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MCA visits the Cleveland facility of Marthinusen and Coutts, a division of ACTOM (Pty) Ltd, and talks to Marketing Executive, Mike Chamberlain, about the business's comprehensive on- and off-site service, repair, remanufacturing and testing offering.

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MandC Africas world class service provider for rotating equipment

Form-wound copper stator coils are being installed for a motor at Marthinusen and Coutts’ Cleveland facility.

Founded in 1954 by a group of recognised leaders in the repair and servicing of electric motors, Marthinusen and Coutts (M&C) has grown into a trusted service provider for the remanufacturing, repair and maintenance of rotating equipment, most notably for the rewinding of medium and low voltage AC and DC motors, generators, transformers and coils, along with advanced testing.

“We offer a full range of electrical and mechanical services across all industries. We have extensive capabilities in power generation and mechanical engineering from seven well-equipped repair workshops in Southern Africa that now employ almost 450 people,” says Mike Chamberlain, the business’s marketing executive.

As well as the 9 500 m² Cleveland
workshop in Johannesburg, M&C has a
14 000 m² workshop in Benoni and a facility in Rustenburg. “We also operate through other ACTOM outlets across Africa, including Kitwe in Zambia, GEC in Harare, Namibian Armature Rewinders in Walvis Bay, amongst others,” he says.

“As well as being a leading repair business for all sizes of motors and generators, we also have a sister division on the mechanical side, ACTOM Turbo Machines, for repairing and re-engineering turbines and all types of large rotating machines,” he adds.

What makes M&C different

First and foremost, M&C has an Africa-wide network of passionate people with the skills and experience to manage complex projects on sites all over the continent, says Chamberlain. “We can quickly respond to customers’ needs, be they onsite repairs and refurbishments of large motors or motor/generator rewinding and refurbishments at one of our facilities.”

For very large machines, the Benoni facility includes a 140 t Wagner lathe that can accommodate a 40 t, 11 m workpiece with a swing of 3.2 m. “We have also invested in specialised equipment and tooling for coil retaining ring removal, and we have a 90 t crane capacity and 1 000 t hydraulic presses for very large salient pole coils used for hydro and synchronous generators. At our Cleveland operation, we have the best-equipped rotating electrical machines load test facility in Africa and a 32 t balancing machine.

For windings, four insulation systems can be accommodated, along with three different vacuum pressure impregnation (VPI) systems for void-free insulation, which enhances the dielectric and mechanical strength of the windings and delivers improved thermal conductivity.

M&C’s electro-mechanical testing facilities are the most comprehensive in Africa. “We offer full load testing of HV, LV and DC equipment, and onsite diagnostics, including electromagnetic core imperfection detection (ELCID) testing; turbine vibration analysis (TVA); partial discharge (PD) monitoring, and rotor flux analysis, amongst others. “We also have a very skilled and well-equipped field service team that offers 24-hour field service support for breakdowns and continuous improvement programmes for our customers,” Chamberlain informs MCA.

Notable projects

M&C installs, services and repairs gearless mill drives across the continent and as far as Panama and Indonesia. Chamberlain describes a recent installation of new GMDs at copper mines. A Perth-based mining client has mines all over the world, including in Kansanshi and Kalumbila, which are both in northern Zambia, and Minera Panama.

M&C was contracted to interconnect the electrical sub-assemblies for nine new ABB gearless mill drives for a copper project in Panama. This mine’s life is estimated at more than 30 years, and it produces copper, gold and molybdenum, says Chamberlain, adding that M&C has become the preferred provider of GMD services to this mining house.

On the power generation side, he cites a success at the N’Zilo hydroelectric power station on a
26 MW, 18-pole stator rewind for a vertical AC synchronous generator in the DRC, a very remote and isolated location.

“The stator’s internal diameter was over 5.0 m, so we had to repair it on site. Further complicating the work, the stator was lap-wound, which required a high level of expertise. We have the necessary equipment and skills to carry out such onsite repairs effectively, however, including in the DRC and elsewhere in Africa,” Chamberlain assures.

On the service side, he says that M&C has held several long-standing maintenance contracts for independent power stations, including a hydro power station with
4×45 MW Siemens generators, and gas turbine-generator plants for electricity generation in the Western Cape, units that play a vital role in regulating maximum demand and meeting the city’s supply targets.

The reverse engineering approach

M&C’s design team, led by Rob Melaia, is considered to be the top motor design team in Africa. “They check the winding design of every motor/generator we rewind, looking for ways to improve reliability and performance. Our engineering teams have the experience and ability to apply practical insights gained from years of repairing and analysing motors across various industries.

“They can make winding design improvements, utilising the latest technology and modern insulation materials, which enables motors to run cooler, more efficiently and potentially with increased output in terms of speed, torque or power.

“Most importantly, though, this reverse engineering approach enables us to engineer out known failure points of the rotating equipment entrusted to us, with a key focus on reducing heat generation and minimising the risks of insulation breakdown, which are the primary enemies of motor performance and longevity,” says Chamberlain.

M&C also designs and manufactures specialised motors as and when required by customers.

In 2012, ACTOM (Pty) Ltd acquired Marthinusen and Coutts. ACTOM is an industry leader and the largest manufacturer, solution provider, repairer and distributor of electro-mechanical equipment in Africa, and Marthinusen and Coutts is an independently run division of ACTOM (Pty) Ltd.

“While a substantial amount of our work is for clients in South and sub-Saharan Africa, we do projects, installations and refurbishments from Indonesia to Panama. We attract customers because of our engineering capability and our proven track record for reliable delivery, value for money and the high skills levels routinely demonstrated by our workshop and onsite staff,” concludes Chamberlain.

www.mandc.co.za

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CONTACT

Editor
Peter Middleton
Email: peterm@crown.co.za
Cell: +27 84 567 2070

Advertising Manager
Elmarie Stonell
Email: mechchemafrica@crown.co.za
Phone: 083 307 0836


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