Sparks Electrical News April 2018

APRIL 2018

www.sparkselectricalnewsmagazine.co.za

E L E C T R I C A L N E W S

REGULARS: CONTRACTORS’ CORNER | BUYERS’ GUIDE | PEOPLE ON THE MOVE | FEATURES : CABLES AND CABLE ACCESSORIES | MCCS AND MOTOR PROTECTION | LIGHTING

PHILIPS LIGHTING ANNOUNCES NAME CHANGE TO SIGNIFY

P hilips Lighting recently announced its intention to change its name from Philips Lighting to Signify. The company will continue to use the Philips brand under the existing licensing agreement with Royal Philips. “We’re excited to announce our new company name as anoth- er step in our transformation journey,” said Eric Rondolat, CEO of Philips Lighting. “The name is a clear expression of our strategic vision and a fabulous opportunity to introduce a new corporate look and feel that is uniquely our own and will serve to further unite our 32 000 employees. At the same time, we remain proud to continue to use the Philips brand on our products.” “The meaning of our new name fits with our rich heritage as Philips Lighting, extending back more than 125 years,” explains Philips Light- ing, Southern African & Ghana Country Leader, Raja Moudgil. “It also ties in with the requirements of a contemporary and international company with a great purpose: to unlock the extraordinary potential of light for brighter lives and a better world. We are excited with the new name, which stems from the fact that light has become an intel- ligent language, which connects and conveys meaning.” Philips Lighting’s roots date back more than a century to the busi- ness founded by Frederik and Gerard Philips in 1891, in the Dutch town of Eindhoven. Throughout its history, the company has been at the forefront of many of the lighting industry’s major advancements. Today, it leads the industry worldwide in conventional, LED and con- nected lighting, with the largest connected lights network in the world. The new company name satisfies the company’s contractual requirements under the Company Name License Agreement with Royal Philips, which requires that it changes less than 18 months after Royal Philips no longer has a controlling interest. In view of the renaming of the company, a proposal to amend the articles of association of Philips Lighting N.V. will be submitted to the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders to be held on May 15. The Philips Lighting stock exchange ticker will remain LIGHT.

Image: Touch IT

Enquiries: www.lighting.philips.co.za/home

CONTRACTORS’ CORNER

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PERSONALITY OF THE MONTH – JAMES CLIFFORD

TAKING THE ELECTRICAL INDUSTRY INTO THE DIGITAL AGE

I wanted to pursue. I would say Sir Richard Branson has inspired me as well. After reading many of his books, I am intrigued by his attitude towards business and life in general. “You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.” Sparks: What, to your mind, is one of the biggest challenges facing the industry at this time? JC: I definitely believe that inferior or sub-standard products entering the market are affecting the industry negatively. Consumers who are misinformed about certain lighting products are influenced to purchase products based on incorrect information and are not aware of some of the terrible quality standards out there. Operating within an extremely price sensitive market makes this rather common. That is why we take pride in the quality, and heritage, of our brand. Sparks: What do you enjoy most about your job? JC: I enjoy being able to work with people – happy people, inspiring people, challenging people. I enjoy being challenged each day. I have not had a single uneventful day since the day I started my career. Sparks: How do you motivate your staff? JC: Currently my department locally is a one-man-band, however, I believe fully in setting examples and leading from the front. People make mistakes, and as long as we learn from them and move forward, there is nothing lost. Sparks: Would you advise a person leaving school to enter the electrical industry? JC: Certainly. It is not a glamorous industry by any stretch of the imagination, it is extremely competitive and trends change so frequently. However, it is very rewarding and very closely knit. Sparks: What is your advice to electrical contractors and/or electrical engineers? JC: My piece of advice would be: do your research on products when specifying for a project; there are many brands and products that ‘claim’ certain standards and deliverables, but the truth is far from this. Remember that within this industry, you have consumers' lives and well- being in your hands. Ensure that all safety standards are met. Sparks: If you could ‘do it all again’, would you change anything? JC: I would change absolutely nothing.

Sparks: What is your favourite quote? JC: Growing up, my mom would always say to me, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try and try again!” Sparks: Name three things on your ‘bucket list’. JC: To travel through Africa with my closest friends on adventure bikes, to watch a Formula 1 Grand Prix live and to learn to speak Zulu fluently.

Enquiries: www.ledvance.com

James Clifford

LEDVANCE wants to define the role of light in the digital age and in people’s connected daily lives and, as such, its promise is reflected in the company name – the objective is to advance light. James Clifford, Marketing & Communications Manager at LEDVANCE South Africa, is bringing his experience from years in the media to help assist the company grow in this new digital age. Sparks Electrical News spoke to him about the challenges currently facing the industry and to find out what inspires and motivates him on a daily basis. Sparks: Where were you educated? JC: I attended Parktown Boys High School before furthering my studies at tertiary level – completing a bachelor’s degree in Marketing Management – through IMM (The Institute of Marketing Management). Sparks: How long have you been involved in the electrical industry? JC: I come from a media background, and entered the electrical industry two years ago. Sparks: When and where did you start your career? JC: I began my career at a large media company in 2010 – working my way up from being a promoter/brand ambassador, to eventually managing below-the-line campaigns for large corporate clients. JC: The largest change I have seen over the past few years within the marketing space would have to be the change from traditional, to digitalisation of content. Although Africa is slightly behind the rest of the world in terms of these developments, we are seeing a rapid increase in social media marketing, online campaigns that make it easier to reach your exact target audience, and of course, online e-commerce platforms, which make shopping online simpler for the customer as well as the supplier. JC: The largest project I have worked on to date, which also serves as my greatest accomplishment, is launching the LEDVANCE brand locally as thenew trustedpartner forOSRAMgeneral lightingproducts. As an independent company, LEDVANCE bundles the former OSRAM lamps business with new LED product lines under one roof. Combining traditional and LED bulbs, modern LED luminaires and connected lighting solutions, the LEDVANCE portfolio is aimed at professional users and private customers alike. Sparks: What are the greatest changes you have seen over the years? Sparks: What major projects have you worked on and what is your greatest accomplishment? Sparks: Who has been your inspiration or have you had a mentor who has influenced your career? JC: I seem to draw inspiration from within myself, in terms of goals to achieve, targets to set and my own personal growth. In my school days I spent some time ‘job shadowing’ the marketing manager of a large international brand – and I knew this was exactly the career

A SAFEhouse Guide to Switches

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SPARKS ELECTRICAL NEWS

APRIL 2018

CONTRACTORS’ CORNER

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FLIR LAUNCHES NEW ENTRY-POINT MODEL OF ADVANCED THERMAL IMAGING CAMERAS

design to ensure it can withstand the tough envi- ronments technicians and contractors face every day. An agile user interface delivers intuitive op- eration and useful features such as 1-Touch Level/ Span, which allow users to improve contrast on their target just by touching the screen. When cou- pled with enhanced Wi-Fi, METERLiNK® connectiv- ity, and customisable work folders, archiving and report generation has never been easier. “With the FLIR E53, we’re making our Exx-Series line of advanced handheld cameras more acces- sible to industry professionals who access this type

FLIR SYSTEMS has launched the FLIR E53 – the latest addition to the Exx-Series of advanced ther- mal imaging cameras for electrical, mechanical, and building applications. This model is an entry- level model in the Exx-Series, but offers the same image clarity, measurement accuracy, and many of the robust features as other models in the Exx lineup. The E53 brings advanced thermal imaging within the reach of many more service profession- als and contractors, who need these cameras to identify hot spots or building deficiencies before they lead to expensive repairs.

The FLIR E53 features a brilliant 4-inch touch- screen with a 160-degree viewing angle, to ensure users always have a clear view of the thermal im- age from any angle. Like the other Exx-Series models, the E53 offers significant improvements to FLIR’s MSX technology, utilising a 5-megapixel visual camera for improved image clarity, perspec- tive, and readability. The E53’s 240 x 180 resolu- tion detector offers more than 43 000 points of temperature measurement and a high temperature range up to 650 °C. FLIR built the E53 with a rugged, water-resistant

of technology – the World’s Sixth Sense – but thought it was out of reach,” said Rickard Lindvall, General Manager of Instruments at FLIR. “It offers the resolution, sensitivity, and reporting tools they need to be able to quickly and accurately diagnose problems, and prove they’ve made the repairs.”

Enquiries: www.flir.com/exx-series

BIOMASS: UNTAPPED POTENTIAL IN AFRICA S peaking ahead of the pan-African power sector forum POWER-GEN & Distrib- uTECH Africa 2018, international power sector experts participating in the conference noted that biomass optimisation presented both challenges and opportunities in Africa. As a renewable, carbon neutral and potentially cost effective power source, biomass is being har- nessed effectively around the world, with Research and Markets’ ‘Biomass to Power’ report stating that by late 2016, there were approximately 3 600 active biomass power plants throughout the world, with an electricity generation capacity of approxi- mately 51 GW. Marko Nokkala, Technical Director at VTT-TECH Research CTR in Finland, says biomass presents good opportunities for Africa, but that few new biomass projects are being developed. “We fail to see why projects are not happening,” he says. “One major challenge appears to be a lack of un- derstanding of the pros and cons of the different biomass technologies available. There is also a lack of capex – in South Africa, for example, we believe there are five or six firm biomass projects being investigated, but no credit lines for these projects.” Dr. Jens Reich, Head of Sales of the Energy Technology Department of STEAG Energy Ser- vices GmbH, says biomass’s potential is still un- locked across Africa. “Key reasons for this include challenges in securing the supply chain. It is cru- cial for any such investment to have secure feed- stock and suppliers,” he says. A secure supply chain is simplified in countries like South Africa, where there are large paper mills and food processing companies to produce an ongoing supply at a single source, he notes, but in less developed countries where the feedstock might be supplied by family farmers, collecting and bundling this supply could prove challenging. “In my view, this challenge is more a matter of organisation than infrastructure. In countries where there is a great deal of biomass available, there are opportunities for entrepreneurs to bun- dle feedstock, with support from institutional de- velopment agencies and governments,” he says. But overcoming the challenges would present Africa with a compelling new addition to the en- ergy mix. “Biomass is a renewable energy source, which the entire continent is looking for. It is also decentralised, which is trending both in Africa and globally, and it presents a potentially stabilising el- ement for the grids on the renewable side,” says Dr. Reich.

SPARKS ELECTRICAL NEWS

APRIL 2018

CONTRACTORS’ CORNER

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PLUMSTEAD ELECTRICAL CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF WHOLESALING EXCELLENCE

PLUMSTEAD ELECTRICAL, Cape Town’s lead- ing independent wholesale supplier of premium branded electrical goods, celebrates its 50 th birth- day in April. The family-run business was founded by Sandy Gold in 1968 with the vision of being the best electrical wholesaler and lighting supplier in Cape Town. After 50 years this vision has been realised and continues to this day. The last half a century has seen tremendous growth in the company, which started as a sim- ple appliance repair and electrical contracting service run by Sandy and his wife Joan on Main Road, Plumstead. They expanded into electri- cal wholesaling in the 80s and in the early 90s, Sandy’s son, Bruce, who studied electrical en- gineering, joined the company. Soon after, his youngest son, Glenn, joined after studying ac- counting. This new leadership model saw Plumstead Electrical expand its Main Road premises. How- ever, after an electrical fire claimed the electri- cal wholesaling division, they were forced to look further afield for a new location to house the ev- er-expanding business. This is when they moved to their current location on Main Road, Diep River, allowing them to relocate their electrical whole- sale division, followed by the lighting showroom relaunch next door to the electrical division a few years later. By 2004, the company had expanded even further into the Northern suburbs of Cape Town and opened Okavango Electrical Wholesalers. In 2010, it moved to its current premises in Taren- taal Crescent, showcasing a state-of-the-art lighting showroom. The counters for this shop

he would be proud of the growth and success the company has achieved. Plumstead Electrical Wholesalers is an Elec- trobase Member (it is the exclusive distributors of the Synerji Electrical range in South Africa) and the company is proud to partner with some of the best international and local brands.

were built by the then retired Sandy Gold and are still in use in the shop today. To realise its vision of servicing the entire Cape Town region, the company expanded even further into the West Coast area by opening At- lantic Electrical Wholesalers in January 2017. In the year it has been open, it has grown tremen- dously and has outperformed expectations. Even though the company is 150 people strong, it still remains a tightknit family business, with many staff having been with the company for over 20 years. At the helm are the three di- rectors; Bruce Gold – MD, Glenn Gold – Financial Director and Morne Vermeulen – Operations Di- rector, who have continued the legacy that Sandy started. Sadly, Sandy passed away in 2008, but

Enquiries: www.plumsteadelectrical.co.za

Left to right: Bruce Gold, Glenn Gold and Morne Vermeulen

Celebrating 50 years of supplying Cape Town’s Southern Suburbs, Northern Suburbs and West Coast with high-end electrical and lighting products.

Tel: 021 204 3130 sales@atlanticelec.co.za Rivergate Business Park, Parklands www.atlanticelectrical.co.za

Tel: 021 982 8124 lightingsales@okavangoelec.co.za Okavango Park, Brackenfell www.okavangolighting.co.za

Tel: 021 715 3151 info@plumsteadelec.co.za Tramways Village, 89 Main Road, Diep River www.plumsteadelectrical.co.za

Tel: 021 715 3151 sales@plumsteadlighting.co.za Tramways Village, 89 Main Road, Diep River www.plumsteadlighting.co.za

Tel:021 982 8124 sales@okavangoelec.co.za Okavango Park, Brackenfell www.okavangoelectrical.co.za

SPARKS ELECTRICAL NEWS

APRIL 2018

CONTRACTORS’ CORNER

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HOW DO YOU MEASURE THE POWER CONSUMPTION OF A SPECIFIC CIRCUIT?

W e are all looking for ways to save mon- ey yet our monthly electricity bill never comes to mind. How much energy do we use? What appliance draws the most power? What can we avoid using in order to reduce costs? Of course, there are many different sources of alter- native energy, but these are not always accessible due to the high cost of existing technology. Being aware of energy saving is one thing but measuring it is quite another. Yes, we use electricity, and yes we have a meter somewhere in the building, but that only gives us a total. How do we measure energy consumption of some of our appliances? To go down this road we need to be able to identify what is essential and what is not, and only after doing that can we measure our consumption. Major Tech’s rugged, compact power meter, the K6305, offers the complete solution. It offers 3P4 W, 3P3 W or single phase measurements with recording intervals from one second up to one hour. The single phase measurement also allows the machine to measure three different loads which will enable you to measure the total supply, essen- tial loads and non-essential loads. This makes the K6305 ideal for any solar installation quotation. The K6305 power meter can measure instan- taneous power, integrated power and has a de- mand feature. “This instrument has a wiring check function which enables the user to check phase angle which eliminates incorrect connections,” says Werner Grobbelaar. “The meter will check the connections and display the results on the LCD screen.” A wide selection of clamp sensors allows measurements from 0.1 A to 3 000 A of which the instrument automatically recognises what

Standard accessories: K7141 (voltage test lead set four pcs), K8125 (500A Ct’s x 3), K7148 (USB cable), K7170 (power cord), K9125 (carry case), SD card (2 Gb), Kew Windows (PC software), 6 x AA 1.5 V batteries and quick manual. Optional acces- sories: K8124, K8125, K8126, K8127, K8128, K8130 (Clamp sensors). K8129 (flexible clamp sensor), K8132 (power supply adaptor), K9132 (carrying case with magnet). Major Tech’s K6305 easy-to-use power meter effectively helps you to locate, predict, prevent and troubleshoot problems in power distribution sys- tems and is an absolute must have.

kind of clamp sensor is connected to it. The K6305 meter utilises SD card technology which offers the user recording times of up to a year. It also has a 3 Mb internal memory and the data can be transmitted to PC via USB or Bluetooth. Meas- ured data can be checked on android devices in real- time by using the Bluetooth function. The K6305 complies with IEC61010-1, CAT III 600 V safety standards and includes power and energy measurement features such as voltage (True RMS), current (True RMS), active power, apparent power, reactive power, active energy, apparent energy, reactive energy, power factor (cos θ ), frequency, demand measurement and current flowing on the neutral line (only on 3-phase 4-wire measurement).

Enquiries: www.major-tech.com

SIGNING OF RENEWABLE

ENERGY DEALS WILL REPOSITION SA AS A LEADER IN THE FIELD

T he signing in March of 27 renewable en- ergy independent power producer projects (REIPPP) by government is an acknowledge- ment of the importance and the future of the renew- able energy sector. Energy Minister Jeff Radebe will sign the con- tracts which are expected to release R56bn of in- vestment into the sector over the next two to three years. “The signing will put an end to a two-year period of great uncertainty for the South African renew- able energy industry. This is good news for several reasons,” says Dr. Dom Wills, CEO of solar project developer, SOLA Future Energy. “The delay in signing these agreements has re- sulted in many job losses in industries that were set up to support the programme. It is expected that over the next three years, at least 61 000 jobs – or 6% of government’s targeted one million jobs – will be created in renewables as a result of moving this programme forward,” says Wills. The signing, he says, is government’s recognition Dr. Dom Wills is the CEO of SOLA Future Energy. He has a doctorate in electrical engineering and was involved in developing 225 MW of successful solar PV projects in round 1,3,4 of the REIPPP projects.

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SPARKS ELECTRICAL NEWS

APRIL 2018

CONTRACTORS’ CORNER

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WORKING KNOWLEDGE BY TERRY MACKENZIE HOY

ADVICE FOR THE YOUNGER GENERATION

A contractor friend of mine asked me a very pertinent question. What should his son do as a career when he finished school? The facts were this: (a) The son is not mathematical but practical – he likes woodwork and fixing up cars. (b) The son is not university material. It happens that the son is Caucasian. I told him that one thing for sure was that he should get some sort of secondary qualification. I said it was very unlikely that he would qualify for a bursary or scholarship since these are gen- erally awarded to previously disadvantaged people. Similarly it would be difficult to get accepted as an apprentice in any or- ganisation. I suggested he send his son to an artisan training academy to become qualified as an electrician. “Okay,” he said, “and then what?” It was a good point since his son would either have to start his own business or get a job. The problem is that starting your own business is quite difficult and requires some capital, and jobs are hard to find. I suggested that the son, after he qualified, did the following: (a) Offer to work for a contacting firm at no salary for two months. (b) Expect that the firm will offer him a job. (c) After

limit the social life to an acceptable level (due their distance from civilisation) and both will provide an interesting environment and pay generally better than in town. One may ask, “Why not stay in town and have fun, even if the pay is a bit less?” The answer is that the young man will not learn much as an artisan and thus will not be a very valued employee. On the other hand, if he has some talent that distinguishes him (such as knowledge of electric cars, photo-voltaic cell systems or the mining industry) and some accumulated money (from working at a distant location), then when he gets back from his stint he’ll have both experience and money and, with a bit of luck, a certain maturity which will appeal to the girls... All of the above sounds terribly pedantic, I know. The point is that very many young people do nothing and their first job is work- ing in a bar. They stay at the bar for years and finally drift on to something else, and before they know it they are living in rented accommodation, can’t afford the school fees and can’t stand their job... trust me, it happens all too often. If I had not planned my ca- reer I would never have ended up with my own business and own home. To fail to plan is to plan to fail. Think about it.

he has a job, work for another year. Then, I said, do one of the fol- lowing: (a) Look for a job working in the photo-voltaic power plant industry. (b) Look for a job in the electric car industry. (c) Look for a job on any mine which is far, far away. I explained that there was a huge temptation for young people, the moment they have a bit of cash and no responsibilities, to spend unwisely and regard their job as an unfortunate part of the day in which they are prevented from doing the things they would rather do. The problem with this is that young people fall into a rut very quickly. They are quite comfortable in this rut since they have the illusion that their life is progressing because their social life, after school, kicks into top gear and accelerates the further they move into their 20s. Initially, contact between the sexes is limited by convention and the fact that girls want guys who are older than them. But, as young people move into their twenties things hum. Weekends away at music festivals, late nights, and so on. This means, to newly qualified artisans, that their social lives are much better than their work lives, and so at work their input is a bare minimum. This is why I recommended the photo-voltaic power plant industry or a mine which is very far, far away. Both

DRY-TYPE MINI SUBSTATION NOW AVAILABLE FROM TRAFO

“Customers have flexibility when it comes to the design and manufacture of the enclosure, as we can use various thicknesses of mild steel to suit the harshness of the conditions, and provide op- tions for mobility such as a wheeled base or a skid-mounted base,” he says. “We also give cus- tomers the freedom to choose their preferred brands on the medium voltage and low voltage switchgear.” The capacity range offered is from 315 kVA up to 1 000 kVA, with a variety of voltages from 3,3 kV up to 11 kV on the medium voltage side and from 400 V to 1 000 V on the low voltage side. “The transformer itself is specifically designed for Trafo Power Solutions by HPS in Italy ac- cording to our specifications, conforming to the IEC 60076-11 standard for dry-type units,” says Claassens. “Headquartered in Canada, HPS has over a century of experience in transformer de- sign and manufacture, so has fine-tuned the ap- plication of transformers in mini substations for a range of environmental conditions. Trafo Power Solutions conducts the in-house design of the fit-

TRAFO POWER SOLUTIONS is extending the benefits of dry-type transformers by offering cus- tomised dry-type mini substations as a complete and customisable electrical distribution solution for users in mining, industrial, marine, commercial and residential applications. “Using the well-proven dry-type transformer technology from global leader Hammond Power Solutions (HPS), we are now able to design and deliver mini substations that are specific to cus- tomer requirements,” says David Claassen, man- aging director of Trafo Power Solutions. Mini substations are traditionally built with oil- cooled transformers, says Claassen, but the incor- poration of dry-type technology makes the new offering safer due to less fire risk. In addition, dry- type units require less maintenance and present no possibility of environmental contamination through oil-spills. The units include medium volt- age switchgear for the incoming power source, a primary step-down transformer and a low voltage distribution board all contained within an enclo- sure.

sufficient air flow to cool the transformer,” he says. “This challenge has been solved by the applica- tion of a specialised dual fan system, which pulls in fresh, cool air while simultaneously extracting the hot air.”

for-purpose enclosure.” He notes that an issue previously restricting the use of dry-type transformers in mini substa- tions has been the provision for adequate cooling in an enclosure that is usually located outdoors. “The enclosure must be well sealed to prevent the ingress of dust and moisture, but must still allow

Enquiries: www.trafo.co.za

LIFE IS ON FOR GWAKWANI VILLAGE

F or a community in deep rural Limpopo, a successful and on- going partnership between the University of Johannesburg’s (UJ) Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Sci- ence (Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment) and Schneider Electric South Africa has ensured that the Gwakwani Village has had access to basic services through sustainable interventions. Gwakwani is a small rural village – with about 70 to 100 villagers – located in the northern part of the Limpopo province in South Africa. Over the past three years, this partnership has empowered the community through its eco-friendly sustainable contributions to an area that is devoid of basic services or roads. Schneider Electric’s collaboration with the University of Johannesburg on the access to energy project started with the installation of solar lighting solutions to the homes and a solar streetlight followed soon thereafter. This collaboration, between private industry, academia and the community, has created a legacy for many years to come. A legacy that has the advantage of Schneider Electric’s global commitment to sustainable solutions and the collective academic knowledge and skill sets of the University of Johannesburg School for Electrical En- gineering. “The success of community outreach projects not only depends on the technical solution provided but also on the social and cultural acceptability of the solution and of the solution pro- vider,” says Professor Johan Meyer, Head of the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at UJ. “Initially, we trained entrepreneurs from the village to sell and maintain our solar powered portable LED lamps, with the mobile phone charger, the Mobiya TS 120S,” said Zanelle Dalglish, Head of Sustainable Development for Schneider Electric Anglophone Africa. The unit is especially suited to the demanding rural environment of Gwakwani, as it is an energy efficient, eco-friendly and robust port- able lamp producing 120-lumen light output.“ Working in collaboration with UJ is in line with Schneider Elec- tric’s sustainable development strategy, which focuses on partnering with academic institutions, NGOs, NPOs and funders to establish an electrification model for off-grid communities.

A future re-imagined Community members would need to travel some distance to fetch water from the river each day, where there was also significant ma- laria risk. UJ students identified that a high quality water system was a core need for the village, as water supplied from a diesel-powered borehole was insufficient for daily use. “Schneider Electric South Africa assisted with the installation of a second borehole pump, donating its ‘Water of the Sun’ solution, which consists of variable speed drives to power the water pump, and a 4 kW solar panel solution, provided by UJ. Now the community has access to a reliable water supply for everyday use and a newly installed drip irrigation system, which allows members to plant and grow vegetables to support themselves and sell their produce to surrounding villages,” continues Dalglish. UJ suggested containerised solutions were needed for a solar powered bakery and the village’s first crèche. Schneider Electric, a global leader in energy management and automation, supported the set-up of the solar powered containers, ensuring community members’ access to education for their children and economic op- portunities for years to come. The bakery, which had to be designed and installed in a very re- mote location, is now fully operational and delivers between 120 to 140 loaves of bread per day, which generates income for the com- munity. Through this initiative, 35 households were supplied with lights, enabling the children of the village, who walk 6 km to the near- est primary school and 18 km to the nearest high school, to com- plete their homework at night. In a containerised crèche, with the first television set in the history of the village, the youngest in the community are exposed to educational channels on television and the wider world has been brought to Gwakwani. The bakery also employs nine people. Not only does the community no longer rely on candles as its primary source of lighting, but one of the Mobiya entrepreneurs was able to build a house with the money that he raised through

Mobiya sales. “We are very proud to have had the opportunity to work so closely with the University of Johannesburg School for Elec- trical Engineering Faculty on this incredible project. A collaboration of this kind, one between private industry and academia, has many advantages, and thanks to our commitment to sustainable solutions, collective knowledge and skill sets, we have created a legacy we can be proud of for years to come,” concludes Dalglish.

Enquiries: www.schneider-electric.co.za

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CONTRACTORS’ CORNER

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THE WORLD’S FIRST E-SCREWDRIVER

J ust imagine: a screwdriver which allows you to work twice as fast. An electric screw-driving as- sistant which relieves you of bothersome screw- fastening, yet allows you to finish tightening carefully by hand. Too good to be true? Not at all. The first e-screwdriver from Wiha is an electric screwing assistant which relieves professionals of bothersome screw-fastening, yet allows them to finish tightening carefully by hand. Ideal for thread DRIVING THE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION K waZulu-Natal’s top manufacturing and industrial technology companies will once again have the opportunity to showcase their products and services to a captive audience at the KwaZulu-Natal Industrial Technology Exhibition (KITE). Being held between 24-26 July 2019 at the Durban Exhibition Centre, the exhibition provides exhibitors with direct access to the region’s top decision makers. According to a report issued by the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) in November 2017: “Having been in recession for quite some time, the manufacturing sector posted positive growth in the 2 nd quarter of 2017 and the encour- aging rebound continued in July and August.” This uplifting news, together with the positive impact the Fourth Industrial Revolution (FIR) is having on the future of manufacturing, bode well for a posi- tive growth trajectory in the sector. A large component of the FIR is advanced man- ufacturing. “Industry has already experienced a growing wave of development in 3D printing, laser welding and advanced joining, as displayed by a number of exhibitors at KITE 2017. We expect to see additional technologies and solutions coming to the fore at next year’s exhibition, making this the ideal platform for South African industrial technol- ogy companies to demonstrate their capabilities,” says Nick Sarnadas, portfolio director at Special- ised Exhibitions Montgomery. that wind and solar are the cheapest forms of electricity, and implementing these on a national scale will help to reverse Eskom’s drastic upward cost trend and drive power prices down. “The cost of electricity has a direct effect on the cost of our commercial and industrial products; low cost energy means lower cost of production and greater competitiveness internationally.” Government’s strong signal to the renewables industry will also help South Africa to recover to its former position as a leader in renewables and independent power production. “The renewables programme enables South African individuals and companies to invest in electricity generation assets which have 20 year revenue streams. This will allow a greater participation in the South African economy and strong competition to ensure best possible value for the consumer,” concludes Wills. At the time of going to print, the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (NUMSA) and Transform RSA have lodged an urgent court application against these agreements as they believe the extra renewable ener- gy which will be generated could lead to Eskom clos- ing some of its coal-fired power stations, leading to the loss of up to 30 000 jobs. SIGNING OF RENEWABLE ENERGY DEALS WILL REPOSITION SA AS A LEADER IN THE FIELD Enquiries: www.solafuture.co.za CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 Enquiries: www.kznindustrial.co.za.

screws and delicate screw fastening tasks. The speedE® is a true revolution for anyone who works with a screwdriver. With speedE, you are faster, healthier and more efficient while out on jobs. Using a three-step process, work is completed twice as fast, while electric screw fastening is done with a protection function which prevents damage to materials (maximum 0.4 Nm). The speedE offers full protection to the user with slimBits tested at 10 000 V ac and approved for 1000 V ac. It is recommended by doctors and therapists at the German Campaign for Healthier Backs. Different tasks call for different requirements, hence there are three different speedE sets, including matching accessories. Included are speedE, L-Boxx®, charger, rechargeable batteries, slimBits and, depending on the set, easyTorque torque adapter.

Enquiries: +27 (0)11 396 4065

SPARKS ELECTRICAL NEWS

APRIL 2018

CONTRACTORS’ CORNER

10

ACTOM ATTAINS LEVEL 1 B-BBEE STATUS

NEARLY A CENTURY OF INNOVATION AND QUALITY

ACTOM, leading manufacturers, suppliers, re- pairers and maintainers of electro-mechanical equipment, has attained a Level 1 rating under the government’s revised Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) regulations and amended Codes of Practice. The group, which attained the new rating on February 9 this year following auditing of its B-BBEE status by a SANAS-accredited verifica- tion agent for the financial year to end-March 2017, previously had a Level 3 rating. ACTOM is the only company in its industrial sector that currently enjoys Level 1 B-BBEE status. “The upgrading of the group to Level 1 is chiefly attributable to the advances we have achieved in Skills Development during the year under review, due to the extensive training that the group undertakes,” commented Mervyn Naidoo, ACTOM’s Group CEO. Skills Development is one of five key ele- ments on which companies are assessed for their B-BBEE ratings. In the latest audit AC- TOM also scored well on three of the other four key elements, namely Ownership, Enterprise & Supplier Development (ESD) and Socio-Eco- nomic Development (SED). The exception was the Management Control key element, where the group’s score was higher than for the previ- ous year but still fell short of the target score. Naidoo said that satisfactory progress continued to be achieved in promoting people of colour and women to junior management positions during the review year, as in recent years, but the group hadn’t succeeded in achieving similar advances in middle and W inter is approaching and with it, brings the inevitable likelihood of power outages. Many South African organisations are gearing up by in- vesting in alternative power solutions or, at the very least a UPS system to manage the safe shut down of systems in the event of an outage. It’s important, however, to ensure that the chosen solution is the best fit for the business – or it will fail when it is needed most. Selecting the best UPS to meet your requirements isn’t as simple as choosing one from a catalogue or going with the solution that works best for another company. Your business has unique requirements and there are a lot of factors that go into planning the right solution. These include calculating the exact power load and ensuring that there are not external problems which could impact the functionality of the system. Site surveys are often seen as unnecessary spending, however, UPS and generator power systems can be exorbitantly expensive, and the costs of site surveys are often negligible when weighted against the overall solution. The benefits of conducting a proper site survey extend beyond saving money on your solution. They can help identify inefficiencies in your business’s power environment, the correction of which could save you even more money. Proper site surveys are more than simply visiting a site and quickly assessing what equipment requires power backup before proposing a solution. Quick surveys may be able to determine what the electrical load is, but will not be able to detect underlying power problems, invisible to the naked eye. Nor can they assess any events which may impact power delivery. For example, an industrial machine may cause a large power drain when it is switched on, and such activities need to be catered for in the event of a power outage.

M ilwaukee, an industry-leading manu- facturer of heavy-duty, portable electric power tools and accessories for profes- sional users worldwide, distributed locally by Upat of Johannesburg, celebrates its 94th year in oper- ation this year. This is testament to the company’s commitment to innovation and quality in a range of industry sectors. Milwaukee Product Specialist Werner Koch notes that one of the major advantages of Mil- waukee is that it undertakes continuous market research to identify the power-tool requirements of its diverse end users. Once a specific tool has been developed, customer feedback is under- taken to ensure that all of these specific require- ments have been met, and even exceeded. Milwaukee can also provide bespoke tool solu- tions, with the company’s market segmentation focusing on core trades such as building and con- struction, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), plumbing and electrical, and metal- and wood-working, among many others. This segment-specific tool offering enables Milwaukee to create a larger product base than any other power-tool brand worldwide, which is the reason why it is able to cater for so many dif- ferent users and their unique needs. Milwaukee’s tools are built to last, owing to features such as compact brushless motors, in addition to gearboxes made from magnesium, and durable and heat-resistant material that extends the lifespan of the motor significantly.

Mervyn Naidoo, ACTOM Group CEO

senior management. Andries Mthethwa, ACTOM’s Deputy Chair- man, said the combined effect of the group’s Level 1 B-BBEE rating and its optimum black- empowerment shareholding status is to place it in the highest attainable position to do busi- ness with SOE’s and municipalities from the point of view of meeting their black empow- erment requirements. “In addition to this they also enhance our standing with other private sector companies, since they, like us, are ac- tively encouraged by the B-BBEE legislation to do business with accredited black-empowered companies to enhance their own B-BBEE standing with the authorities and hence the SOE’s,” he said.

“This all ensures that the battery can give users a 2 000-cycle lifespan, which is on aver- age five times greater than what other power tools can provide,” Koch stresses. Maintenance is minimal and mainly preventative, such as checking that all tools are dust-free and that batteries are fully charged. Other features designed to make work both safer and more productive include built- in shock absorbers, which also boosts the durability of the power tools, as well as anti- kickback or safety clutches. Particular atten- tion has been paid to safety, such as dead- man switches, while all battery-operated tools have built-in LED lights to illuminate the work area.

Enquiries: www.actom.co.za

Enquiries: www.upat.co.za

BACKUP POWER – WHY SITE SURVEYS ARE A WIN-WIN

ELPA TO EMPOWER LIGHTNING PROTECTION INDUSTRY SPECIALISTS

F rom designers through to installers and inspec- tors of lightning protection systems (LPSes), as well as electricians and electrical engineers, the Earthing and Lightning Protection Association (ELPA) is ensuring that it implements all programmes neces- sary in its quest to become South Africa’s recognised National Professional Body for earthing and lightning protection. ELPA national director Trevor Manas clarifies, “ELPA aims to assist with providing industry accreditations, certification, benchmarks for quality of design and installation, as well as information and education on lightning safety.” Having been officially established in June 2017, after two years of hard work by lightning protection industry experts from around the country, Manas says the umbrella body has already notched up a number of achievements. Certification exams “During 2017, we held two successful sets of certifi- cation exams for lightning protection installers,” Ma- nas outlines. “In January 2018, we followed this up with the introduction of accreditations for electricians who carry out surge protection installations. This new programme covers the proper selection, coordination and installation of surge protection devices (SPDs) to power supply systems, and we believe that electricians will gain extremely valuable guidance in this part of their scope of works. “At the same time, we launched our first designers’ accreditations, noting that the actual science of lighting protection really comes together in the lightning protection design. The designers’ course will follow a modular process: there are five parts to each module, and each module will take a month to complete.” More to come through the COC programme Other certification exams will follow in the first quar- ter of 2018, and are linked to the launch of the ELPA Certificates of Compliance (COC) programme in late 2017. Manas explains, “The COC programme is aimed at ELPA-accredited designers, installers and inspec- tors of LPSes. It entails the keeping of a register of designers and installers, as well as the inspector- ate whose members check the work being done by

Typically, a quality site survey should include monitoring your business’s electrical environment for at least seven days, factoring in the parameters relevant to the equipment being catered for (which should be confirmed before starting). This will give an overview of factors such as poor power factor (inductive) loads, voltage fluctuations, harmonics, transience and any patterns which may impact a backup power system. The surveyor should also inspect the electrical distribution within your site premises, tracing from the source of power to the load in order to check for any obvious flaws. These should be corrected before installing a UPS or taken into account with the proposed solution. Something as seemingly inconsequential as a bad power terminal can cause inefficiencies in the delivery of power to your entire organisation. It can also put unnecessary pressure on a UPS system. Once the seven day (minimum) evaluation is completed, and the parameters of both the existing and proposed environments are confirmed, the service provider should be able to produce a report on the power status of your business. This report should detail the requirements as well as suggest any recommended corrections to be done before a UPS is installed. A site survey will also equip the service provider with all the information needed to specify the perfect solution options to meet your requirement. In so doing, you will be protected, knowing that your chosen solution will work, and that accountability for an incorrectly specified solution rests with the service provider. It’s a win-win. By Kevin Norris, Consulting Solutions Ar- chitect: Renewable Energy, Jasco Intelligent Technologies.

the installers. To this end, another round of lightning protection installation certification exams took place in January, marking the third such set of exams since August 2017. We will also hold our first course for test- ers/assessors within the first quarter of the year.” Moving matters online Noting that much of South Africa is subject to high lightning ground flash density, with a consequent wide-ranging need for the installation of LPSes, ELPA is making use of online facilities for some of its courses. Manas says, “In a bid to nationalise our courses, we are introducing some online assessments, starting with the installation accreditation, which currently takes the form of a 90-minute written exam, followed by a face to face interview with the examiners while still on-site. We are now offering candidates an online examination, and then carrying out Skype interviews with them post exam. In this way, we can accommodate the substantial number of candidates from around South Africa who want to take our ELPA installation exam.” Over and above the LPS certification exams for designers, installers and inspectors, ELPA plans to spread its net wider still. “In order for participants to maintain their membership, we will be implementing a CPD programme,” says Manas. “We envisage an online element here too, and are exploring the use of webinars as a platform for the necessary learning to take place.” “It is tremendously satisfying to see ELPA, while technically still in its infancy as such a newly established organisation, already moving so quickly in our quest to achieve certainty through certification and compliance. I believe that, in the pursuit of becoming the recognised National Professional Body for earthing and lightning protection, it bodes well for the rest of 2018 that we are getting off to such a solid start,” Manas concludes. ELPA is supported by various institutions such as Wits University, the Electrical Contractors Association of South Africa (ECA) and the Department of Labour.

Enquiries: www.jasco.co.za

Enquiries: www.elpasa.org.za

SPARKS ELECTRICAL NEWS

APRIL 2018

CABLES AND CABLE ACCESSORIES

11

RESPOND TO FAULTS FASTER IN MEDIUM AND LOW VOLTAGE CABLES

W hen there is a cable fault, it is a race against time to get to the fault site. The fault needs be found as soon as possi- ble to keep customer outage times at a minimum and reduce the risk of Utilities being penalised. But this is not always possible when relying on availabil- ity of larger, more expensive equipment such as fault location test vans. Megger’s EZ Thump series is truly portable, as its lightweight design gives it the ability to be transport- ed in the trunk of a car, so you can get to the fault site immediately with no need for a special vehicle to get it to where it needs to be. But what makes it really special is that it is a smart system. The EZ Thump interface will guide you

If it can be found quickly, the fault can be rectified and the power turned back on again with minimal expense and disruption to the customer. This time saving alone will effectively pay for the unit within a few uses. Key benefits: • Easiest, fully automatic operation • All in one small and portable unit • ARM Relocation • Pinpointing with 500 J • Available as dual voltage 1.5/3 kV, 4 or 12 kV • Bright, brilliant colour display • Battery operation • Enquiries: www.megger.com

through the entire testing process, with each step pre- programmed so you do not need to know the testing sequence to quickly and easily carry out a test. It is a cost-effective solution. With its potential to substantially reduce outage times combined with significantly lower capital expenditure over truck mounted or transportable systems, the EZ Thump series is a worthwhile investment. The EZ Thump 12 kV is an easy and relatively low cost first response to a power cable fault. Its appli- cation can be beneficial as part of a ‘satellite’ fault locating concept for remote areas that may have less frequent faults, or when ease of operation and portability is important, such as in hard to access in- ner city locations.

NEXT GENERATION WIFI FIBRE OPTIC CONNECTOR INSPECTION SYSTEM

COMTEST’S latest offering from AFL is the aeR- os® connected focis WiFi2, the next generation fi- bre optic connector inspection system that uses an Android or iOS wireless connection for live image video streaming, auto-focus and more. The Focis WiFi2 probe is ergonomic and lightweight, fitting perfectly and balancing naturally in the hand. The probe hardware has a single multipurpose button, a single multi-colour functional status LED, and a battery charging port for all day mobility. The sta- tus LED enhances workflow productivity by allow- ing rapid operator assessment of the cleanliness of the fibre endface – either passing or failing standard rules – as well as “fibre not found” error notification. “According to industry studies, contaminated fi- bre endfaces typically account for 85 percent of optical network failures,” explained Maury Wood, product line manager for AFL’s Test & Inspection division. “With the advent of broadband and enter- prise data centre links at 100 Gbps and higher, the universal adherence to best practice fibre cleaning and inspection methods is an operational impera- tive. AFL is the leader in the Internet of Test, and the Focis WiFi2 is clear evidence of this leadership.” The Focis WiFi2 uses AFL’s large portfolio of in- spection adapter tips for connectors and bulkhead sleeves, including all 2.5 mm (SC, FC, ST) and 1.25 mm (LC) ferrules, as well as multi-fibre connectors and bulkhead sleeves (MPO/MTP/MPO16). AFL offers an adapter tip for high density LC PC/UPC optical distribution frames as well. The free Focis WiFi2 app (both Android and iOS) supports live image video streaming, auto- focus, IEC/IPC standard and user-customised pass/fail auto-analysis, pinch-to-zoom on end- face images, report generation, multi-language GUI support and day/time stamped job saving. Focis WiFi2 is the latest addition to AFL’s ex- tensive inspection and cleaning product portfolio, which includes the OFS300 optical and VS300 video microscopes, the DFS1 digital microscope, the focis WiFi PRO wireless fibrescope and the focis Flex handheld Bluetooth® inspection probe with integrated screen. The One-Click® and Cletop® cleaners, the FCC2 cleaning fluid and the FibreWipes complete the product portfolio of fi- bre endface cleaning products.

Enquiries: +27 (0) 10 595 1821

SPARKS ELECTRICAL NEWS

APRIL 2018