Mechanical Technology June 2016

⎪ Special report ⎪

opens doors in SA Left: A view of the inspection station at SMC’s 4 317 m² manufacturing and assembly facil-

ity at its new Head Office in Midrand, Johannesburg. Right: Shun Ino (SMC Japan), Chihiro Sawada (Bridgestone) and Tetsuya Tsuruta (SMC UK) discuss the merits of SMS’s CP96SDB air cylinders at the official opening of its Johannesburg headquarters in Midrand. Inset: The company’s compact cylinder range offers air volume reductions of nearly 50% along with weight savings of 42% compared to standard equivalents.

and the opening saw top SMC executives from United Kingdom, Japan, Spain and Germany fly in for the grand opening. “Having access to such a broad and sup- portive network of global executives is a great privilege for us. It ensures that we are always on top of our game.” So, what can the market expect from SMC? “Cost effective, exceptional quality, customised offerings and superior service from our team. We strive to work tire- lessly to meet needs and objectives, and we currently believe that our innovativity and drive sets us apart. The possibilities are endless.” “As a global market leader in pneu- matics technologies, SMC Pneumatics is proud to have officially launched in South Africa, and we look forward to further expansion prospects into Africa,” says Buddingh. q

Above: A demonstration automation system built with a Mitsubishi robot and SMC Pneumatics’ actua- tors, sensors and control technologies. Right : A display of some of the sensors and actua- tors now available through the new South African subsidiary.

Left: Training is a cor- nerstone of SMC’s new

local offering and the new facility boasts several fully- equipped training rooms.

Mechanical Technology — June 2016

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