We are proud designers
We are proud designers
These are some of the great projects designed
Selina Rapulane
The VUT Southern Gauteng Science and Technology Park’s Design team is proud to announce that 2017 was a great year; clients were pleased with their work and have indicated that they are happy to come back for more projects this year.
The team is made up of seven individuals who are skilled differently; but when they get to together, they become one unified creative force! Their various skills complement each other and they are driven by the same goals.
In 2017, they had nine projects to deliver and, through their hard work and co-operation, they accomplished all of them on time. As part of the VUT community, they would like to share their success stories:
- Shonaquip/Dlala bed. The team developed the clamping device used in the bed and 3D-printed the prototypes needed for testing on the Fortis 900. The design was then cast for small batch testing in the field;
- Tsoana Nhlapo/Black Doll. They designed and developed the African doll using additive manufacturing technology.
In this project they were required to design a doll with African-looking features. The doll was required to have moveable joints to allow for kids to play with it as they would with a ‘Barbie doll’. They were required to produce a 3D-printed prototype which the client could use to present to prospective investors;
- Dipapadi Indigenous Games prototype. This prototype serves as a strategic tool to attempt to get a more accurate analysis and market test for the need for this product. The product is new on the market as there are no indigenous modern games with which to preserve South African culture or ensure alternative learning methods;
- Black Water Project. This system sets the groundwork to research and develop a cost-effective system to turn black water into greywater and reduce the fresh water footprint of the consumer. This system serves as a water saver to the community;
- Prosthetics Socket. The team 3D printed the prosthetic socket for a patient. The process involved scanning the patient’s leg, casting the test socket and then printing the final socket using the EOS machine;
- Automated Heater. This is a ventilation system that has a supportive app to control the power and temperature output of a heater;
- Wheelchair Toilet Seat. This was designed for physically challenged people who rely on a wheelchair to move from point A to B. The seat alleviates the need to move from the wheelchair onto the toilet seat;
- Hand-held Traffic Interface. This signalling unit ensures that where traffic lights are not functioning, or where traffic lights are non-existent, there is a useful and alternative tool to manage traffic flow with ease by law enforcement officers on the scene; and
- The Ice Box. This product enables the user to make and store ice conveniently in bulk.
The team is proud to have come this far and hopes that 2018 will be an even more fruitful year that will leave their clients satisfied.
