MechChem Africa July 2017

July 2017

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MechChem Africa

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Power transmission, bearings, bushes and seals

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recent field service project com-

pleted during the previous off-

crop season was a turnkey

in situ

replacement of diffuser head shaft

bearings and the complete refurbishment of

themultimisalignment couplings drivingeach

end of the head shaft.

“BMG’s design and installation teamfaced

many challenges during this project, including

the lack of engineering drawings required

for the manufacture of replacement com-

ponents. This meant bearing sleeves could

only be final-machined after the extraction

of components, some of which had been in

operation for approximately 20 years,” says

Chris Johns, BMG’s regionalmanager forKZN

and Swaziland.

“Restricted space for moving enormous

components added to the difficulties of the

project. Due to the extended reach of the

head shaft, it was not feasible to employ

the conventional approach of using mobile

cranes. Instead, support structures were

specially manufactured and placed under

the 126 t head shaft and used to jack the

shaft up and out of the pedestals, allowing

the team access to replace the 900 mm bore

diameter bearings.

“BMG coped with extremely tight time-

frames to manufacture replacement compo-

nents and complete the project, which also

involved the installation of new bearings

and adaptor sleeves, as well as new keys and

connector arms for the couplings,” according

to Johns.

BMG’s KZN field service team has been involved in a number

of field service projects in the local sugar industry during recent

off-crop seasons, as well as dealing with urgent breakdowns in

sugar mills and refineries.

Linear motion systems

meet demands of advanced engineering

BMG’s linearmotion systems and associated products are designed

for high speed, high precision performance, to meet the rigorous

demands of technologically advanced engineering.

“With the growing trend for companies to move away from

manual machine operation to specialised mechanisation as part of

cost saving programmes, BMGhasmade a substantial investment in

expandingour product range tomeet specific demand ineconomical

andhighly complex applications,” saysRouff Essop, generalmanager,

bearings, BMG. “BMG’s qualitybranded linearmotionproducts have

been carefully selected for excellent accuracy and smooth linearmo-

tion, easy integration, energy saving and environmental protection.”

BMG’s linear way products include linear guides, runner blocks,

rails, ball screws, bushings and shafts, designed for use in diverse

applications, including OEMs, the machine tool sector, automotive

plants, design houses, packaging, beverage plants, robotics, brick

and glass manufacturing, paper, pulp and wood industries, as well

as for measuring systems.

BMG’s specialist services to the sugar sector include bearing and gearbox

inspection, bearing and chain refurbishment, large size bearing assembly

and alignment and balancing, as well as customised product design.

BMG’s KZN field service team has been involved in

a number of field service projects in the local sugar

industry during recent off crop seasons, as well as

dealing with urgent breakdowns in sugar mills and

refineries.

Linear rail and block slide units from BMG’s linear way products range.

Special services

for the sugar industry

BMG’s field service

team also recently at-

tended to a failure on

a mill gearbox in KZN,

where the coupling box

had seized, causing ex-

cessive axial loading on

the final drive bearings,

resulting in failure of

these bearings.

The complete mill

gearbox had to be dis-

mantled, all gearing dressed and damaged

components repaired. Scope of operations

also included fitting and mounting of all

bearings, re-assembly of the gearbox and

alignmentandblueingofallgearing.BMGsup-

plied new bearings, adaptor and withdrawal

sleeves, seals and grease for this project.

Other recent breakdowns in the sugar

industry involved attending to a Dorstener

mill gearbox in Swaziland and a shredder

failure in KZN.

BMG is committed to providing engineer-

ing solutions and technical services that opti-

mise productivity, tomake a difference to the

efficiencies of every sugar mill and refinery.

A wide range of products, selected espe-

cially for the sugar industry, is available from

BMG, throughout Africa. These components

include carrier and diffuser chain, knife and

shredder bearing housings, customsprockets

and gear couplings, as well as steam gaskets,

heat exchangers and hydraulic tools. Diffuser

andmill gear boxes, in addition tomill lubrica-

tionandhydraulic systems, forma critical part

of this range.

BMG’s specialist services to the sugar

sector include bearing and gearbox inspec-

tion, bearing and chain refurbishment, large

size bearing assembly and alignment and

balancing, as well as customised product de-

sign. BMG also offers a trouble shooting and

maintenance service, condition monitoring

and training.