| Faculty of Engineering,
the Built Environment and Information Technology |
back
to Academic Project listings |
| School of Mechanical Engineering |
|
|
Establishment of an Advanced Mechatronic Training Centre (AMTC)
|
A new multi-million rand Advanced Mechatronic Technology
Training Centre, which addresses the dire shortage of specialists in the automotive
sector in South Africa, has been launched at NMMU. A partnership between
ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), General Motors South Africa (GMSA), Festo Didactic
and the NMMU Trust worked together to fund the project.
Port Elizabeth, the home of NMMU, is considered the hub of the automotive sector in South Africa.
With annual production of 535 000 vehicles in 2007, the automotive sector is a giant in the South
African economy, contributing about 7.5% to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and employing
around 36 000 people. The South African Government has identified the automotive industry as a key
growth sector, and so future automotive engineers must be trained so that they may steer
the growth in this sector.
The new centre includes a fully functional mini assembly line similar to one likely to be found
in a car factory or other manufacturing environment. Here, students learn to design and programme
manufacturing processes using real equipment, including specially developed software tools capable
of testing their problem seeking and solving abilities. |
|
|
|
|
|
Friction Stir-welding project
|
Wikipedia defines friction stir-welding as a solid-state joining
process (meaning the metal is not melted during the process) which is used for applications where the
original metal characteristics must remain unchanged as far as possible. The NMMU has established
itself as a forerunner in research in the field of friction stir-welding and related processes.
As the only institute in South Africa and one of only a handful internationally with the capability of
doing this type of research, the NMMU has made several contributions to international symposiums and recognised journals. |
|
|
|
|
|
Advanced Mechatronic Technology Centre
|
| The South African manufacturing industry will increasingly come to rely on mechatronics systems to support its operations. It is therefore a business reality that industry must be increasingly supported with automation know-how and the right skills base. The NMMU Trust once again funded this project at the NMMU, in conjunction with The Department of Trade & Industry, Thyssen Krupp and General Motors South Africa.
|
|
|
|
|
| |