In this issue we are aiming to become more industry focused rather than having a technology orientation. While still including drives, hydraulics and pneumatics, this time we have industry profiles covering motion control in aerospace and in mining: one geographical extreme to the other.
Motion control in aerospace
Aerospace captures the imagination. April marked the 50th anniversary of the first human flight in space by Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, which opened the era of manned space flight. Meanwhile NASA’s next Mars Rover is near completion and space organisations in the USA, Russia, China and Europe are talking about manned missions to Mars by the 2030s. Back home we have our own space tourist Mark Shuttleworth, who travelled to the International Space Station on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft.
South Africa also has its own space programme. The South African National Space Agency (SANSA) started operating in April and will implement the country’s space science strategy, heading some notable space projects, including the Southern African Large Telescope, SumbandilaSat and the Square Kilometre Array (which we hope will not be threatened by hydraulic fracturing projects). SANSA Space Engineering aims to make South Africa self reliant in space systems through a state of the art satellite assembly, integration and testing platform. One of our aerospace features covers anti-backlash actuators, which are widely used in South Africa in satellite tracking systems.
Innovations in flight
Recent upheavals worldwide have brought aviation and military matters to the forefront. Motion control systems are contributing to the saving of lives. Moog’s motion control systems and components used for flight training and simulation feature in our web exclusive. We also have a story about an unmanned aerial system (UAS) the size of a hummingbird which has the potential to operate as a mini spyplane, manoeuvring on the battlefield and in spy missions. The ultimate goal is to have it fly through open windows or sit on power lines, capturing audio and video, while the enemy target does not know it is being watched.
Our cover story describes how Festo’s SmartBird, a creation of the company’s Bionic Learning Network, demonstrates the optimal use of pneumatic technology. Its innovative design will provide important foundations for future optimisation of cylinders, valves and other automation components.
Motion control in mining
Lives are also lost in mining. This is despite the steady decline in mine fatalities since 1999, a result of advances in rock engineering and safety procedures. The CSIR’s Centre For Mining Innovation is working on technology for small autonomous robots which can navigate in rough underground conditions and evaluate stope walls in order to prevent injuries and deaths caused by rockfalls. We also have a story on how the installation of a variable speed AC drive and bypass on a pump has ensured production security at a South African gold mine, and another one on Astec Underground’s massive trenchers, which were fitted out with hydraulic control systems from Sauer-Danfoss.
Skills development
Another critical area is skills development. One of SANSA’s strategic objectives is to develop human capacity in space science and technology. Technews is also concerned about the shortage of engineering skills, and has partnered with Yokogawa to offer an internship programme for engineering students.
There is plenty of training happening in the motion control area. I was recently able to take part in one of Hydromobile’s very popular hydraulics courses, which was extremely informative. Hydrasales recently had a series of workshops on contamination monitoring, an often neglected area. At the last SAFPA technical evening, Russell Gill gave an overview of the new course on ‘working safely with hydraulic hoses and connectors’ which is about to be launched. He also covered SAFPA’s Hose Assembly Accreditation certificate. The process is not daunting as SAFPA gives guidance through the process and it is an excellent way of gaining a marketing edge.
Kim Roberts
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