Industrial valves and pumps specialist Brimis Engineering was awarded a major service contract for the maintenance, refurbishment and testing of boiler safety valves for a power generating plant near Middleburg, in Mpumalanga, last month.

The company says the maintenance contract is due to run until late 2025 or until the end of the station’s plant life, whichever comes first.

“About 80 valves will be inspected and maintained,” says Brimis Engineering technical director Moeketsi Mpotu.

He points out that all the valves are classified as critical, as they are high-temperature and -pressure specialised safety valves, in addition to being critical for the safe operation of the plant.

The scope covers on-site and on-lead statutory testing of the valves, as well as the statutory refurbishments as required by the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

The valves require highly specialised artisans and testing equipment to meet stringent laws and standards governing the operation.

“The single most important function will be to ensure that every valve operates at the required pressure,” Mpotu stresses.

The nature of the repair will depend on whether the repair can be done on site, although critical repairs and major overhauls will be undertaken at Brimis Engineering’s workshop in Middelburg, Mpumalanga.

“Our Middleburg facility is equipped with state-of-the-art refurbishment and test equipment to meet any challenges that may rise from the work,” he adds.

The replacement spares will be issued by the client, who will source them from the original-equipment manufacturer (OEM), in Europe.

Lead times for these spares are between six and eight weeks.

Mpotu says Brimis Engineering prides itself on using only OEM parts during any of its refurbishment processes.

“We will only reverse-engineer obsolete parts or when the OEM is unable to support the project.”

This contract comes at a convenient time, as the company has acquired new safety valve testing equipment last year, Brimis Engineering project manager Siphiwe Phakati adds.

Part of the equipment acquired is a Trevi testing machine, which allows for statutory testing to be conducted while the boiler is in service, consequently eliminating downtime of the unit.

The valve-testing equipment was acquired from US-based valve testing equipment manufacturer Calder in November last year, and a valve testing system from valve technology developer Ventil from the Netherlands, in Europe, in May.

“The equipment was acquired to serve the core business of Brimis Engineering, which is to overhaul and test valves,” Phakati explains.

The return on investment of the acquired equipment goes beyond benefiting Brimis Engineering only, as “our clients will also see improved turnaround times, and a more agile and capable Brimis Engineering”, he adds.

The online testing equipment is portable and can be transported using a normal site utility vehicle.

Brimis Engineering also has as a mobile workshop, which is geared to support larger orders and longer project periods in remote areas.

“We are now able to offer our clients across the country engineered solutions at their premises.”

Phakati adds that the company also offers on-the-job training by its highly skilled valve technicians to assist the client in correctly maintaining and testing the safety valves.

Brimis Engineering offers free plant surveys, including valves, pumps and piping, to clients, concluding in a real-time or updated status of clients’ plants.

“These surveys have resulted in some of our clients reducing expenditure by over 30%; they have also understood their real install base, allowing for better maintenance planning,” Phakati concludes.