Sparks Electrical News March 2018

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• Energy measurement and supply • Tools of the trade • Lighting

MARCH 2018

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

CONTRACTORS’ CORNER | BUYERS’ GUIDE | PEOPLE ON THE MOVE | www.sparkselectricalnewsmagazine.co.za REGULARS:

DRONES: THERE IS A CATCH

Credit: Franz Fuls

D ynamic Remotely Operated Navigation Equipment. DRONES. These wonders of technology are systematically entering all facets of indus- try. When I was an Industrial Engineering student in the mid-90s, a lecturer once jokingly sketched a picture (for the class) of the one-man factory: every- thing is automated. The only human left in the plant is the bloke who feeds the guard dog! About two decades later we are technologically at the brink of real- ising this vision. Automation, robotics and drones are what will make it happen. But what is a drone? Is it the Reaper Military flying machine that the USA used to selectively bomb Afghanistan? Or maybe those buzzing quadcopter camera drones bratty teenagers use to spy on their neighbour’s daughter at the swimming pool, and estate agents use to take photos of the latest piece of real estate? Is it the automated Google car that is being pitched as the solution to all rush hour traffic problems, or the autonomous tractor that large commercial farmers trigger to automatically plough, plant, fertilise, weed and harvest their crops? All the above fit the definition of a drone. These robotics instruments range from miniature to massive. Some are dumb brutes while others have state-of-the-art artificial intelligence. I believe drones are the disruptive technology of the century and pos- sibly beyond. A drone increases productivity, reduces the amount of human labour required to complete a job; much like computer aided design (CAD) re- duced the number of draughtsmen needed per engineer on a construc- tion job. For those that resist change it is a threat. But to the innovative contrac- tor it becomes a tool that gives him a competitive advantage. Imagine a future where a contractor can deploy microdrones to crawl into trunking, identify a hotspot and repair it in less time than it will take a conventional worker to pull the wires. With the right minds applied in development this can very well become a tool which is affordable and available to small contractors soon. Other types of drone technology are already commercially available, in the form of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS). These small remote-controlled aeroplanes, and quadcopters, are becoming com- monplace on construction sites and in heavy industry. Equipped with Near Infrared Cameras and other sensing technologies, they can iden- tify hotspots on High Tension overhead lines faster and more accurately than a linesman can ever dream of doing it. They make inspections of hard-to-come-by items a breeze, whizzing up into the sky to check up on everything from power station towers to cell phone towers. But there is a catch. Drones and electrical contractors Electricians have the Electrical Contractors Board and the Occupation- al Health and Safety Act to worry about, and no competent electrician will argue that a government ticket or a wireman’s license is a silly con- cept. The rules and regulations are there to keep the artisan, his client

and the end user safe. A competency issue in a worker who must perform switching on a substation can lead to major incidents, massive power out- ages and death. As a newly appointed safety specialist at a Chrome Smelter, I myself landed in serious trouble when I walked unannounced into a substation. It was quite embarrassing to receive a scalding from the electrician for not announcing myself and for entering without permission. I learned the consequences of messing with the regulatory turf of an electrician first hand in a very embar- rassing way! While the safety officers we rub shoulders with in the contractor’s world make us very familiar with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its reg- ulations, and while we know what the penalties are for contraventions on the General Machinery Regulations, the only thing most landlubbers know about aviation safety management is that it is so advanced that our safety officers just vaguely refer to it as ‘the best practice management system for safety’. The Aviation Industry, like the Electrical Industry, is well regulated.

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CONTRACTORS’ CORNER

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PERSONALITY OF THE MONTH – BRIAN LAVERY

LESSONS LEARNED FROM SEVEN DECADES IN THE INDUSTRY

BL: I don’t think that the training people are getting today is as intensive from a practical point-of-view as it was previously. I’m not sure how the technical colleges work today, but my impression is that the emphasis on practical experience to complement study is no longer as strong as it should be. A lot of the people who qualified with me ended up as electrical engineers with municipalities, purely because of their practical experience and their technical knowledge. I completed my Advanced Technical Certificate II (the highest technical certificate in those early days) in my fourth year of my apprenticeship, by which time I had gained significant experience in the workplace, including drawing office and electrical test laboratory experience. Sparks: What would you say has been your greatest accomplishment? BL: I’d like to think that my success as an entrepreneur in the electrical industry over the past five decades or so has been due to an ability to understand changes in technology and trends in the industry, and adapt my product offerings to meet changing market needs. I’m also fortunate to have enjoyed my life outside of business, in particular my career as an International Equestrian Show Jumping Course Designer, in which I have enjoyed the challenge of officiating at numerous international show jumping events in South Africa, Australia, Kenya and other countries. Sparks: Have you worked on any noteworthy projects over the years? BL: My company supplied all the wiring harnesses for housing at the Orange River hydro electrical scheme in the 1960s and in the years that followed has supplied thousands of wiring harnesses with accessories throughout the whole of South Africa and Africa. I was instrumental in getting the wiring harness details specified in the regulations and I wrote the specifications for copper braided cables used in the wiring harnesses for the SABS cable regulations. Sparks: Who has been your inspiration or have you had a mentor who has influenced your career? BL: I never had any mentors as such, but certainly can give credit to several smart people in my companies over the years who have contributed so much to the success of our business in circumstances which have required us to practically work out designs and techniques ourselves, particularly when there was no one else actually doing copper braiding of cables to required standards. People such as these assisted me in getting the SABS specifications revised when our company was the only company awarded the SABS mark for manufacturing copper braided cables in South Africa. Sparks: What, to your mind, is one of the biggest challenges facing the industry at this time? BL: Akey challenge is tomaintain and enhance the standards of electricians in South Africa. We often encounter electricians with technical qualifications who lack technical experience and cannot deliver high standards of work or identify poor workmanship by others. Maybe it’s time to consider grading our electricians – say an A Grade Electrician down to an E grade Electrician BL: Mainly the interaction with customers, trying to understand what they require, and how we can assist solving problems and supplying them with suitable equipment of high quality that they can install quickly. Sparks: If you could “do it all again”, would you change anything? BL: I have never thought of it but can say that I was never interested in any other trade at all. I must say that I did battle a little on the business side of things when I moved into commercial management. I didn’t know the difference between an invoice and a statement! It was a big learning curve for me to understand the business side of it and integrate the electrical manufacturing and supply of components with business imperatives. I based on technical education and practical experience. Sparks: What do you enjoy most about your job?

would most certainly have benefited from some business studies. Sparks: Is there anything left on your ‘bucket list’? BL: Basically just having a happy family life more than anything else, that’s what I look forward to now. My wife is still with me after 64 years and we are both exceptionally fit, well and strong – I still play golf twice a week. I have a son and a daughter and four grandchildren and two great grandchildren overseas. However, I still have a passion for South Africa and for the ongoing success of my company.

Enquiries: www.swan-electrical.co.za

Brian Lavery

I t is not very often that you come across someone who has been in the electrical industry for longer than most of us have been alive. Brian Lavery, founder of Midrand-based Swan Electrical Distributors, an equal opportunity electrical distributor which supplies quality electrical products and services to the electrical wholesale industry, has lived and breathed electricity for 72 years. In the process he has started numerous companies, supplied products across Africa, become the first person to source and import miniature circuit breakers from China, and had a hand in writing the regulations for the industry. Sparks: Where were you educated? BL: I matriculated from Glenwood High School in Durban in 1946 and at that time our schooling comprised a number of technical subjects. After matriculating I went straight into my apprenticeship with the South African Railways in Johannesburg for five years. Sparks: How long have you been involved in the electrical industry? BL: I have been a member of the South African Institute of Electrical Engineers since 1947. Sparks: When and where did you start your career? BL: I left South African Railways after completing my apprenticeship and joined an electrical contracting company called Penman and Jachelson, where I worked for three years. When I left them I was manager of their workshop. I then joined a manufacturing company called Switchcraft who manufactured electrical switchboards. They sent me to Bulawayo where I opened a factory for them, and managed the region for five years before I was transferred back to Johannesburg as assistant manager. Seven years later I branched out on my own, founding a company called Industrialised Wiring Harnesses which I ran until 2011, at which time it merged with Swan Electrical Distributors. I got involved with other electrical companies as well – I had a con- tracting company called Kewberg Electrical Contractors, was in partner- ship with my brother Terence in manufacturing the Texel range of switch- es, switch sockets and isolators and started Swan Electrical Distributors in 2001. I was the first person to import Chinese electrical circuit breakers and get approval from the SABS in 1998. Sparks: What have been the main changes in the industry since you started? BL: Technology has advanced so much that it is quite unbelievable. Electronic diodes weren’t even on the market then! The sophistication of the controls and the monitoring of electricity has also seen a radical change. Sparks: What about the education and training perspective?

FAST-TRACK PROJECT FOR FOSKOR PHALABORWA MJM ELECTRICAL in Phalaborwa recently asked JB Switchgear to assist with the design, manufacturing and supply of a new 525 V Pit Dewatering MCC for Foskor’s operations there. The existing motor control centre was damaged during blasting operations, and so it was critically urgent to get a new MCC manufactured without delay. two of them duty pumps, and one standby. Everything is mounted on a skid and moved around the pit as required. The purpose of the MCC is to keep the pit clear of water build-up during mining operations, especially during the rainy season. JB Switchgear built the new MCC in a record time of just two weeks, ahead of the December shutdown period.

The new MCC consists of a 1000 Amp incomer and three 350 kW DOL pump starters,

Enquiries: www.jbswitchgear.co.za

SPARKS ELECTRICAL NEWS

MARCH 2018

CONTRACTORS’ CORNER

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WORKING KNOWLEDGE BY TERRY MACKENZIE HOY

DEVELOPMENTS IN CIRCUIT BREAKER TECHNOLOGY OVER THE YEARS

I started in engineering when I was 26-years-old and I’m now 62. In this time I have seen many developments in 11 000 V circuit breaker tech- nology and I thought I would share some of them with you. Before my time circuit breakers there were so called air circuit breakers. When the circuit breaker tripped two contacts would separate, drawing an arc between them. A mechanically driven ‘puffer’, a small bellows, would blow the arc into an arc chute which would split up the arc and cause it to extin- guish. The resulting heating of the air would cause the circuit breaker to emit a loud bang which is ter- rifying if you’re not expecting it. Such circuit break-

circuit breaker was designed on the principal that an arc cannot exist in a vacuum. Thus if the circuit breaker contacts were enclosed in a vacuum (called the vacuum bottle) then the arc could not exist. The vacuum circuit breakers worked (and still work) well. To guard against loss of vacuum they are de- signed to open if the vacuum falls below a certain level. The alternative technology was the SF6 gas filled circuit breaker. These worked on the principal that the contacts of the circuit breaker were in a chamber which was filled with high pressure sul- phur hexafluoride gas, known as SF6. This gas is a very good insulator. The down side of these circuit breakers is that SF6 is the most potent greenhouse gas that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has evaluated. It has a global warming potential that is 23 900 times worse than CO 2 . Some governments have implemented systems to monitor and control the emission of SF6 to the atmosphere. This aspect has not stopped the manufacture of SF6 circuit breakers since, unlike vacuum, they can be used at very high voltages apart from at 11 000 V. The best aspect of the more modern circuit breakers is their increasingly compact construc- tion. Earlier circuit breakers were normally closed using a spring which had to be charged and then released to close the circuit breaker. It was very heavy work to move the circuit breaker into po- sition and charge the spring. But we were much fitter then. A danger is the latest circuit breakers, which can interrupt a current of up to 35 000 A as opposed to the 20 000 A of the older circuit breakers. These new circuit breakers are large and won’t fit into existing sub-stations. In RSA we hardly need 35 000 A circuit breakers but European manufac- turers are making little else. It won’t be long before an engineer who doesn’t know too much will ‘play it safe’ and specify 35 000 A circuit breakers as replacements for existing and will cause the sub- station to be rewired. Oh well! NEW APP TO HELP CONTRACTORS BUDDY ASSIST is a new smartphone app that connects homeowners and clients with regis- tered professionals. We chatted to founder and CEO Anthony van Rensburg to find out more about how this app can boost business for elec- trical contractors. Could you tell us a bit more about the Buddy Assist app and what problems it solves in the industry? The Buddy Assist app is an Uber-like app for Service Providers first and foremost and then we have a non-emergency quotation facility as well. For Service Providers that operate a 24/7 service, it assists the manager/owner by way of having total information about the evening in question. It logs the time that a client requested a service, it logs the reaction time of SP to accept, then en- route, arrival and completion of the job. It basically serves as a job card. By far the biggest advan- tage is that logistically every business will have down-time and the manager/owner can simply ask the operators to make themselves available and pick up call-outs in this spare/down-time. You may also expand your business with ease or mi- grate. Wherever your phone is ,and within 30 km thereof, we will pick you up and provide call-outs. If you are busy, you will simply set your profile as ‘unavailable’ and change this again when you are available. What sparked the idea for the app? It is a hard thing to tell the industry. However, having experienced late arrivals or non-arrivals across the board, this app brings speed, safety GROW THEIR BUSINESSES

The circuit breakers were shipped from the factory without the first filling of oil and the circuit breaker tank had to be filled on site. It was possible to forget to do this. If this happened then the circuit breaker would blow up when switched on, injuring the op- erator. These circuit breakers were widely installed throughout RSA and there are many of them still in service – I think the oldest ones were installed in about 1925. The various circuit breaker suppliers all searched for alternatives to the oil filled circuit breakers, ones which would require less maintenance. Two com- peting technologies emerged – the vacuum circuit breaker and the SF6 circuit breaker. The vacuum

ers are fairly durable and for many years were used to supply arc furnaces where over current condi- tions are very common. The air circuit breaker evolved into the oil im- mersed circuit breaker. This had all the contacts in- side a tank which was filled with insulating oil. When the contacts separated, the arc was cooled to ex- tinction by the oil. The system worked well but the circuit breaker could only trip a limited number of times since the oil became contaminated and had to be changed. This was no a bad thing since it was often standard maintenance procedure to change the oil every two years which meant that the circuit breaker would be tested at least every two years.

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SPARKS ELECTRICAL NEWS

MARCH 2018

CONTRACTORS’ CORNER

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PARTNERSHIPS KEY AS SA TACKLES WORLD-CLASS GAMSBERG ZINC PROJECT

A t Vedanta Resources’ Gamsbergmine in the Northern Cape, Zest WEG Group is working closely with lead contractor ELB Engineer- ing Services as a preferred supplier to standardise on its range of transformers and motors across a number of on-site applications. The Gamsberg project is South Africa’s largest current greenfields mining project, and will exploit one of the world’s largest zinc deposits. It is being developed at a capital cost of US$400 million and is expected to produce 250 000 tonnes a year of zinc metal in concentrate. “This is a very exciting project for South Africa, especially as we haven’t seen a new mine being

ism, quality of service and reliable scheduling,” he says. “We have therefore placed a number of the contracts for this important and fast track venture through Zest WEG Group companies.” As a group of specialist electrical companies, Zest WEG Group’s scope of supply covers two main spheres – the water-related package which focuses on the upgrading of the municipal supply station providing water to the Gamsberg site, and the package for the mine’s zinc concentration plant and related processes. In this process, Zest WEG Group supplied a number of non-standard products – providing the mechanical and design engineering necessary to

developed in the country for many years,” says Dr Stephen Meijers, chief executive at ELB Engineer- ing Services. “First product is expected through the plant by the middle of 2018, with the civil works being largely completed by the end of the second quarter of 2017,” says Dr Meijers. “Structural and mechanical construction on the plant is now start- ing to become the focus of work, and the pace will continue to be intense until middle of 2018.” Dr Meijers is a strong believer in partnerships, with much of the project technology being ap- plied through exclusive partnerships with preferred suppliers. “We’ve worked with Zest WEG Group for many years, and appreciate their professional-

ensure that the non-standard specifications could be met, including the redundancy requirements to ensure optimal plant uptime. “Helping to meet the short lead-times demand- ed in this project, Zest WEG Group was able to leverage the global WEG group’s multiple manu- facturing facilities around the world, giving us flex- ibility in terms of where we build and how quickly we can source product,” says Moss. The WEG Transformers Africa facility where the vari- ous transformers for the project were manufactured.

Enquiries: www.zestweg.com

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and certainty to the table. Specifically, if you have dependents not residing with you, you may call an SP to another destination and track them to the door. What benefits does the app offer for service providers? You can increase your call-outs from the 24/7 aspect whenever you want or need more work. Add certainty if you are managing a few opera- tors at once. Be introduced to many more quota- tion requests and you choose which you would like to partake or not partake in. If you are looking to expand, there would be no need for advertising, simply load up the app and receive call-outs. And for the clients/homeowners? The clients know they are dealing with vetted operators. They can see the operators and dis- tances from them, and they can also view their ratings. Once called out and accepted, they can track the operator to their door for safety pur- poses. Should it not be an emergency then they just have one point of contact to receive three quotations. NEW APP TO HELP CONTRACTORS GROW THEIR BUSINESSES

Enquiries: www.buddyassist.co.za

SCAN THE QR CODE TO WATCH A VIDEO ON THE BENEFITS OF THE BUDDY ASSIST APP

www.buddyassist.co.za/provider-video.html

WINNERS OF THE SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC WIN-A-TRAILER COMPETITION ANNOUNCED

Fausto Vietri from Nobys Electrical, Jaco van der Westhuizen from GB Electrical Contractors and Riaan Kriel from TMK Electrical, three of the winners of the recent Schneider Electric Win-A-Trailer competition.

Enquiries: www.schneider-electric.co.za

SPARKS ELECTRICAL NEWS

MARCH 2018

CONTRACTORS’ CORNER

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GETTING TO GRIPS WITH THE OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY ACT BY HANNES BAARD

A SUMMARY OF THE ELECTRICAL REGULATIONS

I am sure most of you have heard the adage, “the pen is mightier than the sword”. Well… I have come up against another one recent- ly: “four simple words can effortlessly stop a 40 ton excavator” and come to think of it, everything else in between mind you. Especially if what is written on that piece of paper is taken out of context and/ or misapprehended by the reader. These four words, namely, “health and safety file”, can make a multi-million infrastructure contract grind to a screeching halt. And can keep it in fetters for days, perhaps even weeks. So what has, what we were discussing in previous issues, got to do with the above, you might think? In fact, it has everything to do with it! The Occupational Health and Safety Act (Act 85 of 1993) and the Regulations that form part of the Act, forms the basis of the “health and safety file” I mentioned above. Suffice to say that, in today’s construction environment, the men- tioned “health and safety file” seems to be the be-all-and-end-all… Hopefully this “summary” of the section headings or “table of con- tents” of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Regulations, will go a long way to prevent you landing up in a situation where your lack of attention to the Act and/or the Regulations, might cause you or your company losing lots of money by being slapped in fetters by a health and safety agent or Department of Labour inspector. So let us continue. We have thus far looked at a summary of the 50 or so Sections of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (Act 85 of 1993) itself. Then we summarised the so called group of “General Regulations”. In this group we find the Environmental Regulations for Workplaces 1987, the Facilities Regulations 1990, the General Administrative Regulations 2003 and the General Health and Safety Regulations 1986. The next group we took a look at is the so called “Health related regulations”. In this group we find the Asbestos Regulations 2001, the Hazardous Biological Agent Regulations 2001, the Hazardous Chemi- cal Substances Regulations 1995, the Lead Regulations 2001 and the last of this group namely the Noise Induced Hearing Loss Regulations 2003. The next group we will take a look at, is the so called “Electrical Regulations”. What is interesting to note though, is that over the years (including the syllabus for the wireman’s licence), it changed to include not only these Electrical Regulations, but some of the Machinery Regulations too. The Electrical related Regulations group consists of:

or distribute electricity whether overhead or underground to the point of supply. • Personal protective equipment • Work on disconnected electrical machinery • Notices • Switchgear and transformer premises • Electrical control gear • Switchboards • Electrical machinery in hazardous locations • Portable electric tools • Portable electric lights • Electric fences • Issuing of electric fence system certificate • Application for registration as registered person • Withdrawal of registration and approval • Substitution of lost, damaged or destroyed certificate of registration • Inspection authorities • Earthing

Electrical Installation Regulations, 2009 Scope of application:

These Regulations shall apply to every user or lesser of an electrical installation including Approved Inspection Authorities for Electrical Installations. 1. Definitions 2. Responsibility for electrical installations 3. Approved inspection authorities for electrical installations 4. Functions of approved inspection authorities for electrical installations 5. Design and construction 6. Electrical contractor 7. Certificate of compliance 8. Commencement and permission to connect installation work 9. Issuing of certificate of compliance 10. Disputes 11. Application for registration as a registered person 12. Withdrawal of registration and approval 13. Substitution of lost, damaged or destroyed certificate 14. Fees payable Annexure 1: The Certificate of Compliance Annexure 2: Application For approval as Approved Inspection Authority for Electrical Installations Annexure 3: Application for registration as Electrical Contractor Annexure 4: Notice of Commencement of Installation Work Annexure 5: Application for registration as Registered Person Annexure 6: Application for duplicate Certificate issued in terms of the Electrical Installation Regulations, 2009 Now this is where it gets interesting. If you look closely at the scope and various sections of the following Regulations, it is difficult to grasp how reputable merchants are able sell sub-standard components and equipment to the unsuspecting public. It appears our standards au- thorities are not keeping up the standards no more, necessitating the founding of organisations like Safe House. Also note that “off-grid” living is addressed too. Now on to the Electrical Machinery Regulations, 2011 Definitions • Scope of application: (1) These Regulations shall apply to the designers, manufacturers, installers, sellers, users, employers and suppliers who design, manufacture, install, sell, generate or use electrical machinery. (2) These Regulations shall apply to users who generate, transmit

• Overhead power lines • Service connections • Overhead line crossings • Bare conductors on premises • Fees payable

• Offences and penalties • Repeal of regulations • Short title Annexure 1: Electric Fence System Certificate of Compliance Annexure 2: Application for registration as an Electric Fence System Installer Annexure 3: Application for approval as an Approved Inspection Au- thority for Electrical Machinery So until next time, mind your health and safety Ps and Qs.

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DRONES: THERE IS A CATCH

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and advanced flight management systems flooded the market causing a whole new hype. These RPAS became trendy among kids, teens, yuppies, con- tractors and engineers. The South African Civil Aviation Authority took notice of these small buzzing cameras in the sky and became very worried. Their mandate is granted by the Department of Defence, and Civil Aviation

Before RPAS arrived in our skies, it was singularly concerned with manned aviation, and if that was not your job or you were not wealthy enough to take to the skies for fun, the closest you got to this game was when you went for a plane trip to Windhoek or Nelspruit to visit your family. Then, in a matter of a decade, affordable small model aircraft with cameras, reasonable battery life

must ensure that it stays safe and secure or risk military avia- tion removing their mandate and taking full control of the skies. Aviation incidents are deemed a matter of national security. These incidents are investigated by the Department of Defence, and all other Investigators must, by law, stop their investigations during an aviation related incident and stand back when the DoD arrives on the scene. The National Aviation Safety Board, with National Intelligence, and the Secret Service as board members, certainly were very concerned. How will these air- borne cameras affect personal privacy rights enshrined in the Constitution? How will a jet airplane in take-off respond to a direct impact on a turbine with the explosive battery of an RPAS? What about a low flying police helicopter or a fire fighting chopper connecting its propeller to the quadcopter of a curious teen? What is the possibility of a terrorist buying a cheap drone, loading it with Anthrax and set- ting it off on an automated flight

Credit: Franz Fuls

spinning blades? What if the safety officer decides to report the incident to Civil Aviation? What if this small quadcopter loses control, crashes in dry grass and sets it alight causing a Knysna-like in- cident? Will an insurance company honour a claim from an incident caused by criminal action? In our opinion, the risk of flying a drone/RPAS illegally is as great as sending an incompetent, un- qualified worker to perform switching in a substa- tion, maybe worse. We have a responsibility to ourselves, our busi- nesses, our employees and our clients to stay up to date with technology, and to make use of every opportunity that can add value. But we also have a responsibility to work safely and responsibly. Our families rely on us to come home every day, and not to get involved in activities that can potentially land us in jail. Franz Fuls is the managing director of Compact Aerial Services CAA/FOD/ROC00019, a graduate member of the South African Institute of Occupational Health and Safety and an Industrial Engineering Technologist.

path into a jam-packed Moses Mabhida stadium? In 2014, the Director of Civil Aviation grounded all drones/RPAS and in July 2015 the new regulations for RPAS were promulgated. Anyone who intends to use an RPAS for anything other than recreational purposes must obtain an RPAS Operator Certifi- cate (ROC) or work with an ROC Holder. The holder of an ROC takes immense responsibility for his or her aviation operation, equal to or more than that of a Competent Person under the General Machinery Regulations. Commercial pilots with an RPAS Pilots License (RPL) have but the right to be employed by an ROC holder – they may not fly independently. Civil Aviation audits these ROC holders regularly and checks their compliance to the Aviation Act and its regulations. Flying a quadcopter for any- thing other than recreational purposes without an ROC is a crime that can result in imprisonment. Many illegal operators exist. Many believe they will not get caught. Some very influential busi- ness tycoons in South Africa’s recent history also thought they would not get caught. But what if something goes wrong? What if a small drone used on a construction site loses con- trol and scars a construction worker with its fast

Enquiries: www.compactaerial.co.za

SPARKS ELECTRICAL NEWS

MARCH 2018

9

MEGGER CELEBRATES TEN YEARS OF DUALGROUND SAFETY

CHARGING STATIONS FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES

I t is ten years since Megger launched the first circuit breaker test instrument featuring its unique and patented Dual- Ground TM testing techniques, which make an outstanding contribution to the safety of engineers and technicians in the power industry. Sold in impressive numbers over the years, Megger instruments with DualGround TM capability make fast and accurate circuit breaker timing possible, with both sides of the breaker grounded, in more situations than ever before. With DualGround TM measurements, engineers and technicians are protected against receiving dangerous shocks from volt- ages induced in the breaker by current flow in nearby live conductors. This is enormously important in the substation environment. Although it had been possible to meas- ure timing with both sides of the circuit breaker grounded since 1992 thanks to dynamic resistance measurement (DRM) techniques, the results are not always consistent and reliable. Megger Dual- Ground TM circuit breaker testers, however, use dynamic capacitance measurement

stations and vehicle fleet operators, with the installation, commissioning and operation of their charging infra- structures. More than just a charging station, the EV Link is a user friendly and robust solution, for electric vehicle owners. The EV Link Range has ener- gy management, access control and load shedding options on the built-in webpages on board each Charger. In South Africa we stock either a wall mount or floor mount option of the EV Link, which minimises installation costs and provides flexibility for the building owner. “I was fortunate enough to drive a BMW i3 for two weeks recently, and the EV Link Charger proved to be simple and safe to use. It gave me peace of mind that the car would get a full and reliable charging cycle every time I plugged the car in,” says Strobel. The Wallbox offer is stocked lo- cally in South Africa and is avail- able in various sizes. Ideal, but not

SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC, the global specialist in energy management and automation, has introduced its range of EV Link Residential and Commercial charging stations for electric vehicles to the South Afri- can market. “As more and more car manu- facturers continue introducing full electric and hybrid electric cars to the local market, the importance of establishing an efficient charg- ing infrastructure, right around the country, is paramount to the suc- cess of electric vehicles sales in South Africa” says EV Link market- ing manager at Schneider Electric, Victor Strobel. The installed base of EV Charg- ers, should allow users optimum access to energy anywhere, at any time. To ensure that electric vehi- cles can be charged easily, Schnei- der Electric can assist residential communities, private homes, shop- ping malls, business parks, airports, petrol stations, office complex’s, train

(DCM) technology, which means that they are able to produce dependable timing results safely in an exceptionally wide range of conditions, even in challenging applications, such as those that involve GIS breakers. Another key benefit of DualGround TM instruments is that they significantly re- duce testing time, since it’s no longer necessary to remove one of the ground leads before making a measurement and re-attach it afterwards. LEM now provides compact split-core, low cost ac current transducers to pro- vide a TRMS 4-20 mA output from an external 20-30 V power supply (loop powered). Separate units are available with full scale readings of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 150 A. The transducers are split-core and will accommodate conductors up to 16 mm in diameter. The 5 A units are particularly useful in providing a 4-20 mA output from existing CTs with a 5 A output. LEM also offers self-powered versions with 0-10 V or 0-5 V output, corresponding to the same primary currents listed above. LEM INTRODUCES SPLIT- CORE AC CURRENT TRANSDUCERS T his earth leakage with overload protection unit from Swan Electri- cal is suitable for a power source of AC 50 Hz rated voltage up to 240 V and has a rated current up to 32 A. By disconnecting the power au- tomatically and instantaneously, it protects personal safety and avoids damage to equipment in an efficient manner. It can be used for infrequent isolation of electrical equipment and lighting circuits under normal condi- tions. It’s also used in buildings, house- holds and smaller installation. The unit is small and compact utilising mini- mum space, which makes it ideal for low cost installations and where space is limited in the distribution board. The unique aspect about Swan’s ADL-9, is its frame size. It measures a mere 7.8 mm height x 1.8 mm wide. This is sure to save you space on your din rail. Swan’s ADL-9 is a Pole + neu- tral device with an ambient operating air temperature of –5°C ~ +40°C. The ADL-9 has 6 rivet design and has a minimum clearance of 6 mm from the mounting surface. The ADL-9 is unique and has no comparative product here in South Africa. It complies with IEC 61009-1 and VC8035 standard. ADL- 9 is rated at 240 V 3 kA for 40 A. ADL9 – 32 RESIDUAL CIRCUIT BREAKER AND EARTH LEAKAGE Enquiries: mesales@megger.com Enquiries: www.denver-tech.co.za

restricted to homes, the Wallbox is neat, easy and quick to install. It also has wall mount and floor mount op- tions, making it extremely suitable for office Basement parking bays, ofice complexes, private homes, carports, golf courses, gated estates and busi- ness parks.

Enquiries: www.schneider-electric.co.za

SPACE-SAVING POTENTIAL DISTRIBUTION

at any time. The product portfolio features three adjust- able devices with different nominal current ranges between one and eight amps. Four ad- ditional products with fixed nominal currents of two, three, four, and six amps round out the PTCB product range.

WITH its adjustable setting range from one to eight amps, Phoenix Contact’s single-channel electronic PTCB device circuit breaker is especial- ly well-suited for easy and space-saving potential distribution. Standard terminal blocks and accessories can be used, thanks to the ability to bridge to the Cli- pline complete portfolio of terminal block sys- tems. There is no need to certify new materials.

Thus, adding to existing applications is quick and easy. Thanks to their space-saving overall width of six millimeters, these devices offer reliable pro- tection from overload and short-circuit current in tight spaces. The adjustable amp values on each device en- able them to cover a wide range of applications. You can make modifications even during startup. Users can respond to changes in the application

Enquiries: www.phoenixcontact.com

THE EXPLOSION-PROOF ABSOLUTE ENCODER THAT WILL FIT WHERE OTHERS WON’T

CUMMINS, NRG ENERGY DEVELOP FIRST- OF-ITS-KIND DISTRIBUTED GENERATION PLATFORM

M any applications that require the use of absolute encod- ers are demanding, not just from a performance perspective but also because of the operating envi- ronment. An example of this is appli- cations where the encoder has to be explosion-proof due to the dangerous atmosphere in which it operates. An- other would be applications that in- volve harsh environmental influences such as offshore platforms or those that experience huge shock loads of over 100 Gs or even shaft loads of hundreds of Newtons. The Hengstler AX65 absolute en- coder has been engineered to handle all these requirements, and is believed to be one of very few devices that can do this. Certified explosion-proof, the Heng-

mines, chemical plants and offshore oil platforms, as well as other applications that require an encoder constructed from marine grade stainless steel. The shaft load rating eliminates the need for load modules, reducing costs. This device can be installed quickly and easily due to its flexible, quick-con- nect terminal system. It comes stand- ard with the choice of SSI or CANopen interface, and it is also possible to in- tegrate the CANopen encoder in a ring network configuration. The Hengstler AX65 is available from Countapulse Controls. The com- pany has a strong customer service ethic and offers strong engineering and technical support.

architecture allows for more ca- pacity to meet expanding market requirements. The companies note that while the formal partnership is new, they have in recent years successfully implemented distributed genera- tion models for several custom- ers, and are now ready to bring this proven, cost-effective solution to a wider customer base. Cummins Inc., a global power leader, is a corporation of comple- mentary business units that design, manufacture, distribute and service diesel and natural gas engines and related technologies, including fuel systems, controls, air handling, filtration, emission solutions and electrical power generation sys- tems. Cummins Africa Middle East has regional offices in South Africa, Morocco and Dubai, with branches across the territory.

CUMMINS INC. AND NRG EN- ERGY of the US have announced a strategic commercial partnership to deploy a resilient, cleaner, and cost-effective distributed genera- tion platform for commercial and industrial customers. This platform is the first-of-its-kind in the energy industry. The easy-to-implement solution gives customers the opportunity to transition to a smarter energy consumption model. The platform, with a preliminary estimate of hun- dreds of megawatts of capacity, or enough to power tens of thousands of homes, enhances customers’ energy usage through Cummins- powered generators and NRG- distributed generation resource capabilities. The companies estimate that the solution will save customers up to 15% on their current energy costs, and in many cases with zero enrol- ment expenses. In addition to pro- viding customers with more control

Enquiries: www.countapulse.co.za

stler AX65 is built with marine- grade stainless steel and has a shock rating of 200 Gs and shaft load of 300 N. This tough encoder is not only the most compact in its class, it also offers an exceptionally shal- low depth and body diameter of only 59 mm. This means it can be installed in applications where other larger explosion- proof encoders cannot be used. Carrying explosion-proof certification makes it ideal for

Enquiries: susan.quist@cummins.com

over their energy future, the platform is expected to reduce environmental impact and power-grid stress significantly. Fur- thermore, the platform

Enquiries: www.swan-electrical.co.za

SPARKS ELECTRICAL NEWS

MARCH 2018

TOOLS AND INSTRUMENTS

BUYER'S GUIDE

10

INSULATION INSTRUMENTS AND ACCESSORIES

MANUFACTURERS

POWER TOOLS AND ACCESSORIES

EARTH ELECTRODE RESISTANCE

JDL Electric Full range of insulation instruments and accessories Magnet Electrical Supplies HellermannTyton; Major Tech; Fluke Major Tech Full range of analogue and digital LV and HV insulation testers Phambili Various brands available as per customers’ requests R&C Instrumentation Full system power management local and via Internet Voltex Various brands available as per customers’ requests Waco Various brands available as per customers’ requests SEALANTS AND LUBRICANTS

Brady South Africa/Grafo HellermannTyton Indlovu Enterprises Legrand Phoenix Contact DISTRIBUTORS ACTOM Electrical Products ARB Electrical Wholesalers Atlas Bellco Citilec Comtest Denver Technical Products Electrahertz Electro Test Instrumentation Garry Lumpe Imports HellermannTyton Indlovu Enterprises JDL Electric Knipex and Wiha Magnet Electrical Supplies Major Tech Makita Industrial Power Tools MCE Electric Phambili Interface R&C Instrumentation

Bellco Full range of electrode resistance instruments Comtest A full range of Fluke instruments Electrahertz Range of electrode resistance instruments Electro Test Instrumentation Full range of electrode resistance instruments HellermannTyton Earth resistance clamp (T2000) JDL Electric Full range of earth electrode resistance testers Magnet Electrical Supplies Surgetek Major Tech Digital resistivity, resistance and clamp-on earth testers Voltex Full range of electrode resistance instruments Waco Full range of electrode resistance instruments ENVIRONMENTAL TESTERS

Bellco Various brands of drills, grinders and accessories for industrial and DIY Bosch Power tools for drilling, driving, grinding, cutting, metalworking and woodworking Citilec Full range of power tools and accessories Electrahertz Range of power tools and accessories HellermannTyton Electric terminal crimper (EK50ML) – high speed crimping JDL Electric Full range of power tools and accessories Magnet Electrical Supplies Bosch, Black & Decker Makita Industrial Power Tools Comprehensive range of corded and cordless power tools and accessories Phambili Interface Full range of power tools and accessories Voltex Various brands of drills, grinders and accessories for industrial and DIY Waco Various brands of drills, grinders and accessories for industrial and DIY DRAWWIRES AND AIR-DRIVEN SYSTEMS

ACTOM Electrical Products Full range of sealants and lubricants Atlas CRC and other well-known brands Bellco CRC and other well-known brands Electrahertz Range of sealants and lubricants HellermannTyton Fospro penetrating fluid and lubricant JDL Electric Full range of sealants and lubricants Voltex CRC and other well-known brands Waco CRC and other well-known brands STRIPPERS

ACTOM Electrical Products Full range of humidity temperature, wind and sound environmental testers Atlas Various well-known brands available Bellco Various well-known brands available Comtest Full range of Fluke environmental testing instruments Electro Test Instrumentation Full range of environmental testers HellermannTyton Digital lux meter (T630); sound level tester (T325); anemometer/ hygro/lux/temperature (T8000) JDL Electric Full range of environmental testers Major Tech Full comprehensive range of environmental testers Voltex Various well-known brands available HV PROBES ACTOM Electrical Products Full range of HV probes Atlas Various well-known brands available ARB Electrical Wholesalers Full range of HV probes Bellco Various well-known brands available Denver Technical Products High voltage probes, transducers and measurement for ac and dc applications Electrahertz Range of HV probes Electro Test Instrumentation Full range of HV probes HellermannTyton High voltage detectors (HVD, THVD); high voltage tester (TPC11K) JDL Electric Full range of HV probes Magnet Electrical Supplies HellermannTyton; Major Tech; Catu; Fluke Voltex Various well-known brands available INFRARED THERMAL IMAGING ARB Electrical Wholesalers Full range of infrared thermal imagers Atlas Various well-known brands available Bellco Various well-known brands available Comtest Full range of Fluke Industrial IR thermal imagers and lenses Electrahertz Range of thermal imagers Electro Test Instrumentation Full range of thermal imagers HellermannTyton Full range of infrared thermal imagers; Thermal IR camera (THT45); Thermal Imager (TPK 1600) JDL Electric Full range of infrared thermal imagers Magnet Electrical Supplies HellermannTyton; Major Tech; Fluke Major Tech Full range of IR thermal imagers R&C Instrumentation Infrared inspection windows; infrared thermal imagers, fixed and portable Voltex Various well-known brands available Waco Various well-known brands available COMPLIANCE TESTERS

Atlas Wiremate pull cord systems Bellco Wiremate pull cord systems Citilec Full range of draw wires and air-driven systems Electrahertz Range of draw sires and air-driven systems Magnet Electrical Supplies HellermannTyton; Three-D JDL Electric Full range of wires and air-driven systems Voltex Wiremate pull cord systems Waco Wiremate pull cord systems HAND TOOLS AND ACCESSORIES

Radiant Group Stone Stamcor Voltex Waco CONTACTS

ACTOM Electrical Products Full range of strippers Atlas Leading brands available Bellco Leading brands available Electrahertz Range of strippers Garry Lumpe Imports Knipex cable wire strippers Legrand Starfix multi-tool stripper/crimper Magnet Electrical Supplies Full range of strippers HellermannTyton Electrician’s wire stripper (SWN160); PV stripping tool (PVST46); cable stripper (ASS103) JDL Electric Full range of strippers Major Tech Complete range of wire strippers and cable knives MCE Electric MCE cable strippers; MCE wire strippers Phambili Interface Leading brands available Phoenix Contact Full range of strippers Stone Stamcor Full range of cable strippers Voltex Leading brands available Waco Leading brands available WELDING INSTRUMENTS AND ACCESSORIES Atlas Full range of welding instruments and accessories Electrahertz Range of welding instruments and accessories HellermannTyton Soldering kit (TP720K); solder (resin core, 2 mm); Clipper butane gas (SOLDERGAS) JDL Electric Full range of welding instruments and accessories Magnet Electrical Supplies Afrox CABLE TESTING/CABLE FAULT LOCATION ACTOM Electrical Products Full range of cable testing and cable fault location instruments Atlas Leading brands available on request ARB Electrical Wholesalers Full range of cable testing and cable fault location instruments Bellco Leading brands available on request Comtest Range of Fluke testing instruments Electrahertz Range of cable testing instruments HellermannTyton Cable route tracers (VLOC2 and RD7100) Indlovu Enterprises Cable fault location services (faults/VLF/PD/TD/ID/Spike); new cable fault location equipment; repair of cable fault location equipment; training on cable fault location equipment JDL Electric Full range of cable testing/cable fault location instruments Magnet Electrical Supplies HellermannTyton; Major Tech; Fluke; Eberle Major Tech Cable testers for location, length and LAN testing Voltex Leading brands available on request Waco Leading brands available on request EARTH ELECTRODE RESISTANCE

ACTOM Electrical Products Mike Ullyett ARB Electrical Wholesalers Arvi Ramdass

Atlas Sales Bellco Sales Brady South Africa/Grafo Morne Louw Citilec Jeff Forman Comtest Leanne Cole Denver Technical Products Mervyn Stocks Electrahertz Frank Proude (Pta) Peet Lourens (Jhb) Electro Test Instrumentation Winston Browning Garry Lumpe Imports Garry Lumpe HellermannTyton Ingrid Nicolaus Indlovu Enterprises Francois Goosen JDL Electric Ashveer Lalla Legrand Johan Bosch Magnet Electrical Supplies Kevin Govender Major Tech Werner Grobbelaar Makita Industrial Power Tools

ACTOM Electrical Products Full range of hand tools and accessories Atlas Various brands and ranges for professional, general electrical and DIY use ARB Electrical Wholesalers Full range of hand tools and accessories Bellco Various brands and ranges for professional, general electrical and DIY use Brady South Africa/Grafo Handheld printers for cable and wire identification, labels, sleeves Citilec Full range of hand tools and accessories Electrahertz Range of hand tools and accessories Electro Test Instrumentation Full range of hand tools and accessories Garry Lumpe Imports Full range of Knipex and Wiha German-made hand tools: pliers, wire strippers, side cutters, cable cutters, crimpers, VDE spanners and sockets, screwdrivers, Allen keys and toolkits HellermannTyton Complete range from tool kits, screwdrivers and crimpers (hydraulic and hand held) to VDE and 1000 V double insulated JDL Electric Full range of hand tools and accessories Legrand Starfix crimper; Colson cable tie tensioner Magnet Electrical Supplies HellermannTyton; Major Tech; Gedore Major Tech Full range of hand tools, designed by electricians for electricians. Range varies from VDE, 1000 V, insulated hand tools for all electrical MCE handheld cable cutters; MCE handheld crimping pliers; MCE VDE screwdriver sets; hydraulic crimping pliers; MCE hydraulic punch and die set Phambili Interface Various brands and ranges for professional, general electrical and DIY use Phoenix Contact Wide range of handheld tools and accessories Radiant Group Full range of hand tools and accessories Stone Stamcor Full range of cutting, compression and electrician’s tools Voltex Various brands and ranges for professional, general electrical and DIY use Waco Various brands and ranges for professional, general electrical and DIY use INSULATION INSTRUMENTS AND ACCESSORIES ACTOM Electrical Products Full range of insulation instruments and accessories Atlas Various brands available as per customers’ requests Bellco Various brands available as per customers’ requests Comtest Full range of Fluke Industrial insulation multimeters and insulation resistance testers Electrahertz Range of insulation instruments and accessories Electro Test Instrumentation Full range of insulation instruments and accessories HellermannTyton T1800 insulation testers; analogue insulation tester (T1832); analogue insulation tester (T1132); multimeter (TBM878) insulation/combination requirements MCE Electric

Errol Martin MCE Electric Sales Phambili Interface Steve Lea Phoenix Contact Kevin Mann Radiant Group Alfred Weldon R&C Instrumentation

Johan de Villiers Stone Stamcor Mark Talbot Voltex Hugh Ward

Waco Sales LADDERS AND SCAFFOLDING

Atlas A-frame and extension ladders for industrial and domestic use; scaffolding on request Bellco A-frame and extension ladders for industrial and domestic use; scaffolding on request Brady South Africa/Grafo Equipment status management tools – Scafftag, Laddertag Citilec Full range of ladders and scaffolding Electrahertz Selection of ladders JDL Electric Full range of ladders and scaffolding Magnet Electrical Supplies Rigwell; Lovemore Bros Voltex A-frame and extension ladders for industrial and domestic use; scaffolding on request Waco Industries A-frame and extension ladders for industrial and domestic use; scaffolding on request POWER TOOLS AND ACCESSORIES ACTOM Electrical Products Full range of power tools and accessories Atlas Various brands of drills, grinders and accessories for industrial and DIY

ACTOM Electrical Products Full range of compliance testers and contractor’s kits ARB Electrical Wholesalers Full range of compliance testers Atlas Various well-known brands available Bellco Various well-known brands available Comtest Full range of Fluke compliance testers Electrahertz Range of compliance testers HellermannTyton

Full range of compliance testers including kits; compact digital compliance kits (TCTCDK); analogue compliance kit (TCTRP); compliance tester (MACROG3); compliance/three-phase power analyser (T60)

Atlas Full range of electrode resistance instruments

SPARKS ELECTRICAL NEWS

MARCH 2018