The bimonthly Sept-Oct issue of MechChem Africa features Festo and its Core Products Range on the outside front cover. In the cover story, Adrian Bromfield highlights the advantages of the range for automation companies.

Maintenance and asset management features SKF and its integrated solutions; the Tim Carter column about brittle fracture; along with articles from Reef Fuel Injection Services, Bosch Rexroth and BMG.

Minerals processing and materials handling leads with a story from Thomas Holtz of Multotec, who advocates the need for unprecedented collaboration if we are to fully realise the potential held by digital technology. Also featured are articles from FLSmidth; Weir Minerals and its Trio® crushers; and Flexicon.

Our Corrosion and coatings story comes from Columbus Stainless, while the Pump systems, pipes, valves and seals lead feature describes how Harry Rosen of TAS Online is creating a new and better way of delivering competence-based training. Follow on stories come from Verder Pumps SA; Weir Minerals and its new WRT® impeller; Integrated Pump Rental; KSB and its MegaCPK pump; an insightful interview with Bennie Thiart of Grundfos about his company’s iSolutions offering; and a piece from Xylem Africa’s MD, Vincent Chirouze.

Two notable special reports are featured in our Products and Industry news section, one from Zutari CEO, Gustav Rohde, who outlines his new Africa vision; and an interview with Brent Frazer of Chase Technologies about the increased use of Li-ion batteries for lifting equipment.

In the Innovative Engineering feature, Leandro Magro, manager for steam turbines at Zest WEG, argues the cost and efficiency case for adding a TGM WEG turbine generator system to any plant that is already using process steam.

ON THE FRONT COVER

The Festo Core Product Range: Stars in Automation: Festo South Africa’s Head of National Sales, Adrian Bromfield highlights additions to the Festo Core Product Range.  Read more...

PETER’S COMMENT

HVAC and COVID-19: Peter Middleton reflects on the renewed interest in HVAC systems due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Read more...

MAINTENANCE AND ASSET MANAGEMENT

Integrated bearing and power transmission solutions for rotating equipment: SKF’s Frans Odendaal talks about the integrated nature of SKF solutions around the rotating shaft.  Read more...

Brittle fracture: what to watch out for: Failure specialist, Tim Carter, shares experiences about brittle fracture, its causes and how to avoid it.  Read more...

Specialist diagnosis and repair for Cat injection systems: Warren Hauser of Reef Fuel Injection Services talks about diagnosing and repairing faults in Cat fuel injection systems. Click to read in the online magazine...

Surveys and condition monitoring of process valves crucial: Will Lamprecht of BMG urges plant operators to continue to monitor the condition of their process valves at this critical time. Read more...

MINERALS PROCESSING AND MATERIALS HANDLING

Multotec advocates joining hands to advance process technology: While digital technology holds huge potential for minerals processing equipment, Thomas Holtz of Multotec argues that little progress will be made if equipment suppliers continue to work only on their own.  Read more...

New life for FLS stacker reclaimer: An extensive refurbishment programme on an FLSmidth stacker reclaimer is giving the giant machine another decade of productivity.  Click to read in the online magazine...

Trio® crushers boost capacity in Oman: A Trio® TP350 cone crusher supplied by Weir Minerals Africa has raised production by 30% in a construction aggregate production application.  Click to read in the online magazine...

CORROSION AND COATINGS

Stainless steel: the cost competitive corrosion solution: Columbus Stainless, the only fully integrated single site stainless steel producer in Africa, outlines the common stainless steel grades and highlights the value of the material for the manufacturing industry.  Read more...

PUMP SYSTEMS, PIPES VALVES AND SEALS

Pump systems and training: a new and better normal: In response to lockdown and the associated rise in remote communication and webinar solutions, UNIDO International Pump Expert, Harry Rosen, discusses the emerging ‘new and better normal’ for training pumping specialists in South Africa.  Read more...

Advanced and integrated pumping solutions: Darryl Macdougall of Verder Pumps South Africa argues the case for choosing trusted and reputable brands for the pumping solutions needed to support operational efficiency objectives.  Click to read in the online magazine...

Wear life improvements for Warman AH pump: Weir Minerals engineers have developed the Warman® WRT® impeller and throatbush combination, which delivers significant wear life improvements in Warman® AH® pumps. Read more...

Urgent dewatering solutions during lockdown: Responding quickly with the right solutions, Integrated Pump Rental has continued to operate as a secondary emergency supplier throughout the lockdown, including helping to dewater a coal mine in northern KwaZulu-Natal.  Click to read in the online magazine...

The chemical pump that sets global standard: Since its introduction more than two decades ago, KSB’s MegaCPK pump has changed the way chemical companies throughout the world pump dangerous and volatile materials.  Read more...

WATER AND WASTEWATER SOLUTIO

Smarter pumping and dosing solutions from Grundfos: MechChem Africa talks to Grundfos’ Bennie Thiart about the company’s iSolutions offering, including smart pumps and dosing systems for water treatment. Read more...

Good water management for profit and performance: Xylem Africa’s managing director, Vincent Chirouze, argues that all business and domestic users should take a proactive, detailed and holistic view to optimise water use and better manage dwindling resources. Read more...

INNOVATIVE ENGINEERING

Cogeneration: the smart move for process heat users: Leandro Magro of Zest WEG argues the case for adding cogenerating TGM WEG turbine generator systems at plants that already have boilers producing steam for process heat. Read more...

PRODUCT AND INDUSTRY NEWS  Click to read in the online magazine...

Zutari: co-creating Africa via solutions that matter  Read more...

Li-ion batteries: the cost-effective retrofit  Read more...

BACK PAGE: Mobile and intelligent ‘cobots’  Click to read in the online magazine...

Click to download and read this issue in PDF format.