News
13 October 2011
Ready to meet Water Industry Demands
Ready to meet Water Industry Demands
Hansen Transmissions South Africa (Pty) Ltd (HTSA), local subsidiary of Belgium-based Hansen Industrial Transmissions nv, a global leader in industrial gearbox technology, is acknowledged and respected by the local water treatment industry as a specialist supplier of aerator drives for over four decades.
“The water treatment industry has been relatively quiet over the past 24 months and, despite substantial government funding being made available, anticipated growth in this sector has been rather disappointing,” says HTSA, Managing Director, Fritz Fourie. “However, the development of infrastructure, fast tracking of RDP housing projects and water piped to rural villages and informal settlements are elevating demand for potable water and it is encouraging to note that local authorities and municipalities across the country are increasing investments into upgrading water purification plants”.
“HTSA’s exceptionally high quality product range, impeccable service and long term business relationships in the water treatment sector have secured us a good position when it comes to aerator drives and we are confident that orders for the drives will show an upward trend over the short and medium term,” notes Fourie.
Currently, more than 250 Hansen Industrial aerator drives operate at water treatment plants around the country and, according to Fourie, standardisation trends in the water treatment industry are becoming more noticeable. ”This is not surprising as the South African coal mining industry spotted the advantages of standardisation a few years ago and numerous mines successfully use only our locally designed and developed Invertible Gearbox (Hansen I4) for underground conveyor drives. Standardizing on equipment would be a sensible, cost effective move for the water industry, a very harsh environment that puts a lot of strain on equipment and which can lead to costly and unnecessary premature failures”.
Water is only one of many critical elements that our engineers factor into the design of the Hansen P4 gearbox range to perfectly adapt the drive to this extremely demanding application. “Aerators experience high axial forces on the shaft which place major strain on the bearings and we are seeing increased demand for extended bearing housings in these applications. Customers are specifying 50 000 to 100 000 hours bearing life as the rule rather than the exception and our gearboxes effortlessly meet this criterion”.
Fourie explains, “Increased distances give stronger support to low speed axles which increases bearing life and our bearings and shafts are designed to last for 100 000 hours, running 24/7, providing that professional maintenance is performed regularly.” Labyrinth seals on both high and low speed shafts effectively prevent dust and water ingress, extending the life cycle of many components, while the split housing design of the P4 range facilitates maintenance.
Highlighting the importance of regular maintenance, Fourie says that one of the main reasons for underperforming and malfunctioning purification systems and premature equipment failure is attributable to irregular maintenance by untrained technicians. “Municipalities, local authorities and other stake holders in the water purification industry are fully cognisant of this factor so pivotal to the lifespan of equipment and are addressing this at the planning stages of upgrades and expansions. We are assisting the relevant players by offering a maintenance programme which includes oil changes, service inspections and day-to-day on and off-site adjustments, by skilled Hansen Industrial Gearbox technicians.
By working together, we can extend the lifespan of equipment in the extremely adverse operating conditions of the water industry and in so doing, deliver on the promise of clean water for every South African. I am confident that the lull in the water industry is the forerunner of many projects currently in the planning stages and that the proven reliability and robustness of Hansen aerator drives will stand us in good stead when the water industry initiates upgrade and expansion projects.”
HTSA prides itself on building long business relationships based on delivering tailor-made solutions backed by exemplary service and some of South Africa’s foremost suppliers of products to local municipalities, mines and government departments, including Water Affairs, have been part of the HTSA customer portfolio since 1975. Fourie highlights some reasons for water purification contractors specifying Hansen units: “In addition to the special design elements already mentioned, the HTSA service ethic, which supports precision engineering and design to guarantee a superior quality product, is well known and highly respected in the industry. Many consultants and contractors in the water treatment industry have been conducting business with us since 1969 (when we were known as CE Hultquist) and in their experience HTSA has set the standard for performance in this highly demanding industry where aerator drives are required to operate around-the-clock, failure free. HTSA drives, designed, engineered and manufactured to perform reliably to meet demands and operating conditions deliver on all fronts.” Fourie adds that although the HTSA range may not carry the lowest price tag, the gearboxes deliver class leading quality and durability.
”We understand that budgetary constraints dictate capital expenditure but research indicates that investing in equipment that guarantees the least possible down time, is the best investment for realising substantial savings over the long term. Our robust units are manufactured to the highest quality specification for guaranteed rapid return on investment and lowest total cost of ownership,” concludes Fourie. /Ends
About Hansen Industrial Transmissions:
Hansen Industrial Transmissions nv (HIT) is an established global industrial gearbox designer, manufacturer and supplier. The Company provides durable gear drives for a wide range of industrial applications throughout the world and has established a dedicated international service network.
In addition to its principal state-of-the-art manufacturing facility located in Flanders, Belgium, HIT has assembly, sales and service centres in the US, the UK, Brazil, China, South Africa and Australia. Strong in-house R&D operations maintain HIT’s technological leadership.
Since 4 March 2011 HIT is a 100% subsidiary of Sumitomo Heavy Industries Ltd. and HIT employs over 600 people worldwide.
