WearCheck, Africa’s leading condition monitoring specialists, is open for business during the COVID-19 lockdown as the company provides essential services to hospitals, transport, food producers, logistics and other industries that power the country’s economy.

By helping to improve the reliability and availability of machinery, WearCheck’s services are key to ensure that much-needed equipment is working optimally.

For more than 40 years, WearCheck has given customers scientific insight into how to avoid catastrophic machinery failure and reducing maintenance costs with scheduled repairs.

The company specialises in a range of condition monitoring techniques, which includes the scientific analysis of used oil and other fluids from mechanical and electrical systems. WearCheck helps to boost the availability and reliability of components, thereby helping their customers to operate more efficiently and save money on maintenance.

WearCheck’s customers operate in many industries such as transport, industrial, power generation, water processing, renewable energy, shipping, aircraft, mining and more.

Alongside the traditional fluid analysis services, customers also have access to reliability solutions (RS) services, advanced field services (AFS) and transformer chemistry services (TCS). Each of these specialisations is discussed in more detail further on.

WearCheck’s footprint covers 17 world class laboratories across nine countries in Africa and beyond, and a host of support offices around the continent. The South African laboratories are in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Middelburg, with support offices in Bloemfontein, Rustenburg, Steelpoort, Port Elizabeth and Khatu. International laboratories include Mozambique, Ghana, Zimbabwe, DRC, Namibia, India, Dubai and Zambia.  

Neil Robinson, WearCheck’s managing director, shares the company’s vision, ‘We have identified a need, around Africa, for world class condition monitoring services to help boost the operating efficiency of the industries that make Africa  tick, such as mining, transportation, power generation, renewable energy and others.

‘Therefore, once we have identified an industry hub in Africa where enough nearby businesses will benefit from WearCheck’s services, we then open a laboratory there. In some cases, the laboratory is in a brick and mortar building, in others, a converted shipping container becomes our on-site laboratory.

‘By placing laboratories around Africa, we aim to make our condition monitoring expertise more accessible. We feel that this investment in Africa will benefit the entire continent - by enhancing operational efficiency to help businesses become more competitive, as well as creating jobs.

Asset reliability - specialist condition monitoring techniques

The data gleaned by scientifically analysing a used oil sample from a machine or component gives insight into the condition of that asset, providing important clues on whether or not remedial action is needed for the asset to continue operating optimally.

For example, using the data from the oil analysis, WearCheck diagnosticians can assess the information and advise whether the oil needs to be changed, or whether the asset is about to experience catastrophic failure for a range of reasons. By pre-planning repair time, the customer saves money on unplanned maintenance.

Reliability Solutions Services (RS)

Similarly, the RS team specialises in condition monitoring techniques such as thermal imaging, vibration analysis, laser alignment, balancing, operational deflection shape (ODS), structural resonance, ultrasonic services and many other specialist techniques that provide scientific data that helps to keep assets operating at optimum levels while boosting their lifespan.

Transformer Chemistry Services (TCS)

The TCS team specialises in the monitoring of transformer condition to reduce the risk of unexpected downtime. WearCheck offers the usual transformer oil quality analysis (colour, visual, dielectric breakdown voltage, water content, interfacial tension, acidity, power factor and specific gravity) and, to meet the growing need for additional specialist transformer tests, the company conducts diagnostic testing including dissolved gas analysis, furanic compounds, metals-in-oil, paper quality testing and tap changer / diverter diagnosis.

Advanced Field Services (AFS)

The key functions of AFS are to create a secure safety environment for both man and machine, and also to reduce operational risks. WearCheck’s highly-skilled and experienced inspectors are on call 24/7/365 to help customers to identify underlying defects and mitigate these risks on critical equipment.

The advanced field services are:

• Non-destructive testing (NDT) – techniques to test the integrity of a component or system without damaging it.

• Technical compliance (TC) - expert guidance to assist companies with regulatory requirements, highlighting unacceptable conditions and reticulation equipment compliance during audits.

• Rope condition assessment (RCA) – inspecting the integrity of steel rope cables, as per OEM or international standards.

Quality is guaranteed with WearCheck

A source of pride for WearCheck is the fact that the company is the only oil analysis operation in Africa with an ISO 9001 quality certification, an ISO 14001 certification for its environmental management programme, and an ISO 17025 accreditation for its laboratory centric quality management programme. WearCheck is currently working on its ISO 45001 certification for health and safety management.

Dedicated, ongoing investment in new technology and staff training ensures that all equipment in WearCheck‘s laboratories is state-of-the-art, and employees are highly skilled. Laboratories are largely automated and integrated with the latest information technology. Research and development play a major role in the company’s continuous commitment to improving systems.

Meanwhile, WearCheck’s condition monitoring App ensures that their condition monitoring expertise is available 24/7/365.