MechChem Africa March 2017

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40 ¦ MechChem Africa • March 2017
⎪ Products and industry news ⎪
Cummins Power Generation has pro-
vided a standby power solution to provide
back-up power for Ghana’s six major
airports. This major turnkey project was
undertakenonbehalf ofmain clientGhana
Airports Company Limited of Accra. The
back-uppowerwill support air transporta-
tion systems in Accra, Tamale, Suyani, and
Kumasi, Ho andWa.
An end-to-end solution was provided
tomeet theparticular requirementsof this
major new customer for Cummins Power
Generation. AlfredOtoo, projectmanager
for Cummins Ghana comments: “Our role
was comprehensive, from compiling the
tender package for the project all theway
through to supervising the installation,
SKF South Africa provided a turn-
key solution in order to assist
an OEM customer to reduce
lead times and streamline
planned downtime.
In addition to the long
lead times on seals for
their underground earth-
moving equipment, the
customerwas alsounhappy
with general service delivery
from its supplier and decided to
look for a single source supplier. The
logicalstepwastoapproachSKFasthe
customerwasalreadyusingSKFbearings
and happy with its service delivery.
SKF’s OEM division suggested the
Safety-helmet suspensions improve comfort
Painful compression headaches due
to safety helmets that do not fit
properlyarenowa thingof thepast
thanks to flush suspension tabs
on the latest MSA Fas-Trac ®III
ratchet suspensions, available
from MSA Africa for its V-Gard
range of safety helmets.
The latest suspensions can be ordered
pre-fitted on any MSA V-Gard helmet, or as
spares. “We have made it ‘painless’ for customers
to standardise on these new suspensions as there is no change in
part numbers for complete helmet assemblies.MSAFas-Trac III is the
answer to everyone’s safety-helmet requirements,” SurakshaMohun,
product marketing manager, MSA Africa, comments.
Inaddition,twodifferentsweatbandoptionsareavailable,depend-
ing on applicationor preference. These arePVC, perforatedwipeable
or sweat-wicking and replaceable foam, which is alsomachine-wash-
able. The foam sweatband is made from breathable fabric for direct
air permeation.MSAFas-Trac III boasts the largest sweatband surface
areaonany safetyhelmet, which improves perspirationabsorptionby
covering more of the headband and the wearer’s forehead.
“Extensive customer researchhas revealed that theMSAFas-Trac
IIIwheel-ratchetsuspensionispreferredbymostusersoverwhatthey
are currentlywearing,”Mohun continues. “This is because of themain
benefits of improvedhelmet comfort, retention and stability, with the
added advantage of easy single-handed adjustment.”
The premiumMSAFas-Trac III suspension also comeswith a lower
nape strap than any other protection helmet suspension, which im-
proves balance and means that the safety helmet stays on when the
wearer leans over.
Separating the ratchet from the neck also allows the comfort
pad to cradle the wearer’s head, increasing air flow. The ratchet has
a smooth rotation and an easy-grip knob that can be adjusted even
when the user is wearing gloves. Superior nape fit and compatibility
with other personal protective equipment is ensured by three levels
of height adjustment.
MSAFas-Trac III suspensions are available for all V-Gard industrial
safety helmets fromMSA Africa.
Standby power solution for Ghana Airports Company
commissioning, and handing over.”
The scope of supply for this presti-
gious project was a C1100 D5, four C500
D5, and two C450 D5 units. In addition,
Cummins Power Generation supplied
1 600 A ACB, four GTEC 800 A transfer
switches, and four GTEC 630 A transfer
switches.
Ghana Airports Company Limited
also specified low noise levels, which
meant Cummins Power Generation had
to pay special attention to the ambient
environment. Another challenge associ-
atedwith this project was adhering to the
strict timelines of the various airports,
which meant that installation could only
be carried out when air traffic was low,
Turnkey solution of new generation seals
Speedi-Sleeve as the best sealing solution
for the earthmoving equipment. The new
generation Speedi-Sleeve, developed by
SKF, uses a proprietary stainless steel
material and manufacturing process that
gives an optimised seal counter-face sur-
face which minimises wear on both the
sleeve and sealing lip. The contact surface
iswear-resistant. Imperceptible lubricant
pockets enable the lubricant to reside on
the sleeve and thereby prevent dry run-
ning of the sealing lip that otherwise can
create excessive wear.
Thethin-walledSpeedi-Sleeveissimply
pushed in position over the worn area.
There is no shaft disassembly or machin-
ing involved, minimising costly downtime.
Furthermore, since the installation tool is
suppliedwith the sleeve, no special equip-
ment is required to fit the seals.
In addition to supplying the Speedi-
Sleeves, SKF also provided product train-
ing, assisted with planning of downtime
to replace worn seals and helped the
customer to achieve the goal of reducing
its supplier and vendor lists.
Thecustomer expressedgreat satisfac-
tion as now it conveniently deals with a
single source supplier for both seals and
bearings.SKF’sprofessionalandexpedient
service also impressed the customer; SKF
sales representatives assisted with back
orders and continue to hold regular plan-
ning meetings to ensure that the correct
products are on the customer’s shelves.
usually between 01:00 and 04:00 am.
“We could not interfere with anything
in terms of potentially switching off any
live system. In addition, we had an excep-
tionally narrow window of opportunity,
when air traffic was minimal, for us to
execute the project,” Otoo says.
He concludes that this flagship proj-
ect was an excellent showcase for the
Cummins brand, which extended beyond
simply supplying products to actually
adding value to the client’s business. “We
managed the entire project, right from
the initial contract win, resulting in the
best possible solution for our client, in the
shortest timeframe possible.”