Dear Valued Customers,
Please find a brief introduction to our company and products that we can offer.
History and Background of the Business
Vereeniging Refractories was started in 1882 by Sammy Marx in Vereeniging. The business was started when the clays around the area showed superior refractory properties. The company evolved through the decades to become the biggest refractory producer in the Southern hemisphere, operating and owning various operations and mines.
The owners of Vereeniging Refractories in 2011 made the decision to unbundle the business into four business units. The four entities became known as Verref Trade (Pty) Ltd, Verref Elgin (Pty) Ltd, Verref Shaped (Pty) Ltd and Verref Minerals. Vereeniging Refractories (Pty) Ltd became the holding company. All entities started trading individually and independently from January 2013.
Verref Shaped (Pty) Ltd was sold to a consortium including management and Sasfin Private Equity on 1 April 2014, creating a new independent South African refractory producer, not associated with Vereeniging Refractories.
In 2016, the business was put into business rescue due to the major economic slowdown at the end of 2015 in the world metals markets. The plan was to restructure the company to be sustainable long term and keep refractory manufacture in South Africa. As such, Verref Shaped entered into a toll manufacturing agreement with Vesuvius South Africa, whereby all shaped basic and firebrick products are produced by Vesuvius using Verref Shaped’s IP and raw materials.
The toll agreement commenced in February 2016. The companies remain independent and have no common interests. Rietfontein plant was closed end September 2016 as part of the business rescue plan. The company concluded business rescue proceedings by publishing substantial implementation of the business rescue plan on 7 October 2016. The company exited business rescue on 18 October 2016. The company was rebranded to Refractory and Metallurgical Solutions Pty Ltd on 9 November 2016, heralding a new chapter in the company.
Refractory Operations – Vereeniging and VSA toll manufacturing
The VSA toll manufacturing plant produces a range of basic and firebrick shaped products. The basic products are based on the following materials; magnesia, chromite, fused chrome/magnesia and fused magnesia/chrome, while the firebrick products are based on chamotte, andalusite and bauxite. Raw materials and chemicals are sourced both locally and abroad.
The fused spinel raw materials for basic product manufacture are produced internally at the Arc Fusion Plant situated at Vereeniging. Raw materials are crushed, screened and milled into various fractions using a dedicated crushing plant processing chrome and magnesite containing materials separately. The raw materials for the fusion plan are sourced locally, allowing RMS to reduce its exposure to the USD exchange rate for these products.
For firebrick products, raw materials are crushed, screened and milled into various fractions using a dedicated crushing plant. The raw materials are transported in the specific fractions to the VSA toll manufacturing plant in Olifantsfontein where the raw materials are weighed out, mixed with a binder, pressed on one of the 7 Laeis high speed presses, dried and fired through a tunnel kiln.
Depending on the customer requirements, the fired brick can be sent to Vereeniging for specialised finishing. The finishing section consists of grinding, metal casing and magnesium sulphate impregnation for basic products.
At Vereeniging, a new monolithic plant has been constructed, producing basic and alumino-silicate monolithic products. The plant is situated at LTM Technologies site and is owned by RMS. LTM manages and operates the facility. In addition to the monolithic plant, a small specialised high alumina monolithic plant is situated at the site. Precast items can be manufactured using the LTM precast facility at the plant.
A small specialised plant at Vereeniging produces a broad range of niche products including purge nozzles, tap blocks, stopper rod sleeves, stopper rod nozzles, striker pads and sliding gates.. The main raw material is tabular alumina, but chrome oxide, andalusite, bauxite, magnesia and various other raw materials are used depending on requirements. The plant has two hydraulic presses and two Horn presses for nozzles and sleeves. Products produced are chemically or resin bonded.
Our Products
RMS produces a range of basic and alumina silicate shaped and unshaped products, high alumina ramming materials and mortars as well as basic monolithic products. In addition, RMS produce a range of crushed and graded recycled refractory products for applications ranging from raw materials for refractories to slag conditioners.
Basic Shaped Products
These products range from magnesia, magnesia chrome and chrome magnesia refractories. RMS produces all its own fused grain spinels for magnesia chrome and chrome magnesia bricks in a dedicated fusion plant located at the Vereeniging works. All chrome mag and mag chrome brick products are reconstituted fused grain bricks.
High Alumina Shaped products
These products are range from 80 to 99 percent alumina and alumina chrome shaped products, mainly used in specialised applications such as taphole blocks/modules and inserts.
High Alumina Unshaped products
These products are ramming materials and mortars that have more than 90 percent Alumina contents, some containing green chromic oxide, for very specialised applications.
Alumina Silicate Shaped Products
These products range in alumina containing shaped products, from super duty quality firebricks to andalusite based bricks with alumina contents of up to 63 percent alumina.
Alumina Silicate Unshaped Products
RMS has developed generic conventional castables, mortars and gunning mixes for temperatures ranging from 1000 degrees Celcius to 1700 degrees Celcius, mainly for the base metals industries. These products use LTM Technologies developed products.
Basic Monolithic Products
These products are castables, mortars, gunning materials and ramming materials based on magnesia, chrome magnesia and magnesia chrome raw materials developed by RMS.
Recycled refractory products
RMS has a dedicated plant capable of crushing and grading 2,000 tonnes per month of recycled refractory products. These products range from basic products to higher alumina silicate products. These products can be crushed and graded to suite any application.
Precast Shapes
RMS can produce a wide range of precast shapes using the monolithic products, ranging from basic to high alumina, produced by RMS. The products can be fired should it be required.
For any further commercial and/or technical information please contact our Sales Team at the following details below or contact Mark Kruger, Operations Director.
Sales:
Wilma Henning | tel:+27161004274
Carlien Mellett | tel:+27161004277
Email: [email protected]
Mark Kruger | Operations Director | tel:+27161004278 | [email protected]