SAIT promoting knowledge transfer in Tribology

MAINTENANCE

M aintenance is a crucial part of every industry as it ensures that the equipment is working efficiently to reduce downtime and maximize profits. There are four types of maintenance practices that are used by most companies: Corrective Maintenance, Preventive Maintenance, Riskbased Maintenance and Condition-based Maintenance. Regardless of which type of maintenance is used, the personnel carrying out the maintenance must deal with aspects of lubrication, friction and wear of different parts of the machines.

To ensure that these professionals are carrying out maintenance using the latest technologies and are well equipped on the different aspects of maintenance, constant training is essential. . This is exactly what The Southern African Institute of Tribology (SAIT) is doing; offering a platform for training professionals on the aspects of lubrication, friction and wear.

Dating back to 1983, SAIT was started by a group of industrialists and researchers, concerned with the extent of tribological wear in South Africa, and they convened and formed the ‘Wear Society’. After several presentations on a range of wear-related subjects, the South African Institute of Tribology (SAIT) was formally launched on 29th March 1985.

SAIT was established with the following objectives:

• To provide education in industry of the science and technology of Tribology.

• To promote the transfer of information and technology related to Tribology in Southern Africa.

• To promote the development of expertise in Southern Africa with a view of solving tribological problems and reducing Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).

• To maintain membership of the International Tribology Council (ITC), and support liaison with this and other Tribology groups and societies.

• To stimulate research and development in Tribology.

From L-R: Patrick Swan accepting the 2023 Louw Alberts Award on behalf of Dave Scott from Henco Booysen (SAIT President)

SOURCE | SAIT

Best Technical Achievement award floating trophy.

SOURCE | SAIT

• To promote the professional status of Tribology.

• To become the Tribology authority in Southern Africa.

SAIT is a member of the Southern African Engineering Community, the World ribology Body, the International Tribology Council (ITC), based in UK, and it also has a working agreement with the Society for Tribologists & Lubrication Engineers (STLE) of United States where it trains its members on lubricants and lubrication.

Since its existence, SAIT has established technical knowledge transfer through technical meetings and mini-seminars on topics of interest in the lubrication and materials fields such as wear of materials, bearings, gears and condition monitoring. It has also carried out plant visits, and international tribology conferences with local and international guest speakers and authorities in the various fields of tribology. In addition, the SAIT offers training courses which were introduced on the principles and technology of lubrication and materials. The knowledge gained by over 3 500 students, who have attended the courses so far, has been put into practice in the industry.

Some of the training courses offered by SAIT include: Lubrication Engineering which gives participants a full understanding of the principles and technology of lubrication. The course is presented as a five-day course, and it targets maintenance personnel, and anyone concerned with the operation, maintenance or management of industrial plants, machinery, transport and other lubricant related disciplines. A one-day introductory course on the same topic is directed at plant operators, buyers, artisans and apprentices.

Another course offered is Introduction

b) Best Technical Achievement Award This award is for the best technical achievement in the field of Tribology. Entrants are required to submit a case study for consideration.

c) Best Technical Presentation Award This is awarded annually for the best technical presentation given at SAIT technical meetings, seminars and conferences.

From L-R: Jo-anne Stadler, John Fitton & Patrick Swan at the 2023 Awards evening..

SOURCE | SAIT

d) SAIT Student Award This award goes to the best student picked from an annual competition for undergraduate and postgraduate students, for their research work and achievements in the field of Tribology. to Wear and Materials which is concerned with the operation, maintenance and design of plants and equipment, with a special focus on the selection and specification of wear resistant materials.

Basics of Lubricating Oils is a three -day course that will be introduced in 2024, covering the basic information about oils. The course covers the origin and manufacture of oils, a basic understanding of oil specifications and performance criteria, the reason for different oils, and their functions.

All these courses are taught by experienced industry professionals who are well versed with the needs of the industry.

To become a member of the SAIT, there are different options to choose from. These paid membership packages are corporate membership, supplementary membership, private membership, student and honorary membership.

a) Corporate Membership This type of membership is for corporate entities. A corporate member has one nominated person who will be responsible for liaison with SAIT. All employees at the corporate unit are eligible for member discounts on SAIT courses, seminars and conferences.

b) Supplementary Membership Corporate Members may nominate up to nine additional persons as Supplementary Members.

c) Private Membership This membership is for any individual who has an interest in Tribology. d) Student Membership This is for any individual under 25 years of age in full-time study at an education establishment recognized by SAIT and who has an interest in Tribology.

e) Honorary Membership This membership is granted at the discretion of the Executive Committee.

Whichever membership package is chosen, members of SAIT stand to reap these benefits:

• Regular information regarding the activities of the Institute.

• Reduced fees on courses, seminars and conferences.

• The STLE exams “CLS” and “OMA” are hosted in South Africa by SAIT for their members.

• The journal “SA Mechanical Engineer” is included in membership.

• The STLE journal “Tribology & Lubrication Technology” is included in membership.

• Informal forums to exchange technical and commercial knowledge with other fellow members.

SAIT also offers four annual awards to worthy recipients. These awards are divided into four categories: The Louw Alberts Award, Best Technical Achievement Award, Best Technical Presentation Award and SAIT Student Award.

a) The Louw Alberts Award This award is given to individuals based on their contribution to tribology.

On the 10th of November 2023, SAIT hosted an Awards Dinner for the 2023 annual awards ceremony following a successful Fuels Seminar. The awards dinner was hosted to acknowledge and celebrate excellence and hard work in the field of Tribology. The event was kickstarted by Julia Tew from The Circular Stage Consultancy who presented an engaging and enlightening presentation on sustainability and how to integrate it in all aspects of our daily lives. Her presentation was followed by good food and the presentation of awards.

Dave Scott received the Louw Alberts award for outstanding contributions to the field of Tribology over the years. This award is not always rewarded and is dependent on the availability of a worthy recipient. FUCHS Lubricants South Africa was awarded the Best Technical Achievement Award for outstanding achievements in the field of Tribology. This award was received by Leroka Selepe. The Best Technical Presentation Award was awarded to Steven Lumley for her presentation titled “Engine Killers”. Hendrik Masenya received the SAIT Student Award for his research and achievement in the field of Tribology as part of his postgraduate studies. Congratulations and well done to all recipients.

As Africa continues to undergo industrialization and the consequential increased need for well-trained maintenance professionals, bodies like SAIT are and will be instrumental in ensuring that there is a consistent flow and transfer of knowledge from experts to upcoming professionals. .