VITAL Engineering, a manufacturer of gratings, stair treads, expanded metals, pressed floors and safety handrail, was recently selected to supply 500 000 Vitaclamps as part of the largest gratings, handrail and stair tread supply contract in Africa.
The contract included the supply of 250 000 Vitaclamps to Medupi Power Station in the Limpopo Province and 250 000 to Kusile Power Station in Mpumalanga. As part of the project, Vital Engineering also supplied some 200 000 m2 of grating panels and 70 km of handrailing and 8 000 stair treads.
“After carefully assessing the quality and durability of our products, our superior fixing product was chosen because it suited the client’s particular requirements and application,” said Glen Pringle, Technical Director of Vital Engineering. “Their decision shows that the market recognises our products as synonymous with high quality, performance and safety.”
Vitaclamps are a patented, top-fixing grating panel unit intended to save installation time and costs, by improving installation turnaround times, reducing scaffold hire and improving overall operational safety in the mining, petrochemical and other industries.
“Vitaclamps reduce costs while improving safety, by enabling a unit to be tightened from the top – unlike the traditional clip on the market which is fixed underneath,” Pringle said.
Safety was a key aspect in both the Eskom power station projects. Pringle said Vital Engineering worked with the principal contractor, MHPSA (Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Africa) to meet and surpass specified quality and safety goals.
The three Vitaclamp ranges — light, medium and heavy — are suitable for various applications and environments within mines, petrochemical plants and other on other industrial sites. Vitaclamps are also branded with the Vitagrid trademark, indicating the product is manufactured by an original equipment manufacturer (OEM).
“When mining and petrochemical companies use products with this quality trademark, they protect themselves from risks associated with the use of poor quality copies available from other companies,” Pringle said, adding that Vital was the first square grating manufacturer on the market.
“We also manufactured the first ball-type handrail in both tubular and solid forged handrails; and m the first serrated gratings and expanded metal conveyor walkways to reduce slippage.
In addition, we have recently launched a distinctive channel clip, which clips onto the underside of the channel for faster installation.
“We see a constant demand for our fixing products. In addition to utilising our products for their maintenance-related requirements, clients are even using them to secure opposition products in place. This is the result of the market’s growing preference for improved safety in industries ranging from power generation, mining, and petrochemicals to commercial, food and beverage, and materials handling sectors.”