Casting Technology Center taking shape in South Africa.

The South African Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has requested that the Council for Scientific Industrial Research (CSIR) facilitate the development of a National Casting Technology Center (NCTC).

The center would operate under the auspices of the department's newly developed, customized sector program for metals. Its aim would be to improve the competitiveness of South Africa's metalcasting industry by skills development, empowerment development, component and material testing, and product and process development.

The project will receive almost $4 million (30 million rand) to set up the center, with more than $900,000 (7 million rand) to follow on an annual basis for three years.

CSIR Materials Science and Manufacturing Research and Development Leader Richard Bean said this funding has already been approved by the DTI.

He noted that local industry, along with the South African Institute of Foundrymen (SAIF) and the CSIR, suggested the project two years ago, but at that time it could not secure the necessary funding. However, since the government has earmarked the development of the casting industry as crucial to South Africa's economy, the outlook is different.

"The current idea is to have a physical center, possibly in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, where most of the country's metalcasting facilities are located, with satellites at various companies and universities," Bean said. He added that the CSIR and the DTI are aiming to hold a broad stakeholder meeting later this month, and then to present a business plan to DTI by the end of October 2006.

He said that the center will focus on the more traditional metals, as well as light metals, and has the full support of local metalcasting facilities, most of whom are members of the SAIF. It is planned that the SAIF will be housed in the NCTC.