There are many companies marketing air dryers, air compressors, filters, and even air receivers in South Africa. I receive at least three emails a week offering great deals on any of these products. Some I give a few minutes to have a quick overview. Most are dumped to file 13.
There are a few reasons why caution should be exercised in terms of purchasing decisions. In many cases, the equipment contains a pressure vessel. For example, the air/oil reclaimer in a rotary screw compressor is a pressure vessel. It should conform to local SANS347 standards. A chemical heatless or heated air dryer and simple air receivers are also pressure vessels.
The vessel plates should be marked in English, indicating the maximum and minimum operating temperatures, as well as the maximum rated working pressure, and the date of test. The test pressure must also be stated. It must state the manufacturer’s name and date and country of manufacture.
The Health and STandard codes must be displayed, for example, ASME or RSA codes. The SANS 347 hazard category must be shown. The AIA (Authorised Inspection Authority) number must also appear on the plate, along with the AIA unique stamp.
In our case, any pressure vessle that is imported is inspected by the local AIA and a conformance certificate is issued to the client. This is signed by the AIA, as well as the importer, in other wordsme, the CEO.
If this is not complied with the seller/importer and the purchaser could face criminal charges if a vessel fails (explodes). To my knowledge, even the installer can be helo liable for criminal prosecution in the event of a vessel failing in service.
An air oil separator that fails under pressure is lethal. Oil at 100 °C along with flying steel is a very bad combination. A pressure or vacuum vessel that fails under pressure is equally lethal, whole buildings have been destroyed with lives lost in the process, all in recent memory. Refrigeration air dryers may also fall into the category, depending on the design of the unit.
These codes and regulations mean that a machine is built to an international standard, and will often be more expensive. The inspection time spent here in South Africa when the goods arrive also adds to the landed cost. But, if, and when something goes wrong, my clients and I have taken due care and have stayed within regulations it is unlikely that we would face criminal proceedings.
In the last two months, I have witnessed clients “saving” money by purchasing large-capacity dryers and receivers off shore. Sure, it’s cheaper. It is cheaper, because it does not conform to the standards that SANS 347 recognise and it does not have a local agent to support it or suffer the cost of stocking equipment. In a recent case, we had to decline to install a large chemical air dryer as it failed to comply with local codes.
When three 6 m³ air receivers fail, people die, production lines will be obliterated. Engineers will face culpable homicide charges. There is a good reason why it takes importers months of research and investigation before they say yes to a new range of equipment and allow it to be imported and sold in South Africa. Please believe me, we see many cases of unscrupulous behavior importers blatantly ignoring the codes. The behaviour continues unabated, and it will lead to deaths sooner or later.
As the lawyers say let the buyer beware, “Caveat Emptor”, the term is actually part of a longer statement: Caveat emptor, quia ignorare non debuit quod jus alienum emit (“Let a purchaser beware, for he ought not to be ignorant of the nature of the property which he is buying from another party.”) or in simple terms Goedkoop is duurkoop. Pressure regulations should not be ignored, they are there to protect us from our own foolishness.
Watch this, it’s scary