Civil Engineering October 2022 | Vol 30 No 9

50 October 2022 Civil Engineering I N BR I EF Tackling leakage of plastic waste into the environment S outh Africa’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) now hosts Africa’s only laboratory equipped to test and verify imported or locally produced products that are being promoted as biodegradable. This follows the recent handover of an automated testing facility and equipment, valued at R5 million, to the CSIR by the Japanese government, through the United Nations Industrial Development Organization. The testing laboratory is capable of establishing the conditions and timeframes for the biodegrada- tion of materials. Tests can be performed under aerobic (compost, soil, freshwater and marine) and anaerobic conditions. Speaking during the handover ceremony in Pretoria, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Barbara Creecy said, “Inadequate waste management poses a significant threat to our environment, causing pollution to soil and ground water and undermining ecosystem functions and services. Marine plastic waste is a global problem that threatens biodiversity and wildlife. The services that will be offered through this facility will broaden transparency and ensure that product claims can be tested in accordance with environmental labelling standards.” The CSIR is currently developing materials to replace single-use plastics that cannot be recycled due to contamination or economic reasons. These environmentally sustainable products are partially made from local biomass resources like starch and cellulose, and are biodegradable in home or industrial composting conditions. CSIR Chief Executive Officer Dr Thulani Dlamini welcomed the donation of laboratory equipment: “The opening of the biodegradability testing facility signifies the value of research, development and innovation partnerships. Through the generous funding and support received from Japan, the CSIR is now better positioned to provide adequate support to the South African industry to transition from conventional plastics to more envi- ronmentally sustainable alternatives.”  T raining is essential to be ready for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) job market, but the ma- chinery and consumables for welding training are expensive and providing theory with little or no practical training is usually insufficient. “In addressing 4IR in the engineering and manufacturing markets, augmented reality welding training is a cost-effective as well as a green alternative to traditional training. It provides the same level of tradi- tional skills training but offers significant cost savings that can run into millions of rands per annum. This is an example of 4IR in action for education,” says Bez Sangari, CEO of Sangari Education. The Soldamatic welding simulator, which won top honours at the Worlddidac Awards for the most innovative educational product, requires no costly welding con- sumables and reduces training time by half. Cost saving benefits include less electricity consumption, less material wastage and, depending on the learner numbers, the classroom serves as a safe, environmentally- friendly workshop. “Consumables such as welding rods, steel plates or oxygen are not needed, and because the equipment has no gas emissions, it is eco- friendly. The simulator can be used in any environment with no need for special clothing or ventilation. The welding can be done in a classroom or even an office. It is 100% safe, simply because it provides an augmented-reality welding environment which is hyper realistic,” says Sangari. The training solution uses an aug- mented reality 3D vision on the trainee welder’s headgear and real welding torches. The software includes a learner management system that allows trainees to follow a predetermined training programme and provide feedback to the trainer on their progress. The headgear generates hyper realistic welding graphics and sounds such as the weld pool and beam. It emits simulated smoke, sparks and heating of the affected area, all through the student’s headgear. It also simulates cracks, filler material, gravity and undercutting. The facilitator and trainee are able to analyse and assess the trainee’s welding performance in a video afterwards and evaluate their skills level, such as the welding velocity, stick-out, travel and working angles.  L to R: Ambassador of Japan Norio Maruyama, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Barbara Creecy, Deputy Minister for Higher Education, Science and Innovation Buti Manamela, and CSIR CEO Dr Thulani Dlamini Augmented-reality gears up for education 4.0 Augmented reality welding training is cost-effective and eco-friendly