Welkom Industrial Controls - hands-on involvement with client requirements
March 2011
System Integration & Control Systems Design
Formed as Welkom Industrial Controls (WIC) in 1988, the company is not only a product and service solution provider but is also engaged in the development, manufacture and marketing of process control instrumentation and systems.
“We administer a project management approach in our business strategy. This entails the formulisation of a feasibility study, advice on systems and products, design of software to suit the system, LV panel building, installation and commissioning of systems, training, maintenance and upgrade services,” says general manager Llewellyn Coveney-Winter.
The company currently employs 25 people in its Welkom offices. “We have two engineers in the office as well as three technicians that are responsible for dedicated on-site liaison and technical input. They are complemented by three sales people who double up as technical advisors. A further three dedicated salespeople, nine installation specialists and five administrative staff complete the profile,” Coveney-Winter adds.
The Welkom Industrial Controls facilities
WIC counts Harmony Gold Mine, AngloGold Ashanti, Anglo Platinum and Goldfields amongst its blue chip clients and provides them with tailored solutions that include upgrading of process and manufacturing equipment; replacement of PLCs or automation systems; software development and scada installation.
“We have also upgraded 13 compressors for Anglogold Ashanti. The upgrade has improved the efficiency of the machines and provided superior monitoring. In addition, we are currently installing control valves on all the production levels for Harmony’s Bambanani mine to regulate the compressed air usage. This will result in major savings for the mine,” says Coveney-Winter. “The company has also been involved in a number of DSM projects for Eskom.”
Coveney-Winter points out that independence in selection of solutions is simplified as the company is not aligned with any single instrumentation supplier or manufacturer. “We are registered as Wonderware and Schneider systems integrators, but we work with clients to determine the best possible solutions for their particular applications. Other suppliers include Weidmuller, Vega, Temperature Controls, Ascoreg, Siemens and Wika.
“Something which I feel is a differentiator for us is that our MD – an engineer – is intimately involved in the design and engineering of the systems we offer our clients. This hands-on approach means that clients are afforded a personalised service that is unique to their specific requirements,” Coveney-Winter explains.
WIC’s own product suite includes solutions for asset management, event logging, information analysis, asset depreciation, financial management and an array of communication solutions. “In the past two years we have invested over R1,5m in energy management and renewable energy. We have placed a huge emphasis on ‘Going Green’ and finding alternate energy sources,” says Coveney-Winter.
WIC provides its clients with a complete maintenance and service contract but also believes in facilitating clients to undertake their own maintenance. “We are in the business of providing systems solutions and feel that the transfer of operational and maintenance knowledge to our clients is a value added benefit for their bottom line. We provide them with the tools in our training sessions to optimise their systems and retain control of the processes for maximised uptime,” Coveney-Winter concludes.
For more information contact Welkom Industrial Controls, +27 (0)57 357 5724, [email protected], www.wic.co.za
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