Further entrenching its commitment to bridging the skills gap in the field of electrical engineering, Siemens has taken its Cyber Junkyard Challenge to schools in the Eastern Cape. This Junior Cyber Junkyard Challenge has been undertaken in partnership with Port Elizabeth’s Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU). Says Martin Taverner, BU manager motion control at Siemens: “In 2011, our aim is to establish a relationship between Siemens, NMMU and high schools and colleges in the area, hence the introduction of the challenge at a school level. Our hope is that these relationships will help to encourage learners at this level to consider electrical engineering as a career path after school.”
The winning entry from Daniel Pienaar High
In the Junior Cyber Junkyard Challenge, learners had to design, build and programme a fully functional water tank system. They needed to implement the principles of flow rate and volume calculation in addition to basic logic and the principles of level control. “By taking part in this project learners gain hands-on experience that will assist them when applying to universities, they learn about electrical design, mechanical manufacture, level control within a tank process, industrial automation programming and closed loop control systems – all at a junior level,” Taverner explains. “Nine schools entered the challenge and through our partnership with NMMU, each team was allocated R10 000 to design and manufacture its system.”
Final judging took place in October with the winning teams receiving a host of electrical equipment, as well as bursaries donated by NMMU. The Eastern Cape served as a pilot, Taverner’s ultimate objective is that the Junior Cyber Junkyard Challenge will be held annually and open to schools nationwide.
BMG achieves GBCSA Net Zero Waste Level 2 Certification Bearing Man Group t/a BMG
News
BMG has achieved Green Building Council South Africa Net Zero Waste Level 2 Certification after diverting more than 90% of operational waste from landfill, demonstrating how practical sustainability measures can deliver measurable environmental and commercial benefits.
Read more...Pump spares and parts for Africa
News
KSB Pumps and Valves explains how its decentralised stockholding and local manufacturing keep spares and parts available across its installed base in Africa.
Read more...Inspiration for times of change Endress+Hauser South Africa
News
More than 2000 customers, partners and experts gathered in Basel, Switzerland, for the Endress+Hauser Global Forum in April 2026. Under the theme of driving sustainable transformation together, the event combined keynote sessions on strategy, technology and the future of work with practical case studies from across the process industry.
Read more...The gender gap in SA’s engineering sector
News
South Africa’s engineering sector is facing a critical gender imbalance, with women making up just 16% of registered engineering professionals compared to 84% of men.
Read more...Safe removal of the historic US 181
News
Mammoet provided the heavy-lift expertise that helped remove the 2300 ton centre span of the historic US 181 Harbor Bridge in Corpus Christi, Texas, using a precision lift-and-lower method that protected nearby marine environments and reopened navigation channels swiftly.
Read more...Siemens and HighByte partner to scale industrial AI Siemens South Africa
IT in Manufacturing Fieldbus & Industrial Networking
Siemens is expanding its Industrial Edge ecosystem through a partnership with HighByte, enabling customers to connect, contextualise and transform data from operational technology and information technology sources to build AI models and applications at scale.
Read more...Africa Energy Indaba 2027 aims to ignite the power revolution
News
Africa Energy Indaba 2027 takes place from 2 to 4 March 2027 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, bringing together ministers, utilities, investors and developers to accelerate energy generation, unlock investment and drive the continent’s industrial future.
Read more...3D electrical systems design workflow for electromechanical innovation Siemens South Africa
Fieldbus & Industrial Networking IT in Manufacturing
Siemens has announced new 3D electrical design capabilities within its Capital software, enabling electrical and mechanical engineers to work concurrently in a shared 3D environment to reduce late-stage design changes and accelerate time to market for complex electromechanical products.
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.
printer friendly version