Mechanical Technology February 2015

Animated publication

February 2015

THIS MONTH: • PE’s new state-of-the-art servo press

• Industrial radar and rough materials handling • Modern HVAC trends in commercial buildings • Proactive maintenance – panacea or pie-in-the-sky?

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⎪ Comment ⎪

P U B L I C A T I O N S CR O WN

I write this on another day of Stage 2 load shedding – due to “a shortage of generation capacity as additional units have had to be taken out of service for unplanned maintenance due to technical faults,” says the Eskom statement. More specifically, it continues, “in the morning we mentioned that Majuba Power Station’s Unit 3, Duvha’s Unit 2 and Koeberg’s Reliability, maintenance and culture change

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Unit 1 are on unplanned maintenance. Now we have two more units that have had to be taken off service. At the Kriel Power Station, Unit 3 experienced a boiler tube leak, and Camden’s Unit 4 has a generator hydrogen leak.” Am I excessively cynical or has the phrase ‘technical fault’ suddenly become a blame shifter? An Eskom tweet posted at 13:02 on Wednesday, February 4 reads “load shedding will move into Stage 2 from 14h00. This is as a result of power station units not returning to service as planned.” Is this a reference to planned maintenance over running or unplanned maintenance taking longer than expected? And how cool does the utility think it is to explain itself via Twitter? Eskom CEO Tshediso Matona, speaking last month at an emergency press briefing, said, “Eskom has reached a point that does not allow us to ignore the health of our plants.” When, I ask, did it ever become acceptable to ignore the health of plants? Mechanical Technology has published a maintenance feature for as long as I can remember – the feature certainly predates my involvement in the magazine. In that time, we have consistently and proudly advocated the shift towards condition monitoring and preventative and proactive approaches, to maximise uptime and equipment life. I am convinced that few responsible engineers – including those working for Eskom – would argue against the importance of responsible maintenance approaches. Yet here we are, in a situation where a critical national asset is near breaking point owing to neglect. As from this month’s issue, we have invited Mario Kuisis of Martec to submit a column for our proactive maintenance, lubrication and contamination management feature. We look forward to this becoming a quarterly feature. Martec describes itself as “a reliability enhancement specialist” and in his opening column Kuisis points towards five basic approaches to maintenance – passive, reactive, preventative, predictive and proactive – all of which have their proper place depending on the risk, impact and cost of the component or machine breakdown. Kuisis points towards the different approaches used for component breakdown on a car: passive for a headlamp failure, because you can always replace it in the morning; reactive for punctures – we keep a spare for use when we get stranded. We change the engine oil regularly because we know that this will prevent premature engine failure and we monitor the engine oil pressure and temperature, because the engine can be destroyed if we fail to pick up a lubrication or overheating problem. But, in spite of the numerous examples of good maintenance practices and technologies, not all vehicle owners treat their assets with respect. In the context of taking care of expensive materials handling equipment such as bucket wheel excavators, Flip Winkel of indurad points out in this month’s innovative engineering feature that “when you buy a modern car, you get an automatic park assist system based on a proximity sensor to help you position your car safely. But on R500-million bucket wheel excavators there are seldom any operator-assist features incorporated into the design”. Are we really that desperate to secure the least possible price? Are we willing to take more risks with our critical industrial and infrastructure assets than we are with our own personal vehicles? In our cover story this month, Fritz Fourie and David Main outline Hansen Transmissions’ global drive towards culture change. The group has adopted the KATA philosophy associated with Toyota’s success. Main says: “KATA is about continual improvement. In the context of an organisation, it is about reinforcing and repeating the things that are done well and identifying areas of weakness.” We have a skills shortage in South Africa that is, undoubtedly, affecting our ability to maintain our assets. More importantly, we seem to have lost the simple old-fashioned value of looking after our property. At our power plants and within our water, road, rail and building infrastructures, a culture change is desperately needed. Maintenance is not about fixing ‘technical faults’. Its meaning should be taken from the dictionary – preservation, conservation, continuation, continuance, continuity, keeping up, carrying on, prolongation and perpetuation – and applied literally. While advanced maintenance technologies are available, as are appropriately skilled people if maintenance service providers are taken into account, KATA-type philosophies and a culture change are essential if we are to restore reliability and credibility to our critical infrastructure plants and organisations. The current Eskom crisis brings this need into stark focus. Peter Middleton

Tel: +27 11 622 4770 Fax: +27 11 615 6108 e-mail: mechanical@crown.co.za

Editor: Peter Middleton

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The views expressed in this journal are not necessarily those of the publisher or the editor.

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Mechanical Technology — February 2015

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Mechanical Technology — February 2015

⎪ February 2015 contents ⎪

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ON THE COVER

Features Special report 8 SA’s mobile HVAC specialist celebrates 30 years

Booyco Engineering celebrates 30 years in business this February and is currently transform- ing into a globally recognised OEM for the railway sector. Jeremy Pougnet, CEO, outlines his future vision. Proactive maintenance, lubrication and contamination management 10 Critical stator rewind for N’Zilo hydroelectric power station in the DRC The N’Zilo hydroelectric power station in the Katanga Province of the DRC contracted Mar- thinusen & Coutts to complete an on-site stator rewind of a 30 MVA 18-pole vertical ac synchronous generator. Richard Botton, divisional CEO talks about the project. 12 Mario on maintenance: Proactive maintenance – panacea or pie-in-the-sky? 14 Generator reliability through preventative maintenance Materials handling and minerals processing 16 Local trommel screens succeed internationally Multotec is a global leader in trommel screen design and manufacture and has been supplying the market for more than 20 years. According to screening product manager, Anthony Yell: “Multotec has built a reputation that now enables us to supply internationally.” 18 CAT-powered shunting locomotive for materials handling 20 Screens for ArcelorMittal project in Liberia 22 Robust engineered screens preferred 25 Alternative lifting technologies

HTSA takes responsibility for Africa Hansen Industrial Transmissions South Africa (HTSA), a Level 4 BBBEE con- tributor company and the South African subsidiary of Sumitomo-owned Hansen Industrial Transmissions (HIT), has had its market responsibly extended to in- clude almost all of Africa. MechTech talks to HTSA’s sales and marketing manager, David Main and MD, Fritz Fourie. For more information contact: David Main Hansen Industrial Transmissions South Africa

Heating, cooling, ventilation and air conditioning 26 Modern HVAC trends in commercial buildings

Following the acquisition of RPP Consulting Engineers by the WSP Group in April last year, MechTech talks to Pieter de Bod, now the director of WSP Mechanical Division, about the merger and the modern HVAC capabilities that are now being undertaken by his reinforced team.

Local manufacturing and beneficiation 30 PE’s new state-of-the-art servo press

Peter Middleton visits Precision Press in PE, where Flip Gunter was commissioning the company’s new Schuler 630 t servo press, part of a R70-million investment that Gunter says could “change metal pressing in the automotive sector”.  32 Software interface for CNC systems 33 World-class on the West Coast Innovative engineering 34 Industrial radar and rough materials handling Reik Winkel of indurad talks about the safety and productivity advantages of protecting and optimising expensive materials handling equipment with radar-based monitoring, operator assistance, collision avoidance and automation solutions. Regulars 1 Comment 4 On the cover: HTSA takes responsibility for Africa 6 Industry forum 38 Products and services 40 Nota bene

+27 11 571 9643 +27 83 227 5555

dmain@hansenindustrialgearboxes.com www.hansenindustrialgearboxes.com

Mechanical Technology — February 2015

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⎪ On the cover ⎪

HTSA takes responsibility for Africa

Hansen Transmissions South Africa (HTSA), a Level 4 BBBEE contributor company and the South African subsidiary of Sumitomo-owned Hansen Industrial Transmissions (HIT), has had its market responsibly extended to include almost all of Africa. MechTech talks to HTSA’s sales and marketing manager, David Main (left) and MD, Fritz Fourie (right).

veloped markets, business in our region has flat lined, mostly due to the global turn-down, but also because of failures of our politicians to create an investor- friendly environment and to overcome power challenges. So the general pat- tern for businesses is to look to invest in Africa for growth. This is an extension of the European trend and one with the full backing of our parent company. We are currently in the process of carefully working out which countries to enter for maximum advantage and least risk and setting up business partnership frame- works with companies already actively supporting mining operations across Africa,” he adds. “Africa is vast, making it an expen- sive territory to cover. The dynamic is that unless you are local, you are at a disadvantage with respect to mining supply and service contracts. So we have looked for partners that are already well established in the mining supply, ports and bulk materials handling markets,” Main tells MechTech . HTSA has an extensive installed base in Africa and its industrial trans- missions are used on underground and surface conveyors, hoists, grinding and sugar mills, stackers, reclaimers and kiln drives, as well as for mixers, aerators and wet cooling towers. “Our specialism remains the industrial gearbox ranges and while we now have access to geared motors through Sumitomo, this is not our niche offering for Africa. Central to the Africa strategy is the decision to build on our core competence for the region, i.e., industrial transmissions for the mining industry,” reveals Fourie. Fourie notes that agreements have already been signed with partners in Accra, Ghana and in Zambia/DRC, giv- ing HTSA access to markets in several West African countries and to those in the Copper Belt. “We are also involved in talks with a well known mining support provider in Mozambique, where we have a significant installed base in the Tête

Hansen’s I4 industrial transmission was developed in South

Africa to meet the specific needs of underground mine conveyors. Based on the P4, the I4 can be inverted to accommodate an output shaft on the left or the right of an underground conveyor. coalfields, as well as in Nacala, Moatize and Matola. HTSA is looking for partners in Africa with repair and service facilities. “Typically in outlying areas, business volumes are too small to support single product suppliers, so these companies need to also offer motors, pumps and bearings from other suppliers in support of local operations – and African busi- ness is very strongly focused on after sales service. “The idea is to develop the technical capacity for our partners to do minor repairs – bearing and seal replace- ments, for example – at local workshop facilities. More complicated repairs will initially be done by our specialists flying in from South Africa. Over time, we will set up training programmes to transfer technical know-how and skills to local technicians, eventually enabling them to service our products independently,” Fourie suggests. “An important factor for developing regional hubs in African counties is the difficulty getting products across African borders,” Main continues. “Very often these gearboxes might sit on a trailer at a border post for three or four months before they are allowed to travel through. And with uptime being such a critical productivity factor, it makes sense not to move the gearbox too far. By keeping it in the territory, we hope to be able to do all the necessary repairs without having to export and re-import equipment to and from South Africa. “This is the lowest risk scenario for

T wo significant consequences have emerged following the take over of the global Hansen Industrial Transmissions group by Sumitomo, according to Fourie. “First, we now have access to a number of new product ranges, such as Sumitomo’s Paramax gearbox brand and the SEISA brand of very high torque transmissions. Sumitomo’s Paramax (PX9) indus- trial drives fit into the small and me- dium torque range of between 6.0 to 200 kNm. “Our Hansen P4/I4 range slots into the medium to high torque range from 200 to 730 kNm, but the SEISA range gives us a torque capability of above 1 100 kNm for both horizontal and vertical applications,” he says. In addition, the Hansen M4 ACC drive, pur- pose designed for air-cooled condensers in the power industry, continues to be a “preferred solution by the dominant ACC OEMs in the world for ACCs in turnkey and packaged boiler plants. Second, though, “our market respon- sibility has been extended to include almost all of Africa,” Fourie informs MechTech . “HTSA has long been re- sponsible for southern Africa, but our market has been extended to include the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) along with east, central and southern African states. This is part of the Group’s global African strategy and, as the acknowledged centre of excel- lence for mining within the Group, HTSA has been charged with its implementa- tion,” Fourie reveals. Main continues: “As in many of the de-

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Mechanical Technology — February 2015

⎪ On the cover ⎪

By implementing quick response manufacturing at its Jet Park engineering and assembly facility, HTSA hopes to shrink total cycle times so that they become much closer to actual touch times.

Hansen’s P4 mill drive solution with a double gearbox arrangement. HTSA now also has access to the SEISA brand of very high torque transmissions, which are ideal for larger modern ball and SAG mills.

a mine. Road transport, because of the state of the roads in some remote regions, is also very difficult. By the time a gearbox reaches its destination in some places, in Mali or Ghana, for example, it might have been subjected to gearbox Brinelling before it is even put into service,” he notes. “We manage a very large gearbox portfolio, so to keep a full inventory of spares is not feasible,” says Main. “Key to overcoming this problem is to educate users to understand the risks and keep on top of the condition of the equipment. I truly believe that if customers are well informed, they won’t end up with as many last minute breakdown emergen- cies. Instead, the correct replacement components can be ordered in advance and fitted during a planned shutdown,” he adds. Via sound customer relationships, based on site surveys and training, HTSA strives to develop sound knowledge of the capital equipment operating at customer sites and how to minimise the risks of that equipment breaking down unexpectedly. Talking about condition monitoring, Fourie says that HTSA, in partnership with the University of Pretoria, is cur- rently developing a simple gearbox spe- cific product to help customers take care of their gearboxes. Now in production, the monitor is a vibration-based diag- nostic device programmed specifically for fault finding on Hansen Transmissions’ industrial gearboxes. “No special skill in vibration analysis is required to use the tool and it will be relatively cheap. While the gearbox is running, operators will simply enter the detail of the gear- box into the system, including the gear

ratios, and attach the probes. The system immediately returns a condition or fault diagnosis. It can also compare the results to previous measurements on the same unit to allow deterioration to be tracked,” Fourie explains. “The whole purpose is to diagnose a problem so that an appropriate expert can be called in at a convenient time,” Main adds. “Across Africa, including South Africa, there are serious skills shortages. We have lost the experienced people that used to be able to walk up to a gearbox and identify a problem from the noise it is making. Our new monitor replaces this experience. Nobody wants a situation where a gearbox failure causes a plant to stand still, while the delivery time for a replacement could be up to 22 weeks,” he points out. In line with a reinvigoration strategy for the global group, HTSA is adopting cultural values from Japan and Belgium and aligning its marketing campaigns with internal philosophies. “We are in- troducing quick response manufacturing (QRM) and the KATA system, the philoso- phy that has made Toyota so successful,” Main reveals. KATA is about continual improvement. The word comes from the Japanese martial arts masters who train students to practice and repeat a set of physical movements over and over, so that, in a real fight, they would be able to automatically and instinctively perform the routines at full force. “In the context of an organisation, it is about reinforcing and repeating the things that are done well and identifying areas of weakness. Via ongoing introspection and improvement projects, we are steadily improving every facet of our business. And this culture involves all processes,

Hansen’s ‘Think’ campaign was launched at last years Electra Mining show. Through culture change and the KATA system of continual improvement, the company hopes to steadily improve every facet of its business. people and disciplines,” he explains. While Kata relates to continual improvement, quick response manufac- turing looks to improve response times for competitive advantage. “A key goal is the reduction of idle or wasted time, known as ‘white time’. The production cycle for a gear unit, for example, might be 22 weeks, but the actual touch time for that unit might only be three weeks. Along with KATA, QRM asks everyone involved to think of ways to shrink the total cycle time so that it becomes closer to the actual touch time,” Main says. “As an organisation, HTSA is determined to embrace these principles to improve the efficiency and cost effectiveness of every aspect of our operation.” Concluding, he adds: “Africa repre- sents a growth opportunity, but our South African business remains of primary importance. We will increase our busi- ness, particularly on the service side, and slowly but surely we intend to expand north of the border.” q

Mechanical Technology — February 2015

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⎪ Industry forum ⎪

FLSmidth’s major investment in estab- lishing its Delmas-based Supercenter as an extensive aftermarket hub is benefiting an increasing number of customers. This is the first FLSmidth Supercenter to open on the African continent and only the seventh of its kind worldwide. The facility provides strategic stockholding, rebuild, repair and manufacturing facilities, and serves as a training centre and a base for the construction team. Delmas Supercenter: an extensive aftermarket hub The facility works alongside custom- ers to boost their competitive advantage and fortify their safety record, since repairs and rebuilds take place off site in a controlled environment. The facility itself has established an exemplary safety record, with zero lost-time injury hours recorded from when it began construc- tion at the beginning of 2012 to when it became operational in June 2013.

house engineering competence to bear on all the work performed, based on readily available manufacturing data records of all this equipment. In addition, the trial assemblies are conducted before equipment is deployed to customer sites. During this process, no-load testing and verification of all op- erating parameters are carried out, effec- tively minimising the potential challenges often experienced during installation and commissioning and accruing savings in time, labour and site costs. FLSmidth has seen nearly 150 Super­ center orders since it opened, of which 85 are currently active, including: the manufacture, assembly, testing and sup- ply of 13 vibrating screens and feeders. “Reducing costs for our customers is a major driver and the Supercenter has afforded us the opportunity to participate in cost saving initiatives with our custom- ers in regard to new equipment, as well repair, rebuild and complete refurbish- ments,” Kruger assures. www.flsmidth.com low-ppm reactive component calibration mixtures Afrox has been offering in stabi- lised cylinders, resulting in high accuracy and extended shelf life. The instrument is equipped with an eight-meter glass gas cell with gold- coated mirrors to ensure that the reactive components in the sample do not react with the cell itself. The MCT detector is cooled to -196 °C, a temperature where the infrared detector is at its most sensitive. Afrox manager for special products and chemicals, Marietha Strydom says that this instrument will enable the analy- sis of gases to medical, pharmaceutical and aviation standards now required by Afrox customers. “It is also part of the ISO 17025 programme that Afrox has embarked on, in order to register as a calibration laboratory.” www.afrox.com The Bruker FTIR was designed specifically to analyse low-level atmospheric contaminants.

Mellanby has trained with TSG’s American infrared expert, Ron Conner since 2013 to become a Snell Authorised Licensee. Jim Fritz, TSG’s president and CEO says, “We are very pleased to welcome Jeanri as a TSG Instructor. All her hard work and ef- forts have paid off, as we recently authorised Jeanri to present Level I courses indepen- dently, as a Snell Group Authorised Licensed Thermography Trainer. As it stands today, there are five Level I and one Level II classes scheduled to be presented by Jeanri over the next 14 months in Johannesburg. We hope that many would-be thermographers will have the opportunity to work with her in person, both in South Africa as well as in the USA ” The next IR Thermography Level I course will be held in Johannesburg from 16 to 20 February, 2015. www.comtest.co.za “Our Delmas Supercenter has already established itself as a star player in our service network,” says Stephan Kruger, general manager. “The establishment of this state-of-the-art facility demonstrates the company’s intention to become a partner of choice to its customers. It forms part of FLSmidth’s global strategy to bring critical services closer to custom- ers and, to date, we have undertaken many diverse projects focusing on the rebuild, repair and supply of products.” One of the most important benefits to customers is that rebuilds and repairs are undertaken by an OEM, bringing in- quantify chemical species found in the atmosphere around us. It uses Opus 7.0 software to compare spectra from gas mixtures to those registered on the atomic spectra database of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). This improves the analytical tolerance of the mixtures that Afrox can analyse and supply. It complements the

The FLSmidth Supercenter in Delmas offers rebuild, repair and manufacturing capabilities, such as welding of an underflow chute pictured here.

Bruker FTIR instrument commissioned

Gas market leader Afrox has commis- sioned a German-engineered Bruker FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared) instrument at its ISO 9001 Gases Operation Centre Laboratory in Germiston. The Bruker FTIR was designed spe- cifically to analyse low-level atmospheric contaminants, including; CO, COS, H 2 S, NO x , SO x , and will identify and

SA’s first female Snell thermography instructor Comtest, leading lo- cal provider of test, measurement and pro- cess control equipment solutions from world leading manufacturers to the southern African market, has proudly announced the inclu- sion of Jeanri Mellanby into the ranks of The Snell Group’s (TSG) certified instructors. Me l l a n b y, w i t h

Comtest Technologies in Johannesburg since

2007, is the first woman worldwide to become a certified Snell Thermography Instructor.  She is also one of only seven women worldwide to have attained Snell Level III Thermography accreditation.

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Mechanical Technology — February 2015

⎪ Industry forum ⎪

Robor erects community hall for Goqo residence

In brief Lloyd’s Register Energy has launched a new risk-based Technology Qualification Guidance Note. “Our new Technology Guidance Note represents a recommended practice with a goal- based approach to risk that can be applied to any technology, from unconventional LNG offloading arrangements through to subsea processing, and even new wind and wave technology,” said John Yates, Lloyd’s Register’s technical manager for compliance operations.  FLSmidth is building on its 100 years of suc- cessful business in the African region with the announcement of a new equity structure. The structure will result in a Broad Based Black Eco- nomic Empowerment (BBBEE) ownership status for its South African operations, in accordance with the requirements for multinational suppliers to the mining industry as stipulated in the South African Mining Charter. JCB , currently celebrating 10 years of engine manufacturing, has won one of the biggest engine supply deals in its history after securing an annual contract worth around £4.5 million. The milestone agreement will see the company supply Terex GB Ltd with engines to power site dumpers made at the firm’s Coventry plant. The engines, made by JCB Power Systems in Der- byshire, will be Tier 4-compliant Ecomax 55 kW versions for use in the TA6 and TA6S dumpers. Weba Chute Systems’ MD Mark Baller suggests that there is a need to challenge conventional thinking around chute systems and transfer points, especially during the design stage. “The expertise of chute manufacturers is essential during the design stages of a project to eliminate potential flow and maintenance problems at a later stage,” he says. Metso continues to expand its range of high ca- pacity crushers by launching Nordberg GP7, its largest Nordberg GP secondary gyratory crusher to date. The new 58-ton crusher features the most ideal combination of feed opening, cavity design and capacity available on the market. This ensures high crushing performance with even the hardest feed and helps maintain op- erational costs low. In addition, the crusher is safe to operate and maintain. All-electric CNC tube bending machines from Unison have helped the specialist tube ma- nipulation company Toolspec Manufacturing to implement a flexible right-first-time manufac- turing strategy, enhance production capability and win a major export order worth £500 000. Tshwane-based Rand Technical Service’s (RTS) , recently supplied spin filters to JB Switch- gear Solutions for the variable speed drive (VSD) panels the company has installed for a mining project in the Northern Cape. These spin filters are purpose-designed to accommodate a variety of applications, and offer an extremely efficient answer to the problem of heat and dust build-up, according to Ian Fraser, MD of RTS.

During 2012, at the request of the Ward 10 Councillor and the deputy mayor of the Ulundi Local Municipality, Robor put in place the plans to erect a com- munity hall for the community of Goqo Residence. The project started with the Buthelezi Traditional Council making the land avail- able. Robor had the land cleared and erected a steel structure during 2013. Once the steel structure had been erected it became clear that the structure alone would not be usable by the community nor service the community’s full needs. Robor then decided to build a complete building around the structure and also ensured that essential services were also provided to the community. Robor contracted Gonal Construction to build the hall during 2014, with con- Screening and vibrating equipment solu- tions supplier Aury Africa has recorded an impressive 20 % growth in 2014, while meeting its R50-million turnover target. Aury Africa managing director Mark Houchin attributes this success to the company’s proactive approach to doing business in challenging market conditions. “A major contributor to this success was the establishment of our new 5 000 m 2 manufacturing facility in Johannesburg.” The company also invested R1-million in two new looms, which has enabled the company to manufacture locally, while dramatically improving turnaround times. “By streamlining operational ef-

tributions also being made by Kansai Plascon, PPC, Jo-Jo Tanks and the Ulundi Municipality. The official hando- ver of the building to the commu- nity by Minister Buthelezi took place on December 10, 2014. Robor has invested in a number of socio-economic projects over the past years, mostly in education through bur- saries and sponsoring schools within the company’s areas of operation. www.robor.co.za

Proactive approach overcomes challenging conditions ficiency, we have maintained the trust of existing clients, while attracting new clients too. This is clearly evident in our continued growth throughout the year,” he continues.

like Engen manage their workforce and track employees in an easier, more ef- ficient and affordable way. “Companies of all sizes and all industries are increasingly implementing automated time and attendance systems that incorporate biometric time clocks.” Says Ideco MD, Marius Coetzee: “The device connects to the database via LAN and the service collects the in and out clocks at set intervals. Employee shift rules are all setup with- in the Payday Time and Attendance software and the reports are generated from the client’s computer. The MA 500+ series offers value-added retail- ers and access control manufacturers a reliable, powerful and scalable solu- tion,” he adds. www.ideco.co.za Aury Africa has set similar growth targets for 2015, despite volatility in the local market. “The global market is currently struggling due to severe con- straints on commodity prices, and this is certainly reflective on a local level. Our value-added and personalised service offering, together with quality products, play a key role in sustaining these targets for the foreseeable future,” says Houchin. www.auryafrica.co.za

Engen automates staff attendance with biometrics Local biometrics solutions provider Ideco has partnered with PayDay Software Systems to implement an automated time and attendance solu- tion at Engen Ermelo.

Ideco supplied a MorphoAccess MA500+ fingerprint reader, a high- performance state-of-the-art fin- gerprint identification terminal for physical access control and time and attendance, along with an MSO300 enrolment device. Engen Ermelo previously calculated attendance, salaries and wages on paper sign-in sheets and then entered them into their PayDay Payroll system. Andrew Duggan, PayDay business manager: Time and Attendance says PayDay’s software helps businesses

Mechanical Technology — February 2015

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⎪ Special report ⎪

SA’s mobile HVAC specialist celebrates 30 years Booyco Engineering celebrates 30 years in business this February. Founded as a specialist provider of HVAC solutions to the military sector, the company is currently transforming into a globally recognised OEM for the railway sector. Jeremy Pougnet, CEO, outlines his future vision.

S pecialist mobile air-conditioning unit manufacturer and supplier, Booyco Engineering, celebrates its 30 th anniversary in February 2015. The company is set to double its staff complement over the next 18 months and expand its Meadowdale, Johannesburg assembly facility in antici- pation of a slew of contracts related to major procurement announcements from Transnet and the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA). Such is the anticipated flow of work from this long-term locomotive and commuter train programme that Booyco Engineering will have a solid order book for the next four years. This marks the lat- est stage in the transformation of Booyco Engineering, from a specialist military sector supplier to a force to be reckoned with in the global railway sector as well. “It has been my ambition at Booyco Engineering that we become a significant supplier of original equipment in global

markets,” Pougnet says. “We are well on our way to achieving this. It is clear that Booyco Engineering is regarded at a high level by the top rolling stock builders in the world. This is good for Booyco Engineering and for South Africa as a whole.” Pougnet says some impressive statis- tics have emerged with respect to Booyco Engineering’s climate control systems from the railway sector, indicating very low numbers of failures per million kilometres, which is the international yardstick of reliability for this sector. “By world standards we are obtaining good results, and the global railway fraternity is sitting up and taking notice.” In terms of Transnet’s procurement drive to replace ageing rolling stock, in conjunction with PRASA’s procurement drive on the passenger rail side, Booyco Engineering has had to embrace “a sud- den and dramatic increase in competition in our traditional market or risk losing

Jeremy Pougnet, CEO of Booyco Engineering, which celebrates its 30 th anniversary during February 2015. out on some massive opportunities. I do believe that these contracts are of the magnitude that we are unlikely to see in South Africa again anytime soon, especially given the fact that locomo- tives and coaches have a life expectancy of between 30 to 40 years,” Pougnet comments. “The upside of the increased competi- tion is that it forces us to be on our toes at all times.” In order to be both efficient and competitive, Pougnet reveals that Booyco Engineering is upgrading its assembly facility in Meadowdale, Johannesburg. “What I am particularly excited about is that we have had a fresh look at our manufacturing philosophy.

Booyco Engineering is implementing a new factory layout and installing new equipment to enable the company to take advantage of Transnet’s and PRASA’s procurement drives.

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Mechanical Technology — February 2015

⎪ Special report ⎪

“Due to the fact that the projects we are taking on represent sizeable volumes, we will be adopting a ‘flow line’ assembly process. We are busy implementing a new factory layout. There is also a whole lot of new equipment that we are install- ing. This represents a step change in the efficiency and utilisation of two critical factors, namely space and manpower.” Pougnet says Booyco Engineering also has a skills development programme in place. “All the components required in our designs are manufactured externally. Our factory is purely an assembly and test facility. If you look at it in simple terms, our company has invested in human capital while our own supplier base has invested in capital equipment. This is very much an intentional part of our strat- egy because it gives us huge flexibility. “At a time like this when we are ramp- ing up significantly, we are able to do it quite easily as we have both the space and the necessary skills. Given that we are going to be far busier in 2015 than we were in 2014, we have already started recruiting and training additional workers. I estimate that over the next 18 months we will probably double our num- ber of factory workers,” Pougnet says. Looking at the latest trends in the HVAC market, Pougnet says there has been a shift from traditional electrome- chanical control devices to an increased use of electronics. “This gives us enor- mous flexibility in what we can do in terms of the sophistication of the controls and how we communicate with the vehicle system, albeit a military vehicle, locomotive or coach. From CAN to MBV, we now have the necessary protocols to be able to do this. We are able to inter- face with VDUs (video display units) to inform the driver about the HVAC unit status or to alert him to any faults.” Pougnet says that Booyco Engineering uses its own proprietary designed electronic controllers and a proprietary designed ‘smart’ inverter. The ‘smart’ inverter is used in certain diesel loco- motives that have a 74 V dc power supply. Here the ‘smart’ inverter is used to translate this to a 380 V three-phase 50 Hz power supply so that conventional compressors and fans can be used. In addition, the ‘smart’ inverter controls the cycling of the compressors and the speed of the fans. “This technology did not exist 20 years ago,” Pougnet points out. The latest trend in energy efficiency is to use digital scroll compressors.

Above: The compressor assembly line at Booyco Engineering. The company is now adopting a ‘flow line’ assembly process. Left: Testing and commissioning at Booyco Engineering’s Meadowdale, Johannesburg assembly facility.

that the Transnet and PRASA business all tends to start at around the same timelines, and because Alstom has only ordered a third of the total quantity, it happens to run concurrently with the locomotive business. Thus for the first time in the history of Booyco Engineering, we have a very strong order book for a four-year period. “This allows us to start hunting for other projects immediately upon signing the current contracts. We have already identified some prospects that will give us continuity. The work we have done over the last 30 years has brought us to a point where we not only have a strong business, but an adaptable business model to carry us forward,” Pougnet says. “Our real differentiating factor is our responsiveness to our clients’ require- ments, hand-in-hand with our flexibility. An advantage of a company of our size is that we are able to make quick decisions and can change direction quite quickly. Clearly we are internationally competi- tive, in addition to being able to deliver bespoke engineering solutions. Really we are in about as good a position as a company could wish to be, being a major player in terms of long-term local contracts, but also being able to perform at a world class level. “A critical success factor for having satisfied clients is the capability to sup- port your products in the host country. Our strategy has been to set up servicing agreements with companies with the req- uisite skills, equipment and infrastructure on our behalf. We then give them the specific training, technical back up and logistical support. We have found this to be very efficient, and will continue to expand our global network on this basis,” Pougnet concludes. q

“While the size of our company prohibits us from spending millions on R&D, whatever we do must be in line with the latest trends. We like to be the early adopter of any new technology. For example, we were one of the first compa- nies in South Africa to use R134a as an environmentally friendly refrigerant, at a time when the bulk of the industry was still using R12 or R22, which have major greenhouse gas implications.” Booyco Engineering is continuing with this trend by looking at alternative refrigerants with improved environmental and thermal performance. Another trend is increasingly strin- gent performance specifications. “Performance specifications now go way beyond the simple capability of be- ing able to operate in ventilation, heating or cooling mode, how many fan speeds there are and how the temperature can be adjusted. These days, specifications include such factors as the noise level and even the electromagnetic signature that is emitted. Specifications even go so far as to include electromagnetic compat- ibility with any other electrical devices in the vicinity. “For every one of these references, there is a standard or a specification and a test method. What it has required us to do is to adapt from being good ther- modynamic engineers who design the electrical circuitry and so on to having to know a lot about many other related subjects. This has transformed us into a company where we now have engineers with different areas of specialisation.” Looking to the future, Pougnet says that the Transnet and PRASA contracts dovetail. “What is quite interesting is

Mechanical Technology — February 2015

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⎪ Proactive maintenance, lubrication and contamination management ⎪

Critical stator rewind for N’Zilo hydroelectric

ageing infrastructure. While Units 2 and 4 were refurbished, Unit 3 recently expe- rienced a stator failure that necessitated urgent repairs. “Power is in short supply in the DRC’s Katanga province, which is of critical concern to the mining industry in particular,” Botton says. “The rehabilitation of Unit 3 at N’Zilo became quite a critical element of the power projects within Katanga Province.” Botton adds that while the average life of a stator is 25 to 30 years, those at N’Zilo had been operational for 40 years. “Generators usually run under arduous conditions, with a high demand placed on the machines, but they cannot run forever. N’Zilo was faced with both ageing and stressed infrastructure that ultimately was unable to cope with the demands being placed on it.” Due to the fact that N’Zilo is 50 km

The N’Zilo hydroelectric power station in the Katanga Province of the DRC contracted Marthinusen & Coutts to complete an on-site stator rewind of a 30 MVA 18-pole vertical ac synchronous generator. “This power plant forms a critical component of the power generation network, not only in Katanga province but in the entire DRC,” says Richard Botton, divisional CEO, Marthinusen & Coutts.

M arthinusen & Coutts, a division of Actom, is con- solidating its role as an integrated electrical and mechanical services provider for the power generation and other industries in Africa, with its latest contract at the N’Zilo hydroelectric power station in the Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), operated by State electricity utility Société natio- nale d’électricité (SNEL). The contract included the stator rewind of a 30 MVA

18-pole vertical ac synchronous genera- tor. “This power plant forms a critical component of the power generation network, not only in Katanga province but in the entire DRC, where electricity supply in general is under severe pres- sure,” says Richard Botton, divisional CEO, Marthinusen & Coutts. Located on the Lualaba River, N’Zilo was commissioned in 1958 to provide power to copper mines in the nearby Kolwezi region, but has only been inter- mittently operational since then due to

Marthinusen & Coutts armature winders, Wynand Willemse (seated) and Sheperd Chigwa (standing) inserting coils in the stator.

Marthinusen & Coutts armature winders Sheperd Chigwa and Wynand Willemse at the beginning of the rewind process, namely coil insertion.

Marthinusen & Coutts armature winder Wynand Willemse pushing coils firmly into slots and inserting temporary wedges that retain the coils in the slot.

Marthinusen & Coutts armature winders Sheperd Chigwa and Wynand Willemse with the completed stator.

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Mechanical Technology — February 2015

⎪ Proactive maintenance, lubrication and contamination management ⎪

power station in the DRC

menced with the work in March this year and essentially completed the rewinding within seven weeks, with commission- ing taking place in October. We had to ensure a long cure-off time because the overhangs were essentially in a raw state, which meant we had to build special temporary ovens for the curing.” Botton ascribes Marthinusen & Coutts’ success with this project to its “diligent planning and resources on the ground” in the DRC. “We are well positioned to be able to carry out these types of critical projects, having access to all our resources in Johannesburg as well as our facility in Zambia.” He adds that upfront planning is essential to avoid later con- tingencies and manage costs. “We like to get everything organised, set a date and then carry out the project, whereupon we are able to mobilise rapidly in order to be able to tackle the next project.” q

from the nearest town (Kolwezi) in dif- ficult terrain and that the equipment is extremely big with the stator’s internal diameter being over 5.0 m, the best solution was for Marthinusen & Coutts to carry out the repairs on site “as the most logical solution,” Botton says. “In addi- tion, we have the necessary equipment and skills in place in the DRC in order to carry out such repairs effectively.” The scope of work was further complicated by the fact that it was a lap-wound stator as opposed to Roebel stator bars, requiring a high level of expertise. All this had to be accomplished in a very remote and isolated location. Another factor that had to be taken into account by Marthinusen & Coutts was the testing conditions. Due to the dif-

ferent style and manufacturing discipline of the equipment in question, different testing equipment was required. “We had to purchase state-of-the-art Baker and PJ Impulse testers specifically for this job, with the understanding that this equipment would eventually be relocated to our centre of excellence in Cleveland, Johannesburg. Thus while the project entailed some serious decisions for us in terms of capital investment, it extends our overall capability and expertise, especially as we grow our business as an integrated electrical and mechanical service provider for both power genera- tion and motors,” Botton says. The project was completed on a very fast track due to the critical nature of the power supply in Katanga. “We com-

SA company installs lube dispensing for Tanzanian mine Hytec Services Africa (HSA), a Hytec Group company, recently completed the supply and installation of a lube and coolant dispensing system at African Barrick Gold’s North Mara Gold Mine, located in a

remote corner of northern Tanzania. T he dispensing system installed by Hytec Services Africa (HSA) enables more responsive, immediate and ef- ficient servicing and maintenance capabili- ties for the mine’s heavy mobile materials handling fleets, comprising haul trucks, graders, loaders and shovels. The maintenance of heavy mobile equipment in operation at North Mara Gold Mine was previously constrained by the significant distance between the main equipment workshops and the remote workshop located at an open cast pit. A more automated dispensing system, to facilitate faster fluid ‘top ups’, was required for a more effective operation, for which HSA was contracted. The system covers the complete fluid management and distribution process, from the bulk offloading of fluids from tankers into 20 000 ℓ holding tanks (coolant and transmission oil are stored in 1 000 ℓ tanks), as well as the steel pipe infrastructure for transfer into remote hose reels, from where machine services can be carried out. The dispensing system consists of seven steel dispensing lines dedicated for engine oil, transmission oil, two variants of hy- draulic oil, coolant, compressed air, as well as a waste oil pipe for the safe removal of used oil from the site. Grease points were

also provided. Each oil and coolant flow is filtered through Bosch Rexroth duplex filters, while the bulk tanks are protected with Hy-Pro desiccant breathers. HSA, together with Hytec, executed the design and layout of the entire dispensing system. All the stands for the bulk offload- ing pumps, filter stands, waste oil pumps as well as the cabinets for hose reels were designed and built by Hytec. Hytec’s Installation and Servicing departments were involved in the pre-assembly of pipework in South Africa, as well as its final instal- lation on site. HSA coordinated the project, includ- ing the logistics of delivering materials, equipment and personnel to the site. The remoteness of the North Mara site, located near the Kenyan border, required three days’ travelling to reach from South Africa, presenting numerous logistical hurdles to contractors, and requiring meticulous planning in the assembly of components, pipework and tool loads for transport to the site. Components for the project were sup- plied by several Hytec Group compa- nies, including Hydraulics & Automation Warehouse, Hytec Fluid Technology and Tectra Automation, while Hytec’s drafting, project and work-shopping services provid- ed integral project engineering functions. q

20 000 ℓ and 1 000 ℓ holding tanks house the various lubricants and coolants required on the North Mara Gold Mine site.

800 m of pipework was installed as part of the dispensing system, the installation of which was completed in August 2014.

Hose reels, designed and constructed by Hytec Johannesburg, provide a simple and efficient dispensing point for machine fluid maintenance.

Mechanical Technology — February 2015

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