The PneuDrive Challenge is drawing to a close. The sponsors, SEW-Eurodrive and Festo, have begun gearing students up to make the final design and business proposals in order to meet the submission date of 19 October. There is much anticipation about the entries from the third and fourth year mechatronic engineering students competing in this year’s competition: ‘Engineering a Better Life for South African Communities’.
Through the years the quality of design proposals has improved with each year, two universities were approached in the past year with a view to purchasing the designs of their students. The judging panel, normally made up of representatives from the two sponsoring companies, prominent local engineering specialists and international representatives, will convene from 7-8 November. With this year’s competition calling on students to apply their engineering aptitude and creativity to try and ease the socio-economic challenges faced by less fortunate communities, the panel is expecting to be hard-pressed to find a winner. Some of the criteria that will be applied during the evaluation and scoring process to help in this regard include creativity, technical accuracy and engineering practicality. However, business acumen, budgeting, project planning and the degree of professional presentation will also make a difference in the minds of judges.
Addressing the skills gap
Over the last couple of years, the principle of shifting students away from a focus only on academic theory, and to start exposing them to the realities of the working world has grown increasingly important. Rene Rose, general manager of communications at SEW-Eurodrive: “The engineering student competition was an idea born six years ago when we needed to find synergy between business growth and social responsibility. We have managed to build on the significance of the competition year upon year, to the point where at least five participating universities now include the competition as a part of their curriculum. This is a clear indication of how important it has become as an element to address the skills gap in our economy.”
Rene Rose.
Brian Abbott, product manager at Festo South Africa states, “We have a strong belief in the value of this competition and how it offers innovative students an opportunity to work with each other and learn about new technology on a platform that emphasises business acumen.”
The winning team will receive an all expenses paid trip to Germany where they will visit the head offices of the sponsors. In addition to this, the winning university will receive SEW-Eurodrive and Festo equipment to the value of R100 000. The remaining universities who submit entries will receive equipment to the value of R40 000.
Reinstatement opportunity for ECSA registration
News
In 2023 the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) announced a special opportunity for engineers in South Africa to reinstate their registration status if it had been cancelled. This exclusive offer is available until the end of August 2024.
Read more...Pepperl+Fuchs Channel Partner Conference Pepperl+Fuchs
News
Pepperl+Fuchs recently hosted its Channel Partner Conference. Under the theme ‘Together, Breaking Ground in Africa’, the conference served as both a celebration of partnerships and a strategic forum focused on future growth.
Read more...SEW-EURODRIVE prioritises ecology and economy SEW-EURODRIVE
Motion Control & Drives
Committed to environmental sustainability principles, SEW-EURODRIVE has developed the ECO2 design to offer drives with uncoated aluminium, with no compromise in their performance and durability.
Read more...Bühler celebrates expansion, innovation and sustainability
News
Bühler has marked another milestone in its dedication to regional support with the expansion of its Cape Town Service Centre. Hosting its annual customer day, the company showcased the facility’s new offerings and highlighted its commitment to service excellence, local innovation, and sustainability.
Read more...From the editor's desk: First break it, then fix it Technews Publishing (SA Instrumentation & Control)
News
Welcome to another year with SA Instrumentation & Control. May it be a happy and healthy one where you can rise to the challenges ahead and still enjoy all the good things we have in this country.
...
Read more...SEW-EURODRIVE’s new service and repair centre SEW-EURODRIVE
News
As part of its strategy to ‘close the loop’ in its service offering, SEW-EURODRIVE has broken ground on a new 17 000 m2 Service and Repair Centre. The establishment of the state-of-the-art facility plugs the gap for expert repair services for gearboxes in Africa.
Read more...EtherCAT Technology Group holds its annual Plug Fest
News
The 2024 EtherCAT Plug Fest of the EtherCAT Technology Group offered participants a valuable opportunity to test the interoperability of their 9 EtherCAT MainDevices and 10 EtherCAT SubDevices. Using the knowledge gained, they will be able to improve compatibility and optimise their products for use in the field.
Read more...Leading the way in industrial automation and digital transformation Iritron
News
As a pioneering engineering, integration, and manufacturing firm, Iritron has built a reputation as a trusted partner in critical industries such as mining, energy and manufacturing. By embedding innovation and expertise into its four foundational pillars, the company continues to deliver tailored solutions that meet the evolving needs of modern industry.
printer friendly version