Ever wonder what happens to those plastic cold-drink bottles you throw away in your rubbish bags? The answer is most likely to be right under your feet!

Kaytech has been providing bidim^® (geotextiles) and other geosynthetic solutions to the southern African civil engineering industry since 1972. Initially importing the finished bidim product, the company began producing bidim locally in 1978 and within 6 years they introduced recycled PET. In 2000 Kaytech announced full production of bidim would be 100% recycled PET. So, the tonnage of recycled bidim produced over the last 27 years calculates to 672 million 2-litre cold-drink bottles!

Kaytech, converts ‘green’ PET pellets and flake into extruded fibre via a continuous-filament spun-bonding process, followed by needle-punching which gives the finished geotextile its structural integrity.  Bidim is the only continuous-filament, spun-bonded, needle-punched geotextile on the market – and the only continuous filament geotextile to use recycled plastics in its manufacture according to Kaytech production director, Chris Els.

Because Kaytech simply melts down the granulated bottles, crystallises the polymer and spins it directly into filaments, the good properties built into the raw materials are retained and the resultant filaments possess the strength and durability demanded by civil engineers. Over the past eleven years, Kaytech’s ISO 9001 registered production facility in Atlantis has extracted more than 18 million kilograms of high-grade polyester from discarded plastic cold-drink bottles (equivalent to around 300 million 2-litre bottles). Converting this 100% recycled material into an eco-friendly polyester geotextile, makes A-grade bidim the natural choice for specialist base fabrics in technical textiles.  It also meets the most stringent civil engineering and industrial specifications.

As market leaders in geosynthetic solutions and pioneers in geotextiles for 40 years, Kaytech is proud of its ability to engineer innovative solutions that meet specific requirements.  All the more so for finding increasing success in curbing production costs through recycling – for the greater benefit of Mother Earth!

Kaytech background information

The company manufactures a range of unique products, produced according to internationally renowned technology at their factory in Atlantis, Western Cape. These include warp knit reinforcing geotextiles, geosynthetic clay liners, specialist geocontainers and staple fibre geotextiles. Kaytech’s product range and expertise now effectively covers vast areas of application including: Drainage and Filtration, Hydraulic Construction, Sub-grade Stabilisation and Reinforcement, Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation, Dam and Waste Containment Liners, Erosion Protection, Waterproofing and Liner Protection.

A highly experienced technical sales and marketing team supported by a comprehensive technical and design group are able to advise on the appropriate products for individual projects. With representatives throughout southern Africa Kaytech has also established strong links with a global network of reputable geosynthetic suppliers in Europe, Israel, Australia, India, South East Asia and South America. Kaytech is a Broad based BEE Level 5 contributor to BEE.

For more information on Kaytech products and systems, visit www.kaytech.co.za

Founded in 1974, SESSA is dedicated to the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies including solar-based energies (such as photovoltaics, thermal heating and cooling). Membership is open to anyone interested in these areas.

The role of SESSA’s Council is to have and maintain close and strategic relationships with entities and organisations supporting a clean energy era and low carbon technologies.

It comprises elected office bearers as well as one representative from each division (normally the division chairman). Office bearers are voted on to the Council by the SESSA membership. However, the various office bearer titles (such as chairman) and portfolio responsibilities are voted by Council members. SESSA members may also be co-opted on to Council from time-to-time to address specific tasks.

New Council members are:

• Carl Bayhack
• Anthony Burns (Secretary)
• Sam Dubazama
• Uwe Klingenberg (Treasurer)
• Patrick Moroney (Chairman)
• Trevor van der Vyver (Vice-Chairman)
• James Shirley (Solar Water Heating)
• Carryn Bateman (Photovoltaic)

Divisions are either technology groupings or interest groups. The division executive committees assist Council promote the use of sustainable energy, keep Council up-to-date with their sphere of expertise (for example, photovoltaic) and work closely with other organisations and associations in these areas to address issues that are pertinent only to it.

Division executives comprise volunteers voted by the specific membership of that division. As with Council, various portfolio managers are elected. Typical portfolios include standards, communications, finance & insurance, associations, education & training, and local manufacturing.

The Hot Water Division Executive, which includes solar water heating and heat pumps, includes: Vincent Davis (Secretary)

• Neville de Kock (Standards)
• Hans Hahn
• Craig Herbst (Vice-Chairman)
• Anton Pretorius
• James Shirley (Chairman)
• Trevor van der Vyver
• Lawrence Low
• Dino Procos

Executives on the Photovoltaic Division Committee are:

• Dieter Dilchert
• Gregor Kuepper
• Uwe Klingenberg (Vice-Chairman)
• Thabo Mncube
• Ettienne Johann Van der Westhuysen
• Carryn Bateman (Chairman)
• Bruce Conné (Secretary)

Announcing the new office bearers, acting-CEO Theo Covary, said there are many new faces in executive positions, and with them come new ideas and new energy.

“The sustainable and renewable energy sectors are going through extremely challenging and exciting times. Having such qualified and experienced leadership in the form of its new Council and divisional committees can only bode well for SESSA and its members, as well as our country’s energy future,” he said.

SESSA’s objectives include:

• Promoting and increasing the use of renewable and energy efficient technologies with informal education, demonstration and information dissemination to end-users and decision makers of all levels;
• Establishing the society as the main regional information centre in close co-operation with similar initiatives;
• Facilitating the creation and maintenance of appropriate standards for products, systems, methods and training;
• Supporting initiatives that promote the creation of local ‘green-collar’ jobs and highlight green enterprise opportunities;
• Lobbying government, big business, civil society and parastatal organisations towards adopting a low carbon energy future.

The Objet 3D Printer was a fairly straight foward choice for Rietveld Architects. “We were particularly impressed by the ability of this system to quickly produce highly detailed, accurate models with minimal office clean-up,” Rijk Rietveld, the firm’s partner, commented. “Other technologies produced brittle models and just didn’t have the fine detail of the Objet solution”.

Soon after installing the Objet 3D Printer, the architects discovered that the 3D Printer also boosted sales. According to Piet Meijs, a Senior Associate at Rietveld Architects, the Objet prototyping capabilities have helped the firm secure new projects. “There is still very much a ‘wow’ factor. A potential client asked us to produce a completely re-designed plan because the program changed. Within two weeks we put on the table a 1:400 model of a new design. They knew they could only get it from us and not from other architects.”

Using Objet 3D printing, highly accurate architectural models can be produced within hours – reflecting the most recent change requests and updates. Clients can view a physical model with the most intricate details, feel confident about the overall design and how it fits with the surroundings, and reach faster decisions.

Watch the video to learn how Rietveld Architects shortens decision cycles and secures more business with Objet 3D Printer.

About Rietveld Architects
In 1993 Margaret Rietveld founded Rietveld Architects and Rijk Rietveld joined a year later. Presently, Rietveld Architects has an international staff, interior projects in New York City, and substantial new construction in the Netherlands. The built projects reflect the result of fifteen years of the successful cross-fertilization between European design sensibility and American ingenuity and know-how. In recent years, the work of Rietveld Architects has been commended in publications and recognised.

About Objet
Objet Ltd. is a leading provider of high quality, cost effective inkjet-based 3D printing systems and materials. A global company, Objet has offices in North America, Europe, Japan, China, Hong Kong, and India.

Objet’s 3D printing systems and 3D printing materials are ideal for any company involved in the manufacture or design of physical products using 3D software or other 3D content. Companies using Objet’s solutions can be typically found in sectors such as consumer goods & electronics, aerospace & defence, automotive, education, dental, medical and medical devices, architecture, industrial machinery, footwear, sporting goods, toys and service bureaus.

Founded in 1998, the company has thousands of customers worldwide including a substantial share of the relevant Fortune 100 and Fortune 500. Its award-winning technology (13 awards in 8 years) is based upon over 110 patents and patent pending inventions.

Objet’s advanced 3D printing systems and range of about 70 materials enable professionals to build prototypes that accurately simulate the true look, feel and function of an end-product, even complex, assembled goods. The Objet Connex line of multi-material 3D printers features the world’s only technology to simultaneously jet 2 materials. With this, users can print many different materials into a single part and print various mixed parts on the same build tray. Users can also create advanced composite materials, or Digital Materials featuring unique mechanical and thermal properties. Objet’s range of about 70 3D printing materials simulate properties ranging from rigid to rubber-like, transparent to opaque and standard to ABS-grade engineering plastics, with a large number of in-between shore grades and shades.

Objet’s 3D printers are available in a range of form-factors, from cost-effective desktop 3D printers ideal for entry-level professionals all the way to industrial-scale multi-material machines for front-line designers and top manufacturers. Objet’s 3D printers feature the industry’s highest-resolution 3D printing quality, based on 16-micron (0.0006 in.) super-thin layering, wide material versatility, office friendliness and ease of operation.

For more information, visit us at www.objet.com, and for more about 3D printing industry-related news, business issues and trends, read the Objet blog.

Until recently, the Polystyrene Packaging Council (PSPC) has been struggling to develop markets for used, post-consumer polystyrene.  “One of the biggest headaches we faced when talking to recycling companies and converters, was the need to wash and dry the contaminated polystyrene – typically used in the manufacture of take-away hamburger clamshells or disposable coffee cups or food trays”, explains PSPC Director Adri Spangenberg.

“However, the high cost of electricity and water in our country did not make it a viable financial option for smaller recycling plants to invest in infrastructure that would mechanize this entire process, resulting in much of the used polystyrene either being sent to landfills or exported to countries such as China and India for recycling.

Thanks to research, design and development that has been done by Tower Technologies at the CSIR, first series or demonstration homes have already been built and undergone extensive testing, yielding positive results all around.  The size of the standard two bedroom house being built is 26 m2 and weighs 1.6 tons.  It contains 5 % EPS regrind (which equates to 75 kgs), which is thoroughly mixed with concrete to form walls that are almost indestructible.

“As a result of the breakthrough technology and applications developed by Tower Technologies, we will be in a position to harness the fantastic insulation properties and other characteristics that make polystyrene unique low cost housing construction projects.  Thanks to the fact that there is a readily available stream of used EPS in our country, we are able to provide more than enough material for the pilot phase of this initiative which will see low cost homes being built many around the country.

For more information about the project, please contact the Adri Spangenberg at the Polystyrene Packaging Council on (012) 259-0554 or (082) 686-5082.

Authored by Bryan Perrie, C&CI Managing Director and globally-respected authority on concrete pavements, the free publication covers the environmental, economic and social aspects of concrete pavements and draws on international experience to demonstrate that concrete pavements are a sustainable solution for South Africa.

Perrie says in the introduction: “Sustainable pavements make efficient use of natural resources and respect the environment during their entire life cycle; they improve transport  facilities for the entire community, provide services to society in terms of mobility, safety and comfort by means of judicious choices regarding design, construction, maintenance and demolition.”

He believes that concrete pavements offer substantial benefits over the long term and – in economic terms – are often the most favourable solution when life-cycle costs are taken into account. “This is even more so when user costs are taken into account, as concrete requires minimal maintenance and results in less disruption to road users.”

Concrete pavements, furthermore, provide benefits such as reduced fuel consumption, pollution reduction, storm water attenuation, local availability, recyclability, reduced heat island effect, reduction in street lighting  requirements, labour-intensive construction, and improved skid resistance.

“Concrete pavements have a crucial role to play in the provision of new infrastructure in SA as well as for the upgrading of existing pavement infrastructure. Concrete overlays and inlays provide an ideal solution for the upgrading of existing asphalt and unsurfaced pavements for all categories of traffic. The development of ultra-thin concrete pavements has added to the various type of concrete available to the road design engineer,” he states.

To obtain a free copy of the 26-page full colour publication, email info@cnci.org.za. The C&CI website is www.cnci.org.za

SAPMA will in future prohibit the unmarked use of methanol in its Code of Ethics and labelling clearly stating that a product contains methanol is now compulsory for SAPMA members.

Terry Ashmore, chairman of SAPMA, said at the association’s recent annual general meeting in Sandton, that he knew of seven fatalities and 21 cases of poisoning resulting from the misuse of methanol.

“Drinking just a quarter cup of methanol as substitute for alcohol can be enough to prove fatal or cause blindness – and young men particularly are tempted to consume it. Such cases are often misdiagnosed as acute alcoholism. Death could also result if a child should drink – or just excessively sniff – from a bottle of lacquer thinners left unattended in a garage or workshop. Furthermore, methanol is a major fire hazard and one wonders how many retailers know what the consequences would be if the bottles of lacquer thinners on their shelves were exposed to flames.

“Methanol is a banned substance in many overseas countries, including China. Yet it is freely used in South Africa – and invariably sold without any cautionary labelling. SAPMA is appealing to the government to take action against this formidable threat. It is a matter of the utmost concern that one of South Africa’s biggest chemical producers is continuing to use methanol in its products, having apparently adopted an ‘if it’s not illegal, we’ll use it’-attitude,” he added.

Prof Angela Mathee, director of the Medical Research Council’s Environment and Health Research Unit, said legislation prohibiting or controlling the use of methanol would first require a governmental study, but she urged SAPMA to immediately embark on a public awareness campaign on the dangers of methanol.

Further info: Deryck Spence, tel 011 455 2503 / www.sapma.org.za

“The awards are an industry highlight,” says Scurr. “They aim to recognise and promote excellence, innovation and entrepreneurial development in the stainless steel industry, by profiling innovative thinking and successes from the industry.”

This year the awards coincide with the celebration of the development of stainless steel 100 years ago, and what is being called “a century of innovation”. As such, the awards’ theme will follow suit.

Sassda has begun calling for entries. “We hope to attract entries from all areas of the industry. This really is a time for companies and individuals to shine,” says Scurr. Entries are invited from local and international individuals and companies involved in the production, conversion, distribution, use or specification of stainless steel.

The categories are:

Best Stainless Steel Project – Sassda is looking for the extensive, innovative and productive use of stainless steel in a commercial, industrial or domestic project, alternatively in an engineering, community or urban project. The project should have been in progress in the last 3 years.

Best Stainless Steel Product – Sassda is looking for stainless steel products that demonstrate enhanced performance, cost effectiveness, environmental benefits, aesthetic appeal or other attributes, through the use of advanced, imaginative and best practice design and manufacturing concepts.

Best Stainless Steel Services – Sassda is looking for the consistent successful application of service excellence in the manufacture, use, or processing of stainless steel.

Innovation Award – Sassda is looking for innovation in a design or manufacturing process or technique that uses or is used for producing stainless steel products, which significantly improve the operational simplicity, maintenance, efficiency, reliability, throughput and consumption of stainless steel.

Achievement Award – Sassda will recognise long-serving achievers in the industry. These can be nominated from companies or by individuals.

Student Award – Sassda is looking for the best overall engineering, design or architectural use of stainless steel incorporating style, functionality, durability, innovation, environmental foresight, quality standards and cost effectiveness.

The Stainless Steel Award – This accolade goes to the overall winner from all categories, who has done the most for the stainless steel industry.

A panel of esteemed judges has been invited and have agreed to judge the awards. They are Professor Madeleine du Toit from the University of Pretoria; Tom Steer from Siyakha Architects; Diego Sella a well-known fabrication and design consultant; and Diana Carmichael, the renowned consumerware designer. Additional judges may be invited to join the panel.

“The judges offer a wide variety of expertise and will offer a balanced approach to judging the diverse entries,” says Scurr. “We would like to thank them for participating in this prestigious event and believe they will play a crucial role in selecting the best entries.”

The judges will evaluate the entries according to seven criteria. Entries will need to fulfil the Excellence criterion, where exceptional work, concepts and execution will be evaluated. Entries will need to be Innovative, showing creativity, originality and advancement. They will need to be Sustainable for the business and the environment. Entries must also fulfil the Efficiency criterion, whereby specified timelines are achieved and costs are minimised. Entries must also comply with the Quality criterion, as the product and work done must meet the highest standards. The Impact on the Environment is another criterion the winning entry must fulfil by ensuring its carbon footprint is reduced. The final criterion on which the judges evaluate the entries is Job Creation and employment opportunities created.

“We believe the industry needs celebrations such as the Stainless Steel Awards to recognise exceptional work,” says Scurr. “Without the help of the sponsors of this event, none of this would be possible. I would like to thank the very generous support from 3M, Afrox, Columbus Stainless, Euro Steel, Fischer SA, Macsteel VRN, NDE, Rimex Metals, Stalcor, the Nickel Institute and the International Chromium Development Association (ICDA).”

The Stainless Steel Awards will culminate in a gala awards evening on Thursday, 11 October 2012 at the Theatre on the Track, in Kyalami Johannesburg. The evening will be a celebration of the best in the industry and is certain to be an industry highlight.

For more information contact Sassda on 011-883-0119 or email: awards@sassda.co.za or go to www.sassda.co.za to enter online.

The highly anticipated new mall offers a gross lettable area of 37 000m² along with 2 222 parking bays. Aveng Grinaker-LTA’s R245-million construction contract was undertaken in just 12 months, and managing director Grahame McCaig explains that this challenging time frame was achieved by incorporating the innovative “tilt-up” construction process into the project.

Tilt-up is a building technique in which concrete elements – such as walls, floors, columns and structural supports – are cast and cured on site, and then tilted up from horizontal to vertical with a crane, braced into position and later secured. At Newcastle Mall, tilt-up was used for all perimeter and loading yard walls, McCaig states. “The client selected tilt-up as it is much quicker than conventional building processes and the building was completely closed up in a relatively short period of time,” he notes. “Tilt-up construction consists of two stages – the casting of the panels on surfacebeds or sacrificial beds and lifting of the panels into position. It is a process that requires skill and precision, but since it eliminates many of the requirements of conventional brickwork – such as access scaffolding – tilt-up is worth the effort.”

Lower maintenance costs are a further benefit of tilt-up. “There is virtually no long term maintenance needed of unpainted tilt-up walls, making this method far cheaper in the long run than conventional plastered walls that have to be painted and maintained on a regular basis over time. When lifted, the tilt-up panels are basically a finished product.”

Ensuring the supply of the required volumes of concrete needed to cast the tilt-up panels and meet the tight construction programme was one of Aveng Grinaker-LTA’s challenges on this contract. McCaig says that the contractor also overcame sequencing challenges. “The order of various elements had to be carefully planned, to ensure the correct sequence of events, from surfacebed construction of the concrete panels, to the time the panels need to be in bracing bays for support, through to the construction of the roof structure.” Space constraints were also a consideration. He explains: “The tilt-up panel stacks took up a fair amount of space on site and all other activities had to be planned around these areas.”

While tilt-up is a faster process than conventional construction techniques, it requires a testing degree of precision in terms of the placement of the panels. “Alignment of the tilt-up panels has to be 100 percent perfect, in order to ensure the precise positioning of the external finishes such as ceiling shadowlines against the panels,” McCaig notes. “At Newcastle Mall, tilt-up proved its value, with the end result being an attractive, upmarket shopping centre that’s set to be a boon for the local community.”

A total of 9 510m³ of concrete was used in this project, together with 423 tonnes of reinforcing steel and 1 930 000 bricks.

Aveng Grinaker-LTA is a subsidiary of the Aveng Group, the largest infrastructure development group listed on the JSE.

www.avenggrinaker-lta.com

Boogertman + Partners Architects, the globally acclaimed firm associated with such developments as Melrose Arch and the Soccer City stadium, has given the thumbs up to the light steel frame building (LSFB) method. Boogertman’s latest high-profile project, the new Pretoria head office of accounting giant Deloitte – part of the new Riverwalk Office Park at the intersection of Garsfontein Rd and the N1 Highway – makes extensive use of LSFB.

“We are very excited by the LSFB method for external cladding of multi-storey buildings. It has many unique advantages and we have no doubt that its time has come in South Africa,” says award-winning Boogertman architect and director Sterik Gerber, who led the project team.

The idea for using LSFB at Riverwalk Office Park, which was developed by leading property investment and development company Atterbury, can be traced back to an earlier project of contractor GD Irons Construction:  the Villa Mall in Pretoria East. “Villa Mall was one of the first commercial projects in South Africa where LSF was used for the external facade walls,” says Gerber.

Design of the south façade at Riverwalk was the first challenge on the new site. Working with GD Irons Construction, Boogertman set out to create something that resembled the patterns of the original tree stems on the site. “To achieve these complex shapes and angles accurately, LSFB was the perfect solution,” says Gerber.

Abel Botha, construction manager at the Pretoria-based GD Irons Construction, explains that from the contractor’s point of view, there are numerous advantages to the LSFB method.

“Firstly, construction is significantly faster. The lightweight steel frame goes up quickly and once it is in place you can enclose the building. That means that internal finishes, such as partitions, ceiling grids, tiling and painting, as well as the installation of services, can start sooner,” Botha says.

The method also saves time because it allows different disciplines to work concurrently. “It is not necessary to wait for a completed façade before finalising accurate measurements for windows, for example. Window apertures can be agreed upfront with the glass and aluminium contractor, even before the light steel frame walling is installed, since the system is extremely accurate. With lightweight steel we are able to work to a tolerance of +-5mm,” Botha explains.

Other advantages are that all the wall frames are specifically designed and engineered for the exact place of installation. LSFB also ensures a cleaner and safer site during construction and material handling is easier as fewer and lighter materials need to be moved.  The light steel frames were manufactured by Vela SBS and assembled and erected by GDS, both members of SASFA.

In fact, GD Irons Construction has been so impressed with this building method, that it is in the process of creating a division that will work solely with light steel framing.

“The Deloitte building was an exciting challenge and the many benefits – cost, time and efficiency – of LSFB were clearly visible during and after the project,” says Martie Marais, project manager at development company Atterbury.

“Atterbury is proud to work with the leading professionals and contractors in the industry. Atterbury supports professionals who are driven to use ground-breaking and innovative methods to deliver superior buildings for our clients,” Marais says.

The eye-catching deep-orange exterior of the new Deloitte building was achieved using 60mm thick  EPS (expanded polystyrene) lightweight cladding, fixed to a light steel framework which is bolted to the reinforced concrete structure.  This technology, described as an ‘external insulation finishing system’ (eifs), is used extensively in Europe and America but is only now catching on in the mainstream South African building industry.

The system was implemented locally by GD Irons Construction in conjunction with Saint-Gobain SA, the South African division of one of the largest building material suppliers in the world. It ensures excellent insulation to the perimeter facades, providing comfortable temperatures all year round, thus reducing the demand on air-conditioning for cooling in summer and heating in winter.

John Barnard director of the Southern African Light Steel Frame Building Association (SASFA) explains that LSFB is significantly more energy efficient than more traditional construction methods – both with regard to “embodied energy” of the materials and components, as well as “operational energy” relating to heating and cooling of the building over its design life. A recent research project carried out by the CSIR indicated that a LSF building will require less than half of the energy needed to heat and cool a masonry residential building to comfortable internal temperatures.

Alta Kotze, Deloitte Pretoria’s operational manager, says the excitement of moving to the new building was enhanced by its contemporary design. “The building is aesthetically unique and, in keeping with world trends, has a focus on ergonomics. Cutting-edge technology has been used to make the office both environmentally friendly and comfortable for employees. It was designed to absorb as much natural light as possible with windows and distinctive steel construction on both the north and south sides. To work in the building is a great experience since we feel in touch with the outside world, more so than we would have if it was a conventional masonry structure.”

For developers, one of the hidden advantages of the LSFB system is the creation of additional rental space. As Gerber explains: “Traditionally, a reinforced concrete structure is designed to carry the facade brickwork on the floor slabs inside the building envelope. With LSFB, the light steel structure goes on the outside and one gains the width of the walls in useable floor space – a gain of some 230mm per running metre, or 260 m² in the whole building – that is almost 2% additional floorspace! This means additional rental income.”

Barnard says that as the market increasingly realises that LSFB can be used for a range of different applications and takes into account the considerable benefits, both practical and financial, of the building method, perceptions about traditional building methods being the only viable alternatives for commercial buildings are being questioned. “There are more and more examples of striking, well insulated commercial buildings that have been, or are being, built with LSFB,” Barnard says.

He adds that projects like the Deloitte’s building are helping to break the myth that quality structures have to be built using heavy masonry or reinforced concrete in their entirety. “There is no doubt that the prejudices in South Africa against non-traditional building methods like LSFB are on the wane and the more people see such quality structures being built, and realise the environmental benefits, the more they are opening up to these new methods of construction. In fact, Boogertman is already busy with the next development ­– also in Pretoria – where LSF is again being used,” he concluded.

SASFA, formed in 2006, is a division of the Southern African Institute of Steel Construction (SAISC). Boogertman + Partners Architects has entered the new Deloitte head office building development in the South African 2012 Steel Awards, in the LSFB Category.

Internet: http://www.sasfa.co.za

However, traditional energy efficient lamps contain mercury, which is dangerous to the environment, and have a short lifespan. For this and other reasons highly energy efficient, environmentally friendly Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting is poised to replace classic lighting technologies both in residential and commercial spaces.

Verbatim are on the cutting edge of this technology and have recently announced a range of super-efficient LED lamps designed to replace bulbs and easily retro-fit into any existing fixture. As part of its commitment to sustainability and environmentally friendly technology solutions, distributor Drive Control Corporation (DCC) will be stocking and distributing this innovative new range.

“While Verbatim is traditionally known as a storage giant, LEDs have been used for many years in computers and computing equipment, and through its parent company Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, Verbatim has more than 60 years of experience in developing lighting materials,” says Fred Mitchel, LED Product Specialist at DCC.

“As an existing distributor of Verbatim storage products and an organisation dedicated to distributing the very best in energy efficient technologies, it made sense for us to use the power of our existing distribution model to take this product to retailers and thus to consumers, opening up new markets for DCC and delivering the very best in leading energy efficient technology to the South African consumer,” he adds.

Verbatim LED lamps provide comfortable lighting while delivering superior energy savings. They are shock and vibration proof, emit no ultraviolet or infrared radiation and are highly environmentally friendly. Not only do they have a lifespan of up to 16 years, ensuring less waste is produced and environmental impact is minimised, they also contain no environmentally harmful chemicals and are fully recyclable. LED lights are also much cooler to run that incandescent bulbs, lowering cooling requirements particularly in offices and commercial spaces.

“While LED lamps may require higher capital outlay, the efficiency and environmental consciousness of the technology soon translates into economic advantage,” says Mitchell. “A standard incandescent bulb may last up to 1000 hours, whereas a Verbatim LED lasts up to 35 000 hours, or 16 years based on usage of six hours a day. Over the course of 16 years, the succession of standard bulbs would have consumed 1400 kilowatt hours, compared to just 350 for the LED bulb, translating into far higher energy costs. The cost of 35 standard light bulbs over the years also far outweighs the higher cost of the LED bulb, and the carbon emissions produced from one LED bulb are just 175kg over its lifespan, compared to 700kg produced by 35 incandescent bulbs.”

Verbatim LED lamps provide an efficient and eco-friendly alternative to incandescent lighting, delivery up to 80% energy savings with none of the poisonous chemicals found in the compact fluorescent bulb. The range includes products to replace most commercial and residential applications and is available in warm white, cold white and neutral colour temperatures. All lamps have a built-in Temperature Control System to regulate temperature and maximise the lifespan of the lamp.

Retailers wishing to stock the range can contact DCC for details. For more information please visit http://www.verbatimlighting.eu.

For more information, visit www.drivecon.net or contact:

Drive Control Corporation

Fred Mitchell

LED Product Specialist

Tel: 011-2018927

Email: fredm@drivecon.net