Mechanical Technology April 2016

⎪ Industry forum ⎪

Mrs Ples skull at Nuclear Africa 2016

In brief Micromine’s general manager, Claire Tuder has won an award for exceptional business talent at the BusinessNews-hosted 2016 40Under40 Awards. Established in 2002, this awards pro- gramme is designed to recognise and celebrate Western Australia’s 40 leading business entre- preneurs under the age of 40. According to the latest PPS survey conducted among engineering professionals, 80% of the re- spondents do not think that the Government will allocate sufficient funds to address the country’s electricity and water crises. A confidence level of only 35% was expressed among engineers when asked whether the Government would deliver on its infrastructure spending promises. City & Guilds in Africa has joined forces with The British Council to create a new International English Language certificate. The qualification has been designed to offer a flexible and acces- sible course to those who want to improve their English communication skills alongside techni- cal skills training. The certificate can be attained through online modules and will be available to approved centres from March 2016. Atlas Copco’s annual report reflects that the company achieved record revenues, operating profit and operating cash flow in tough market conditions for the 2015 year. “We are focusing on boosting customers’ productivity through our continuous drive for innovation. Staying efficient is also key, partly by being on top of the digital transformation. For the first time, the Group gen- erated more than SEK 100-billlion in revenues,” says global president and CEO, Ronnie Leten. Leading South African PTFE manufacturer, Trident Plastics , trading as Hardomid Plastic, has announced the sale of the company to AZ-Armaturen Valve Group , a longstanding customer of Trident Plastics. Trident Plastics will continue to operate as an independent company and all the employees will remain in the business. Rittal South Africa has announced that MD Ste- phen Venter has stepped down and his responsi- bilities have been taken over by Ute Schoeman, who has stepped in as acting MD for the local operation. She will take full responsibilities until a successor has been found. “Customers can be assured of our commitment and that we endeavour to ensure a smooth transition in leadership,” says Schoeman. Afrisam, the leading supplier of concrete materi- als in southern Africa and a supplier of superior quality cement to the Lesotho nation for over half a century, has again demonstrated its commit- ment to the economic development of Lesotho and its people by establishing the first ever cement manufacturing facility in the country.

research reactor at Necsa, situated practically inside the area known as the Cradle of Humankind. These neutrons can penetrate much deeper into materials such as fossils. In 1997 the very first research on fossilised materials using neutron radi- ography and diffraction from a nuclear reactor, were conducted at Necsa. Although known as “Mrs” Ples, Prof Thackeray was able to interpret the neu- tron results to deduce that ‘Mrs Ples’ was probably male. Today, Necsa boasts two world-class new neutron diffraction in- struments at SAFARI-1 with much higher resolving power than used back then. In 2013, sixteen years after the first measurement, ‘Mrs Ples’ was again examined using SAFARI-1, and further studies have confirmed that ‘Mrs Ples’ is, in fact ‘Mr Ples’. Furthermore, the analy- sis shows that he was an adolescent. The bronzed replica is to be placed on permanent on display in the Visitor’s Centre at Necsa. www.nuclearafrica.co.za

At the Nuclear Africa 2016 cocktail networking function, the world authority on ‘Mrs Ples’, Francis Thackeray, head of the Evolutionary Studies Institute at the University of the Witwatersrand, presented the CEO of Necsa, Phumzile Tshelane, with a bronzed replica of the famous skull. ‘Mrs Ples’ is the nickname for a fossil skull that was discovered at Sterkfontein in the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site. It was found by Robert Broom and John Robinson in 1947. The skull represents Australopithecus Africanus, which is more than two mil- lion years old, a species that is a distant relative of humankind. The skull has been studied at Necsa, using the SAFARI-1 nuclear reactor and is the subject of ongoing research. The immense investigative power of beams of penetrating radiation, such as X-rays is well known to researchers in the paleo- sciences. What is less widely known is the availability of beams of neutrons from a nuclear reactor, such as the SAFARI-1

SEW-Eurodrive to streamline operational efficiencies The operations division is at the heart of SEW-Eurodrive and the division’s newly appointed general manager, Greg Perry, is eager to consolidate current successes to improve service delivery.

The scope of the company’s operation’s division encompasses numerous functions, including production, logistics, services and engineering. Despite the fact that the company is recognised as a market leader in innovation and quality, Perry admits that more needs to be done to maintain current clients and win over new ones in tough economic conditions.

“Our products are good and we have every confidence in them, in terms of design and functionality. Due to a gradual slowdown in new investments, a general industry trend is that operations are reducing overhead costs by diverting budgets towards maintenance to extend the total life cycle of equipment. As a result, customer service is more important than ever, and we are adopting a continu- ous improvement approach in that regard,” he says.

Bearing this in mind, Perry believes that SEW-Eurodrive will maintain its competitive edge in industries such as mining, automotive, food and beverage, and water treatment. “Our business model is sound and we have a strong team of people behind our products. However, it is important to work ‘smarter’ in challenging times, and we are doing this by taking a proactive approach towards streamlining efficiencies across the board,” he concludes. www.sew.co.za

Mechanical Technology — April 2016

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