System Integration & Control Systems Design


Afrilek: Afrilek enhances customer service through tailored divisions.

July 2014 System Integration & Control Systems Design

Afrilek, providers of automation and electrical solutions, has spent the past few months developing its existing divisions, adding new elements to the business and appointing an industry expert to head up each division.

According to Afrilek’s marketing and business development manager, Su-Anne Willemse, the changes implemented by the company will provide its customer base with a wider and more comprehensive service offering.

Panel workshop employees.
Panel workshop employees.

Willemse points out that the company has grown from 25 to just over 40 permanent staff in recent months. “We have developed the company by strengthening three of the divisions, namely drives, instrumentation and training, and we have established two new offices in Lydenburg and Witbank. In addition we are hosting free workshops every month that are based on solutions to industry. This means that we will not be concentrating on the marketing of products as such, but rather a sharing of our knowledge and expertise with the industry to provide a solutions-based service,” she says.

The company can provide a number of services for instrumentation, including design, fabrication, supply, installation and commissioning of instrumentation and analytical process projects including analyser sample conditional systems, complete with distribution boards, wiring and panels.

“We provide full turnkey process industrial shelters and enclosures for our instrumentation. We also provide project management, procurement and engineering, as well as the design, supply, consultation and engineering of process automation equipment and solutions – DCS, PLC, scada and field equipment. Customers have access to plant maintenance and training and we combine the classroom situation and the plant scenario to provide customers with the ability to use their systems innovatively,” explains Willemse.

Afrilek Automation is particularly excited about its upcoming CIDB EP6 Rating. Willemse says that EP denotes all electrical engineering works, relating to generation, transmission and distribution of electricity or electrical power generation, transmission control and distribution equipment and systems.

Afrilek’s team are specialists in VSD design and engineering and can provide customers with a turnkey service from concept through fabrication, supply, installation and commissioning of VSD panels. Plant specific training and plant maintenance is provided for each customer.

Afrilek training solutions

Effective maintenance of an integrated automation platform requires that staff providing maintenance have the prerequisite technical skills and knowledge to provide first-line support. Afrilek believes that prerequisite skills should be based on the application and require that staff have a technical understanding of the process and the products that provide control within the application.

“Standard product courses allow for skills transfer on a specific product, but a staff member has to know how this product fits into the integrated automation environment. To this end we offer a service that addresses the need of technical employees to acquire the skills needed to offer effective first-line maintenance,” says Willemse.

“We make use of a number of processes to ascertain the skill gaps of maintenance staff when measured against their respective KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). These include an application equipment audit, an understanding of technical staff KPIs, a training needs analysis, a training plan showing courses to be attended to address skills gaps, attendance of training as per the development plan (off-site or on-site). The company offers a number of courses in programmable controllers (basic to advanced), HMI (operator panels), scada, DCS, variable speed drives and switchgear.

For more information contact Su-Anne Willemse, Afrilek, +27 (0)11 552 8113, su-anne@afrilek.com, www.afrilek.com



Credit(s)



Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page

Further reading:

Understanding the role of AI in generative engineering design
System Integration & Control Systems Design
When a design engineer sets out to design a new part, component, or assembly, the intent is to meet the design requirements for fit, form and function, and also incorporate a certain degree of innovation and elegance to the overall design. There is no reason to re-invent the wheel by introducing a new design.

Read more...
PCS stays up so you don’t have to
PCS Global System Integration & Control Systems Design
Maybe it’s time to look at a solution that stays online 99,99999% of the time so you don’t have to. This the world of Stratus computer platforms, tailor-made for your critical applications.

Read more...
Four ways the global parts shortage has led to innovation and openness
System Integration & Control Systems Design
For those who use automation parts, the unpredictable nature of the supply chain is one of the biggest problems faced today. The shortfall has impacted every industry, but automation components have been especially affected.

Read more...
Iritron’s year of consolidation
Iritron Editor's Choice System Integration & Control Systems Design
Despite the multiple challenges faced by businesses in South Africa, the buoyancy of the technology sector worldwide has produced some green shoots for automation specialist, Iritron.

Read more...
Five edge opportunities for SIs to maximise revenue in 2024
Editor's Choice System Integration & Control Systems Design
System integrators continue to face the challenge of doing more with less – supporting complex operations, while meeting production schedules with limited resources, and innovating to increase efficiency, maximise safety and reduce risk.

Read more...
Condition monitoring in a forging press retrofit
Beckhoff Automation System Integration & Control Systems Design
Significantly increased vibration on machines can result in many forms of negative impacts such as reduced system performance or damage to the machine and foundation. Using the example of retrofitting a forging press with a maximum press force of 2000 tons, Wölfel Engineering explains how efficiently the process was tailored and implemented with PC-based control and measurement technology from Beckhoff.

Read more...
System integration in the digital age
System Integration & Control Systems Design
To meet the challenges of an increasingly competitive marketplace, many manufacturers (end users) must focus on their core competencies and outsource the rest to experts.

Read more...
Choosing a system integrator
Editor's Choice System Integration & Control Systems Design
Automation is an essential part of manufacturing today. Whatever the size, an upgrade or migration project can be complex, and the risks can be high. This is where system integrators (SIs) can help. They can bring together complex subsystems or components of a larger system and make them operate as a whole.

Read more...
Iritron awarded international contract for furnace control
Iritron System Integration & Control Systems Design
Iritron has been awarded two international, multimillion-Rand furnace drying projects. The company has extensive expertise in furnace drying control systems, and provides solutions in the fields of electrical, instrumentation, control systems, and decision support systems.

Read more...
Capitalise on risks by turning them into opportunities for growth
Iritron System Integration & Control Systems Design
In spite of the challenges facing the global and local economy, systems integration expert, Iritron remains optimistic for the year ahead, and believes that there are significant opportunities to be found during a challenging economic climate.

Read more...