BMG’s (Bearing Man Group) acquisition of Rustenburg Engineering and Joerg Foundry solidifies base for ferrous casting supply.
In the middle of 2018 the Bearing Man Group added Rustenburg Engineering and Joerg Foundry to its long list of acquisitions that it has made in recent years. This is the first time that the Bearing Man Group, which forms part of the Engineering Solutions Group (ESG) business segment of Invicta Holdings Limited – an investment holding and management company that is listed on the JSE, has ventured directly into the foundry industry.
“The strategic acquisition of Rustenburg Engineering and Joerg Foundry solidifies our supply base for SG and cast iron components and products and gives an opportunity to manufacture more products in-house,” said Anton Kritzinger, General Manager of Rustenburg Engineering.
Rustenburg Engineering and Joerg Foundry was established in 1964 and has been operating in Rustenburg, North West Province as a medium size iron foundry producing castings for original equipment manufacturers and end users in a range of international material specifications.
Manufacturing facilities at Rustenburg Engineering and Joerg Foundry include a no-bake resin sand foundry for jobbing and short runs and a greensand foundry for production runs.
The foundry produces a variety of high integrity castings ranging from five kilograms up to
3 000 kilograms net weight. Melting takes place in four medium frequency induction furnaces, each with a capacity of two tons. During the casting process test pieces are cast for metallographic examination and physical testing. Metal composition is strictly controlled and certified if required.
In the green sand plant green sand moulding is done via five sets of jolt squeeze moulding machines. Moulding boxes are available from 18” x 12” (460mm x 230mm) up to 30” x 30” (760mm x 760mm). SG and cast iron products are cast in this division and the average weight of castings is approximately 12 kilograms.
In the floor moulding section the foundry uses a furane-based system that includes two 15 ton per hour sand mixers. The foundry can cast up to 3 000mm x 1 500mm x 1 000mm with a maximum weight of 3 000 kilograms. The predominant metals cast in this division are SG and cast iron.
On the quality assurance side the company has a spectrograph, a sand laboratory, a brinell hardness testing facility and an Electro Nite Multi Quick Lab II. Additionally all castings are identified by a unique serial or batch number that is traceable for manufacturing records.
Joerg Foundry’s expertise covers a range of capital equipment and consumable components used in the mining, earthmoving, chemical, water, transport, rail, sugar, paper, agriculture, construction, mechanical power transmission and general engineering industries. Typical products cast include wheel hubs, rod ends, torque plates, castle nuts, brake shoes, motor housings, rail components, flange couplings, pulleys, valve bodies, diaphragms, mill and barrel liners, wear plates, chill moulds, crane wheels, sheaves and bearing housings.
Fenner Power Transmission connection
In the early 1960s Fenner SA (Pty) Ltd was established in Isando, Gauteng and the company started manufacturing locally, under licence from Fenner UK. In 1998 BMG established a new power transmission division and subsequently acquired FPT Distribution SA (Fenner Power Transmission). Joerg Foundry has been manufacturing Fenner Power Transmission components under licence since 2011.
“The acquisition of Rustenburg Engineering and Joerg Foundry is an exciting opportunity for both BMG and Fenner to further strengthen the existing long-term relationship between the respective companies. The transaction will enable both BMG and Fenner to harness their respective strengths and develop sales opportunities in South Africa and the wider sub-Saharan territories with the confidence of procuring Fenner components from its own foundry with shorter lead times on Fenner accredited components and products,” explained Kritzinger.
“BMG has also recently made a strategic decision to expand the Fenner portfolio that it markets, with the addition of Fenner conveyor belting products. Through our long-term agreement with Fenner, BMG is now the exclusive distributor of Fenner conveyor belting products locally and in sub-Saharan Africa. Fenner conveyor belting products, which include steel cord and solid woven conveyor belting, are manufactured at the Isando plant, according to stringent international quality standards. However, whenever castings are required we will be able to source them from Rustenburg Engineering and Joerg Foundry in future.”
“This is an example whereby the acquisition of Rustenburg Engineers and Joerg Foundry is both beneficial to both BMG and Rustenburg Engineers and Joerg Foundry. It is also anticipated that as the acquisition is bedded down Rustenburg Engineers and Joerg Foundry will benefit even more with increased enquiries from the companies throughout the group.”
“Capital investment improvements and expansion in the foundry are planned but no final decisions have been made yet.”
BMG is a leading distributor of engineering components, including bearings, seals, power transmission components, drives and motors, materials handling, fasteners and tools, hydraulics, pneumatics, filtration, lubrication and valves.
Besides BMG, included in Invicta Holdings’ ESG division are companies such as Screen Doctor, Hyflo Group, Hansen Transmission, OST Africa, Autobax and the Man-Dirk Group, which has SA Tool, Sibuyile Engineering, Toolquip & Allied and F&H Machine Tools in its portfolio.
For further details contact Rustenburg Engineers and Joerg Foundry on TEL: 014 538 1014 or visit www.joerg.co.za