Alstom Radiant Gas Heaters

Industrial Radiant Gas Heaters for Alstom Ubuyne Manufacturing Workshop

Introduction:

Alstom Ubunye is an African rail company that inaugurated their 80 000 m2 modernised factory in Nigel in 2019. This rail components manufacturer specialises in the production of electrical and mechanical components for various applications. The welding workshop was faced with a challenging situation due to the ambient temperature in the region dropping to between 8 and -0,3 °C in the mornings, from April to September. Welding procedures required temperatures > 10°C, which resulted in excessive production downtime during the Winter months.

Scope of the Project – Ayogas:

Ayogas was approached by Alstom Ubuyne for assistance to identify, review and select the best heating solution for their welding bays in the workshop. Solutions in consideration included workshop insulation, space heating and radiant heating. After the completion of a detail cost-benefit analysis, the most practical and cost-effective solution was selected. After a successful pilot project, Ayogas designed, installed and commissioned the industrial radiant gas heating system for Alstom Ubuyne’s 50 welding bays. Ayogas also does the routine annual maintenance on the system.

The industrial radiant heater system consists of the following:

50 x Powrmatic Radiant Gas heaters – PVU30 & PVU40
Each heater is equipped with a Superior Radiant Reflector (Canada)
The gas heaters were imported and locally assembled and installed by Ayogas
Each heater is equipped with a SANS 329 Gas Train to provide a safe and compliant installation
Fit-for-purpose holding brackets were designed, manufactured and load tested
Electrical supply & control panels were designed, built and installed by a master electrician
The heaters are controlled with a temperature bulb and MC200 smart controller enabling operational effectiveness and energy efficiency.

The outcome:

Raw material temperature increased as a result of the gas radiant heaters.
The workshop experienced a major reduction in downtime with no welding stoppages due to low ambient temperatures.
The system has been in operation for three years and continues to deliver excellent results.