Germany-based global fan producer TLT-Turbo acquired a majority shareholding – from previous majority shareholders the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa and private investors – in local fan manufacturing company MechCaL last month.

MechCaL’s management team remains the minority shareholders in the company, with key staff affirming their ongoing commitment to the company.

TLT-Turbo is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of industrial fans and ventilation systems. The company develops and builds radial and axial flow fans and ventilation systems used in thermal power plants, mine ventilation shafts and wind tunnels, as well as steel, petrochemicals and cement plants.

Established in 2005, MechCaL designs, develops and manufactures axial and radial flow fans using composite materials to improve efficiency and create a range of products for various industries, particularly for a variety of mining applications.

MechCaL’s proprietary software has allowed the company to develop award-winning concepts for energy- saving projects and have subsequently combined these with established commercial codes to further develop advanced fan technologies.

This has resulted in efficient and robust products, which reduce carbon dioxide emissions and achieve sustained power savings.

“With this investment, we are expanding our product range of energy efficient and highly reliable auxiliary mining fans, which we will promote globally,” says TLT-Turbo authorised officer and MechCaL chairperson Thomas Neff.

He adds that the new shareholder input will also enable MechCaL to further its investment in, and subsequently leading to renewed focus on the research and development of, new products, as well as further investment in different sectors.

“MechCaL was at a turning point and needed a change in shareholding. MechCaL is excited to welcome TLT-Turbo as a strategic shareholder for further growth, especially through international markets,” says company MD Professor Jan du Plessis.

He notes that, in the past 12 months, the company has significantly increased its product range with the addition of a full jet fan and dual-stage fan range for coal and hard rock underground mining applications.

Du Plessis concludes that the interaction between experts of TLT-Turbo and MechCaL will “greatly advance” current research and development initiatives.