Electricity costs are an increasing concern for owners and managers of buildings, and ensuring the right pressure and volume of water calls, not just for a reliable system, but for one that is energy efficient as well. External sales representative for Grundfos, Nick Pluck, explains how this can be achieved.

MechChem Africa talks to MineARC Systems’ Jason van Niekerk, sales manager for Africa, and Alex Farquhar, business development manager for the global petrochemical industry, about the company’s innovative chamber technologies for protecting lives on sites that are subject to potentially deadly and very expensive safety risks.

In response to the ‘celebration’ of Global Handwashing Day last month, this article from the Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PMASA) talks about why hand drying is just as important as hand washing and why using a paper towel is better than using a jet dryers to dry hands.

MechChem Africa talks to Paul Nel, Energy leader for Zutari, who tells of the company’s renewable energy journey and shares his excitement at being back home to service the South and continental African markets.

Zest WEG, one of the few local OEMs capable of undertaking a large customised genset project, is constructing a 2 500 kVA diesel powered generator set that will be delivered later this year to a South African platinum mining customer.

MechChem Africa talks to Tygue Theron, Commercial Head of Energy Partners Intelligence, about the company’s holistic energy offering, from simple behaviour-based ‘war on waste’ efficiency drives to integrated and financed solar generation, refrigeration and energy management services funded via power purchase or shared savings agreements.

A Bosch Rexroth TS 2 transfer system supplied by Tectra Automation and engineered by Petrichor Concepts has been chosen for a recent upgrade at ASSA ABLOY South Africa, the local manufacturer of security products and systems. Trevor Bruce, engineering manager for Petrichor Concepts, outlines the benefits.

Food and beverage companies can now set a post COVID-19-course using automation to boost competitiveness and productivity. Omron Solution Partners Daniela Moles, from LCS Group and Alberto Giordani from Alfacod, explain.

This article summarises the comprehensive range of hydraulic analysis, diagnosis, repair, refurbishment, testing and certification services available across Africa from Bosch Rexroth South Africa Group Companies, Hytec South Africa and Hytec Engineering.

MechChem Africa talks to Burak Ozyurt, managing director for SKF in Southern Africa, about a new approach to delivering maintenance services in the region. Using remote diagnostics and several new onsite innovations, SKF is currently able to deliver long-term maintenance solutions that require no upfront investment from plant operators.

Kwatani partners with majors and junior miners alike, offering two distinct equipment ranges tailored to each segment’s specific requirements and capital budgets. With over 44 years of local and global experience, this vibrating screen specialist has a strong product footprint. Frengelina Mabotja, capital sales engineer at Kwatani, talks about the company’s offering to the coal industry.

With the release of the HPGR Pro, thyssenkrupp is taking crushing and grinding circuits to new levels of operational efficiency: higher throughput, improved product quality, and reliability with much lower production costs. MechChem Africa talks to Gerhard Van Wyk, the process manager for thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions in South Africa.

Following the 2020 Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) International Awards ceremony on October 14, MechChem Africa talks to Alfred Hartzenburg, national project manager of South Africa’s National Industrial Energy Efficiency (IEE) Project, about why it was a worthy winner and the project’s ongoing importance for South Africa.

On October 14, I joined the virtual awards ceremony for the 2020 AEE International Awards, which recognise outstanding energy-related achievements of the association’s members across the world. The AEE is the Association of Energy Engineers, a non-profit professional society with over 18 000 members in more than 100 countries. Its mission? To promote the scientific and educational interests of those engaged in the energy industry and to foster action for sustainable development.

Leandro Magro, manager for steam turbines at Zest WEG , argues that cogeneration for plants that already have boilers producing steam for process heat is the smartest move towards electricity cost savings. The addition of a TGM WEG turbine generator system to a steam process plant offers energy security, lower utility bills and the potential to sell excess power to local municipalities.

Brent Frazer of Chase Technologies talks about the advantage of using Li-ion batteries for lifting equipment, such as electric forklift trucks, as a replacement for lead acid battery technology.

Zutari, formerly known as Aurecon, was officially launched in July 2020 as a ‘proudly African’ company with the renewed intention of delivering fit-for-purpose infrastructure solutions in close partnerships with clients across the continent. Zutari CEO, Gustav Rohde, outlines the company’s Africa vision.

Xylem is on a mission towards creating a more sustainable world by enabling customers to optimise water use and better manage dwindling resources. Xylem Africa’s managing director, Vincent Chirouze, argues that all business and domestic users should take a proactive, detailed and holistic view to achieve this.

MechChem Africa talks to Bennie Thiart, general manager for Grundfos’ Southern African region, about the company’s iSolutions offering, including smart pumps and dosing systems for water treatment, and the company’s ongoing success at the Nooitgedacht Water Treatment Works in Nelson Mandela Bay.

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.