Displaying items by tag: WearCheck News

It’s been business as usual, as well as moving head office, the transformer oil lab, the oil analysis lab and the mini-lab all to our beautiful new premises in Westville, plus celebrating 10 years for WearCheck India, and some staff members reaching major milestones such as 45 years as part of the WearCheck family - we sure have been busy lately!

Do you wonder how and why we conduct specialised rope testing services for our mining customers, or what the benefits of live sampling with filtration are? Our latest Monitor newsletter features these stories as well as the details of our lockdown-compliant online training courses, a discussion on synthetic oils, our new team members and more – you can read it here.

Monitor Issue 82 Download (446kb)

The global Covid-19 pandemic currently wreaking havoc on every continent’s health system and economy has elicited many coping mechanisms, mainly to delay the onslaught of the virus on populations through lockdown and social distancing.

How can South African companies begin operating again and ensure the health of their employees?

In answer to this fundamental question, condition monitoring specialists, WearCheck, have created a unique HealthCheck disinfectant ‘’d’’ tunnel which can be situated at the entrance to work-sites or public spaces, and which sprays every person who enters with human-friendly disinfectant.

HealthCheck d-tunnel designer Chris Hattingh, technical consultant at WearCheck, believes the tunnel will assist mines, transport and construction companies, airports, stations, hospitals, schools and other industries to re-open safely by ensuring employees do not bring the virus into the workplace.

The HealthCheck d-tunnel sprays people with a “non-harmful” sanitiser known as B-safe HOCI – it is the only known sanitiser which kills all pathogens, including COVID-19. It is 100% safe for use on humans, including the hands and face, and even on food. It can be safely sprayed right into the nasal passage and into one’s mouth without side-effects.

This is a practical solution for companies to re-open safely once the lockdown restrictions are eased. It is a sure way to eliminate risk and limit viral infections, thereby keeping our workforce healthier and helping South Africa’s hard-hit economy to make a come-back.’

The HealthCheck d-tunnel is available in two versions – a heavily-engineered model designed to accommodate large volumes of foot traffic, as well as a “light” option for smaller organisations.

The HealthCheck d-tunnel does not need an operator. A simple 230 volt pressure pump dispenses the spray, while the tunnel is corrosion-resistant and has variable settings for the misting intervals and spray times.

The sanitisation system has many benefits, including these: it is non-flammable, non-toxic, it is ecologically friendly, and can be disposed of in municipal drains without adverse effects as it degrades to the quality of source water. There are no known health hazards, and no dermal irritation factors and no eye-irritants.

The disinfectant can be dispensed to other locations using WearCheck’s range of portable systems and pumps, ensuring that on-site spaces such as offices, training centres and meeting places are virus-free.

For further information, or to order a HealthCheck disinfectant tunnel, please contact Chris Hattingh on +27 (0) 83 625 0808 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

or click here http://www.wearcheck.co.za/shared/Healthspray%20Brochure.pdf

WearCheck, are proud to announce a partnership with Swedish condition monitoring instrument manufacturers, SPM.

The full SPM range features portable condition monitoring products, online systems, maintenance tools, technologies and expertise, all using techniques that help customers to achieve the highest possible uptime of critical assets – an approach which dovetails perfectly with WearCheck’s.

WearCheck’s technicians have been trained to use, apply and install the SPM equipment, which performs many reliability solutions techniques, including vibration measurement and analysis, balancing, orbit analysis and laser shaft alignment, bearing and pulse checking, lubrication assessment and root cause analysis.

Scientific lubrication programme saves money

Tough economic times dictate that companies need a thrifty approach to maintenance, without compromising on quality. By lubricating scientifically, in other words utilising condition monitoring technology to tell you if you need to lubricate, rather than relying on a time-based programme, plants will definitely create cost savings. This is a simple process done with SPM’s BearingChecker and Vibchecker as your first line of defence.

Online monitoring guards assets 24/7

A lack of on-site manpower to conduct condition monitoring does not mean that this is an opportunity for machinery to fail. Rather, WearCheck and SPM now have top-of-the range online guarding solutions in the form of the SPM Intellinova range of online condition monitoring units, which combine wired and wireless (Airius) platforms into one cloud-based/on-site server application.

Super supportive software

SPM’s Condmaster software - the unique platform via which all the SPM devices interact - supports the full product range including handheld devices for measuring vibration data, alignment and balancing.

The software also governs online systems for continuous monitoring, such as wired multichannel systems and wireless monitoring systems, as well as supporting external user directories such as Microsoft Azure AD and REST API. The software offers a wide range of connectivity options, perfect for smart factories and Industry 4.0 environment.

As per the distribution agreement, WearCheck will provide full technical support and sales for SPM instruments in the following countries in which WearCheck operates – South Africa, Zambia, Namibia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Botswana.

We are proud to announce that two of our Reliability Solutions technicians have successfully passed their Vibration Analysis CAT II training. Hearty congratulations to Dontaé Badenhorst and Hannest Koegelenberg.

Captions:
Hannest Koegelenberg is a Level 2 vibration analyst with WearCheck, currently stationed at Lethabo Power Station.
Dontaé Badenhorst is a level 2 vibration analyst with WearCheck, currently based at Neopak Rosslyn in Pretoria.

Thank you to everyone who visited the WearCheck stand at African Utility Week (AUW) in Cape Town recently.

Many good conversations about our specialist condition monitoring services were had, with particular focus on the electrical/power generation sector.

Maintaining the health of components is so important for improved productivity of transformers, engines, gearboxes and electric motors. Regular assessment and used oil analysis help achieve optimum condition of components. Examination of the physical condition of components helps avoid unplanned failure, while transformer health is monitored through regular assessment of insulating fluid – these are the steps to reducing maintenance costs.

The massive expense of unplanned failure can be avoided with regularly-scheduled oil testing.  This reliable maintenance practice helps optimise the life of components. Other condition monitoring techniques include vibration analysis, balancing, alignment, motor circuit analysis and thermography.

Image: WearCheck’s stand at African Utility Week featured maintenance of power generation operations.

Thamsanqa “Thami’ Shongwe is WearCheck’s new in-house instrument technician. Armed with a national diploma in electrical engineering (light current), and several years of experience as an electronic technician, a production technician and a repair technician – this has stood him in good stead to ensure that he is highly instrumental in keeping the company’s laboratory equipment operating accurately and efficiently.

Thami is responsible for maintaining all the instruments in 15 of the 16 WearCheck laboratories - those that are situated on the African continent.

Dennis Swanepoel – WearCheck’s reliability solutions consultant, Mobius trainer and CAT IV graduate – just returned from the latest CBM (Condition Based Monitoring) Conference in the Middle East, where he conducted four different presentations for delegates from all over the globe.

The sessions run by Dennis included two one day presentations - Animated Introduction to Vibration Analysis and Practical Vibration Analysis, and two 45 minute presentations titled Time Waveform Setup Fundamentals and Practical High Frequency Demodulation.

WearCheck MD Neil Robinson says the company is proud of Dennis. ‘It is a great honour to be invited to present to such high-calibre delegates on highly technical issues. These topics are Dennis’ areas of expertise, and we are delighted that he is gaining international recognition for his in-depth reliability solutions knowledge.’

To add to the honour, Dennis is currently serving a year-long term as an editorial board member of the international organisation CBMConnect, which is run by the Mobius Institute. The board is made up of nine industry thought leaders from around the world and is tasked with guiding condition-based maintenance multimedia content for CBM professionals.

Image left: Dennis Swanepoel, WearCheck’s reliability solutions consultant, Mobius trainer and CAT IV graduate, presented four papers at the CBM conference in Abu Dhabi recently.

Image right: Dennis Swanepoel is on the editorial board for CBMConnect this year, run by the Mobius Institute. Here, he discusses vibration analysis with another delegate at the CBM conference in the Middle East in April.

WearCheck will once again be exhibiting at African Utility Week (AUW), which takes place in Cape Town from 14 to 16 May 2019. We will be at stand H6 – please come and meet us.

We offer specialist condition monitoring services across many industries, including the electrical/power generation sector. Our Transformer Chemistry Services division and our Reliability Solutions division will be showcased at AUW.

We believe that, to minimise maintenance costs, it is critically important to boost the health of components, including transformers, engines, gearboxes and electric motors. Optimum health of components is achieved through regular assessment and used oil analysis. Examination of the physical condition of components helps avoid unplanned failure, while transformer health is monitored through regular assessment of insulating fluid.

Compared with the cost of unplanned machinery failure, investment in regularly-scheduled oil testing is a cost-effective and sound maintenance practice that helps optimise the life of components. Other condition monitoring techniques include vibration analysis, balancing, alignment, motor circuit analysis and thermography.

Remember - come and meet WearCheck at stand H6 at AUW. Visit www.wearcheck.co.za or https://www.african-utility-week.com/ for more info.

Contact WearCheck on tel. (031) 700-5460 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. – we are standing by to help you reduce your maintenance costs.

Four more of WearCheck’s RS (reliability solutions) technicians recently passed their CAT certification through the Mobius Institute, which is a worldwide provider of education in reliability improvement, condition monitoring and precision maintenance. This follows the ten WearCheck technicians who gained their CAT certification earlier this year.

WearCheck is the certified Mobius training centre for Africa, and courses are run for WearCheck customers anywhere, any date, on demand.

Technicians who gained their CAT 111 certification are Alastair Mac Gillicudy and Roeloff Hoffmann, while those who earned their CAT 11 certification are Reinier Kalp and Stephanie du Plessis.

CAT 11 students underwent a compulsory 18-month practical experience, followed by four days of lectures and a full day examination. CAT 111 students had to complete a 36-month practical experience, lectures for four days and examinations.

Vibration database setup and fault analysis are the predominant focus of both CAT 11 and CAT 111. The training sessions are practical and hands-on, enabling the technicians to hone their skills and progress to the next level.

Dennis Swanepoel - WearCheck reliability solutions consultant, Mobius trainer and CAT 1V graduate - is extra proud of his latest graduates. ‘Congratulations, everyone!’

Roeloff Hoffmann, reliability solutions technician from WearCheck in Limpopo, earned his CAT 111 certification. Reinier Kalp from Springs and Stephanie du Plessis from KZN WearCheck successfully earned their CAT 11 certification.

In July, Quentin Gustav von Kleist joined WearCheck’s team in Johannesburg as a technical support consultant.  Quentin brings with him a wealth of experience in the preventive maintenance arena, with particular knowledge of the mining industry and related components.

Prior to joining WearCheck, Quentin spent many years working in India for zinc and lead mines such as Hindustan Zinc, where he maintained mining machinery and repaired inoperative components. Armed with certification in the fundamentals of lubrication and oil analysis, Quentin and his team ensured that a large and varied range of equipment in the mines operated at peak performance, including dump trucks, loaders, drill rigs, raised bores, beamers, cutters, drill rods, stabs and more.

Quintin is already firmly-established in the WearCheck team that is on hand to assist customers with any technical support queries.