The Reference Materials Laboratory at NMISA required a mobile hoisting device capable of lifting and emptying heavy containers at various heights. Elevated access to laboratory equipment was also required. ASM designed a manually-operated mobile hoist and rotation mechanism capable of lifting and tilting a container weighing up to 150 kg. A mobile access platform was also designed.

The dynamic response of a reactor on a petrochemical plant was investigated. Vibration measurements were taken over a period of 25 days in order to capture data for various operating conditions. The FE model consisted of a concrete support structure, reactor, piping and a steel support structure.

The factory-fitted ROPS & FOPS of a two-seater UTV did not comply to functional and safety requirements applicable to underground mining applications. A fit-for-purpose protective structure was designed, analysed and optimised using LS-DYNA. Destructive tests in accordance with ISO 3471 and ISO 3449 were performed.   

The technical feasibility of installing an energy-saving heat exchanger onto an existing structure of a petrochemical plant, was investigated. The FE model consisted of a complex industrial steel structure, reactors, hoppers and piping. The vibration measurement exercise involved the use of seismic accelerometers, Laser Doppler Velocimeter (LDV) and a linear displacement string potentiometer. Static and dynamic analyses were performed.

 ASM was involved in the design, analysis and testing of roll-over protective structures for game-viewing vehicles built on various platforms. The passenger safety was assessed in accordance with SANS 1563:2005. The CAD drafting was performed by Resonant Solutions.

The objectives of this investigation were to assess the strength, stability and fatigue life of the mixer support structure. Loads that were considered include own weight, installation loads and dynamic unbalance loads due to rotating equipment. The risk of resonance was considered by comparing operational frequencies to calculated modal frequencies.  

​A strain gauge measurement exercise was performed to estimate the fatigue life of a new bus structure. Strain data in key structural elements were used to calculate the fatigue damage associated with different travelling conditions and events. Tests and measurements were performed at the Gerotek Vehicle Test Facility and on representative roads around Pretoria. 

​The operator roll-over protection of a Water Tanker with a GVM of 159 tonnes was analysed and assessed using non-linear finite element analysis. The aftermarket roll-over protective structure (ROPS) was analysed for representative loads specified by ISO 3471:2008 in a quasi-static implicit analysis. In addition to the analysis of the ROPS frame, an explicit dynamic roll-over analysis of the complete vehicle was performed to quantify the protection provided by the tank structure. The assessment was based on performance criteria given in ISO 3471:2008.    

​It was required to analyse and assess the strength and fatigue design of a Ladle Transport and Tilting Vehicle (LTTV) used in the aluminium smelting industry. The ladle has an aluminium payload of 9 tonnes. Analyses were performed for various tilt angles of the tilting frame in order to calculate the stress ranges in the various structural components. The fatigue assessment was performed in accordance with Eurocode 3: Design of Steel Structures – Part 1-9: Fatigue.  

​A seated operator of a mining haul truck is required to have a high level of protection in case of a falling-object incident. Both the cab and load body offer protection to the operator. The objective of this investigation was to calculate the falling-object energy capacity of the load body canopy. Various impactor geometries, impact positions and drop-heights were considered. The calculated energy capacity was compared to the energy requirement specified by ISO 3449: 2005.