Building bridges between engineering students and greener mines
The PneuDrive Challenge offers a unique learning experience for mechanical, electronic and mechatronic engineering students. By asking them to design and propose innovative engineering solutions that can contribute towards greener mines, they will be required to bring together engineering theory, the latest technology in drive engineering and pneumatics, and business reality.The fact that the competition is entering its 6th year is an indicator that this unique business learning intervention is valuable to both the businesses and learning institutions that decide to get involved.
SEW Eurodrive General Manager of Communications Rene Rose states that ”as sponsors of the competition, we have long recognised the importance of business in partnering with higher education institutions to help address the enormous pressures that they are under to prepare skilled engineering students for the labour market. By bringing together universities that offer sound academic theory and the reality of business, we have a platform that showcases the academic and innovative talents of South Africa’s engineering youth“.
Greener mining
The theme for the 2013 competition is “Greener Mining”.The management and disposal of mine waste is becoming an increasingly important subject worldwide. Applications and approaches to managing and disposing waste in a manner that is environmentally friendly as well as sustainable on a business level, has for some time now been acknowledged as a very real business challenge for the mining industry.
This year’s competition asks students to review typical problems that mines face, such asthe problems and risks associated with slurry dams, rehabilitating tailings dams and how to improve water recycling on mines. The problems of extracting and finding a use for mining by-products and controlling dust emissions are also part of the problem set.
Focussing on technology and greener mining
The sponsors and organisers of this competition feel confident that South African students have the creativity and knowledge to take on the challenge of “engineering greener mining solutions”. An important principle of the competition is to get students to really understand a business problem, incorporate specific products in their design solution and then show through a business proposal how their ideas can be used as real-life business solutions.
In terms of products from SEW Eurodrive, the 2013 competition asks students to consider how their range of DR Motors, Movitrac LTP Inverters and X-Series Industrial Gear Units could be used to address the environmental impact of mining activity. The Pneumax products that students need to consider for their designs are their range of Dust Collector Valves, the Imperial Mine Cylinder and their Optyma-S Valve Terminal. By presenting a business problem, alongside actual technology that could be used in an application that could resolve mining problems, the design competition guides the learning experience of the students and reveals to them the business reality of needing to design efficient and sustainable applications.
Reaffirming critical learning platforms
The approach of this year’s competition that presents mining and business problems alongside the latest technology used in the mining environment is a platform that many, if not everybody, engaged in South African business would support. Pneumax Managing Director Adrian Budding adds that “being a part of the team that conceived the engineering student competition more than five years ago was an important step to bring together the importance of finding synergy between business growth and social responsibility. It is business that needs to support learning experiences that allow students to learn about how to apply their academic knowledge on a practical level and in conjunction with the latest technology that is available”.
The PneuDrive Challenge is a competition that offers a learning platform where students can design new applications, learn how to work in teams and develop problem-solving skills that are critical in the business world. It is open to third and fourth year mechatronic, mechanical and electronic engineering students from South African universities. The winning team receives an all-expenses paid trip to Germany and Italy where they will present their design at the head offices of SEW Eurodrive and Pneumax, as well as afford their university an opportunity to claim R 100 000 worth of SEW Eurodrive and Pneumax products.
Contact address for editors and readers:
SEW EURODRIVE Marketing Department Rene Rose – General Manager - Communications Phone: (+27 11) 248 7000 rrose [at] sew [dot] co [dot] za pneudrive [at] sew [dot] co [dot] za |
Pneumax Marketing Department Eugene van der Lith – Regional Manager Phone: (+27 11) 573 0902 eugene [at] pneumax [dot] co [dot] za pneudrive [at] pneumax [dot] co [dot] za |
NGAGE
Media contact
Kelly Farthing – SEW Eurodrive Account Manager
Phone: (+2711) 867 7763
kelly [at] ngage [dot] co [dot] za