News


Endress+Hauser South Africa designs and builds portable calibration hub

October 2016 News Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration

Endress+Hauser South Africa has supplied a portable calibration hub that brings its world-class process calibration technology to Mutanda Mine SARL (Mumi mine), an open-pit copper mine located in a remote area of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Ghislain Mbayo, process control superintendent at Mumi, says that the project began when the mine urgently required a state-of-the art calibration and maintenance facility to ensure quality and production uptime and reduce unplanned shutdowns and cost. However, it did not want to build a facility due to the time it took to obtain building rights.

“Because we are situated so remotely, there had been no daily assistance with proper calibration at our process plant, something that we knew posed a great threat to our production target,” adds Mbayo.

Thinking out of the box resulted in a solution in the box, and the mine commissioned the Endress+Hauser South African office to design, build and supply its calibration and maintenance needs in one 3 m x 6 m container.

The completed container, which has since been transported by road from Johannesburg to its destination in the DRC’s Katanga Province, had to fulfil the mine’s objectives to obtain accurate measurements via advanced calibration and verification technology, conduct training on specific instruments and calibration methods, and enable both testing and fault finding.

“The best process plants must be able to identify their own performance strengths and weaknesses, then take that information and learn from those mistakes,” explains Mbayo. “We decided that if we wanted to learn from a workstation, the best solution was a container workstation. We could then look for and seize opportunities for the metallurgic ratio to be corrected and not use average values. This will ensure balancing between production budget versus loss production due to none correct input values.”

Wouter Carstens, head of the service department at Endress+Hauser South Africa led the project. He explains, “Our primary aim was to meet the needs of the customer and ensure that what we designed would optimise the mine and work in an efficient and safe manner when placed in a remote site – a must for any mining operation.”

Carstens points out that the entire solution was customised to fit the purpose as set out by the customer to:

Minimise process value errors.

• Keep to the production target, with a minimum efficiency loss by reading instruments accurately.

• Archive data of all devices on our plant coming from the field.

• Have the correct testing, calibration materials and procedures onsite.

• Ensure that instruments coming from Endress+Hauser, their calibration certificates and values are correct and aligned.

“We also wanted to check that the instrument will respond in a certain time to attend our span of zero calibration; values taken before field installation or during plant shutdown,” says Mbayo.

The internal and external layout of the container was key to fulfilling all requirements. “This means that everything from the grids to the desks, plugpoints, windows and door was fitted” highlights Carstens. “The container we chose is also resistant to corrosion. This, together with its low maintenance and high quality, makes it an ideal product in the often harsh African territory and climate.”

The container at Mumi mine contains the following Endress+Hauser equipment:

1 x calibration workbench.

• 1 x maintenance workbench.

• 1 x mechanical bench with a vice.

• An air-conditioning system, lights and plug sockets.

• A computer with Memobase, Field Care and Field Data Manager.

• 1 x RSG 35 data recorder.

• 1 x CM422 for analytical testing.

• A scale for density calibration.

• Power supplies: 220 VAC, 24 VDC and 110 VAC.

• Field check for flow verifications.

• 4 x instrument display panels.

It also contains two pressure calibration units (-10 to 600 bar ranges) and two temperature calibration units (-30 to 425°C) - both products from a third party supplier.

“Once the container has reached its destination, it’s practically plug and play,” says Carstens. “This particular container requires a 220 VAC power supply, but we are firmly committed to the unique needs of our diverse clients and can supply solar power and any other customisation they wish. It’s also an extremely secure solution, owing to the container’s building material, and the specially fitted security measures.”

Support and aftersales service will continue, with Carstens and a technician assisting with setting up the container once it has reached its destination, and providing training on all equipment. Annual checks will also take place to ensure that the equipment remains first-class.

Endress+Hauser currently supplies more than 95% of the field instruments deployed at the Mumi process plant. The calibration and maintenance container ideally complements these instruments. “At Mumi, we utilise Endress+Hauser technology as it is certified equipment with the best and highest ISO standards,” states Mbayo.

“This container is an investment for our company. We will recover the costs quickly from production, because we can now properly analyse data and make clear decisions based on accurate values and stay on target with regards to our plant production,” concludes Mbayo. “Endress+Hauser put themselves in our shoes and delivered a solution that optimises our business.”

“What this project has shown, is that we can cater for a client’s unique needs as well as deliver on our promise to be ‘right here, right now’ by quickly transforming inefficient ‘old ways of doing things’ to new, innovative and accurate solutions that places you ahead of your competition. Best of all, we are pleased to have successfully built a customised solution in Africa that is both sophisticated and suitable for remote local operations,” says Carstens.

For further information, please visit http://bit.ly/1TbZvzY

For more information contact Endress+Hauser, (011) 262 8000, [email protected]



Credit(s)



Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page

Further reading:

Reinstatement opportunity for ECSA registration
News
In 2023 the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) announced a special opportunity for engineers in South Africa to reinstate their registration status if it had been cancelled. This exclusive offer is available until the end of August 2024.

Read more...
RS South Africa showcases industrial solutions at MTE Phalaborwa
News
RS South Africa recently showcased its latest industrial and electronic solutions at the Mining and Technical Exhibition in Phalaborwa in Limpopo.

Read more...
Specialised Exhibitions appoints Joshua Low as commercial director for Africa
News
Specialised Exhibitions has appointed Joshua Low as commercial director for Africa. This strategic addition to the leadership team comes as Specialised Exhibitions embarks on an ambitious phase of growth across the African continent.

Read more...
WearCheck earns Dissolved Gas Analysis accreditation
Wearcheck News
WearCheck is now accredited to perform Dissolved Gas Analysis for transformers, following a recent assessment by SANAS.

Read more...
From the editor's desk: Riding the hype cycle
Technews Publishing (SA Instrumentation & Control) News
The other day I came across an entertaining article on the ten biggest tech failures of the last decade. Google Glass, 3D TV and Elon Musk’s hyperloop have faded into obscurity. Others, like the metaverse, ...

Read more...
STEMulator – a gift to the youth of the nation
Editor's Choice News
STEMulator is a groundbreaking virtual platform designed to ignite the spark of curiosity in young minds and stimulate their interest in STEM subjects.

Read more...
A strategic milestone for Conical Technologies
Conical Technologies News
Conical Technologies has been appointed as the sole distributor in southern Africa for Mibbo, manufacturers of a vast array of products for the automation industry.

Read more...
Parker Hannifin brings advanced motion technologies to the World RX
Parker Hannifin - Sales Company South Africa News
Parker Hannifin is back on the FIA World Rallycross Championship grid to push the limits of sustainable performance in one of motorsport’s toughest arenas.

Read more...
Tapping into the laboratory economy
News
Africa’s fast-growing young population and enthusiastic adoption of digital technology could pave the way for the continent to fast-track science innovation and become a world leader in diagnostics, analysis and research. This is according to industry bodies, speakers and exhibitors at analytica Lab Africa, South Africa’s only trade fair for laboratory technology, analysis, biotechnology and diagnostics.

Read more...
Fuel your competitive edge with tech that transforms
News
The KwaZulu-Natal Industrial Technology Exhibition 2025, taking place from 22 to 24 July at the Durban Exhibition Centre, offers a vibrant, solution-focused platform tailored to the unique needs of KwaZulu-Natal’s industrial, manufacturing, engineering, maritime, agricultural and mining sectors.

Read more...









While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.




© Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd | All Rights Reserved