Sparks Electrical News May 2020

CONTRACTORS’ CORNER

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Guaranteed cable connections

keting the product in various industries and showing the contractors and engineers how it works, we can already see their minds working overtime thinking of where they can use Relicon Gel,” says Vermeulen. “This has been an indica- tion that what the local market previously had to offer was not efficient enough. Relicon Gel allows installers to visually inspect the installa- tion for faults and do tests to ensure that the installation is correct, without compromising the protection of the cable.” Relicon Religel comes in a clear or green two- component silicone gel. It is packed in practi- cal bottles or canisters including a measuring cup and mixing stick to make the installation as simple as possible. The mixing ration is 1:1 leaving very little room for error. When mixed and poured, Religel takes 12 minutes to start to cure and 23 minutes to solidify into the gel state. However, this does not stop installers from switching existing or new electrical installation as Religel is non-conductive. “We have had immense success in Dubai as many of the major new hotels constructed have specified the use of Relicon Gel. With Dubai be- ing in the desert, gardens constantly have to

HELLERMANNTYTON is one of the leading suppliers of products for fastening, xing, iden- tifying and protecting cables, their connecting components as well as tools and electrical in- struments. Globally, the company has devel- oped pioneering systems in the eld of data and network technology and locally customised balance of plant solutions for renewable energy. One of its latest innovations is the Relicon range of cast resin and gel systems for reliable cable connections. “HellermannTyton, being an international ca- ble management company, and listening to our customers’ needs, we realised that there was a gap in the market for our innovative Relicon Gel, a much-needed solutions,” explains Lee Ver- meulen, Key Account Manager – Network Prod- ucts at HellermannTyton South Africa. “HellermannTyton Global then acquired the manufacturing company to ensure that we could control the quality and standards of our other product offerings.” Relicon has rapidly grown into a respected brand in the electrical installation market. For electrical contractors and electrical engineers, Relicon offers peace of mind. “Through mar- of solutions for its diverse client base. With a 42-branch network across South Africa, BI’s complex supply chain commences with product flows from its main suppliers to its central warehouse in Parkhaven, Johannesburg. From here, the stock is picked-and-packed to go out to the various branches. These shipments are con- solidated daily before being distributed. Branches also have the flexibility to pull stock from other branches. Any stock discrepancies are managed by means of a complaint system in order to fix over, under, or incorrect supply of stock. Reverse logistics allows for all product that needs to be returned to undergo warranty inspec- tion at Parkhaven, or to be returned to suppliers. In May last year, BI successfully centralised its na- tional transport service provider as EPX, resulting in major savings as a result of economies of scale. A comprehensive collaborative sales forecasting process was also deployed mid-2019 to improve forward-look- ing demand. Master data management has also been centralised at the Parkhaven head office to assist with a smoother- running Sage X3 ERP system. Stock control at all sites is maintained through continuous perpetual counts, with at least one annual stock take for the central ware- house, and at least two per branch site annually. Supply-chain management gives BI a competitive advantage in that it allows for proactive stock planning, resulting in improved stock availability, improved sourc- ing of product from local and international suppliers for better margins, quick turnaround times for goods to be moved from the central warehouse to the dis- persed branch network, consolidation of the volumes shipped from the central warehouse to the branches for transportation cost savings, and proactive expedit- ing of stock-outs for improved customer service. BI is also able to carry out overall data analysis on as- pects such as forecast accuracies to highlight any issues for the sales and marketing teams to focus on. Supplier- performance management enables BI to hold its suppli- ers accountable for delays and shortages which, in turn, drives down lead times. This reduces inventory holding, resulting in less working capital tied down in stock. Stock control across the entire branch network reduces the risk of pilferage, while overall performance management through KPIs assists the business in focusing on product availability and customer satisfaction. The full supply chain for BI is currently managed by Laura van Rooyen, who was appointed Supply Chain Director in January last year. With over a decade’s ex- perience in the supply chain environment, van Rooyen comments that she “loves the complexity and challeng- es of balancing supply and demand.” She received her

a big eye opener and many stakeholders are already looking to specify and standardise HellermannTyton product. “Furthermore, Relicon Gel has an unlim- ited shelf life when unopened and is environmentally friendly,” says Vermeulen. “Keep an eye our on web- site for the next innovative product launch.”

be watered and there are frequent failures owing to moisture ingress. The first test installation carried out was very successful with no failures on any equip- ment, and with this great success we have orders of over 5000 litres to the region with more successes in other countries coming soon,” he says. Locally, HellermannTyton has noted that showing the working product to the various markets has been

Enquiries: +27 (0)11 879 6714

BI optimises supply-chain management B earings International (BI), part of the Hudaco Group, has embarked on a process to engagemore with the group companies so as to unlock synergies in terms

Helping the South African power grid brave thunderstorms

S outh Africa is the leading services des- tination, regional manufacturing hub and most industrialised country in Africa. It is imperative it is supported by access to reliable power. To maintain availability and reliability of power supply across the country’s power net- work of more than 31 000 kilometres requires consistent efforts by utilities and the use of in- novative solutions. Climate and geography can pose crucial challenges in such situations. Experts predict an increase in the number and severity of thunderstorms in South Africa as a result of climate change and global warm- ing. Also, the landscape of South Africa is dot- ted with mountains and high plateaus. Trans- mission line towers installed in such terrain and at such height have higher chances of being struck by lightning, causing failure of critical equipment in the power network and leading to a blackout. To protect South Africa’s power network from such risks, an innovative solution can now be applied – ABB’s line surge arrester (LSA) PEXLINK. Surge arresters are the primary protection device for critical equipment in the electrical network from over-voltages caused by switch- ing operations or natural atmospheric events. They protect the equipment from serious damage that can lead to costly downtime and expensive equipment failure, and that can po- tentially harm personnel. For utilities this trans- lates into protection of key equipment such as transformers and improved transmission line availability. The advantage of the PEXLINK solution to the utility is to improve the outage rate of the transmission line by installing line surge arrest- ers on selected towers along the transmission line. The selection of towers for installation of the line surge arresters is done through simu- lation studies to achieve optimal performance of the line surge arresters. In case of a back flashover, part of the lightning current in the af- fected tower is shunted through the line surge arrester(s). The LSAs in the towers in the im- mediate vicinity then act as the next layers of protection shunting the current from the phase to the ground. These multiple layers of protec- tion enable a constant, uninterrupted power supply from the utility to the consumer. PEXLINK also eliminates the need for invest- ment in additional infrastructure to increase the

reliability of the grid, like installation of redun- dant transmission lines. In South Africa, this means the conservation of the ecology and biodiversity. That surge arresters can be monitored makes predictive maintenance of surge arrest- ers possible and allows analysis of transmis- sion line events. ABB’s EXCOUNT-II includes these monitoring features while ensuring safe operation of the grid. The EXCOUNT-II is a monitoring system that provides the utility with safe and effective monitoring of the line surge arresters using remote reading for maximum personnel safety. With these solutions, South Africa’s trans- mission system is made more robust against lightning induced blackouts, thereby enabling a constant reliable supply of power to consum- ers. ABB PEXLINK surge arresters PEXLIM is ABB’s family of silicone-housed ar- resters that offer advantages by design to offer secure protection against over-voltages. With the silicone directly moulded onto the internal components, the design is safe, secure and ef- fective. The arresters permit flexibility in installa- tion and offer great value for money. PEXLIM arresters are type tested according to IEC 60099-4 and ANSI/IEEE C62.11. The also comply with customer specific standards. Applicable to UHV (Ultra High Voltage) appli- cations.

Laura van Rooyen, BI Supply Chain Director

National Diploma in Logistics and Supply Chain Man- agement from the University of Johannesburg in 2011. “I have extensive experience and exposure in logis- tics management, procurement management, demand planning, supply planning, and now distribution plan- ning and warehouse management. With a strong affin- ity for numbers and data, I find supply-chain analytics fascinating. The continuous drive to improve efficien- cies and productivity is very exhilarating, and keeps me motivated,” van Rooyen explains. “Probably the biggest challenge is satisfying the ever- changing demand within our dispersed branch network. Many of our products have very long sales cycles. Fur- thermore, these products have to fail or break down first before the customer buys stock again.” These are referred to as Maintenance, Repair, Operations (MRO) products. Managing inventory levels, product mix, and excess stock management is critical. In this regard, BI uses Sage Inventory Advisor as an add-on tool to assist with its inventory parameters and management. Inconsistent lead times, and lead times in excess of 240 days, from international suppliers also pose a huge challenge that is managed through supplier per- formance management. “This allows for a very stimu- lating supply planning perspective, as we are also criti- cally responsible to provide the lowest landed cost of our products,” van Rooyen says. Apart from the central warehouse at Parkhaven, BI also has a bond store. This means that for some auto- motive products supplied exclusively to Toyota South Africa, for example, duties and VAT can be deferred un- til the stock is actually sold. This impacts positively on cash flow, as the goods are essentially stored tax-free. It also allows for government supervision and security for such products until they are sold.

Enquiries: www.abb.com

Enquiries: +27 (0)11 899 0000

SPARKS ELECTRICAL NEWS

MAY 2020