06 Oct Iritron MCCs – Driven by Quality – Locally Manufactured for the Global Market
6 October 2023: With a history of delivering large engineering projects globally, Iritron has over 20 years’ experience in designing Motor Control Centres (MCCs) built to the highest international specifications, explains Alwyn Rautenbach, the CEO of Iritron.
Iritron, is an engineering, integration and manufacturing company providing solutions in the fields of electrical, instrumentation, control systems and decision support systems.
Rautenbach explains that driven by quality standards, the company has ISO 9001:2015 quality management system accreditation and is considerate of the wellbeing of the environment and its staff, customers and contractors, boasting ISO 14001: 2015 and ISO 45001:2018 accreditation. Iritron’s panels also carry the SABS mark.
“We always engineer solutions that contribute to the effectiveness of operations according to the client’s specifications. Return on investment needs to be justified, and that is where Iritron excels,” he adds.
As members of the Electrical Switchgear Association of South Africa (ESASA), Iritron is a custom panel and MCC manufacturer with a manufacturing facility in Gauteng; and as a level 7 Engineering and Procurement (EP) with the Construction Industry Development Board (cidb), provides construction installation management.
“While our professionalism and quality compliance allow us to execute faceted projects successfully, nothing beats word of mouth,” states Rautenbach.
Internationally, the company has completed a number of complex control and automation projects that included the design and manufacture of custom panels and MCCs including the following notable projects:
Multi-million rand cross-border project in Gabon
Iritron recently completed an expansion project for a manganese mine in Gabon. The mine is the world’s second largest high-grade manganese producer. Iritron has a history of delivering large engineering projects globally, and this project was no different. The company has more than 20 years’ experience in the manganese mining market, starting in South Africa, and expanded into the rest of Africa and abroad.
The project – designed by a global multidisciplinary EPCM consultancy – tasked Iritron with delivering a solution that comprised multiple engineering disciplines with tight deadlines: electrical MCCs, a control system, CCTV and network cabinets form part of the delivery. The project, explains Rautenbach, was awarded to Iritron owing to its proven engineering expertise and experience in this type of delivery.
“A project of this magnitude included some unique challenges. The company was impacted by worldwide semiconductor shortages that created logistical challenges due to supply chain disruptions and capacity shortages. The ongoing pandemic and port congestion did not alleviate the problem either. This required the Iritron team to turn their operations ‘upside down’, in the literal sense, to keep to timelines,” he explains.
What is meant by that statement, adds Rautenbach, is that the team started work on the MCCs in reverse – activities usually scheduled for the end of a build were completed first.
“This was a testament to the ingenuity of the project and the engineering team, as no time was wasted waiting for equipment to arrive.
“The team got ahead as a result of its technical expertise and proven design methodologies, to ultimately reduce overall project risks posed by the supply chain bottleneck. Iritron successfully delivered the project on time and within budget, and in the process securing additional larger projects.”
Make-over for Packaged Goods Plant
The estimated R7.5-million project, for a major South African packaged-goods company required refurbishing and upgrading a plant with the latest optimised control systems. The scope of work revolved around replacing eleven Wheat Mill’s programmable logic controllers (PLCs) with one Siemens S7-1500 PLC. The PLC panels were replaced by remote IO panels. The old PLC programs were reverse-engineered and reprogrammed into the new Siemens PLC.
The eleven-storey plant comprises more than 4 000 instruments that are all connected to the control system. Iritron was responsible for replacing all the panels, switchgear and PLCs connecting to the original supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system. New communication cables and power cables were supplied and installed.
Redundant PLCs and other equipment was replaced with modern equipment, ensuring a modern plant control system with available spares. The new equipment will reduce unplanned downtime, owing to control equipment failure, thus increasing plant reliability and throughput. It also ensures a reduction in control equipment and potential points of failure and maintenance in the long term.
“New technology was implemented, for example, in the roller mill electrical works, with a new MCC designed, manufactured, fitted, supplied and installed by Iritron. The MCC is equipped with automation company ABB’s switchgear and OEM-supplied free issue variable-speed drives (VSDs). The MCC is equipped with 45 direct online starters and 26 VSD starters,” concluded Rautenbach.
ENDS
About Iritron
Iritron is a Level 2, B-BBEE empowered engineering, integration and manufacturing company providing solutions in the fields of electrical, instrumentation, control systems and decision support systems. We have extensive local and international engineering expertise and a proven track record across various industries.
Media Contact:
Charles Poulter
Senior Account Manager| SWM Communications
Contact: 076 812 8429
Email: charles@swmcommunications.co.za
Contact:
Gerhard Greeff
Divisional Manager PM&C | Iritron
Contact: 082 654 0290
Email: Gerhard.greeff@iritron.co.za