Brazilian company TMSA is a major supplier of equipment to
handle dry bulk products. It supplies electromechanical
solutions, which have a low impact on the environment and a
high value for its customers, for conveying and processing solid
bulk material.
Today, TMSA supplies not only equipment but also
integrated/EPC solutions for bulk handling, including engineering,
procurement, management, fabrication, installation and technical
assistance. Most of the equipment regularly sold within these
solutions are conveyor belts, pipe conveyors (up to 2,400tph
[tonnes per hour] capacities already sold, more under inquiry),
overland conveyors up to 20,000tph, travelling shiploaders, fixed
tower, grab barge unloaders, stackers up to 2,000tph, reclaimers
up to 400tph, chain conveyors, mobile conveyors, apron feeders,
screw conveyors, bucket elevators, grain precleaning, cleaning
and grading machines, dedusting systems, electrical and control
systems for material handling systems.
The commodities that can be handled by TMSA equipment
and solutions include grain, iron ore, manganese ore, fertilizers,
alumina, coal, limestone, sand, cement, ashes, bagasse, bauxite,
lime, clay, clinker, coke, gypsum, kaolin, sinter, wood chips, rubber,
copper ore, and more.
TMSA is well equipped to handle the challenges presented by
difficult commodities such as grain, which carries with it inherent
risks pertaining to dust control, avoiding contamination,
explosion risks, storage and so forth. TMSA’s technologies are
already well developed, but it continuously improves the
engineering of its products. Dust and explosion risks are the
greatest problem. In order to address that, TMSA has a specific
Environment Control department that deals with these issues.
Further, its Research & Development department is dedicated to
developing new technologies. Also, the company’s sales
department develops strategic partnerships with synergistic
companies. TMSA has some strategic partnerships for bulk
handling material, for example, for pipe conveyors, pneumatic
unloading barges and ships, cranes, overland conveyors, among
others.
Brazil has a strong export profile, which enables it to handle
grain and other commodities and load them competitively. The
country has to import some commodities (there are some
fertilizer components, for example, that are not produced
locally). Import facilities are not as good as those for exports,
and Brazil must improve its ship and barge unloading facilities.
TMSA has noticed this shortfall, and its equipment also
competes in this market.
TMSA’s customers for grain handling equipment include:
ADM, Bunge, Coamo, Caramuru, Cargill, Louis Dreyfus and
Amaggi. Customers for bulk handling equipment for other
commodities include: Vale, Alunorte, Anglo/LLX, MMX, MPX,
CSN, among others. The company’s client base is very stable,
with most of its customers placing repeat orders due to the
quality of its products and services.
Brazil is such a major player in the bulk handling market that
a good deal of TMSA’s clients are in the country. Most of its
customers are domestic, but it does also have international
customers in countries including the USA, Syria, Argentina,
Nigeria, Uruguay, Paraguay and China among others. TMSA is
fully set-up to sell worldwide. Examples of its international
projects include a 1,500tph-capacity shiploader and a 100m-long
shuttle conveyor for AG Processing in Aberdeen, WA, USA; fixed
tower shiploaders for iron ore, wood pellets, manganese ore,
grain for Corporacion Navios in Nueva Palmira/Uruguay; fixed
tower shiploaders for Saceif Louis Dreyfus in Argentina;
conveying equipment for a grain crushing plant in Illinois/USA,
conveying equipment for white sugar refinery for Cargill in Syria
and for Nom Sugar in Lagos/Nigeria.
TMSA’s capital is 100% Brazilian and the company is owned
by German descendent family. The company is very well located
in Porto Alegre, a strategic city in Mercosur. With branches in
Porto Alegre, São Paulo, Belo Horizonte and Buenos Aires, TMSA
can supply and service all Brazilian regions and also most of the
countries in South America, with quality products and a fast
response. TMSA has its own factory in Porto Alegre in a large
property, approximately 70,000m2 with more than 30,000m2 of
industrial building and offices. It has a large production capacity
with modern equipment such as CNC lathes, presses, forming
machines, punching and cutting machines and modern welding
machines. It has a large area for shot blasting services, including
automated and manual blast cleaning facilities for large and small
parts, modern paint facility for large and for small items,
complete plant utilities including overhead cranes, forklifts,
weighing station, warehouse for buy out items and raw materials,
pre-assembly, and building.
All operations are carried out on site in accordance with the
latest industry standards and best manufacturing practices. Plant
operations are planned and controlled using ERP software.
TMSA has a very modern IT department, with specialized
employees on software and hardware to support and integrate
the systems.
The company has modern servers and systems that can
support its management, accounts, industrial, engineering,
erection, sales and customer service operations. The company
engineering department is organized in cells. Each cell is
responsible for specific jobs. Every cell is managed by a senior
engineer. TMSA utilizes Autodesk AutoCAD, Autodesk Inventor,
Autodesk Mechanical Desktop, PTC, Pro-Engineer, CAE
technology and engineering design analysis using ANSYS
software and STRAP, PTC Windchill PDM.
The company is ISO 9001:2008 certified and OHSAS 18001
and ISO 14001 regulations are under implementation.
With around 500 employees, 70 working in engineering and
product design, the company has strong vertical integration.
TMSA has wide in house capabilities with mechanical and
structural design, dimensioning, manufacturing and installations;
dust control; electrical and automation design, dimensioning and
installation, as well as field erection. TMSA also has local field
service, fast customer support, commitment with customer’s
satisfaction, reliability and long term relationship. Summarizing:
  •   tradition in the Brazilian and South America market;
  •   long-term relationships with traditional customers;
  •   long list of job references, operating for long time periods;
  •   product reliability and quality of service;
  •   wide experience with a large range of different solid bulk materials; and
  •   in-house capabilities for engineering, manufacturing and field erection.
Among TMSA’s recent contracts are:
  • the supply of 2,400tph conveyor belts for the coal stockyard silos loading process for the coal handling system of a coalpower plant in Pecém Port, northeast of Brazil;
  • the supply of 1,200tph conveyor belts for the coal stockyard and coal silos of coal power plant in Itaqui Port, northeast of Brazil;
  • the supply, transport, assembly and commissioning of pipe conveyors with approximately 7km total length, 2,400tph, electric installations and other equipments for section 2 with connection between port and a coal power plant in Pecém Port,
  • northeast of Brazil;
  • upgrading and supplying of equipment for a 4,000tph-capacity(iron ore) floating river port terminal, in Santana/AP, with:
  • one shiploader;
  • four belt conveyors;
  • two rail hopper feeders;
  • accessories like product sampler, scales, etc.; and
  • renewal of existing metallic structures.
  • handling systems to Barcarena/PA, with:
    •  belt conveyor systems for alumina and coal;
    •  dedusting systems
    •  port facility, including the supply of pipe conveyor system,mechanical shiploader and dust control system, capacity 2,000tph for alumina; and
    • grab barge unloader for fertilizer capacity up to 400tph,hydraulic and electrical drive, hoisting capacity of 15 tonnes.
COPING WITH THE DOWNTURN
In order to face the challenges presented by the global
economic crisis, TMSA reduced some costs and some strategic
investments that were supposed to go ahead in 2009.
Fortunately, TMSA can compete in a large range of markets and
at that time could ran over and now having a comfortable
backlog. It also played in (and is used to) some market niches.
One of the main reasons why TMSA remains competitive is its
strategic plan, which uses the PDCA concept to introduce the
improvements on the design of its solutions, training the
employees, making strategic partnerships and focusing some
market niches.
 
THE FUTURE
As already mentioned, TMSA has a Research &
Development department to develop new
technologies based on market trends. In parallel, has
some ongoing projects that have been executed in
different areas of its core business. TMSA has an
office in São Paulo dedicated to work on smaller
business, to service different markets, allowing
opportunities to improve the relationship with
strategic customers and reinforce TMSA’s expansion
strategy.
TMSA is always improving its capacity to supply
projects on turnkey bases, as EPC. The type of
project in which the company has been participating
recently demands this solution. TMSA has already
achieved very significant references, and really
believes that it is a trend. The company is also
preparing the process to obtain the certification
OHSAS 18001 and ISO 14001, health and security
and environment matters, which will increase its
chances to participate and better perform on larger
projects of highly demanding customers, not only in the
domestic market but also abroad, leveled with the big players.
TMSA is also aware of the increase of oil and gas market in
Brazil, mainly from Petrobras investments and it is already
studying the alternatives to participate of this important
segment.
 
COMPANY BACKGROUND
TMSA was founded in 1966 in the city of Porto Alegre – RS,
with a 100% national capital stock, and still managed by the son
of one of its founders, who is assisted by an experienced
technical team. The first purpose of the company was the
manufacture of machines and equipment for mills and cereal
silos. However, due to its location, far from the big industrial
spots of the country, its wide range of customers have always
asked for equipment related to conveying and bulk materials
processing, such as cement, ores (coal, ashes, phosphate rock,
limestone, etc) as well as cereals and bran, at high speeds not
often reached in Brazil.
Nowadays, with experience gained over more than 44 years,
during which it has always looked for practical solutions that
meet the specific requirements of each customer, with a
permanent service and technological updating, TMSA has been
requested to participate in projects/supply of equipment on a
turnkey or partial basis for the whole domestic territory, besides
Mercosur countries and others.
Lately, the mining, fertilizer and coal areas have been receiving
special attention, and TMSA has already made outstanding
deliveries for the open pit coal mining and for very deep mines.
The handling and transportation of coal, wood chips, residues
and other power alternatives in industrial plants, are other areas
where TMSA performing to a very high level.
TMSA has great experience and a specialized team for
technical assistance, as well as a complete range of spare parts
for all the equipment it supplies.
In addition to equipment manufactured in house, TMSA has
strong relationships and partnerships with other suppliers and
manufacturers for lots of products for bulk material handling and
processing.
TMSA offers equipment and solutions for materials handling
and processing for the following market segments: mining; port
facilities, coal power plants, agroindustry, fertilizers; pulp and
paper, metallurgy, cement and oil & gas.