NEWS
INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
were once employees and with the
assistance of GEA formed their own
companies.
Because GEA has invested in vertical
integration, a number of things are built
in-house. They have set manufacturing
standards globally though, to ensure
uniform, standard packages. “The
packages are designed between the US,
Germany and South Africa to ensure the
most efficient design and lowest possible
cost,” explains Nigel Amschwand of GEA.
“We are always working on improving the
design and efficiencies wherever possible.”
We are always
working on improving
the design and
efficiencies wherever
possible.
In the workshop, the pressure vessels
start as sheet metal which is then rolled
and fabricated. Then the compressor
sets can be built. To build a piston
compressor set takes about a day and
a half. A screw compressor set takes
about five days, explains Amschwand.
Currently there are about 24 people in
the workshop, but that varies and can
increase when needed.
As mentioned, they started
manufacturing here in 1986 already.
At that time, GEA only sold piston
compressors; the bare machines
only. Then, in 1986, they started
manufacturing and selling the full
compressor sets to make things easier
for the contractors. This meant the
contractor could simply buy a complete
pack instead of building it on site still.
“If contractors build their own packs,
they still have to engineer it themselves
and it might work out more expensive as
they don’t necessarily have the skills and
know-how,” explains Amschwand. “GEA
has invested a lot of money in R&D and
has an international pool of knowledge
to draw from.” Also, because they are
in both manufacturing and contracting,
they get feedback from site as well to
improve on the designs.
The facility also includes a section for working on the ThermoKing transport units.
They don’t just build these packs for
South Africa; it gets shipped all over
Africa. These packs are also built in
the US, China and Germany, all to the
same design.
In terms of challenges, cost
control is a major challenge to local
manufacturing, explains Amschwand.
GEA exports these locally manufactured compressor sets across the African continent.
The impressive new GEA head office in Cape Town.
The pressure vessels all start out as sheet metal in the workshop…
The pressure vessels are all tested on site.
COLD LINK AFRICA •
OCTOBER 2019
“It’s important to keep labour and
material costs down and buying smart.”
Training is very important and there
are continual training projects to make
sure everyone is up to date. In general,
GEA is committed to keeping up with
technology and invests heavily in R&D;
this is how they stay competitive – the
global pool of knowledge…
If I’ve learnt one thing during my
visits, it’s that no matter whether
manufactured in the Netherlands or in
South Africa, the standard and quality is
the same – world-class! CLA
www.coldlinkafrica.co.za
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