Technology empowered and people driven – ChemSystems Foundry unit

ChemSystems has been a fixture of the chemicals industry for over six decades.

ChemSystems is one of the many companies belonging to the AECI Limited Group (African Explosives and Chemical Industries), which is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). AECI is a diversified Group of 16 companies that was registered in South Africa in 1924 and was listed on the JSE in 1966.

As one of the older companies within the AECI Limited Group, ChemSystems celebrated 60 years of manufacturing innovation in 2018. Established in 1958, ChemSystems is the home of AECI’s main chemical manufacturing and supply pillar, consisting of five business unit divisions spanning a variety of industries and services. The five business units are segmented into Industrial and Mining, Paper and Leather, Consumer Specialties, Construction and Refractory and Foundry and Timber Board. These businesses supply chemical raw materials and related services for use across a broad spectrum of customers in the manufacturing, infrastructure and general industrial sectors mainly in South Africa and in other Southern African countries.

For the foundry applications, ChemSystems represents ASK Chemicals in South Africa through a license and distribution agreement

ChemSystems is located at ChemPark, Chloorkop, Gauteng where the primary manufacturing facilities, product application and research laboratories, sales, marketing and administration teams and warehousing are located. A second manufacturing plant is located just outside Durban at the Umbogintwini Industrial complex. These facilities support the five business units.

“One of the biggest contributing factors to ChemSystems’ success over the years is that the company has always employed individuals who are experts in the chosen fields in which the individual divisions operate. This has allowed us to offer our customers high value-add technical support. Such capabilities are all the more important when you consider the fact that, as a company, ChemSystems doesn’t simply sell a product, it sells solutions,” explained ChemSystems Foundry Unit Sales Manager Jacques Swanepoel.

“The Foundry unit specialises in the supply of resins, various other foundry related chemicals and products and markets and manufactures formaldehyde, urea formaldehyde and phenol formaldehyde resins, essential additives in the resins used for manufacturing foundry sand moulds.”

The Foundry unit specialises in the supply of resins, various other foundry related chemicals and products and markets and manufactures formaldehyde, urea formaldehyde and phenol formaldehyde resins, essential additives in the resins used for manufacturing foundry sand moulds

“Being a local manufacturer, ChemSystems possesses a certain degree of flexibility that has allowed it to tailor its offerings to customers throughout the years as the market around it has evolved. In addition to having a strong presence in its home market of South Africa, the company has also gained significant access to sub-Saharan territory through various technology and distribution partnerships, giving it a large area of opportunity to pursue.”

“ChemSystems also possesses three distinct models in which it does business, these being direct trading, manufacturing under license and manufacturing its own speciality chemicals.”

“For the foundry applications, ChemSystems represents ASK Chemicals in South Africa through a license and distribution agreement. ASK Chemicals is a multinational business, with its head-office in Germany and is a global leader and innovator in foundry technology with comprehensive manufacturing, logistics and research capabilities across the globe.”

“ASK Chemicals is one of the world’s largest suppliers of foundry chemicals, with a comprehensive product and service portfolio of binders, coatings, feeders, filters and release agents, as well as metallurgical products including inoculants, Mg-treatment and inoculation wires and master alloys for iron casting.”

Products manufactured by ASK Chemicals for core and mould production include polyurethane cold-box, alkaline phenolic (ester-cured) no-bake, polyurethane no-bake and furan no-bake

“Products manufactured by ASK Chemicals for core and mould production include polyurethane cold-box, alkaline phenolic (ester-cured) no-bake, polyurethane no-bake and furan no-bake. On the coatings side they include alcohol and water-based mould and core coating systems suitable for ferrous and non-ferrous applications. Release agents manufactured by them are used in the no-bake process, cold-box process and green sand moulding. Ancillary products include chaplets, core vents, core adhesives, metal cleaners, sand additives, synthetic sands and ceramic washers.”

“Together with comprehensive support from ASK, ChemSystems with its local foundry industry specialists, provides comprehensive technical support in the application of the products, as well as developing tailored product solutions to suit local requirements and conditions.”

People driven
“However, there is more to technology than meets the eye. In a new decade where the potential of development is limited only by our imagination, technology will enable business to respond dynamically to real-time market changes. Artificial Intelligence (AI) will increasingly help us with tasks that can be automated, but it will have less impact on jobs that require human skills such as design expertise and industrial strategy.”

ChemSystems, with its local foundry industry specialists, provides comprehensive technical support in the application of the products, as well as developing tailored product solutions to suit local requirements and conditions

“At the core of this advancement are the people who operate the businesses. People matter more than anything else. This cannot be more emphasised with the COVID-19 pandemic the world is currently experiencing.”

“With the right people to continually engage with customers and guide innovative processes, our ChemSystems team of experts in resin systems and metallurgical products can turn your idea into a thriving organisation that is profitable, impactful and successful.”

ChemSystems is located at ChemPark, Chloorkop, Gauteng where the primary manufacturing facilities, product application and research laboratories, sales, marketing and administration teams and warehousing are located. A second manufacturing plant is located just outside Durban at the Umbogintwini Industrial complex

“We are here with the same technology, same manufacturing processes, same team and same service for our clients in the foundry and metallurgical industries. We are here with a sustained and a renewed commitment to support and drive local manufacturing initiatives that are setting our local foundries up for strong growth for the future.”

Adaptability and commitment during COVID-19
“ChemSystems has also shown how in difficult times, community needs can be addressed, with its commitment to the fight against COVID-19. The company has responded voluntarily by switching production lines to make hand sanitiser (or to supply the necessary raw materials for hand sanitiser) in an effort to address shortages during this virus outbreak. It’s thanks to the efforts of employees from across ChemSystems and the rapid response of suppliers, with materials, packaging and labels that ChemSystems has been able to adapt its plant and scale up production of the hand sanitiser from laboratory trials to factory production.”

“This has been a massive collective effort by teams within ChemSystems and our suppliers, while many are remote working. The company values your family’s health as much as we value your business,” ended Swanepoel.

For further information contact ChemSystems Foundry Sales Manager Jacques Swanepoel on
TEL: 011 922 1824 or visit www.chemsystems.co.za