October 2022 Newsletter

Information from BMA   

Hi-Tech Workshops video

SASTA Conference 2022

BMA sales and process technologists visit

Although they are always busy, this year we managed to get two of the BMA team down to Durban to support us at our booth and to visit certain mills which had specific concerns that needed resolving. This year’s visitors were Irma Geyer from sales, specialist on BMA equipment, and Dr Omkar Thaval process technologist specialist who was able to answer a lot of questions at SASTA on engineering / process in general.

BMA Webinars

Have you missed any of our process and equipment webinars?

There are nearly twenty webinar presentations available on the BMA website and on U-Tube. Ctrl click on the link above Doreen Hennings, who is part of the BMA processing department, to see what you might have missed.

BMA Personal insight

Respect for all to see

All BMA colleagues, the representatives of the BMA Works Council, Mr. Bertram and Mr. Zimmermann, as well as the speaker of the board, Dr. Steinbrink, was clearly against racism and discrimination. Speaking to BMA colleagues, Mr Bertram recalled the origins and objectives of the initiative and its importance to BMA as an international player. Especially in times of increasing ultra-right populist discourses and growing ultra-right violence, it is important to make it clear: There is no place for racism and discrimination at BMA!

Viscous‘C’massecuite conditioning

Purging made easier with the Mingler mixer

In many countries, our molasses-massecuite mingler (MMM) technology is well-established. The MMM aids in the separation of massecuite from a cooling crystalliser by lowering its viscosity with preheated molasses. This controlled process allows the feeding of centrifugals with massecuite of constant viscosity, which eases the centrifugation process and reduces water or steam consumption in the washing of the massecuite. With the old normal plate-fin re-heaters there is a risk of local overheating, which can cause melting of the crystals because of the resulting undersaturation. This is not the case when almost saturated molasses is added with the MMM.

There are new projects for BMA in the Latin American region, such as an order placed by Grupo Saenz in Mexico. Massecuite viscosity is too high for the customer, who is hoping to improve the handling of C massecuite in the centri­fugals with the installation of an MMM in one of his factories. And that is only the start: if our technology meets the expectations of Grupo Saenz, they will implement it throughout the Group’s factories. Soon, a total of 15 MMM will be in use throughout Latin America. It is a fact that the molasses-massecuite mingler from BMA has secured a permanent place for itself in cane sugar ­factories.               

Sucrotech’s Industrial Estate

Back and stronger after the riots

The old 1970’s factory designs and materials used, didn’t stand up very well to last year’s riots. Access through fibre sheeting and the flammability of it made the NCRIP complex a total disaster area.

Today we are well on the way to building our stronger and more fire resistance structure joining forces with Altacon Construction who are also one of the preferred construction companies to ‘Gift of the Givers’.

Five is better than four

Crystallisation growing stronger in Latin America

We have been working hard in Latin America to be considered more than just a manufacturer of centrifugals. Since the beginning of the decade, BMA has completed engineering projects in El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and ­Panama. At the end of a project, a contract for equipment from BMA often follows, and this is what happened in Colombia.

Our customer in Providencia had started in 1997 with a VKT designed for C massecuite. As the factory was later converted to the production of sugar cane and ethanol,­ the C station was shut down and the VKT re-designed for B massecuite.

 One more chamber

At this point, a higher processing capacity­ was required, to be achieved by increasing the throughput of the VKT for B product. BMA was asked to prepare a concept study, to establish whether it would be possible to upgrade the VKT. In a second step, Providencia ordered a new chamber to be placed on top of the 4-chamber VKT – making it the first 5-chamber VKT in Latin America.

While a standard VKT installation consists of four chambers, its design permits addition of a fifth chamber to increase capacity. With this move, Providencia will boost throughput by more than 25 % using the same VKT.

Quality and cost benefits

And that is just one of the many benefits of the VKT from BMA. Current figures show an improved overall steam economy,­ thanks to the use of 4th vapour as heating steam for the VKT, lower maintenance and operating costs, and higher sugar quality.

The weather-proof VKT is located outside the factory building, which, together with its small footprint, resulted in enormous cost savings for the civil and steel structures. It comes as no surprise then that Providencia chose to rely again on BMA for the extension of their VKT for B ma­sse­cuite and the improvement of their A process.

New OVC for Pujiltic, Mexico

This is not the only VKT order placed with BMA by customers in Latin America – clear proof of the trust they have in BMA technology and expertise. Grupo Zucarmex operates six sugar factories in Mexico, relying on centrifugals from BMA. Now the Group is planning to produce higher-quality C product, and BMA also won this contract, providing the Group’s first OVC at its Pujiltic factory, south of Mexico City. Commissioning of the 30.5 m high OVC was completed in November 2018, with excellent results: the molasses purity could be reduced by five percentage points. It is BMA’s ninth OVC for Mexico – the series of ten is almost complete!

High grade continuous centrifugals          

Lump Breaker completes its second season of testing.

Following on from our previous articles on the manufacture of the unit, the in-line production testing at RCL of our high-grade lump breaker is complete.

 Its performance of reducing the damage to the machine through valve blockages, out of balance blockages of the distributor and damages to the operational screens themselves has been realised.

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