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Materials Handling News

Increasing energy cost prompts need for drive systems

By: Simone Liedtke 26th January 2018 The ever-rising cost of energy and the increasing pollution associated with power supply systems are continuously driving the need for alternating current drive systems with low harmonics and power regeneration, says Midrand-based variable-speed drive (VSD) and automation equipment supplier... →

Misaligned pulleys affect belt efficiency and life span

By: Simone Liedtke 26th January 2018 Misaligned pulleys are one of the biggest contributors to premature failed belts, negatively affecting drive efficiency and shortening the life of the belt significantly, states engineering consumables and components distributor BMG power transmission GM Carlo Beukes. →

FENNER DRIVE ALIGNMENT LASER The Fenner Drive Alignment Laser is designed for accurate pulley and sprocket alignment

Motor solutions ensure simpler, more compatible installations

By: Simone Liedtke 26th January 2018 Owing to the installation of electrical products onto panels and enclosures being time-consuming and costly, electric solutions provider Magnet Group MD Brian Howarth says product installations need to be made simpler and more compatible with existing wiring through the supply of cost-effective... →

EASYPACT TVS The EasyPact TVS range encompasses nine sizes of contactors that cover a broad range of current ratings

Multifunction vibration meter redefines vibration screening

26th January 2018 Sandton-based distribution centre Comtest is offering electronic test tools manufacturer and distributor Fluke’s latest vibration meter, the Fluke 805, which provides quantifiable information on a bearing and the overall health of motors and other rotating equipment. →

VFD adoption triggers need for bearing protection rings

By: Simone Liedtke 26th January 2018 As the adoption of variable-frequency drives (VFDs) increases, so too will the need for the reliable mitigation of destructive shaft voltages, which will lead to increased demand for bearing protection rings, says bearing protection solutions provider AEGIS sales and marketing manager Adam... →

Industry demand sets high targets for company

By: Simone Liedtke 19th January 2018 Activated carbon manufacturer Rotocarb aims to become the biggest activated carbon producer in Africa by 2019, owing to increasing demand and dependence on activated carbon in the wastewater treatment, purification and desalination industry. →

PROUDLY SOUTH AFRICAN The company’s water-intensive processing and wastewater treatment operations use local raw materials, technology and deployment

Plant to be completed in March

By: Simone Liedtke 19th January 2018 Integrated solutions provider ImproChem will be completing the construction and commissioning of a desalination plant for a large factory on the West Coast, in South Africa, with the plant expected to supply its first water in the second week of March 2018. →

REVERSE OSMOSIS Sea water will be pumped through a Suez Reverse Osmosis plant where the salt and mineral particles will be separated

Balancing rules, safety and certification will be key to drone industry success

By: Donna Slater 15th December 2017 The regulations and laws governing access to South African air space for remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) are sound and among the “best in the world”, according to Edenvale-based commercial drone operator Visual Air Productions director Stephen Verheul. →

Container supplier sees opportunities despite market slump

By: Nica Schreuder 1st December 2017 The chemicals, power generation, oil and gas, and petrochemicals sectors have created a significant demand for tanktainers, says container industry provider Container World. Tanktainers, or tank containers, are intermodal containers used to transport liquids, gases and powders as bulk cargo. →

TANKTAINER Container World’s tanktainers can store nonhazardous, semi-hazardous and hazardous materials and products

Local company popularises electrical heat tracing

By: Nica Schreuder 1st December 2017 Amid escalating costs of heating containers using traditional methods, such as steam or gas, a more cost-effective, efficient and controlled method of ensuring the constant heating of containers is electrical heat tracing (EHT), says eltherm South Africa MD Peter Stone. EHT specialist eltherm... →

EFFICIENT HEATING Eltherm’s EHT system makes controlled, efficient and constant heating solutions for tanktainers and road tankers

Municipalities to reduce emissions by diverting waste

By: Simone Liedtke 1st December 2017 Consulting engineering company JG Afrika and international specialist waste consultancy RWA have developed a strategy to help South African municipalities reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by diverting biodegradable waste from their landfills. →

WASTE-DIVERSION STRATEGY The strategy entails waste disposal and the beneficial use for business development

BMW plant refurbishment project nabs Steel Award

24th November 2017 This year’s Steel Awards, hosted by the Southern African Institute of Steel Construction and sponsored by steel manufacturer and supplier Aveng Trident Steel, saw BMW’s heavy electric monorail system (H-EMS) win both the overall winner award, and the Safal Steel Innovation Category award. The... →

ROOF ASSEMBLY A new roof structure was erected over the existing B50 while the assembly plant remained fully operational

Company embraces industry trends and challenges

By: Nica Schreuder 24th November 2017 The major trend in steel construction globally is very much towards high-end automation driven by integrated software solutions, which has led to local industrial manufacturer and distributor First Cut’s embracing this trend through energy- efficient capital equipment and consumables from their... →

TIMED INVESTMENT The Bystronic laser, a significant capital investment, is one that is best done at the downturn of the industry, or just after the upturn

Declining industry could compromise steel industry quality standards

By: Nica Schreuder 24th November 2017 Cost-cutting measures have been forced upon companies that wish to remain in business in the steel construction and cladding sector, however, this could have a major impact on product safety and performance, with price considerations often taking precedence over quality and safety.... →

DODDS PRINGLE Clients must be aware of advertised quality standards in the steel construction industry

Outdoor gym sites increase

By: Nica Schreuder 24th November 2017 With there being an increase in steel-constructed outdoor gym equipment nationally, Johannesburg-based outdoor gym equipment manufacturer Lani Service Centre has contacted self-lubricating bearings and bushes manufacturer Vesconite to provide hard-wearing, self-lubricating bushings for the... →

SOCIAL COHESION An example of some of the hard-wearing gym equipment that has been produced by Lani Service Centre

Steel Awards 2017 confirms LSFB growth

24th November 2017 This year’s annual Steel Awards, hosted by the Southern African Institute of Steel Construction, showed excellent growth for the South African light steel frame building (LSFB) industry, with more than 25 000 m2 represented in category entries. The awards, which took place on September 13, saw 19... →

SUMMIT PLACE The Assupol Building, the 11-storey winning office block in the Summit Place development

Steel company’s optimism fuels technology investment appetite

By: Nica Schreuder 24th November 2017 Steel supplier and processing company Allied Steelrode’s optimism regarding long-term prospects for South Africa’s economy and steel industry has prompted it to continually invest in quality steel equipment. Such an investment was made through the buying of the BLM Adige LT20 jumbo tube laser in... →

Photo by Bloomberg
TUBULAR INNOVATION The LT20 creates new possibilities and innovation for architects and structural designers

Rail operational incidents reach 7yr low, but safety incidents increase

By: Donna Slater 20th November 2017 Operational incidents related to South Africa’s railways decreased by 5% during 2016/17, reaching a seven-year low of 4 066 incidents, compared with 4 250 in the prior year. →

The Railway Safety Regulator is committed to achieving its goal of “zero occurrences”

Third biennial food and drink exhibition to be held in 2018

By: Simone Liedtke 17th November 2017 Conceptualised as a “for Africa by Africa” event, exhibition company Messe München South Africa (SA) will host the third biennial food and drink technology Africa (fdt Africa) exhibition from September 4 to 6 at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa, next year. →

FDT AFRICA 2018 The aim of fdt Africa 2018 is to consolidate the existing target groups of exhibitors and visitors

SAB entrepreneurship for employment initiative welcomed

17th November 2017 Business Unity South Africa (Busa) has welcomed South African Breweries (SAB’s) entrepreneurship campaign aimed at enabling South African entrepreneurs to create 10 000 jobs by 2021. →

SAB PROGRAMME The SAB entrepreneurial programme, which provides a package of support, was launched in September

DCD success in winemaking opens new markets

17th November 2017 Having proven that its Disruptor technology is more than suitable for the winemaking and beer sectors, South African biotechnology company Green Cell Technologies (GCT), states that it has turned its attention to the lucrative fruit sugar concentrates market. →

LESS SUGAR Consumers are more informed about the effect of foodstuffs they consume and the growing demand for less sugary products

Tank cleaning ensures quality batch, every time

By: Simone Liedtke 17th November 2017 Although tank cleaning is considered a ‘necessary evil’ for any producer in the wine, brewery and beverage industry, South Africa-based industrial nozzle, pump and filter supplier Spray Nozzle says tank cleaning is required between batches to ensure that a reliable, uncontaminated, high-quality... →

SPECIALIST PRODUCT The HydroClaw nozzle is a specialist nozzle which is best suited for the cleaning of tanks with high solids content

Value-for-money centrifugal pumps to change process

17th November 2017 The food and beverage industry is continuously looking for solutions to increase production efficiency with extremely high system pressure applications becoming more common, especially in typical reverse osmosis applications for whey, wine and beer filtration. →

UPCOMING AVAILABILITY Higher flow rates are expected to be available very soon

Maintenance and upgrades on cards for Platinum Corridor in 2018

By: Simone Liedtke 10th November 2017 The South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) private concessionaire Bakwena Platinum Corridor Concessionaire (Bakwena) will conduct several maintenance and construction projects along the South African N1/N4 routes in 2018. →

Photo by Duane Daws
LIAM CLARKE Construction of a second carriageway on the N4 between the M17 and the R512 will start in January 2018

Equipment supplier provides spare-part warehousing solution

By: Nica Schreuder 3rd November 2017 Owing to increasing demand for improved quality and the availability of production operations, metallurgical plant and equipment supplier SMS group provides consignment stock or warehousing facilities for their operational and insurance spare parts and components. “The service enables customers... →

Photo by Duane Daws
SPARE PART GUARANTEE A constant supply of spare parts for clients will reduce downtime

Flexible solution caters to SMEs

3rd November 2017 Self-storage and business storage solutions company XtraSpace launched a new warehousing service this month, aimed at “disrupting the traditional warehousing industry.” The service is also providing an opportunity for smaller businesses and entrepreneurs to use storage space. →

FLEXIBLE SPACE XtraSpace’s storage solution allows for any size business to take advantage of its flexi-storage facilities

Company completes second sustainable storage project

3rd November 2017 Self-storage solutions company Stor-Age earlier this year installed a complete solar photovoltaic (PV) system for the generation of its three-phase power requirements at its Tokai store in the Western Cape. This is the second store in Stor-Age’s portfolio to be fitted with PV panels, and forms... →

Photo by Bloomberg
SUSTAINABLE STORAGE Stor-Age aims to create sustainable infrastructure with minimal damage to the environment

Storage automation in warehousing globally trending

By: Nica Schreuder 3rd November 2017 With the global shift among project managers toward automated storage solutions to rapidly meet customer needs, Germiston-based storage solution and racking manufacturer Acrow says South Africa has been quick on the uptake, with many companies implementing automated mobile racking storage... →

CUSTOMER INFLUENCE Acrow’s mobile racking storage solution came about as customers required increased automation in their warehousing and storage facilities

Company keeps up with industrial cleaning trends, wins awards

By: Marleny Arnoldi 3rd November 2017 Over the past decade, global waste management company Averda’s focus regarding industrial cleaning has been to develop and increase the use of hands-free technologies, making it safer for operators to work and allowing for more complex tasks to be completed. →

CLEANING SAFELY During a recent plant shutdown, Averda completed more than 59 640 injury-free work hours in 14 days, cleaned 24 578 km of tubes and moved 180 000 t of product

Company offers industrial sweepers for efficient cleaning

By: Marleny Arnoldi 3rd November 2017 Materials handling company Big Lift Trucks South Africa (BLT SA) has added industrial equipment manufacturer Haaga’s walk-behind sweepers to its product portfolio range, from entry-level machines for domestic and commercial applications to high-power sweepers for large commercial or industrial... →

SWEEPING SUCCESS The intelligent airflow design of the walk-behind Haaga sweepers ensures efficient dust control

Vacuum tech manufacturer expands offering

By: Marleny Arnoldi 3rd November 2017 Heavy-duty industrial vacuum manufacturer Hencon Vacuum Technologies (Hencon VT) has expanded its service offering from only selling and manufacturing vacuum equipment to also providing cleaning services through a subsidiary called Afriveyor. →

CLEANING MACHINE Vacuum trucks are an efficient, albeit more expensive, cleaning method, compared with traditional cleaning methods that require intensive manual labour use

Initiatives aim to reduce carbon footprint and production costs

By: Simone Liedtke 27th October 2017 Current initiatives in the global synthetic fuels (synfuels) industry are focussing on using coal feedstock more efficiently to reduce operational and capital costs of production, states chemicals process engineering company Holland and Hausberger CEO Dr Brendon Hausberger. →

GENERAL PUBLIC PERCEPTION The general public perception is that coal is a dirty and undesirable environment-costly option

Monitoring system assists with continuous safety and product quality

By: Simone Liedtke 27th October 2017 Industrial equipment supplier SICK Automation says its LMS511 Pro object detection system assists in decreasing the number of collisions and injuries for the chemicals, petrochemicals and automated bulk handling industries, where continuous process and proximity monitoring plays a critical role... →

OBJECT DETECTION The LMS511 Pro object detection system will detect any objects or humans in the reclaimer path

Fabric containers used to divert Orange river for bridge-widening project

By: Donna Slater 27th October 2017 To facilitate the construction of a bridge-widening project in the Northern Cape, engineered fabrics company Kaytech used its geotextile containers to assist in redirecting part of the Orange river to allow pile-driving equipment access to riverside infrastructure. →

GEOTEXTILE SOLUTION The project required 1 000 GeoRevet Geobags to help create the piling platform structure

Supplier aims to change industry mindset

By: Simone Liedtke 13th October 2017 Industrial equipment supplier Smith Power Equipment (SPE) – a division of Smith Mining Equipment – is aiming to change the “bigger is better” mindset of the construction materials and equipment market in South Africa by offering construction equipment developer Kubota’s 3 t Kubota U30-6 mini... →

COMPACT EXCAVATOR The 3 t Kubota U30-6 mini excavator from Smith Power Equipment a compact machine

Well-maintained equipment ensures market competitiveness

By: Simone Liedtke 13th October 2017 Ensuring that income-generation capacity is not reduced in any way by ill-maintained equipment is an important way of staying competitive in the market, states Cape Town-based specialised equipment hire company Burma Plant Hire Group (BPH) MD Theuns Burger. →

THEUNS BURGER The proactive approach involves maintenance of a company’s equipment

Groundwater a viable water saving initiative

13th October 2017 South African consulting and engineering firm JG Afrika is working hard to change the mind-set around using South Africa’s groundwater to mitigate water scarcity, despite project failures in the past. JG Afrika technical director Mark Schapers and JG Afrika executive associate Regan Rose agree... →

MARK SCHAPERS JG Afrika’s systematic approach is transferred to all activities involved in completing groundwater projects

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