2. Technical summary
Work done for Belmet Marine Manufacturing – Arno Paul Scholtz (16998308)
BELMET uses many cranes around their manufacturing plant, but in their medium workshop the JIB
cranes have become insufficient for the weight of most projects undertaken by them. These existing
cranes are all rated for 500kg. There is a JIB crane on the outside of this workshop that is not being
used. The hoist is rated for 2000kg, but the beam of the crane is only rated to 500kg, like the inside
cranes. Therefore BELMET required me to design a beam and support structure in order to move the
outside hoist to the inside of the workshop, while using the least amount of space.
Firstly, it was necessary to take measurements of the existing structural support and layout of the
workshop.Some elementary calculations were done by hand in order to decide on dimensions for the
new crane. Many different support structures and beam designs were considered in order to achieve
the requirementssetoutbyBELMET (dimensional limits,capacity,safetyfactor,etc). The chosen design
was thatof a supportstructure in the formof an H-Beamwithplatesweldedonthe edgesof its flanges.
The beam designisthatof an I-Beamwithatriangularsupportonthe topflange,supportedbyfourteen
ribs, spaced over the length of the 4.5m beam.
The design was then drawn on SolidWorks 2014 and simulation of the design is still to be done, but
otherprojectshave priority.If the simulation is satisfactory the crane will be manufactured at BELMET.
AlthoughIwasemployedbyBELMET, there were some timesthatBELMET didnot have anywork forme
to do. In those instances I did detail drawings for Design For Manufacture (DFM), a sub-contractor
workingwithinBELMET. These drawingsconsisted mainly of weldments. The exposure to SolidWorks
and the engineering drawings used by DFMgave me a deeper understanding of the CAD program and
how to interpret and read the drawings of other engineers.
Belmet has standardized a few layouts and dimensioning practices in order for the workshop to best
utilize the drawings. For instance, when a V-butt weld is to be done, it is broken up into two parts on
the drawings, which is not strictly correct. These two parts are the chamfers and the weld bead
specifications. Thismakesiteasierforthe floorstaff tocomplete projects,because the boilermaker can
cut out the material,agrindercan create the chamferand all that the welderneedstodois weld up the
entire part.
BelmetusesmostlyMIGwelding,forhighvolumeapplications.Andbecause of the highvolume,mostof
the welding that is done by Belmet needs some sort or form of heat treatment. Induction heating
blanketsare usedin some instances to prevent warping and formation of residual stresses. Post weld
heattreatment(PWHT) isalsousedto relieve residualstresses and some parts must be clamped down,
welded and then heat treated in order to insure dimensional accuracy.
An independentcontractorisneededto do material tests on most parts manufactured by Belmet, as is
requested by the client companies. Akram Consulting is responsible for the Non-Destructive Testing
(NDT) of Belmet.Impact,tensile and material composition test are done and they can be rather costly.
3. Non-Technical summary
Work done for Belmet Marine Manufacturing – Arno Paul Scholtz (16998308)
Belmethad a strongemphasisonsafetyandthe use of PPE (Personal ProtectionEquipment). Unlike my
previousworkatEskom,the work I didat Belmetwasmore office basedand not as technical. I felt that
this was a better representation of a professional engineer.
While workingforBelmetIhadexposure to setting up quotes. To create these documents, mainly the
Bill of Materials is needed, and from it most other costs can be determined. It also includes costs
associatedwithtransportandthe likesthereof. Itisnecessarytoknow how much material tosupply for
a project. Thiscan be determinedfromthe Bill of Materialsfoundondrawings. These tablesfrequently
have errorson themand therefore itisnecessarytocheckthat the quantity and dimensions are correct
before an order is placed. Failing to detect errors can cost a company a lot of money. The BOMalso
containspart quantities,like the numberof bolts needed. All of these parts have to be counted and/or
purchased. Material totals are calculated by adding around 10-20% wastage, dependant on the nature
of the project, to the amount needed and then finding the closest standard sizes available.
Labour costs are determined by the total weight of a project. A time estimate per ton is used to
calculate the total man hours needed. From there boilermaker, welder, cleaners and other personnel
costs can be calculated. A companyoverheadisaddedtothe amount(thisisa cost due to things like an
electricitybill thatcannotbe measuredperproject,butis necessaryformanufacture.) anda percentage
is used as a markup to achieve a profit for the company.
A purchase order (PO) is the first official document between a buyer and a seller. It is a contract
between companies that have agreed on the cost of a product to be manufactured/delivered.
On big projects, such as those that Belmet do, time management and resource allocation is very
important. BelmetusesaprogramnamedMicrosoftProjectto set up a timeline, and see just how well
they are conforming to schedule. Some clients also request that frequently updated progress reports
and photosof parts be senton, to ensure timelycompletionof theirprojects. If notcompletedon time,
bothBelmetandthe clientcompanystandto lose a lotof money.This isespeciallytrue whenadry-dock
isneeded. There isusuallyalsoapenaltyfee payable perdaythata projectis late,whichisstipulatedin
the contractual agreement.
The National Union of Metal Workers South Africa started a strike on 01/07/2014. Numsa at first
demanded a12% wage increase andcompanies were offering 7% for skilled workers and 8% for lower-
level workers. Onthe seconddayof the strike Numsademanded15%. Itwasalso demandingthatlabour
brokersbe banned. If the issue is not resolved quickly, it could lead to considerable economic losses.
Some metal suppliers have only up to twelve days of stock left on 01/07/2014. NUMSA consists of
around200 000 members,butdue tointimidationalotmore metal workersdonot go to work in fear of
their safety. BELMET has taken some precautions, urging its employees to make use of their own
transportand movingitsparkingareato the storage lot,increasing safety. ADT (a security company for
BELMET) have a regular presence on the premises and are on standby should something happen. All
doors are kept closed and safety is added by the use of RFID tags, recently introduce by BELMET.
