WELL known for its power tools and compressor systems, Ingersoll Rand’s heavy lifting equipment is now also being introduced to South Africa exclusively by Mandirk Lifting, part of the Mandirk Group.
According to Mandirk Lifting General Manager Jaco Vorster, the Ingersoll Rand equipment will supplement the offerings from its Enerpac brand. “We are taking our two leading brands and combining them in complete A-to-Z solutions for various applications.”
Vorster added that while the industry automatically associates Ingersoll Rand with power tools, its association with Mandirk Lifting will increase its exposure in a range of sectors, from petrochemical to oil and gas, automotive, heavy construction, engineering, mining, and manufacturing.
Mandirk Lifting will focus initially on the Kinetic series of manual and lever hoists from Ingersoll Rand. “These premium manual chain hoists are engineered for arduous environments and deliver exceptional durability to meet the toughest demands. The grade 100 electro-galvanised chain, cast hook latches, an all-steel construction, and extensive use of bearings all assist in minimising downtime.”
In addition, the Kinetic series complies with all international standards, including ATEX certification.
“We will also offer related lifting products from Ingersoll Rand such as electric hoists with motorised trolleys, pneumatic hoists, and spring balancers,” Vorster said. While the Mandirk Group has been distributing Ingersoll Rand products for some time, Mandirk Lifting now has exclusive distributorship of its lifting-equipment range.
“We are slowly introducing the lifting-equipment range from Ingersoll Rand in conjunction with its tools so as to introduce our complete solutions to our existing client base.
“Most of our clients in these niche sectors utilise lifting equipment as well, in addition to tools, so it is a natural fit expose them to the full extent of Ingersoll Rand’s product range, which is a well-respected international brand.”
Mandirk Lifting will continue to target its complete solutions at the pulp and paper, automotive, forestry, sugar, fisheries, marine, and offshore sectors. “We can customise a solution for any application, ranging from electric to lever and chain hoists, as well as spring balancers,” Vorster said.
The Mandirk Group is a subsidiary of BMG, which in turn is controlled by Invicta Holdings, thereby giving Mandirk Lifting a broad platform as far afield as Sub-Saharan Africa.
Neil Watson, Commercial Manager for Enerpac Africa, said the brand was a perfect fit with Ingersoll Rand. “The amalgamation of the Mandirk Group has strengthened its presence in certain core industrial segments, to which we already supply Ingersoll Rand tools. Many of these clients have a need for lifting equipment as well, which translates into a good synergy with Enerpac.”
Mandirk Lifting offers Ingersoll Rand pneumatic or electric hoists that can be supplemented for heavy-lifting requirements of 5t and over by means of cylinders that can go as high as 1 000t. “The advantage of the Enerpac range is it extends from a standard manual hoist all the way up to a PLC-controlled system allowing for a 1 mm accuracy level across all four cylinders,” Watson said.
Lifting operations can either be top-down or bottom-up, with hoists and strand jacks catering for the former, for example. Vorster said strand jacks are ideal for applications where high tonnages need to be lifted that cannot be accommodated easily by hoists. “Mandirk Lifting’s heavy lifting capability gives our customers a range of options, from strand jacks to gantry systems,” he said.
The lifting side is supplemented by the tooling side, with a range of pneumatic, power, and electric tools from Ingersoll Rand, in addition to tools from Enerpac. This is critical, as any kind of rigging for lifting operations invariably needs bolting, which requires pneumatic tools.
“Our approach at the end of the day is to place equal emphasis on Ingersoll Rand and Enerpac as part of our complete solutions approach. Where there is a demand for hydraulic equipment, Enerpac is ideal, while Ingersoll Rand will be punted for all power and pneumatic tool requirements,” Vorster said.
