Mechanical Technology February 2015

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4 Mechanical Technology — February 2015
⎪ On the cover ⎪
Two 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-
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
HTSA takes responsibility for Africa
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.
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).
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