As one of many largest producers of business robots, Yaskawa Southern Africa took half on this yr’s Africa Automation Expertise Truthful (AATF), the place varied specialists within the manufacturing business gathered to change precious business experience to extend funding prospects within the African continent’s manufacturing sector. The occasion, which celebrated its twenty fifth yr, centred across the theme of “For Africa from Africa”.
The AATF promotes and is obsessed with furthering Africa’s transformation and selling the event and development of the continent’s automation business.
Yaskawa Southern Africa was one in all 150 exhibitors on show on the occasion, which passed off from ninth to eleventh Could 2023, and showcased its collaborative robotic welding answer, Weld4me. This transformative piece of automated gear presents another or assist to handbook MIG/MAG welding with air-cooled welding gear.
When requested in regards to the worth and significance of such occasions just like the AATF, John Mostert, Gross sales Engineer at Yaskawa Southern Africa, stated, “They create the manufacturing business and automation business collectively.
Automation suppliers are capable of higher perceive the market’s wants and producers are capable of see the newest developments in automation choices.” And one of the vital outstanding wants is the adoption of collaborative programs which are capable of work alongside people, aptly known as collaborative robots or cobots.
Though such programs are making strides globally, Mostert notes that the adoption of cobots in Africa has taken a bit extra time to get off the bottom, noting that the continent nonetheless experiences distinctive challenges.
Occasions resembling AATF current alternatives for organisations primarily based out of Africa to take full benefit of growing partnerships and data sharing in an effort to additional the business.
“Yaskawa’s technique is to accomplice with integrators and specialists of their discipline,” Mostert explains.
In consequence, this yr Yaskawa is partnering with Fronius, a number one welding specialist with a purpose to ship revolutionary options and stay a standout contender in a extremely aggressive market.
Due to this, staying up-to-date on the newest developments inside the sector is excessively necessary and one other essential a part of the aforementioned technique, all of the whereas made simpler attributable to the truth that Yaskawa Southern Africa serves as a faction of a world organisation.
Nonetheless, the organisation strongly believes within the development of the manufacturing business and Mostert is optimistic about Yaskawa’s function inside this: “We’re properly positioned to help firms to scale back the price of manufacture whereas rising the standard of their product making it attainable to compete internationally.”
Mostert says he’s enthusiastic in regards to the new applied sciences as they break into the market, emphasising the “use of cameras, imaginative and prescient with robotics is now important in lots of functions, the expertise has matured and can proceed to see enchancment.”
General, Yaskawa says this yr’s Africa Automation Expertise Truthful was a “success for Yaskawa and the broader manufacturing sector”.
