African Fusion November 2022

Augmented-reality reduces welder training costs

“ I n addressing IR4.0 in the engineering and manufacturing mar kets, augmented-reality welding training is a cost-effective, green alternative to traditional training. It provides the same level of traditional skills training but offers significant cost savings that can run into millions of Rands per annum. This is an example of IR4.0 in action for education,” says Bez Sangari, CEO of Sangari Education. The Soldamatic welding simulator, which has won top honours at the Worlddidac Awards for the most innovative educational product, requires no costly welding consumables and reduces training time by half. “As we move into the 4 th Industrial Revolution the Soldamatic welding simulator offers training officers and learners the op portunity to constantly upscale their capabilities without the costs normally associated with welding activities. Organisations choose Soldamatic based on the cost comparison to traditional, non-simulation training, and the software is continually being updated with additional functionality. Cost saving benefits include less electricity consumption, less material wastage and, depending on the learner numbers, the classroom serves as a safe, environmentally friendly workshop. “Consumables such as welding rods, steel plates or oxygen are not needed, and because the equipment has no gas emissions, it is eco-friendly. The simulator can be used in any environment with no need for special clothing or ventilation. The welding can be done in a classroom or even an office. It is 100% safe, simply because it provides an augmented-reality welding environment which is hyper realistic.” Payback for a large training institution is about 18-24 months and training can continue without full supervision of the lecturer, which means more practice time for the trainee. The headgear generates hyper realistic welding graphics and

The Soldamatic welding simulator from Sangari Education.

sound such as the weld pool and beam. It emits simulated smoke, sparks and heating of the affected area, all through the student’s headgear. It also simulates cracks, filler material, gravity and un dercutting. Welding skills can be learnt for specific applications and the student’s performance measured in a fair, reliable and unbiased manner. The unit includes 93 different training lessons, and customised lessons can also be added. The facilitator and trainees are able to analyse and assess the trainees’ welding performance in a video afterwards and evaluate their skills level such as the welding velocity, stick-out, travel and working angles. The systemwill report on each student’s progress and retains a detailed portfolio of their learning progress. www.sangari.co.za

Dekra’s highest ever 8 th NOSCAR score

D ekra Industrial SA is pleased to an nounce the achievement of its 8 th annual NOSCAR safety award. “This award highlights our ingrained ethos of ‘living the safety culture’ across our company, country and around the clock. The recent NOSA ranking furthermore reflects our highest ever score of 97.48%, compared to our first 2013 score of 92.28%,” says Dekra Industrial’sHealth, Safety andEnvironment (HSE) Manager, Carina Kleinhans. Kleinhans adds that Dekra Industrial is a company that is committed to safety from management level through to each team member throughout its nationwide branches. “Every Dekra Industrial employ ee and contractor is encouraged to keep identifying areas for improvement and risk mitigation and management within the workplace. You could say that every branch and department is interlinked by our safetymindset; while ourmanagement team members operate a true open-door policy to hear and attend to any areas of

concern,” she notes. Categories that are audited annually by NOSA include: leadership and worker participation; planning, support andopera tional; performance evaluation; improve ment; safety; health; environmental; risk management; systems; compliance and effectiveness. “In addition,” says Kleinhans, “legisla tive requirements can change from time to time, and we are required to remain abreast of these. A good example is how 2020 brought in new additional reporting factors relating to Covid. Dekra Industrial compliedwith all new requirements, while not only maintaining but in fact improving our NOSA ranking.” Dekra Industrial Managing Director Johan Gerber adds: “These audited NOSA results are very pleasing, and we are ex tremely proud to have improved upon our results – from an already-high benchmark – in line with our desire to be true ‘the he roes of safety’. I congratulate Carina and the

‘Living the safety culture’: Dekra Industrial achieves its 8th consecutive NOSCAR Award with highest-ever score. entire HSE team, as well as each individual employee throughout the company, ” con cludes Kleinhans. www.dekrarsa.com

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November 2022

AFRICAN FUSION