Sparks Electrical News May 2018

CONTRACTORS’ CORNER

6

AFRICA IDEALLY POSITIONED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES

W ith the commercial launch of more than 210 solutions and services in Johannes- burg in April, ABB is unlocking value for the African continent, enabling customers to take full benefit of accelerated growth helped by the Energy and Fourth Industrial Revolutions. ABB Ability™ creates powerful solutions and ser- vices that deliver opportunities to increase produc- tivity and cut costs in countries that could leapfrog outmoded western models of industrialisation and become true digital leaders. “Africa has an historic opportunity to accelerate growth and development and realise its full poten- tial with the emergence of new technologies,” said

grids are extending access to electricity. The micro- grids can be monitored and controlled remotely via an ABB Ability™ wireless network. Automation and robotics are driving productiv- ity increases in the industry that help businesses to be competitive in regional and global markets, while digital technologies are providing access to those technologies and markets. The Mogalakwena plati- nummine in the South-African province of Limpopo, for example, uses advanced remote diagnostic ser- vice (RDS) from ABB’s Centre of Expertise in Zurich. New technologies are improving transport links both within Africa and with the rest of the world, as well as making transport and infrastructure more sustainable and efficient. ABB Ability™ works by gathering and analysing data from customers’ operations and then applying to that data, the knowledge and expertise gained from ABB’s vast global installed base of 70 million connected devices and 70 000 control systems. “With the resulting intelligence, ABB’s customers not only optimise their operations, they can use the insights to develop new business models, for instance by usingdigital technologies toovercomedistance and operate across borders,” Chunyuan Gu concluded. INVESTMENT IN GENERATOR FLEET C onsistent and reliable electrical power sup- ply is an absolute necessity for the smooth functioning of all sectors of industry and modern society. Over the past few years in South Africa, there has, however, been growing uncertain- ty about the reliability of regular ac mains supply. This has seen the demand for so-called ‘prime’, or primary power rental, increasing. In addition, new developments in industry have also increased the demand for reliable prime power. However, equipment rental companies have to maintain a fine balance between having sufficient equipment available for rental, while ensuring optimal fleet utilisation. “Recently, we have experienced a substantial increase in the demand for our generators across the many sectors which we supply – including the events and film industry, petrochemical, power generation, general construction and many other sectors too. In order to address this demand, we have added 52 new Atlas Copco generators to our rental fleet, from 60 kVA right up to 500 kVA,” says Rand-Air’s Fleet Manager, Craig Swart. “The addition of 52 new generators is also a commitment to our customers to ensure that they have prime power available as and when they need it,” says Rand-Air Marketing and Communications Manager Byrone Thorne. Thorne explains that while Rand-Air does supply customers with generators for standby power – for example during power outages or emergencies – the company mainly supplies customers with ‘prime power’ or generators that will be used as a primary power source and not just for standby or backup power. In terms of new features, Rand-Air has introduced an updated controller so its generators are able to communicate and operate synergistically in parallel or in series. “We have invested considerably to ensure that we always provide our customers with the very latest in technology. This is particularly relevant to those with high amperage requirements: for example, running two 500 kVA in series to obtain a combined 1000 kVA output,” says Swart. “Features such as the updated controllers and generator-mounted DB also bear testimony to our continual investment in customising or modifying our equipment to better serve the needs of our customers,” Swart emphasises. Enquiries: www.abb.com

advantage of new technologies,” said Leon Viljoen, Managing Director of ABB South Africa. “Training and preparing the next generation of en- gineers is pivotal for the continent. That is why ABB has joined forces with the Wits University in Johan- nesburg and why we have a number of other pro- jects across the continent.” With ABB Ability™, businesses and entrepreneurs in Africa have the tools and the means to compete in global markets. By taking advantage of ABB Ability™, Africa will be able to build robust industries capable of competing with rivals in other parts of the globe. On the power side, renewables, high-voltage transmission technologies, digital grids and micro-

Chunyuan Gu, ABB’s President for the Region Asia, Middle East and Africa. “As a pioneering technology leader, serving utilities, industry and transport and infrastructure providers, ABB is the ideal partner to help customers in Africa realise the tremendous pro- ductivity and performance improvements that digi- talisation delivers.” Underlining Africa’s opportunities and ABB’s key role in unlocking value for its custom- ers through automation is the 40-percent rise in 2017 orders across all the divisions, sub-regions and channels. “Africa has the world’s most youthful population. This combined with improving economic fundamen- tals, places the continent in an ideal position to take

Enquiries: www.randair.co.za

SPARKS ELECTRICAL NEWS

MAY 2018