Welding tools from Leister Technologies, a leading manufacturer of welding equipment, were used by the Swiss firm’s Dubai-based partner BMC Gulf to implement a major welding job involving hundreds of watering troughs at an ambitious livestock project in Sudan.

Water is a major issue in rain-thirsty Sudan, especially where agriculture is the economic backbone. So when hundreds of watering troughs were planned for the project, the client looked no further than Leister to do the crucial welding.

Amtaar Investment aimed to build several hundred drinking troughs as part of its livestock project. But the troughs not only needed to withstand the climatic conditions, they had to be sturdy and resistant to impact in order to survive long-term use by thirsty buffaloes that push and shove at the water trough.

The sales and service team of BMC Gulf, Leister’s sales and service partner in the UAE, played a very important role in the successful implementation of the project.

Commenting on the project, Fabian Beermann, division manager at BMC Gulf, said: “The troughs had to be built in a minimum amount of time. It was, therefore, very important to be able to estimate, before the project was even started, whether the troughs could meet this extremely high quality standard. Leister thus carried out a number of test welds beforehand.”

He added the testing confirmed that the schedule could be met.

“The extrusion welders are capable of reliably welding the high-density polyethylene (HDPE) sheets. The thick welding seams prevent any loss of water through leaks in the troughs. The tests also impressed Amtaar Investment, and the go-ahead was given for the project to begin,” Beermann explained.

Leister Weldplast S2 ... powerful.

BMC Gulf’s sales and service team carried out several test-welds at its headquarters in 2016 and confirmed which welding machines were most suitable for the project.

First, it was checked whether automatic welding machines, such as Leister’s Comet and Twinny could do the job, but even more important was whether the machines would be the right choice for this specific application. However, since the desired results were best achieved with extruders, BMC Gulf recommended these. Not only was the general feasibility considered, but also the tight deadlines as well as the cost benefit ratio.

“After BMC Gulf’s recommendation, the client decided to choose the high quality Leister Weldplast line,” said Beermann. “It turned out to be a good choice as observed during the project. The Weldplast S4 and S2 extruders proved to be very powerful and reliable.”

In order to weld the troughs, a loop with a large diameter was designed, along which the welding would be done. The digitally regulated handheld extrusion welders were perfect for this task and meant the project was completed successfully and on time, he added.

“The numbers speak for themselves. In just three months, 224 troughs were built. Each of these troughs has a capacity of 22.5 cu m, which means that all troughs together hold more than 5,000 cu m of water. About 20,160 sq m of HDPE sheeting was used for this,” Beermann pointed out.

The welded seams comprised an impressive total length of 21,069 m. Altogether, the professionals utilised 76,832 m of 4-mm-diameter welding wire with the Leister extrusion welders. Several Leister Triacs were also used.

Amtaar Investment was very happy with the performance of the extrusion welders and the progress of the project in general.

“We decided to use Leister tools because these are the go-to choice for any work with plastic welding. And it’s true that this was the most reliable welding equipment we have ever used. We also enjoyed the support of a first-class service. It was important for us to have a contact partner on site, somebody we could rely on for the duration of the project,” said Sufian Qawasmi of Amtaar Investment.

Due to the success of this project, he says another phase of the project will be undertaken and Leister tools will be used. Plans are under way for further livestock projects.