In a move that underlines Zest WEG Group’s customer centric business philosophy, the company established a panel building facility in 2014 to cater specifically for the demand from its existing customer base in the Western Cape.
Marthinus Greeff, Zest WEG Group Cape Town branch manager, explains that in addition to providing its local customer base with access to quality products, the facility is aimed at facilitating access to technically competent products at an affordable cost.
The ISO certified panel building facility has seen phenomenal growth which can be attributed to the quality workmanship being rendered and the fact that the panels meet all the requisite electrical standard requirements. Panels are typically used to control processes across a wide range of industries including mining, water and wastewater, irrigation, HVAC, food and beverage, fishing, engineering and heavy industrial sector.
A large differentiator for Zest WEG Group customers is the level of expertise and experience residing in the team, coupled with the ability to engineer fit-for-purpose solutions. This enables the company to provide the most appropriate process control solution, accounting for all aspects of an installation such as the cooling requirements and protection for environmental conditions.
“The type of environment where a panel will be installed is important as different industry sectors have different safety and protection requirements. An example would be mitigation against the higher levels of potential corrosion that are experienced in the petrochemical sector,” says Greeff. Other factors such as voltage irregularities, which can impact on an installation, can be overcome by ensuring that appropriate protection measures are implemented.
Zest WEG Group panel solutions range from simple DOL (direct online) and Star Delta panels up to complete motor control solutions which could include PLCs, variable speed drives, soft starters and power factor correction. “An emphasis on custom built solutions that cater for the specific customer requirement is ensured by leveraging the vast experience, expertise and knowledge that our team has amassed over the years in a wide variety of contracts,” adds Greeff.
One of the recent customised solutions supplied by the panel building facility was a motor control centre for a mining operation in Africa. These panels were type tested and fully compliant with IEC 61439-2 Edition 1/SANS 61439.
“Given that this panel was being exported cross border, it was essential that the workmanship and quality was of the highest standards and that it would essentially be a plug and play solution that could be installed and commissioned by a contractor in that particular country. Pre-commissioning is a standard procedure at Zest WEG Group and ensures that high end quality products are delivered to customers,” Greeff says.
“Being able to supply a complete range of low voltage type tested Motor Control Centres (MCC), distribution boards, drive panels and starters directly from our Cape Town facility enables us to provide our customers with a complete WEG solution,” he adds.
The company has access to a wide range of product solutions through WEG’s range of robust and reliable low voltage switchgear and variable speed drives. The products are engineered to work together and this compatibility affords the end user assurance in terms of optimum performance and reliability.
In addition, ongoing research and development at WEG means that the latest technology has been incorporated into its product range, allowing for seamless integration of the latest IE3 motors with WEG’s current range of switchgear.
