Ultra-3000 offered to local, international markets

Concrete products machinery manufacturer Pan Mixers South Africa (PMSA) completed trials for the Ultra-3000 last month, and is offering this “unmatched machine” to the South African and international markets, PMSA marketing and sales manager Quintin Booysen tells Engineering News.

The PMSA-Ultra range brick, block and paving machine debuted at the bauma CONEXPO AFRICA 2018, held from March 13 to 16 at the Johannesburg Expo Centre. This launch followed extensive research and development over three years by PMSA.

The Ultra-3000 is engineered to meet high-volume manufacturers’ requirements for brick, block and paving products, and enables operators to rapidly change setups and machine parameters to produce multiple different products that will meet client requirements.

It was fully designed and built in South Africa, which enables PMSA to provide support from its local manufacturing facility in Boksburg, Johannesburg, and maintain a competitive advantage over imported machinery.

Booysen avers that the Ultra-3000 will add significant value to the market, as it will enable brick and block manu- facturers to produce end-products at a much quicker rate and produce a variety of products ranging between 25 mm and 500 mm in height.

It weighs 30 t and is centred on four large 120-mm-diameter chrome shafts to prevent back-to-front or side-to-side movement. The heavyweight, rigid frame of the machine is designed to fully absorb shock and vibration without allowing for movement to transfer to the operational components of the machine. Not only does this ensure higher- quality products but also reduces wear and tear, which is beneficial in terms of longevity of the equipment.

“This product is a unique offering to the market; there is currently no machine of this speciality size produced in the southern hemisphere, or Africa for that matter,” declares Booysen.

PMSA plans to export the machine to neighbouring countries in Africa, and to South America, Europe and Asia. “We believe that the machine can compete with the best Europe has to offer,” he adds.

PMSA’s membership of the SA Capital Equipment Export Council (SACEEC) provides the company with an opportunity to share ideas with other companies, and issues that other South African exporters experience, states Booysen. “This is invaluable because you cannot get this information anywhere else, only through the experience of engaging in exporting.”

The company has received interest in the machine and is liaising with four potential buyers. “We have clients who are doing well, despite challenging market conditions. They are consolidating or expanding their operations and, therefore, have scope for this product.”

Despite the markets being tough, and the local civil and construction sector struggling, PMSA believes that there is much scope for future business and investment, provided practical decisions and courses of actions are taken.

Booysen highlights that land reform is one challenge for the capital equipment market. He indicates that, if land is used properly, there will be construction and new infrastructure projects, but emphasises that government needs to tackle this issue very carefully, with a long-term view.

“Clients have the cash, but they’re not willing to invest when there is instability – government, therefore, needs to focus on providing stability within the economy.”

However, with new government projects expected to come on line next year, PMSA is hopeful that this will stimulate the economy and create more business for the company’s products in South Africa.