Mechanical Technology November 2015

⎪ Heating, cooling, ventilation and air conditioning ⎪

Bluhm Burton Engineering (BBE), founded to provide specialist consulting services to the mining industry in the fields of mine ventilation, refrigeration and cooling, celebrated its 25 th anniversary on October 7 in Morningside, Sandton. BBE celebrates 25 years of HVAC innovation

S teven Bluhm and Rod Burton, who were employed by the Chamber of Mines Research at the time, founded Bluhm Burton in 1989. Shortly thereafter they were joined by two colleagues, Frank von Glehn and Russell Ramsden. With entrepreneurial flair and some fortuitous timing, the four young engineers began providing consulting services to the mines, which had begun to rationalise and reduce the number of in-house specialists. From humble beginnings, but with ex- tensive experience gained in the world’s deepest and hottest mines, the company gradually developed a hub for its exper- tise. Young and energetic, the consultants adopted a simple philosophy: take every phone call, pay attention to detail, meet deadlines and honour commitments. This philosophy prevails in the com- pany, 25 years on, and has earned BBE international recognition as a world leader in mine ventilation and cooling systems. Today the BBE Group has well over 100 employees, the majority of whom are professional consulting engineers with vast and varied experience in mine ventilation, refrigeration and cooling practices across all mining methods, in all types of ore bodies and in all climates around the globe. BBE team members have authored some 350 published tech- nical and scientific papers, edited techni- cal journals and co-authored a number of standard textbooks on mine ventilation, refrigeration and cooling. BBE engineers have also received numerous awards for engineering and scientific achievement over the years and can boast five past presidents and two honorary life fellows of the Mine Ventilation Society of South Africa. Operating worldwide in all types of mines, BBE’s comprehensive services range from conceptual investigations through technical feasibility studies and the analysis of alternative ventilation and cooling distribution systems; to the selec- tion of the optimum system, preparation of detailed engineering design specifica- tions, estimating and project execution

At the BBE Group’s 25 th anniversary celebration are founders, Frank von Glehn, Steven Bluhm and Rod Burton; along with Wynand Marx, managing director of BBE Consulting; and Richard Gundersen, managing director of BBE Projects.

worth more than R1-billion across the African continent. BBE Energy was launched in response to a growing need to optimise energy usage and management in ventilation and refrigeration networks. Through a combination of intelligent control systems and sophisticated hardware, the company has achieved success in a relatively short time. It has reduced demand by over 100 MW across the mining industry and has made significant contributions to alleviating the industry’s energy challenges. BBE Laboratory provides a special- ist service for the analysis of respirable dust samples, essential for air quality assessment. The Group aims to increase its foot- print in the international arena and an expansion initiative led to the opening of an office in Perth to serve the greater Asia-Pacific market. In other areas of the globe, joint ventures have been es- tablished with all the design capabilities supported from the Johannesburg head office. The company’s next satellite office will open in Canada in 2016. “We have an enviable track record of consulting behind us, made possible by the contribution of our loyal staff and the support of our clients. We look forward to another 25 years of delivering exceptional and innovative professional services,” says Steven Bluhm, CEO of the BBE Group. q

and management for existing mines and new projects. Computer software is an essential component of all planning and design work in the mining industry and the company prides itself on being up-to- date with innovation and state-of-the-art technologies. Over the years, BBE has been a major contributor in the development of customised software for the analysis of mine ventilation and refrigeration and cooling networks. The most modern package, VUMA, comprises a suite of modules that determines air flows, pol- lutant levels and temperature distribu- tion throughout ventilation circuits and cooling networks, all displayed in full 3D colour graphics with the capability of real-time modelling. The Group has many clients around the world and is familiar with interna- tional legislation. Its designs comply with the relevant health and safety standards stipulated by each particular country. In response to client demand, BBE has established various business units over the past few years that offer profes- sional services beyond system designs and equipment specifications. Through these units, BBE is able to offer a full spectrum of services, with a focuss on mine ventilation, refrigeration, cooling and energy. The company delivers turnkey projects and has, to date, completed projects

Mechanical Technology — November 2015

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