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SPECIALISED TECHNICAL SERVICES AND SUPPORT TO INDUSTRYTechnology assistance programmehas lasting impact on foundriesThermal image, taken at one of the participating foundries,shows areas of heat loss on an aluminium casting furnace.| 78 |To assist South African foundry companies to participate in Eskom and Transnet’s competitive supplier developmentprogrammes, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) created a Technology Assistance Package (TAP) programme.The CSIR was extensively involved in the execution thereof.The two state-ownedenterprises, Eskom andTransnet, have embarked onextensive multi-billion Randinfrastructure-expansionprogrammes. In the interestsof developing and growing theeconomy, the South Africangovernment has developedthe Competitive SupplierDevelopment Programme, alocalisation initiative aimed atsourcing more of the technology,manufacturing, and expertiserequired for these programmeslocally.The TAPs for the foundry industrywere aimed at addressing thetechnology gaps in individualcompanies that must beovercome to better positionthem as competitive bidders forfuture infrastructure expansionprogrammes.During a benchmarking exercisedone in 2009 by the UnitedNations Industrial DevelopmentOrganization (UNIDO) andspecialist service providers,28 foundries were identified fortechnology assistance from theTAP programme. Eventually,23 of these participated. TheCSIR and Mintek were contractedby the DST as technology partnersto execute the two highest prioritytechnology areas; the CSIR tosupport the industry on ‘Leanand Clean Manufacturing’, andMintek, on ‘Scrap Reduction’.Identifying needs andimplementing solutions“The TAP took place in twophases,” explains Duncan Hope,project manager at the CSIR’smetals and metals processesgroup. “For the first phase, acollaborative approach wasfollowed and a team made up ofthe CSIR, DST, National FoundryTechnology Network (NFTN) andMintek specialists visited thefoundries. We identified specifictechnology needs, over andabove those identified during thebenchmarking exercises.It was also a valuablerepositioning exercise and thestart of longer-term relationshipswith these companies.”The second phase involved theimplementation of technologysolutions for the needs identifiedduring phase one. The exercisespanned 18 months.“We assisted them with a rangeof interventions, from casting,process simulation and modellingand the installation of shotmonitoring systems on highpressure,die-casting machines,to developing sand foundrycomponent costing software;developing a simple meltquality tester for the aluminiumfoundries, and fine-tuning a CSIRdevelopedintegrated productionmonitoring system (SmartFactory)to suit their needs,” says Hope.“There were also interventionsthat involved assistance withgetting their waste foundry sanddeclassified as hazardous waste.”A survey to measure resultsA year after the start of thesupport to the industry, the DSTrequested that an independentsurvey be conducted to assessevidence of the impact of theintervention and the currentstate of the programme. Thissurvey, conducted by the NFTNand the South African Institute ofFoundrymen, also provided theDST with a recommendation onwhether the programme shouldcontinue, and in what format.All 23 of the foundries respondedpositively to the continuationof the TAP programme andnine of these foundries wereable to report improved processefficiency and productivity asa benefit derived from it. Thesurvey concluded that the TAPprogramme was a valuableexercise that achieved muchmore than was expected. Itimproved the relations betweenpublic and private sector andincreased the capacity of thosefoundries which made the most of theopportunity offered to them.In addition, the survey concludedthat it was crucial to realise thatthis was only the beginning of avery important initiative; that if themomentum was lost, much morethan only the beginning of improvedproductivity, quality and efficiencywithin the foundries supportedwould be lost.“The programme hassucceeded in stimulatingfoundry decisionmakersto worktowards improvedproductivity andcompetitivenessfor localisationand exports,”says Hope.– Petro LowiesEnquiries:Duncan Hopedhope@csir.co.zaDuncan HopeJohn Bryson, Director of KEWFoundries, on participating inthe TAP programme 1 :“KEW Foundries is proud to be a part ofthis (TAP) programme. Besides the financialimplications, the pooling of technology andexpertise is something that has been lackingwithin the foundry industry in South Africafor as long as I can remember.“Since the launch of the programme, thecompany has managed to address variousshort-term challenges relating to the castingof larger diameter solid sheave wheels,thereby minimising the necessity for thesmaller half-rim assemblies, which willultimately reduce machining times andassociated costs.“As part of the Technology LocalisationProgramme, KEW Foundries is supplyingcastings, material for testing, technicalspecifications, foundry process knowledge,as well as other technical input and time. Weare also highlighting the positive nature ofthis initiative and encouraging participationby more and more industry members.”1 From a KEW Foundries media release, January 2012| 79 |