Booyco Engineering, South Africa’s specialist in high-performance HVAC systems for mobile military, rail, mining, construction and agricultural applications, is celebrating 40 years in business. MCA speaks with managing director Brenton Spies and technical director Grant Miller about the company’s expanding offerings.
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Booyco Engineering’s compact diesel-powered APU keeps HVAC systems running while the vehicle’s engine is off, saving fuel and cutting emissions on site and in the field.
With over four decades of experience, Booyco Engineering has evolved into a global leader in specialty HVAC systems custom-designed for military vehicles and mobile equipment. “We’ve built a formidable reputation for manufacturing durable, high-quality systems, with most of our units designed for operation in extreme environmental and ambient conditions,” explains Grant Miller, technical director.
Initially focused on HVAC systems for military vehicles, the company’s reputation for rugged reliability soon attracted interest from the rail, mining, and earthmoving sectors.
Miller highlights a major project involving HVAC and cooling tower systems for 240 Alstom Traxx 23E locomotives, currently being built in Bayhead, Durban, for Transnet Freight Rail (TFR). Booyco Engineering has been producing the units for cabin air conditioning and the cooling towers for extracting heat from the drive transformers and converters.
“This contract, which started in 2014 for what was then Bombardier Transportation, which was subsequently bought out by Alstom Transport, required unique designs to meet the stringent European EN Railway standards – covering vibration, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), reliability, environmental protection, and more,” says Miller. “We are the first South African company to successfully produce railway-rated cooling tower systems that meet these standards – and we do extensive acceptance testing before delivery.”
Leveraging years of experience supplying both South African OEMs as well as international equipment suppliers, Booyco Engineering has recently designed a third-generation HVAC system for an overseas military vehicle manufacturer. These units, built to meet rigorous military specifications, will be manufactured locally and exported for fitting at the vehicle assembly plant.
Custom designs and modular innovation
To reduce costs and lead times, Booyco Engineering has established a catalogue of modular evaporators, condensers and integrated units to cover a wide capacity range. This enables HVAC units for mobile mining, construction and agricultural equipment to be quickly and economically customised to suit different vehicle and environmental requirements.
“Locally, we have a strong presence in both OEM and aftermarket sectors,” says Brenton Spies. “Our HVAC units are used across a range of South African-manufactured mining, construction and agricultural equipment, tailored to suit the equipment and specific operating requirements.”
Field services and on-site support
While the OEM side remains consistent, Spies notes that demand for aftermarket services has increased significantly. Booyco Engineering’s field services and sales teams regularly visit mines to assess, maintain, and upgrade HVAC systems. “We also offer man-on-site contracts where our technicians are permanently based at mines and Transnet sites, ensuring maximum uptime of the equipment,” he explains.
Thanks to Booyco Engineering’s strong reputation, contractors often seek advice on retrofitting HVAC systems onto older vehicles. A retrofit contract for a mining operation in Tanzania recently saw ten Booyco A009 4 kW 24 VDC evaporator units and ten B009 7 kW 24 VDC condenser units installed on existing equipment. The scope also included the supply of installation kits and compressors. Spies explains that the installation followed an evaluation by one of Booyco Engineering’s field service technicians.
Innovation and future growth
Booyco Engineering recently introduced a 900 cc diesel auxiliary power unit (APU) to allow HVAC systems to operate when vehicle engines are off. The company is now running trials to demonstrate potential fuel savings and reduced carbon emissions.
“We’re also pursuing other military contracts locally and abroad. For this market, we’ve developed an HVAC unit for hybrid electric military vehicles that cools both the crew and the vehicle batteries,” Miller says.
Strategic expansion remains a priority within Africa, most notably Tanzania, and into Europe and Asia. “We recently launched a new company under the ‘For-The-People’ umbrella to represent all Booyco products in African markets,” Spies says. “This includes HVAC solutions, proximity detection systems, fail-safe braking systems, and more.”
“After 40 years in business, we’re still growing, innovating and expanding – locally, across Africa, and globally,” he concludes.
