On
Thursday, 14 March 2024, the National Foundry Technology Network (NFTN)
together with the Council of Scientific Industrial Research (CSIR) hosted a
site visit to the CSIR’s newly established Foundry Technology Centre (FTC) at
the CSIR campus in Pretoria.
The
event, attended primarily by members of the NFTN Industry Advisory Forum,
highlighted a much-needed step in the building capacity to support the
country’s metal casting sector, where research and development (R&D)
funding has decreased in recent years. Recognising the significance of
revitalising R&D efforts in this field, the Department of Science and Innovation
(DSI) together with the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic)
allocated funding over the past two years to support the establishment of the Centre.
NFTN
Principal Project Manager, Sandy Majatladi hopes that this initiative will
encourage innovation and foster growth within the local manufacturing
landscape, offering essential backing to the foundry industry.
“The
NFTN has invested in the FTC to allow expansion of RDI facilities for foundries.
The sector needs shared, neutral facilities where they can access technology
and equipment that they are not able to purchase themselves. Also, many
foundries do not have the luxury of in-house metallurgy skills, so the NFTN
works with the CSIR and others such as UJ and VUT to ensure there are centres
of excellence where the industry can get access to this expertise,” said Majatladi.
Centre
champion and CSIR Principal Researcher, Prof Sylvester Bolokang, believes that one
of the key objectives of the FTC is to afford industry the opportunity to benefit
from R&D and innovation skills the CSIR has built over the years.
“The
FTC can equip industry with the latest technological advancements and
developments, providing crucial insights for businesses to steer their future
investments effectively.”
“This
initiative also aims to develop new foundry skill processes, fostering an
environment conducive to innovation and growth within the sector. Moreover, the
anticipated outcomes include a boost in employment opportunities and an
enhanced market share for South Africa in the global economy, particularly in
emerging sectors like electric vehicles and energy,” concluded Bolokang.
Access to the Foundry Technology Centre
Prof
Bolokang explained that the CSIR is committed to ensuring the affordability and
accessibility of services offered at the FTC.
Collaboration
with the DSI and the dtic will play a pivotal role in subsidising any
work conducted at the FTC, thereby significantly easing the financial burden on
businesses.
“The
FTC aims to streamline the R&D process for industry participants.
Therefore, rather than spending valuable time and resources on R&D and
product development internally, foundries can leverage the expertise and
facilities available at the FTC. This direct-to-production approach not only
saves time and minimises stress but also ensures that industry players benefit
from the CSIR’s extensive knowledge and experience in R&D.”
Bolokang
also added that industries with niche or specialised requirements that require
low volume castings, the Centre can offer a viable solution to enable direct
production and as a result can eliminate the need for costly setup and tooling
processes.
To
find out more or express an interest in making use of the state-of-the-art
infrastructure for co-creation solutions, please contact nftn@csir.co.za.
Online booking via the CSIR website is in the pipeline, be on the lookout for
it.