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Maintenance News

Condition monitoring solution mitigates risks

By: Darren Parker 22nd May 2020 Manufacturers are exposed to various operational risks relating to the performance of their critical production equipment, all of which can directly impact the bottom line. →

Valve maintenance key to mining fire protection

By: Mamaili Mamaila 15th May 2020 While an optimal fire-protection system is key to any mining operation, the inspection and maintenance of its various parts is of equal importance, says industrial solutions provider Mechanical Rotating Solutions (MRS). →

REFURBISHED VALVES In addressing the high cost of valve replacements, Mechanical Rotating Solutions offers cost-effective solutions such as the efficient refurbishment and repairs

Local procurement lags in public, private sectors

By: Mamaili Mamaila 15th May 2020 A prevailing issue facing the valves sector is the “poor attitude” to local procurement in the public and private sectors, says valves manufacturer RGR Technologies commercial director Ross Hunter. →

MAPPING THE WAY FORWARD RGR Technologies looks forward to slowly introducing three-dimensional printing into its processes to assist with the manufacture of valve parts

Company supports essential service providers amid lockdown

By: Mamaili Mamaila 15th May 2020 Industrial equipment supplier BMG encourages companies operating during South Africa’s Covid-19 lockdown and beyond not to neglect the condition monitoring of process valves. →

FLOAT LIKE A BUTTERFLY The Desponia butterfly valves, manufactured in Spain, are available with different lining materials for reliability and extended service life in diverse sectors

Pandemic prompts supplier’s tech aspirations

By: Mamaili Mamaila 15th May 2020 Industrial valves supplier Process and Allied Contracting Equipment (Pace Valves) plans to embrace the technological developments that will be prompted by the Covid-19 pandemic in South Africa to sustain its supply growth. →

IN TOUCH WITH THE TRENDS Pace Valves is no stranger to developments in valve automation

TNPA's ship repair facilities operating at 100% capacity

By: Simone Liedtke 13th May 2020 Transnet National Ports Authority’s (TNPA’s) ship repair facilities are operating at 100% capacity following the easing of the lockdown restrictions to Level 4. Operations will be guided by the agents’ docking schedules in the respective ports, the ports authority said in a statement on May 12. →

Sapma appeals to government to allow paint contractors to resume business

By: Donna Slater 8th May 2020 The South African Paint Manufacturing Association (Sapma) urges the government to allow paint contractors to not only carry out emergency projects, but also other contracts for external surface renovations and coatings. In terms of Level 4 stipulations, paint producers and coatings raw material... →

Zimbabwe border fence completed

By: Donna Slater 4th May 2020 The 40 km borderline fence between South Africa and Zimbabwe at the Beitbridge border crossing was completed on April 20, after undergoing 29 days of repairs and the replacement of some sections. At a value of over R37-million, the project involved the repair and replacement of an existing... →

Company provides crane replacement, refurbishment solutions

By: Mc'Kyla Nortje 24th April 2020 The options of replacing or refurbishing an overhead crane both have advantages, and they should be considered very carefully, says crane manufacturer and refurbishment specialist Condra MD Marc Kleiner. “To help customers with this decision, we supply a range of solutions offering varying... →

BIG JOB Refurbished 20 m span Condra crane for Implats

Association improves technicians training

By: Cameron Mackay 24th April 2020 The Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Safety Association of South Africa has been investing in improving its LPG technicians’ installation training through collaboration with the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) as one of its mandates for the LPG sector. “This will enable us to ensure that... →

NIRVAN BRIJLAL The industry is well regulated, with many safety standards in place

Interior tank cleaning made easier through rope access

By: Darren Parker 10th April 2020 Work at height company Skyriders is cleaning the interiors of large storage tanks for a major petrochemicals producer, in Mpumalanga, using rope access. Having completed its first cleaning scope of the year in February, it started its second cleaning in late March. →

ROPING IN THE PROS In many cases, a client’s maintenance and inspection budgets can be stretched further by using rope access

juwi awarded Touwsrivier solar O&M contract

By: Donna Slater 2nd April 2020 Renewable energy company juwi Renewable Energies has been awarded the contract for the operations and maintenance (O&M) of the Touwsrivier concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) solar project in the Western Cape, effective April 1. The contract was awarded to juwi’s’ subsidiary, juwi Solar ZA O&M 1. →

Eskom to temporarily shut Koeberg Unit 2

By: Donna Slater 2nd April 2020 From midnight on April 3, power utility Eskom will take Unit 2 of the Koeberg nuclear power station, in the Western Cape, offline. The unit is scheduled to return to service by April 30, if not required before then. From midnight on April 3, power utility Eskom will take Unit 2 of the Koeberg... →

Carrier suspends operations days after issuing safety assurances

By: Rebecca Campbell 27th March 2020 State-owned regional airline SA Express, which is currently in business rescue, suspended its operations on Wednesday March 18. This was because of “adverse recent developments including the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.” →

Drones used for maintenance, inspection

By: Khutso Maphatsoe 20th March 2020 Industrial rope access company Skyriders’ use of drones for on-site inspection has enabled it to gain access into confined spaces that might be too dangerous for its clients’ technicians. A drone can be used to conduct a visual inspection in a specific area. It will send live feedback, which is... →

NO TIME WASTED A visual inspection using a drone takes an hour and only requires the operator and their assistant

Pump failures at mine addressed

20th March 2020 Last month, mechanical seal and pump supplier Mechanical Rotating Solutions (MRS) was asked to address the multiple failures experienced by a coal mine in Mpumalanga as a result of coupling misalignment between the pump shaft and the motor shaft. MRS MD Franscois Steenkamp suggests that after... →

SHAFTED A misalignment between the pump and motor shafts had been causing failures at a coal mine

Company reaches new heights with award

By: Cameron Mackay 13th March 2020 Height management solutions providers Skyriders received an award from a major petrochemicals producer in December last year for achieving significant reductions in its maintenance costs and boosting health and safety at one of the producer’s refineries, in Mpumalanga. The award was for a... →

REACHING NEW HEIGHTS Skyriders created a methodology and risk assessments for this maintenance project, including a trial run finished last October, and the actual maintenance undertaking in November

Supplier offers complete solution to university

By: Cameron Mackay 13th March 2020 Local cleaning chemicals supplier Industroclean’s ability to provide holistic cleaning solutions enables it to offer the University of Cape Town (UCT) a one-stop-shop cleaning chemicals solution. Industroclean MD Emma Corder confirms that the company began supplying its solutions to UCT... →

CLEANING VARIATION While above the floor cleaning tasks remain similar, variations in floor types require different products and methodologies for maintenance or restoration

Digitalisation beneficial for steel producers

By: Mamaili Mamaila 28th February 2020 Digitalisation will become an increasingly important strategy for steel producers to achieve a competitive advantage in the market, says metallurgical industry plant and integrated systems provider SMS group MD Pieter Bezuidenhout. →

Defence contract signed with German armed forces

21st February 2020 Germany’s unified armed forces and civil administration and procurement authority The Bundeswehr, has joined with defence contractor Rheinmetall to carry out new measures for extending the service life of its Marder infantry fighting vehicles. In order to maintain the operational readiness of... →

The upgrades to the Marder tanks will expand the life of the tanks which have been in service since 1971

Denel upgraded by Fitch Ratings as it closes aerostructures business

By: Rebecca Campbell 21st February 2020 South Africa’s State-owned defence industrial group has Denel welcomed the recent decision by Fitch Ratings to affirm its long- and short-term ratings for the group, and to upgrade its outlook. Fitch affirmed Denel’s national short-term rating at “B(zaf)” and its national long-term rating also at... →

Skills shortage plagues natural refrigerant sector

By: Darren Parker 14th February 2020 One of the most pertinent issues facing the local heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC-R) industry is the lack of specialised skills needed for the systematic adoption of natural refrigerants in place of traditional synthetic refrigerants. Heightened pressure on... →

SNEAKY LEAKS Refrigeration systems charged with odourless CO2 need to be monitored with sensors to ensure leaks do not compromise air quality in enclosed spaces

Renewed call to ban disposable cylinders

By: Darren Parker 14th February 2020 Despite various heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC-R) industry participants contesting the banning of disposable gas cylinders in South Africa for years, there is no indication of a decision on the matter being reached. South African Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning... →

TIME TO SCRAP THIS PRACTICE Disposed cylinders create about 3 150 m3 scrap metal and can explode if not thoroughly evacuated

Refrigerant recovery service set for expansion

By: Darren Parker 14th February 2020 Speciality chemicals supplier A-Gas South Africa is planning to expand its rapid recovery refrigerant service nationally this year. This follows the appointment of A-Gas business development manager Grant McGill in September last year. →

IT’S A GAS The Rapid Recovery service is up to ten times faster than traditional refrigerant recovery methods

Investigation under way following fatal rail accident in Johannesburg

By: Simone Liedtke 13th February 2020 An investigation is under way to determine the cause of the accident between a Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) Premier Classe passenger train and a stationary Transnet train between the Roodepoort and Horizon Stations, in Johannesburg, on Wednesday evening. The investigation is... →

Contamination mainly down to improper maintenance

By: Tracy Hancock 7th February 2020 Incorrect air filter maintenance accounts for 99% of the concern that engine manufacturer Cummins has regarding engine oil contamination in Africa, says Cummins Filtration Africa and the Middle East engineering and technical sales support leader Raymond Liversage. Instead of replacing air... →

MAINTENANCE CRITICAL Operating engines with contaminated oil will accelerate engine wear and significantly reduce the expected engine life

Eskom considering modifications to failure-prone Medupi conveyor system

By: Darren Parker 31st January 2020 Following three conveyor belt failures at the new Medupi power station, which contributed to load-shedding in December and January, State-owned electricity utility Eskom says several modifications to the conveyor system are being considered in an effort to ensure greater stability in future.... →

MODIFICATION ROLLOUT Modifications to the Medupi conveyor systems will also be applied at Kusile

Company increases footprint in Africa through distributorship

31st January 2020 Electro-mechanical power transmission supplier Vert Energy’s Leroy-Somer LSK direct current (DC) motors provide cost-effective solutions for variable speed applications. →

EXCLUSIVE PICKS Vert Energy is the exclusive distributor for Leroy-Somer in Southern Africa

Ramaphosa presents sustainability award to casting producer

24th January 2020 President Cyril Ramaphosa presented local automotive casting producer Atlantis Foundries with the prestigious Best Brownfield / Expansion Project award at the 2019 Investment Conference in Sandton held in November. The award is in recognition of the company’s efforts towards its continued... →

CREATING LOCAL VALUE The award is in recognition of automotive component manufacturers in SA who create value in South Africa and contribute to exports and GDP

Local supplier grows through development programme

By: Cameron Mackay 24th January 2020 Local automotive tool manufacturer and supplier Naicker Toolmakers has benefited from completing nonprofit organisation Automotive Supply Chain Competitiveness Initiative’s (ASCCI’s) Black Supplier Development Programme (BSDP). Naicker Toolmakers began its involvement in the programme in May... →

DEVELOPING LOCAL SUPPLIERS The BSDP aims to drive transformation and skills sharing in the automotive sector by facilitating access to markets for component manufacturers like Naicker Toolmakers

Company transforming SA’s industrial landscape

24th January 2020 Built from startup, industrial solutions provider BT Industrial – a new-generation, black-owned, high-energy business driven by innovation, international standards, and service excellence – is transforming the industrial landscape in South Africa. →

Cable ship en route to fix damaged undersea cables

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 23rd January 2020 Cable ship Leon Thevenin departed Cape Town Harbour on Wednesday night and will sail to offshore Angola where the first steps of the physical repair on damaged undersea cables – South Atlantic 3/West Africa Submarine Cable (SAT3/WASC) and the West African Cable System (WACS) – will begin. The... →

Demand increasing for boiler cleaning

By: Cameron Mackay 17th January 2020 There has been a signifiscant increase in demand for industrial and chemical cleaning solutions provider Gra-Tech’s chemical cleaning of package boilers, as industries in which package boilers are used are looking to optimise operational efficiencies and reduce costs. Package boilers are smaller... →

SQUEAKY CLEAN Preoperational cleaning of boilers before commissioning require a 1% hydrofluoric acid solution to remove most mill scale and fabrication defects

Local company acquires Netherlands company

17th January 2020 South African physical asset management engineering firms Pragma acquired Netherlands-based consultancy CMS Asset Management. →

Boiler leak-detection equipment ideal for power generation

By: Cameron Mackay 17th January 2020 Power generation facilities can benefit from using turnkey solutions provider Procon Engineering’s boiler tube leak-detection to avoid unplanned shutdowns, says industrial and processing solutions provider RTS Africa Technologies MD Ian Fraser. “This equipment provides a continuous diagnostic... →

KEEPING THE LIGHTS ON The Procon boiler tube leak-detection system can eliminate unplanned shutdowns caused by boiler tube leaks

Company to offer carbon tax consulting

By: Cameron Mackay 17th January 2020 Boiler and burner solutions provider Steam Generation is set to introduce Carbon Tax consulting services for its customers to add to its boiler financing services. This comes after the Carbon Tax Act was introduced in South Africa in June last year, which affects energy-intensive industrial... →

BOILER EFFICIENCY FOCUS Hlophe notes an increase in customers using coal-fired boilers that require automation to assist in monitoring and realising boiler efficiency, at a reasonable cost

Company expands into boiler manufacturing

By: Cameron Mackay 17th January 2020 Boiler management, consulting, engineering and quality-assurance services provider GM Boiler and Steam Consulting Engineering (GMB) will continue to expand its business this year to include the manufacturing of boilers and boiler components for plant and production industries. Last year, the... →

BOILER UPKEEP The company’s knowledge and expertise in refurbishment services has become vital for the maintenance of second- and third-hand boilers

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