Abacus Automation brings Laumas weighing solutions to Africa

24th May 2019 By: Creamer Media Reporter

Abacus Automation brings Laumas weighing solutions to Africa

“This is Africa” is an often-heard phrase in South African industry conversations. Abacus Automation asks the question: “What convinces Africans that our continent is so special and what defines this amazing continent, recognising that what works in the rest of the world cannot simply be applied here?”

In answer, Abacus says that it is not ‘what’ makes Africa different but rather ‘why’ it is different, that defines the African spirit. This continent has an abundance of natural resources, rather than an abundance of technology, and business solutions need to be tailored to that reality.

For the past 25 years, Abacus Automation’s growth has been rooted in finding innovative answers to Africa’s unique challenges, while partnering with global companies that are able to push boundaries in the automation industry.

Laumas, an international leader in weighing solutions, is precisely such a company, which is why Abacus Automation has entered into a business partnership underpinned by a desire to pair the ‘why-we-are-different’ approach with some real ‘this-is-Africa’ solutions.

This new partnership will bring Laumas’s innovative industrial-weighing solutions to the local market. Through it, the companies will provide weighing equipment of the best quality and at the best price to Africa, with the same excellent technical support and stock inventory available to the European market.

A full portfolio of weighing solutions are on offer ranging from indicators and transmitters, through to load cells and mounting kits, as well as crane scales and custom products.

Transmitters and controllers are available with a wide variety of communication options for programmable logic controller and industrial personal computer field buses, be it over USB, Ethernet, RS485 or even Wi-Fi transmissions.

All load cells, weight indicators, transmitters and scales are approved in line with guidelines provided by international standardisation organisations such as TUV, UL, OIML, EAC, IECEX, ATEX, ensuring quality solutions for any application.

The W-series of weight controllers offers versatility for either simple or complex weighing systems, such as multicomponent dosing, filling or loading and unloading systems. The TL-series weight transmitters are equipped with a local display and keypad featuring user-friendly software.

Advantages of the TL series include features such as single load-cell diagnostics for each individual channel, load distribution and digital equalisation. Balancing load cells is simplified with the TLB4 and TLM8 units that support these functions in their respective 4 and 8 load-cell capacity variants. These features are particularly helpful in breakdown situations, especially when an available replacement load cell does not match the faulty load cell. In such cases, load distribution and digital equalisation can be adjusted to accommodate the unmatched load cell.

A universal load cell digitiser that transforms an analogue load cell into a digital one, is another new addition. The IP67 stainless steel box, with status light-emitting diodes, mounts directly onto the load cell body through a standard quarter-inch GAS fitting and is OIML R76:2006, class III certified. It is compatible with any load cell or strain-gauge sensor with a millivolt/volt feedback signal. Supporting IO-Link, CAN open, CC-link, PROFI networks, Sercos, EtherCAT and others, the application options for this device are numerable. In addition, it is available with Alibi memory, and is easily configured with user-friendly software that connects through a micro USB.

For challenging load-limiting devices on wire-rope applications, an easy to install solution is available, which is ideal for existing lifting equipment applications. Made out of a special stainless steel compound, it offers a clamp-on installation that does not require any disconnection of the wire-rope system. Quick and easy, with a switching accuracy of about 2% of full scale.

Laumas already has representation in more than 10 countries on the African continent and plans to grow local stock availability to meet market demands.

The company also takes its corporate social responsibility seriously with its proudest African collaboration being with God our Father Centre for Needy Children orphanage in Timboni, Kenya.

Abacus Automation aims to be the first stop for automation innovators in Southern Africa, offering technical support and service equivalent to that provided by Laumas.

To stay abreast of international industry developments, Abacus Automation’s social media offering connects customers to the weighing industry’s largest online community, through LinkedIn’s ‘weighing transmitters for industrial weighing systems’ platform.

For more on the Laumas range, contact sales@abacus-automation.co.za, or visit www.abacus-automation.co.za.