If one team has taken the words of Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) Vice-Chancellor Professor Derrick Swartz to heart, it is eNtsa, a leading research, design and technology support centre for the manufacturing industry based at the university in Summerstrand.
The centre, cited as one of only two world-class technology stations in South Africa, has lived up to its tag line of “innovation through engineering” during its first decade of existence and is presently working on projects valued at R15m.
Among them is an R11m contract from Eskom which will save the energy giant millions of rands. The internationally-patented process, WeldCore® – which won the National Innovation Competition in 2010 and a BHP Billiton National Science and Technology Forum award in 2011- is a dynamic coring and repair process suited for steam-bearing structures within the power generation industry. eNtsa are world leaders in the field of friction processing.
“We are proud of what eNtsa is doing in producing cutting-edge knowledge in seeking solutions to the challenges of our time,” Prof Swartz told those who attended an eNtsa Open Day in celebration of the centre’s 10th year.
Originally started in the former Port Elizabeth Technikon by Prof Danie Hattingh, the then-named Automotive Components Technology Station (ACTS) initially focused on serving the needs of the automotive industry.
Today, however, eNtsa has evolved into a strategic partner to industry and has delivered multi-million rand projects to the nuclear and power generation, transport and the wider manufacturing industry.
To date it has been responsible for four patents, which includes the WeldCore® technology.
eNtsa works with up to 150 different enterprises in any one year, completing more than 200 different services and projects annually. Most of the projects are from manufacturing and automotive industries seeking innovative solutions and assistance with product development and export readiness.
Despite the diversity of projects and clients, the common theme is that of innovation through engineering.
“The ability to advance our skills and to more rapidly embrace new technology is key to ensuring that the South African automotive components industry stays relevant,” says eNtsa director Prof Danie Hattingh who leads the eNtsa team which includes 16 engineers, three office professionals and eight postgraduate engineering students.
Last year, the eNtsa team made history when they implemented the WeldCore® technology on a turbine for Eskom and completed the longest friction stir weld in Africa. This weld was completed at a local warehouse facility in Port Elizabeth, on a platform that the group designed and commissioned for a leading local road tanker manufacturer.
The eight-metre weld served as a stepping stone to transfer the technology – developed entirely at NMMU – for South Africa on a commercial basis.
Alan Straton
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