Darryn Wright, marketing executive for ESG, part of Invicta Holdings and the division that manages and supports BMG, talks to MechChem Africa about the essential breakdown, maintenance and refurbishment services that remain available from BMG during the COVID-19 lockdown. “Not only is it critical to keep our essential industrial services up and running during the lockdown, we also need to ensure that we are ready to assist in turning the economy back on as soon as it becomes safe to do so,” he says.
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“As a customer-driven business, the BMG team remains committed to making sure that industry is able to continue operating as efficiently and as safely as possible during this difficult time. We are pleased to have been given permission from the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) to provide crucial engineering components and support, ensuring continuous operation of services throughout the country, albeit from selected BMG branches,” says Wright. “We are determined to keep the wheels of essential industry turning and to help the people of our country pull through this crisis as painlessly as possible,” he adds.
Among the industries that cannot be shut down during the COVID-19 crisis are food and beverage plants; water and waste water treatment facilities; coal mines and power stations; petrochemical plants and refineries; the sugar mills; ports and shipping industries and, of course, farms and agricultural industries – to all of which we provide product and services.
BMG, through its ‘Boer Slim’/Smart Farming initiative, has been developing innovative ways of supporting South African farmers for several years, through sustainability solutions that focus on effective food production, the correct use of suitable equipment for specific tasks and the efficient application of advanced technologies. “This has never been more important. People locked inside their houses depend more than ever on fresh food being made available to them, and recent panic buying illustrates just how nervous people are. Farmers also need help to efficiently and effectively continue to produce through these difficult times,” Wright argues.
BMG’s high-quality replacement agricultural components are engineered to improve productivity in the farming sector, to operate efficiently for extended periods with minimal maintenance requirements, and to reduce costs in the long term. BMG’s electronic, fluid technology, tools and power transmission components have been carefully selected to deliver smarter solutions on farms that enhance productivity and energy efficiency.
New to BMG’s range of agricultural components are slogging hammers and wheel sloggers, used to loosen and tighten bolts and nuts quickly and easily; BTC gearboxes, specifically designed for packhouses and Motoline solar inverters for photovoltaic (PV) water pumps. Dual direction multi-purpose gearboxes, PTO clutches and specially designed heavy-duty coulter bearings are also new to the range.
From a water perspective, BMG specialists with technical knowledge and extensive experience in water engineering play an important role in upgrading ageing water and wastewater facilities and designing new drive systems to ensure a dependable infrastructure. Critical is the selection of robust equipment, which can endure continuous operation under severe conditions. “People cannot be locked in for long without fresh water, so it is absolutely vital for our water specialists to be available to deal with unexpected breakdowns quickly and effectively,” Wright continues.
BMG also works closely with the food and beverage sectors to raise hygiene standards throughout the food and logistics chain – from farmers, processors, manufacturers and packagers, to distributors, retailers and consumers. “Our solution services help the local food and beverage sector deliver on food safety and environmental and energy-efficient initiatives by supplying and supporting components for light materials handling, belting products, gearboxes, motors and variable speed drives (VSDs), seals and bearings, power transmission components, valves, tools and equipment, as well as fasteners, food-grade lubricants and maintenance chemicals,” notes Wright.
Essential services
As well as the supply of the components, accessories and spare parts necessary to maintain critical equipment, BMG is able to offer both delivery and field services to customers in need of urgent assistance. “Our field services offering was set up to deliver mobile breakdown, repair and maintenance support, and this is our current go-to service for clients needing to get up and running as quickly as possible following a breakdown.
Citing a recent example in the sugar sector, Wright tells of a turn-key in-situ replacement project involving a diffuser head shaft bearing and the complete refurbishment of the multi-misalignment couplings driving each end of the head shaft. “This had to be done during the off-crop season so careful planning and project management were essential to ensure the work was completed in the time available,” he points out.
Breakdowns in plants such as sugar mills and oil refineries are also routinely handled by BMG’s field services units. “Our field services and onsite technical personnel are well qualified to cope with the tight timeframes involved to manufacture replacement components and complete the necessary onsite installation, which also often involves the installation of new bearings and adaptor sleeves, as well as new keys and connector arms for couplings. BMG’s field service teams also attend to failures such as mill gearboxes, where seized coupling boxes cause excessive axial loading on the final drive bearings, resulting in bearing failures,” Wright explains.
Other specialist services to the sugar sector include bearing and gearbox inspection, bearing and chain refurbishment, large size bearing assembly and alignment and balancing, as well as customised product design. BMG also offers a trouble shooting and maintenance service, condition monitoring and training.
BMG’s integrated engineering solutions for the mining sector include a complete electromechanical capability, which comprises customised plant design, product selection, installation, commissioning and support service. “Energy-efficient drive solutions are designed to meet the exact needs of mining and mineral processing, at the same time ensuring improved asset availability and the lowest cost of ownership.
“Keeping these assets healthy while the country is on shutdown is vital, particularly for coal mines servicing our power industry, but they will also be essential to enable our mining industry to ramp up quickly as soon as the crisis starts to ease,” he suggests.
Technical resources
BMG’s technical resource centres offer services that positively influence the operating efficiencies of South African industry by ensuring maximised mechanical reliability of plant and machinery. The technical resources team partners with each customer to ensure dependable solutions – from the initial design concept, specification, manufacturing quality control, commissioning and support of equipment in use. Services include technical applications consulting, product and system design, on-site process analysis, lab and on-site oil analysis, product quality control and assurance, as well as condition monitoring services.
“We also have Regional Service Centres (RSCs) that play a critical role by providing engineering solution services to key industries, including sugar, agriculture, shipping, mining, automotive, power and petrochemical plants, manufacturing and general engineering. These specialist service centres – with assembly, repair, maintenance and support operations – offer a combined technical expertise and value-added product solutions to further strengthen the company’s service offering,” Wright continues.
Advantages for customers include improved service, repair and delivery efficiencies, centralised technical support and easy accessibility to BMG’s comprehensive range of quality branded engineering components.
BMG’s RSCs also have mobile field services teams that can conduct breakdown and routine maintenance on plant, carry out trouble shooting and advise on possible productivity improvements, both to overcome immediate difficulties and to secure ongoing high levels of plant output and reliability.
Specialist services include installation, adjustment, replacement and maintenance of components, shaft and pulley alignment, balancing, condition monitoring, oil sampling and analysis and critical equipment inspections and lubrication schedules. Maintenance training and fault diagnosis also form an important part of BMG’s regional services offering.
“BMG has secured exclusive supply, service and distribution agreements with some of the world’s most respected manufacturers of leading engineering components. Our products are carefully selected in terms of consistent quality controls, compatibility, standardisation, reliability and extended service life. In addition, our state-of-the-art warehouse and distribution facility at BMG World in Johannesburg reflects the company’s ability to quickly supply these world-class solutions to diverse industries throughout Africa.
“For the duration of the COVID-19 crisis, our brave and committed technical support and field services teams are on hand to assist our essential service customers in any way we can. Anyone requiring assistance can contact BMG on our emergency number: 0800 022 224,” Wright concludes.