Actom has made further investments to increase capacity and capability at Marthinusen & Coutts’ Zambian motor repair facility and has created the ideal platform for the company to expand its market share in Zambia. “The upgrade, completed at the end of February, has further extended our capabilities in the region and we can now offer customers a full electro-mechanical repair facility,” Mike Chamberlain, Marthinusen & Coutts’ marketing executive, says, speaking in his capacity as operations executive for Zambia. 

“Prior to the recent investment, the facility was already recognised for its quality workmanship and considered the top facility of its kind on the Copperbelt. The latest improvements make this a world class facility, both in terms of its scope of work capabilities to repair small to medium size motors and the ability to meet the requisite international quality standards that has become the norm with all work done by Marthinusen & Coutts.”

Chamberlain explains that the facility now conforms to the SABS’s stringent SANS 1561 and SANS 10242 low voltage motor repair standards, as well as OSHAS  and the  Marsh Africa insurance risks rating protocol . “In terms of health, safety and environmental standards, factories in Zambia are required to conform to the provisions of the Factories Act, which sets lower standards than those that now apply at our Kitwe facility,” he points out. “This underpins the commitment which Marthinusen & Coutts has made to this region thereby ensuring that our customer base receive the highest level of support at all times.”

Eugene Lottering, the facility’s workshop manager explains that the objective of the upgrade was to extend the in-house capabilities of the Zambian operation and to further improve quality by utilising the latest technologies. There will also be improved efficiencies and less mechanical work will be outsourced ensuring better quality control and faster turnaround times. The increase in capacity was enabled through the purchase of additional equipment including  a burn-off oven, a 17 t crane, two lathes, a submerged arc welding machine, a milling machine, balancing machines, vibration analysis equipment, measuring equipment, two test-bay beds, a Watt-loss core tester and inter-turn testers.

“Other improvements included the installation of a high-pressure wash bay and overhead lighting, as well as the complete reorganisation of facility to improve workflow and thereby efficiency,” 

Coinciding with the completion of the capacity and capability upgrade, a distribution agreement was concluded with Electrical Machines appointing Marthinusen & Coutts’ Kitwe facility as its authorised distributor in Zambia for both its LV and MV motors.