JBI appointed Pfreundt distributor in sub-Saharan Africa

JBI Industrial Solutions has been appointed the sole distributor of 1746 Pfreundt’s range of load weighing solutions in sub-Saharan Africa, effective January this year. JBI is a young South African-based company that opened its doors in 2018, but is led by a team of experienced partners – marketing director Christiaan Luttig and managing director Jaco Beukes – who collectively have over 20 years of experience in the industrial weighing market, with particular focus on mobile weighing solutions and machine performance analysis.

“Having been in the industry for more than 20 years, we noticed that only few companies utilise weighing equipment to the full extent of its capability. In Pfreundt, we identified a partner with common interests – to provide the industry with a comprehensive range of solutions that remove guesswork out of their production planning and loadout processes,” says Luttig.

JBI offers a selected range of German-made Pfreundt products, including weighing solutions and systems for mobile equipment such as wheeled loaders, conveyor belts, dump trucks, forklifts and excavators. The systems are integrated with up-to-date software solutions that assist with production and productivity analysis. Luttig says the aggregates industry and open pit mining sector at large are key focus markets at this stage. Since February this year, JBI has already sold in excess of 30 units.

“We offer weighing solutions for most mobile machines. These include our most popular WK60 range for wheeled loaders, reach stackers, forklifts, telescopic handlers and skid steers,” says Luttig. He adds that the WK50 is a solution designed specifically for mobile crushers and screens. It can also be used to monitor up to eight conveyor belts, allowing all conveyors on a particular plant to be monitored by one instrument. The WK50 can also be used on rigid and articulated haulers.

Explaining some of the key features of the technology, Luttig says apart from the basic function of weighing loads accurately, monitoring production and productivity live through a cloud-based software platform is a big plus. In a typical quarry application, orders can be sent via the weighbridge, which, in advance, captures key information such as company, truck registration and product to be loaded.

The information is sent directly to the operator of the loader who has to load according to the specifications as captured. The technology allows the operator to identify product type, and loads according to the target weight stipulated by the weighbridge. The data is returned to the weighbridge prior to the truck’s arrival, for confirmation and release, thus reducing downtime related to truck loading on site. The technology also allows customers to monitor machine utilisation and performance during a shift.

Commenting on why African quarries should seriously consider this technology, Luttig says quarrying operations need to improve operational efficiency and eliminate waste to stay competitive. He believes that load weighing systems with smart technology and cutting-edge software are the best method of controlling these parameters.

“Having a live feed of what is currently taking place in the three main areas of any quarry – extraction, processing and loadout – is something any quarry can’t do without. Apart from basic day-to-day weighing data, these weighing systems give quarry management new insights into exact return on investments on capital equipment, machine utilisation and performance, bottlenecks in operations and more accurate stock control. These are the new parameters our quarrying customers are considering when buying weighing systems,” concludes Luttig.