The Clothing and Textile Technology Station is gearing up to introduce new technology to the local industry after it acquired three hi-tech machines. These include a 3D body scanner, an ultrasonic welding machine and a jet pocket machine.

Of the machines, the body scanner is the most sought after in the local and international clothing industry.

Donated to CPUT by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the body scanner has the ability to gather the exact measurements of an individual in a couple of seconds.

This data can then be used to improve the sizing and develop more accurately fitting patterns of clothing.

Researcher Reena Pandarum, from the University of South Africa, who recently trained CPUT staff members on how to use the machine, said there are many problems in the industry with regards to sizing as each company is using their own research data to determine body sizes.

Pandarum, who has conducted extensive research using the body scanner, said with no specific sizing model in South Africa, companies are also using the American and British sizing models.

She said these models do not take in consideration the different shapes and body profiles of the diverse South Africa population.

Pandarum said the scanner will play a vital role in addressing this current problem.

In order to obtain measurements, an individual steps into a chamber, similar to a clothing cubicle that houses the scanner.

The scanner then projects white light on to the individual in order to obtain the exact measurements. It then puts together a computerised image of the individual.

Manager of the station, Shamil Isaacs, said with the scanner located in Cape Town, they are now in a position to assist the local clothing and textile industry with improving their sizing models.

Isaacs said the ultrasonic welding machine and jet pocket machine will be an extension of their technology platform and will play a vital role in the services offered to industry by the station, especially to SMMEs.

The ultrasonic welding machine, which was imported from the United States, is one of the latest developments in the industry.

Instead of utlising thread to sew garments, the welder generates heat from within the fabric, and makes use of a specialised wheel to weld the garments together.

Isaacs said it is ideal for the manufacturing of outdoor and medical wear.

The station is also working with the Engineering Department to develop different wheels for the machines. Several well-known clothing producers have also visited the station to test the machine.

The impressive jet pocket machine has also caught the attention of industry. Isaacs said to manufacture pockets manually takes 13 minutes, whereas the machine takes seven seconds.

He said all the machines will also be utilised for research purpose by CPUT staff members.

By Candes Keating

Written by CPUT News
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The new Dean of the Faculty of Education, Prof Andile Mji, believes that teaching and learning with technology and empowering the next generation of Educators in South Africa will be the Faculty’s contribution towards accomplishing CPUT’s vision.

“I see CPUT as one of the great Universities of Technology in the country,” said Mji. “The vision of being Africa’s leading Smart University of Technology, globally renowned for innovation, with graduates that shape a better world for humanity, attracted me to the university.”

Mji, who joined CPUT during this University term, has spent several years in higher education (HE), having worked at the University of Transkei (now Walter Sisulu University), University of South Africa (Unisa) and Tshwane University of Technology (TUT).

Mji added that he found that everyone at CPUT had been very welcoming. “Some colleagues from different environments within the university have wished me well,” he continued. “I noticed in all their well wishes and welcoming statements that they said welcome to the CPUT family. So, my first impression is being acknowledged as a family member.

He believes that his experience in HE means that he is familiar with and thoroughly knows the South African HE landscape.

“I am a Mathematics Education Professor with extensive publications and supervision in the area, he added. “I have worked at the management level as an Assistant Dean for 16 years at TUT. In addition, l possess an MBA from Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, Finland. I suppose then my contribution will be in focused leadership meant to take the Faculty of Education (and the University) to greater heights by ensuring that we excel in our core business of teaching and learning, research as well as community service.

He joined TUT in 2005 as a professor at Unisa, where his last designation was associate professor. “At TUT, I worked as an assistant dean all my years.”

Enterprise Risk Manager, Rueben Chibvongodze, a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), has been granted certification as a Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) offered by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association, based in the United States of America (USA), with effect from this month.

Chibvongodze is also a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), he has a Certification in Risk Management Assurance (CRMA).

Chibvongodze received the CIA from the Institute of Internal Auditors, the CRMA from Institute of Internal Auditors) and CFE from Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. The CISM program tests candidates in four specific domains comprising information security governance, information security risk management, information security program management, and information technology incident management with a major focus on technical information systems security and assurance services.

In order to be certified, a CISM candidate must meet a rigorous and stringent set of requirements that include passing the exam component and meeting the five- year professional experience requirements.

Chibvongodze joins other CISMs worldwide who work across a melange of industries involving a myriad of professional disciplines including enterprise risk, information technology (IT)/computer security, IT risk measurement and management and IT assurance services, including roles in professional services firms in audit, tax and risk advisory services. The management focused CISM certification is a globally accepted standard for individuals who design, build, and manage enterprise information systems security programs.

At CPUT, he is responsible for managing the University’s enterprise risk management programme. Chibvongodze also holds an MBA in Financial Services and Banking from the University of Zimbabwe, and Master of Commerce degree in Financial Risk Management from the University of South Africa), passed with distinction.

Written by CPUT News
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Internationalisation has become an entrenched feature in higher education, where students and staff exchange opportunities, collaborative online learning, and collaborative qualification offerings have become the norm.

As such, the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences (FBMS) recently hosted a three-day International Week at Granger Bay and Bellville campuses. The event was attended by the Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships Directorate, national and international academic, industry partners, and government representatives, both in person and online.

The industry partners included: ABSA, Sea Harvest and the South African Institute for Government Auditors. The government officials were from the City of Cape Town and the Western Cape provincial government. Speaking at the event, Assistant Dean: Teaching and Learning: FBMS, Prof Desiree Scholtz, said the benefits of these endeavours are unparalleled in creating life-long learning experiences. Scholtz said the operative word “here being ‘experience’ since the experience of being abroad is a life-long encounter”.

“Internationalisation opens new vistas of thinking, knowing, and doing that no theoretical learning can offer. The CPUT, and more importantly here, the FBMS has a growing number of partnerships in the Euro Zone, BRICS countries, Africa, and Canada with additional agreements being signed on a regular basis,” she noted.

Scholtz said the value assigned to internationalisation endeavours extends beyond developing academic prowess. “While the exchange of learning, teaching and curriculum is important to advance the academic agenda, we have found that personal engagement results in long-standing partnerships between departments and our faculty,” she said.

During the proceedings, delegates were given a slot to present an overview of their institutions. This started with the hosts, followed by other institutions such as the University of the Western Cape, the Polytechnic University of Porto, Portugal, the University of South Africa, and many more.

Reflecting on the conference, the organising committee chair, Andiswa Mrasi, said the FBMS Hybrid International Week is an annual event hosted by the FMBS.

Mrasi said the event's primary purpose is to create a platform where practitioners in the field of international education engage on important topics to enhance this discipline and share best practices. Mrasi, who is also a manager: Strategic Initiatives and Projects: FBMS, said: “This year, which marked the second Hybrid FBMS International Week was once again a resounding success. We were particularly pleased to witness the participation of local institutions.”

One of the event's highlights was the participation of local and international institutions, and the workshop on Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), presented by Dr Pieter Steenkamp from the Marketing Department and Simon Kavanagh from Kaospilot, Denmark.

“We are encouraged to see the growth in engagements pertaining to Internationalisation,” said Mrasi.

Written by Aphiwe Boyce

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