Leading the way in environmental engineering

South African-based company August General Servicing (AGS) has been a leader in manufacturing for materials handling, general steel work plate work and specialist equipment such as feeders, scrubbers, filters and Redler conveyors since its formation in 1976. AGS started out in the bustling chemical engineering era of Modderfontien, with facilities set up to tackle the immense amount of maintenance work for the giant stations in operation at the time.

AGS’s engineering specialty has led it to work in a number of varied industries. From its early work in chemical engineering, AGS has been sought after by companies seeking land conveyors for coal to the Johannesburg Opera company. AGS Managing Director George Brander concedes, smiling, that the work done by AGS in South Africa is “quite broad based, yes.” AGS is working with Petrochemical and mining plants across Africa and in Japan, work in material handling and major projects in the field of manufacturing and erection.

However, in recent years, AGS has successfully emerged as true niche players in the emerging environmental sector, working to help reduce the environmental impact of South Africa’s giant, and long awaited, power plant stations.

AGS is working with Eskom on its highly publicized Medupi Power Station—the coal fire power plant in Lephalale which is comprised of six units, rated at 4,800 MW installed capacity.

“We are very proud as a company that we got this contract. There is a shortage of power so it is also something that needs to be run on time and is fundamental to the economy of SA. It will have a tremendous impact and we are very proud as a relatively small company (one of the smallest for the portion of work AGS is doing),” says Brander.

AGS is also doing the conversion of electrostatic precipitators to bag filters (approximate mass 2,400 tons) on Arnot power station unit 1-6 the manufacture, assembly and erection of internals of existing electrostatic precipitators (approximate mass 340 tons) for Sappi Ngodwana Precipitator P4, and the major electrostatic precipitator refurbishment projects  for the Kriel Power Station units 1-6. In all cases, AGS is a vital part of effectively reducing its particulate emissions and meeting environmental requirements.

For its delivery in world-class services from procurement to manufacturing, delivering and installation of filtration systems, AGS have garnered a reputation as one of the leading companies in the SA engineering industry. Its work in state-of-the-art power stations – either their maintenance or initial implementation— has earned the company a reputation as leaders in the global environmental sector.

Brander is humble, but very proud of the lengths his company has come.

“We do have quite a bit of a foothold when it comes to filter at power stations,” he says. “We do seem to do well in that area.”

He continues to describe the two filtration systems used by AGS.

“SA power stations are mostly coal fired,” he says. “When the boilers heat, the ash comes out and goes through either an electrostatic or bag filter. With the former, the filter is loaded charged plates that have electrodes running in between which forces the ash to stick to the plates. The ash pulled from the air gets collected and transported away. The dirty air goes in, clean air comes out.”

“A bag filter,” Brander continues, “works essentially like a vacuum.”  Bag filters are 15 centimetres in diameter and hang down into the 40 metre-high container. The ash-filled air goes into the container and is suctioned out. The use of high-efficiency filter systems makes it possible for operators of both old and new plants to act in an environmentally responsible way and accordance to environmental standards by effectively levelling particulate emissions.

AGS has recently built a new, larger facility which reflects the growth of the company. The new workshop is a source of excitement for AGS and will be over 3,000 metres squared with a 5-ton overhead crane and a 10-ton overhead crane and new equipment capable of handling AGS’s influx of cutting, rolling, fabrication and manufacturing projects. Additionally, the company recently moved into another workshop in Alrode, a 5,000 square metre covered area with the best manufacturing equipment.

“AGS does a lot of in house training now. We have created a training facility where employees get assessed and go through training programs. This is another step to make sure our quality and workmanship stays high. Not many companies have a facility in place like this, and we are proud of that,” says Brander.

Pioneering quality

If it is true that actions speak volumes, then AGS as the first company to be awarded the ISO 3834 - Part 3 “Quality Requirements for Fusion Welding of Metallic Materials” certificate in South Africa says a lot. The certificate was personally handed over to AGS by management of the SAIW (South African Institute of Welding). The certification ensures AGS clients a high quality of workmanship in-line with international best practices and standards.

Besides AGS’s contribution to the environmental sector, the company also boasts an exemplary health, safety and environmental record of its own. Brander credits this to the AGS team, who have amassed a great number of combined years of experience, and know how to do things right, quickly, the first time.

www.augustgeneral.co.za

Add to: del.icio.us | Digg | NewsVine | Mixx | FaceBook | Twitter