-
Sep 24, 2019 | 01:01 am
Ishmael Muumbe is a two-time, verging on three-time, Engineering Institute of Technology graduate. He studied both his 52708WA - Advanced Diploma of Industrial Automation and 52726WA - Advanced Diploma of Applied Electrical Engineering through EIT after having moved from Zimbabwe to New Zealand to train as an electrician.Now a technologist, Ishmael is working within the mines in Western Australia and is embarking on a journey of furthering his skills and education in the electrical engineering world. Ishmael’s story is one of looking for opportunity wherever one can find it, and balancing studies, work, and family life.Ishmael finished high school at Ascot High in Gweru, a city located in central Zimbabwe. At school, he found that he had an affinity for science subjects. After graduation, he had the chance to do an apprenticeship at a Zimbabwean Alloys Chrome Ore smelter plant in Gweru. There he trained as an Electrical Apprentice.With the[…]
Read more...
-
Sep 20, 2019 | 08:12 am
In August, the Engineering Institute of Technology (EIT) went to Namibia in southwest Africa to meet with prospective and already working engineers. While there, we hosted a seminar about the trends in the engineering industries that are transforming Africa.The development of skills amongst young people in Namibia is vital. Therefore, EIT visited the Namibian University of Science and Technology (NUST). We were invited by the Dean of Engineering, Dr Samuel John, to share with the faculty of engineering students what EIT is doing to provide engineers with further tertiary education and training.In the presentation, David Gadjus, EIT’s International Education Manager for the regions of Africa and South America, shared several pathways to gaining higher education, training, and continued professional development through our institution.Gadjus says the students were interested to learn about EIT’s online delivery methodologies. Online distance learning is rapidly becoming something students in Africa are becoming interested, since networking[…]
Read more...
-
Sep 20, 2019 | 05:47 am
While solar and wind energy seem to be the primary sustainable energy sources mentioned in the media, tidal energy is actually more predictable. Tides can be timed in perpetuity throughout the year, whereas predicting when the wind will blow and when the sun will shine is far harder.In a world-first, a data center in Scotland will set the bar for tidal arrays in the future. Renewable energy technology developer Simec Atlantis has turbines capturing the natural flow of water between Scotland’s northeast coast and the uninhabited island of Stroma.Source: Atlantis ResourcesThere are reports that Amazon, Google, and Microsoft are interested in utilizing the technology for their data, as well. With all of the data crunching these kinds of companies do, large data centers are necessary. The issue is how much power these data centers need to use to keep our favorite websites and services up and running. Therefore, it makes[…]
Read more...
-
Sep 20, 2019 | 04:39 am
In Southern Africa, aging infrastructure and shortages of much-needed resources are stifling the electrical engineering sector. Powering countries south of the equator is a topic much in focus in the last few years. Both Zimbabwe and South Africa have been seeing a need to balance power loads and load shed at their public energy utilities. However, Zimbabwean companies are starting to get smart with how they manage their power outages.Econet Wireless Zimbabwe, the largest provider of telecommunications services in Zimbabwe, have resorted to contemporary solutions to their modern-day problems. If Econet’s servers go down, the country suffers economically.Telecommunications currently plays a vital role in the economy of Zimbabwe. Many people in the country are doing transactions via mobile means. The country is currently experiencing a shortage of physical paper money, and so the transactions are done digitally.To further exacerbate the problem, in May, Zimbabwe began load-shedding after the government announced[…]
Read more...
-
Sep 20, 2019 | 03:43 am
Mechanical engineers have, for a long time, been using the natural world as inspiration for robot design. However, the latest soft-robot that is taking inspired by nature might creep some people out. What started as an inadvertent thought from a mechanical engineering student has turned into a real robot. And it is in the shape of a leech.This collaborative research project will unsurprisingly be called the ‘LEeCH’ (Longitudinally Extensible Continuum-robot inspired by Hirudinea). Hirudinea is a subclass of parasitic or predatory worms found in nature that belong to the phylum Annelida.The original idea for the robot came from a Doctoral student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Toyohashi University of Technology. He said, “I came up with the idea in the bathroom of my house. The shower hose went wild as if it had a life when I inadvertently turned on the faucet at maximum. Then an idea[…]
Read more...
-
Sep 20, 2019 | 03:07 am
Manufacturers are seeking ways to make their global supply chains more flexible. Luckily for them, wireless Internet of Things technologies are empowering these factories and making processes more efficient than ever before. Ericsson, a giant in automation technology engineering, reported that “IoT connections are set to pass the 4 billion mark by 2024.”In Ericsson’s blog entitled ‘The future of manufacturing is smart, secure and stable,’ they outline that companies with production lines are trying their best to integrate the Industrial Internet of Things technologies, and the market is heating up with competitiveness.Essentially, manufacturers who create the most novel interconnected system in their factories, underpinned by Industrial Internet of Things technologies, will get more work done and generate more profits due to the efficiency of their operations. That requires the fastest interconnectivity technology available to the market.This is where 5G wireless internet technology comes in. 5G promises faster speeds and unparalleled[…]
Read more...
-
Sep 20, 2019 | 02:03 am
Engineers are collaborating on a project to strengthen energy storage technologies through the use of 3D printers. This project is also highlighting the importance of 3D printing in electrical engineering.Researchers at the University of Manchester have developed a unique way to convert 2D materials into electrodes that can be stored in devices such as supercapacitors. This requires turning a clay-like substance known as MXene into an ink, which once dried, can conduct electricity.In 2011, engineers from Drexel University in the United States created MXene. It consists of carbon atoms and transition metals. This substance has two properties which make it particularly useful; it is hydrophilic, which means it can be turned into an ink, and it is conducive for electricity. This means it is more suitable for energy storage than other 2D clays.MXene has been derived from graphene, the world’s first 2D material which was a better conductor than copper,[…]
Read more...
-
Sep 18, 2019 | 08:14 am
The ability to code in the python language is becoming an increasingly sought-after skill, particularly in the engineering field. In industries underpinned by computer programming, this skill is critical for data analysis and visualizations, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and automation.Knowledge of python is pertinent with traditional engineering tasks changing across disciplines, as computing technologies transform the way engineers do their jobs. Coding is becoming a much sought-after skill by employers around the world.In 2016, Burning Glass Technologies suggested that seven million job openings in 2015 were in occupations which valued coding skills. Their report, titled ‘Beyond Point and Click: The Expanding Demand for Coding Skills,’ also predicted that by 2030, 500 billion devices would be connected to the Internet of Things. Therefore, the job openings which value coding skills will likely rise to levels unforeseen back in 2015.“We live in a digital world. Our phones, our cars, our banks,[…]
Read more...
-
Sep 2, 2019 | 04:24 am
A railway line near Aldershot in the United Kingdom is set to become the first railway line directly powered by a photovoltaic solar farm.A 30kW pilot-scheme is currently paving the starting point of the project with renewable energy powering the signaling and lights on Network Rail’s Wessex route.Whilst there is nothing new about solar panel technology keeping the lights on at train stations, Network Rail’s Aldershot project is the first time a solar array will bypass the electricity grid to plug directly into a railway’s “traction” system.This groundbreaking solar movement is part of the Network Rail’s plans to completely avoid running trains on diesel. The benefits of this movement include the reduction of air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and costs.It was climate advocacy group 10:10 Climate Action and Imperial College London that got the ball rolling on powering UK railways with solar PV. Their campaign, named Riding Sunbeams, estimates that[…]
Read more...
-
Sep 2, 2019 | 02:20 am
In 2016, France announced an exciting plan that would hopefully power 5 million homes with electricity. The plan entailed paving over 1000 kilometers of road with photovoltaic panels, generating around 790kWh every day. However, what was supposed to the first step of a revolutionary development ended up being a bitter disappointment.One kilometer and eight million dollars later, the issues of the road were already piling up.The solar panels suffered immense wear and tear, to the point where some were completely shattered from the pressure of traveling cars. Some sections also failed to work to their full potential when moving dirt had covered the panels. Their horizontal position on the road also meant they were not directly facing the sun for many hours of the day, adding up to be incredibly inefficient.Source: twitter.com/NBCNewsThe road also generated a strange noise, which forced traffic officials to change the speed limit of the paneled[…]
Read more...
-
Aug 29, 2019 | 06:33 am
Engineers will always be required to design, build and maintain - everything from infrastructure to highly complex systems which run the world’s industries. But as new technologies emerge and disrupt it is critical that engineers skill themselves to remain relevant today and into the future. Many traditional educational institutions struggle to respond to market demand, but EIT has gained momentum as one of the only colleges in the world specializing in delivering industry-driven, applied engineering education. It is no wonder that in July 2019 EIT celebrated the milestone of achieving over 250,000 visitors to its website in 1 month; this represents the largest month in website traffic for the organization since its inception.Internationally, engineers are the cornerstone of society; they facilitate commercial and industrial applications that meet societal and consumer needs. Increasingly, however, the modern engineer requires multi-disciplinary engineering skill and knowledge to secure future employment.The World Economic Forum suggests[…]
Read more...
-
Aug 23, 2019 | 06:33 am
Shkumbuzo Khoza is an EIT graduate from South Africa.He first began his career in the engineering when he graduated from Evander College, studying his N2 through to his N6 certificate. This meant that he had successfully obtained a national technical certificate with special focus on electro-mechatronic engineering, certifying him as a millwright.Shkumbuzo tried to get a millwright learnership but was unfortunately not successful in doing so. However, he vowed not to give up and would keep looking for avenues to develop his career.He then succeeded in obtaining a learnership from the country’s energy parastatal Eskom. There, he became a plant controller and discovered his passion for the electrical engineering field. In 2009, he partook in a trade test where he was declared competent on his first try.He was then hired by a company named MCB Switchboards where he dabbled in electric panel building and wiring. The job provided many learning[…]
Read more...
-
Aug 19, 2019 | 02:37 am
Jacques Esterhuizen is an Engineering Institute of Technology graduate from South Africa, who earned his 52810WA - Advanced Diploma of Mechanical Engineering in 2017.“I was always interested in engineering from a very young age. I would disassemble and assemble equipment all the time. My father was an electrician, a superintendent and building contractor — he was the one to expose me to the industry.”After completing high school, Jacques went on to the University of Stellenbosch and completed a four-year Bachelor of Engineering (with Honors) in Electronic Engineering in 1992. Soon after, he began working in the water industry and was exposed to the automation technology involved.“I installed and maintained SCADA, telemetry, PLC, and automation systems. I integrated and interfaced to pumps, valves, blowers, disinfection units, dosing, compressors, and instrumentation to provide monitoring and control solutions to operational staff, maintenance teams, and management.”What he had learned equipped him so he could[…]
Read more...
-
Aug 13, 2019 | 07:21 am
Gaston Kausa is an Engineering Institute of Technology graduate from Zambia who earned his 52724WA - Advanced Diploma in Civil and Structural Engineering. He felt an instant connection to engineering when in high school he was introduced to the technical drawing subject.“I fell in love with the subject,” he said. “From then on, my mind was made up that my career was going to be in the engineering industry.What followed was a lifetime of acquiring skills and qualifications to validate his love for engineering and transform him into the professional he is today. Today, he is a member of the Engineering Institute of Zambia.Gaston’s working life began with a job as a surveyor at Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines in 1985.Throughout his career, he has worked as Chief Surveyor at many infrastructure projects in Zambia and Namibia.Since 1990, he has worked on a total of 15 separate projects filling roles such[…]
Read more...
-
Aug 12, 2019 | 06:45 am
Fortune Chipeta was born and raised in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. He earned his Advanced Diploma in Industrial Automation with the Engineering Institute of Technology between 2014 and 2015. The Advanced Diploma is now one of many qualifications Fortune has amassed across his engineering career. Fortune loves the world of engineering, particularly in the electrical realm. However, he was quick to discover that automation was revolutionizing the industry he had always adored. He is now working towards that dream of being an engineer in the exact cross-section where electrical engineering and automation meet. He says:“I love making and implementing practical solutions to everyday problems and electricity and technology fascinates me.” After graduating from high school, he enrolled for a National Certificate in Electrical Power Engineering at Westgate Industrial Training College. A straight-A student in high school, Fortune passed the 3-year course with distinctions in 2004. During that time he was posted out[…]
Read more...
Ishmael Muumbe is a two-time, verging on three-time, Engineering Institute of Technology graduate. He studied both his 52708WA - Advanced Diploma of Industrial Automation and 52726WA - Advanced Diploma of Applied Electrical Engineering through EIT after having moved from Zimbabwe[…]
In August, the Engineering Institute of Technology (EIT) went to Namibia in southwest Africa to meet with prospective and already working engineers. While there, we hosted a seminar about the trends in the engineering industries that are transforming Africa.The development[…]
While solar and wind energy seem to be the primary sustainable energy sources mentioned in the media, tidal energy is actually more predictable. Tides can be timed in perpetuity throughout the year, whereas predicting when the wind will blow and[…]
In Southern Africa, aging infrastructure and shortages of much-needed resources are stifling the electrical engineering sector. Powering countries south of the equator is a topic much in focus in the last few years. Both Zimbabwe and South Africa have been[…]
Mechanical engineers have, for a long time, been using the natural world as inspiration for robot design. However, the latest soft-robot that is taking inspired by nature might creep some people out. What started as an inadvertent thought from a[…]
Manufacturers are seeking ways to make their global supply chains more flexible. Luckily for them, wireless Internet of Things technologies are empowering these factories and making processes more efficient than ever before. Ericsson, a giant in automation technology engineering, reported[…]
Engineers are collaborating on a project to strengthen energy storage technologies through the use of 3D printers. This project is also highlighting the importance of 3D printing in electrical engineering.Researchers at the University of Manchester have developed a unique way[…]
The ability to code in the python language is becoming an increasingly sought-after skill, particularly in the engineering field. In industries underpinned by computer programming, this skill is critical for data analysis and visualizations, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and[…]
A railway line near Aldershot in the United Kingdom is set to become the first railway line directly powered by a photovoltaic solar farm.A 30kW pilot-scheme is currently paving the starting point of the project with renewable energy powering the[…]
In 2016, France announced an exciting plan that would hopefully power 5 million homes with electricity. The plan entailed paving over 1000 kilometers of road with photovoltaic panels, generating around 790kWh every day. However, what was supposed to the first[…]
