As much as I have desperately tried to keep the hackneyed subject of FIFA World Cup out of this issue of Motion Control, I have failed. The cause of my failure is a fascinating, albeit brief, explanation of how the enormous (35 tonne) soccer ball was 'installed' onto the Telkom Hillbrow Tower. I can see the tower from my home and as I watched the hoisting progress, I was intrigued as to how this was being accomplished. See 'The ball on the tower' for more details.
'Replacement 2 tonne gearbox supplied under 24 hours' is a report of how a local company faced a financial ‘oops’ when a gearbox, weighing 2 tonnes, failed. The original gearbox manufacturer quoted the company an 18-20 week lead time for a replacement gearbox. At this stage, I can only surmise that the directors of the company had become rather distressed. Fortunately, the day was saved by a supplier that was able to manufacture a new gearbox in less than 24 hours – no mean feat. Here is hoping that, whilst at it, the end-user ordered two new gearboxes from their saviour... the second gearbox as a spare.
I have long voiced the opinion that engineering personnel need to have at least a reasonable understanding of business economics and finance. As much as we may love the technology and gadgets (ie, all the nice technological toys), technology does not drive business. Money drives business. If we do not willingly embrace an understanding of business finance, the bean counters will force us to comply anyway. We may as well embrace the understanding willingly. Jim Pinto has more to say on the subject in 'Re-engineer yourself and finding the right job'.
WearCheck turns the focus on friction modifiers
News & events
One of the most important features of a lubricant is the reduction of friction between two surfaces.A dditives like friction modifiers are added to perform this function. Wearcheck turns the focus on friction modifiers
Read more...From the editor's desk: Where is AI taking us? Technews Publishing
News & events
Welcome to another year with Motion Control. May it be a happy and healthy one where you can rise to the challenges ahead and still enjoy all the good things we have in this country.
As we continue ...
Read more...Timken funds Kids Haven STEM classroom
News & events
A bright new chapter in digital education has begun at Kids Haven with the official opening of a fully equipped STEM classroom at the Kids Haven Village. This exciting addition was generously donated by Timken South Africa and expertly installed by Breadline Africa.
Read more...SKF launches the Patent Bay SKF South Africa
News & events
SKF is launching The Patent Bay, a new platform open to companies that aim to accelerate technologies with the potential to advance sustainability, by making selected patents freely available to others.
Read more...UKZN’s SMART lab wins aviation award
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The SMART Lab at UKZN was awarded first place in the Aviation Research and Development category at the Civil Aviation Authority of South Africa’s award ceremony for outstanding contributions and achievements in the aviation sector.
Read more...Hamar Controls earns dual Siemens Partner Awards
News & events
Hamar Controls, a provider of advanced electrical, control and instrumentation solutions to Africa’s mining and industrial sectors for over 40 years, has been honoured with two Smart Infrastructure Partner of the Year Awards by Siemens.
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.
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