The new Stellenbosch Technology Centre - Laboratory for Advanced Manufacturing (STC -LAM) is the epitome of collaboration, cooperation and partnership. This centre, inaugurated on 26 January 2016, is housed in the Department of Industrial Engineering, Stellenbosch University, and boasts cutting edge technology for manufacturing engineering research.

It was a decade long journey to build up the modern facility with its impressive collection. It all started off in 2006 with an agreement signed between the Department of Science and Technology and Stellenbosch University (SU) for hosting the Institute for Advanced Tooling (IAT) at SU. The main purpose was to grow young engineers and researchers, facilitate assistance to SMMEs, create employment opportunities and, in turn, stimulate economic growth.

The evolution of the IAT and its transformation into these modern research facilities became possible through the longstanding support and core funding contributions from government departments such as Science and Technology, and Trade and Industry, partners and organisations such as the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), the National Tooling Initiative Programme (NTIP), and the administered by the National Research Foundation THRIP initiative.

International collaboration between Stellenbosch University's Department of Industrial Engineering and its German partners was born almost 16 years ago. It culminated in the signing of a formal agreement between SU and the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft in Chemnitz during 2006 to establish a joint laboratory between the Department of Industrial Engineering and the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU in the field of Production Engineering. Longstanding collaboration also exists with the WBA, and Fraunhofer IPT in Aachen for the beneficiation of the tooling industry. There is also active student exchange with the University of Applied Sciences in Dresden and the Technical Universities of Dresden and Chemnitz.

At the inauguration of the STC, Prof Dimitri Dimitrov, Department of Industrial Engineering, Stellenbosch University, was honoured with a plaque for his longstanding contribution towards promoting production engineering in South Africa. Mr Mike Saxer (Machining Technologist at the IAT) who presented the plaque to Prof Dimitrov, said: "It is through implementations such as the STC that we are able to provide the base for advanced training, applied research and development, and technology transfer to industry. We are able to facilitate further assistance to SMEs in order to stimulate economic growth and create employment opportunities through enhancing innovation capacity in the manufacturing sector. Through strong collaboration with government, academic institutions such as universities both locally and abroad, as well as industry, we are confident that we will achieve our ultimate goal to become a technology centre South Africa can be proud of."

Several stakeholders participated in the inauguration programme. Mr Vusi Skosana, Head of the Technology Stations Programme at the TIA, said: "The   attainment of the TIA's mandate and objectives will not be achieved as a result of a single action intervention, but from a range of mutually supporting commitment and actions from different programmes and initiatives. Therefore, we view the launch of the STC to be complementary to the innovation enabling support programmes in TIA."

Mr Dirk van Dyk, CEO of the NTIP, highlighted the importance of developing human capital for the tooling industry. "The government realised many years ago that the economy has to be built on the manufacturing industry. We have to breed a new generation after the baby boomers. We cannot have just engineers and artisans - we need everything from entry level to top management."

Prof Hansie Knoetze, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, SU, thanked all the stakeholders, funders and collaborators and concluded: "We are ready for the next ten years and I am sure that the Centre, Department and University will not disappoint you. We look forward to a further growth in the research outputs in this very important field, and also at the same time to strengthen the industry."

The Toolmaking Association of South Africa (TASA) provided a mandate to the NTIP to develop short courses for training and to establish centres where training can be conducted. With the state-of-the-art technological base at the STC it is now ideally suited to also undertake training activities. Therefore, it is envisaged that the STC will become involved mainly in the training of advanced cadre for the tooling industry. This includes the presentation of a two two-year programmes comprising tailored modules for the training of Master Artisans and Masters in Tooling.

The state-of the-art equipment in the STC comprises of a Hermle C40 HSC 5 Axis Milling Centre, an M2 Laser Cusing Machine, a DMG Mori 3 Axis CNC Milling Centre, an Agies Charmilles CUT20 P EDM Wire and an Agies SPU EDM Spark.

Foto collage:

Photos top from the left: Prof Corne Schutte (Chair, Department of Industrial Engineering), Mr Vusi Skosana (TIA), Mr Dirk van Dyk (NTIP), Prof Dirk Landgrebe (Fraunhofer IWU), Prof Fritz Klocke (Fraunhofer IPT) and Prof Hansie Knoetze (Dean, Engineering).

​Two main photos: Left: Demonstrations in the new Centre;

Right: Prof Dimitri Dimitrov (left) receives the plaque from Mr Mike Saxer.

Photographer: Anton Jordaan (SCFS).