Providing small medium micro enterprises (SMMEs) with support in order to develop high efficiency low energy products saw Prof Mohamed Tariq Kahn, Head of CPUT’s Centre for Distributed Power and Electronic Systems, clinch a top award at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Technology Awards.

This annual event celebrates successful research projects which were funded by three Innovation and Technology Programmes set up by the South African government.

This includes the Technology and Human Resources for Industry Programme (THRIP), managed by the National Research Foundation (NRF), the Support Programme for Industrial Innovation, managed by the Industrial Development Corporation and the Seda Technology Programme, managed by the Small Enterprise Development Agency.

Prof Khan was declared the national winner in the THRIP SMME Development Category at the awards, which took place on 22 October 2009.

THRIP’s mission is to improve the competitiveness of South African industry, by supporting research and technology development activities and enhancing the quantity of skilled people.

It does this through a partnership programme which challenges private companies to match government funding for innovative research and development in South Africa.

Prof Khan said the award the award is “quite an achievement.”

During the past three years, Prof Khan, provided advice and technical support to three companies that are involved in the production of low energy high efficiency products.

Supported by research assistant Fazel Mongalo , Prof Khan worked on various research projects in collaboration with Phoenix Contact, Green Solutions and LMP Enterprises.

The research projects ranged from the production of low energy cookware to an off-grid project which involved supplying solar or renewable energy to rural villages.

Prof Khan said currently South Africa has an energy capacity of 40 gigawatt, with a usage of 37 gigawatt. Machinery in South Africa alone makes use of 10 gigawatt, he said.

“We have to look as way to use energy more efficiently,” said Prof Khan.

Although South Africa’s energy problems are not as severe as that of other African countries, Prof Khan said the industry must look at decreasing energy use and in turn reduce the consumption of fossil fuels.

Prof Khan said he is planning to further research in this area and focus on how to take devices off the energy grid and instead generate power from wind, the sun and other resources more effectively.

Dr Chris Nhlapo, DVC Research, Technology Innovation and Partnerships at CPUT said the institution’s Executive Management is excited about the achievements of Prof Khan and his research team.

“It added the necessary impetus in a quest of being a world class innovative university by contributing to the competitiveness of South African industry through research and technology development activities and enhancing the quality and quantity of appropriately skilled people, which is a core mission of THRIP,” said Dr Nhlapo.

He said this achievement proves that CPUT is playing a meaningful role in “bridging the innovation gap” and thus reclaiming its integral role within the National System of Innovation (NSI).

By Candes Keating

Written by CPUT News
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The use of 3D body scanners to improve the sizing of clothing could revolutionise the Clothing and Textile Industry in South Africa.

According to experts, who attended a seminar hosted by the Clothing and Textile Technology Department, new technological developments are becoming vital for the industry.

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Seminar, which was held earlier this year at the Bellville campus, focused on the use of 3D Body Scanners. These high-tech scanners are used to determine individuals’ measurements in order to produce customised clothing patterns.

Keynote speaker Prof Winnue Yu, from Hong Kong Polytechnic University, who is an expert on 3D Body Scanners said this is the “way to go” for the clothing and textile industry.

Prof Yu said with so many different body shapes, body scanners are a vital tool to ensure clothing manufacturers bridge the gap between what it produces, and the fit and styling customers actually want.

“The software of the 3D scanners enables the manufacturer to create customised patterns based on the body measurements of a client,” she said.

Prof Yu said the use of body scanners will allow manufacturers to develop size charts in order to produce better sized garments.

In turn, retailers will be able to provide clothing with a better fit and retain customers.

Prof Yu said in the United States, body scanners have been set up in several retail shopping malls and are proving to be popular with the general public and successful in collecting data for customized clothing

The scanner is set up in a chamber, similar to a clothing store cubicle, and uses radio waves to scan a fully clothed individual. A wand rotates around the individual in order to gather measurements. The measurements are then printed out along with a list of retailers who can provide the individual with suitably sized clothing.

Several other countries, including France, Britain, China and Japan have conducted large scale sizing research projects, using the body scanners, said Prof Yu.

Currently South African researchers and retailers are also looking at rolling out a large scale sizing research project, using body scanner technology

CSIR Researcher Reena Pandarum who has already conducted research using the body scanner said: “It’s absolutely vital because of different shapes and body profiles.”

The CSIR office in Port Elizabeth has a body scanner and recently conducted a study on 12 year olds in order to determine the sizing of school uniforms.

Meanwhile, Director for Skills for the Economy at DTI, Dr Julius Nyalunga, said the industry must embrace new technology.

“The industry is in dire need of new technology developments in order to improve their competitiveness,” he said.

Currently this industry employs 200 000 and has annual sales of over R20 billion.

By Candes Keating

Written by CPUT News
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Recently Prof Vuyisa Mazwi-Tanga, Vice Chancellor of CPUT, was appointed by the Minister of Science and Technology as a member of the National Advisory Council on Innovation (NACI) to serve from 01 March 2008 to 28 February 2009. She has also been asked to serve as a member of Council of the Artscape from 30 July 2008 to 30 July 2011.

The NACI comprises 22 Councilors, and represents a range of sectors and organisations that are involved in the South African National System of Innovation ( NSI ). The Council is assisted by three national specialised advisory committees, namely Science, Engineering and Technology for Women (SET4W), the National Biotechnology Advisory Committee (NBAC) and the Indicators Reference Group (IRG). It is further supported by a secretariat based in the Department of Science and Technology in Pretoria.

Having been in existence for 11 years, the NACI was by national legislation with the aim of advising the Minister of Science and Technology of South Africa and achieving national objectives of contributing to the development of mathematics, science, innovation and technology (including indigenous technologies).

In an extract from a letter from the Minister of Science and Technology, Mosibudi Mangena, Prof Mazwi-Tanga was described as being “confident that (her) in-depth knowledge, extensive research and prominent leadership position…will contribute significantly to further promote the NACI’s role as key advisory body.”

The NACI Council on which the VC will serve, meets four times per annum and consists of a chairperson appointed by the Minister; a Chief Executive Officer in the person of the Director-General of DST; an officer of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) who is appointed by the Minister of Trade and Industry and about 20 additional members appointed (by the Minister) after consultation with the his Committee, and after submission to the Cabinet for notification.

In addition, the chairperson of NACI has direct access to the Minister and members of the committee to submit and discuss any report of NACI, any minutes of a meeting of NACI, or any other matter relating to the functioning of NACI.

The members of NACI, other than the CEO and the officer from DTI, are appointed in their personal capacity due to their outstanding achievement in any field of Science and Technology, or in the context of innovation, special knowledge, experience and insight into the role and contribution of innovation, in promoting and achieving national and provincial objectives.

Prof Mazwi-Tanga was asked to serve as a member of the Council of the Artscape by National Minister of Arts and Culture, Mr Pallo Jordan.

Having been described as the ‘one-stop-shop of Creative Excellence’, the Artscape theatre in Cape Town was officially launched on 27 March 1999 to replace CAPAB. The Department of Arts and Culture is tasked to create an environment conducive to the growth, development and flowering of South Africa ’s arts, culture and heritage landscape and through the Artscape theatre.

Among its key objectives, which Prof Mazwi-Tanga was mandated to address as a member of the council, are the improvement, re-orientation and expansion of the arts and culture sector to serve South Africa ’s cultural needs.

By Thando Moiloa, Marketing and Communication Department

Photograph: CPUT Vice-Chancellor Vuyisa Mazwi-Tanga

Written by CPUT News
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CPUT students have clinched the top five places in a furniture design competition run by the Department of Trade and Industry.

The competition tasked students with designing a multipurpose furniture piece for a limited space.

Jess Kuhlenthal’s Trimod table, which is an interlocking, interchangeable series of three triangles, scooped top place for its functionality and versatility.

The Trimod connects with magnets and has nine different configurations.

BIG WIN: Jess Kuhlenthal (first prize) and Daniel Afonso (third prize)

Then it was a case of second time lucky for Interior Design student Nicky van den Aardweg who first exhibited her backpack lap desk a year ago at Design Indaba as a finalist in the Jigsaw competition.

SECOND TIME LUCKY: Nicky van den Aardweg with her backpack lap-desk

The desk fits neatly into a specially designed backpack and attempts to alleviate the issues around the lack of desks at some rural schools.

This time Nicky’s design wowed the judges and she won 2^nd place. She was also the only student who was not studying Industrial Design to make it into the finals.

Then third-year student Daniel Afonso’s Gud news chair, which incorporates storage into a seating solution and also promotes good posture scooped third place.

WINNERS: All the winners at Design Indaba

Created out of African fabrics and indigenous pine wood, the chair was commended for its unique African feel.

All the winners won a share of R25 000 worth of prizes but all agree that the best prize of all was exhibiting their work at Design Indaba 2015.

The platform allowed them to interact with likeminded designers, network and promote their work to potential employers.

“The prizes are great but ultimately being at Design Indaba was reward enough,” says Jess.

Written by Lauren Kansley

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Liaises with the media and writes press releases about interesting developments at CPUT.

CPUT is setting their sights on the multi-million rand chocolate industry, thanks to a R5 million grant from the Department of Trade and Industry.

The funds will be used to set up a Chocolate Factory at the Food Technology Facility on Bellville Campus and the training opportunities that come with such a unique facility will provide our students with the skills needed to become key role-players in the country’s booming chocolate industry.

Associate Prof Jessy van Wyk, who heads up the Food Technology Department, says this new venture will allow them expand their practical training offerings as well as innovation activities that could see students developing CPUT’s own line of chocolates and sweets.

“The product line that we will install will be aimed at manufacturing chocolate products, such as chocolate bars and hollow chocolate products such as Easter eggs,” says van Wyk.

“We will also include some so-called sugar confectionary lines and hard boiled candies, toffees and marshmallows.”

This ambitious venture also recently received an extra boost from the South African Chocolate and Sweets Manufacturing Association, who will donate professional services and equipment to the value of R2.3 million.

With community interaction high on CPUT’s agenda, the Chocolate Factory will also act as a hub for training small business owners and as a catalyst to grow the country’s SMME sector.

Head of the Agrifood Technology Station, Larry Dolley, says they are currently in the early stages of setting up the facility and hope to roll out courses to industry later this year.

Written by Candes Keating
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Provides coverage for the Engineering and Applied Sciences Faculties; the Bellville and Wellington Campuses, and research and innovation news.

Through technology transfer and the diffusion of innovative technologies, the Metals Technology Laboratory (METL) will facilitate strategic projects that will contribute towards the growth of a sustainable South African and more closely the Western Cape foundry industry.

Launched recently at CPUT, the METL is a highly specialized unit that is based in the TIA Adaptronics Advanced Manufacturing Technology Laboratory.  Its activities are aligned to the National Foundry Technology Network (NFTN), a key foundry industry support initiative, which is funded by the Department of Trade and Industry.  

Spearheading activities at the METL is Llewellyn Cupido, who is part of the first cohort of South Africans who participated in the Research and Innovation in Foundry Technology scholarship programme, a Department of Science and Technology supported initiative aimed at developing high-end expertise to support the technology and innovation capabilities of the South African foundry industry.

Cupido says while South Africa has a struggling foundry industry, much more can be done to facilitate the development of a globally competitive industry and the potential is great.

“Technology and innovation in the South African industry is lacking. They are able to melt metal into shapes, but the question is how can they make better products using innovative technologies?” says Cupido.

“Internationally the industry has become innovative. We need to innovate to compete internationally.”

Cupido says the METL aims to expedite projects that will see the introduction of new technology into the South African foundry industry and will also provide general project assistance, in collaboration with its various partners.

Based on the Bellville Campus, the unit has access to a range of capabilities, which include state-of-the-art design and product performance simulation (virtual engineering), and casting simulation utilising the software MAGMASOFT. The unit also has the software Thermo-Calc, which is used for thermodynamic calculations such as phase diagrams and for the exploration of thermodynamic properties of chemical reactions.

The unit will also work closely with the Product Lifecycle Management Competency Centre, also based at the Bellville Campus. The centre, which is the only of its kind in Africa, focuses on product design, product lifecycle management and system engineering.

Cupido says MELT is currently also involved in several projects, which includes a collaboration with the China Academy of Machinery Science and Technology. The project is exploring the use of patternless casting technology to reduce production time and cost, as well as the improvement of dimensional accuracies by producing casting as close to the final product. Other projects involve the design and simulation of castings used on power plants and the investigation of the corrosivity of specialty steels used in nuclear structures.

Cupido will also participate in the upcoming BRICS Foundry Forum and visit China later this year.

• The Research and Innovation in Foundry Technology scholarship programme is a collaborative initiative between CPUT, the Faculty of Foundry Engineering at AGH University of Science and Technology and the Laboratory for Aerospace Materials of Rzeszow University of Technology in Poland. It is supported by the Department of Science and Technology,

Written by Candes Keating
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Provides coverage for the Engineering and Applied Sciences Faculties; the Bellville and Wellington Campuses, and research and innovation news.