Specially optimized for rugged environments, heavy load-shedding survival, and dust-ignition protection.
Analyzing environmental challenges, safety compliances, and grid adaptation in Southern Africa.
South Africa is a premier industrial hub on the African continent, featuring massive operations in deep-level underground mining (gold, platinum, coal, and chrome), petrochemical synthesis (led by giants like Sasol), and extensive grain handling agriculture. In these sectors, explosive gases, vapors, and combustible dust present constant operational risks. The installation of standard electric motors is prohibited in these zones; instead, specialized AC Low Voltage Explosion-Proof Motors are mandatory.
Operating under local South African conditions requires overcoming two major hurdles: unstable grid issues (load-shedding) and severe environment conditions (deep mine heat, high humidity, corrosive dust, and high altitudes of the Highveld plateau). Voltage fluctuations during power resumption can severely damage winding insulation. Wolong Nanyang motors, engineered with high-strength cast-iron frames and Class H insulation systems utilizing vacuum pressure impregnation (VPI), provide the mechanical and electrical resilience needed to withstand these sudden power events.
Furthermore, regulatory compliance in South Africa is strict. Under the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), equipment operating in hazardous locations must comply with the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) and South African National Standards (SANS 60079 series). Our motors are fully certified under SABS, ATEX, and IECEx, bridging the gap between global engineering excellence and localized legal requirements.
Official Authorized Distributor of Wolong Electric Drive Group
Shaanxi Nanfang Motor Technology Co., Ltd is the authorized distributor of Wolong. Wolong Electric Drive Group Co., Ltd was founded in 1984 and successfully listed in 2002 (code SH600580). After more than 30 years of development, Wolong has established 3 manufacturing bases, 39 factories, and 3 R&D centers worldwide.
Wolong has always focused on the manufacture of motors and control systems, committed to a global brand strategy, making Wolong a leader in R&D, technology, process, manufacturing, and sales in the global market. With our deep industry expertise, Shaanxi Nanfang Motor provides seamless engineering support, procurement solutions, and local technical assistance to the South African industrial market.
Wolong's world-class brand portfolio driving technological innovation across hazardous industries.
Austrian ATB Group Acquisition (2011)
WOLONG successfully acquired 97.94% of the Austrian ATB Group (ATB motor), one of the three major European motor manufacturers, becoming the actual controller of ATB Group. The acquisition included legendary mining brands such as Morley and Laurence Scott, drastically reinforcing Wolong's international technology capacity.
Morley & Laurence Scott Legacy
Morley motors, with nearly 130 years of history, are synonymous with underground coal mine drive reliability worldwide. Laurence Scott is pioneering in manufacturing low starting current motors for nuclear plants and naval vessels. Following Wolong's acquisition, Laurence Scott has been honored with the Queen's Award for three consecutive years.
Brook Crompton Motors Integration
Brook Crompton stands as a venerable and highly skilled participant in the electric motor sector, boasting over a century of mastery in motor design. With Wolong’s backing, Brook Crompton has pioneered energy-efficient designs (W and 10 series) for extreme environments, offering high-efficiency solutions optimized for both fixed and adjustable speed drive packages.
Schorch Heavy Duty Motors (Acquired 2011)
Established in 1882 in Germany, Schorch sets global standards for heavy-duty drive systems. Collaborating with international engineering partners, Schorch motors are critical components in petrochemical pipelines, tunnel ventilation, shipbuilding, and municipal water management projects.
OLI Vibration Motor Synergy
Dating back to the year of 1999, WOLONG started a joint venture with OLI vibration motor in China. OLI owns the largest market share globally for vibration motors and Ex vibration sensors, providing critical flow-aid and screening operations in mines and chemical facilities.
Nanyang Explosion-proof Group (CNE) & GE Motor Cooperation (2015-2018)
In 2015, Nanyang Explosion-proof Group (CNE), China's largest research and production base for explosion-proof motors, integrated into Wolong. In 2018, General Electric (GE) industrial motor division joined forces, establishing Wolong as a world-leading pioneer in industrial motor technologies.
How our technical capabilities support continuous operations in hazardous environments.
We provide comprehensive explosion-proof certifications including Ex d, Ex de, Ex e, and Ex tD, making our motors ready for immediate deployment in South African Zone 1, Zone 2, Zone 21, and Zone 22 hazards.
Available in IE3, IE4, and cutting-edge IE5 permanent magnet (WEPM series) standards, helping South African facilities significantly reduce electricity costs and survive energy load shedding cycles.
Covering standard squirrel-cage AC motors, variable-frequency motors, brushless excitation synchronous motors, and heavy boring machine motors for tunnels and deep mines.
Deep dive into the premium components that guarantee explosion protection and prolonged lifespans.
The rotor features a rugged squirrel cage design. Cast aluminum rotors are widely utilized, manufactured using centrifugal aluminum casting or die-casting techniques. In this process, molten pure aluminum is poured into the slots of the rotor core, resulting in a single-piece construction that integrates the rotor bars and end rings.
For larger capacity motors or specialized South African mining machinery, copper bar rotors are employed, benefiting from dependable bar securing and advanced end-ring welding procedures. The protective ring design of high-speed motors further ensures the reliable operation of the copper bar rotor under heavy dynamic load conditions.
The coil is crafted from polyester film and reinforced with glass cloth, utilizing either low-powder mica tape with a high mica content or medium-powdered mica tape with an abundance of mica. Following the VPI (Vacuum Pressure Impregnation) process, a pristine white coil emerges from the production line.
The VPI process ensures that the finished stator core unit is entirely sealed against moisture, chemicals, coal dust, and air bubbles. This system provides exceptional electrical performance, mechanical strength, resistance to moisture, and thermal stability in underground gold and coal mining areas.
The motor frame design is developed on a fully digital platform for structural and fluid multi-physics field simulations. By utilizing high-strength cast iron (or structural steel as an alternative), we achieve exceptional structural redundancy, robust flameproof containment strength, and thermal dissipation paths.
The frame design boasts ample inherent frequency isolation margins to prevent structural resonance. It is engineered to endure significant mechanical shocks typical in South African surface quarrying and underground tunneling operations.
The low-noise fan cover system comprises a fan cover body, an air guide cylinder, a protective window, and a silencer plate. Its compact structure and lightweight design facilitate vibration reduction. The air inlet is situated on the side, which optimizes the avoidance of obstacles behind the motor, minimizing adverse effects on ventilation and reducing noise caused by energy loss during propagation path changes.
The system also incorporates sound-absorbing materials that absorb noise, thereby lowering the overall motor noise. Additionally, the fan cover is rated IP22, ensuring that hands cannot come into contact with the fan.
Real moments of precision engineering, assembly and balancing tests in our certified production bases.
Engineered specifically to solve hazardous area challenges across South African industrial sites.
Operating in environments filled with coal dust and methane gas. Our flameproof series (like YBK3 and YBU series) provide reliable power to underground conveyor belts, crushers, and boring machines in Mpumalanga, Limpopo, and Free State mines.
Designed for gas group IIB/IIC environments. Used heavily in Sasolburg and Secunda refineries for driving critical chemical pumps, compressor fans, and agitation systems where chemical vapor containment is key.
Combustible dust (Group III) hazards in agricultural storage facilities and Richards Bay/Durban ports require dust-ignition-proof motors (such as YFB3 series) to safely run elevators, feeders, and dust collectors.
Meeting global compliance standards to ensure trouble-free import, installation, and operation.
Nemko/ATEX
CSA Standard
CE Certification
CCC Standard
SABS Approved
TESTSAFE
ISO Standard: Wolong is an ISO 9001:2015 certified Ex motor manufacturer. This quality management baseline allows our motors to consistently bypass technical barriers to trade globally.
NEMA Standard: For North American export markets, Wolong electric motors comply with NEMA mechanical performance rules. We conduct rigorous tests for dynamic torque, starting current limits, and insulation breakdown, securing UL and CSA clearances.
IECEx and ATEX Standards: Certified for both gas (Zone 1/2) and dust (Zone 21/22) applications. Essential for petrochemical processing and offshore oil installations.
TESTSAFE Certification: As a prominent certification body for coal products, Testsafe compliance provides a verified entry pathway for mining equipment into Australia and other Commonwealth countries sharing underground coal standard regulations with South Africa.
Answering critical technical questions on explosion proof motor application, safety standards, and local deployment.
Direct factory-authorized product options with fully certified safety attributes.
Get in touch with our veteran engineering support team today. We provide full technical custom drawings, SABS compliance validation reports, and variable frequency drive system configurations.
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