NWU engineers learning with industry
Smaller classes and close ties with commercial enterprises produce well-rounded graduates
Engineering is the application of science or mathematics to solve a modernday problem. Engineers come in all shapes and sizes because engineering covers a wide variety of fields.
They all require different knowledge and specific skill sets. But what they have in common is that all engineering fields fall within the top 10 scarce skills in South Africa.
The faculty of engineering at North-West University (NWU) aims to develop students into excellent problem-solvers through practical, relevant and hands-on courses.
The faculty currently consists of 1 351 students and 66 highly skilled lecturers and offers seven key fields of study: chemical engineering, chemical engineering with specialisation in minerals processing, electrical and electronic engineering, computer and electronic engineering, electromechanical engineering, mechanical and nuclear engineering, and industrial engineering.
Within these focus areas there are 14 research groups and several commercialised entities. All their programmes are accredited by the Engineering Council of South Africa under the Washington Accord. This means that our engineering qualifications are accepted in all 17 countries that are currently part of the accord. It includes countries such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, India, Korea, Japan and Russia.
Knowledge is power. The faculty of engineering realises, however, that the ability to apply this knowledge in the industry is essential to an engineer’s success.
Another advantage of studying engineering at the NWU is the strong student support. Classes are smaller and students receive better support and ultimately a higher pass rate.
While studying engineering at the NWU, students are exposed to a large number of industry-relevant projects. To mention only a few:
Additive manufacturing (3D printing)
In the mechanical engineering department, a 3D printing lab with 30 entry-level 3D printers and one state-of-the-art industrial 3D printer helps develop the design skills for additive manufacturing (AM) .
Students are currently working on a project focused on designing and producing cost-effective prostheses. They are also producing a prosthetic arm and a “motorbike arm” for Theunis Nel, a TV presenter who lost his arm in a motorbike accident in 2014. The arm will allow Nel to continue riding his motorbike by installing improved shock absorption technology and enabling the prosthetic hand to have a better grip on the steering bar.
The AM equipment is sponsored by the department of science and technology under the collaborative programme on AM (CPAM), in parallel with the NWU’s technology trans- fer and innovation support office.
Hydrogen South Africa (HySA)
The HySA infrastructure centre of excellence is based on the NWU campus. It is co-hosted by the NWU and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and is mandated to deliver technologies for renewable hydrogen production, storage and distribution.
Students within this research group focus on technologies such as hydrogen storage materials, hydrogen reticulation and delivery, systems integration for hydrogen production and delivery, and platinum group metal (PGM) recycling. It is a multidisciplinary research initiative comprising chemical engineers, electrical engineers, electronic engineers, chemists and physicists.
Ecofriendly coal
Ecofriendly coal is a recently patented project in which fine coal is used with a catalyst to produce ecofriendly coal. This is a fantastic project to extend South Africa’s natural coal resources as well as being more environmentally responsible.
Usually fine coal is seen as a waste material and pumped into slimes dams, with potentially damaging environmental consequences. But with this technology the waste material can be used to generate energy.
The research group is currently working with researchers in Japan to convert the synthetic gas generated by ecofriendly coal from chemical energy into electrical energy, by passing it through a turbine.
Other projects include rhino tracking with telecommunications, development of biofuels from nonfood crops, aircraft development, managing large data sets with intelligent systems, and many more.
There are also a number of exciting student projects to get involved in, including:
The NWU solar car
The team took part in its first Sasol Solar Challenge in 2012 when students aspired to build a vehicle powered by the sun. Within a mere three months and on a small budget of R500 000, that dream was realised.
The Batmobile, as their first car was dubbed, made its debut at the 2012 Sasol Solar Challenge where it performed above all expectations. The team, mainly comprised of finalyear engineering students, received the following accolades: