The National Foundry Technology Network (NFTN) and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) are calling on South Africa’s young innovative designers and inventors to design products containing metal castings that could contribute to the growth and sustainability of the foundry sector in South Africa.
The statement was made at the Sustainability in the Metals Casting Sector workshop of the 5th Biennial Industrial Efficiency Conference hosted in 2022 by the National Cleaner Production Centre South Africa (NCPC-SA) in Pretoria and online.
“South Africa used to be quite innovative in producing uniquely South African products,” revealed Dr. Sagren Govender, CSIR: Advanced Castings Technologies. However, he bemoaned that the country’s foundry sector mainly manufactures to print for international OEMs, which places the industry at risk.
“The flip side of the coin is that casting for international OEMs provides access to the international market, but the industry sector needs to be competitive both on quality and price.”
Govender explained the need for young inventors to design for the foundry sector by referencing an article titled: Collapse of the car manufacturing industry published in The Conversation an Australian publication. The decline of the Australian automotive industry impacted the entire supply chain, including the foundry industry. Assembly plants were exported to cheaper countries, leaving the Australian automotive industry a shadow of its former self.
“The Automotive Industry Master Plan to 2035” offers a significant opportunity for growth in the foundry sector through the localisation targets set in the plan. The success of this plan is reliant on improving the productivity, quality and price expected by this sector.
While South Africa’s foundry sector encourages the development of a young and vibrant generation of men and women with fresh and innovative ideas that can be developed into new production lines that are uniquely South African, for now, Govender acknowledges that, ‘Localisation is the quick win’.
Govender’s presentation titled, “Productivity and technology improvement opportunities for South African foundries,” was delivered at the Sustainability in the Metals Casting Sector workshop that was held on the first of the two-day Industrial Efficiency Conference. Onsite delegates attended the conference at the CSIR International Convention Centre, while online participants joined from across the world.
The Industrial Efficiency Conference is held every two-years by the NCPC-SA and has established itself as a benchmark for platforms that equip and showcase best practice in South Africa’s green economy. The NFTN has hosted a foundry session in the past two conferences (2019 and 2022).
The presentations and video recordings of the conference, including the Sustainability in Metals Casting, can be accessed via the NFTN and NCPC website – www.nftn.co.za
