The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) in Port Elizabeth is leading the way in developing skills to address South Africa's alarming shortage of robotic and mechatronic skills.
NMMU is achieving this objective by equipping its engineering faculty with the latest technology to train and produce engineers with the necessary skills, and by becoming the first university in the Eastern Cape to offer a Bachelor of Engineering Mechatronics degree. Students on the course will use CATIA, which is part of a complete range of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions from IBM and Dassault Systémes, as the CAD/CAM software solution.
Karl du Preez, HOD of Mechanical Engineering at NMMU, says the university selected CATIA's integrated approach as its preferred solution. "We want to move away from using a different software package for every area of the design and manufacturing process," he adds. "We made our decision based on demand and what the industry wants. It is the latest technology and what is needed in the Eastern Cape."
NMMU recently acquired a robotics laboratory through a consortium agreement with local industry and government. CATIA V5 will be used in the university's new Generic Robotic Training Centre to design and manufacture 3D parts. Thereafter, Delmia, which is also part of CATIA's integrated product portfolio, will be used for factory layout and robotic simulation. CATIA is the only CAD/CAM product which can be fully integrated with a robotic simulation programme like Delmia.
"In addition, we plan to use Delmia to handle offline programming, which is in great demand in the industry. The ability to program offline and simulate a robot path prior to production saves a considerable amount of time and eliminates the potential for collisions between robots, parts, tools and fixtures," du Preez says. Delmia is used extensively both worldwide and by local OEMs and suppliers such as Toyota, DaimlerChrysler, Comau and Design International for manufacturing simulation.
CNC Design Consultants (CDC) is supporting this enterprise by sponsoring a CATIA Certification Programme which will ensure that NMMU's trainers have the knowledge, tools, methodologies, and technical skills to train their students.
To cater for growing demand, NMMU plans to offer short CATIA V5 courses to the local automotive industry. Businesses and engineers will have the opportunity to undergo an interactive learning experience within the mechanical design environment and develop the skills to apply this knowledge in their work situations.
"By using CATIA and its integrated suite of solutions, we intend to educate and train quality engineers to master the technology demanded by leading OEMs and suppliers in the automotive industry," du Preez says.
For more information contact Nathi Sukazi, IBM South Africa, external communications manager, +27 (0) 11 302 9442, 082 565 0205, [email protected]
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