Straightpoint has named marine lifting and rigging specialist Anchor Industries as a distributor of its force measurement, load monitoring and suspended weighing load cell equipment in South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Cape Town-headquartered Anchor provides engineering services and equipment for marine and lifting to local and international clients. It also has facilities in Durban, Nelspruit, Johannesburg (all South Africa) and, further northeast, Pemba in Mozambique.
Dale Hutcheson, Managing Director of Anchor Industries, said: “We are excited to announce the addition of another world-class brand to our product range. Unlike other load cells available on the market, the high IP rating of Straightpoint load cells means they are impervious to the harshest weather conditions and may be left in place during a lift just like any other item of rigging hardware.”
Hutcheson pointed to the standout features of Straightpoint’s most popular product, the Radiolink plus. The load cell is capable of both weighing and dynamic load monitoring, is constructed of high-quality aircraft grade aluminium and features an advanced internal design structure. This internal design structure not only provides the product with an unrivalled strength to weight ratio but also allows the use of a separate internal sealed enclosure providing electronic components with IP67 environmental protection even with the battery cover plate missing, making the dynamometer even more suitable for use in the most demanding environments.
Dave Mullard, Business Development Manager at Straightpoint, said: “Africa is a strategic marketplace for us and Anchor is active in major hubs that will be key to our continued growth in the region. Leveraging its lifting, rigging, marine and offshore contacts, whilst harnessing an intrinsic understanding of load cells and below-the-hook equipment, Dale Hutcheson, Tyrone Tilley [Business Development and National Service Manager] and the whole Anchor team are perfectly placed to represent us.”
Mullard expects Anchor’s contacts to take a keen interest in Straightpoint’s expanded range of ATEX and IECEx equipment that meets Zone 0, 1 and 2 hazardous area classification. The Radiolink plus, compression cells, shackle cells, load pins and the Running Line Dynamometer (for monitoring line tension on winches), are particularly well-suited to the work of oil and gas end users in the region, he explained.
Hutcheson concluded: “Safety, reliability and quality are paramount in the lifting and rigging industries, and these products are designed and manufactured to the highest standards. Used in the variety of markets we serve, the Straightpoint range is synonymous with the manufacturer’s overarching goal to make the lifting industry a safer place.”
