Motors company a regional hub in the making

23rd January 2015

  

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Electrical construction company Zest WEG Group is positioning itself to become a regional hub of electric motors company WEG, with subsidiary company motor control systems manufacturer Shaw Controls set to become the number one panel builder and systems integrator in Africa, says Zest WEG Group.

This forms part of the group’s overall strategy to significantly ramp up its automation and electrical systems business, which has seen the appointment of WEG’s Valter Luiz Knihs as group automation and systems director.

He says the strategic focus for Africa and the US is to have regional centres of excellence, in terms of systems manufacture and integration, that will service WEG globally.

“We are working hard to add more products, and clarify pricing and delivery times. It is important for Zest WEG Group as a whole to become internationally competitive as we strive to achieve the global targets of WEG,” says Knihs.

Zest WEG Group CEO Louis Meiring says WEG’s manufacturing operations are not purpose built to service only one particular area. “It is our aim for all Zest WEG Group’s manufacturing operations to become centres of excellence, accredited by WEG, and to be able to manufacture any product designed by the group for application anywhere in the world.”

Therefore, Shaw Controls will not only be building panels for the local market. “WEG could receive an order out of Australia and deem it best for the manufacturing to be carried out in South Africa. What this means is full international accreditation for all our manufacturing facilities, from Shaw Controls to WEG Transformers Africa (WTA),” explains Meiring.

Knihs adds that WEG is committed to being at the forefront of any new standards and regulations, and is compliant with all certification wherever it operates. “This is critical for health and safety considerations, from both a personnel and an equipment point of view, which our latest manufacturing techniques take into account.”

The aim, says Meiring, is for any of the WEG global operations to be able to approach Zest WEG from a project management, engineering design or manufacturing point of view. “Zest WEG Group wants to be able to offer that international level of service and support, and to have the skills set to do so. It is a huge opportunity not only for us as a business, but also for South Africa as a whole.”

As a result, Zest WEG Group is investing significantly in skills development and training.

“We have traditionally been more of a distributor than a manufacturer but, over the past five to ten years, we have entered into the manufacturing space,” says Meiring, adding that the group has learnt a lot about developing a full skills set in-house, including sales, engineering and manufacturing skills. He further mentions that Zest WEG Group has responded to this challenge with a fully fledged training centre and programmes.

Zest WEG Group is also able to draw on WEG’s considerable resources, with Knihs having a team of 70 engineers in Brazil working on the Shaw Controls optimisation and upgrade programme.

“We are excited about the opportunities this presents to raise the bar in terms of skills development in South Africa as a whole,” says Meiring, citing as an example the case of an engineering manager from WTA who recently underwent a two-week training programme in Brazil.

Knihs adds that WEG has earmarked three local technical schools to enhance the education and training on offer. “We are in negotiations with the management of these institutions so that we have a good pool of technicians to draw from. The areas of electrics, electronics and software are all converging in terms of engineering. This means we will need a highly specialised skills set in the near future and we are keen to work with these local institutions to nurture this in South Africa.”

Although Zest WEG Group is focused on providing a complete package, Meiring says the aim is not to compete with engineering, procurement and construction contractors (EPCs). “Many EPCs are our customers. It is more about how we are aligning our business to add value to our solutions. “We want to be a one-stop shop in terms of meeting the full electrical needs for our customers.”

He adds that the decision to upgrade Shaw Controls was a result of limitations identified in manufacturing in terms of the capacity and size of Zest WEG’s facility. “The reality we are faced with is that the existing facility needs to grow, or we need to establish a new one,” says Meiring.

Meanwhile, Knihs is adopting a three-pronged strategy, namely adding new products – including kA/15 kV MV switchgears and LV 690 V withdrawable MCCs – increasing productivity and improving quality. He adds that, by early this year, Zest WEG Group will have achieved a high level of product and efficiency improvement.

“We are moving towards the level of being an international supplier,” he says.

Knihs adds that Shaw Controls is fortunate, as it does not have to begin from scratch. He says its current biggest challenge is adapting its manufacturing processes, which has a lot to do with the equipment the company has. Zest WEG Group sees this as a major opportunity, and is gearing up for significant investment in the latest technology, concludes Knihs.

Edited by Samantha Herbst
Creamer Media Deputy Editor

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