Mechanical Technology

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Mechanical Technology — July 2015 7
⎪ Industry forum ⎪
In brief
Tectra Automation has appointed Wayne
Neethling as branch manager for its Cape Town
office. Neethling has over 25 years’ experience
in pneumatic and hydraulic technology across
the mining, packaging, dairy and automotive in-
dustries. As a branch manager, he has managed
sales and services outlets in Welkom, Klerksdorp
and Port Elizabeth.
Schneider Electric, the global specialist in
energy management and automation, has an-
nounced that Eplan is to become its major E-
CAD solutions provider for the design of global
Energy division products. The Eplan platform
enables Schneider Electric to optimise its work-
flow from design to production, structure and
to centralise the components database and to
facilitate knowledge management.
Vale Canada has chosen Intergraph® Smart-
Plant® Materials as its supply chain manage-
ment software for the Long Harbour Nickel
Processing Plant in Long Harbour, Newfound-
land, Canada. After an extensive review of the
software capabilities and the business needs
of the project, Vale replaced its existing solu-
tion with SmartPlant Materials, a solution the
company has successfully implemented in its
Brazilian operations.
seebaWIND Service is the first enterprise to use
the Reference Designation System for Power
Plants (RDS-PP®) standard-based REGAS
applications software app. The software will
initially be used for its own technical operations
management. In the next stage, seebaWIND’s
service technicians will use the app to log wind
turbine data and to record results as stan-
dardised reports.
The City of Joburg and the Ministry of Small
Business Development have demonstrated their
support for SMMEs at Empowertec Africa, a
small business opportunities showcase that
formed part of the SA Industry and Technology
Fair (INDUTEC). “We are determined to support
the development of entrepreneurship, SMME
businesses and employment opportunities in
Gauteng and the City of Joburg,” said Reginald
Pholo, a director at the Department of Economic
Development.
The Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) has
announced the much-anticipated arrival of its
new CEO, Barlow Manilal. Manilal is optimistic
about his five-year plan for TIA but also acknowl-
edges the challenges ahead.
RITZ Pumps SA in partnership with Rockwell
Automation are engaging in a project to solve
one of South Africa’s high-profile national prob-
lems – acid mine drainage (AMD). The project,
taking place at Gauteng’s Central Basin, is being
implemented by TCTA (Trans-Caledon Tunnel
Authority) on behalf of the Department of Water
and Sanitation.
Air Products South Africa has once
again demonstrated its ongoing support
for young agriculture students with the
sponsorship of Inmed’s Aquaponics unit
at Carel de Wet High School in Vander-
bijlpark, close to the company’s flagship
production facility.
Inmed, a global children’s organisa-
tion, launched the unit in August 2013
in partnership with Air Products South
Africa, in order to introduce students to
aquaponics, an agricultural technique
that combines aquaculture and soilless
crop growing. The aquaponics project
has generated much interest, particularly
among students taking agriculture as a
school subject.
The first group of students, Grade
10 and 11 learners at the school, who
are studying agriculture as a subject,
were recently honoured at an awards
ceremony. Of the sixteen students who
took part, 12 received graduation cer-
tificates while the remainder received
participation certificates. Grade 10 pupil,
Matshepo Maduna, got top honours with
her impressive 95% mark.
“It has been an honour to be involved
in this exciting initiative, which teaches
young people an innovative and environ-
mentally friendly method of farming to
After 12 years of service, SEW-Eurodrive
South Africa’s managing director, Ute
Schoeman, has stepped down to pursue
personal interests as a business consul-
tant. Schoeman, who made a name for
herself as one of the youngest and first
female MDs in the local power transmis-
sion industry, has doubled the turnover
of the South African business during
her reign.
SEW-Eurodrive would like to thank
Schoeman for her years of service to the
company, and wish her the best of luck
in her future endeavours. She will be re-
placed by general manager of operations,
Raymond Obermeyer, who has more than
25 years of operational experience in the
company.
Obermeyer, who officially took up his
post from 1 July 2015, was instrumental
in the upgrading of SEW’s South African
facilities, during which all factories were
equipped to handle additional tonnage
and fitted with load test benches, tooling
upgrades and new assembly lines. He
was also involved in the streamlining
Aquaponics project award for high school students
help combat hunger among communi-
ties in our country,” says Josua le Roux,
general manager, central support at Air
Products South Africa.
The aquaponics training programme
includes a combination of ‘hands-on’,
practical experience at the school’s farm-
ing facility, plus a theoretical component.
Air Products South Africa’s sponsorship
has paid for the training and the devel-
opment of course material. In addition,
Air Products donated a gift voucher for
each student who achieved a pass mark
of 80% and above; and a prize for the
top student.
Matshepo Maduna got top honours with her
impressive 95% mark.
SEW-Eurodrive appoints new MD
of process flow in the factories, which
has led to optimum productivity and
reduced delivery times. Obermeyer hails
from Nelspruit, where he was initially the
branch manager before his promotion to
operations and logistics general manager
three years ago.
“I have every confidence in Raymond’s
ability to lead the company to new
heights,” concludes Schoeman.
Raymond Obermeyer, the new managing
director of SEW-Eurodrive, South Africa.