any application. Using the versatile shaft brackets, the instrument can be mounted on small machines with limited space, whilst extension chains, rods and mag- netic holders are supplied for mounting the tool on larger machines. Connected wirelessly, the App uses real time data to provide a live 3D view of the measuring units. This gives operators the ability to rotate the virtual machine at their convenience in all directions, mak- ing the alignment as intuitive as possible. Measurements are made using a simple touch of a button or through the hands- free automatic measurement function, which only needs the shaft to be rotated to the next measurement position. Jens Kammann, product manager at SKF Maintenance Products, says: “Shaft misalignment is one of the main causes of machine failure. It creates additional forces and vibration that can damage machine components such as bearings, seals and couplings, adding considerably to operating and maintenance costs. “Often, we find shafts not being aligned correctly because the applied method or instrument is time consuming and difficult to use, leading to mistakes and incorrect alignments,” he continues.

“The TKSA 51 eliminates these problems, making it the ideal companion for

every alignment task. As a result, engineers can significantly increase uptime, with the confidence that machines are correctly setup for efficient and cost- effective operation,” he says.

Improved measure- ment flexibility is just one of the core features of the systems, allowing alignments to be successfully completed in confined spac- es. Measurements can start at any angle and only require a total shaft rotation of 40°. Further alignment adjustments are possible with alignment targets that, for example, can be set to compensate for thermal expansion of the machinery. After each alignment check or correc- tion, a comprehensive report is created that can be customised, emailed or uploaded to a cloud service for future ref- erence. To aid the user, notification and helpful guidance menus are displayed if a problem occurs during set up, such as the detector being off centre or the laser beam being too close to the edge of the detector. The TKSA 51 is supplied by SKF as a comprehensive system for all alignment tasks. The associated App can easily be downloaded and offers a fully functional demonstration to allow customers to try the TKSA 51 before committing to the technology. The wireless condition sensor Specifically designed to suit hazardous environments, the superior quality of the

versatile SKF Wireless Machine Condi- tion Sensor provides seamless condition monitoring for large plants in hard-to- reach locations. The wireless sensors communicate with each other via a wireless gateway to create a mesh network. This type of network and communication protocol is ideal for providing dynamic vibration and temperature data for condition monitor- ing and machinery diagnostic applica- tions for rotating machinery throughout large plants, including in hard-to-reach locations or in areas where traditional WiFi communications do not work. Using the WirelessHart communica- tion protocol, the Wireless Machine Condition Sensor offers monitoring capa- bilities that may be impossible with wired systems or hand-held devices. Ultimately, its use leads to reduced condition moni- toring costs as well as to a safer approach to machine monitoring. Communication capabilities include relaying data from one node to another, relaying data back to the gateway, and

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Mechanical Technology — November 2015

⎪ Proactive maintenance, lubrication and contamination management ⎪

all lead to unplanned downtime, costly repairs and production losses, are easily preventable using our quality range of shaft alignment instruments,” notes SKF maintenance and lubrication product manager, Eddie Martens. Mokse Engineering is successfully us- ing the TKSA 11 for accurate horizontal shaft alignment of small to medium sized machines. “It started receiving more and more requests for larger jobs, but realised that a tool capable of aligning bigger ma- chines was required, and because they were so satisfied with the performance of the TKSA 11 unit, they approached SKF for a solution,” Martens relates. “We demonstrated the TKSA 51 to Mokse’s engineers, who were immedi- ately impressed that it could accommo- date alignment on soft foot (a distortion in a mounting frame that a motor may stand on) as well as thermal growth (caused by thermal expansion),” con- tinues Martens. “Upon hearing that the measuring distance between the heads was 5.0 m, the customer was sold on the TKSA 51,” he says. The compact TKSA 51 shaft align- ment tool provides high measurement flexibility and performance suitable for entry-level to expert alignment jobs. Designed to work with the shaft align- ment TKSA 51 App on a tablet or smart phone, this intuitive tool is easy to use and requires no special training. Martens adds that SKF can provide basic product knowledge to an experienced operator as well as a two day laser alignment training course on site or in at the SKF training centre situated in Boksburg, South Africa. The included accessories of the TKSA 51 makes the instrument ideally suited for a wide range of alignment applications such as motors, drives, fans, pumps, gearboxes, etc. The portable units do not require installation and are supplied with a two year warranty. “Due to the reliable and effective performance of our TKSA 11 instrument, we were able to offer the best solution in the TKSA 51 and assist this longstanding SKF customer to expand their capabili- ties by being able to handle larger jobs, improve turnaround time and grow the business,” concludes Martens. SKF is represented in more than 130 countries and has around 15 000 distributor locations worldwide. Annual sales in 2014 were SEK 70 975-mil- lion and the company employs 48 593 people. q

Above: The TKSA 51 connects wirelessly to an associated App, to provide a live 3D view of the measuring units. Operators can rotate the virtual machine at their convenience in all directions, making the alignment as intuitive as possible. Left: The TKSA 51 is a new intuitive App- powered shaft alignment tool from SKF. receiving automated commands from the Wireless Sensor Device Manager software. This software initiates the measurement and processing circuits to take data and transmit it back over the network. If a node is unable to receive signals directly from the WirelessHART gateway, it will, instead, send and receive its data through a nearby node that can pass the data to and from the gateway – forming the mesh network. Once data is collected, the Wireless­ HART gateway communicates with the Wireless Sensor Device Manager software supplied by SKF. Device Manager then automatically exports the data into SKF @ptitude Analyst where a plant engineer can analyse the data and determine a course of action. The Wireless Machine Condition Sensor has been developed to be fully compatible with the established SKF @ptitude Analyst software suite, a comprehensive diagnostic and analytic software package. ATEX Zone 0 certification makes the product ideally suited for use in hazard- ous environments typically found in for example, petrochemical, oil and gas and pharmaceutical plants. The unit combines both a sensor and router node into one compact and battery-operated unit the size of a typi-

Designed to suit hazardous environments, the

SKF Wireless Machine Condition Sensor provides seamless condition monitoring for large plants in hard-to-reach locations. cal industrial accelerometer. The sensor operates in a low power consumption mode, allowing the battery to last for years in the field. SKF’s Wireless Machine Condition Sensor offers users a number of im- portant benefits including an improved maintenance programme, reduced main- tenance and installation costs, as well as enhanced employee and machine safety. Mokse Engineering Enterprises, an armature winding specialist and one of SKF South Africa’s key customer, was so impressed with the capabilities of the TKSA 11 shaft alignment tool that they had no hesitation in purchasing the new TKSA 51 to enable larger machines to be handled. Shaft misalignment contributes sig- nificantly to premature machine failure. It is estimated that misaligned shafts can be responsible for up to 50% of all machine failures. A machine placed in service with less than optimal shaft alignment can lead to poor machine per- formance, increased power consumption, increased noise and vibration, premature bearing wear, accelerated deterioration of gaskets, packing and mechanical seals as well as higher coupling wear rates. “These expensive scenarios, which can A successful application in South Africa

Mechanical Technology — November 2015

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⎪ Proactive maintenance, lubrication and contamination management ⎪

In the final Mario on maintenance column for 2015, Mario Kuisis summarises the key messages for the year, lists some recent technology innovations and warns against straying from the fundamental rule of physical asset management. Proactive maintenance: beyond the starting line

Mario on maintenance:

T o wrap up proactive mainte- nance in 2015, let’s review what we’ve discussed this year and delve a little deeper into some of the aspects that we touched on, but left for further consideration. Firstly, let’s remember that each organ- isation wishing to optimise asset care must thoughtfully choose between pas- sive, reactive, preventative, predictive and proactive maintenance strategies. We need to do this per asset and/or major component. Each strategy has a rightful place in our maintenance mix and particular set of circumstances. In deciding, we must consider the relative importance of reliability against finan- cial, reputational, safety and environ- mental matters. We also note that these are not invariable and, therefore, the process needs to be repeated at least every few years as the asset ages and

business circumstances change. We discussed some of the pitfalls of the late introduction of predictive main- tenance into an organisation and con- cluded that it is a process that must be handled carefully and that it takes time as a minimum level of maturity must be reached. Only then can the full benefits of proactive maintenance be realised – by revisiting and adapting preventative maintenance plans to reduce costs and enhance reliability. After all, why put cost into maintaining an asset that has no need of it and increase the risk of an infant mortality incident? It is also useful to be reminded of the insight into both asset health and performance afforded by predictive maintenance techniques. This brings the potential for useful contributions directly to the business bottom line by improving plant performance and efficiency, in ad-

dition to reliability. Which, incidentally, also ticks the right boxes in a number of environmental and safety aspects. We mentioned, but did not discuss, available technology options: scope and applications; relative ease of use and cost; method of application; etc. This is an important topic and worthy of delv- ing deeper, but very wide ranging and constantly changing as technological advances permit improved performance at lower cost. This is good news for the new entrant, but also means that if you want a good and sustained outcome you must do your homework properly before investing, then stay abreast of developments. The four pillars of condition monitor- ing remain vibration and oil analysis, thermography and ultrasound detection. Do not proceed without first examining the present state of the art and the merits of each of these in detail. Incorporate them as necessary and remember that they are complementary technologies with limited overlap. Also bear in mind that very effective techniques are now available for monitoring the condition of many non-rotating assets. If you have some unusual problems, or want to explore beyond the conventional, then listed below are some relatively recent innovations that are being put to good use for predictive maintenance by way of continuous on-line methods. • Optical fibre as the sensor for moni- toring distributed vibration; dis- tributed acoustics; and distributed temperature. • Surface acoustic wave passive wire- less sensors for monitoring tempera- ture; torque; pressure; and strain. • Gas chromatography for monitoring gases, including dissolved gases in oil. • Conductivity and permittivity for monitoring the quality of lubricating and transformer oils. • Multi-spectrum structure-borne acoustics for monitoring boilers; heat exchangers; product flow (coal, ore, etc.); and rotating assets.

The four pillars of condition monitoring remain vibration and oil analysis, thermography and ultrasound detection.

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Mechanical Technology — November 2015