Gauteng-based SA Fault Location, which is exhibiting at Electra Mining Africa, will be stepping up efforts to expand its business in the rest of Africa, says FD Francois Goosen.

The company, which manufactures the Adret range of power cable fault location test equipment in Alberton, already exports its products to countries in the Southern African Development Community, and further abroad to Australia, Saudi Arabia, the UK and Pacific Rim countries.

Locally, SA Fault Location supplies institutions, such as power utility Eskom, the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa’s Metrorail division and municipalities, including the Ekurhuleni metropolitan municipality, City of Tshwane, City of Cape Town and the City of Johannesburg’s City Power.

“Our next challenge is to expand our business to the rest of Africa and strengthen our business relationships,” Goosen comments.

The company was established in 1995, at a time when the weak rand made importing cable fault location test equipment expensive. SA Fault Location developed its own range, which it branded the Adret range of testing equipment.

“To ensure that our products meet our customers’ needs, we have conformed to strict quality practices and have also obtained ISO 9001 certification in 2005. This has put us in a position to supply world-class quality products to big institutions,” he says.

SA Fault Location’s main products are, among others, surge generators (thumpers), listening sets, pre-location cable fault location scopes and pressure testers. The company also provides calibration and repairs services to low- and high-voltage test equipment on site or at its premises in Gauteng.

Goosen says SA Fault Location is currently involved in predictive maintenance projects on power cables for Eskom. The company utilises technology such as very low frequency, partial discharging and tan delta to perform cable diagnostics, after which it issues a test report with the results of the diagnosis.

He says predictive maintenance will soon become mandatory for the installation and maintenance of power cables and accessories.

Hall 7 Stand A15