Items filtered by date: Friday, 13 June 2025

Angola is the next frontier across which WearCheck is set to expand, when Cummins Angola becomes the first local WearCheck agent, based in Luanda.

Global power leader Cummins recently sent staff from their Angolan branch to WearCheck Pinetown in South Africa to attend a three day oil analysis training course.

The Cummins delegation also met with the WearCheck Pinetown team and toured the laboratory, in preparation for their rôle as agents for the company.

Cummins and WearCheck intersect on many levels as they operate in the same industries, albeit supplying different services. While WearCheck specialises in condition monitoring, Cummins Inc. designs, manufactures, sells and services diesel and alternative-fuelled electrical generator sets and related components.

Cummins Angola will serve as a depot where WearCheck kits can be purchased, and samples can be dropped off. Samples will be sent to a WearCheck laboratory, and diagnosis and results communicated directly with the customers.

Kits are available in both Portuguese and English.

Cummins Angola, set to become WearCheck agents shortly, recently visited WearCheck Pinetown.  Seen in the laboratory are (from left to right) Meshach Govender (lab manager), Ines Miguel, Steven Lumley (WearCheck technical manager) and Madeira Domingos.

Oil sampling is the most critical aspect of oil analysis. Errors in obtaining a representative sample impair all further oil analysis efforts. There are two primary goals in obtaining a representative oil sample:

Maximise Data Density - simply stated, samples should be taken in such a way that there is the most information per millilitre of oil possible. This information relates to such criteria as cleanliness and dryness of the oil, depletion of additives, and the presence of wear particles being generated by the machine. For instance, taking samples downstream of filters would be contrary to this sampling goal since the filter would effectively remove much of the data before it could get to the sample bottle.

Minimise Data Disturbance - Samples should be extracted in such a way that the concentration of information is uniform, consistent and unaltered by the sampling process. It is important to make sure that the sample does not become contaminated during the sampling process. This can distort the data, making it difficult to distinguish what was originally in the oil from what has come into the oil during the sampling process. For example, sampling oil with a dirty sample bottle can result in data disturbance (a false positive in this case).

[Extract from the book "Oil Analysis Basics” - Second Edition”, by The Noria Corporation (The book has many contributors)]

WearCheck Cape Town has relocated to 33 Prosperity Park, Computer Road, Sable Square, Century City in Cape Town.

Here, samples can be dropped off and kits purchased. Conveniently situated just metres away is one of WearCheck’s newest laboratories, which was acquired by the WearCheck family when they took over TCS (transformer chemistry services) recently.

WearCheck’s transformer maintenance division has now expanded to include dedicated transformer labs in KZN and Cape Town, and offers the full spectrum of transformer maintenance services.

WearCheck Cape Town can be contacted on landline (021) 001 2100 or via cell phone 082 381 3321

Pictured outside the new WearCheck Cape Town office in Century City is branch manager Quintin Ras (left) with
receptionist Jacqueline Henry and driver Hoosain Sydow.

WearCheck customers can now pay with the Zapper mobile application when purchasing any WearCheck products and services from the following branches - KZN, Gauteng, Middleburg and Cape Town.

Zapper is a free app which enables you to charge items to your credit card without having the credit card physically present at the transaction. Zapper is very secure, and works on any smart phone or device. Simply download the app, load in your credit card details and start zapping!

When presented with an invoice, you simply open the Zapper app, and scan the QR (quick reader) code located at the branch. The QR Code can also be emailed upfront to you, to allow you to process the payment before you arrange collection of your WearCheck products.

Once the user scans the QR code with their smart phone and approves the transaction and the amount, the money is debited directly off the user’s credit card. Zapper does not charge the user to use the app.

You will receive an email from Zapper confirming the transaction.

An example of a QR code:

scan this one (via the Zapper app) with your smart phone just for fun, it will take you to the WearCheck website.

One of the things that makes WearCheck stand head and shoulders above its competitors is the people that work for the company, and the great rapport they have with our customers and with their colleagues.

This rapport is not developed overnight, but rather, it is nurtured and grown over time, and WearCheck is fortunate to have many dedicated team members who have worked for the company for long stretches of time.

HR manager Michelle Padayachee praised the long-serving staff members who have dedicated their energy to the company and applauded the loyalty of all long-serving staff members. ‘We appreciate your dedication and recognise your commitment to the company – thank you.’

Michelle noted several team members who have now been with WearCheck for two decades.

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• Managing director Neil Robinson has been at WearCheck for 20 years. He began his career with the company as a chemist in 1997, was promoted to lab manager in 1999 then technical manager in 2002. He has lead the company as MD for the past 12 years.
• Field service customer support officer Isaac Mabaso has worked at WearCheck’s Johannesburg branch for 20 years
• Laboratory assistant Shireen Brijlal has worked in WearCheck Pinetown’s lab for 20 years
• Software support assistant Collin Naicker has worked at WearCheck Pinetown for 20 years
• Reliability solutions lead technician Eddie Pieterse, fondly known as “Eddie Senior”, has worked at this job for 20 years. Eddie was part of WearCheck’s ABB acquisition in 2012.
• Credit supervisor Kay Pillay has worked at WearCheck Pinetown for 20 years

WearCheck recently conducted training courses for wind turbine manufacturers Nordex and Acciona at Cape Town’s SARATEC (South African Renewable Energy Centre) institution, focusing on wind energy and sustainable resources and how to maintain the equipment that harnesses these resources in peak operating condition.

SARATEC is the first national renewable energy technology centre in SA to offer specialised industry-related training for the entire renewable energy industry, and served as a venue for the WearCheck training courses.

Pictured during wind turbine training at SARATEC are Steven Lumley (third from left) then Philip Schutte on her left and Ian Gray (far right). With them are some of the students who completed the course - Kunene Nhlakanipho, Noel De Rose and Elton White from Acciona.

One of the most important size particles to control in lubricants and hydraulic oils is clearance-sized particles. Larger particles cannot get between moving surfaces and smaller ones pass right through.

Clearance-sized particles usually get in and do the most damage. The clearance refers to the film of separation provided by the lubricant or hydraulic fluid.

Contamination control starts by keeping contaminants out of the equipment from the beginning. The costs associated with keeping the contamination out from the beginning are much less than cleaning a system once is has been contaminated.

Once the contamination is introduced to the lubricant, the lubricant can start to degrade and internal components can deteriorate prematurely. Implementing a few good maintenance practices can provide the reliability needed to keep equipment running in optimum condition.

How particles affect the oil

Particles, especially catalytic metal particles like copper, iron and lead, increase the rate at which oxidation occurs. Particles also strip the oil of its polar additives, including anti-wear additives, extreme pressure additives, rust inhibitors and dispersants. Also, numerous very small particles in stable suspension can cause the oil’s viscosity to increase.

Many extra miles, in fact! Ian Gray, manager of WearCheck’s transformer services division, and Des Rodel manager of the Cape Town Branch, recently travelled to Khobab and Loeriesfontein wind farms, in the Northern Cape - 450km from Cape Town - to run a transformer oil sample course for the maintenance team.

Each wind turbine is connected to a step-up (padmount) transformer which boosts the generating output of the wind turbine generator from 690 V to 33 kV. These transformers are located at the base of the wind turbine. From there, all the power is then interconnected to a collector step-up transformer located in a substation where it is transported to the electricity grid.

The reliability, or lack thereof, of step-up (padmount) transformers has led to the investigation of the total cost of ownership in trying to balance the low cost of step-up padmount transformers versus the cost of premature failures.

The insulating oil testing is typically a critical first step in this investigation that requires sampling performed by an experienced person, who has received adequate training, in accordance with IEC 60475.

Above: The Loriesfontein Windfarm maintenance team attended a transformer oil sample course run on-site by Ian Gray, head of WearCheck’s transformer services division (fourth from left with grey trousers)

Top: Ian Gray, head of WearCheck’s transformer services division, at Loriesfontein Windfarm.

WearCheck recently underwent its annual audit by a customer - Siemens - where the audit scope was on occupational health, safety, environment and quality. The auditors rated WearCheck as “excellent”, with a score of 99,56%.

While the entire company and its systems are reviewed, the WearCheck team liaising with the auditors consisted of quality administrator Prinda Narasi, managing director Neil Robinson and laboratory manager Meshach Govender.

The auditors had this to say in their report: “A well-defined and mature system was found to be in place and communication thereof, accessibility and knowledge were found to be well-ingrained within the company.”

Well done, WearCheck!

WearCheck MD Neil Robinson, along with quality administrator Prinda Narasi and laboratory manager Meshach Govender, liaised with Siemens during the

annual audit recently.

36 grade 11 pupils from Curro Grantleigh High School in Richards Bay recently visited WearCheck’s Pinetown laboratory to further their studies in chemistry by learning about condition monitoring.

The students were hosted by WearCheck technical manager Steven Lumley, who explained the workings of the main laboratory to them. They also heard a presentation on oil analysis by diagnostician Quinton Verster and toured the mini-laboratory, witnessed science experiments, learned about important safety procedures and visited the outbuildings where waste oil and other fluids are processed according to the company’s strict environmental standards.

Grantleigh teacher Andrew Meintjies reported that the science learners really benefited from the visit. ‘It was really important for the students to see how the theory that they are learning at school is being applied and just how relevant it is to industry/society today.’

Grade 11 students from Curro Grantleigh High School in Richards Bay travelled a long way to learn about condition monitoring at WearCheck recently. Here, staff and students gather outside the company’s Pinetown branch.

Field and lab technician Shashay Rampersad of WearCheck demonstrates some of the wet chemistry performed on aircraft oil filters in the mini-lab in Pinetown, to a group of Richards Bay learners from Curro Grantleigh High School, on a recent visit.