Bht: Apr 2010

BULK HANDLING TODAY

April 2010





BULK HANDLING TODAY

April 2010

April 2010

Contents

Featured on the cover: Rula Tel: (011) 795-1040 Fax: (011) 795-1004 Email: [email protected] Website: www.rula.co.za

Power Transmission 5 8

27 Transformer and Reactor Move 31 Mobile Lifting Boom

Beware of Copies Controlling Energy Usage

33 Market Forum

Earthmoving

Endorsing Bodies

11 Fixing BIG Tyres

•

CMA (Conveyor Manufacturers Association)

15 Construction Hoists Offer Greater Flexibility

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HCASA (Hydraulic Conveying Association of SA)

Agriculture

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LEEASA (Lifting Equipment Engineering Association of South Africa)

Conveying

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RFA (Road Freight Association)

19 Standardising Conveyors - Fact or Fiction

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SAIMechE (SA Institution of Mechanical Engineering)

Lifting

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SAIMH (SA Institute of Materials Handling)

Construction

17 Potatoes for the People

Copyright

All rights reserved. No editorial matter published in “Bulk Handling Today” may be reproduced in any form or language without written permission of the publishers. 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.

25 A Massive Fleet

The monthly circulation is 4 016

Our e-mail address is [email protected] Visit our website on www.promech.co.za

Proprietor and Publisher: PROMECH PUBLISHING Tel: (011) 781-1401 Fax: (011) 781-1403 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.promech.co.za Managing Editor: Susan Custers Joint Editor: Andrew Lanham

Advertising Sales: Surita Marx DTP: Zinobia Docrat and Sanette Lehanie Printed by: Typo Colour Printing Tel: (011) 402-3468

BULK HANDLING TODAY

April 2010



CONVEYOR MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION

From the Chairman’s Desk Congratulations to the five candidates who achieved a Diploma in the Design and Operation of Belt Conveyors on the March course! Well done to Adi Frittella and Jannie Nel, who both passed the examination with sufficient marks for a distinction. Well done also to Stephen Aggett, Gavin Nimmo and Azariel Phatela on getting through this very tough examination.

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f course, thanks must go to the lecturer, Graham Shortt, who puts his heart and soul into presenting the week’s lectures. Remarks on the evaluation forms give a good indication of how passionately he gives of his knowledge and experience in this industry of ours and how enthusiastically it is received by all the candidates he has trained over the past two and a half years. Make no mistake, candidates need to be totally dedicated to the learning process over the eight days of the course, with no outside distractions. Some companies even book their employees into a B&B so that they do not need to travel, enabling an uninterrupted period of study. There are good reasons for keeping standards deliberately high: we all know much is at stake in terms of capital expenditure and operating and maintenance costs, not to mention safety issues, when designing or operating a conveyor system. Simon Curry

Already applications are in

The next course will be held in September this year, and already applications are coming in for registration. If you would like to know more about the course content, and to know who in the industry has graduated, please visit the website www.cmasa.co.za. Although slowly, things are progressing with the various technical working groups. The Belting group has completed the bulk of the new national standard for solid woven belting, SANS 968, with just a few minor issues to sort out before the document can be sent to SABS to start the publishing process. Next up will be the revision of SANS 971. SABS is still in the process of editing the national Idler standard SANS 1313 parts 1, 2 and 3, readying it for final publication, whilst the Working group turns its attention to testing methods on this standard. And last but not least, the Annual Dinner will be held on 19 May. This prestigious event is traditionally sold out very quickly, so make sure to get your bookings in early! Simon Curry, Chairman



BULK HANDLING TODAY

April 2010

CMA Members List as at April 2010 All members subscribe to the CMA Code of Ethics ABB Industry (Pty) Ltd Afripp Projects cc Actom (Pty) Ltd Atlanta Manufacturing (Pty) Ltd Bateman Engineered Technologies Ltd Bauer a Division of Hudaco Transmission (Pty) Ltd BMG (Bearing Man Group) Bearings International Belt Reco RSA Bonfiglioli Power Transmissions (Pty) Ltd Bosworth A Division of Hudaco Trading (Pty) Ltd Brelko Conveyor Products (Pty) Ltd CKIT Conveyor Engineers (Pty) Ltd Continental Crushing & Conveying Conveyor Watch (Pty) Ltd CMG Electric Motors South Africa (Pty) Ltd CPM Engineering (Pty) Ltd CT Systems (Pty) Ltd David Brown Gear Industries (Pty) Ltd Delras Engineering (Pty) Ltd DRA Mineral Projects (Pty) Ltd Dunlop Belting Products (Pty) Ltd Dymot Engineering Company (Pty) Ltd ELB Engineering Services (Pty) Ltd Facet Engineering cc Fenner Conveyor Belting (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd Flexible Steel Lacing SA (Pty) Ltd Hansen Transmissions SA (Pty) Ltd Hosch - Fördertechnik (SA) (Pty) Ltd M & J Engineering (Pty) Ltd Martin Engineering Melco Conveyor Equipment Moret Mining (Pty) Ltd MS Conveyor Pulleys SA (Pty) Ltd Nepean Conveyors (Pty) Ltd OE Bearings (Pty) Ltd Osborn Engineered Products SA (Pty) Ltd Read Swatman & Voigt (Pty) Ltd Rema Tip Top South Africa (Pty) Ltd Renold Crofts (Pty) Ltd Roymec (Pty) Ltd RSV ENCO Consulting (Pty) Ltd Sandvik Materials Handling SA Schaeffler South Africa (Pty) Ltd Secrivest (Pty) Ltd SENET SET Agencies (Pty) Ltd SEW Eurodrive (Pty) Ltd Shaft Engineering cc Shaw Almex Africa (Pty) Ltd Siemens Southern Africa SKF South Africa (Pty) Ltd Technique Avant Garde cc ThyssenKrupp Materials Handling (Pty) Ltd Transmission Components (Pty) Ltd Unitek Engineers (Pty) Ltd Veyance Technologies Africa (Pty) Ltd Voith Turbo (Pty) Ltd Zest Electric Motors (Pty) Ltd

POWER TRANSMISSION

Beware of Copies is a crucial specification that distinguishes a wellmade coupling from the rest.

Patented

To overcome this problem, Kurt Jeggle, managing director of Transmission Components, used clever engineering to re-design the locking element of the company’s well-known rigid flange coupling by adding subtle improvements and then patenting the design. “Bulk Handling Today” speaks to Kurt at the company’s headquarters in Kempton Park. “The new coupling is called the Tru-line rigid flange coupling to which we have made some changes to make it more versatile than before,” he says. “We’ve made alignment easier and the coupling can now be re-used over and over because it is easily removed without damaging it as was previously often the case.” These changes have been patented to ensure that the design can’t be copied outright. “The coupling can be used on any application where two shafts are joined, but our target market is mainly in conveyor drives where true alignment and re-usability of the coupling is important,” says Kurt. “It has taken us two years to register the patent, but now we have a unique product that has already proved to have the precision the market needs.”

Rudi (left) and Kurt Jeggle of Transmission Components

As if it is not enough that Chinese companies copy a good product design and then flood the market with a cheap version of your hard-earned design, the number of local companies that are unashamedly turning to this practice is on the increase. They not only copy your design, but they also attack your client base with a marketing ploy that it is one and the same product, only cheaper.

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o the end-user, this is very tempting because the cheaper copied product usually matches the original in terms of looks, but that’s about where it ends. Only a scientific

A scientific metric test would reveal that the tolerances are not even close metric test would reveal that the tolerances are not even close to the required specifications. The copies usually also come short when it comes to surface finishings which, in the case of couplings,

Factors

The secret of the coupling’s success lies not only in its new features, but also in the way it is manufactured. “The coupling can be manufactured in a variety of materials to within very fine tolerances as is required for each specific application,” says Kurt. “We export a large percentage of our products to Germany and we’ve learnt over the years that ‘close-enough’ simply isn’t acceptable, in dimensions BULK HANDLING TODAY

April 2010



POWER TRANSMISSION

as much as in surface finishing. All our products are therefore certified with a whole batch of paperwork that provides full traceability of each component.”

New concept

The Tru-line is not the only innovation from Transmission Components. In terms of grid couplings that are imported from France, the company has made changes to the design to reduce import costs. “On the large couplings, for instance, the toothed part is the core of the coupling, but importing the whole assembly means it is a big chunk of steel that has to imported,” explains Kurt. “What we do now is import only the toothed part of the grid coupling in the form of a ring and this toothed ring is then bolted onto a hub that we manufacture in-house under licence from CMD in France.”

The coupling can now be re-used over and over This means we don’t have to pay for the weight of the hub which, with the toothed ring, makes up the component,” he adds. “This cost saving of about 15% can now be passed onto the customer. It also means that we can now only replace the toothed grid elements on the larger sizes of this type of coupling when they become worn and the customer does not have to pay for all that extra steel as was the case in the past. A further patented in-

The grid coupling

novation in grid couplings is where the grid portion of the coupling is lubricated for life and no longer requires lubrication maintenance. This is the first significant change to grid coupling design that has come our way in many years.”

Backstops

In a similar vein, they have cut the costs of importing the TCR low-speed backstop. “We now only import the internal parts of the Ringspann backstop and manufacture everything else around it in-house,” says Rudi Jeggle, Kurt’s son who has joined the business as marketing manager. “We did the concept design and developed it with the supplier who provides all the internal parts. Similarly we often get involved in developing specific locking-element solutions for clients who develop new coupling applications and will even machine parts of their designs for them. “A well-known European brand of locking element, for example, is wholly manufactured by Transmission Components in South Africa.”

Quality control Measuring components for quality control



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April 2010

Kurt takes us on a tour of their factory that has

POWER TRANSMISSION

expanded significantly over the past two years. Here we see locking elements of various sizes between 40 mm and 700 mm in diameter being machined, tested, assembled or packaged into crates for shipping. In the quality control room, a technician is busy checking the taper specifications of the new Tru-line locking element component on a huge computerised machine. A sensor suspended from an overhead arm ever so gracefully moves around to gently touch the outer edge, then the base, then the top of the bowl and so on, each time emitting a Transmission Components beep that sends the computer screen into a blur of flashing numbers as the data is recorded. This data is then compiled into a specification certificate that accompanies the part to its final destination. Obviously, if the measurements don’t fall into the required tolerances, the part is rejected straight away. Couplings and locking elements are integral parts of a con-

The TCR low-speed backstop

invested in new machinery for better quality

This is the first significant change to grid coupling design that has come our way in many years veyor system and skimping on these components simply undermines the system as a whole. “Endusers should be careful of copied products in the market,” Kurt says in conclusion. “In the end, it will cost you more to replace a cheap coupling because you simply won’t be able to re-use it as you would with a reputable product. Above all, the cheap copy just doesn’t last.” Rudi Jeggle, Transmission Components, Tel: (011) 394-1830, Email: rjeggle@transmission. co.za

BULK HANDLING TODAY

April 2010



POWER TRANSMISSION

Controlling Energy Usage Research shows that forty percent of all energy used in the world is electrical, with a staggering 50% of this being used by electric motors. Electronically optimising the amount of electricity required by the motor to perform a specific duty can enhance the performance of electric motors to significantly reduce energy consumption.

Kevin Sterley, sales manager at CMG

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his control technology has been given a variety of names over the years such as a VSD (variable speed drive), or a VFD (variable frequency drive) while others simply call it an AC drive.

Indicates that industry in South Africa is increasingly looking at total cost of ownership AC drives

Whatever you call it, it basically boils down to an electronic control system that enables precise variable control of the speed of an electric AC motor. Although the word ‘drive’ is used loosely in the industry, it seems that in the world of gearboxes and pulleys, reference to any collection of mechanical and electro-mechanical components is considered to be a drive. An AC drive may therefore be considered as a variable frequency inverter combined with an electric motor.



BULK HANDLING TODAY

April 2010

Electric motor manufacturer CMG has added Vacon’s AC Drive technology to their large range of electric motors. “Bulk Handling Today” speaks to sales manager, Kevin Sterley. “Variable speed control has become the norm, not only for its energy saving aspects, but also because it improves the power performance of motors in general,” he says and adds, “Variable speed control units have become much smaller and the growth in demand has made them a much more affordable option than they were just a few years ago.

POWER TRANSMISSION

Specialised

“Based in Finland, Vacon is one of the fastest growing manufacturers of AC drives,” says Kevin. “Unlike most other VSD manufacturers, they focus entirely on variable speed technology which perfectly complements CMG’s extensive range of electric motors that are VSD-ready off the shelf.” The drives are based on full hardware and software modularity and make use of the latest in semiconductor technology. The performance of Open Loop technology is suitable for most applications while Closed Loop vector control is also available for more demanding applications. Applications vary from materials-handling solutions to water applications, marine and mining.

New range

To complement the energy saving aspects of VSD, a new range of high CMG’s workshop where repairs are done efficiency electric motors, the XPA series, is now also making its mark on the South African market. “We’ve done exceptionally well in South Africa mainly due to our large stockholding of a wide range of motors that are available off the shelf,” says Kevin. “There seems to be a trend for bigger motors, typically in the 1000 to 2500 kW range for applications ranging from mills to fans and pumps in the mining industry in particular. We’re fortunate to have gotten orders for motors from a number of the big projects currently underway, putting CMG on the map in South Africa as a major solutions provider in terms of electric motors.” “Incorporating all the mechanical features of the PPA series, the XPA series has been enhanced to comply Rewinding motors is part of the service with the new Australian standard for High Efficiency (MEPS2),” says Kevin. “The XPA motor is a three-phase squirrel- There seems to be a trend for bigger motors, typically in cage design, available in frame sizes 132 to 315. the 1000 to 2500 kW range As electric motors are installed in a wide range of conditions from sub zero temperatures to tropical tional standard IEC 60034-30. “High efficiency environments and dusty deserts. This range, with means lower running costs and a reduction in the its rugged cast-iron enclosure, is designed to suit volume of greenhouse gas discharged into our all such harsh conditions and provide both high atmosphere when electricity is produced, assisting the international drive for a reduction of this operational reliability and low operating costs.” gas,” Kevin adds.

Specs

The XPA range of motors is designed and complies with AS/NZS 1359.5:2004 for high efficiency motors. XPA motors exceed Eff 1 and correspond to IE3 (Premium Efficiency) of the new interna-

TCO

Special motors with features like these come at a premium, but CMG’s huge annual growth over the past couple of years indicates that industry in BULK HANDLING TODAY

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POWER TRANSMISSION

premium products. “Apart from the high premium series of products, we have several other ranges that fall in different price categories for those applications that don’t necessarily need top of the range motors that have all the features,” says Kevin. “We have the option of supplying two cast-iron products at different price levels while still remaining competitive in the market.”

Different price categories for those applications that don’t necessarily need top of the range motors South Africa is increasingly looking at total cost of ownership and realising the value of investing in

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CMG also gets involved in designing custom drive systems for clients which includes winding an electric motor to achieve a specific application requirement. “We have an in-house workshop to carry out all rewinds, modifications and emergency breakdowns on all makes or types of electric motors, something that we previously outsourced,” says Kevin in conclusion. “Doing customisation, rewinding and modifications ourselves gives us full control of the quality of the work, which is carried out by professionals with extensive knowledge, who we’ve recruited from the industry.” Kevin Sterley, CMG Electric Motors South Africa, Tel: (011) 453-9560, Email: [email protected]

EARTHMOVING

Fixing BIG Tyres Just one of the large rubber tyres on an off-the-road (OTR) earth-moving (EM) machine is the price of a luxury small car, making it well worth repairing such a tyre when it gets damaged. However, this repair should only be done by a specialist, not only to ensure a lasting repair for a guaranteed period, but also for the sake of safety of personnel and equipment.

Gavin Coetzer, general manager at Rema Tip Top

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he global shortage of OTR tyres in general has created a huge demand and prices have shot up, making the repair of tyres even more viable. To learn more, “Bulk

One of the large rubber tyres on an item of off-the-road (OTR) earthmoving (EM) equipment is the price of a luxury small car

Handling Today” visits Rema Tip Top, specialists in manufacturing the equipment and products for OTR tyre repair and speaks to general manager, Gavin Coetzer, about the art of giving these large tyres a new lease on life. “We’ve offered this service for many years, but lately it has become necessary to professionalise OTR tyre repair in order to add real value for the end-user,” he says. “The South African standards have been set and repair companies now have to be certified to do repairs.”

Quality

Not only does Rema Tip Top offer high-quality repair materials for large tyres, the company also provides all the associated equipment necessary to do the work professionally. In addition, the company constantly provides vocational and further training for vulcanisers. “We have just re-launched our EM (OTR) tyre repair certification programme which allows us to audit and, upon the successful completion of the audit according to ISO 9001 standard, certify repair workshops to specialise in EM (OTR) tyre repair,” says Gavin.

Mining equipment at work

“By doing this, we’ve added numerous newly-certified repair partners who can guarantee the repairs they BULK HANDLING TODAY

April 2010

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EARTHMOVING

use only the Rema system for EM (OTR) tyre repair to maximise the lifespan of damaged EM (OTR) tyres.”

Training

Future plans are to extend the repair technician’s qualification to a professionally recognised trade in South Africa. “Together with our colleagues in Germany, we’ve drawn up training modules which are now with the Merseta for approval,” explains Gavin. “Once these have been signed off, we’ll have the only training programme in South Africa offered to the trade in vulcanising. An EM (OTR) repair technician will then become a professional tradesman. Just like mechanics, electricians and plumbers, the vulcaniser will have to go through an apprenticeship and write a trade test in order to become a qualified OTR tyre repairer.”

Bona fide

“Training is safety critical because the earthmoving industry is a dangerous one which people don’t always realise, especially with some of the repairers out there are really taking chances when it comes to repairing large tyres,” says Gavin.

Repairing a large tyre is costly, but compared to replacing it, the cost is small provided it is done professionally

carry out on site. In fact, they are the only ones who can provide highly-qualified technicians who

Some of the repairers out there are really taking chances

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EARTHMOVING

“To combat chancers, we have gone to the mines at executive level with our system and explained how important a proper repair is, not only in terms of safety, but also in terms of costs. Many of the mines now specify that only Remacertified repair technicians can do work on their OTR vehicle tyres.”

Certification

Companies, or partner workshops, certified by Rema are re-certified every twelve months and, where necessary, technicians are re-trained to stay abreast of the latest techniques of repair. “Many end-users now specify that the certified partners use Rema repair equipment and materials so that they can insist on getting a 1500-hour guarantee on a repair,” Big tyres to fix rather than replace says Gavin. “By doing this, we’re all making it more difficult for chancers to operate in our industry, giving the industry a bad name as they’ve done in the past where a repair fails within 150 to 500 hours. For those out there who don’t know, it’s simply a matter of asking the repair company whether they comply with the South African national standards in terms of technicians, equipment and the process they use.”

Assessing damage

The procedure of assessing a tyre to gauge the extent of the damage, and decide whether it is worth doing a repair has to be done by a professional. “A properly trained repairer will, for instance, take photos of the damage and the repair process, not only for his customer’s peace of mind, but also to protect himself if something goes wrong further down the line and he has to prove that it is not his repair that failed. “Although most mining companies do make use of comprehensive tyre management programmes, you do get instances where the owner of the equipment lacks control over the management of tyre repairs and this is where chancers get the opportunity to get in. There are many repairers out there who just shouldn’t be there.”

Extending life

Tyres are damaged at any stage of their lives. It could be a new tyre or it could be close to the end of its life. “The procedure to decide whether it’s worth repairing a tyre is for the repairer and the owner to

assess the tyre together,” explains Gavin. “They’ll first measure the tread to determine what life is left in the tyre if it’s been damaged and then they’ll decide whether a repair is viable or not. That repair should last for the rest of the life of that tyre. There is no reason why a professionally done repair should not last the full seven to nine thousand hours left in a tyre that has been damaged early in its life.”

That repair should last for the rest of the life of that tyre Costs

Repairing a large tyre is costly, but compared with replacing it, the cost is small provided it’s done professionally. “End-users should not look at the price of repairing the tyre though,” says Gavin in conclusion. “Most people tend to base whether they can do a repair or not on the price. I advise customers not to look so deeply at the price of the repair but rather at how a good quality repair can extend the life of the tyre. “If they go to the trouble of analysing how, over a period of time, repairs have extended the life of tyres to their full lifecycle, they’ll realise that they’re doing the right thing to repair, provided they’re using certified technicians who use professional systems to do it,” concludes Gavin. Gavin Coetzer, General Manager, Rema Tip Top Automotive, Tel: (011) 817-3403/4/5/6 Email: gavin.coetzer@ rematiptop.co.za

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CONSTRUCTION

Construction Hoists Offer Greater Flexibility It is already proving to be a blessing to the construction industry. It is well-made, it is fast and above all it is safe. This is the Torgar building hoist which is now available in South Africa from the tower crane company, SA French.

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nyone who has worked on multi-storey building will know the amount of time that is wasted in moving people up and down the building. Construction cranes are not

A much greater level of flexibility

licensed to carry people. However, walking up 15 floors of a building under construction could take as long as 20 minutes, particularly if the person is carrying heavy equipment. If the worker needs to return to the ground to fetch another tool, he will waste the best part of an hour.

A working platform

SA French Operations Director Warwick van Breda explains that while scaffolding is an essential aid, it is primarily a working platform, and not a way to clamber to the various floors of a construction project. In the mid 80’s, Quentin van Breda, the MD of SA French, was travelling abroad to a construction equipment expo. For the first time, he became truly aware of the advantages that the combination of a tower crane and a construction hoist would offer. He realised that the hoist would offer the construction team a much greater level of flexibility. However, although SA French tried to interest the local construction industry in the construction hoist concept, it was slow to catch on.

The safer option

A Torgar hoist deployed to a renovation project in downtown Johannesburg.

A reason for the slow acceptance might have been that, in decades past, local homemade hoists posed a safety threat. “However, the professionally designed, manufactured and installed Torgar hoist is fully compliant with all South African building safety codes,” saysQuentin’s son, Warwick. In addition, all Torgar personnel hoists are designed according to EN-2159 European DirecBULK HANDLING TODAY

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CONSTRUCTION

When SA French rents out a hoist or tower crane, they supply an experienced and qualified operator with the equipment, ensuring a professional and safe solution to the customer’s task at hand. There is a trend to use these units in renovation of old buildings as well as finishing on new developments where a simple and cost effective lifting solution is required. The Torgar self-climbing rack and pinion hoist is available with capacities from 0.5 to 2.5 tons and with a maximum reach of 100 metres. The self-climbing rack and pinion material hoist is ideal for conveying materials on construction sites as well as in mining applications. Hoists are increasingly used in the finishings of new developments where a simple and cost effective lifting solution is required. The hoist rests on sturdy well-made frame with adjustable feet

tives and also satisfy the security requirements contained in the Appendix I from the Directive 98/37/CE of machinery.

Much safer than walking up partly-constructed, often badly-lit stairwells Simple to use

No falls

“Also, using the hoist is much safer than walking up partly-constructed, often badly-lit stairwells. And the hoist also eliminates the possibility of falling while climbing scaffolding,” says Warwick.

Using the Torgar hoist is simple. This system comprises a tower which is designed to be erected in manageable sections as the building grows. On ground zero the basic platform is erected in a protective cage with each section being bolted on using conventional tools. The hoist has a free standing height and beyond this height it must be anchored to the building with robust steel stays to ensure optimum operating performance and safety. Fortunately, the skills and technology SA French uses in tower cranes are the same as those used in the installation and maintenance of hoists.

Cost saver

“Today, in the construction of a tower block, the use of a tower crane is a given. But once the top storey is complete, the need for the tower crane decreases markedly. The tower crane productivity probably falls off by 50%, but it is kept on site as they still need to get bricks and mortar up to the various levels to do the brickwork and other finishes. “However, owing to the inability to get the crane hook onto completed floors, other than the roof, access to the various levels in a multi-storey building are limited. Thus the use of a hoist – firmly and safely secured to the outside of the structure – affords access both for people and for materials handling to areas that are no longer accessible to the tower crane. Now, by using a hoist, it is possible to release the tower crane from the building site, possibly two to three months earlier,” concludes Warwick. SA French Ltd, Tel: (011) 975-4921, Fax: (011) 975-6312, Email: info@safrench .co.za, www.safrench.co.za

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AGRICULTURE

The South African potato industry is one of the strongest export markets in South Africa. With the product being available all year round there is always a demand in the rest of the world.

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Potatoes for the People

ulk Handling Today” talks to Potatoes SA’s Etienne Booysens, marketing manager, and Terrence Brown, regional manager, about this lucrative market and how Potatoes SA goes about making a mark in the rest of the world.

Transporting potatoes

The bulk handling of potatoes in South Africa is done mostly by the farmers themselves. Bigger transport companies are contracted for exports. Terrence notes that “farmers transport potatoes with small, medium or large trucks depending on the load. Most of these are privately owned by the farmers. The large load is all palletised and normally consists of 3 500 10kg bags, which is transported directly to fresh produce markets or retailers. Smaller loads consist of 1 200 10 kg bags with the same end destinations. “The most important thing to remember is that during the summer, potatoes have to be transported across the shortest distance from soil to destination. When you are working with fresh produce there is a very real danger that quality will deteriorate. During the winter, the loads have to be covered to prevent the bags from getting wet. When looking at exports, the potatoes are transported in refrigerated trucks with a temperature of between 12 - 16°C,” Terrence explains.

Temperature is king

When asked about the challenges they face, Terrence notes that most problems occur during the summer when temperatures can reach 40°C. “This can really be a problem because, if a load rots it can’t be sold, which in turn means a loss of income for the farmer. Another big challenge is the cost of transport, which has gone up rapidly in the last few months. Again this means less income and makes it difficult to show some profit.” Potatoes have been exported for a long time, but the market really started to pick up about 10 years ago. At the time the industry was exporting around 76 000 tons, but the market grew and in 2003 it was exporting around 129 000 tons. Unfortunately, the figure dropped to 106 000 tons last year because of the strong rand and some other, external factors. Looking at some of the challenges that they currently face, Etienne points out that the fluctuating exchange rate can be a major headache. “This challenge is faced by all the exporting markets in South Africa, but we have programmes in place to deal with it,” he says.

Export market

“Our exports are done by ship and by land. In some cases small quantities are flown out to the European Union. To help local producers deal with the demands of exports, the industry established an Exporters’ BULK HANDLING TODAY

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AGRICULTURE

and ensures that all exports are of high quality,” says Etienne. The main markets for exports are Namibia, Mozambique, Botswana, Angola, Zambia, Mauritius and Swaziland. Small quantities of exports end up in European and Middle Eastern markets. Our presence north of the equator is minimal because North African countries such as Egypt and Algeria are themselves big potato growers.

Stiff competition

Forum to create an environment conducive to growth of exports. The forum ensures adherence to market practices and compliance with standards. These include compliance with minimum grading standards and phyto-sanitary protocols. In line with the need to safeguard the reputation of South African potatoes, members of the forum are required to provide information regarding the tonnage exported, the destination of the exports, the class and size of potatoes exported and the material from which the packaging is manufactured. “We have an assignee body, the Perishable Products Export Control Board (PPECB), which evaluates

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Local producers face competition from India, Australia and the European Union. What is a bigger challenge though is the import of processed potatoes, especially frozen fries. Last year 8 000 tons of frozen chips were imported, mainly from Belgium and Argentina. Etienne concludes by telling us about the foreign development program which he is in charge of for Potatoes SA. “The programme is in place to market the Potatoes SA brand in neighbouring countries. For example, last year we had an eight-month long marketing campaign incorporating big billboards and agricultural shows to promote the quality of our exports.” Potatoes SA, Etienne Booysens, marketing manager, Tel: (012) 349-1906, Fax: (012) 349-2641, Email: ebooysens@ agric.co.za

CONVEYING

Standardising Conveyors Fact or Fiction

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f the aforesaid is true, then why is this an issue and why do we have the range of equipment available on various sites? The more correct statement is probably not ‘various sites’ but the ‘same sites’.

Common ground

The point of departure has to be, ‘but where does one start?’ In any design approach, be it ISO, CEMA or others, the first objective is to size the belt, then the drives and then the pulleys and somewhere in there are the idlers and all the other ancillary equipment.

The most competitive capital cost is being chased with little or no regard for overall cost of ownership The design criteria call for maximum standardisation of equipment on the project. Historically, these are words that consultants use to impress their client in an effort to give them that warm fuzzy feeling that their interests are being looked after. Wrong, this is where the game begins. Depending on whether the point of departure is a lump-sum turnkey or engineer, procure and supply project, the approach differs.

Chasing price If it is lump-sum turnkey, the competing company will endeavour to sharpen the pencil in order to win the project: it must beat the opposition on price. The net result is that the most competitive capital cost is being chased with little or no regard for overall cost of ownership. Thus if a 90mm bearing will do the job, then it will be offered and not the 110mm diameter which should be the option for standardisation. For engineer, procure, construct and project management (EPCM) projects, the approach is different ­­- or is it? The consulting company will still issue enquiries to the various suppliers for the supply of the conveyor package and then unfortunately the same scenario develops as before. In some instances, the situation will be that in-house designs are undertaken and then the possibility of

Standardising is always an issue in the majority of projects. The only variance is the extent of standardisation that is required per the contract.

implementing a larger degree of standardisation is feasible, provided the vision and foresight is in place. In the real world, the client ends up with various permutations of pulleys and drives in his stores for the same belt width, and that becomes a nightmare to control and manage. Clearly there are these two considerations. The one is capital and the other operating costs. The common ground for moving forward lies in the area that total cost of ownership must be considered as the basis. Higher capital costs are acceptable against the background of lower operating costs and higher system availability.

Conveyor design approach The thought processes must now be refocused on designing the so called “piece of elastic band”. The belt is the first piece of equipment that is sized for the application. The crux of this paper is that everything must now be sized for the application accordingly. The following questions are frequently asked on existing installations. • What would happen if the system capacity is increased at the same belt speed? • The strength of the belt must be checked for adequacy. • How far can this belt be extended? • The strength of the belt must be checked for adequacy. What is not asked is what happens to the pulley and the bearing if the system capacity is increased and this is mostly where the problem lies. If the pulleys had been sized in accordance with the belting requirements, this will not be a problem. This is best illustrated by means of an example. Consider 900mm belt width class 1000 belting with a safety factor of 10. The next class up is 1250 and the next class down is 800. For this 900mm wide belting, the maximum workBULK HANDLING TODAY

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CONVEYING

ing tension will thus be:

For class 1000:

• Maximum allowable working tension 1000mm x 1000kNm ÷ 10 fos

= 900mm ÷



= 90kN

For class 1250:

• Maximum allowable tension = 900mm ÷ 1000mm x 1250kNm ÷ 10fos

= 56,7kN

For class 800:

• Maximum allowable working tension = 900mm ÷ 1000mm x 800kNm ÷ 10fos

= 72kN

The proposal is then, assuming the design tension requirement is 80kN, that the pulley will be sized in accordance with the 90kN maximum belt tension requirement. It follows that for any, and that literally means any, application per the design criteria, where the class 1000 belting will be used, the equivalent class 1000 belting pulley will be used accordingly in the standardisation approach.

Higher capital costs are acceptable against the background of lower operating costs and higher system availability The immediate observation will be that the pulley is now oversized for the specific application. Technically this is true, but practically not. Due to the fact that this pulley will be subjected to a loading level probably less than what it was designed for, technically the life expectancy of the unit is increased accordingly. Increased life expectancy is directly associated with less downtime thus resulting in a more reliable production unit. The implications of this in the bigger picture will be mentioned later. The fun really begins when one looks at the T2 tension requirements. The industry norm is to use a friction factor typically in the region of 0,35 for this type of lagging. This value is used to derive the wrap angle required for any specific application. It is not the intention to elaborate on the derivation of formula but rather to reflect on the typical range of values applicable to the range of the application.

20

Where: e = 2.8713 m = friction factor referenced in text j = wrap angle in radians T1 = maximum belt tension used to determine belt class T2 = derived take-up tension to ensure no slip during driving Te = effective tension value required to overcome system resistances K = drive friction factor for calculation purposes The norm would be to specify a minimum wrap angle for purposes of ensuring positive drive. The wrap angle would typically vary from 180 degrees (not recommended) up to 210 degrees (very difficult to achieve in practice). The range of values would then typically be: Calculated friction factors for the aforesaid using a friction value of 0.35 will be: 180 degrees K = 0.50

thus

T1 = Te x 1.50

185 degrees K = 0.48

thus

T1 = Te x 1.48

190 degrees K = 0.46

thus

T1 = Te x 1.46

195 degrees K = 0.44

thus

T1 = Te x 1.44

200 degrees K = 0.42

thus

T1 = Te x 1.42

205 degrees K = 0.40

thus

T1 = Te x 1.40

210 degrees K = 0.38

thus

T1 = Te x 1.38

The target range worth considering will be between 190 to 200 degrees. Expressed in terms of values, it ranges from 0.46 to 0.42. This is not a big difference but that is not the point. The issue is that there is merit for an organisation to select a minimum requirement friction factor and then for the design to move forward based on this requirement. The purpose of the table is then to illustrate the sensitivity of the values over a practical range.

Safety first

The standard formula used to derive the friction factor for belt drives is:

The principle is to err on the conservative side and always have what can be classed as a safe design for all applications within the set parameters. When working with steel cord belting, relaxation distances are relatively long and one would rather use wrap angles in the region of 190 degrees while it would be perfectly acceptable to use wrap angles of 200 degrees for ply type belting due to correspondingly shorter relaxation distances.

and the relationship T1 = Te + T2 and

All this is fine, but the various drive configurations need to be brought into consideration as well. Typically, in 98 percent of all conveyor drive systems comprise single- and dual-drive pulley arrangements. The dual-drive pulley arrangement can be

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CONVEYING

subdivided into equal power on the primary and secondary pulleys. The final permutation will be three equal power units with two on the primary and one on the secondary drive pulley. All of these applications result in different tensioning requirements to prevent slip requirements. To illustrate the point, for purposes of this paper the assumption is made that the wrap angle will be 200 degrees with a resulting friction factor of 1.42. In line with this, 900mm wide belting of class 1000 is used as before.

Single head drive pulley

Single intermediate drive

Figure 1: Single head drive pulley and single intermediate drive

On a single-drive pulley arrangement the following applies: (excluding belt slope tension) Single-drive pulley application (see figure1)

Example for slip

When the T2 drive slip requirement is the governing factor. • Maximum T1 tension = class 1000 kN/m ÷ 10 fos x 900mm ÷ 1000mm

= 90 kN

• Maximum Te tension = 90 kN ÷ 1.42

= 63,3 kN

• Maximum T2 tension = T1 – Te = 90 kN – 63,3 kN = 26,7 kN

Example for sag

If the minimum sag tension requirement was 30 kN. The application will then be modified as follows: • Maximum T1 tension = class 1000 kN/m ÷ 10 fos x 900mm ÷ 1000mm

= 90 kN

• Maximum Te tension = T1 – T2 = 90 kN – 30 kN = 60 kN The same approach must be used for multipledrive pulleys and number of drive units installed. In all instances, the T1, T2 and Te tensions are calculated for the application. On a dual-drive pulley arrangement the following applies: (excluding belt slope tension) (See figure 2)

Dual-drive pulley application with 1:1 power distribution.

Using the same analogy as before, let us review wrap angles for dual-drive application with 1:1 power distribution: Calculated friction factors for the aforesaid using a friction value of 0.35 will be: degrees degrees degrees degrees degrees

K K K K K

= = = = =

0.25 0.24 0.23 0.22 0.21

thus thus thus thus thus

T1 T1 T1 T1 T1

410 degrees K = 0.20 420 degrees K = 0.19

thus thus

T1 = Te x 1.20 T1 = Te x 1.19

Using 400 degree wrap angle which is twice that used before.

Example for slip

When the T2 drive slip requirement is the governing factor. • Maximum T1 tension = class 1000 kN/m ÷ 10 fos x 900mm ÷ 1000mm

• Maximum T2 tension = 30 kN

360 370 380 390 400

Figure 2: Dual-drive pulley arrangement

= = = = =

Te Te Te Te Te

x x x x x

1.25 1.24 1.23 1.22 1.21



= 90 kN

• Maximum Te tension = 90 kN ÷ 1.21

= 74,38 kN

• Maximum T2 tension = T1 – Te = 90 kN – 74,38 kN = 15,62 kN

Dual-drive pulley application with 2:1 power distribution.

Using the same analogy as before, let us review wrap angles for dual-drive application with 2:1 power distribution: Calculated friction factors for the aforesaid using a friction value of 0.35 will be: 360 370 380 390 400 410 420

degrees degrees degrees degrees degrees degrees degrees

K K K K K K K

= = = = = = =

0.17 0.16 0.15 0.15 0.14 0.13 0.13

thus thus thus thus thus thus thus

T1 T1 T1 T1 T1 T1 T1

= = = = = = =

Te Te Te Te Te Te Te

x x x x x x x

1.17 1.16 1.15 1.15 1.14 1.13 1.13

Using 400 degree wrap angle which is the same as the previous example. BULK HANDLING TODAY

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CONVEYING

Example for slip

plications. The most work can thus be done on the same belt class for dual-drive with the 2:1 power sharing arrangement.

• Maximum T1 tension = class 1000 kN/m ÷ 10 fos x 900mm ÷ 1000mm

Consideration must be given to the duty requirements of the conveyor and a decision made accordingly. Generally, the higher the belt class, the higher the duty requirements. From an application perspective, the higher the belt class, the more power will be required for conveying the material. It will thus be logical to consider this type of application to be dual-drive pulley applications with 2:1 power sharing as opposed to single-drive pulley units.

When the T2 drive slip requirement is the governing factor.



= 90 kN

• Maximum Te tension = 90 kN ÷ 1.14

= 78,95 kN

• Maximum T2 tension = T1 – Te

= 90 kN – 78,95 kN



= 11,05 kN

In summary the results from examples are then as follows: MaximumT1 tension Application High tension pulleys Single-drive pulley 90 kN Dual-drive pulley 1:1 90 kN Dual-drive pulley 2:1 90 kN

Maximum Te Required T2 tension tension Available for Low tension driving pulleys 63,30 = 1 x 63,30 kN 26,70 74,38 = 2 x 37,19 kN 15,62 78,95 = 3 x 26,32 kN 11,05

Table 1: T1, Te and T2 tensions for various drive pulley configurations

An interesting observation is that the tension values of the high-tension pulleys are the same across the range. The low-tension pulleys vary the most. Interesting to note is that T2 is the highest for the single-drive pulley application, then the dual drive with 1:1 power sharing and dual-drive pulleys with 2:1 power sharing the least. It follows then that the lower T2 tension pulleys can be used for the higher tension applications but not vice versa. Care must be taken when making the decision at this point in time as the system may become oversized purely from a standardisation perspective. The overall application needs to be reviewed with respect to the T2 requirements.

Always have what can be classed as a safe design for all applications within the set parameters

Drive units The aforesaid covers all the pertinent issues with respect to pulleys. What about drive units? Drive unit sizes are directly related to calculated effective tension levels. For this approach, one would then need to review the effective tension available after calculating the T1 and T2 values. The prime consideration should then be that, once the belt class is determined, the drive unit size must be determined that will result in the power unit being adequate for the belt class being utilised at its maximum capacity. Absorbed power is the product of the effective tension with the belt speed. Consideration is then given to the reducer efficiencies where a service factor is applied to this value to determine the minimum installed power. The entire process is as simple as that. By example, consider the 900 belt width class 1000 belting application. From Table 1, the effective tension required for driving is 74,38kN. Of course, you would need two power units each requiring 37,19kN. Assuming a belt speed of 3m/s, drive efficiency of 94% and a service factor of 1,2 on installed power the following will then apply.

There is a further observation relative to being able to use the bigger pulley in place of the smaller pulley. By using the somewhat larger pulley for the lighter duty, the life expectancy of the unit will also increase. This leads to marginally more reliable installations with possibly less downtime for maintenance as the replacement period is increased.

Absorbed power is then: 37,19 kN x 3 m/s = 111,57 kW

On future projects, equipment selection based on standardisation should be the prime consideration, if not the only consideration. It is true that on existing conveyor systems one cannot readily retrofit the alternative standard as there could be major interface issues.

Next motor size up is 160 kW

The reverse observation is also true. The Te values are lower for the single-drive pulley application thus indicating that less work can be done for these ap-

22

Equally important, it may be that the application cannot support the 2:1 power distribution as access becomes problematic. Under these circumstances the 1:1 distribution will have to be acceptable.

BULK HANDLING TODAY

April 2010

Demand power on the input shaft is 111,57 kW ÷ 94% = 118,69 kW Minimum installed power with service factor of 1,2 = 118,69 x 1,2 = 142,42 kW Thus final installed power is 160 kW on each drive pulley. When now reviewing this application, the user will essentially have what can be described as a system balanced between the power and the belt class requirement. There should not be an application where the user will be in a situation that the 2 off 160kW drive units will not be adequate for the belt

CONVEYING

class at that speed for any profile. As soon as the belt class requirements are exceeded, the power requirements will also become marginal and the system is thus balanced.

Steelwork

The next objection that is normally raised against the standard approach is the strength of the steelwork. This is a valid question but the same answer will apply as with the previous. If the steelwork has been designed for the T1 maximum tension value of 90kN as per the example, any requirement pertaining to the class of belt will be acceptable. If the steelwork was designed for the 80kN tension requirement then this becomes the limiting and marginalising factor. In order for the client to maximise on his investment, the maximum value that he will be able to squeeze out of the class 1000 belt will be 80kN in spite of the belt being able to operate at the higher tension of 90 kN. Once again, it is obvious that the user will opt for the higher tension value as being the optimum value.

One mine to another

The mechanical sizing of the equipment is directly related to the tension values in the system. Pulleys are sized accordingly and so the steelwork. In real terms, only the size of the power units is affected by the speed of the belt. The torque remains the same, as a conveyor is essentially a constant torque machine. Typically, the variance in speed could typically be from one mine site to another mine in the same mining group. At the one mine, the operation will be 3m/s while the other will be 4m/s. The one mine could require the capacity to be 900-tons per hour while the other will be 1200-tons per hour.

The real world

statements are not really enforced and projects are predominantly capital-cost driven and not from a total cost of ownership perspective.

Conclusions

• There is indeed a possibility to standardise on conveyor equipment for various applications. • Belting specifications must be used as the starting point for optimum standardisation on all conveyor systems. • Pulleys require standardisation in conjunction with the class of belting used for the application. • There are options available where conveyor components can be standardised without necessarily over sizing of the units. • Power units can be standardised in accordance with the class of belting for the application.

Recommendations

All mining houses should review their conveyor applications in order to rationalise all the equipment currently being used.

Standardisation should be the prime consideration, if not the only consideration Total cost of ownership on conveyor-type projects must become a reality and more tangible and not a ‘nice-to-have’ issue, as there are fundamental cost advantages in this approach. This paper has been condensed due to space constraints. The author is Simon Curry. This paper was first presented at Beltcon 15 held in Johannesburg on September 2 and 3, 2009. Copyright is vested with the IMHC. Enquiries can be made through the website; www.beltcon.org.za

In the real world, it is impossible to standardise 100 percent. The better statement to make is that conveyors can be standardised to a very large extent. With some initiative and careful thought, this objective can be readily achieved. There are more plus points in the process of creating common parts than parts only applicable to specific applications. As these points are being mentioned, it should be becoming glaringly obvious to those in the industry that certain user/mining groups have specific applications relative to their conveyor systems. These applications are currently been recognised in the industry by some of the visionary mining groups operational in South Africa. Most users have statements in their specifications requiring that equipment be standardised as far as possible. Unfortunately, these BULK HANDLING TODAY

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24 BULK HANDLING TODAY www.sew.co.za

April 2010

LIFTING

A Massive Fleet

One of the Sany crawler cranes recently added to Grinaker-LTA Metals and Minerals’ fleet

Even in the current depressed market, the debate between owning versus hiring capital equipment rages on, with many companies tightening their belts by halting all investment in new equipment and renting the necessary plant, or increasing the duration of contracts, or making do with their existing fleets.

F

or some companies, however, the decision to own their own equipment is unequivocal. In spite of the downturn in the economy. The Metals and Minerals Division of Grinaker-LTA’s Mechanical & Electrical Business Unit is actively investing in its plant and equipment to ensure that it has reliable and productive machinery available to deliver on its projects.

Large fleet

The company has a massive fleet of equipment including a 400-ton crawler crane; three-axle lowbed road trucks; mobilifts; tractors; trailers and bakkies. “The nature of our business activities are such that lifting equipment forms the core of the plant fleet and we operate one of the largest fleets of cranes with a total of 95 units,” the company’s Pieter Kok says.

Pieter Kok

“The rationale behind owning and maintaining such an expansive fleet of plant and equipment is simple. We believe this gives us a competitive edge and allows us to allocate the resources where required. We are not dependent on outsourcing or hiring plant, although this is an option when we need to supplement our resources,” Pieter adds.

Cost competitive Pieter says that together with the continuous investment in its fleet of plant and equipment, Grinaker-LTA Metals and Minerals also ensures its cost competitiveness on projects by instituting both a refurbishment programme and a replacement programme. New equipment introduced into the fleet over the last two years has included crawler cranes, hydraulic cranes, new horses, a teleporter and forklifts. “When buying new equipment the most important consideration is whether it fits its intended application. We investigate what is available on the market and our investment decision is based on a combination of factors including competitive pricing. “However, the deciding factor as far as I am concerned is an unwavering support from the supplier. This includes, very importantly, superior parts availability. We actually go and look at individual suppliers’ stockholdings. Additionally, after-sales service backup is critical as most of our equipment operates on remote sites,” Pieter explains.

Crawler cranes

Grinaker-LTA Metals and Minerals recently added two Sany SC 1000 crawler cranes to its fleet. “The crawler crane’s strength lies in its pick-and-carry BULK HANDLING TODAY

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LIFTING

capability. We no longer have to deal with the issue of outriggers. And as the crane is crawler mounted, it can be used in areas where underfoot conditions are poor as is often the case when working on greenfields projects. We consequently invested in a large fleet of crawler cranes that have proved their affordability over the entire life cycle,” Pieter explains.

We actually go and look at individual suppliers’ stockholdings “The Sany crawler cranes work like a dream. The operators really enjoy using them as they are easy to operate and perfectly suited to local conditions. We sent both the Sany cranes to the Phola DMS Plant Project and we clocked up 110 hours in the first three weeks on the site. Sany provided training for our operators to bring them up to speed on the new technology that these cranes use,” says Pieter. Distributed in southern Africa by McCarthy Heavy Equipment, the componentry on the Sany crawler cranes is predominantly European thus combining attractive pricing and European engineering in one package. Globally-accepted drive train components have been used on the Sany crawler cranes and the machines are both operator and maintenance friendly.

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BULK HANDLING TODAY

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Sound maintenance Housed at the company’s Vanderbijlpark facility, all Grinaker-LTA Metals and Minerals’ equipment is on the company’s internal maintenance programme. The machines are monitored on site and depending on the type of plant, preventative maintenance is carried out according to a preset programme. Minor repairs are conducted on site using fully trained personnel and any major repair or refurbishment work is undertaken at the Vanderbijlpark works. “Preventative maintenance programmes allow for accurate data to be maintained and this information is monitored to allow proactive repairs to be done but, more importantly, it gives us an accurate base from which to monitor equipment condition. “This allows decision making to take place with respect to refurbishment of equipment and the level of refurbishment varies from major component refurbishment to total machine overhaul including replacement of critical components with new where necessary and drive train rebuilding,” Pieter concludes. Peter Osborn, Grinaker-Lta Mechanical & Electrical, Tel: (011) 681-2207, Fax: (011) 680-4545, Email : posborn@ gltame.com

LIFTING

Weighing in at 255 tons each, they’re not the sort of thing you take home in a shopping trolley. Particularly as each of these giant equipment items is supplied with an additional 60 tons of accessories, as well as shunt reactors, each weighing 82 tons. These 255ton behemoths are auto transformers, which are destined for Eskom substations in the Free State and Mpumalanga.

Vanguard completed the customs clearing and harbour staging in Richards Bay harbour when the first transformers arrived

Transformer and Reactor Move

V

anguard is currently completing a turnkey contract to transport 6 x 667MVA single phase power transformers, 15 x 133.3 MVA single phase reactors and accessories manufactured by Japan AE Power Systems from Richards Bay Harbour to various sites. This contract was awarded by Sumitomo Corporation, a main contractor to Eskom.

Meeting demand

The electric substation equipment is to be installed

Using a combination of the turntable, 1000 ton gantry system and jacking tools

at each 765 kV transmission grid substation which is supplied with power from multiple coal-fired power stations in Mpumalanga. The project is being carried out to upgrade the electricity grid to meet South Africa’s rising demand for power. The transformers are single phase units, with one unit allocated per phase due to South Africa’s configuration of its three phase electricity system. The units are purposefully designed and manufactured to minimise the transport weight. The project has been underway for two years with

The transformers were transported on Vanguard’s modular trailer using three horses in a pull-pull-push configuration

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27

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LIFTING

The transformers are precisely placed using a hydraulic gantry, before being rotated 90 degrees on a custombuilt turntable

Vanguard’s first step researching and establishing a viable transport route.

Route survey

“This included a comprehensive route survey and bridge analysis to ensure that the weight could be handled, as well as ensuring there were no overhead structures along the way,” says James Robinson, Vanguard project engineer. “We also used a liaison team that managed Telkom and Eskom for us, to ensure that power and communication lines could be lifted or lowered accordingly.” As the transformers measure10m in length, 4,9m in width and 5,25m in height, Vanguard designed a trailer specifically to suit the transport requirements of the project. In order to optimise the trailer, Vanguard had to procure additional equipment. The trailer is 30m long and 5m wide and is driven by three 610hp Mercedes Benz ‘horses’ in a pushpush-pull configuration.

Swazi detour

“However, a huge obstacle presented itself just before the first shipment was due to arrive,” says James. “The proposed and approved route included portions of the N2 towards Pongola which was due for road works as part of an upgrade project. The road was closed in February 2009 and would remain so for the next two years. “With our deadline approaching, we investigated other routes but nothing suited our purposes. But after some research and some creative thinking, we opted for a route through Swaziland.” The route runs parallel to the N2 and includes a highway that is relatively new and in good condition. It also has no bridges which ensured that Vanguard was able to obtain clearance relatively quickly. “There was a lot of additional pre-preparation work which involved our working with the Swaziland’s communications company and electricity company to ensure that the telephone and power lines were not an issue.”

James notes that the company’s extensive experience in route evaluation, research and similar transport projects ensured the success of the job while remaining in line with the delivery deadline.

Handle with care

“Once the first four transformers arrived in Richards Bay, we handled all the customs clearing and harbour staging,” says James. “The transformers are extremely sensitive pieces of equipment and cannot be bumped or jostled in any way. We elected to use gantry equipment, which is safer and lessens the likelihood of bumps and knocks. We also used a staging trailer within the harbour which is smaller and more mobile. Once offloaded, the transformers were stored in a lay-down area. This ensured efficient handling, allowing us to offload all four in one day.”

After some research and some creative thinking, we opted for a route through Swaziland From the harbour, the transformers are being transported to the various sites where they will be offloaded and slid into final position. This involves turning each transformer 90 degrees before sliding and final alignment. To accomplish this, Vanguard designed and built a turntable to make the turning process safe and impact free. “The offloading is accomplished using a combination of the turntable, 1000 ton gantry system and jacking tools. While using gantries in this type of application is not common practice, especially with transformers of this size, we established that this was the best method for the project, as it is safer and quicker.” The project is scheduled for completion in 2010. Vanguard, Tel: (011) 616-1800, Fax: (011) 615-1012, Email: [email protected], Website: www.vanguard. co.za

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LIFTING

Mobile Lifting Boom The nature of construction work on infrastructure currently under full steam in South Africa calls for the extensive use of mobile cranes, creating a boom for the local mobile crane industry, especially in rentals. Both the Gautrain project as well as the road upgrades construction projects are following the modern trend of pre-casting off-site to ensure the minimum interruption to daily traffic. This type of work is ideal for mobile cranes.

B

ulk Handling Today” speaks to Dr Jan Lourens, a director at Target Cranes, to find out just what the challenges are in this safety-critical industry when the going gets as busy as it is right now. “When the demand for crane rental is as high as it is now, you have to be more vigilant than ever to ensure your safety record is not tarnished by a crane failing and hurting people on site,” he says. “For this reason, contractors on big projects are more critical than ever in terms of safety. They won’t allow a mobile crane on site that leaks even a bit of oil.”

The clients usually know exactly what they want in terms of the lifting work that has to be carried out

Dr Jan Lourens of Target Cranes

Maintenance For a company such as Target Cranes, this often means having a permanent maintenance crew on site all the time, especially on long-term projects like the power station projects that are now also under-way. “At the Medupi site, for example, we have created a dedicated crane site for ourselves where more than half a dozen cranes work on a permanent basis. This includes one of our speciality crawler mobile cranes that runs on tracks rather than wheels,” Jan says. “As the need arises, we supplement this fleet with speciality cranes for specific tasks.”

Variety Rental companies have to cater for all types of projects and therefore have to have a variety of types and makes of cranes so that they can accommodate small projects with a small budget as well as those who only use the best available.

The cab of a modern mobile crane

“Our biggest mobile crane is the Liebherr LG 1550 that has a lifting capacity of 600 tonnes,” says Jan. “We recently used this crane to remove a thickener from BULK HANDLING TODAY

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LIFTING

the crane is a mobile crane, only the carrier can drive to site. The remainder has to be broken down, transported to site with several trucks and rigged on site. “All this is provided by us as part of the service of hiring a crane. To assist clients, we have special software to simulate a lift, ensuring that the correct crane is chosen for any particular project.”

Track record

The laws governing mobile crane operation, maintenance and inspection are clearly defined. “Fortunately, these are strictly imposed and regularly monitored on site and therefore the industry has a fairly good track record. Instrumentation shows everything happening on the crane to ensure safe lifting There aren’t any horror stories involving mobile cranes,” says Jan. one of the tanks on a gold mine and were able to do it in record time, keeping the costs to the client “However, you always get chancers who get in on the smaller, once-off projects and, to rule this out, to a minimum.” you must always use a reputable company with a One example proven track record to do your lift. Safe lifting de“This crane has a total boom length of 161 me- pends on regular maintenance of the mobile crane. tres, the length comprising a 77-metre boom and This includes rope inspections and certification by an 84-metre luffing boom,” elaborates Jan. “With an independent third party. 440 tonnes of counterweight, including super lift, this crane can lift 79 tonnes on a 52-metre radius. “Mobile crane operators are a lot like firemen and When it is on its maximum reach of 116 metres, their fire trucks - they look after their machines a total of eight tonnes can be lifted to a height of and always keep them spotless,” says Jan. “For this very reason you get mobile cranes that have 85 metres. seen more than 30 years of service, but you won’t The establishing fee for our large crane can run into be able to tell because they’ve been looked after millions depending on where the site is situated properly all their lives.” “This is just one example of our extensive crane fleet, which is constantly being expanded to meet new challenges across all sectors in industry.”

Software

When it comes to big contractors and lifting jobs in the mining industry, the clients usually know exactly what they want in terms of the lifting work that has to be carried out and normally specify their requirements down to the finest detail, even as far as ordering airconditioning in the cab of the crane. “However, for the occasional users we like to get involved right from the planning stage because people often make the mistake of ordering a crane that ends up being too small for the lift,” warns Jan.

The right choice

“This can be costly because there’s an establishing fee to set a crane up on site and if the lift mass or its ratio is underestimated, it’s money wasted,” adds Jan. “Considering that the establishing fee for our large crane can run into millions depending on where the site is situated, you have to make the right choice when ordering a crane. Although

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Training

One of the most critical aspects of mobile crane operation is crane operator training and, to this end, Target Cranes has established a dedicated crane operator training facility at the new offices that have just been opened in Cape Town. “The Johannesburg office is also moving to a new purpose-built site in Alrode soon,” says Jan in conclusion. “Our recent BBBEE rating means that Target Cranes is the leading empowered crane-hire provider in South Africa with a substantial lead over our competitors in terms of ratings. This is highly relevant when one considers the infrastructural spend projections and the transfer of the benefit of this government capital expenditure to be enjoyed by previously disadvantaged communities. Our current BBBEE Level 3 rating also means that for every one rand spent with us, our customers receive R1.37 in BBBEE procurement recognition. We are aiming to achieve a Level 2 rating this year, which will provide additional benefits to our customers.” Jan Lourens, Target Cranes, Tel: (011) 827-9227, Email: [email protected]

Market Forum two extra-abnormal load lowbed trailers designed to carry heavy capital mining equipment in the DRC and Zambia. A second valuable contract has been signed for the supply of heavy-duty tippers to be used in massive construction projects in Mozambique.” The two extra-abnormal load lowbeds, fabricated at Kearney Group’s Tulisa Park, Johannesburg factory have a tare mass of 15 000kg and are capable of carrying extra-heavy-duty loads. “These custom-built trailers are 4.2 metres wide,

Finnish Prime Minister cuts the ribbon

The opening of Metso’s new 3600 m², environmentally friendly headquarters was attended by prominent businesspeople as well as the Hon. Prime Minister of Finland, Matti Vanhanen who officially opened the building on the 17 March 2010. “This distinctive structure,” Jorma Eloranta, CEO of the Metso Corporation, said during the official address, “represents Metso’s confidence in the Southern African market”. This investment forms part of Metso’s strategy of remaining in close proximity to its customer operations. The company has thus also opened a new service facility in Rustenburg to focus on repairing the local mining houses’ pumps, minimizing downtime and while maximising operational effectiveness. Adding to the company’s Vereeniging factory which focuses on manufacturing and refurbishing equipment, a newly-structured service hub has also been commissioned to focus on specialised services such as Life Cycle Services which will offer customers the option of a rand-per-ton model, process technology and innovation to improve throughput at existing plants, and performance contractual services. With such investments in the local market, Metso looks set to increase its local footprint. Darryl Moss, General Manager Marketing and Communications, Metso House, ACSA Park, Jones Road, Bartlett, Johannesburg, Tel: +27(0) 11 961-4000, [email protected], www.metso.com

Trailers for Africa

Kearney Group, a leading South African truck trailer manufacturer recently signed contracts with organisations with business interests in Mozambique, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). According to Charles Lovell, marketing manager, Kearney Group, “Kearney Group has been contracted to supply

equipped with extensions to handle loads 4.5 metres wide,” explains Charles. “The trailers were made using 100% local content and sport special wide-track axles and heavy-duty mechanical suspension.” A specially-crafted tandem-axle dolly equipped with 75mm extra-heavy-duty Jost fifth-wheel and kingpin pulls a quadaxle lowbed that once hooked up to a truck tractor will measure 24.37 metres, adds Charles. “These lowbeds will begin carrying new mining equipment to Zambia and the DRC where they will face the heaviest toil Africa can throw at them,” he concludes. Charles Lovell, Kearney Group, Tel: (011) 869-5551, Fax: (011) 869-5632/869 5646, Email: [email protected], Website: www.thepayloader.com

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Market Forum The company has received enquiries for similar equipment from two neighbouring states. Key to this success is the company’s K-Series hoist range, which has proved dependable, durable and robust under the conditions of increased mechanical strain associated with the high-lift niche. The modular design of the K-Series allows rapid modification to specific highlift application requirements, resulting in delivery times that are usually the shortest available. Competitive prices are the result of long production runs of standard parts. Condra uses silumin rotor cores to enhance K-Series motor-starting torque in the high-lift role, and has developed variable speed control levels on the drives to enable precise load positioning even on lifts of 100 metres and more.

One of the conveyors leading to a Weba Chute where it is transferred

SA-chutes to Turkey

Weba Chute Systems have again been specified by Kisladag, the largest gold mine in Turkey. Alwin Nienaber, operations/ technical director at Weba Chute Systems, says that the order follows on the successful installation and operation of eight Weba Chutes at the mine. All are installed under the fine and coarse ore bins discharging onto conveyors within the plant. “Weba Chutes are all custom engineered to ensure appropriate solutions to transfer point Typical Condra applications and our engineers K-Series hoist have a close relationship with the mine’s technical personnel which has allowed us to access all the relevant information to ensure that the chutes supplied provide efficient and reliable material transfer,” Alwin says.

Hoist speeds of between zero and 18 metres per minute, and travel speeds of between zero and 200 metres per minute, are possible. The company has in the past manufactured mine headgear maintenance cranes with lift heights in excess of 80 metres, more than three times the 25-metres classified by international standards as very high. Condra (Pty) Ltd, Josef Kleiner (managing director), Tel: (011) 021-3712, Fax: 086-669-2372, Email: condra@ mweb.co.za

The latest order received from Eldorado Gold Corporation‘s Kisladag mine is for three Weba Chutes. “By controlling the movement of the material into, through and out of the chute it is possible to eliminate numerous other issues such as spillage, noise and dust,” he adds. The chutes for Kisladag are due for installation in early 2010. Mark Baller, M & J Engineering (Pty) Ltd, Tel: (011) 827-9372, Fax: (011) 827-6132, Website: www.weba.co.za

High-lift crane delivery

Condra has reported recent deliveries of four high-lift hoists to local customers, one of them an articulated machine with a capacity of 45-tons, another with a very high lift of 112 metres.

Variable reach trucks

The Meclift range of variable reach trucks, designed for the efficient handling and loading of paper reels and sawn timber in and out of trucks and railway carriages, is available from Big Lift Trucks, specialists in materials handling systems. “MecLift variable reach trucks, which have a lift height of 6 m, are also able to drive into freight containers or reach out into a container for easy loading and unloading of paper reels. This cannot be achieved by conventional forklift trucks,” says Clinton van den Berg, products manager for Big Lift Trucks. “These compact, robust reach trucks increase efficiency and safety during paper and timber handling and also reduce operating times. Safety on site is significantly improved.” MecLift ML 906R reach trucks have a 9 tonne lifting caBULK HANDLING TODAY

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Market Forum is looking to solidify its market share in its core business of proving the New Holland brand of quality earthmoving equipment viz. skid steer loaders, compact track loaders, backhoe loaders, wheel loaders, excavators, crawler dozers, telehandlers and motor graders. Dr Jan Nell, MD of New Holland Construction in South Africa comments, “We see positive signs that the economy, and therefore, the construction machine market, is on its way back. By expanding our footprint, we are ready to target a number of industries in countries where we have, to date, not given our product the right exposure. This will typically be the commodities market (ie mining). “Moreover, many of our customers have bought our machines and are operating them in neighbouring countries, and we are committed to provide them with the after sales service levels they deserve. Eqstra Holdings has a huge network in Africa, and we as New Holland will leverage off this network to look after our customers”.

MecLift variable reach trucks are available from Big Lift Trucks for the efficient, swift and safe handling of paper reels and sawn timber

pacity and as they are powered by a diesel engine, they are economical to run and require minimal maintenance. The lift carriage has an hydraulic side shift for accurate and effortless positioning. Clinton van den Berg, Products Manager, Big Lift Trucks, Tel: (031) 274-8270, Fax: (031) 205-8002, Email: [email protected], Website: www.biglifttrucks.com

Larger footprint

New Holland Construction, a subsidiary of Eqstra Holdings Limited, has announced an expansion in its footprint in order to boost its presence in its domestic and Africa markets. By investing in strengthening its regional network, the company

According to Gisela Schmidt, Director of the Rest of Africa Division of Eqstra, and responsible for spearheading the New Holland drive into Africa, “NHC will be able to leverage off the existing Eqstra infrastructure and support network in 15 countries outside of South Africa. The expanded Eqstra footprint includes the following countries: Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Reunion, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe”. New Holland Construction, 861 NEW HSA or 0861-639-472, Website: www.nhconstruction.co.za

Massive load to Sishen

Concargo, experts in supply chain management and related logistical activities, in association with their strategic business partners, were commissioned by its client, the sea freight and forwarding company, World Groupage Services, to handle the transportation of a bucket-wheel reclaimer and two ore stackers from the Port of Saldanha to a Kumba’s Sishen South mine near Postmasburg. The total distance travelled during this project was approximately 850 km. The total shipment weighed 840 tons and measured 6200 cubic metres. To load the equipment, 63 trucks were used to carry the separate pieces of equipment. Forty-two of the load items were classed as Abnormal Out-of-Gauge and another four, Superloads, being up to 9.54 metres wide. These had to be loaded onto a mix of 100-ton lowbeds, step decks and extendable trailers. The balance of the loads was transported on BULK HANDLING TODAY

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Market Forum Subscription Please fax us if you wish to subscribe to “Bulk Handling Today” 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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Careful and accurate positioning is essential for the stability fo the 13.5m long x 8.80m wide ring gear

tri-axle and superlink articulated vehicles. The shipment arrived in Saldanha Port on 6 November from the Far East on a special charter vessel. This was the biggest project shipment ever handled by the Port of Saldanha. Concargo, Tel: (021) 386-9060, Fax: (021) 386-9066, Email: info@ concargo.com, Skype: skype_concargo

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Software to improve lubrication

Email: .......................................................................................

A proper lubrication plan may be defined as one that ensures the right lubricant, in the right quantity, at the right time, at the right point and with the right method.

Index to Advertisers

SKF’s offer includes new software; SKF Lubrication Planner, and grease fitting caps and tags TLAC 50 (patent applied for). This combination adds value to SKF customers b y assisting to correctly set up a mapping of the lubrication points as well as generating flexible lubrication tasks lists in accordance with the customer’s preferences. Tracking the performed lubrication tasks is also maintained and helps customers to build up a database with detailed information of lubrication routines. Labels are intended to be affixed on the new Grease fitting caps and tags TLAC 50, which in addition to the identification task, avoid contaminants to enter the lubrication point. The labeling system has been designed and tested to surpass tough requirements in industrial environments where dust, high temperatures or high humidity are often present. The software is available in more than 10 different languages and a free license is granted for users registered at www. skf.com (registration is free) SKF South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Tel: (011) 821-3500, Fax: (011) 821-3501, Email: [email protected], Website: www.skf.co.za

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Actom

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AST

Inside Front Cover

Bearings International

Inside Back Cover

BMG

12

Bonfiglioli

14

Brelko

23

Chorus Call

16

Condra Cranes

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East Rand Cranes

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Linde Rema Tip Top

7 30

Rula

Outside Front Cover

SCAW

Outside Back Cover

SEW

24

SKF

18

Target Cranes

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ThyssenKrupp

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Fabform Graphics cc (011) 622-9917

SPECIALIST PRODUCTS FOR THE MINING INDUSTRY

The Scaw Metals Group (Scaw) is an international group, manufacturing a diverse range of steel products. Its principal operations are located in South Africa, South America, Canada and Australia. Smaller operations are in Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia. Scaw’s Specialist products manufactured for the shaft mining and surface mining industries include: Haggie® Steel Wire Rope Products: • • • • • • •

Double drum winder ropes Koepe / Friction winder ropes Shaft sinking ropes Mine hoist ropes Scraper and haulage ropes Dragline and hoist- and drag-ropes Face shovel ropes

Scaw has produced these products for the mining industry since 1921 and is a technological leader in this field and manufactures to national and international standards.

Chain Products:

Scaw provides a full range of customer support services. A team of qualified engineers with extensive experience in all aspects of steel wire ropes, chain and cast products are available to advise on the selection, handling, installation and maintenance of products as well as provide on-site inspection of products and equipment.

• Round link welded chain and chain fittings in grades 3 to grade 8 to national and international standards.

Scaw supplies globally and also offers nationwide distribution in South Africa through its strategically located branches throughout the country.

Cast Products: • • • • • •

Mantles and bowl liners Mill liners Rope sockets Track shoes Dragline parts Ground engaging tools (GET)

Website: www.scaw.co.za

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Haggie® Steel Wire Rope:

Tel: +27 11 620-0000

Chain Products:

Tel: +27 16 428-6000

• Fax: +27 16 428-1212 / 1089

Eclipse East Foundry:

Tel: +27 11 747-5000

• Fax: +27 11 421-4943

Cast Products:

Tel: +27 11 749-3600 (GET)

• Tel: +27 11 842-9303 (Other)

Fax:+27 11 421-8032 (GET)

• Fax: +27 11 842-9710 (Other)

• Fax: +27 11 620-0009