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Welcome to
the very first
edition of the
Siemens
NMMU news-
letter
The newsletter is aimed at inform-
ing our industry partners on the
various Siemens accredited train-
ing courses offered by the Ad-
vanced Mechatronic Technology
Centre (AMTC) at NMMU
The AMTC will be increasing the
number of courses offered in 2012
by introducing several new ones
which will include Drives and Safe-
ty training
This edition of the newsletter will
focus on the AMTC training facili-
ties current and new courses the
launch of the junior Cyber Junk-
yard competition and the various
staff involved in ensuring that in-
dustry receive world class training
on world class equipment
The SITRAIN Advantage
NMMU
Mr Karl du Preez
In 2006 through the support of Siemens South Africa and the Automotive
Industry Development Centre (AIDC) one of the most successful
university industry partnerships to date was initiated
The Advanced Mechatronics Technology Centre (AMTC) was estab-
lished and facilitated training for engineering students and industry in
Advanced Factory Automation and Drives Technologies Courses in-
clude training for electricians into the service and maintenance aspects
of the technology to advanced programming industrial networking and
supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) for technicians and
engineers
The training offered
provides individuals
with the confidence
to efficiently apply
systems or optimise
product usage re-
sulting in shorter start
-up times reduced
downtimes and faster
trouble shooting
Thus far the AMTC has trained almost 500 individuals from industry over
the past six years with the training facilities being upgraded to world
class standards The training centre has gone ―green with a wind tur-
bine and solar panels installed to ensure that training could continue
even through power outages
The training centre has played a major role in developing the skills of
engineers and technicians in the Eastern Cape and will continue to work
closely with Siemens to ensure individuals receive expertise training on
the latest Siemens equipment
Siemens
Siemens
Siemens Accredited Training
The Advanced Mechatronic Technology Centre (AMTC) at NMMU in collaboration with Siemens South
Africa offer a wide range of Automation training modules on the latest Siemens technology
These include the following
Introduction to PLC
Micro PLC
LOGO
S7 Service and Maintenance Part 1
S7 Service and Maintenance Part 2
S7 Programming Part 1 (5 CPD points)
S7 Programming Part 2 (5 CPD points)
Analogue Value Processing amp Closed Loop Control
WinCC (5 CPD points)
WinCC Flexible
FOR A DETAILED DESCRIPTION ON EACH COURSE PLEASE VISIT THE NMMU SIEMENS WEBSITE
The AMTC and Siemens will be introducing the following courses in 2012
Micro Master 440 (May 2012)
Drive Fundamentals (June 2012)
Sinamics S120 (July 2012)
Visit the NMMU Siemens
website to view course content
schedule fees and booking details
wwwnmmuaczasiemens
Siemens
SITRAIN Schedule for 2012
Siemens
CO
UR
SE
D
UR
AT
ION
S
CH
ED
UL
ED
DA
TE
S
Intr
oduction to
PLC
(S
T-P
LC
INT
RO
) 3 d
ays
6 F
ebru
ary
2 A
pri
l
S71200
Mic
ro C
ours
e (
ST
-7M
ICR
O1)
3 d
ays
13 F
ebru
ary
2
8 M
ay
S7-1
200
Mic
ro A
pplic
ation C
ours
e
(ST
-7M
ICR
O A
PP
) 2 d
ays
17 F
ebru
ary
3
1 M
ay
S7 M
ain
ten
ance P
art
1 (
ST
-7S
ER
V1)
5 d
ays
16 J
anuary
1
9 M
arc
h 2
1 M
ay
S7 M
ain
ten
ance P
art
2 (
ST
-7S
ER
V2)
5 d
ays
23 J
anuary
1
6 A
pri
l
28 M
ay
S7 P
rogra
mm
ing P
art
1 (
ST
-7P
ro1)
5 d
ays
30 J
anuary
7
Ma
y
4 J
une
S7 P
rogra
mm
ing P
art
2 (
ST
-7P
ro2)
5 d
ays
12 M
arc
h
11 J
une
Analo
g C
ontr
ol (S
T-7
PID
) 5 d
ays
26 M
arc
h
25 J
une
Win
CC
(S
T-W
INC
C)
5 d
ays
20 F
ebru
ary
9
April
18
June
Win
CC
Fle
xib
le (
ST
-WIN
CC
FLE
X)
3 d
ays
13 F
ebru
ary
Drive F
undam
enta
ls (
SD
-DR
VF
UN
) 5 d
ays
4 J
une
Mic
ro M
aste
r 4
40 (
SD
-MM
4)
2 d
ays
14 M
ay
Siemens Cyber Junkyard
A group of five NMMU engineering students participated in the 2011 Siemens Cyber Junkyard competition
which was held in Johannesburg The group consisted of two Electrical two Mechanical and one Mecha-
tronics student who finished second runners up at the national event The event is annually hosted by in-
dustry leaders Siemens Festo and LappKabel
This yearrsquos project entailed the design and manufacture of an air-powered autonomous vehicle driven by
fluidic muscles The competition consisted of two challenges of which one was a drag race and the other
an endurance race During the endurance race the vehicle had to complete as many laps as possible on a
single tank of compressed air The vehicle also had to be programmed in such a way that it automatically
enters the pit area for a refill once the tank reaches a certain air level
This was the fourth year that the NMMU has participated in the event with the NMMU walking away with a
prize each year The NMMU team of 2011 won R30 000 worth of equipment from the three main spon-
sors
The human resource development side of the project was supported by the Automotive Industry Develop-
ment Centre (AIDC) with the VWSAmdashDAAD International Chair in Automotive Engineering at NMMU
providing technical marketing and administrative support
NMMU engineering students take 3rd place
Siemens
Due to the success of the Cyber Junkyard competition held annually for tertiary institutions from across South Africa
a junior Cyber Junkyard (CJY) competition was developed for high schools and FET colleges in the Eastern Cape
The AMTC in collaboration with Siemens South Africa and merSETA recently launched the competition at NMMU
which served as a pilot project This yearrsquos project required the development of a simple water tank system in the
form of a small mobile and stable structure
Learners were tasked with implementing industrial automation programming and closed loop control systems to
pump water out of the reservoir into the tank The tank had to be filled to the set level in as little time possible and at
the highest accuracy
The winners of the competition Daniel
Pienaar High School received a R10000
cash prize as well as an iPad for each of
the learners and technical teacher in-
volved Other prizes included digital
cameras external hard drives as well as
cash prizes of R5000 (2nd place)
R2500 (3rd place) and R1000 for each of the participating schools not finishing in the top three of the competition
Launch of Junior Cyber Junkyard
Siemens Supported Projects
A combined effort between tertiary institu-
tions secondary institutions and industry is
the only way we can close the skills gap in
the engineering field mdash Mr Martin Taverner
(Siemens Head of Motion Control)
Back from left Dewald Oosthuizen Sampie Marais (Educator) Des Burrows (Siemens) and Martin Taverner (Siemens) Front from left Tayden Louw Marko
Viviers Emily Molefe (Siemens) Saliem Dolley (merSETA)
Siemens
Siemens Training Assists BEE Company
Delacom Solutions a completely black economic empowered (BEE) small electrical business enterprise
recently arranged for five of their employees to attend an Introduction to PLC short course in the Siemens
Simatic Training Centre housed at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU)
Delacom was founded in 2006 by two ambitious business partners and currently employs 21 employees in
and around Port Elizabeth An enthusiastic project manager Mr Sabele Mngqushu and four electrical arti-
sans were granted the opportunity to attend evening sessions with Siemens trainer Mr Ian Van Niekerk
When asked what the reason was for attending these sessions Sabele said that the company was tired of
outsourcing the PLC work to other companies and would like to take on the jobs themselves
They have recently signed major contracts with Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality as well as Fort Hare Uni-
versity to work on the underground sew-
erage systems and electrical mainte-
nance The theoretical and practical ex-
perience gained from the introductory
course will enable Sabele and his col-
leagues to improve their workmanship
throughout the Eastern Cape
―The course completely exceeded my expectations I was highly impressed with the professional manner
in which the course was delivered We were treated with the greatest respect and integrity The training
was an enlightening experience Because of this opportunity I would now like to further my studies in
Electrical Engineering says an impressed Sabele
Sabele and his colleagues envision a grow-
ing relationship with the NMMU and Siemens
Simatic Training Centre They would certainly
like to attend the follow ndash up advanced cours-
es offered at NMMU
―Technology is advancing rapidly and it is on-
ly the true technicians and engineers that can
keep up with the changes and Delacomrsquos
employees really showed their commitment
to keep up It was a pleasure training such an
enthusiastic group of people These gentle-
men went to work during the day and were
still able to give me their undivided attention
for the duration of the course says Siemens
trainer Mr Ian Van Niekerk
Technology is advancing rapidly and it is
only the true technicians and engineers
that can keep up with the changes and
Delacomrsquos employees really showed their
commitment to keep up
- Mr Ian van Niekerk (Trainer)
Mr Ian van Niekerk (AMTC Trainer) with Delacom employees
Siemens
Siemens Assisted Research
Energy Demand Control
Energy saving is a topic that has the attention of most individuals and businesses in South Africa espe-
cially because of the scarcity and sharp price increases being applied by the electricity provider
At the Energy Efficiency Workshop it became clear that we need to find innovative ways to assist compa-
nies to manage their energy consumption If one can utilize the system correctly one can save money
and also help take pressure off Eskom in peak times This has urged Mr Jonck a BEng Mechatronics
student to research and design a device that can assist to measure the ideal energy demand curve and
hence with the assistance of basic software embedded in a PLC control the energy accordingly
This project will give the small-
er companies the power to
know their energy consump-
tion and plan around it A big
factor is that companies are
limiting their production output
because of expensive electric-
ity cost meaning companies
are not producing the amount
of products that they potentially could
Mr Jonck will be working closely with Mr Sakkie Du Preez from Siemens and Mr Angus Clark from the
Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber
Mr Du Preez is the NMMU Siemens ac-
count manager who exposes and assists
students on the latest Siemens products
used for final year projects as is the case
with Mr Jonck
Left to right Mr Gustav Jonck with co-promoter
Mr Sakkie Du Preez from Siemens
Energy Management is increasingly im-
portant and companies will have no
choice but to become actively involved
in the solutionmdash Mr Sakkie du Preez
(Siemens Southern Africa )
Siemens
Siemens Training Centre Staff
Professor Theo van Niekerk
Position Training Expert
Telephone +2741 504 9951
E-mail TheovanNiekerknmmuacza
Mr Karl Du Preez
Position AMTC Manager
Telephone +2741 504 3644
E-mail KarlduPreeznmmuacza
Mr LeRoi Grimbeek
Position Marketing Consultant
Telephone +2741 504 9912
E-mail LeroiGrimbeeknmmuacza
Trainers
Ms Bronwyn Moodaley
Position Administrative Coordinator
Telephone +2741 504 3165
E-mail BronwynMoodaleynmmuacza
Mr John Fernandes
Mr Ian van Niekerk
Supported by
Siemens Accredited Training
The Advanced Mechatronic Technology Centre (AMTC) at NMMU in collaboration with Siemens South
Africa offer a wide range of Automation training modules on the latest Siemens technology
These include the following
Introduction to PLC
Micro PLC
LOGO
S7 Service and Maintenance Part 1
S7 Service and Maintenance Part 2
S7 Programming Part 1 (5 CPD points)
S7 Programming Part 2 (5 CPD points)
Analogue Value Processing amp Closed Loop Control
WinCC (5 CPD points)
WinCC Flexible
FOR A DETAILED DESCRIPTION ON EACH COURSE PLEASE VISIT THE NMMU SIEMENS WEBSITE
The AMTC and Siemens will be introducing the following courses in 2012
Micro Master 440 (May 2012)
Drive Fundamentals (June 2012)
Sinamics S120 (July 2012)
Visit the NMMU Siemens
website to view course content
schedule fees and booking details
wwwnmmuaczasiemens
Siemens
SITRAIN Schedule for 2012
Siemens
CO
UR
SE
D
UR
AT
ION
S
CH
ED
UL
ED
DA
TE
S
Intr
oduction to
PLC
(S
T-P
LC
INT
RO
) 3 d
ays
6 F
ebru
ary
2 A
pri
l
S71200
Mic
ro C
ours
e (
ST
-7M
ICR
O1)
3 d
ays
13 F
ebru
ary
2
8 M
ay
S7-1
200
Mic
ro A
pplic
ation C
ours
e
(ST
-7M
ICR
O A
PP
) 2 d
ays
17 F
ebru
ary
3
1 M
ay
S7 M
ain
ten
ance P
art
1 (
ST
-7S
ER
V1)
5 d
ays
16 J
anuary
1
9 M
arc
h 2
1 M
ay
S7 M
ain
ten
ance P
art
2 (
ST
-7S
ER
V2)
5 d
ays
23 J
anuary
1
6 A
pri
l
28 M
ay
S7 P
rogra
mm
ing P
art
1 (
ST
-7P
ro1)
5 d
ays
30 J
anuary
7
Ma
y
4 J
une
S7 P
rogra
mm
ing P
art
2 (
ST
-7P
ro2)
5 d
ays
12 M
arc
h
11 J
une
Analo
g C
ontr
ol (S
T-7
PID
) 5 d
ays
26 M
arc
h
25 J
une
Win
CC
(S
T-W
INC
C)
5 d
ays
20 F
ebru
ary
9
April
18
June
Win
CC
Fle
xib
le (
ST
-WIN
CC
FLE
X)
3 d
ays
13 F
ebru
ary
Drive F
undam
enta
ls (
SD
-DR
VF
UN
) 5 d
ays
4 J
une
Mic
ro M
aste
r 4
40 (
SD
-MM
4)
2 d
ays
14 M
ay
Siemens Cyber Junkyard
A group of five NMMU engineering students participated in the 2011 Siemens Cyber Junkyard competition
which was held in Johannesburg The group consisted of two Electrical two Mechanical and one Mecha-
tronics student who finished second runners up at the national event The event is annually hosted by in-
dustry leaders Siemens Festo and LappKabel
This yearrsquos project entailed the design and manufacture of an air-powered autonomous vehicle driven by
fluidic muscles The competition consisted of two challenges of which one was a drag race and the other
an endurance race During the endurance race the vehicle had to complete as many laps as possible on a
single tank of compressed air The vehicle also had to be programmed in such a way that it automatically
enters the pit area for a refill once the tank reaches a certain air level
This was the fourth year that the NMMU has participated in the event with the NMMU walking away with a
prize each year The NMMU team of 2011 won R30 000 worth of equipment from the three main spon-
sors
The human resource development side of the project was supported by the Automotive Industry Develop-
ment Centre (AIDC) with the VWSAmdashDAAD International Chair in Automotive Engineering at NMMU
providing technical marketing and administrative support
NMMU engineering students take 3rd place
Siemens
Due to the success of the Cyber Junkyard competition held annually for tertiary institutions from across South Africa
a junior Cyber Junkyard (CJY) competition was developed for high schools and FET colleges in the Eastern Cape
The AMTC in collaboration with Siemens South Africa and merSETA recently launched the competition at NMMU
which served as a pilot project This yearrsquos project required the development of a simple water tank system in the
form of a small mobile and stable structure
Learners were tasked with implementing industrial automation programming and closed loop control systems to
pump water out of the reservoir into the tank The tank had to be filled to the set level in as little time possible and at
the highest accuracy
The winners of the competition Daniel
Pienaar High School received a R10000
cash prize as well as an iPad for each of
the learners and technical teacher in-
volved Other prizes included digital
cameras external hard drives as well as
cash prizes of R5000 (2nd place)
R2500 (3rd place) and R1000 for each of the participating schools not finishing in the top three of the competition
Launch of Junior Cyber Junkyard
Siemens Supported Projects
A combined effort between tertiary institu-
tions secondary institutions and industry is
the only way we can close the skills gap in
the engineering field mdash Mr Martin Taverner
(Siemens Head of Motion Control)
Back from left Dewald Oosthuizen Sampie Marais (Educator) Des Burrows (Siemens) and Martin Taverner (Siemens) Front from left Tayden Louw Marko
Viviers Emily Molefe (Siemens) Saliem Dolley (merSETA)
Siemens
Siemens Training Assists BEE Company
Delacom Solutions a completely black economic empowered (BEE) small electrical business enterprise
recently arranged for five of their employees to attend an Introduction to PLC short course in the Siemens
Simatic Training Centre housed at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU)
Delacom was founded in 2006 by two ambitious business partners and currently employs 21 employees in
and around Port Elizabeth An enthusiastic project manager Mr Sabele Mngqushu and four electrical arti-
sans were granted the opportunity to attend evening sessions with Siemens trainer Mr Ian Van Niekerk
When asked what the reason was for attending these sessions Sabele said that the company was tired of
outsourcing the PLC work to other companies and would like to take on the jobs themselves
They have recently signed major contracts with Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality as well as Fort Hare Uni-
versity to work on the underground sew-
erage systems and electrical mainte-
nance The theoretical and practical ex-
perience gained from the introductory
course will enable Sabele and his col-
leagues to improve their workmanship
throughout the Eastern Cape
―The course completely exceeded my expectations I was highly impressed with the professional manner
in which the course was delivered We were treated with the greatest respect and integrity The training
was an enlightening experience Because of this opportunity I would now like to further my studies in
Electrical Engineering says an impressed Sabele
Sabele and his colleagues envision a grow-
ing relationship with the NMMU and Siemens
Simatic Training Centre They would certainly
like to attend the follow ndash up advanced cours-
es offered at NMMU
―Technology is advancing rapidly and it is on-
ly the true technicians and engineers that can
keep up with the changes and Delacomrsquos
employees really showed their commitment
to keep up It was a pleasure training such an
enthusiastic group of people These gentle-
men went to work during the day and were
still able to give me their undivided attention
for the duration of the course says Siemens
trainer Mr Ian Van Niekerk
Technology is advancing rapidly and it is
only the true technicians and engineers
that can keep up with the changes and
Delacomrsquos employees really showed their
commitment to keep up
- Mr Ian van Niekerk (Trainer)
Mr Ian van Niekerk (AMTC Trainer) with Delacom employees
Siemens
Siemens Assisted Research
Energy Demand Control
Energy saving is a topic that has the attention of most individuals and businesses in South Africa espe-
cially because of the scarcity and sharp price increases being applied by the electricity provider
At the Energy Efficiency Workshop it became clear that we need to find innovative ways to assist compa-
nies to manage their energy consumption If one can utilize the system correctly one can save money
and also help take pressure off Eskom in peak times This has urged Mr Jonck a BEng Mechatronics
student to research and design a device that can assist to measure the ideal energy demand curve and
hence with the assistance of basic software embedded in a PLC control the energy accordingly
This project will give the small-
er companies the power to
know their energy consump-
tion and plan around it A big
factor is that companies are
limiting their production output
because of expensive electric-
ity cost meaning companies
are not producing the amount
of products that they potentially could
Mr Jonck will be working closely with Mr Sakkie Du Preez from Siemens and Mr Angus Clark from the
Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber
Mr Du Preez is the NMMU Siemens ac-
count manager who exposes and assists
students on the latest Siemens products
used for final year projects as is the case
with Mr Jonck
Left to right Mr Gustav Jonck with co-promoter
Mr Sakkie Du Preez from Siemens
Energy Management is increasingly im-
portant and companies will have no
choice but to become actively involved
in the solutionmdash Mr Sakkie du Preez
(Siemens Southern Africa )
Siemens
Siemens Training Centre Staff
Professor Theo van Niekerk
Position Training Expert
Telephone +2741 504 9951
E-mail TheovanNiekerknmmuacza
Mr Karl Du Preez
Position AMTC Manager
Telephone +2741 504 3644
E-mail KarlduPreeznmmuacza
Mr LeRoi Grimbeek
Position Marketing Consultant
Telephone +2741 504 9912
E-mail LeroiGrimbeeknmmuacza
Trainers
Ms Bronwyn Moodaley
Position Administrative Coordinator
Telephone +2741 504 3165
E-mail BronwynMoodaleynmmuacza
Mr John Fernandes
Mr Ian van Niekerk
Supported by
SITRAIN Schedule for 2012
Siemens
CO
UR
SE
D
UR
AT
ION
S
CH
ED
UL
ED
DA
TE
S
Intr
oduction to
PLC
(S
T-P
LC
INT
RO
) 3 d
ays
6 F
ebru
ary
2 A
pri
l
S71200
Mic
ro C
ours
e (
ST
-7M
ICR
O1)
3 d
ays
13 F
ebru
ary
2
8 M
ay
S7-1
200
Mic
ro A
pplic
ation C
ours
e
(ST
-7M
ICR
O A
PP
) 2 d
ays
17 F
ebru
ary
3
1 M
ay
S7 M
ain
ten
ance P
art
1 (
ST
-7S
ER
V1)
5 d
ays
16 J
anuary
1
9 M
arc
h 2
1 M
ay
S7 M
ain
ten
ance P
art
2 (
ST
-7S
ER
V2)
5 d
ays
23 J
anuary
1
6 A
pri
l
28 M
ay
S7 P
rogra
mm
ing P
art
1 (
ST
-7P
ro1)
5 d
ays
30 J
anuary
7
Ma
y
4 J
une
S7 P
rogra
mm
ing P
art
2 (
ST
-7P
ro2)
5 d
ays
12 M
arc
h
11 J
une
Analo
g C
ontr
ol (S
T-7
PID
) 5 d
ays
26 M
arc
h
25 J
une
Win
CC
(S
T-W
INC
C)
5 d
ays
20 F
ebru
ary
9
April
18
June
Win
CC
Fle
xib
le (
ST
-WIN
CC
FLE
X)
3 d
ays
13 F
ebru
ary
Drive F
undam
enta
ls (
SD
-DR
VF
UN
) 5 d
ays
4 J
une
Mic
ro M
aste
r 4
40 (
SD
-MM
4)
2 d
ays
14 M
ay
Siemens Cyber Junkyard
A group of five NMMU engineering students participated in the 2011 Siemens Cyber Junkyard competition
which was held in Johannesburg The group consisted of two Electrical two Mechanical and one Mecha-
tronics student who finished second runners up at the national event The event is annually hosted by in-
dustry leaders Siemens Festo and LappKabel
This yearrsquos project entailed the design and manufacture of an air-powered autonomous vehicle driven by
fluidic muscles The competition consisted of two challenges of which one was a drag race and the other
an endurance race During the endurance race the vehicle had to complete as many laps as possible on a
single tank of compressed air The vehicle also had to be programmed in such a way that it automatically
enters the pit area for a refill once the tank reaches a certain air level
This was the fourth year that the NMMU has participated in the event with the NMMU walking away with a
prize each year The NMMU team of 2011 won R30 000 worth of equipment from the three main spon-
sors
The human resource development side of the project was supported by the Automotive Industry Develop-
ment Centre (AIDC) with the VWSAmdashDAAD International Chair in Automotive Engineering at NMMU
providing technical marketing and administrative support
NMMU engineering students take 3rd place
Siemens
Due to the success of the Cyber Junkyard competition held annually for tertiary institutions from across South Africa
a junior Cyber Junkyard (CJY) competition was developed for high schools and FET colleges in the Eastern Cape
The AMTC in collaboration with Siemens South Africa and merSETA recently launched the competition at NMMU
which served as a pilot project This yearrsquos project required the development of a simple water tank system in the
form of a small mobile and stable structure
Learners were tasked with implementing industrial automation programming and closed loop control systems to
pump water out of the reservoir into the tank The tank had to be filled to the set level in as little time possible and at
the highest accuracy
The winners of the competition Daniel
Pienaar High School received a R10000
cash prize as well as an iPad for each of
the learners and technical teacher in-
volved Other prizes included digital
cameras external hard drives as well as
cash prizes of R5000 (2nd place)
R2500 (3rd place) and R1000 for each of the participating schools not finishing in the top three of the competition
Launch of Junior Cyber Junkyard
Siemens Supported Projects
A combined effort between tertiary institu-
tions secondary institutions and industry is
the only way we can close the skills gap in
the engineering field mdash Mr Martin Taverner
(Siemens Head of Motion Control)
Back from left Dewald Oosthuizen Sampie Marais (Educator) Des Burrows (Siemens) and Martin Taverner (Siemens) Front from left Tayden Louw Marko
Viviers Emily Molefe (Siemens) Saliem Dolley (merSETA)
Siemens
Siemens Training Assists BEE Company
Delacom Solutions a completely black economic empowered (BEE) small electrical business enterprise
recently arranged for five of their employees to attend an Introduction to PLC short course in the Siemens
Simatic Training Centre housed at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU)
Delacom was founded in 2006 by two ambitious business partners and currently employs 21 employees in
and around Port Elizabeth An enthusiastic project manager Mr Sabele Mngqushu and four electrical arti-
sans were granted the opportunity to attend evening sessions with Siemens trainer Mr Ian Van Niekerk
When asked what the reason was for attending these sessions Sabele said that the company was tired of
outsourcing the PLC work to other companies and would like to take on the jobs themselves
They have recently signed major contracts with Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality as well as Fort Hare Uni-
versity to work on the underground sew-
erage systems and electrical mainte-
nance The theoretical and practical ex-
perience gained from the introductory
course will enable Sabele and his col-
leagues to improve their workmanship
throughout the Eastern Cape
―The course completely exceeded my expectations I was highly impressed with the professional manner
in which the course was delivered We were treated with the greatest respect and integrity The training
was an enlightening experience Because of this opportunity I would now like to further my studies in
Electrical Engineering says an impressed Sabele
Sabele and his colleagues envision a grow-
ing relationship with the NMMU and Siemens
Simatic Training Centre They would certainly
like to attend the follow ndash up advanced cours-
es offered at NMMU
―Technology is advancing rapidly and it is on-
ly the true technicians and engineers that can
keep up with the changes and Delacomrsquos
employees really showed their commitment
to keep up It was a pleasure training such an
enthusiastic group of people These gentle-
men went to work during the day and were
still able to give me their undivided attention
for the duration of the course says Siemens
trainer Mr Ian Van Niekerk
Technology is advancing rapidly and it is
only the true technicians and engineers
that can keep up with the changes and
Delacomrsquos employees really showed their
commitment to keep up
- Mr Ian van Niekerk (Trainer)
Mr Ian van Niekerk (AMTC Trainer) with Delacom employees
Siemens
Siemens Assisted Research
Energy Demand Control
Energy saving is a topic that has the attention of most individuals and businesses in South Africa espe-
cially because of the scarcity and sharp price increases being applied by the electricity provider
At the Energy Efficiency Workshop it became clear that we need to find innovative ways to assist compa-
nies to manage their energy consumption If one can utilize the system correctly one can save money
and also help take pressure off Eskom in peak times This has urged Mr Jonck a BEng Mechatronics
student to research and design a device that can assist to measure the ideal energy demand curve and
hence with the assistance of basic software embedded in a PLC control the energy accordingly
This project will give the small-
er companies the power to
know their energy consump-
tion and plan around it A big
factor is that companies are
limiting their production output
because of expensive electric-
ity cost meaning companies
are not producing the amount
of products that they potentially could
Mr Jonck will be working closely with Mr Sakkie Du Preez from Siemens and Mr Angus Clark from the
Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber
Mr Du Preez is the NMMU Siemens ac-
count manager who exposes and assists
students on the latest Siemens products
used for final year projects as is the case
with Mr Jonck
Left to right Mr Gustav Jonck with co-promoter
Mr Sakkie Du Preez from Siemens
Energy Management is increasingly im-
portant and companies will have no
choice but to become actively involved
in the solutionmdash Mr Sakkie du Preez
(Siemens Southern Africa )
Siemens
Siemens Training Centre Staff
Professor Theo van Niekerk
Position Training Expert
Telephone +2741 504 9951
E-mail TheovanNiekerknmmuacza
Mr Karl Du Preez
Position AMTC Manager
Telephone +2741 504 3644
E-mail KarlduPreeznmmuacza
Mr LeRoi Grimbeek
Position Marketing Consultant
Telephone +2741 504 9912
E-mail LeroiGrimbeeknmmuacza
Trainers
Ms Bronwyn Moodaley
Position Administrative Coordinator
Telephone +2741 504 3165
E-mail BronwynMoodaleynmmuacza
Mr John Fernandes
Mr Ian van Niekerk
Supported by
Siemens Cyber Junkyard
A group of five NMMU engineering students participated in the 2011 Siemens Cyber Junkyard competition
which was held in Johannesburg The group consisted of two Electrical two Mechanical and one Mecha-
tronics student who finished second runners up at the national event The event is annually hosted by in-
dustry leaders Siemens Festo and LappKabel
This yearrsquos project entailed the design and manufacture of an air-powered autonomous vehicle driven by
fluidic muscles The competition consisted of two challenges of which one was a drag race and the other
an endurance race During the endurance race the vehicle had to complete as many laps as possible on a
single tank of compressed air The vehicle also had to be programmed in such a way that it automatically
enters the pit area for a refill once the tank reaches a certain air level
This was the fourth year that the NMMU has participated in the event with the NMMU walking away with a
prize each year The NMMU team of 2011 won R30 000 worth of equipment from the three main spon-
sors
The human resource development side of the project was supported by the Automotive Industry Develop-
ment Centre (AIDC) with the VWSAmdashDAAD International Chair in Automotive Engineering at NMMU
providing technical marketing and administrative support
NMMU engineering students take 3rd place
Siemens
Due to the success of the Cyber Junkyard competition held annually for tertiary institutions from across South Africa
a junior Cyber Junkyard (CJY) competition was developed for high schools and FET colleges in the Eastern Cape
The AMTC in collaboration with Siemens South Africa and merSETA recently launched the competition at NMMU
which served as a pilot project This yearrsquos project required the development of a simple water tank system in the
form of a small mobile and stable structure
Learners were tasked with implementing industrial automation programming and closed loop control systems to
pump water out of the reservoir into the tank The tank had to be filled to the set level in as little time possible and at
the highest accuracy
The winners of the competition Daniel
Pienaar High School received a R10000
cash prize as well as an iPad for each of
the learners and technical teacher in-
volved Other prizes included digital
cameras external hard drives as well as
cash prizes of R5000 (2nd place)
R2500 (3rd place) and R1000 for each of the participating schools not finishing in the top three of the competition
Launch of Junior Cyber Junkyard
Siemens Supported Projects
A combined effort between tertiary institu-
tions secondary institutions and industry is
the only way we can close the skills gap in
the engineering field mdash Mr Martin Taverner
(Siemens Head of Motion Control)
Back from left Dewald Oosthuizen Sampie Marais (Educator) Des Burrows (Siemens) and Martin Taverner (Siemens) Front from left Tayden Louw Marko
Viviers Emily Molefe (Siemens) Saliem Dolley (merSETA)
Siemens
Siemens Training Assists BEE Company
Delacom Solutions a completely black economic empowered (BEE) small electrical business enterprise
recently arranged for five of their employees to attend an Introduction to PLC short course in the Siemens
Simatic Training Centre housed at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU)
Delacom was founded in 2006 by two ambitious business partners and currently employs 21 employees in
and around Port Elizabeth An enthusiastic project manager Mr Sabele Mngqushu and four electrical arti-
sans were granted the opportunity to attend evening sessions with Siemens trainer Mr Ian Van Niekerk
When asked what the reason was for attending these sessions Sabele said that the company was tired of
outsourcing the PLC work to other companies and would like to take on the jobs themselves
They have recently signed major contracts with Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality as well as Fort Hare Uni-
versity to work on the underground sew-
erage systems and electrical mainte-
nance The theoretical and practical ex-
perience gained from the introductory
course will enable Sabele and his col-
leagues to improve their workmanship
throughout the Eastern Cape
―The course completely exceeded my expectations I was highly impressed with the professional manner
in which the course was delivered We were treated with the greatest respect and integrity The training
was an enlightening experience Because of this opportunity I would now like to further my studies in
Electrical Engineering says an impressed Sabele
Sabele and his colleagues envision a grow-
ing relationship with the NMMU and Siemens
Simatic Training Centre They would certainly
like to attend the follow ndash up advanced cours-
es offered at NMMU
―Technology is advancing rapidly and it is on-
ly the true technicians and engineers that can
keep up with the changes and Delacomrsquos
employees really showed their commitment
to keep up It was a pleasure training such an
enthusiastic group of people These gentle-
men went to work during the day and were
still able to give me their undivided attention
for the duration of the course says Siemens
trainer Mr Ian Van Niekerk
Technology is advancing rapidly and it is
only the true technicians and engineers
that can keep up with the changes and
Delacomrsquos employees really showed their
commitment to keep up
- Mr Ian van Niekerk (Trainer)
Mr Ian van Niekerk (AMTC Trainer) with Delacom employees
Siemens
Siemens Assisted Research
Energy Demand Control
Energy saving is a topic that has the attention of most individuals and businesses in South Africa espe-
cially because of the scarcity and sharp price increases being applied by the electricity provider
At the Energy Efficiency Workshop it became clear that we need to find innovative ways to assist compa-
nies to manage their energy consumption If one can utilize the system correctly one can save money
and also help take pressure off Eskom in peak times This has urged Mr Jonck a BEng Mechatronics
student to research and design a device that can assist to measure the ideal energy demand curve and
hence with the assistance of basic software embedded in a PLC control the energy accordingly
This project will give the small-
er companies the power to
know their energy consump-
tion and plan around it A big
factor is that companies are
limiting their production output
because of expensive electric-
ity cost meaning companies
are not producing the amount
of products that they potentially could
Mr Jonck will be working closely with Mr Sakkie Du Preez from Siemens and Mr Angus Clark from the
Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber
Mr Du Preez is the NMMU Siemens ac-
count manager who exposes and assists
students on the latest Siemens products
used for final year projects as is the case
with Mr Jonck
Left to right Mr Gustav Jonck with co-promoter
Mr Sakkie Du Preez from Siemens
Energy Management is increasingly im-
portant and companies will have no
choice but to become actively involved
in the solutionmdash Mr Sakkie du Preez
(Siemens Southern Africa )
Siemens
Siemens Training Centre Staff
Professor Theo van Niekerk
Position Training Expert
Telephone +2741 504 9951
E-mail TheovanNiekerknmmuacza
Mr Karl Du Preez
Position AMTC Manager
Telephone +2741 504 3644
E-mail KarlduPreeznmmuacza
Mr LeRoi Grimbeek
Position Marketing Consultant
Telephone +2741 504 9912
E-mail LeroiGrimbeeknmmuacza
Trainers
Ms Bronwyn Moodaley
Position Administrative Coordinator
Telephone +2741 504 3165
E-mail BronwynMoodaleynmmuacza
Mr John Fernandes
Mr Ian van Niekerk
Supported by
Due to the success of the Cyber Junkyard competition held annually for tertiary institutions from across South Africa
a junior Cyber Junkyard (CJY) competition was developed for high schools and FET colleges in the Eastern Cape
The AMTC in collaboration with Siemens South Africa and merSETA recently launched the competition at NMMU
which served as a pilot project This yearrsquos project required the development of a simple water tank system in the
form of a small mobile and stable structure
Learners were tasked with implementing industrial automation programming and closed loop control systems to
pump water out of the reservoir into the tank The tank had to be filled to the set level in as little time possible and at
the highest accuracy
The winners of the competition Daniel
Pienaar High School received a R10000
cash prize as well as an iPad for each of
the learners and technical teacher in-
volved Other prizes included digital
cameras external hard drives as well as
cash prizes of R5000 (2nd place)
R2500 (3rd place) and R1000 for each of the participating schools not finishing in the top three of the competition
Launch of Junior Cyber Junkyard
Siemens Supported Projects
A combined effort between tertiary institu-
tions secondary institutions and industry is
the only way we can close the skills gap in
the engineering field mdash Mr Martin Taverner
(Siemens Head of Motion Control)
Back from left Dewald Oosthuizen Sampie Marais (Educator) Des Burrows (Siemens) and Martin Taverner (Siemens) Front from left Tayden Louw Marko
Viviers Emily Molefe (Siemens) Saliem Dolley (merSETA)
Siemens
Siemens Training Assists BEE Company
Delacom Solutions a completely black economic empowered (BEE) small electrical business enterprise
recently arranged for five of their employees to attend an Introduction to PLC short course in the Siemens
Simatic Training Centre housed at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU)
Delacom was founded in 2006 by two ambitious business partners and currently employs 21 employees in
and around Port Elizabeth An enthusiastic project manager Mr Sabele Mngqushu and four electrical arti-
sans were granted the opportunity to attend evening sessions with Siemens trainer Mr Ian Van Niekerk
When asked what the reason was for attending these sessions Sabele said that the company was tired of
outsourcing the PLC work to other companies and would like to take on the jobs themselves
They have recently signed major contracts with Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality as well as Fort Hare Uni-
versity to work on the underground sew-
erage systems and electrical mainte-
nance The theoretical and practical ex-
perience gained from the introductory
course will enable Sabele and his col-
leagues to improve their workmanship
throughout the Eastern Cape
―The course completely exceeded my expectations I was highly impressed with the professional manner
in which the course was delivered We were treated with the greatest respect and integrity The training
was an enlightening experience Because of this opportunity I would now like to further my studies in
Electrical Engineering says an impressed Sabele
Sabele and his colleagues envision a grow-
ing relationship with the NMMU and Siemens
Simatic Training Centre They would certainly
like to attend the follow ndash up advanced cours-
es offered at NMMU
―Technology is advancing rapidly and it is on-
ly the true technicians and engineers that can
keep up with the changes and Delacomrsquos
employees really showed their commitment
to keep up It was a pleasure training such an
enthusiastic group of people These gentle-
men went to work during the day and were
still able to give me their undivided attention
for the duration of the course says Siemens
trainer Mr Ian Van Niekerk
Technology is advancing rapidly and it is
only the true technicians and engineers
that can keep up with the changes and
Delacomrsquos employees really showed their
commitment to keep up
- Mr Ian van Niekerk (Trainer)
Mr Ian van Niekerk (AMTC Trainer) with Delacom employees
Siemens
Siemens Assisted Research
Energy Demand Control
Energy saving is a topic that has the attention of most individuals and businesses in South Africa espe-
cially because of the scarcity and sharp price increases being applied by the electricity provider
At the Energy Efficiency Workshop it became clear that we need to find innovative ways to assist compa-
nies to manage their energy consumption If one can utilize the system correctly one can save money
and also help take pressure off Eskom in peak times This has urged Mr Jonck a BEng Mechatronics
student to research and design a device that can assist to measure the ideal energy demand curve and
hence with the assistance of basic software embedded in a PLC control the energy accordingly
This project will give the small-
er companies the power to
know their energy consump-
tion and plan around it A big
factor is that companies are
limiting their production output
because of expensive electric-
ity cost meaning companies
are not producing the amount
of products that they potentially could
Mr Jonck will be working closely with Mr Sakkie Du Preez from Siemens and Mr Angus Clark from the
Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber
Mr Du Preez is the NMMU Siemens ac-
count manager who exposes and assists
students on the latest Siemens products
used for final year projects as is the case
with Mr Jonck
Left to right Mr Gustav Jonck with co-promoter
Mr Sakkie Du Preez from Siemens
Energy Management is increasingly im-
portant and companies will have no
choice but to become actively involved
in the solutionmdash Mr Sakkie du Preez
(Siemens Southern Africa )
Siemens
Siemens Training Centre Staff
Professor Theo van Niekerk
Position Training Expert
Telephone +2741 504 9951
E-mail TheovanNiekerknmmuacza
Mr Karl Du Preez
Position AMTC Manager
Telephone +2741 504 3644
E-mail KarlduPreeznmmuacza
Mr LeRoi Grimbeek
Position Marketing Consultant
Telephone +2741 504 9912
E-mail LeroiGrimbeeknmmuacza
Trainers
Ms Bronwyn Moodaley
Position Administrative Coordinator
Telephone +2741 504 3165
E-mail BronwynMoodaleynmmuacza
Mr John Fernandes
Mr Ian van Niekerk
Supported by
Siemens Training Assists BEE Company
Delacom Solutions a completely black economic empowered (BEE) small electrical business enterprise
recently arranged for five of their employees to attend an Introduction to PLC short course in the Siemens
Simatic Training Centre housed at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU)
Delacom was founded in 2006 by two ambitious business partners and currently employs 21 employees in
and around Port Elizabeth An enthusiastic project manager Mr Sabele Mngqushu and four electrical arti-
sans were granted the opportunity to attend evening sessions with Siemens trainer Mr Ian Van Niekerk
When asked what the reason was for attending these sessions Sabele said that the company was tired of
outsourcing the PLC work to other companies and would like to take on the jobs themselves
They have recently signed major contracts with Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality as well as Fort Hare Uni-
versity to work on the underground sew-
erage systems and electrical mainte-
nance The theoretical and practical ex-
perience gained from the introductory
course will enable Sabele and his col-
leagues to improve their workmanship
throughout the Eastern Cape
―The course completely exceeded my expectations I was highly impressed with the professional manner
in which the course was delivered We were treated with the greatest respect and integrity The training
was an enlightening experience Because of this opportunity I would now like to further my studies in
Electrical Engineering says an impressed Sabele
Sabele and his colleagues envision a grow-
ing relationship with the NMMU and Siemens
Simatic Training Centre They would certainly
like to attend the follow ndash up advanced cours-
es offered at NMMU
―Technology is advancing rapidly and it is on-
ly the true technicians and engineers that can
keep up with the changes and Delacomrsquos
employees really showed their commitment
to keep up It was a pleasure training such an
enthusiastic group of people These gentle-
men went to work during the day and were
still able to give me their undivided attention
for the duration of the course says Siemens
trainer Mr Ian Van Niekerk
Technology is advancing rapidly and it is
only the true technicians and engineers
that can keep up with the changes and
Delacomrsquos employees really showed their
commitment to keep up
- Mr Ian van Niekerk (Trainer)
Mr Ian van Niekerk (AMTC Trainer) with Delacom employees
Siemens
Siemens Assisted Research
Energy Demand Control
Energy saving is a topic that has the attention of most individuals and businesses in South Africa espe-
cially because of the scarcity and sharp price increases being applied by the electricity provider
At the Energy Efficiency Workshop it became clear that we need to find innovative ways to assist compa-
nies to manage their energy consumption If one can utilize the system correctly one can save money
and also help take pressure off Eskom in peak times This has urged Mr Jonck a BEng Mechatronics
student to research and design a device that can assist to measure the ideal energy demand curve and
hence with the assistance of basic software embedded in a PLC control the energy accordingly
This project will give the small-
er companies the power to
know their energy consump-
tion and plan around it A big
factor is that companies are
limiting their production output
because of expensive electric-
ity cost meaning companies
are not producing the amount
of products that they potentially could
Mr Jonck will be working closely with Mr Sakkie Du Preez from Siemens and Mr Angus Clark from the
Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber
Mr Du Preez is the NMMU Siemens ac-
count manager who exposes and assists
students on the latest Siemens products
used for final year projects as is the case
with Mr Jonck
Left to right Mr Gustav Jonck with co-promoter
Mr Sakkie Du Preez from Siemens
Energy Management is increasingly im-
portant and companies will have no
choice but to become actively involved
in the solutionmdash Mr Sakkie du Preez
(Siemens Southern Africa )
Siemens
Siemens Training Centre Staff
Professor Theo van Niekerk
Position Training Expert
Telephone +2741 504 9951
E-mail TheovanNiekerknmmuacza
Mr Karl Du Preez
Position AMTC Manager
Telephone +2741 504 3644
E-mail KarlduPreeznmmuacza
Mr LeRoi Grimbeek
Position Marketing Consultant
Telephone +2741 504 9912
E-mail LeroiGrimbeeknmmuacza
Trainers
Ms Bronwyn Moodaley
Position Administrative Coordinator
Telephone +2741 504 3165
E-mail BronwynMoodaleynmmuacza
Mr John Fernandes
Mr Ian van Niekerk
Supported by
Siemens Assisted Research
Energy Demand Control
Energy saving is a topic that has the attention of most individuals and businesses in South Africa espe-
cially because of the scarcity and sharp price increases being applied by the electricity provider
At the Energy Efficiency Workshop it became clear that we need to find innovative ways to assist compa-
nies to manage their energy consumption If one can utilize the system correctly one can save money
and also help take pressure off Eskom in peak times This has urged Mr Jonck a BEng Mechatronics
student to research and design a device that can assist to measure the ideal energy demand curve and
hence with the assistance of basic software embedded in a PLC control the energy accordingly
This project will give the small-
er companies the power to
know their energy consump-
tion and plan around it A big
factor is that companies are
limiting their production output
because of expensive electric-
ity cost meaning companies
are not producing the amount
of products that they potentially could
Mr Jonck will be working closely with Mr Sakkie Du Preez from Siemens and Mr Angus Clark from the
Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber
Mr Du Preez is the NMMU Siemens ac-
count manager who exposes and assists
students on the latest Siemens products
used for final year projects as is the case
with Mr Jonck
Left to right Mr Gustav Jonck with co-promoter
Mr Sakkie Du Preez from Siemens
Energy Management is increasingly im-
portant and companies will have no
choice but to become actively involved
in the solutionmdash Mr Sakkie du Preez
(Siemens Southern Africa )
Siemens
Siemens Training Centre Staff
Professor Theo van Niekerk
Position Training Expert
Telephone +2741 504 9951
E-mail TheovanNiekerknmmuacza
Mr Karl Du Preez
Position AMTC Manager
Telephone +2741 504 3644
E-mail KarlduPreeznmmuacza
Mr LeRoi Grimbeek
Position Marketing Consultant
Telephone +2741 504 9912
E-mail LeroiGrimbeeknmmuacza
Trainers
Ms Bronwyn Moodaley
Position Administrative Coordinator
Telephone +2741 504 3165
E-mail BronwynMoodaleynmmuacza
Mr John Fernandes
Mr Ian van Niekerk
Supported by
Siemens Training Centre Staff
Professor Theo van Niekerk
Position Training Expert
Telephone +2741 504 9951
E-mail TheovanNiekerknmmuacza
Mr Karl Du Preez
Position AMTC Manager
Telephone +2741 504 3644
E-mail KarlduPreeznmmuacza
Mr LeRoi Grimbeek
Position Marketing Consultant
Telephone +2741 504 9912
E-mail LeroiGrimbeeknmmuacza
Trainers
Ms Bronwyn Moodaley
Position Administrative Coordinator
Telephone +2741 504 3165
E-mail BronwynMoodaleynmmuacza
Mr John Fernandes
Mr Ian van Niekerk
Supported by