An elegant design from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) was the best entry in the 2013 PneuDrive Challenge. This year, students were asked to explore a Greener Mining theme, and CPUT’s waste granite to cobblestone machine presented the best technical solution for solving a real-life business and environmental problem. The design proposed the rehabilitation of abandoned granite mines by turning surplus waste granite blocks into usable cobblestones.
Pneudrive challenge 2013 winners, from l: Gareth Hardman, Christian Mpiana, Francois Hoffman (lecturer).
Tshwane University of Technology’s entry, the dust buster, placed second and also won the innovation prize. This unique concept combined the use of low frequency sound waves, extraction fans and wireless systems to address the problem of removing dust in a mining environment. A Wits team, which submitted an equally unique concept – a tailings dam water solar still – placed third. This design focused specifically on addressing water losses in tailings dams. The automated solar still showed how water can be captured on tailings dams and then fed back to mining operations for reutilisation.
This annual student engineering competition, sponsored by SEW-Eurodrive and Pneumax, is a bridging platform between learning institutions and business to support practical learning and is an initiative that Adrian Buddingh, managing director of Pneumax, strongly believes in. The winners received an all-expenses paid trip to Germany and Italy where they were hosted by the head offices of the sponsor companies.
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