MechChem MAY-JUNE 2022 AFRICA
For complete process solutions and maintenance services
This month: Metrics for maximising uptime and asset value
Drilling projects showcase state-of- the-art
Ventilation and cooling in Mexico’s mines
Automation technology for sustainable packaging
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Maintenance solutions and asset management 6
Metso Metrics: for maximising uptime and asset value Pilot Crushtec’s Jorge Abelho talks about the role played by Metso Metrics in protecting crushing and screening machines, preventing unplanned downtime and delivering value for money. 8 Bearing remanufacture supports circular economy 9 WearCheck: Empowering the maintenance workforce 10 Complex breakdown repair of 30 MW generator rotor 11 A new benchmark for filtration Water, wastewater and pumping solutions 12 Pumping innovations from Verder Pumps South Africa MechChem Africa talks to Darryl MacDougall, Managing Director of Verder Pumps South Africa, about recent innovations, most notably the newly designed Verderflex Dura 65 peristaltic hose pump. 14 Full water management offering from Weir Minerals Africa 16 IPT gets pumps and support closer to customers 17 SEW-EURODRIVE delivers for WWTP upgrade Minerals processing and materials handling 18 MULTOTEC’S RAMA: a giant step in precision sampling Multotec’s Realtime Automated Metallurgical Accounting (RAMA TM ) unlocks higher mineral content through improved grade control and recovery, while optimising reagent consumption. 21 Kwatani screens support golden opportunity in Namibia 22 Master Drilling projects showcase state-of-the-art 24 SA research on new ways to refine zinc
Published bimonthly by Crown Publications (Pty) Ltd Cnr Theunis and Sovereign Streets Bedford Gardens 2007 PO Box 140, Bedfordview, 2008 Tel: +27 11 622 4770 e-mail: mechchemafrica@crown.co.za www.mechchemafricamagazine.co.za Editor: Peter Middleton
e-mail: peterm@crown.co.za Advertising: Elmarie Stonell e-mail: elmaries@crown.co.za
Design: Katlego Montsho Publisher: Karen Grant Deputy publisher: Wilhelm du Plessis Circulation: Brenda Grossmann The views expressed in this journal are not necessarily those of the publisher or the editors.
25 A customised Bonfiglioli mining solution for flotation cells 27 Laser scanning enhances TK Udhe modularisation offering
Heating ventilation and air conditioning 28 Ventilation and cooling in Mexico’s mines Director and Senior Engineer at BBE, Ross Wilson, talks about the application of the South African company’s deep mine ventilation expertise in Mexico. 30 TLT-Turbo Africa accelerates growth & reach 31 Local HVAC expert works to global rail standards PowerGen, PetroChem and sustainable energy management 32 OceaniQ TM : an innovation for the offshore environment Hitachi Energy recently launched a new transformer solution into its OceaniQ portfolio to address the unique challenges of the offshore environment. 33 CHIETA confirms commitment to green hydrogen economy 34 Making heating and cooling energy efficient 35 Low-maintenance mini substations for SA’s ageing infrastructure Local manufacturing and food processing 36 Orion Engineered Carbons makes Coega its Home The Coega Development Corporation (CDC) has announced a R200-million investment in infrastructure to secure the supply of Carbon Black for the tyre manufacturing industry in the Eastern Cape province. 37 EPR legislation a benefit, not a burden Innovative engineering 42 Automation technology for sustainable packaging OMRON, a global leader in industrial automation, presents some of the changes and technologies that offer sustainable solutions for the packaging industry. Regulars 2 Peter’s comment: World class innovations launched in SA 4 On the cover: Structured reliability programmes BMG argues the case structured programmes to maximise support service value. 38 Products and industry news 44 Back page: Now is the time for BEVs in mining
Transparency You Can See Average circulation Jan to Mar 2022: 8 881 Printed by: Tandym Print, Cape Town
Front cover: BMG Contact: Carlo Beukes, Group Sales Development
Tel: +27 11 620 7558 carlob@bmgworld.net www.bmgworld.net
May-June 2022 • MechChem Africa ¦ 1
World class innovations launched in SA
Peter Middleton
On Friday May 6, I logged into a virtual launch event being held at Anglo American’s Mogalakwena PGM mine in Limpopo, South Africa. Being introduced was the world’s first 510 t ultra-class load haul mining truck to be fuelled by hydrogen and electrically driven via hydrogen fuel cells. With a payload of 290 t and a drivetrain that can deliver 2.0 MW of power from 800 kW of fuel cells and 1.2 MW of battery storage, the vehicle is the largest hydrogen powered truck ever converted to run on hydrogen. Called nuGen™, the vehicle was engineered in- house to enable the entire open cast mining fleet in Anglo American to be converted from diesel to hydrogen. It delivers a zero-emission haulage solu- tion that, on this truck alone, saves 3 000 ℓ of diesel consumption per day at Mogalakwena, displacing 8.0 t of CO 2 . If implemented on all of the trucks at an average sized open cast mine, 120 000 t of CO 2 emissions per year can be avoided, and there are over 1 000 such mines worldwide. For any hydrogen vehicle to be truly zero-emis- sion, however, renewable energy sources must be used to produce ‘green’ hydrogen. Also required is vehicle refuelling infrastructure, all of which is under development as part Anglo American’s FutureSmart Mining™ initiative. In partnership with Engie, Anglo American has been building a hydrogen production, storage and refuelling complex at Mogalakwena that incorpo- rates the largest electrolyser in Africa. Powered by an onsite solar PV plant, this electrolyser and its surrounding infrastructure uses water to produce pressurised hydrogen for refuelling the mine’s nuGen trucks. “The launch of the nuGen truck is truly remark- able and it is a huge milestone on our journey as a country to creating an industry, but also an economy, that is more sustainable, more innova- tive and resourceful,” said South African President Cyril Ramaphosa speaking from Mogalakwena. “It is a smart step for Anglo American, but it is a giant leap for South Africa’s hydrogen economy into the future,” he noted. “Today’s launch of the world’s largest truck pow- ered by green hydrogen – that will be produced, yes, at the mine – also shows us that the energy economy is beckoning us: as a country and as an industry. The hydrogen economy has definitely arrived for South Africa and today we celebrate its arrival,” Ramaphosa said. In terms of broader national development, he notes that the Department of Science and
Innovation, Anglo American and Engie, amongst others, are in partnership into the development of a Hydrogen Valley to capitalise on the country’s PGM resources and its renewable energy poten- tial. The aim is to revitalise and decarbonise key industrial sectors along an economic corridor that extends from the mines in Limpopo, down through Johannesburg and onto the KwaZulu-Natal coast, potentially contributing some R57-billion to South African GDP by 2050. This with a view to making South Africa a real centre-of-excellence for green hydrogen production and export. “Just as finding new mineral deposits leads to new demand in various parts of the country, so will the green hydrogen economy spawn new industries and associated economic activity, lead- ing to the improvement of the lives of our people. This is the beginning of the future that we envisage in the new development plan,” notes President Ramaphosa. On April 26 at another PGM mine in Limpopo, Master Drilling hosted an event at Northam Platinum’s Zondereinde mine to celebrate the final breakthrough of a new 4.8 m diameter, 1 380 m mine shaft – which has broken Master Drilling’s previous world record for the deepest raised-bore mine shaft ever constructed. Master Drilling’s first world record was estab- lished in 2012 with the 1.07 km pilot hole at Lonmin for a 5.5 m ventilation shaft; and today, with over 140 raise boring rigs operating in over 20 countries across the world, the South African company is considered to be a world leader in this technology. “Key to success is the accuracy we achieved, which is all down to the pilot hole that deviated by less than 140 mm from a true vertical line across its entire depth – a minute amount,” said Master Drilling CEO, Danie Pretorius. In addition, in talking to Darryl MacDougall of Verder Pumps South Africa he relates that back in the day, South Africa, through Verder SA’s Daan Louw, was instrumental in assisting the factory in the United Kingdom to design the Verder Dura range of peristaltic hose pumps to best meet typical mining requirements here in South Africa. This has culminated in the recent release of the range’s latest evolution, the Verderflex Dura 65, which offers 20% better performance on the same footprint. While it is not a surprise that the South African mining industry has become a world leader in shaft and underground tunnel construction, it is hearten- ing that the industry can also lead the world in terms of future-focused green technologies.
MechChem Africa is endorsed by:
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Structured BMG programmes for reliability, optimised productivity and extended life Leading engineering solutions specialist BMG provides the engineering components and support services that, if coupled with a structured maintenance programme, will ensure high productivity, reduced energy consumption, minimal downtime and long service life of systems.
B MG is a complete process solutions provider to all industrial sectors, which means companies can ac- cess quality branded products and essential support services from a single, reliable supplier. This integrated approach guarantees lower production costs and higher efficiencies. “We believe the introduction of a struc- tured maintenance management programme, which can be implemented in-house or partial- ly outsourced to a professional organisation, is critical to maximising production efficiencies in industry,” says Carlo Beukes, group sales development manager for BMG. Maintenance of machinery can be a very expensive exercise, not only in terms of the cost of spare parts and labour, but also due to lost production because of plant stop- pages. Careful consideration therefore needs to be given to disciplined inspections and planned maintenance of plant and production machinery. Care in the initial designing and manu- facturing stages of the plant, the selection of compatible quality branded mating com- ponents, professional installation – with particular attention to meticulous alignment of coupled components – will ensure reduced downtime, lower maintenance requirements and therefore lower operating costs. “BMG’s proactive maintenance, which encompasses predictive maintenance ser- vices including condition monitoring and oil analysis, is enhanced by advanced technical and design support across all functional dis- ciplines. Services include mobile breakdown, repair and maintenance support, which all help production plants to get up and running as quickly as possible following a breakdown,” says Beukes. The importance of lubrication The negative effects of friction and the re- sulting wear on moving components such as bearings, girth gears and industrial chain are significantly reduced by the selection and use of the correct lubrication. Although a general multipurpose grease or oil is sometimes ad- equate, more arduous operating conditions demand purpose specific lubricants. Factors that need to be considered include operating speed, ambient temperature, load, vibration
and environmental conditions. Through a wide range of energy efficient products, including synthetic oils, lubricants and bespoke lubrication systems, along with the support of a technically competent team, the company is able help plant operators to make these more difficult lubricant choices. BMG’s specialist technical division also offers an oil analysis service, which includes laboratory-based sampling and analysis, as well as on site analysis, filtration and flushing. Other services include technical applications consulting, product and system design, prod- uct quality control and assurance, as well as condition monitoring services. Condition monitoring identifies lubrica - tion problems, misalignment and vibration issues and also helps in identifying the causes of damage, so that units can be fixed before further destruction occurs. The service more than pays for itself through reduced downtime, more efficient production and maintenance cost savings. Filtration solutions BMG Fluid Technology’s filtration solutions comprise a wide range of fluid power com - ponents and systems, which are supported
BMG’s Timken Quick-Flex couplings, which require minimal maintenance, are ideal for applications such as large hydraulic pumps, industrial gearboxes, compressors,
vibrating screens and mine ventilation fans.
by the team’s broad technical capabilities to ensure fluids, including oil, fuel and lubri - cant oil, operate within required cleanliness standards. “Proficient filtration disciplines in all industries – especially in chemical and cor- rosive environments and for arduous min- ing conditions – are critical for dependable performance, high efficiency and extended service life of machinery, equipment and vehicles,” explains Willie Lamprecht, BMG’s business unit manager for Low Pressure Fluid Technology. “Without a structured control and contamination prevention programme, premature equipment failure is likely to occur, leading to unnecessary downtime and costly
BMG provides plant maintenance solutions that are ideally coupled with a structured maintenance programme.
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⎪ Cover story ⎪
or sprockets also extends operating life and, as a result of reduced friction, lowers power consumption. Many chain drives also require correct lubrication to ensure trouble-free and efficient operation. Tsubaki’s lube-free roller chain, however, is ideal for use in industries where clean en- vironments are required and where product contamination cannot be tolerated, in food processing, pharmaceutical and electron- ics’ manufacturing, for example. Tsubaki’s Lambda chain is also suitable for environ- ments where abrasive contamination is prominent, as is the case in wood processing and the paper and packaging industries. Similarly, Timken Quick-Flex couplings require minimal maintenance and are able to be used in a wide range of critical applications, including hydraulic pumps, motors, industrial gearboxes, compressors, vibrating screens and ventilation fans. These couplings are designed to accommodate shaft misalignment within the drive and to also dampen vibration and torque fluctuations. “Quick-Flex drive couplings can directly replace virtually any similarly sized coupling. They require no lu- brication and are also easy to install and main- tain,” says Brandon Bouillon, product manager for BMG’s Power Transmission division. Through its offering of a wide range of high- quality engineering components, along with associated structured maintenance and service programmes, BMG strives to keep plants free of the breakdowns and stoppages that unneces- sarily affect efficiency and productivity. “We are committed to ensuring every plant keeps operating by providing 24-hour customer process support for production efficiency and structured reliability-centred maintenance pro- grammes,” concludes Carlo Beukes. www.bmgworld.net
replacement of parts. “Optimum filtration performance, in conjunction with lower dif- ferential pressures (∆P) through the system, significantly reduce energy consumption and fuel efficiency. BMG’s fluid technology
units. This information is used in conjunction with gear unit parameters and specific opera - tional parameters to precisely calculate the most appropriate oil change time, without the need for any additional sensors. The company’s electromechanical special- ists are able to extend and adjust NORD drive equipment for specific automation tasks, including drive monitoring, drive control and process control. The team is also able to advise customers about the correct PLC software architecture for any application. Power transmission solutions Stock availability and a wide range of stan- dardised power transmission components, which are machined to accept taper-lock sleeves with bore sizes to suit a range of stan- dard shafts, make for easy access and fitting of components to the shafts of machinery, such as motors and gearboxes. Components, such as vee belts, sprockets, couplings, slat top chain, belt systems, taper bushes, belt and chain tensioners and geared motors, ac- commodate broad power input and torque capacity requirements, as well as a wide speed range. The accurate installation of correct power transmission equipment ensures long-term savings in equipment replacement costs, as well as reduced plant downtime and main- tenance requirements. When alignment has been meticulously completed, it is critical that all components are securely located and doweled. This will ensure reduced wear, resulting in lower power losses, improved ef- ficiency and the elimination of vibration. The net effect is an extended operating life for all drive components. In belt and chain drives, the correct ten- sioning and accurate alignment of pulleys
services include solutions for fuel and industrial filtration systems, hydraulics and pneumatics, lubrication, hydraulic hose and fit - tings, as well as in- strumentation, pumps and industrial valves,” notes Lamprecht. Predictive solutions for drives BMG’s NORD predic- tive maintenance solu- tions offer fast, efficient
and comprehensive evaluation of analogue and digital data to en- hance the operational efficiency and safety of machines. “BMG specialists use predictive maintenance as a methodical extension of condition-based maintenance, with the prime objective of proactively maintaining machinery and equipment and the early detection of operational changes. “Our NORD status-oriented maintenance system replaces traditional time-based main- tenance to enhance the performance of the gear units, electric motors and frequency in- verters, for increased efficiency of the entire plant as well as reduced downtime,” explains Deon Crous, national product specialist for NORD Drive Systems. “Digitalisation boosts the added value our customers can derive from drive data, especially when used to monitor critical ap- plications where a drive failure may cause severe damage,” says Crous. BMG’s NORD drives for condition moni- toring are based on intelligent algorithms and software in an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) environment, where networked drive units collect condition data in the inverter’s integrated Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) and pre-process it, together with data from connected sensors and actuators. “An important advantage of this system is it offers our customers dependable data analysis, rather than raw data. Results of pre- processed or complete data can be optionally transmitted to an edge device, from which the data from all subsystems is managed and evaluated. This information is then available as pre-selected and edited smart data for further use and clear visualisation,” explains Crous. A common application example is the sensorless determination of the optimum oil change period based on the oil temperature, which is the key indicator of oil ageing in gear
BMG’s NORD predictive maintenance solutions offer fast, efficient and comprehensive evaluation of analogue and digital data, to enhance the operational efficiency and safety of machines.
May-June 2022 • MechChem Africa ¦ 5
Metso Metrics: for maximising uptime and asset value Pilot Crushtec’s Jorge Abelho talks about the advantages of using Metso Minerals’ advanced primary jaw crushers, secondary cone crushers and vibrating screens, and the role played by Metso Metrics in protecting these machines, preventing unplanned downtime and delivering value for money.
P ilot Crushtec, as the exclusive South African dealer of Metso’s range of cutting-edge crushing and screening technologies, is now able to incorpo- rate and support the Metso Metrics condition monitoring and data analytics platform for these flagship processing machines. “Particularly use - ful for mobile Lokotrack units, which are fast be- coming preferred across the world, Metso now incorporates the state-of-the-art Metso Metrics digital asset tracking system that uses up to 90 sensors to continuously monitor every aspect of a machine’s condition and performance,” begins Jorge Abelho, director of Technical Support at Pilot Crushtec. “These machines are at the forefront of minerals processing technology, using digital and connected technology to control every aspect of operation to deliver best possible production efficiencies, reliability and value,” he says. Citing the Metso LT330D and the LT220D
secondary cone crushers with built-in vibrat- ing screens, Abelho says the all-in-one hybrid machines are now becoming very popular across Africa. “These are high capacity crushers with a 3-deck dual slope screen and a patented centrif- ugal conveyor on the same chassis, so they can be transported across and between sites in one piece. They can be powered by electricity when the grid is available, saving up to 40% on fuel costs, and can be seamlessly coupled to other Lokotrack machines to expand delivery to the capacity required by mine operators ,” he notes. “Buying machines like these requires a mas- sive investment in capital equipment, so custom- ers need assurances about investment returns. Along with the sale, we therefore incorporate technologies and establish programmes to en- sure that customers get the maximum life and uptime out of their machines, while delivering the run-of-mine output required as continu- ously as possible. “Ultimately, for African and
Southern African mining applications, there is far more long-term value in investing in better machines that are reliable and robust than in attempting to limit the initial investment at the expense of shorter life and high maintenance and downtime costs,” he argues, adding that this truth is leading to Metso machines becoming first-choice duty mining machines. Metso Metrics While it has become an option for premium mining machines to incorporate remote moni- toring via cellular, Wi-Fi or satellite networks, Pilot Crushtec incorporates Metro Metrics as standard on all Metso LT and ST machines it sells and supports, whether they are mobile or static. “Every aspect of the health of the Metso machines we now sell is continuously monitored, with data being routinely collected, uploaded
The Lokotrack ® LT330D™ is equipped with the versatile and reliable Nordberg ® GP330™ cone crushing unit, which is suitable for even the most difficult aggregates production.
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⎪ Maintenance and asset management ⎪
and analysed – and we use a satellite-based setup, which is really good because GPRS mo- dems on remote sites in Africa are notoriously unreliable,” Abelho continues. Metso Metrics uses advanced sensors to collect data from machines in operation, some of which are relatively standard, such as flow, level, pressure, and temperature sensors com- ing directly from the instrumentation, but each machine also has a set of customised sensor systems to monitor specific health and perfor - mance issues, fuel consumption rates, idle time, leak detection, wear rates, load characteristics and throughput efficiency. “By monitoring every aspect of a machine in operation, we can take proactive and preventive action as soon as a sensor identifies a problem,” notes Abelho. Metso Metrics provides four levels of insight on equipment and operations: • Analytics on the machine and processes, which uses the data collected to analyse the real machine performance against daily, weekly and monthly KPIs for various aspects of the machine, from vibration to throughput efficiency. This is aimed at helping operators to make the right deci- sion at the right time. • Condition monitoring to increase visibil- ity: In monitoring machine health Metso experts have determined thresholds for every piece of data, as well as how each part should optimally interact with the other. • Predictivemaintenance through artificial intelligence (AI): Machine learning algo - rithms and AI are used to detect and pre- dict machine failures. This helps to ensure that machine uptime and availability are maximised, while crushing and screening processes are optimised. • Process engineering to maximise overall efficiency: Preventing unplanned down - time is key, as is maximising usage when equipment is up-and-running, while Metso’s continuous OEM support helps drive down to the real roots of reliability. Metso‘s IC controller and interface on every machine logs faults for each parameter, enabling onsite maintenance technicians and manag- ers to see if something has changed or been changed. “If an operator changes the setup on the machine, it records who made the change and when, so a full operational record is easily available. “And what I really like about Metrics is that Metso has gone the next level. When a mine or- ders a machine, it is usually customised to meet the ore and throughput needs, and customer preferences; a customer can ask for a certain electric mode and a cavity profile, which makes every machine slightly different. “Each unit has its own serial number, though, linked to its own parts manual. Metrics ties that into its database so, when the machine is due
Pilot Crushtec’s expert personnel are on hand to service and repair all crushing, screening and materials handling products.
The Lokotrack ® LT220D™ mobile cone crusher combines a cone crusher and a screen on the same chassis. When used for secondary or tertiary crushing, this machine can produce up to three calibrated end products.
for service, all the filters and service parts for that customised machine can easily be listed and supplied to the service technician. This is awesome!” he exclaims. In addition, he continues, especially dur- ing the warranty period, the OEM will want specific checks to be done and records of these must be kept to validate the warranty. Metso Metrics maintains an electronic logbook, so the maintenance technician simply logs into the Metrics system on the machine when it’s due for a service. He can see the error codes and then, after completing the service, fill in the report page summarising the maintenance done. “And the full history can be quickly accessed at any time to see what else needs to be looked at to ensure machine availability,” Abelho explains. Pilot Crushtec Equipment Protection Services (EPS) “Our Equipment Protection Services (EPS) of - fering is an additional layer of protection that relies on the expertise of Pilot Crushtec’s highly trained service personnel to help operators to better manage their equipment. “These machines all have wear components that will need replacing, and components will eventually suffer from end-of-life fatigue. At Pilot Crushtec, we now have five Certified Inspectors (CIs), who have been trained by our Metso specialists colleagues in Finland. These
inspectors are critical to ensure Metrics and the processing machine are being optimally used to deliver reliability and performance. They are the people who catch problems early,” Abelho says. “They will typically travel to site once a year or every 1 000 hours to check how the machine is being used and to look for any early signs of wear or fatigue. These visits coincide with major services on the machines and we find they add a lot of value,” he adds. As an example, he says that a Pilot Crushtec Metso Certified Inspector on a 2 000 hour service visit recently found a leak on one of the vibrating motors of the screen. “Although it was just the leak, he proactively scheduled a change out on the unit and, when it was pulled off, careful examination indicted the vibrator was on the verge of a catastrophic failure that would have caused unscheduled and extended downtime. Rico inspections regularly help us to avert issues such as these,” he says. “While many OEMs operating in South Africa will charge a monthly fee for remote monitoring and protection services, Metso ma- chines come with Metrics built into every unit and, to ensure operators realise the full value, we are also looking at embedding the cost of our Pilot Crushtec EPS services into the initial contract, at least for the full warranty period,” Jorge Abelho concludes. www.pilotcrushtec.com
May-June 2022 • MechChem Africa ¦ 7
Bearing remanufacture supports circular economy
SKF is seeing rapid double-digit growth for bearing remanufacturing services compared to two years ago. The main reason for choosing remanufactured bearings over new ones has historically been cost, but this has changed as companies seek more sustainable production processes to support a circular economy. R emanufacturing bearing units increases the usability of the bearings and delivers significant environmental benefits. The carbon footprint of a remanufactured bearing can be up to 90% less than a new one, depending on the amount of remanufacturing required, and the process consumes up to 90% less energy.
Quadrupled sales In 2020, SKF in Sweden invested in the Circular Economy concept. A local unit close to customers was established to enable circular solu- tions with the capacity to remanufacture 13 000 bearings per year. Focusing not only on remanufacturing bearings, but also on bearing units, bearing housings, sealing solutions and lubrication management, sales have quadrupled in two years and demand continues to increase. “The SKF Circular Economy Centre offers customers a comprehen- sive service where we quantify green value, such as reduced energy consumption, CO 2 impact and reduced lubricant consumption, with economic value, such as increased production and reduced costs. To support this, we have developed calculation models that show how many kilos of CO 2 emissions the customer can avoid by becoming a partner with SKF,” says Westerlund. Today, SKF has more than 15 remanufacturing centres across the global, with SKF South Africa having offered the service since 2008. www.skf.com
SKF provides remanufacturing services for bearings as part of its offering of trouble-free rotating shaft solutions. Hannes Leopoldseder, from the SKF remanufacturing unit in Steyr, Austria, says: “Double- digit growth for our remanufacturing services is coming from all major industries such as metals, pulp and paper, mining and energy across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.” Although energy and material efficiency are obvious, for most customers cost benefits used to be crucial in the decision to remanufac - ture bearings. This has changed. As a result of the 2016 Paris Climate Agreement, many countries’ ambitions to accelerate incentives for a circular economy, are showing tangible results in the market. More companies are considering how their entire supply chain can help reduce their overall impact on the climate. The desire to change from a linear to a more circular economy is significant. “The focus on sustainability has increased significantly, among large and small companies. We are receiving more questions from custom- ers about sustainable services such as remanufacturing as part of the need to maintain a sustainable operation in the production facility”, says Leopoldseder. Janne Westerlund, Head of Engineering, Services & Solutions for the Swedish industrial market, says: “We are identifying great business op- portunities in industrial markets. Combining sustainable products and services in a cohesive offer to reduce the impact on the environment is increasingly requested by our customers. This is evidenced by a rapid growth in sales for remanufactured bearings over the past two years.
SKF bearing remanufacturing services’ rapid double-digit growth supports the circular economy.
SKF’s bearing remanufacturing facility in South Africa.
8 ¦ MechChem Africa • May-June 2022
⎪ Maintenance and asset management ⎪
WearCheck: Empowering the maintenance workforce Steven Lumley of WearCheck presents an outline of the company’s training offering and urges companies operating in all industries to invest in their maintenance staff so as to optimise condition monitoring programmes and maximise returns on equipment investments.
WearCheck training consultant Jan Backer (second from left) conducts oil analysis training courses in Klipspruit for delegates from Moolmans.
T he condition monitoring sector is one that is constantly evolving and developing to incorporate innovation and boost efficiency. It is for this reason that ongoing training is essential to keep maintenance crews at the forefront of technological advance- ments within the industry. WearCheck’s technical manager, Steven Lumley, who oversees the company’s training programme, believes that companies where staff are not well trained in the latest maintenance techniques will be hampered by the diminishing effectiveness of their condition monitoring programme. Says Lumley, “We urge companies operating in all industries to invest in training their staff to optimise their return on investment in condition monitoring. All WearCheck’s courses comply with lockdown regulations to ensure the safety of delegates and staff. Please contact us to confirm whether the courses will be held at a venue or online, as we strive to comply with pandemic regulations.” Oil analysis and condition monitoring training courses are targeted at maintenance practitioners operating at various levels within an organisa- tion. Many of these courses earn valuable CPD (continuing professional development) points for delegates. Oil analysis courses are run at two levels, Oil Analysis 1: Understanding oil and its analysis; and Oil Analysis 2: Report interpretation. A specialist two day workshop on Wind Turbine Oil Analysis is also available. Other condition monitoring training courses run by WearCheck in- clude: Precision Shaft Alignment; Precision Balancing; Vibration Analysis (ISO CAT I, ISO CAT II and ISO CAT III); Asset Reliability Practitioner courses at advocate (ARP-A), engineer (ARP-E) and leader (ARP-L) levels; as well as WearCheck Practical (English/Zulu), WearCheck Customised and Asset Reliability Practitioner courses. WearCheck has been an accredited training partner for the inter-
nationally-acclaimed Mobius Institute since 2015. Mobius condition monitoring courses are presented at various venues throughout Africa, and many of them have an online option. When booking, please confirm date and venue, as some of these details may change due to COVID-19 restrictions. For more information or to book a Mobius training course, please contact Louis Peacock on +27 82 4949461 or louisp@wearcheck.co.za. www.wearcheck.co.za
Boniface Yuwama (second from left) handles sales and technical support for WearCheck Zambia. Here he is conducting training for delegates from Unitrans in Zambia.
May-June 2022 • MechChem Africa ¦ 9
Complex breakdown repair of 30 MW generator rotor Marthinusen & Coutts (M&C) recently repaired the rotor of an aging 30 MW generator, which had failed during operation at Sappi’s Saiccor pulp mill in Umkomaas, KwaZulu-Natal. Rudi Els, general manager of the Power Generation & Large Motor facility at M&C tells the story.
arcing having occurred between one of the coils and the coil retaining ring. Severe arcing on the rotor body landing had also occurred. Tests conducted by the investigation team established that the arcing had been caused by negative phase sequence currents. “In addition, there was an open circuit in one of the rotor coils that had resulted from thermal cycling fatigue, as well as damage to the windings caused by overheating, resulting from the overhang insulation having shifted over time, thereby blocking ventilation ac- cess to the windings,” says Rudi Els, general manager of the Power Generation & Large Motor facility at M&C. The repair procedures carried out on the rotor to enable the generator to be returned to service in the mill included: • Complete rewinding of the rotor using new locally-manufactured windings to replace the old. The rewinding process, which included brazing a total of 2 500 joints, took four weeks to perform, work- ing double-shifts throughout that period. • Manufacturing two new coil retaining rings (CRRs) by a reverse engineering process, including drilling 132 ventila- tion holes in each. “These were made
of forgings that we arranged to have manufactured in Germany according to our specifications. Our sister division ACTOM Turbo Machines then machined the forgings and drilled the ventilation holes in the CRRs,” Els explains. • Designing and manufacturing a damper winding for the rotor to prevent any recurrence of arcing on the rotor body landing and on the CRRs. The rotor had not originally been fitted with a damper winding. “The introduction of a damper winding meant we also had to drill ven- tilation holes in the damper circuit to line up with the CRRs’ ventilation holes,” said Rudi. The rotor damping circuit winding was de- signed by Sebenzana Consulting and fabri- cated by M&C subcontractors. The repair process was concluded by per- forming a high-speed balancing procedure on the rotor. It was returned to the Sappi plant a week before Christmas last year and recom- missioned at the plant on Christmas Day. ”This once again demonstrates M&C’s widely-recognised capability to perform complex repairs in quick time,” Rudi concludes. www.mandc.co.za
O ver a period of less than five months, Marthinusen & Coutts (M&C) has performed compre - hensive repairs to the rotor of an aging 30 MW generator, which had failed during operation at Sappi’s Saiccor pulp mill in Umkomaas, KwaZulu-Natal. The Jeumont Schneider 31 250 kVA 2-pole generator had been operating in the mill for over 30 years. M&C took delivery of the 12 t rotor at its Power Generation & Large Motor repair facility in Benoni for investigation and repair in August last year. The scope of work by M&C was moni- tored and witnessed at hold points by client third party rotating equipment specialist, Sebenzana Consulting, and the Sappi Mill’s Regional Head Office Engineers. The investigation revealed a zero value for the insulation resistance in the rotor, due to
Sappi’s 30 MW generator rotor undergoing dimensional checks in M&C’s 140 t precision lathe that can handle 40 t work pieces that are 11 m long with a swing of 3.2 m.
10 ¦ MechChem Africa • May-June 2022
⎪ Maintenance and asset management ⎪
A new benchmark for filtration Pratley Marketing Director Eldon Kruger, talks about the new company’s Percolite ® filter aid, a new benchmark for a host of food-grade and industrial fluids. T he fundamental problem posed by traditional filtration is how to maximise clarity and flow rate, which are two desirable yet conflicting observe lower pressure differentials across their filter cake, ultimately translating to higher production outputs. Percolite ® den- sities are also in the region of 50% less than Diatomaceous earth. The cost-saving when converting to Percolite ® is therefore significant.
parameters. Percolite ® filter aid from Pratley achieves just that, says Pratley Marketing Director Eldon Kruger. “The accurate size classification and the unique structure of Percolite ® filter aid leads to one of the highest flow-rate to clarity ratios possible,” he says. Percolite ® is a natural product, which means no taste, colours or odours are trans- ferred to the filtered product. Due to its low density, Percolite ® has a high flow rate com - bined with exceptional clarity. Percolite ® can be used with oils, wine, fruit juices, pharma- ceuticals, chemicals and industrial filtration applications. “From experience, current filtration me - diums can easily be switched to Percolite ® without impact on the performance of the process,” says Kruger. This is particularly true for customers converting from Diatomaceous earth filter aids to Percolite ® . Apart from the health hazards and high prices associated with Diatomaceous earth, customers who have converted to Percolite ®
Pratley has a state-of-the-art filter aid production facility that is among the most advanced on the African continent, where proprietary technology is used to processe Perlite raw material to produce the high-qual- ity filter aid using an ISO 9001-2015-certified manufacturing process. Percolite ® meets the standards listed in the food chemicals codex published by the US National Academy of Sciences and is a Halaal certified product. Pratley is also a member of the International Perlite Institute. An advanced R&D laboratory supervises the quality control of the final product and ensures stringent quality control. It also allows Pratley to thoroughly analyse cus- tomer liquids to recommend the most suitable Percolite ® grade for the job. Grades can be manufactured and tested to meet customer requirements and Percolite ®
Pratley’s Percolite ® filter aid is ideal for use in brewing applications.
applies to almost any industry requiring fine liquid/solid separation. Pratley has supply depots located in Gauteng, Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth offering countrywide sales and sup- port. The product is professionally packed and supplied in food-safe packaging. www.pratleyminerals.com
Pumping innovations from Verder Pumps South Africa MechChem Africa talks to Darryl MacDougall, Managing Director of Verder Pumps South Africa, about recent innovations: the newly designed Verderflex Dura 65 peristaltic hose pump; the Verderair e-PURE electrically driven double diaphragm pump; and the addition of JABSCO Rotary Lobe pumps for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical markets.
W hile Verder Pumps South Af- rica (VPSA) is a sub-division of the global Verder Group company, Verder Liquids, the local entity has played a key role in the development of the company’s products, most notably its Verderflex Dura range of peristaltic hose pumps for the mining and minerals processing industries. “Just to take you back in history a little, Verder Pumps South Africa was instrumen- tal in developing the Verderflex Dura pump range, up to and including the Dura 55,” begins MacDougall. “Daan Louw of Verder SA was instrumental in assisting the factory in the United Kingdom to design the Verder Dura range so that it met typi- cal mining requirements here in South Africa. In addition, our previous South African Marketing Manager was the originator of the Dura name and she was given the responsibility of launching the VerderFlex Dura pump range into Europe. “So VPSA played a key role in one of the global group’s flagship products.” In recent months, Verder has launched an upgraded Dura 55 HF, which has a slightly larger internal hose diameter that drops the pressure a little to give a better flow rate. “This is a new hose combination rather than a new pump design, and this pump remains essentially the same as the one developed using Daan Louw’s input,” MacDougall says. Earlier this year, however, a completely re- designed Verderflex D65 was launched, which is the latest evolution of the Dura range and will soon replace the Verderflex VF65. Verderflex Dura 65 Verder’s new D65 peristaltic hose pump has exactly the same footprint as its predecessor, but offers 20% better flow rates, and this has been achieved by lengthening the swept vol- ume of the hose. “The internal geometry has been changed so that the shoes make contact with the hose 20% earlier, which results in 20% more volume being pumped through the hose per stroke,” explains MacDougall. “We’ve also changed the gearbox and rotor mounting so the gearbox no longer carries the full rotor load. We have done this by adding an internal bearing and bearing housing to fully support the rotor that drives the shoes around the peristaltic hose.
We have also changed the drive shaft sealing arrangement so that, should a hose burst, the slurry being pumped is prevented from entering the pump’s gearbox,” he explains, adding that this improves the lifespan of the gearbox and solves a problem that has long been associated with all peristaltic pumps. “The design change also enables us to easily replace the gearbox with a smaller gearbox , for lighter dosing duties, which was not possible on the previous version,” he continues. The new design, which uses the same hose as the VF65, also extends hose life by 20%, resulting in downtime and maintenance cost advantages. “Through better all-round engi- neering design, the D65 delivers much better pumping performance at lower than ever costs of ownership,” argues MacDougall. Other new design details include: an access hatch to clean the hose track; a lifting eye on the front plate to make the unit safer to work on; a ball valve on the drain port; and an angled metal filling port for the glycerine hose lubricant. “These small improvements all deliver opera- tional advantages without impacting value for
money,” he tells MechChem Africa. He further reveals that the success of the D65 development is being followed up by the replacement of the VerderFlex VF80 pump with the Dura D80. All the same advantages will be offered at a higher flow capacity, with the new D80 using the same hose sizes as the VF80. Another novel Verder solution in the pipeline that hasn’t yet been released to the market is the Verder DS5000 tube pump for precision dosing. “This will target minerals processing markets where accurate quantities of reagents such as flocculants need to be added for applications such as underflow thickening or flotation,” notes MacDougall. The Verderair e-PURE diaphragm pump On the diaphragm pump side, MacDougall says a new Verderair e-PURE electrically driven double diaphragm pump has also just been released. “We have long been a specialist in air operated diaphragm pumps, but this version is electrically operated. It means that an air supply is not needed for operation, which improves reli-
The completely redesigned Verderflex D65 – which has the same footprint and uses the same hose as its predecessor, the VF65 – offers a 20% better flow rate while also extending hose life by 20%.
12 ¦ MechChem Africa • May-June 2022
⎪ Water, wastewater and pumping solutions ⎪
ability and reduces running costs significantly.” “We call these ‘PURE’ pumps because the wet-end is manufactured from pure materials chosen for their temperature, abrasion or corro- sion resistance: pure polypropylene or PTFE, for example. The pure materials are also very easy to clean as they tend not to get impregnated with slurry media,” he says. On the new Verder e-PURE pump, the ball check non-return valve typically used on dia- phragm pumps has been replaced with a flap - per valve, which is better for pumping slurries or media containing solids. The biggest pump in this range can handle 100 ℓ /min (6.0 m 3 /h) and there are material options for a number of exotic liquids. Citing an early success, MacDougall says four of these pumps have been sold to a copper processor in the Congo to pump sulphuric acid wash-down waste from a sump. “In this ap- plication acid spillage from delivery vehicles is washed down into a sump. Our e-PURE pumps are being used to transfer this toxic slurry into waste collection vehicles. The highly corrosive acid can get extremely hot due to the exother- mic reaction with the washdown water, and it also picks up grit, which makes our new e-PURE solution with its flapper valve and PTFE contact material an ideal pump for the task,” he tells MechChem Africa. JABSCO rotary lobe pumps In addition, MacDougall points out that Verder recently acquired the JABSCO rotary lobe pump business. “This gives us a stronger offering for the local food, beverage and pharmaceutical markets, where clean-in-place/sterilise-in- place routines are essential for hygiene and food safety. “Rotary lobe pumps are ideal for transferring viscous substances such as peanut butter, yeast and mayonnaise. They are manufactured to hygienic standards using polished 316 stainless steel and we can offer various combinations of mechanical seals to cater for a wide range of media types,” he notes. Looking at future growth potential, MacDougall points out that the water and wastewater industry could benefit signifi - cantly from Verder’s dosing experience in the mining and minerals processing industries. “To add reagents to thickeners and clarifiers,
the water and wastewater industries have, for many years, relied on progressive cavity pumps. We have had experiences
where 15% of the flocculant being used at a plant was being lost in the progressive cavity pump being used. “By using a small cost-
effective peristaltic hose pump, which will prevent flocculant shear just as well as a progressive cavity pump, the cost of main- tenance will reduce significantly, dosing accuracy will improve and the amount of wasted flocculant will decrease dramatically,” he suggests. “Using our pumps, we can far more effi - ciently manage dosing applications at wastewater plants, just as we do on the Copper mines in DRC where we have racks of Dura 25s being used to dose reagents at massive flotation plants. We have the modern solutions that wastewater treatment
The new Verderair e-PURE electrically driven double diaphragm pump has also just been released. plants need, and it is a business area we are very interested in growing,” MacDougall concludes. www.verder.co.za
On the copper mines in DRC, racks of Dura 25 hose pumps are being used to dose reagents at massive flotation plants. These pumps can also far more efficiently manage dosing applications at wastewater treatment plants.
May-June 2022 • MechChem Africa ¦ 13
Full water management offering from Weir Minerals Africa Weir Minerals Africa’s product and service offering aims to assist mines to reduce their overall water consumption while optimising usage requirements. O ptimising water usage is a pri- ority for Weir Minerals Africa. It is an area that can often be overlooked but contributes sig- larly when used in conjunction with water management solutions.
ship agreement with Andritz, the company also offers the Isodry ® brand. This incorpo- rates a range of equipment that has been specifically developed to deliver first class solid-liquid mechanical separation for the mining and aggregates industries including thickeners, filter presses, centrifuges and vacuum belt filters. Both Stehle and Koorts confirm that Weir Minerals Africa, together with all Weir Group companies, have, are and remain invested in technology – because this, too, assists with any sustainability drive, particu-
A prime example of the company’s dedi- cation to providing technology-driven solu- tions is Synertrex ® , an intelligent analytics platform that can easily be integrated into existing systems. It helps operators to understand wear rates, forecast replacement-part timing and assists in making decisions to improve overall efficiency without unex- pected downtime. www.minerals.weir
nificantly to a mine’s Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) drive as well as its bottom line. “Our product and service offering aims to assist mines to reduce their overall water consumption while optimising their usage requirements,” says Marnus Koorts, pumps general manager. He says that when assisting a mine with its water requirements, Weir Minerals Africa’s starting point is to gain an under- standing of the mine’s often unique chal- lenges: for example, seepage in unknown areas and water accumulation. “An evalu- ation of the site often reveals unexpected outcomes and enables us put together a tailor-made solution designed to integrate into existing infrastructure and resolve the problem areas,” he says. Koorts’ colleague, Christian Stehle, who is head of engineering at Weir Minerals Africa, emphasises that the delivery of such solutions is generated in collaboration with the company’s in-house engineering team, an offering few OEMs provide. “When deal- ing with water it is important to understand that it is a dynamic situation where changes can be frequent. Our team understand this and knows how to manage it with the sup- port of our extensive product range.” So strong is Weir Minerals’ engineer- ing capability that it has coined the term ‘engineered to order’, a phrase that demon- strates its focus on delivering customised integrated solutions. The company designs and engineers a full range of dewatering pumps and equip- ment under well-known brands Multiflo ® , Warman ® , Envirotech ® and GEHO ® , which are suitable for any dewatering, drainage or water transfer application, providing optimum pumping performance in the most arduous conditions in applications all over the world. These dewatering pumps are part of Weir Minerals Africa’s extensive range of mine and dewatering products, including Cavex ® hydrocyclones, Enduron ® dewa- tering screens, speciality Linatex ® hoses, Isogate ® valves, and tailored Multiflo ® pontoons and barges. Following a partner-
Weir Minerals offers engineered to order pontoon barges to suit its customers’ dewatering requirements.
The Warman DWU was designed to pump dirty water.
14 ¦ MechChem Africa • May-June 2022
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