Skyriders receives recognition for a customised solution
April 2020
News
Well known for its innovation in devising customised solutions for specific client requirements, rope-access specialist Skyriders recently received recognition from a major petrochemical producer for achieving a significant reduction in its maintenance costs, and boosting health and safety at the same time. The recognition was for a methodology devised by Skyriders to assist with removing bulky equipment from difficult-to-reach locations for inspection, calibration and repair, and then returning the equipment safely to its exact location.
Marketing manager, Mike Zinn, explains that, due to the strict health and safety requirements of the petrochemical industry, a lengthy consultation process was embarked upon with the client’s safety department to refine the solution. The biggest challenge posed was that, while the equipment was too bulky to be manoeuvred by personnel, it was not sufficiently heavy to require cranage. However, a crane was still necessary due to the restricted or limited access, with a shortage of space in which the equipment could be manoeuvred with ease.
A diagonal cable way was erected to lift and move the piece of equipment up and over any obstacles, which weighed 80 kg. Thereafter it was transported to the workshop. Upon its return, the diagonal cable way system was simply reverse-rigged in order to return the equipment to the interior of the tank. Zinn adds that the system devised by Skyriders has diverse applications, depending on its weight limitation. “The way forward is to learn from and refine this methodology even further, and increase the scope and flexibility of its use.”
Further reading:
RS South Africa shapes future engineering talent
RS South Africa
News
RS South Africa is demonstrating that nurturing future engineers goes beyond traditional classrooms or competitions. On STEM Day, the company shone a light on the full spectrum of its educational initiatives.
Read more...
ABB and Compu-Power bring high-efficiency UPS innovation to IS3 X-Change 2025
News
ABB recently participated in the 31st annual IS
3X-Change 2025 in Cape Town, alongside its long-standing channel partner Compu-Power.
Read more...
UKZN’s SMART lab wins aviation award
News
: The SMART Lab at UKZN was awarded first place in the Aviation Research and Development category at the Civil Aviation Authority of South Africa’s award ceremony for outstanding contributions and achievements in the aviation sector.
Read more...
Meta and partners announce completion of 2Africa subsea cable system
News
Meta, in partnership with leading global and regional telecommunications companies, has announced the completion and activation of the core 2Africa subsea cable system. This marks a historic milestone in digital infrastructure, establishing what the world’s longest open-access subsea cable system.
Read more...
RS South Africa retains Level 2 B-BBEE status
RS South Africa
News
RS South Africa has once again achieved Level 2 B-BBEE verification.
Read more...
SEW-EURODRIVE unveils world class facility in Gqeberha
News
In a landmark event in the Eastern Cape attended by key customers and industry leaders, SEW-EURODRIVE officially opened its expanded state-of-the-art facility in Gqeberha, marking a major milestone in its strategy to strengthen regional support and deepen its footprint in the region.
Read more...
Africa’s brightest young battery innovators
Schneider Electric South Africa
News
Schneider Electric and Enactus, the international NGO dedicated to inspiring students through entrepreneurial action, have announced the winners of the 2025 Energy Transition Battery Innovation Challenge, funded by the Schneider Electric Foundation. It empowers young innovators to design battery solutions addressing the region’s most pressing energy challenges.
Read more...
Africa’s strategic role in powering the global clean energy future
News
The 2026 Africa Energy Indaba is to spotlight Africa’s mineral wealth, industrialisation potential and the urgent need for sustainable value chain development.
Read more...
The road to the Indaba
News
The Africa Automation Indaba 2026 is set to become a landmark gathering for Africa’s automation, process control and manufacturing community.
SA Instrumentation and Control will be running a dedicated editorial series spotlighting the voices, ideas and debates shaping Africa’s industrial future.
Read more...
Crash reconstruction tests advance vehicle safety research
News
The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Scientific Multidisciplinary Advanced Research Technologies (SMART) Lab recently participated in a series of collaborative crash reconstruction tests held at the Toyota Test Track.
Read more...
printer friendly version