SAME: Jan 2011

THE SOUTH AFRICAN MECHANICAL ENGINEER VOL 61 January 2011 1

www.qfinsoft.co.za

2 THE SOUTH AFRICAN MECHANICAL ENGINEER VOL 61 January 2011

www.astafrica.com

THE SOUTH AFRICAN MECHANICAL ENGINEER VOL 61 January 2011 �

AN ENGINEER’S VIEW

Chris ReayChairman of the Working

Committee: Communications(SA Institution of Mechanical

Engineering)

1. Since engineering is at least a 4 year course, then somehow the Minister is “arranging” to have 30 000 more 2nd year students enter the tertiary system in 2011, or find 30 000 additional pass-capable students in the current streams. Since graduates are not useful Engineers until they have completed the 3 year EIT period, does he mean Engineers or gradu-ates? Pass to next option.

2. The Minister wants 30 000 new en-trants to the first year of the engineering course.

He should drop in on Blade Nzimande and place an order for 30 000 extra maths and science higher level school leavers without delay. Then check the capacity of the secondary school teachers and tertiary

institutions to accommodate this. If impossible, pass to next option.

3. The Minister wants 30 000 employable Engineers to enter the labour market.

The Minister together with the cabinet and ANC policy makers must scrap affirmative action. Employers must wake up to the fact that 60 plus year olds are as good as Engineers as you can get (which would also mean scrapping the useless HR departments staffed with 20 plus year old non-technical somethings) and putting the retrenched and early retired Engineers back into the system to both run jobs and mentor the new graduates in structured EIT programmes to achieve the training. Possible, but improbable. Pass to next option.

4. The Minister recognises that most of the 30 000 should be employed by government, parastatal and provincial sectors to enable these bodies to be able to deliver projects to our citizens. Capacity at state “owner’s team” level is so low that it is virtually dysfunctional. Ask SAICE, CESA and SAFCEC.

But this means cadres have to be removed, and if any of these are good at anything at all, they should be employed as road repair gangs, and using the chain-gang system would be appropriate as they are guilty of wasting taxpayers’ money, doing nothing for

The Patel Puzzle“Government is targeting the training of at least 30 000 additional engineers by 2014.” This was announced by Economic Development Minister Patel last month. One has to “interpret” the meaning of this as it conveys many possible options. It also pre-supposes that required national projects will be activated (R800 billion in

infrastructure in 3 years?) as the current project load is dismal.

service delivery, and failing to execute the required operations and maintenance of the country’s assets while occupying cushy salaried positions that only qualified engineering resources should have had. However, this is clearly not seen as necessary by ANC politicians (until service delivery protests, riots and citizen management reach nationwide crisis levels). Pass onto next option.

5. The Minister is not certain where the training should happen but believes there is a need.

That at least would be a realistic option. One would think that he has observed that the supply of Engineers takes place along a long-term and well established supply chain. It starts at the age of about 6 when the prospective Engineer has the inclination, interest and role models to guide him or her into it as a career move. It is probably in the genes of those who adopt the profession suc-cessfully. Making up numbers with feedstock who have no inherent, natural inclination and desire to be an Engineer just wastes the supply chains’ resources.

6. The Minister’s intentions are well meant and he intends to consult with the engineering profession in order to address the real issues.

The Minister may wish to identify the real shortages and remove the pointless political policies (BBBEE for one in its present form) where points for skills development count less than having a figurehead black director on the company letterhead. The NSF’s unspent money can be directed via programmes managed by the Voluntary Engineering Associations to up-skill new engineering graduates, technolo-gists and technicians. The need is agreed, but the action is lacking.

At least the Minister has realised one thing: skills are in a major crisis, largely created by his own party’s idealism and inability to educate or train for the required, competent national capacity. Industry must also wake up and get training instead of expect-ing the perfect resources to be eternally waiting for their call. Can the profession please be consulted on how to get this training done as it needs to be developed right through the supply chain?

The Minister, cabinet and ANC policy makers must scrap affirmative action, and wake up to the fact that 60 plus year olds are as good as Engineers as you can get

� THE SOUTH AFRICAN MECHANICAL ENGINEER VOL 61 January 2011

14 – 16 MARCH 2011CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

Presented by:

www.powerindaba.com

Host utilities:

Premier media partner: Media partner:Host publication: Organised by:

Host ministry:

ESI-AFRICA.COM

THE ONLY POWER INVESTMENT SUMMIT IN AND FOR AFRICA6 reasons you must attend Power Indaba 2011:

1. Practical advice on how to package a bankable project – best practices in feasibility studies and attracting the ideal financing mix

2. How to create an enabling environment and incentives for private investment3. IPPs and negotiating profitable PPAs, understanding leadership and timelines to return on

investment4. Practical insights into how to make power projects successful: what you need to know about

legal frameworks and risk mitigation5. Comprehensive insights into regional infrastructure capacity building6. A minimum of 12 guaranteed one-to-one meetings during the Summit with financiers,

investors and project developers

S U M M I T

Driving investment into Africa’s power sector

The power forum for African ministries, power utilityexecutives, IPPs, policy makers and international financiers

CONFIRM YOUR PARTICIPATION NOW!

Register before 5 March 2011 and save 10% off the registration fee. Quote sales code: SAME01

Featured speakers:

Mr Chose CheouHead of Corporate Division,Eskom, South Africa

Honourable Minister Elizabeth Dipuo Peters Ministry of Energy,South Africa

Dr Hussein ElhagExecutive Director,African Energy Commission, Algeria

Brian DamesChief Executive Officer, Eskom, South Africa

www.powerindaba.com


Monthly Column8 Landing the Big One

Cover Story11 Fatigue - A New Perspective

Filters and Filtration15 A new Spin

POWER GENERATION TODAY17 Seize the Day - or Lose!19 Power Generation News

Computers in Engineering23 Embracing 2D to 3D Migration

Produced by:PROMECH PUBLISHING,P O Box 373, Pinegowrie, 2123Republic of South AfricaTel: (011) 781-1401, Fax: (011) 781-1403Email: [email protected]: www.promech.co.zaManaging Editor Susan CustersEditor Kowie HammanAdvertising Louise TaylorCirculation Catherine MacdivaDTP Zinobia Docrat/Sean BacherDisclaimerPROMECH Publishing and The South African Institution of Mechanical Engineering as well as any other body do not take responsibility for the opinions expressed by individuals.Printed by: Typo Colour Printing, Tel: (011) 402-3468/9

Official Publication ofTHE SA INSTITUTION OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERINGand endorsed by:

CORROSION INSTITUTE OF SA SA PUMP MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION SA VALVE AND ACTUATORS MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION THE SA INSTITUTE OF TRIBOLOGY NUCLEAR INSTITUTE SA INSTITUTE FOR NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING NATIONAL SOCIETY OF BLACK ENGINEERS INSTITUTE FOR CERTIFICATED MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS SOUTH AFRICAN ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTING ENGINEERS ASSOCIATION OF SOCIETIES FOR OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH

Power Transmission25 Hard Work Pays Off27 Repairs for Africa Regulars3 An Engineer’s View

6 Institution News

22 Nuclear Institute (SA Branch)

29 SAINT

30 Market Forum

38 On the Move

Contents

The monthly circulation is 4 242

CopyrightAll rights reserved. No editorial matter published in “SA Mechani-cal Engineer” may be reproduced in any form or language without written permission of the publish-ers. While every effort is made to ensure accurate reproduction, the editor, authors, publishers and their employees or agents shall not be responsible or in any way liable for any errors, omissions or inaccuracies in the publication, whether arising from negligence or otherwise or for any consequences arising therefrom. The inclusion or exclusion of any product does not mean that the publisher or editorial board advocates or rejects its use either generally or in any particular field or fields.

January 2011 VOLUME 61 NUMBER 1

Featured on the cover:

Qfinsoft

Tel: (012) 345-1917

www.qfinsoft.co.za


Presented by:

www.powerindaba.com

Host utilities:

Premier media partner: Media partner:Host publication: Organised by:

Host ministry:

ESI-AFRICA.COM

THE ONLY POWER INVESTMENT SUMMIT IN AND FOR AFRICA6 reasons you must attend Power Indaba 2011:

1. Practical advice on how to package a bankable project – best practices in feasibility studies and attracting the ideal financing mix

2. How to create an enabling environment and incentives for private investment3. IPPs and negotiating profitable PPAs, understanding leadership and timelines to return on

investment4. Practical insights into how to make power projects successful: what you need to know about

legal frameworks and risk mitigation5. Comprehensive insights into regional infrastructure capacity building6. A minimum of 12 guaranteed one-to-one meetings during the Summit with financiers,

investors and project developers

S U M M I T

Driving investment into Africa’s power sector

The power forum for African ministries, power utilityexecutives, IPPs, policy makers and international financiers



Featured speakers:

Mr Chose CheouHead of Corporate Division,Eskom, South Africa

Honourable Minister Elizabeth Dipuo Peters Ministry of Energy,South Africa

Dr Hussein ElhagExecutive Director,African Energy Commission, Algeria

Brian DamesChief Executive Officer, Eskom, South Africa

www.qfinsoft.co.za


Council 2010/2011

Office BearersPresident .......................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G Barbic (George)President Elect ........................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... D Findeis (Dirk)National Treasurer ................................. K Nyangoni (Kudzai)

Branch ChairpersonsCentral ..................................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M Cramer (Mike)Eastern Cape ................................................ W Rall (William)KwaZulu/Natal ......................................... M Black (Malcolm)Mpumalanga Highveld.............................. L Odendaal (Louis)Western Cape ........ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Prof B Collier-Reed (Brandon)

Portfolios:Communications .............................................. CD Reay (Chris)Education - Universities................... Prof JL van Niekerk (Wikus)Education: Universities of Technology............... E Zawilska (Ewa)Membership .................................................... E Zawilska (Ewa)Seminars and Workshops.................................. D Findeis (Dirk)Technology Programme ................................. SZ Hrabar (Steve)

Chief Executive Officer: Vaughan Rimbault

National Office Manager: Anisa Nanabhay

PO Box �11, Bruma, 2026

Tel: (011) 61�-�660, Fax: (011) �88-��6

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.saimeche.org.za

Membership: Central, Eastern Cape & KZN:

[email protected]

Membership: Western Cape: [email protected]

Company Affiliates

Alstom Power Service SA

Babcock Africa Limited

Bateman Engineered Technologies

Bosch Projects

Fluor SA

GEA Air-cooled Systems

Hansen Transmissions SA

Hatch Africa

Howden Power

Howden Projects

Industrial Water Cooling

MBE Minerals (SA) (Pty) Ltd (previously KHD Humboldt Wedag SA

Megchem Eng & Drafting Services

THE SA INSTITUTION OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Osborn Engineered Products SA

Rotek Engineering

RSD a division of DCD-Dorbyl

S.A.M.E Water

Sasol Technologies

SEW Eurodrive

Siemens

SNC-Lavalin SA

Spicer Axle SA

Spirax Sarco SA

Thyssenkrupp Engineering

Transvaal Pressed Nuts & Bolts

Ultra-Flow Engineering Services

Vital Engineering

Weir Minerals Africa

Winder Controls

The Engineering Profession Act (EPA) states that: “A person who is not registered in terms of this Act, may not perform any kind of work identified for any category of regis-tered persons”.

In simple terms, if you are not regis-tered in terms of the EPA then you may not perform work which has been identified in terms of the EPA.

This can be viewed from a few different angles:

• You must be registered to perform identified work;

• Identified work can only be performed by registered persons;

• You need not register if you do not perform any identified work.

The purpose of the identification of work is thus to define the practice area which is exclusively set aside for registered persons. This seems to be a reasonable arrangement, and provides the necessary protection of the public and the profession.

The problem we face is that ten years after the EPA was signed into law, there is still no identified work for the engineering profession. ECSA and the CBE are at loggerheads over this crucial issue, and they don’t seem to be making any headway in resolving the impasse.

So where does that leave the engineering profes-sional? If you register then you bind yourself to the code of conduct which can be used against you if you misbehave. But you get nothing in return. You don’t get identified work which is reserved for you. You don’t get the assurance that unregistered persons performing identified work will be prosecuted. And you don’t get the assurance that companies carrying out identified work will be prosecuted if they allow unregistered persons to do the work. All you get is the risk of disciplinary action if you misbehave, while the unregistered person is free to do as he likes and cannot be touched by ECSA.

That doesn’t seem fair or equitable.

[email protected]: 079 892 4041

Vaughan RimbaultChief Executive Officer

The South African Institutionof Mechanical Engineering

Identification of Engineering Work


THE SA INSTITUTION OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

SAIMechE Scheduled Training Events Calendar : March 2010While every effort is made to ensure that events take place as scheduled, SAIMechE reserves the right to change the schedule as circum-stances dictate. A registration form and full terms and conditions may be obtained from Carey Evans on E-mail: [email protected] or Tel: 031 764 7136. Also, detailed individual event programmes are available from Carey. Corporations wishing to book In-House Workshops

may contact Linda Robinson on E-mail: [email protected] or Tel: 031 764 7136.

Code Event Title Date Region

E0111 Introduction to Steam; Steam Engineering Principles and Heat Transfer Workshop Reliability Objectives, Equipment Failure Patterns, & Maintenance Effect on Reliability

2 – 4 Mar 11 East Rand

A4111 Workshop 1 in the Series Rotating Equipment Reliability OptimisationRoot Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA)

2 Mar 11 Durban

A4211 Workshop 2 in the Series Rotating Equipment Reliability OptimisationOptimising Reliability – Condition Monitoring and Predictive Maintenance, & Component Condition Monitoring Techniques

3 Mar 11 Durban

A4311 Workshop 3 in the Series Rotating Equipment Reliability Optimisation 4 Mar 11 Durban

A3011 Root Cause Failure Analysis Workshop 9 – 10 Mar 11 Durban

C0111 Introduction to Steam; Steam Engineering Principles and Heat Transfer Workshop 9 – 11 Mar 11 Cape Town

C1311 Structured Problem Solving Techniques Workshop 23 – 24 Mar 11 Cape Town

A0211 Boiler House, Safety Valves Workshop 23 – 25 Mar 11 Durban

E3011 Root Cause Failure Analysis Workshop 30 - 31 Mar 11 East Rand

SAIMechE Launches the Following New WorkshopsTitle Durban East Rand Cape Town

Mechatronics / Factory Automation Principle and Practice Workshop 10 Feb 11 20 Apr 11 27 Jul 11

Industrial Fire Protection & Prevention Seminar – Various related topics will be presented - - 25 Feb 11

Practical Risk Assessment Workshop 8 Apr 11 27 Jul 11 22 Sep 11

Mechanical Seals : Pre-determining Pump Reliability Workshop : Part 1 15 Apr 11 27 May 11 1 Apr 11

Mechanical Seals : Pre-determining Pump Reliability Workshop : Part 2 24 Jun 11 22 Jul 11 8 Jul 11

Council establishes Mpumalanga Highveld Branch The Council of SAIMechE recently adopted a resolution for the establishment of the SAIMechE Mpumalanga Highveld (MH) branch.

This follows the need for more intimate contact for members based in the areas covered by this new branch, as well as support from local industry.

A committee has been formed for the branch. It must be noted that the new branch was established as a result of its committee’s initiative in pursuing the need for local representation.

The Mpumalanga Highveld branch would serve members in the following areas:

• Trichardt, Evander, Kinross and Secunda;

• Kriel (and possible surrounding areas);

• Witbank, Middelburg, Standerton, Ermelo, Nelspruit and Malelane.

The geographic area covered by the branch is well populated by large industry, and the number of engineering profession-als falling within the region is significant. There is sufficient inertia in the region to establish a healthy branch to service the needs of members and the larger industrial community.

An exercise will soon be conducted to invite members to request a move from their present branches to the new branch. If you are certain that a move to the MH branch is in your interest, kindly advise Lynne at [email protected] and she will make the necessary changes to your profile.

Western Cape branch Dinner and DanceThe Western Cape branch hosted its annual Dinner & Dance at the Zevenwacht Wine Estate on 12 November 2010.

(Left to right) Bart Bartholomew, Anisa Nanabhay

(Left to right) Mike Cramer, Andre and Lanette Roos, George Barbic


One of the most popular ways of catching that ever-elusive big one is off a ski boat, a boat designed and built specifically for fishermen who are serious about

angling. “SA Mechanical Engineer” visits the Mal-lards Boating factory in Pinetown near Durban to talk to director Michael Barnes about boat design in general. “As a family who is passionate about fishing, Mallards has grown quite a bit since setting up shop in 1989,” he says. “The company slogan ‘Tried, Tested and Trusted’ fully encompasses the pride with which our high quality boats have been manufactured over the past 20 years, developing into a wide range to choose from or customised to each individual’s requirements.”

VarietyOperating under the father and son leadership of

They do it sitting on chairs, standing up, strapped into special seats, wading through swamps and while flying a kite. They do it on boats, canoes, piers, rocks or in the pounding surf along sandy beaches and they’re all

doing it for different purposes. Some do it for food, others for money and some just for fun.

Michael Barnes of Mallards Boating in Durban

MONTHLY COLUMN

Landing the BIG One

A ski boat built by Mallards


Geoff and Michael Barnes, who are both well known in the boating and angling industry, they are pas-sionate about all forms of boating.

“All the latest techniques and products are tested and applied to our boats,” says Michael. “Our range starts from a 16ft waterskiing craft through to a 30ft Cat and Mono-Hull design. Being a family business, emphasis is placed on making boating an enjoyable family activity whether it’s angling, waterskiing or a fun-filled day on the water. From the runner-boat to the serious Marlin fishing boat, we offer a complete range to suit most needs.”

Hand layoutAt Mallards, boat building is a labour intensive exercise where moulds are laid out by hand. Our walk through the factory reveals the various stages

Making boating an enjoyable family activity


a fibre glass boat goes through before being wheeled out on a custom-made trailer, ready for the water. “If it is a new design it’s always an anxious moment when the boat goes for its sea trials,” says Michael. “Very often a design is just an up or down scale of an exist-ing successful model, but you’re never guaranteed that it will show exactly the same characteristics as the original. We then have to make certain changes or modifications to get it right before releasing it as a new model.”

The Cat design is a multi-hull catama-ran boat as opposed to the mono-hull design and at Mallards they make both purely to cater for personal preferences. Boats for water skiing and fresh water angling tend to be mono-hull, while the catamaran hull has proved to be a winner for off-shore and deep sea angling boats.

TestimonyThe stalwart from the Mallards fleet of ocean going boats is the Cobra 900, a Marlin fishing boat of nine metres. With a beam of 3.25 metres, this craft can carry 12 people and is powered by dual outboard motors with a horsepower range between 200Hp to 350Hp. A veteran Marlin fisherman who participated in the sea trial comments on this boat. “Mal-lards Boating has taken a bold step by building a 30ft sport fisher that is trailerable and able to be launched in the surf. I have no doubt she will meet the stringent requirements of serious big game anglers. Indeed, the Cobra 900 is one hell of a boat. She will surely find a comfortable niche in the market, situated nicely between the bigger ski-boat and the much more expensive sport fisher.”

How much you need on a boat in terms of finishings, luxury and electronic gadgets depends entirely on the size of your purse. “If it’s a custom-built boat, we do a turnkey project by supplying and fitting everything,” Michael explains. “In terms of cabin finishes, some prefer luxury fittings for the family, whereas fishermen tend to opt for a practical layout and will spend more on gadgets like a GPS that can control the motors, fish finders and so on.

Gadgets“Besides the necessary safety equipment to comply

MONTHLY COLUMN


Final touches to a boat on the production line in Pinetown

Making the mould for a new design

with regulatory requirements of sea-going craft, there are many options to make the life of the anglers on board more pleasant,” Michael says in conclusion. “In the old days you pretty much fished in the dark, but today you can practically ‘see’ under water with side scanners and colour monitors exploring the fall of the land under water for you. You even have auto pilot systems that connect to your GPS. If you plot a route on the GPS, the GPS will simply take you there while you sit back and relax.”

Michael Barnes, Mallards Boating, Tel: (031) 705-8620, Email: [email protected]

If it’s a custom-built boat, we do a turnkey project


www.ils.co.za


Izak Vorster of Qfinsoft

COVER STORY

The list goes on, some of them mak-ing headlines be-cause people were

killed in the incidents. But, material fatigue occurs in all mechanical equipment and is one of the areas design engineers have to focus on when develop-ing new products. Fatigue occurs when a material is subjected to repeated loading and unloading. If the loads are above a cer-tain threshold, microscopic cracks will begin to form on the surface. Eventually a crack will reach a critical size, and the structure will suddenly fracture, usually leading to instantaneous and catastrophic failure.

Optimising designToday, analysis software has helped engineers in many respects to determine optimum design life of equipment and therefore it’s not surprising that analysis software packages like Ansys now also include a comprehensive fatigue analysis module. “SA Mechanical Engineer” speaks to Izak Vorster, new business development manager of Qfinsoft, distributors of Ansys in South Africa, about this module and other new features in Ansys 13, the latest release of the software package.

“In design today, durability or fatigue analysis must be performed to understand the implications of repeated, fluctuating and rapidly applied loads,” says Izak. “The need to resolve mechanical design problems has become a driver for a growing num-ber of companies to include fatigue analysis as a

standard part of their product development processes. This used to be a manual process that took ages, but now there is a choice of different solver modules for aspects like weld-ing, vibration and so on.

Integrated“The set of fatigue capabilities is built on nCode’s DesignLife by HBM and increases the already unparalleled breadth of mechanical simulation tools we’re offering through Ansys,” says Izak. “The Ansys nCode DesignLife product is integrated with the now familiar Ansys Workbench platform, allowing users to perform advanced and extensive fatigue analysis as a simple add-on to an existing simulation. This includes par-allel licensing that will allow these modules to run with the Windows HPC (high-perfor-

mance computing) platform which has just been introduced to the South African market.”

Microsoft’s Windows HPC Server 2008, is a dedi-cated high-speed server solution aimed at complex computational analysis work. “To accurately simulate the real-world performance of product designs and engineering processes requires the use of complex mathematical algorithms,” explains Izak. “These algorithms involve long computation times unless a HPC solution is used. HPC increases solution speeds and reduces the turnaround time of complex computations. However, until recently, HPC solutions have been expensive, making them unattainable for all but the most well-funded design teams.”

Because the Ansys nCode DesignLife module is in-tegrated within the Ansys Workbench environment, it provides results and materials data from simula-

Fatigue —A NewPerspective

Material fatigue has famously led to several

major mechanical disasters dating back to the

Versailles train disaster in 1842 to two de Havilland Comet passenger jets

that broke up in mid-air and crashed within a few months of each other in 1954, and a

Norwegian semi-submersible drilling oil rig that capsized while

working in the Ekofisk oil field in 1980 killing 123 people.

Includes a comprehensive fatigue analysis module


Perform advanced and extensive fatigue analysis

An associative interface allows users to drive parametric changes either from your CAD system or from within the Ansys Workbench platform

tions within the framework directly to DesignLife. “Leveraging this integration, DesignLife durability results such as fatigue life or damage, can be pa-rameterised and included in ‘what-if ’ studies for design optimisation,” says Izak. “Apart from it being easy to use, it provides a powerful fatigue analysis for those who use the Ansys software package.”

VibrationIn addition to offering general stress-life and strain-life approaches, DesignLife provides established methods for both spot- and seam-weld analysis. Vibration shaker tests can be directly simulated in the frequency domain. The software efficiently analyses large finite element models and complete usage schedules. It is highly configurable for the expert user including support for Python scripting to enable new or proprietary fatigue methods.

“DesignLife also includes tools to help combine and correlate test data with simulated results,” adds Izak. “A wide range of data processing functions enables manipulation, editing and the display of measured data. Virtual strain gauges can be positioned on the finite element model and a stress or strain time series extracted for direct correlation to help validate models. This time series data can also be used for Crack Growth analysis, employing linear elastic fracture mechanics to predict how a crack will grow after initiation,” Izak elaborates

More usersJudging by the number of delegates at the recent annual users’ conference held by Qfinsoft and An-sys, South African design engineers favour analysis software as part and parcel of product development. “We had 130 delegates, the highest attendance of any of the Ansys conferences held in Europe and elsewhere this year,” says Izak. “Besides getting feedback from users, we were able to introduce the

HPC concept and some of the new features in the latest release of the Ansys solution.”

There is a distinct difference between translators and geometry interfaces and this was clearly dem-onstrated for the users attending. In Ansys, with geometry integration, users can apply existing na-tive CAD parameters directly, without translation to IGES or other intermediate geometry formats. “The Workbench environment uses a unique plug-in architecture to maintain associativity with CAD systems, allowing users to make design changes to CAD models without having to re-apply loads, supports, and/or other boundary conditions,” ex-plains Izak.

Costs“Users can either pick a CAD dimension to change directly or enhance design iterations with the Parameter Manager which is an easy way to set up multiple design scenarios by allowing users to simply fill in the Parameter Manager spreadsheet. The system will then automatically update the geometry and run a multiple simulation. A bi-directional link allows CAD models to be updated based on changes within the Ansys Workbench environment enabling engineering simulations to fit easily into the product development process,” Izak explains.

Another reason the user-base has grown can prob-ably be ascribed to the fact that analysis software is now within the reach of smaller companies and is no longer just for those with huge budgets. “The analysis features you get with most CAD software packages nowadays aren’t enough to undertake a proper analysis,” Izak says in conclusion. “Most engineers have realised this and fortunately a solu-tion such as Ansys is now highly scalable to suit the budgets of most companies.”

Izak Vorster, Qfinsoft, Tel: (012) 345-1917, Email: [email protected], Website: www.qfinsoft.co.za

COVER STORY

THE SOUTH AFRICAN MECHANICAL ENGINEER VOL 61 January 2011 1�

The US standard railroad gauge (distance between the rails) is 4 feet, 8.5 inches and that is an exceedingly odd number. Why was that gauge used? Well, because that’s the way they built them in England, and English expatriates designed the US railroads.

Why did the English build them like that? Because the first rail lines were built by the same people who built the pre-railroad tramways, and that’s the gauge they used. So, why did ‘they’ use that gauge then? Because the people who built the tramways used the same jigs and tools that they had used for building wagons, which used that wheel spacing.

Why did the wagons have that particular odd wheel spacing? Well, if they tried to use any other spacing, the wagon wheels would break on some of the old, long dis-tance roads in England, because that’s the spacing of the wheel ruts.

So who built those old rutted roads? Imperial Rome built the first long distance roads in Europe (including England) for their legions and those roads have been used ever since. And the ruts in the roads? Roman war chari-ots formed the initial ruts, which everyone else had to match for fear of destroying their wagon wheels.

Since the chariots were made for Imperial

Rome, they were all alike in the matter of wheel spacing. Therefore the United States standard railroad gauge of 4 feet, 8.5 inches is derived from the original specifications for an Imperial Roman war chariot. Bureaucracies live forever.

So the next time you are handed a specification/procedure/process and wonder ‘What horse’s ass came up with this?’, you may be exactly right. Imperial Roman army chariots were made just wide enough to accommodate the rear ends of two war horses.

Long-range implications

www.engen.co.za

1� THE SOUTH AFRICAN MECHANICAL ENGINEER VOL 61 January 2011

Congrats!The October issue was most interesting – the journal gets better and better, congrats! Last week I was at the open day of my alma mater, UCT Mech Eng and I was flabbergasted, as always, at the sort of projects the modern day mechanical engineer gets involved in. The winning presentation went to a student who built a worm-screw device for “growing” bone by the Compression-Distraction Technique”- used for repairing facial deformities such as a cleft palate and it works better than a bone graft!

Alan Campbell, Tel/Fax: (021) 465-5716

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

www.yellotec.com

www.arbitrators.co.za


FILTERS AND FILTRATION

Says Ian, “Spin Filter units are a high-efficiency application of cyclone technology. Air to be separated is blown

through a module that consists of a series of small vortexes. The air flow is induced to spin by fixed vanes at the entry to the vortexes, and a centrifugal force then drives the dirt particles to the outside of the vortex.”

Particularly usefulThe dirt laden air is purged through vents built into the outside of each aperture. A purge fan is used to keep

the dirt laden waste air in flight, from where it is either dispersed or collected as required. Clean air then exits to process.

“In some industries this is particularly useful for

A New Spin Current industrial filtration methods often require costly maintenance, and filter membrane

replacement on an ongoing basis. But a robust, highly-effective inertial spin filter technology for industrial dust and exhaust separation, is virtually maintenance-free, according to Ian

Fraser, managing director of Rand Technical Services (RTS).

materials reclamation, as the environment is pro-tected and, at the same time, valuable fines are recovered that would otherwise be lost into the atmosphere,” Ian explains.

Consistent performanceUnlike conventional filter membranes, which clog due to pressure build-up after a period of use, the pressure drop across the spin filter module never increases. The units are self-cleaning, and do not block when correctly installed - thereby offering consistent performance with constant resistance. They are highly energy-efficient too, as only the auxiliary purge fans that direct the ‘dirty’ air out of the air stream require power.

“Not only is pressure constant for the life of the unit, but the unit itself has an exceptionally long working life. We have installations still going strong that are 23 years old. The sturdy, high density polypropylene construction of the blocks is highly resistant to erosion. Consol Glass has utilised this technology on many air intake installations for over 10 years,” notes Ian.

Unlimited capacityAccording to Ian, the spin filters are constructed in modules that can be built up into large panels, sized to match required air flow and so offering an unlimited capacity on engineered systems. The smallest available unit, containing one inertial spin filter block, handles from 1000 to 2500 Nm3 per hour with ease, and upper range capacity is only determined by the ap-plication, and the available space.

“Ninety-eight percent of particles 15 microns and larger are removed by this simple process,” he observes.

Cleaner and more cost-effectiveThomas Coetzee, consulting engineer to Consol Glass notes, “For the mould cooling process, inertial spin filters are more cost-effective than conven-tional filtration methods. Consol Glass pioneered the use of this system in South Africa in the early 1990’s. The technology has now become an integral part of their production system, and is successfully being used in all their

Ian Fraser

Conventional filter membranes are left with very low dust loadings and so last far longer

The spin filters are constructed in modules that can be built up into large panels


FILTERS AND FILTRATION

new, and several existing installations.

Spin filters provide sufficient filtration for most environmental applications, such as transformer rooms and control rooms, without the addition of secondary filters. In secondary filtration applica-tions used to remove finer particles, such as in air compressor intakes, the spin filters substantially extend the life of the secondary installations. Conventional filter membranes are left with very low dust loadings and so last far longer. There is also a beneficial ripple effect on cost-saving throughout the plant. Downtime from both planned and unplanned shutdowns is greatly reduced - less damaging friction from dust particles means far less equipment wear and tear, or failure.”

Delayed or overloadedA substantial reduction in switchgear and other electrical system breakdown is achieved once spin filters are installed. Even when planned maintenance for other equipment is delayed or overlooked, the units deliver consistent, mainte-nance-free performance to keep electrical systems functioning smoothly.

Ian goes on to state, “The benefits of the spin filter system are almost endless. Return-on-in-

Not to mention the ongoing reduction in equipment breakdown and support costs

vestment is rapid, due to a substantially smaller spend on filtration maintenance and replacement – not to mention the ongoing reduction in equip-ment breakdown and support costs. Environmental benefits are also considerable, due to the reduction in undesirable emissions.”

‘Unsung hero’ of industry“Filtration is one of industry’s ‘unsung heroes’. Without it, many processes would literally grind to a halt, and pollution and unhealthy working conditions would be greatly increased. Inertial spin filters have succeeded on their own proven merits, even during depressed economic conditions. They keep on saving time, labour and money long after they have paid for themselves.

While nothing succeeds like success, the inertial spin filter also demonstrates that ‘nothing succeeds like proven, effective simplicity’,” concludes Fraser.

Rand Technical Services, Richard Cooper, Tel: (012) 993 9620, Email: [email protected], Website: [email protected]

www.donaldson.co.za


POWER GENERATION

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However, this window is steadily shrinking by the day due to pre-varication by the South African government in finalising a clear

policy which will make it conducive for in-vestors to get involved in power generation projects locally. “It’s a matter of urgency that the regulatory and policy environment in terms of IPPs in South Africa gets clarity because it directly affects the attitude of investors,” Doug Kuni, Managing Director of SAIPPA tells “SA Mechanical Engineer”.

Experience required“Having said that, it’s crucial that the policy and regulations need to be done by expo-nents with experience who know the pitfalls of inadequacy in policy and regulation,” he stresses. “The government produced New Generation Regulations in August 2009 but this could not be implemented without being amended. It has to be implementable legislation, it has to clearly be understood and it has to be investor-friendly. To achieve

this, it needs to be drafted by experts who have experience of the power generation industry in South Africa.”

The background of events leading to the current regulatory status of IPPs started way back in 1998 when a white paper on energy was produced by government to clarify its policy. “This eventually led to the Electricity Regulation Act in 2006 and after this, they produced the New Genera-tion Regulations of August 2009,” explains Doug. “That is what currently exists. From

the adoption of the energy white paper it was clear in the Act that government wanted efficiency and competition in the electricity generation environment.

“Although these intentions were made clear from 2006, the first time that any policy was produced that gave IPPs some kind of enabling environment in which they could participate in the electricity supply sec-tor, was in the new regulations of 2009,”

Seize the Day – or Lose!

Investors the world over are at the

ready to invest in viable energy

projects. For South Africa, already

burdened with electricity shortages

and the future demand looming as a

threat to the well-being of the

economy, this presents a huge

window of opportunity to attract

investors into the power generation

sector, especially as independent

power producers (IPPs).Doug Kuni, MD of SAIPPA

Regulations need to be done by experts with experience


POWER GENERATION

elaborates Doug. “In that document it is described how IPPs will participate in the supply sector, but unfortunately the docu-ment referenced a number of institutions or entities which did not exist. For example, the ‘buyer’ did not exist and was ‘an entity which the minister would designate’. Simi-larly, the ‘systems operator’ mentioned in the document was a division within Eskom, not a legal independent entity.

The REFIT programme“The Renewable Energy Feed-In Tariff (RE-FIT) programme was announced by Nersa (National Energy Regulator of South Africa) which provides all the tariffs,” explains Doug. “Together with this, the first IRP (Integrated Resource Plan 2009) was published and here an allocation was made for renewable energy to be introduced into the electricity supply sector, but there’s a hitch: In order to procure the electricity from independent power producers, one needs to have all the instruments of the Regulations of August 2009 in place otherwise one cannot run a procurement process.

The document as it is currently is not implementable,” says Doug. “There is no independent systems opera-tor, there is no identified buyer of the electricity and there is no Procurement process identified.”

At present, the Regulations of 2009 are being amended in order to implement the REFIT 1 pro-gramme. “Until these amendments are promulgated again, the REFIT 1 programme cannot run,” says Doug. “IPPs want to compete in the market on a level playing ground, in other words they want to be treated fairly. When you have an Independent Systems and Market Operator (ISMO), as is being proposed by the Department of Energy, then there’ll be an independent agent that will treat the IPPs fairly. Otherwise it is possible to get price distortions with certain generators being favoured whereas an independent party, like an ISMO, would ensure that the consumer gets the best deal.

Current status“I believe there is a draft ISMO Bill doing the rounds within government, but it has not been released for public participation ” adds Doug. “Until an ISMO comes in as a separate entity outside of Eskom, we have to deal with Eskom. As it is, Eskom is in financial difficulty and they simply don’t have the funds to undertake the financial liabilities of a Power Purchase Agreement with any Independent Power Producers at the moment. IPPs therefore have limited prospects for selling electricity to Eskom without some government backing.

In spite of all the growth pains this process has gone through, investors at this stage still have a keen interest in the South African situation. “If the regulatory environment was clear and investor friendly, there’d be a long queue of IPP’s at our door in spite of the general economic caution the world has taken on lately,” Doug says. “However, energy is the first priority for all investors out there. If we had all our ducks in a row right now, there would be numerous projects under way already. But, if we prevaricate, the money is going to go somewhere else.

“In terms of the IRP2010, which is out now for consultation and likely to be promulgated by the first quarter of this year, we need to do it right this time around and formalise a clear, stable and sustainable plan,” Doug says in conclusion, drawing an analogy. “If you’ve had a heart attack, you have to be stabilised first before continuing on a long term health plan. It’s useless to give a dead person a long term health plan, the patient has to survive first. The IRP therefore has to ensure that over the next ten years we stabilise our power supply and base load and then look at the long term. This has to be factored into the Mid Term Risk Mitigation plan as part of IRP2010.”

Doug Kuni, SAIPPA, Tel: (011) 789-1384 / 012 307 4217, Email: [email protected]

The document as it is currently is not implementable

www.chemsystems.co.za


POWER GENERATION NEWSPOWER GENERATION NEWS

Energy and infrastructureConsulting engineering and project implementation firm, Hatch Africa, has experienced steady growth since opening its doors in South Africa on 4 July, 1995. Hatch Africa managing direc-tor Rory Kirk says that the financial year end-ing September 2010, is the company’s second best year of operation in Africa.

In 2001, Hatch em-barked on a diversifica-tion strategy that added core business units with advanced technological and strategic focuses on infrastructure and en-ergy to the company’s already highly-devel-oped mining and metals portfolios.

“Hatch’s participation in these sectors has been reinforced through the formation of partnerships and acquisitions of key participants in the energy and infrastructure sectors. To this extent, Hatch has formed strategic global partner-ships with UK-based Mott McDonald and Australian-based Connell-Wagner to establish itself more substantially in the global infrastructure sector,” says Rory.

Similarly, Hatch recently merged with North America’s leading energy sector project house, Acres, and has formed an alli-ance with the highly-rated energy service provider, Sargent & Lundy. This has allowed Hatch to expand its engineering and strategic capabilities in the hydropower, gas and coal power, nuclear energy, and oil and gas development sectors.

Through these initiatives, Hatch has been successful in di-versifying the capabilities of the company to the extent that 70% of the current global project portfolio is located in the mining and metals sector, 15% in the infrastructure sector and 15% in the energy sector.

Locally, Hatch Africa has the strategic vision that 50% of its business would come from mining and metals; and the other 50% equally from energy and infrastructure.

Hatch Africa’s Energy division merged earlier last year with South African-based MR Control Systems (MRCS), to form a new sub-entity, Hatch Africa Energy. The unit combines the expertise, specialist skills and execution capability from Hatch Africa’s Energy division and MRCS to become a significant player in the thermal, nuclear, renewable, transmission and distribution, and oil and gas market sectors.

Hatch Africa, Rory Kirk, Tel: (011) 239 5300, Fax: (011) 239 5790, Email: [email protected], Website: www.hatch.ca

Rory Kirk

Advantages of incineration Bosch Projects, has extended its areas of expertise and now, together with Munitech, is actively involved in the waste-to-energy (WtE) sector.

“WtE has become an effective and important tool globally in combating the negative impact of waste disposal on the environment and it also provides benefits in the form of heat and electricity generation,” says Graham Ahrens, business manager, energy business unit, Bosch Projects

The problem in South Africa is that waste is not yet pre-separated at source – in homes or at the workplace - so most recyclable material is contaminated and difficult to recover. As a result, recycling from municipal solid waste (MSW) is not as effective in reducing landfill volumes and the end objective is seldom achieved. Existing landfill sites are reaching capacity and new landfill sites are much further from the source of refuse material, which adds significantly to the cost of disposal.

CollaborationEskom Holdings and the CSIR have signed a memoran-dum of agreement (MoA) to collaborate in the area of research and development. This collaboration will be in a variety of areas ranging from energy modelling to future generation, storage and end technologies.

The MoA aims to leverage the strengths of both organisa-tions to provide mutual benefit to Eskom and the CSIR while contributing to addressing national challenges such as climate change and water scarcity. The MoA framework provides the context within which Eskom and the CSIR co-operation will take place and will be complemented by specific agreements on individual projects.

“Eskom recognises the importance of research and de-velopment in the energy sector and the MoA will provide an institutional framework for co-operation aimed at aligning and enhancing interaction between Eskom and the CSIR. We recognise that both Eskom and the CSIR have different skills and facilities which, when combined, have the potential to deliver world class research outputs in the energy space”, says Dr Steve Lennon, Divisional Executive for Corporation Services.

Dr Sibusiso Sibusi, CEO and President of the CSIR says “Eskom and CSIR are moving forward through research and technology in finding the best energy solutions to support South Africa’s growth and development aspira-tions”.

CSIR, Bernice Lue, Tel: (012) 841 3417


POWER GENERATION NEWS

On the mapRobben Island is set to become the site of a green energy pilot project, aimed at exploring the potential of distributed models of hybrid renewable and alternative energy tech-nologies to generate more power for South Africa at a lower cost than traditional coal-fired generators.

Currently, eThekwini Municipality is extracting about 5 MW of electrical energy from landfill gas at the Bisasar Road and Mariannhill landfill sites. In this process, landfill gas is combusted in a GEC Jenbacher reciprocating engine driving an alternator.

A more effective way of reducing landfill volumes is to incin-erate combustible/organic waste. This not only significantly reduces waste volumes and saves landfill - as only the ash is left - but the incineration process also produces heat, which can be converted to electric power. The energy produced from incineration is approximately 20 times greater than that recovered from landfill gas.

Bosch Projects, Graham Ahrens, Email: [email protected],

The Greening Robben Island project aims to replace the island’s two diesel-guzzling generators with a hybrid of renewable technologies – including wind and solar power, biomass energy and a mini hydro system – and to implement efficient en-ergy management, to demonstrate that South Africa can reduce its dependence on fossils fuels.

The project falls under the Working for Energy programme, an initiative of the South African National Energy Research Institute (SANERI) and Department of Energy (DoE), tasked with providing energy from renewable sources, as well as energy management and demand side management (DSM) frameworks.

Derek Batte, a senior manager at SANERI says renewable energy has enormous potential as a source for the future. The challenge, he says, is to drive the commercialisation of renewable energy technologies and distributed models of

energy generation, in a marketplace that is accustomed to the Leviathan that is the Eskom power grid.

The recently developed, Working for Energy programme is exploring ways of generating energy from sources such as biomass and charcoal from invasive alien plants, bush encroachment and grasses; biofuels; mini-grid hybrid and smart grid systems; and micro hydro systems.

“Currently, renewable resources such as solar and wind power are seen as having the potential to supplement coal-fired

The Greening Robben Island project aims to replace the island’s two diesel-guzzling generators with a hybrid of renewable technologies


Fuel depot goes solarCargo Carriers has for the first time developed a depot that runs completely off solar power.

Self-sufficient and energy-efficient, the environmentally friendly depot in Evander has already proved a success. Six months ago the solar-powered depot was pivotal to Cargo Carriers being awarded the Sasol Synfuels contract. A number of Sasol projects are now being lined up to take advantage of the green depot.

When the Evander hub was being constructed in 2009 the surrounding area’s electricity supply was already overloaded and therefore unavailable. The decision to go solar was simple

generation, but not to provide reliable baseload electricity as cheaply as coal,” says Derek.

But SANERI has developed economic models showing that renewable energy hybrids could generate three times more energy than a conventional new generation fossil station and five times the jobs at one third of the cost over the next 20 years if renewables are exploited to the correct potential.

SANERI, Derek BatteTel: (011) 201 4700, Fax: (010) 201 4820, Website: www.saneri.org.za

POWER GENERATION NEWS

but radical. The depot is considered a giant leap forward in the logistics industry and is quickly becoming a key dif-ferentiator in tender processes for Cargo Carriers.

The contract involves the transportation of pitch coke from the Sasol Synfuels Secunda plant to various Sasol clients around South Africa. A high purity carbon residue that is derived from coal tar pitch, pitch coke is used in metal-lurgical refinement and the manufacture of anodes and cathodes. Sasol Synfuels is one of the key suppliers of this product in Africa.

Cargo Carriers, Murray Bolton, Tel: (011) 485 8700, Fax: (011) 485 8781, Email: [email protected], Website: www.cargocar-riers.co.za

www.animalsindistress.org.za


NUCLEAR INSTITUTE (SA BRANCH)

John Walmsley

Anti-nuclear lobbyists weighed in with the familiar rheto-ric as, less stridently, did the SA Faith Communities

speaker. In the presence of Archbishop Makgoba, the SA Council of Churches representative used the word ‘evil’ in connection with nuclear waste and assured us that nuclear generation is not a moral choice.

War on planet EarthThe Durban public hearing preceded the one which I attended. One of the presentations there was entitled ‘IRP2010 – daylight robbery and declara-tion of War on planet Earth’. The dismay expressed by environmentalists is understandable. They see annual CO2 emissions tabulated for the ‘Balanced Scenario’ actually rising from 237 million tons now to 275 in 2030. 275 MT may well be 30% below the cheapest ‘business as usual’ all-coal scenario but the increase nevertheless comes as a shock. Environmentalists also see the hated nuclear fleet sailing in, six 1600 MW reactors between 2023 and 2029.

In view of the projected CO2 increase, one could reasonably ask in respect of both nuclear and re-newables, why so little and, particularly, why so late? The question is easier to answer for nuclear. One unit every year or so is probably as much as we can manage, particularly in respect of operator training and staffing. And it will not stop in 2030. The South Koreans have been commissioning one unit every year for about twenty years but I guess that’s different. I don’t understand why the first unit comes in only in 2023. I would have thought that a more spread out programme starting in 2020 would have been feasible and preferable.

Further 11 400 MW neededIn addition to 925 MW of renewables already com-

A Megawatt Mountain to Climb

mitted, the revised balanced scenario calls for a further 11 400 MW (largely wind energy) by 2030 plus 3349 MW of imported hydro. These, however, are name-plate figures. Assuming a capacity factor of 25%, by 2030 wind and sun will be contrib-uting only about 6% of the required 454 TWh/y compared with nuclear’s 16%. The wording of the report, however, makes it clear that in massaging the strictly computer driven balanced scenario to achieve the revised version, the panel has bent over backwards to bring wind energy in earlier and to introduce at least a little solar, this to encour-age these industries. One has to assume that the poor showing of intermittent renewables accurately reflects their usefulness to the grid. I would have enjoyed seeing a more emphatic gesture towards solar energy. We are in Africa after all.

Concerns expressedI have two concerns. The lesser is the scant atten-tion paid to quality of supply. The rationale appears to be that if the power supply drops, for example because the wind strength around the country drops, you cut off major consumers and pay them to fire up their own generation. The estimated cost of having to do that doubles figures in the study and presumably contributes to the poor showing of renewables.

The second concern is project management. If you accept the panel’s assumed 4,6% per year load growth, between now and 2030 we have to install 51 608 MW. That’s equivalent to a dozen of today’s major power stations, nearly two every three years. Is that really conceivable?

Now we shall have scores if not hundreds of organi-sations working on very different types of power stations. Innumerable legal, financial, contractual, siting and implementation issues are going to arise. The national grid, largely ignored in the IRP study, will have to be developed to accommodate the new regime and it will all have to be done on time. Who is going to mastermind all this?

John WalmsleyNuclear Institute (South Africa Branch)

By 2030 wind and sun will be contributing only about 6% of the required 454 TWh/y

Towards the end of last year I attended the IRP2010 Public Hearing in Cape Town. ‘Stakeholders’ were invited to make

15-minute presentations of their comments on the draft IRP2010 report. It was a difficult day for those of the

nuclear persuasion. Of twenty-five speakers at least fifteen represented commercial organisations intent on selling

renewable energy or gas. Only Professors Lloyd and Gaunt had anything polite to say about nuclear.


Embracing 2D to 3D Migration

3D modeling...design optimisation…time-to-market….innovative designs……these words strike a chord in any design-to-manufacture industry around the world. So that begs the question: Why are there not more compa-

nies making use of 3D tools that ultimately serve to increase productivity, reduce overall design and manufactur-ing costs, get the product to market quicker and consequently positively influence the company’s bottom line?

Aberdeen Group con-ducted a benchmark study a few years ago on the transition from

2D drafting to 3D modelling and found that even though 3D model-ling tools have been available to the market for over two decades it is estimated that roughly 85% of the current CAD user base still primarily employs 2D drafting.

The reasons for this slow transition seem to be largely due to a lack of knowledge about the benefits of 3D and the perceived loss of productivity while users adapt to new paradigms and convert legacy drawings into new formats.

COMPUTERS IN ENGINEERING

Making use ofdownstream applications as well as upgrading their hardware have been most successful

2� THE SOUTH AFRICAN MECHANICAL ENGINEER VOL 61 January 2011

What is the solution?Instead of initially making a full transition from 2D to 3D, companies have the option of adding 3D to their 2D draft-ing as opposed to replacing it. Some technology providers have added 2D functionality to their 3D systems enabling them to be able to work with their legacy data while at the same time have the 3D tools available to make progress with their designs in 3D.

Queuing upThe benefits of 3D for all design-to-manufacture industries should leave companies queuing for training and installation. The benefits are far-reaching, to list but a few: with 3D, strength analysis can be done electronically, so companies don’t need to build prototypes and break them to see if their designs are strong enough, a costly exercise.

Data reuse grows exponentially not only within the company but in the supplier and customer chain as well. Data can be reused in creating similar designs as well as downstream applications such as tool and die design and electronic tool-path generation without the need for translation of the design data from 2D to 3D.

No spreadsheetWith 3D companies have the benefit of electronic and integrated data management because of the structured 3D system. Bill of material generation is automatic and accurate thus preventing mistakes and the huge costs as-sociated with them. Reductions in the amount of detailing of work that is needed means a possible reduction in staff-ing requirements and the opportunity to up-skill detailers to other positions.

Using 3D tools, engineers can now optimise designs with electronic goal-driven optimisation instead of lengthy hand-calculations or complicated spreadsheets. Companies also have the benefit of optimising downstream applications such as finite element analysis, clash detection and toler-ance analysis.

Companies who have shown their commitment to 3D by making use of downstream applications as well as upgrading their hardware have been most successful. For companies that are planning the change from 2D to 3D it is vitally important for them have a very clear picture of what they want from the system that they choose and a clear strategy of how they want to get there. This information should be documented to ensure the package will give them the best match to their requirements.

At you doorstep Thereafter the choice of vendor is critical as this decision will determine the degree to which the company’s productivity is affected by the initial transition. Information is power; with all of this information at your fingertips you would be remiss to ignore it. Take your company to the next level with 3D power, greater success lies at your doorstep.

ProductOne, Tel: (012) 673 9300, Website: www.prodone.com

COMPUTERS IN ENGINEERING

Engineers can now optimise designs withelectronic goal-driven optimisation

www.bearings.co.za


POWER TRANSMISSION

No-one can attest to this better than someone who has built up a business in tough times and not only survived but, in fact, flourished. “SA Mechanical

Engineer” visits such a company in Meyerton south

of Johannesburg to talk to owners of National Bear-ing & Seals, Aslam Khan and Ally Jhan. “In spite of the recession we’ve managed to extend our power

transmission range of products to include gearbox components, servicing and repairs,” says Aslam.

“By extending our experience in seals we’ve also become involved in servicing and repairing hydraulic equipment and have even supplied conveyor systems for a customer.”

More than a supplierBoth Ally and Aslam are hands-on people who know their own limitations, but find it hard to turn an enquiry down, especially if it’s close to their fields of experience. “On a daily basis we get enquiries that don’t necessarily fall directly into our field of experience, but because we strive to help all cus-tomers, we go to the trouble of finding a solution,” says Aslam. “In this way we’ve not only extended our own knowledge, but have built up the resources over the years to confidently venture into being more than just a supplier of equipment.”

Starting small as a company supplying bearings, seals and gearbox components on a buy and supply basis, they now have an extensive stock holding of all the spares and components their regular custom-ers use. “In competing with the big distributors in a market where the profit margins are small, we’ve survived purely by providing services so impressive that we’ve won over several of the big companies in this area,” says Aslam. “For example, it took us over a year to get on the vendor list of a well-known engineering company just down the road from us,

Hard Work Pays Off

It takes many years

and plenty of hard

work to build up a

good name in any

industry, but it’s even

harder to keep it up.

Just one slip-up, like

a faulty component

or a ‘simple’ thing

like missing an urgent

telephone call from

client, and all the

hard work is down the

drain.

Into being more than just a supplier of equipment

NBS has an extensive range of spares

Aslam Khan (left) and Ally Jhan of National Bearings and Seals


POWER TRANSMISSION

but now they know what we can do and we’re even doing installation work on site for them.”

BrandsThe advantage of being a supplier who isn’t tied to one specific brand of product allows the company to shop around for good quality products at a more affordable price, but this requires an assurance that the product is reliable. “We supply good quality A and B class bearings, for instance, but before we market a brand we have to make sure it’s reliable by testing the product in practice,” says Aslam.

“Fortunately one of our now long standing customers provided us with the opportunity to test these bearings in an application over a period of time and, when they proved to last even longer than their regular brand,

Make sure it’s reliable by testing the product

Seals of all shapes and sizes are standard stock items

One of our first big repairs was a large gearbox and at the time we didn’t even have the equipment to lift it properly

they switched to us as suppliers. Now we have a base reference as well as the experience to market these bearings with confidence to other customers as well.

“Just a couple of years ago people were very set on specific brands, but since other brands coming onto the market have proven their worth, customers are generally open to trying others as well,” says Aslam. “In our case, for example, Challenge is our preferential source of supply, but we are more than happy to fit whatever the client prefers. However, you have to tread very cautiously with lots of cheap and very inferior products flooding the market from places like China, India, Malaysia and Brazil. For this reason we’ll always put a product on a test trial before we market it.”

Gearbox repairsThe company’s involvement in gearbox repairs grew gradually from minor repairs and servicing to now doing complete rebuilding of even large industrial gearboxes of all makes. “One of our first big repairs was a large gearbox and at the time we didn’t even have the equipment to lift it properly, but the client was desperate to have it fixed,” says Aslam with a smile. “We took on the job, stripped it completely, sourced replacement parts from the local OEM and that gearbox is running perfectly to this day.

“Since then we’ve equipped our workshop and can usually get spare parts from the OEMs,” adds Aslam. “If it’s a rebuild where gear cutting and grinding has to be done, we have reliable machining subcontractors who do this kind of work for us on a regular basis. By the same token, we will never take on a job that simply can’t be done under our control. We had an old Radicon gearbox in here just the other day, but after opening it and trying to source spares we realised it couldn’t be done without costing the client what a new box would cost. In the end they opted to buy a new one through us.”

ConveyorsIn a similar fashion they got involved in conveyor systems which has now become Ally’s focus in the business. “Having some experience in struc-tural work on the gearbox side, we undertook to build a small conveyor system for one of our regular clients and it turned out a huge success,” says Ally in conclusion. “The success of the first one, and now having the resources in terms of design and construction, led to the building of two more 23 metre conveyors systems for the same company. Right now we’re busy getting our workshop equipped to do more of this work as well.”

Aslam Khan or Ally Jhan, National Bearing and Seals, Tel: (016) 362-2189, Email: [email protected] or [email protected]


POWER TRANSMISSION

A lthough we can rebuild or refurbish a gearbox at about 60% or less of the price of a new one, as it’s very often something small that breaks, plants operating up in

Africa simply don’t have the repair facilities or the skills readily available, so they install a new gearbox just to save time and get the plant going again,” Ian Dix of RKD Engineering tells “SA Mechanical

Engineer” when we visit the company’s workshop in Apex, Benoni.

Desperate for expertise“We’re increasingly getting repairs such as these from mines and plants all over Africa, so we’re now exploring the feasibility of opening up a repair facility in one of the neighbouring countries.”

Such a move can only be welcomed in Africa as Ian has 35 years’ experience in gearboxes, speed reducers, torque converters and power transmis-

sions on large trucks and underground vehicles. He also has extensive experience in the hydraulic systems used on these vehicles, yet another field in Africa where expertise is desperately needed.

Special gearboxIan does not shy away from a chal-lenge when it comes to gearboxes in any shape or form and recently even built a complex one for a client from scratch. “It’s a special gearbox with a single input and nineteen outputs that drives rollers in opposite direc-tions to de-coil rolls of steel plate,” Ian explains. “It’s a very compact gearbox with high power input and therefore the gears are arranged in strong clusters so that nine outputs turn one way and ten the other way to straighten the plate as it’s fed

Repairs for Africa

The global skills shortage is dealing Africa a double whammy. Firstly, the plant grinds to a halt and then, because there is no-one on hand to repair even a minor fault, the plant owners summarily replace the

offending gearbox with a new one in order to get up and running as speedily as possible.

An underground vehicle being fitted with a drive system at RKD Engineering Ian Dix (left) with his son, Lyle Smith

A multiple output gearbox under repair

They install a new gearbox just to save time


through the rollers.

“The challenge lay in that we could not take the old one out to reverse engineer it. The client didn’t want to stop production so we had to work purely off visually inspecting and measuring the existing gearbox in situ. We then went off and designed a new unit from that point on,” adds Ian. “A design engineer did the shape and form from which the castings for the body were made while the gear cutting, grinding and heat treatment of the gear sets was undertaken by specialist companies with whom we have long standing relationships. It was a huge success that saved the client from import-ing a highly specialised gearbox from Europe. Now we can make all spares and replacement parts for them locally.”

Completely newIn a similar way RKD got involved in servicing and repairing a highly specialised gearbox for a client in Yemen. “Until they damaged the output drive shaft and asked us to repair it, I had never seen anything like this before,” says Ian.

“It looks like a planetary gearbox from the outside, but when we opened it up we found sets of bearings and plates that work on a complex cam principle around the drive shaft. An eccentric bearing system on the input shaft takes the power transfer through two stages to the output shaft by pushing against eccentric plates that turn the output shaft giving you more power and less speed. We simply reverse engineered the drive shaft and had it up and run-ning in no time.”

Glass manufacturingApart from extensive involvement in conveyor drive systems to the point of even designing a complete

An underground vehicle nearing completion

steel building structure with special conveyor ducting room for grain handling, the company has become specialists in servicing and repairing a special gearbox system used in the glass manufacturing industry.

“It is a heavy duty mixer gearbox that runs con-tinuously 24 hours a day to mix the sand/silica in a hopper before the material enters the process,” explains Ian. “It’s a two-stage planetary-type gearbox with a spiral bevel input and as far as I know fairly unique to this application. It works in the principle of the pinion transferring power outwards onto a sun gear which is not quite the same principle, but similar to a planetary gearbox system.”

Hydraulic drivesAnother specialised area for them is underground vehicle transmissions. This hydraulic drive system is driven off an engine and taken to the drive wheel through a transmission system complete with a safe-hold braking system on the axle. “Hydraulic drive systems have become an in-house speciality over the years,” Ian says. “The only area we outsource to an independent third party is testing the system under load because automatic transmission can only be tested under full load conditions.

“Our involvement in hydraulics has necessarily lead to including the servicing and repair of geared cutter heads on underground miners as well,” Ian says in conclusion. “We have even undertaken the rebuild-ing of underground shovel loaders and the mining machines. Although ours is a family concern with my wife and son actively involved in the business, we’ve become an empowered company by creating an environment where a team of dedicated people who are characterised by their diversity of skills can grow to their full potential.”

Ian Dix, RKD Engineering, Tel: (011) 421-8184, Email: [email protected]

Repairing a highly specialised gearbox

POWER TRANSMISSION


SA INSTITUTE FOR NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING

F rom 16 to 20 April 2012 the 18th World Conference on Non-Destructive Testing (WCNDT) will be staged at the International Conference Centre

(ICC) in Durban. This conference is the foremost display window of NDT technology internationally. All the major role players in the development of NDT science and technology, as well as the equipment and technology suppliers will be present.

The conference for the first time is being staged in Africa and it has from the beginning been marketed as an event held in South Africa

for the entire African continent. A major effort is being made to insure that all the African countries where an NDT service is provided will be present at this event.

The question may now be asked by the engineer-ing fraternity at large, what has this event to do with them, as they purchase the NDT technology which they require for their projects and which is prescribed by the relevant code or standard from specialist NDT service providers.

It is a fact that the engineering fraternity at large is very ill informed with regards to NDT, as NDT is not included in the curriculum for engineering at any major university in South Africa. As a result they consider the NDT science and technology as either being of lesser importance to other disciplines which were addressed in the course, or alternatively, of such a specialist nature, that the service has to be supplied by specialist service providers. This is where the 18th WCNDT, which is staged at the

doorstep of South African engineers, can make a big difference.

The 18th WCNDT will provide a unique opportunity to become conversant and knowledgeable in this neglected aspect of the engineering sciences, by engaging with the international NDT fraternity. Make use of this opportunity - it will not be as affordable as this for a long time.

To make the attendance even more worth-while for the engineering fraternity, SAINT will insure that the event will carry the full annual load of CPD-points which engineers require for their continued professional registration. Looking forward to meeting you all at this prestigious event.

Manfred Johannes, President SAINT

A Unique OpportunityThe 18th World Conference on Non-Destructive Testing – an unique opportunity for engineers in South Africa to acquaint

themselves with the Cinderella science known as Non-Destructive Testing.

Manfred Johannes

The engineering fraternity is very ill informed withregards to NDT

www.yellotec.com

�0 THE SOUTH AFRICAN MECHANICAL ENGINEER VOL 61 January 2011

Market Forum

Simply the bestVoith Turbo has secured the order for the supply of fluid couplings for two custom-built metal shredder machines at the New Reclamation Group’s metal recycling plants in Gauteng and Western Cape.

Harry Kassel, Inland Operations Director for the Reclam Group, says re-building and re-installing the shredder machines was a strategic decision based on local scrap metal market rends. “However, when the cost of importing new shredders from overseas manufacturers proved to be simply ludicrous, we concluded that we were more than capable of designing and custom building shredder machines in-house, sourcing specialised equipment from local suppliers.”

“The project kicked off in January 2009, and I went out looking for local companies who could supply the specialised equipment needed for the project. Our determination to procure superior quality equipment from local suppliers paid off and we are dealing with companies that have enviable reputations for product and service excellence in Southern African industry,” explains Harry.

He says that when it came to selecting fluid couplings for the shredder machines, there was no contest. “There is only one choice and that is Voith,” he states. “Voith drive line technology is unquestionably and undeniably the best in the world and we have experienced Voith’s product quality and reliability first hand. A Voith fluid coupling has been operating on our 1250 Hp Lindemann shredder at our Dunswart Plant in Gauteng, 12 hours a day, six days a week, failure free for the past 16 years. This, from our perspective, is the best possible recom-mendation for any equipment.”

The non-self supported design offers a completely wear-free drive element

HarshconditionsAtlas Copco has launched three new desiccant air dryer ranges designed for ef-ficiency with low pressure drops and delayed dry-er cycles. Ad-ditionally, high performance and a constant pres-sure dewpoint, even at full load, are guaranteed un-der any condition. The new products include two ranges of heatless desic-cant dryers, the CD 25+-145+ and the CD 110+-300+.

The simple design and working principle guarantee reli-ability of these compact desiccant air dryers, even in harsh conditions. The third new range is the blower purge dryer BD 100+-300+; built for energy-efficiency and endurance. By using heated ambient air for re-generation, this dryer range keeps the energy cost minimal.

A desiccant air dryer protects produc-tion, equipment and the quality of the end product by using desiccants to adsorb moisture from the compressed air. These three new desiccant air dryer ranges are suitable for the most demanding industries and ap-plications like electronics, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, oil and gas, etc.

Atlas Copco South Africa, Tel: (011) 821 9000, Fax: (0 11) 821 9106

Voith Turbo, Roy Webster, Tel: (011) 418 4036, Fax: (011) 418 4080, Email: [email protected]

Atlas Copco has launched three new desiccant air dryer ranges

THE SOUTH AFRICAN MECHANICAL ENGINEER VOL 61 January 2011 �1

Market Forum

Seal of approval “Our comprehensive package, which includes root cause analyses and design of our core seals technologies, gives us a competitive edge and our customers the assurance that only the highest SKF standards are applied to all projects and services,” says SKF Manager – Seals Development, Andre Weyers. “Our goal is to do all repairs and modifica-tions in-house. This will afford us the advantage of more effective quality control.

The SKF Economos Seal Jet machine, recently installed, leads the world in the supply of standard and custom-made machined seals and brings flexible solutions to diverse in-dustry applications. According to Andre, impact studies for the installation of the Seal Jet machine were conducted and results confirmed feasibility

The SKF Economos Seal Jet has major advantages, not least of which is the ability to present machined seals for prototyping projects. Andre explains: “This means that we will be able to supply customers with one seal for approval before we embark on costly mould changes and our vision is to do hydraulic repair to a specific range of cylinders as well as the production of large seals of up to 600mm OD (Outside Diameter)”.

In summing up, Andre says that irrespective of the application, sealing integrity must be maintained as equipment failure can cause serious harm to the environment, operators and manufacturing processes. Sealing requirements may vary but specialised, superior quality sealing products, safety and environmental friendliness are common denominators

across all applications.

SKF South Africa (Pty) Ltd, André WeyersTel: 011 821 3500, Fax: 011 821 3501, Email: [email protected]

Cleanest and purestFollowing a substantial investment, Afrox recently commissioned an upgrade to its carbon dioxide (CO2) recovery plant in Sasolburg.

The upgrade has boosted the capacity of its existing CO2 recovery unit in Sa-solburg from 150 tonnes per day (tpd) to 250 tpd - significantly increasing Afrox’s total capacity to supply food grade CO2 to several global brands and generally improving security of national supply.

In tandem with this development, Afrox has also boosted its CO2 distribution capacity countrywide. Its CO2 distribution fleet makes use of an intelligent forecasting and scheduling system. By analysing historical consumption patterns and real time information, the system keeps a constant watch on customer stock levels, allowing the company to anticipate needs before they occur and to give customers a seamless supply of this production-critical product.

Food and beverage grade CO2 is achieved through Afrox’s PremierGuard analytical systems, which conduct on-line analysis, batch and lot or tanker analysis to the latest industry standards. Tests include global standard ISBT (International Society of Beverage Technologist) tests.

Bulk CO2 is used in many other industries, including foundries, water purification plants, welding applications, fresh food packaging and storage, food chilling and processing, industrial cleaning, wine making, fire suppression, pest control, rose and tomato growing, dry ice manufacture and ship purging. CO2 is packaged into cylinders at Afrox production sites for applications such as shielding gas for welding, special gas mixtures, medical gases and food packaging.

Afrox, Carte Lubbe, Tel: (011) 490 0400, Email: [email protected]

Most popularSpirax Sarco claims that their FT ball float steam traps are the most popular mechanical steam traps in the world. The new FTGS14 has been designed to offer perfect condensate


Market Forum

drainage and air venting for process, heating and mains drain-age applications. With a substantial network of experienced steam specialists in the world, Spirax Sarco can support users in the effective use and operation of their steam and process plant.

The FTGS14 is ideal for handling a variable load normally associated with temperature controlled heat exchangers. Air and incondensable gases are also discharged efficiently to ensure rapid warm-up during start-up conditions.

Compact and lightweight, the FTGS14 has a robust construction to give long life against water hammer and vibration. It features integral automatic air venting and provides immediate discharge with clean tight shut off. The modulating valve orifice mechanism provides complete and immediate conden-sate removal under all positive pressure load conditions.

The ball float steam traps have a stainless steel base for longer life, low maintenance and minimal system downtime, and the improved design with simplified flow paths reduces erosion.

Spirax Sarco, Emily Heath, Tel: (011) 230-1300, Fax: (011) 393-1922, E-mail: [email protected], Website: www.spiraxsarco.com/za

The new FTGS14 has been designed to offer perfect condensate drainage and air venting for process

Arduous applicationsAlert Pumpmor manufactures a range of slurry pumps, designed for use in arduous underground and surface applications in mining, sewage and industrial applications.

“These heavy duty submersible pumps, which ensure efficient operation and extended service life, can be manufactured with flameproof accreditation (SABS IEC 60079-1) which is an important safety feature,” says Fanie Nel, product manager, Alert Pumpmor, part of the Becker Group of Companies. “The company employs a fully integrated ISO 9001:2008 quality man-agement system as part of its dedicated design, manufacturing, testing and repair facility.”

Included in this range of submersible slurry pumps are extra heavy duty units designed for demanding ap-plications. CTMS models, which efficiently eliminate clogging problems, are able to handle solids ranging from 60 mm to 228 mm and Specific Gravities (SG’s) up to 1,8.

These high performance large solids slurry pumps are also available in horizontal and vertical configurations, which offers a flexible drive arrangement, including direct coupled, overhead adjustable, or Z-adjustable belt drives.

Alert Pumpmor, The Becker Group of Companies, Fanie Nel, Tel: (057) 396 2704, Fax: (057) 396 2700, Email: [email protected]: www.za.becker-mining.com

THE SOUTH AFRICAN MECHANICAL ENGINEER VOL 61 January 2011 ��

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Full support BMG’s specialist technical resources division, which pro-vides and supports total process solutions across the entire BMG product range, has launched a new field services facility.

“This service, which mobilises specialist skills to sup-port South African operating plant, complements a company’s own maintenance capability to ensure the highest level of plant reliability,” says Dave Russell, group technical director, BMG – Bearing Man Group. “Specialist services include installation, adjustment and maintenance of components, shaft and pulley align-ment, balancing, oil sampling and analysis and critical equipment inspections and lubrication schedules.

“BMG also offers technical supervision and on-site quality checks. Maintenance training and fault diagnosis also forms an important part of BMG’s field services.”

BMG – Bearing Man Group, Veronique Bezuidenhout, Tel: (031) 576 6221, Email: [email protected], Web: www.bmgworld.net

BMG’s specialist technical resources division, which provides and supports total pro-cess solutions across the entire BMG product range, has launched a new field services facility

Throughput at less costA global alliance formed between Weir Minerals and KHD Humboldt Wedag has brought High Pressure Grinding Rolls (HPGR) grinding technology into the Weir Minerals product suite where it now forms part of the Weir Minerals

Mill Circuit Solution. Significantly, this agreement extends to the role of service agent as well.

Winchester Maphosa, product manager comminution products at Weir Minerals Africa, says that the HPGR is capable of handling particles sizes up to about 80 mm, and the tech-nology was developed with the aim of compressive grinding of material in the particle bed.

“Essentially, a HPGR produces a particle size distribution that is wider with more fines than a tertiary crusher would and, although the benefits of applying HPGRs as an effective low energy grinding technology may be generally applicable, there are considerations for installation in different minerals

Flat-gasket saddleSpecialist fluid conveyance solutions provider, Incledon, has introduced a new mechanical compression fitting for high-density polyethylene pipes to the South African market - capable of withstanding substantially higher pressure than industry-standard products.

The Plasson mechanical flat-gasket saddle, distributed ex-clusively across Southern Africa by Incledon, is designed to withstand working pressures of up to 16-bar, compared with

the industry-standard of just 10-bar.

The new design is suited to a number of applications including; the industrial, civil construction, municipal, mining and irrigation market sectors.

“Very few fittings in South Africa are rated for 16-bar applications, with the majority only rated for

between 6 to 12 bar service. The Plasson flat-gasket saddle is

unique, owing to the fact that it is manufactured with a flat gasket and integrated o-ring on top, instead of the

standard o-ring gasket. This design enhances the product’s ability to handle pressures of up to 16-bar,” explains Incledon product Manager for plastics, Phillip Bawden. “Various water authorities have already approved the use of this new range of saddles.”

Incledon Contact Details, Philip Bawden, Tel: (011) 323 0800, Email: [email protected], Website: www.incledon.co.za

�� THE SOUTH AFRICAN MECHANICAL ENGINEER VOL 61 January 2011

Market Forum

Complete solution Burnstone Gold Mine, near Bal-four in Mpuma-langa, selected a total electrical solution from the Zest Group which included a complete mill drive package for the metal-lurgical plant at the mine. Comprising two

applications,” he says.

The first two installations in Africa are in Mauritania at SNIM, Zouerate where iron ore is being fed at a throughput rate of 1 800 tph with a particle size of minus 20 mm being ground to minus 2 mm. These machines have a 1 700 mm diameter roll with a width of 1 800 mm. Grinding is at a maximum specific press force of 2.7 N/mm2.

Weir Minerals Africa (Pty) Ltd, Rene Calitz, Tel: +27 011 929 2622, Website: www.weirminerals.com

3MW 3.3 kV WEG squirrel cage mill motors complete with 3.3 kV WEG variable speed drives (18 pulse) and phase shift transformers, this complete WEG mill drive solution is a first for Zest and WEG on the African continent.

Trevor Naude, group business development manager at Zest Group, says that although Zest has, in the past, supplied many mill motors, this is the first application where the group has supplied motors, drives and phase shift transformers as a packaged solution on the continent. “WEG has more

than 130 such installations worldwide and we are confident that this, being the first in Africa, will also be a major success,” he says.

The WEG MV VSD incorporates the most modern technology for medium voltage drives using medium voltage IGBTs and the latest topology in MV VSD technol-ogy. This results in high reliability and optimum performance with very high efficiency.

Zest Electric Motors, Jamie Wilson, Tel : (011) 723 6000, Fax : (011) 723 6001, Website: www.zest.co.za

Panorama of the Burnstone Project

Unique flowmetersGemü Africa offers a wide range of unique variable flowme-ters for a wide range of industries including water treatment, mechanical engineering, surface treatment, compressed air or air supply, microelectronics and semiconductors, chemical

and environmental, energy production, paper, textile, metal production and the processing industries.

What makes the flowmeter unique is that the Gemü 800, 850 and 840 ranges operate on the variable area principle. All are fitted in a vertical pipeline and the working medium flows through it from bottom to top.

The float moves freely in a conical metering tube and is lifted up by the flowing medium which causes it to rotate. When the back pressure is exactly the same as the force of gravity acting on the float, it no longer changes in height and the flow can be read off directly on the scale. By mounting limit switches and instrument sen-sors and a series of Reed contacts, monitoring


Market Forum

and signal processing is possible using the plant control system.

Gemü Africa, the sole distributor of Gemü valves in South and Southern Africa offers practical on-site assistance to customers, ensuring that they select the right valve for the right job as well as advice on the correct on material, con-nection and actuation options.

Gemü Africa, Keith Hedges, Tel: (011) 462 7795 Email: [email protected]

Short-term financeThe Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) has recently launched a new ring-fenced short-term finance product, FasTrak. FasTrak is a once-off, non-revolving credit/loan facility, applicable only to clients who have won contracts, tenders and/or orders and have an urgent need for bridging assistance for a limited time frame. The product seeks to close the gap by promising delivery of the funding and/or guarantees, within 14 days, provided all the information required is at the disposal of IDC’s International Finance Department.

“Businesses who require bridging finance need it quickly, normally within 14 to 21days from the time that the contract or order is awarded,” says senior account manager Achmat Adams.

“The users of these products are mostly strong, but smaller businesses with limited cash flow. The IDC’s FasTrak aims to alleviate financial strains on these businesses that don’t have funds to satisfy their orders, which may result in the business either losing the order or using unconventional ways of funding, if not assisted. FasTrak is just one of the various examples of the IDC identifying a need, and satisfying it through an innovative product,” he adds.

He says: “As time is of the essence for this specific facility, the IDC’s process will be prompt, without taking unnecessary risk. An abridged due diligence will be conducted, based on a set number of documents that the applicant is expected to provide. A pro-forma application pack will be presented to the client, including all documents to be signed.”

The facility will be capped at a maximum combined value of R5 million. Once an applicant is granted the assistance they require, they will not be able to access the facility again but can convert it to a revolving credit facility upon IDC conducting its normal due diligence process. The facility will operate on the same principle as a revolving short-term finance/guarantee product in all other respects, which is available for up to six months pre- and six months post-shipment financing.

Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), Mandla Mpangase, Tel:(011) 269 3282

First plant tie-inAttention to detail and planning has seen Concor Engineering complete the first of two plant tie-ins at Assmang’s Khumani Mine Parsons 3 SMP Project where the mine’s existing wash-ing and screening plant is being upgraded to allow greater throughput capacity.

Amon Matsila, contracts direc-tor at Concor En-gineering, says that although the fabrication scope for this project is quite straightfor-ward, the erec-tion component has brought its own challenges. “Firstly, majority of the work is being done within an operational plant which has necessitated ac-curate scheduling of activities as all work is being done within the day-to-day op-erations of the plant,” Matsila says. “Secondly, the project foot-

print is spread over an area of 3.5 to 4 km which has pre-sented logistical challenges.”

Detailing was done at Concor Engineering’s structural steel detailing office with fabrication being done at the company’s ISO accredited facility in Johannesburg. The plant was de-signed to be fabricated and tied-in in a modular manner. To facilitate this, segments or modules as well as completely new sections of the plant have to be preassembled on site and then tied-in into the plant during two predetermined plant shutdowns. The first of these was completed in August 2010 and the second will be done in February 2011.

Concor Group, Sue Upton, Tel : (011) 495 2288, Website: www.concor.co.za

Tying components into the plant using a mobile crane

Largest shutdown of its kindIn accordance with the planned shutdown schedule and after more than a year’s planning, Sasol Synfuels decommissioned a portion of its Secunda operations on in August 2010, for a period of three weeks, executing their biggest shutdown ever.


Market Forum

Saving energyFesto offers the market an energy-efficient solu-tion with the Ovem vacuum generator, featuring

The Festo OVEM vacuum generator saves energy and reduces the risk of machine downtime due to its integrated air-saving function and vacuum sensor.

Official distributorAutomation solutions company, Tectra Automation, a member of the Hytec Group, recently signed a distribution agreement with the

With approximately 14 500 additional workers employed and over 150 000 activities completed, the Secunda shutdown is regarded as the biggest of its kind in the world.

A statutory requirement for petrochemical industries across the globe, all equipment must be shut down for inspection and repaired in accordance with a pre-planned schedule. During a shutdown, equipment is overhauled to ensure both process and equipment integrity, while maintaining safety as the highest priority. Shutdowns of this nature result in long term stable operations and are vital to Sasol’s sustain-ability.

During the shutdown, the work completed was equivalent to servicing half a million motor ve-hicles. Parked bumper to bumper, the line would stretch from Secunda to Cape Town and back. Work included welding, mechanical, electrical and instrumentation activities.

Safety remains the first priority during such a huge project and this year Sasol Synfuels can look back at the safest shutdown in their history.

Some interesting statistics on the shutdown include: 26 400 rigging activities, 310 additional rigging teams (consisting of a rigger and a helper), 185 additional cranes, 109 mobile compressors and 106 mobile generators

Sasol, Nothemba Noruwana, Tel: (011) 441 3295, Fax: (011) 788 5092 Email: [email protected], Website: www.sasol.com

an integrated air-saving function.

Continuous status monitoring of the entire vacuum system is made possible thanks to an LCD with additional bar graphs. If a leak develops, either gradually or abruptly, or in the event that vacuum evacuation time becomes longer, the vacuum generator automatically detects the situation. This facilitates preventive maintenance and enables users to prevent potential machine downtime.

The Ovem vacuum generator provides this added level of reliability by continuously measuring vacuum and compar-ing it with a user-specified reference value. The user sets

threshold values by way of a teach-in procedure in order to ensure that specified vacuum evacuation times and system cycle times are not exceeded. Cycle time is the characteristic value of overriding importance, determining the speed at which handling operations are executed and thus regulating system productivity.

Festo (Pty) Ltd, Joanne Dexter, Tel: (011) 971 5560, Fax:: (011) 974 4203, Email:[email protected]


Market Forum

world’s leading manufacturer of industrial actuators, Exlar. As an official distributor, Tectra Automation will supply the complete range of Exlar actuators, regarded as the only true electrical mechanical alternative to hydraulic cylinders , to the local market.

Exlar’s patented roller screw technology offers high shock resistance; allows an inverted design, easy disassembly and quiet operation. Its contact area is 15 times more in the same space than conventional technology can of-fer. Using Exlar actuators has many benefits, including cleanliness, long service life, high efficiency, moderate costs and robustness.

Exlar actuators are very suitable for the petrochemical and wood-work-ing industries, and for hydraulic and pneumatic cylinders used in general industry or sawmill equipment.

Tectra Automation, Greg Calder, Tel:(011 971 9400, Fax:: (011) 971 9440, Email:[email protected]

Exlar actuators, an electrical mechanical alternative to hydraulic cylinders, available now from Tectra Automation

Cost-saving processRand Technical Services (RTS) has supplied eight burners and burner management systems to the diversified miner, Exxaro’s new char plant, located at the Grootegeluk mine.

RTS’s Technical Director Adrian Gornall says that the com-pany’s burners will be used to generate heat for removing impurities from the coal. In this way, char is produced – a high-value product. “The burners that we have supplied to Exxaro are gas-fired. The offgas fuel used by the burners has a low energy content, and the burners are designed to operate on this low energy content gas, resulting in a more efficient and cost-saving process,” says Adrian.

Of the eight burner management systems installed at the char plant, four are used in the retort process, two are used for the boilers and two are used for the liquor destructors.

Adrian explains RTS’s scope of work: “In terms of the retort process, we had to ensure that coal fed through the retort is heated at an estimated temperature of 900°C in an oxygen deficient atmosphere. The action of this heated gas on the descending coal results in the liberation of volatile (impure) matter from the coal creating char that contains 80% fixed carbon content and less than 5% volatile content.”

He adds that the burner management systems for the boil-ers ensure that steam is generated for the gas lock feed system preventing gases being released to atmosphere. The systems in place for the liquor destructors guarantee that water and liquor is burned off with minimal emissions to the environment.

Rand Technical Services, Richard Cooper, Tel: (012) 993 9620, Email: [email protected], Website: [email protected]


Market Forum

On the Move

Index to AdvertisersAfrican Utility Inside Back Cover

Association of Arbitrators 14

AST Pyroshield Inside Front Cover

Axiom Hydraulics Outside Back Cover

Bearings International 24

Chemserve Systems 18

Donaldson Filtration Systems 16

Engen 13

ILS 10

Power Indaba 4

Qfinsoft Outside Front Cover

SAID 21

Yellotec 14, 29

Please fax us if you wish to subscribe to “SA Mechanical En-gineer” at R400,00 (incl postage and VAT) per year; R945,00 per year for Africa/Overseas. We will post you an invoice on receipt of your fax.

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Lambson’s Hire has announced the appointment of Devin van Zyl as its new managing director.

PC de Bruin has been promoted to sales engineer and will now be looking after the Rustenburg, and Deon Koen has been appointed sales engineer in the Witbank Middelburg area for Sew Eurodrive.

Devin van ZylDeon KoenPC de Bruin

Turnkey projectsEcochem has extended its core range of pumps and mixers to include Argal chemical transfer pumps. Managing director Ed Lemke explaines that the Argal range will be introduced in phases, with vertical sump pumps and horizontal centrifugal end-suc-tion models becoming the first types to be brought to the local market.

“We will use our extededt capability to secure more turnkey projects such as the process pumping plant we are installing at a platinum mine in Northwest Province.

“At the same time we will be careful to maintain our position as a straightforward supplier of high quality dosing pumps,” he says.

The new Argal product range comprises chemical transfer pumps manufactured entirely from plastic, or coated with a chemical resistant material to protect metal parts.

Horizontal end-suction models are fitted with magnetic drives, allowing the impeller to operate within an enclosed chamber with no need for a mechanical seal. Simple and innovative construction delivers a minimal maintenance requirement.

Argal will manufacture vertical sump pumps to order until South African demand for specific models reaches the point where stockholdings become necessary.

Ecochem Pumps (Pty) Ltd, Ed Lemke, Tel: (011) 455 5710, Fax: (011) 455 5842, E-mail: [email protected]

www.african-utility-week.com


PRePARing foR tHe CHAnging PoweR PARAdigM


METERING AFRICA

SMART GRIDS AFRICA

GENERATION AFRICA

RENEWABLE ENERGY AFRICA

WATER UTILITIES AFRICA

LARGE POWER USERS AFRICA

POWER INDABA


African Utility week will provide access to some of the industry’s most influential speakers and stakeholders – people who are setting the standard for the power and water utility sectors across the continent.

why you must attend the power event of 2011:South Africa’s National Energy Efficiency Strategy and how it will impact your businessSecurity of supply – hear insights from the Department of Energy, Department of Water Affairs and Eskom on this vital issueNetwork with OVER 2000 OF THE LEADERS IN POWER AND WATER from across Africa and the rest of the World.

Silver sponsors:

Bronze sponsors:

Host utilities:Premier media partners:Host publications:Organised by:

Gold sponsors:Platinum sponsor:

ESI-AFRICA.COM METERING.COM

Media partner:

Endorsed by:

Honourable Minister elizabeth dipuo PetersMinistry of Energy, South Africa

Brian damesChief Executive Officer, Eskom, South Africa

Jasper oduorExecutive Secretary, Eastern African Power Pool, Ethiopia

Lawrence MusabaCo-ordination Centre Manager, Southern African Power Pool, Zimbabwe


www.arbitrators.co.za

www.astafrica.com

www.axiom.org.za

www.bearings.co.za

www.chemsystems.co.za

www.donaldson.co.za

www.engen.co.za

www.ils.co.za

www.powerindaba.com

www.qfinsoft.co.za

www.animalsindistress.org.za

www.yellotec.com

THE SOUTH AFRICAN MECHANICAL ENGINEER VOL 61 January 2011 ��www.african-utility-week.com


PRePARing foR tHe CHAnging PoweR PARAdigM


METERING AFRICA

SMART GRIDS AFRICA

GENERATION AFRICA

RENEWABLE ENERGY AFRICA

WATER UTILITIES AFRICA

LARGE POWER USERS AFRICA

POWER INDABA


African Utility week will provide access to some of the industry’s most influential speakers and stakeholders – people who are setting the standard for the power and water utility sectors across the continent.

why you must attend the power event of 2011:South Africa’s National Energy Efficiency Strategy and how it will impact your businessSecurity of supply – hear insights from the Department of Energy, Department of Water Affairs and Eskom on this vital issueNetwork with OVER 2000 OF THE LEADERS IN POWER AND WATER from across Africa and the rest of the World.

Silver sponsors:

Bronze sponsors:

Host utilities:Premier media partners:Host publications:Organised by:

Gold sponsors:Platinum sponsor:

ESI-AFRICA.COM METERING.COM

Media partner:

Endorsed by:

Honourable Minister elizabeth dipuo PetersMinistry of Energy, South Africa

Brian damesChief Executive Officer, Eskom, South Africa

Jasper oduorExecutive Secretary, Eastern African Power Pool, Ethiopia

Lawrence MusabaCo-ordination Centre Manager, Southern African Power Pool, Zimbabwe



www.axiom.org.za

SAME: Jan 2011

Documents

Transcript of SAME: Jan 2011