SAISC Steel Awards – a huge success, but what now for the rest of industry?

On 10 October this year, some 900 people attended the South African Institute of Steel Construction’s (SAISC’S) annual Steel Awards held at three venues simultaneously in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town. And they were well rewarded for their attendance as this year they were treated to a record number of highly innovative entries. What is more, the Steel Awards enjoyed unprecedented sponsor support while the entries themselves with the most diverse seen to date. The range of building types entered was compendious and the quality and of the innovation brought…

Read More

Rand-Air’s portable LED lighting units: placing mines in a favourable light

With the enormous investment placed in large open-pit mines, the pressure is on these operations to produce. Inevitably, this dictates that they work around the clock. However, working at night does present some very real potential safety hazards which are not present during the hours of daylight. This is according to Craig Swart, Fleet Manager at Rand-Air, the leading local provider of compressed air and power to the mines, as well as to many other industry sectors. “The most serious potential hazard in an open-pit mine – even during daylight…

Read More

BLM Group: turning your tube-bending and end-forming into a production pipeline.

Conventional production-line steel processing dictates that one part is made at a time. Parts are processed sequentially and eventually become part of a larger whole. However, it has been shown that this system, being sequential, is inherently inefficient as, among other things, the production line has to cater for intermediate storage and retrieval of semi-finished goods. The BLM Group presents a productivity enhancing solution in its 3-Runner, Smart, E-Shape and E-Form suite of machines. In South Africa, BLM equipment is distributed by First Cut, the country’s leading distributor of cutting…

Read More

SAPICS INSPIRES ASPIRING YOUNG SUPPLY CHAIN PROFESSIONALS

This year’s 5th annual Young Professional and Student Conference, hosted by SAPICS, The Professional Body for Supply Chain Management, was a resounding success, the organisers report. Held recently in Johannesburg, it attracted up and coming supply chain talent from around the country. SAPICS president Kea Mpane says that several universities were invited to send students to the one-day conference, including the Universities of South Africa, Johannesburg and Pretoria, North-West University, and the Tshwane and Vaal Universities of Technology. “The energy, enthusiasm and commitment of this year’s attendees was inspiring,” Mpane…

Read More

Blockchain can transform logistics and supply chain management in SA

While blockchain in logistics is not fully matured, it holds huge potential and companies should seek to understand its functionality, value, and tangible rewards 22 AUGUST 2019 – 13:12 MICHAEL ADE Businesses the world over are still struggling to understand the opportunities and challenges presented by the next-generation technologies of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR), and SA is no exception. Although a lot has been written and spoken about the pioneering technological concepts underpinning the 4IR — artificial intelligence (AI), automation, robotics, the Internet of Things, 3D printing and blockchain —…

Read More

First Cut ‘cuts’ a vibrant new profile in Mpumalanga

First Cut is developing an exciting new profile in the Lowveld at Mbombela (formerly Nelspruit). Their presence builds on the foundation of an existing company, Bremsaw, which is a well-known local saw doctor business, explains Director of First Cut, Gary Willis. Dave and Anna Bremner owned the company for some 20 years. While the company had been a customer of First Cut for many years buying various sawing-related products, a change came about when Dave and Anna decided to sell their business. Willis has had a long and successful relationship…

Read More

Next-Gen On-Site Thermophilic Waste Digesting Extremophile Machine

A UK specialist in the on-site reduction of solid and liquid organic waste, Advetec,  has launched the an evolution of its Bio-Thermic Digester (BTD) technology. The Advetec XO is designed to rapidly reduce the organic content within waste at source, cutting off-site transportation and processing costs and helping companies achieve zero waste to landfill. Designed initially for industrial food and drink manufacturers who currently pay for organic waste disposal to be collected and processed off-site, the Advetec XO is a small footprint, fully contained on-site solution, delivering a 60% to…

Read More