Drives, motors + switchgear
Continued from page 11
“We also have a very skilled and well-equipped field service team that oers 24-hour field service support for breakdowns and continuous improvement programmes for our customers,” Chamberlain adds. Notable projects M&C installs, services and repairs gearless mill drives across the continent and has been involved in projects as far away as Panama and Indonesia. Chamberlain describes a recent installation of new GMDs at copper mines. One of its clients, a Perth-based mining client, has mines around the world, including in Kansanshi and Kalumbila, both in northern Zambia, and Minera, Panama. M&C was contracted to interconnect the electrical sub-assemblies for nine new ABB gearless mill drives for a copper project in Panama. This mine’s life is estimated at more than 30 years, and it produces copper, gold and molybdenum, says Chamberlain, adding that M&C has become the preferred provider of GMD services to this mining house. On the power generation side, he cites a success at the N’Zilo hydroelectric power station on a 26 MW, 18-pole stator rewind for a vertical ac synchronous generator, in a very remote and isolated location in the DRC. “The stator’s internal diameter was over five metres, so we had to repair it on site. Further complicating the work, the stator was lap-wound, which required a high level of expertise. We have the necessary equipment and skills to carry out such on-site repairs eectively, including in the DRC and elsewhere in Africa,” Chamberlain says. On the service side, he notes that M&C has held several long-standing maintenance contracts for independent power stations, including a hydropower station with 4×45 MW Siemens generators, and gas turbine-generator plants for electricity generation in the Western Cape, units that play a critical role in regulating maximum demand and meeting Cape Town’s supply targets. The reverse engineering approach M&C’s design team, led by Rob Melaia, is considered to be the top motor design team in Africa. “They check the winding design of every motor or generator we rewind, looking for ways to improve reliability and performance. Our engineering teams have the experience and ability to apply practical insights gained from years of repairing and analysing motors across various industries. “They can make winding design improvements, using the latest technology and modern insulation materials, which enables motors to run cooler, more eiciently and potentially with increased output in terms of speed, torque or power. “Most importantly, though, this reverse engineering approach enables us to engineer out known failure points of the rotating equipment entrusted to us, with a key focus on reducing heat generation and minimising the risks of insulation breakdown, which are the primary enemies of motor performance and longevity,” says Chamberlain. M&C also designs and manufactures specialised motors as and when required by customers.
For very large machines, the Benoni facility includes a 140 t Wagner lathe that can accommodate a 40 t, 11 m workpiece with a swing of 3.2 m.
Final assembly of a remanufactured motor.
M&C offers full load testing of HV, LV and dc equipment, and on-site diagnostics.
For more information visit: www.mandc.co.za
12 Electricity + Control FEBRUARY 2026
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker