⎪ Local manufacturing and food processing ⎪
team, clearing the way for the expansion which commenced in early 2025. Construction has required substantial earth- works and piling, with excavations reaching two storeys below ground to accommodate the concrete and steel structure of a 1 000 t plinth. This specialised plinth is engineered to absorb the intense vibration forces generated by the exciters during product testing. The expansion has created two dedicated assembly stations for the high-capacity double- deck ENDURON ® Elite screens – each weighing nearly 50 t, with deck dimensions of up to 4.3 m wide by 8.5 m long. “This expansion marks a significant boost to South Africa’s manufacturing capacity,” he says. “Facilities with heavy engineering capability and crane clearance at these heights are rare in the country, yet they are essential to support the ambitious manufacturing plans we are rolling out at Alrode.” The upgraded facility enables the safe and efficient assembly of large-screen components, including the subframe, screen body, screen deck and exciters, with completed units reach- ing heights of over 15 m, Van Vuuren notes. The new production bays will have the ca- pacity to manufacture at least two ENDURON ® Elite screens per month, without disrupting Alrode’s ongoing output of small, medium and large screens across the broader ENDURON ® range. “Our production for the first half of 2026 will be dedicated to fulfilling the Reko Diq contract, but market interest in our larger ENDURON ® Elite screens is already strong,” he says. “We anticipate ramping up production soon and have deliberately designed the facility to accommodate future capacity upgrades as demand grows.” Weir is advancing the development of its Alrode plant in line with its strong sustainability commitments, with the expanded facility serv- ing as one of the company’s pilot sites for water- based paint application. This shift helps lower carbon emissions across both the production process and the supply chain, he notes, sup- porting Weir’s global target to reduce carbon emissions by 50% by 2030. “The facility is running entirely on renewable energy from a solar power generation system,
The new Screens Heavy Bay facility at Weir Alrode was opened recently by Bridget Ledwaba, Managing Director, Weir Africa, and Ryan Hilton, Regional Managing Director for EMEA at Weir.
The expansion at Weir Alrode, with the construction of its new heavy-bay screen manufacturing facility, created around 40 new positions in screen assembly, hand lining, and painting.
technical positions at Alrode, including roles in screen assembly, hand-lining and painting,” Van Vuurenexplains.“Weupskilledsomeofourcur- rent employees as assemblers and fitters, giving them a path into formal trades and supporting career growth from within. At the same time, we are creating opportunities for new entrants in lower-skilled roles, with a focus on developing their potential over time.” https://www.global.weir
with the only exception being the variable speed drive used to start up the screens,” he says. Van Vuuren emphasises the broader economic benefits of the expansion, including boosting local procurement and export earnings, creat- ing jobs and developing skills. While most of the ENDURON ® Elite screens produced at Alrode will be exported, nearly all components and materials are sourced locally. “The expansion opened up around 40 new
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March-April 2026 • MechChem Africa ¦ 39
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