From the growing of sugar cane on the agricultural side to sugar refineries on the production side, leading supplier Bearings International (BI) plays a key role in this important economic sector. With 60 years of experience servicing this industry, it has gained meaningful expertise that has cemented its role as a critical supplier.
“The sugar industry remains a major focus and contributor to our portfolio,” comments Nick Allanson, branch manager for Sugar Chain in Durban. As a distributor of various quality brands in the industrial power transmission sector, BI is able to incorporate these products into the drive solutions it supplies to the sugar industry.
Typical solutions provided relate to the conveyor equipment used to move the cane through all the stages of processing required to extract the sucrose, to the final movement of the waste by-product used as a combustible fuel source for the boilers.
Nick Allanson.
Reliable conveyor systems are critical for sugar mills to maintain productivity, as any stoppages here have a knock-on effect on the entire process. “Mill operations are dynamic in nature, with so many stages being interdependent. Hence the production time that can be lost is substantial. It also takes a meaningful period to get a mill up and running again and its throughput balanced,” comments Allanson.
Here BI focuses on stocking loose components, which plays an important role in servicing the sugar industry. “Without loose components, we do not have the flexibility necessary to respond timeously to the demands of a particular sugar mill, remembering that mills have differing chain requirements,” explains Allanson.
Loose components are vital for the refurbishment of used chains, a particular focus for BI for many years. As profitability in the sugar industry has come under increasing pressure over the past five years, extending the life of chains is essential to assist in reducing the operational costs of sugar mills. Without a large stock of loose components, BI would be unable to contribute to reducing the total cost of ownership of these chains.
Allanson elaborates that every year in the off-crop season, chains are sent to the Durban facility for stripping, inspection, refurbishment and reassembly. However, BI is also capable of conducting on-site inspections of chain conveyor equipment in order to assess whether or not a particular chain can be used for the next season without placing undue risk on production output.
Helping mines get results from water improvements
News
South African mines operate under constrained, water-scarce conditions where every investment must be justified. Xylem’s Chetan Mistry explains how the right water technology partner helps mines prioritise high-value water systems across the mining lifecycle.
Read more...From the editor's desk: Pushing engineering to the limit Technews Publishing
News
Among the many things robots can do, it’s a lot of fun to follow how fast they are. They go from the Boston Dynamics cheetah, which first reached a record-breaking speed of 45,5 km/h, to the robot Charlie ...
Read more...Schneider Electric concludes Innovation Summit Middle East and Africa Schneider Electric South Africa
News
Schneider Electric's Innovation Summit Middle East and Africa, held in Abu Dhabi with more than 2500 attendees, explored the convergence of energy, AI and industrial software, launched an Industrial AI study and announced the NEST Accelerator Programme for energy and industrial tech startups.
Read more...VEGA brings measurement expertise beyond mining to Electra Mining Africa 2026 VEGA Controls SA
News
VEGA used its Electra Mining Africa 2026 stand to demonstrate that its level and pressure measurement instruments extend well beyond mining, covering water, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and oil and gas applications across the continent.
Read more...Sustainable solutions for sugar Bearing Man Group t/a BMG
News
BMG received a Special Commendation Exhibition Stand Award at the South African Sugar Technologists’ Association Congress, where it showcased an integrated turnkey drive solution designed to simplify the upgrading of ageing crushing-mill drive systems.
Read more...Measure, Manage, Maintain: The operating model behind SA’s water resilience Siemens South Africa
News
South Africa’s growing water crisis is putting pressure on infrastructure, municipalities and the economy. Siemens highlights how digital technologies, smarter operations and safe water reuse could help shift the country from crisis response towards a more resilient and sustainable water future.
Read more...VEGA brings measurement expertise beyond mining to Electra Mining Africa 2026 VEGA Controls SA
News
VEGA used its Electra Mining Africa 2026 stand to demonstrate that its level and pressure measurement instruments extend well beyond mining, covering water, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and oil and gas applications across the continent.
Read more...Schneider Electric concludes Innovation Summit Middle East and Africa Schneider Electric South Africa
News
Schneider Electric’s Innovation Summit Middle East and Africa, held in Abu Dhabi with more than 2500 attendees, explored the convergence of energy, AI and industrial software, launched an Industrial AI study and announced the NEST Accelerator Programme.
Read more...Bi-SAER partnership powers fluid solutions across key industrial sectors Bearings International
Valves, Actuators & Pump Control
Bearings International entered the local pumps market in 2025 through an exclusive distribution agreement with Italian manufacturer SAER, bringing a range of centrifugal, multistage and submersible pump solutions to South African mining, municipal, agricultural and industrial sectors.
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.
printer friendly version