Award winners to exhibit magnetic test bench at DSEI
7 September 2005
News
Danie Gouws, Herman Theron and David Wright, members of the Hermanus Magnetic Observatory (HMO) recently received a prestigious Design Excellence Award from the Design Institute of South Africa (DISA), a division of the SABS. The award was presented for the magnetic test bench, a system developed at the HMO. The three were responsible for the design, electronic/software engineering and the mechanical engineering of the system.
Funding has been obtained from the DTI to exhibit the test bench and other magnetic sensors at the Defence Systems & Equipment International (DSEI) exhibition, to be held during September 2005 in London.
From left: minister of Trade and Industry, Mandisi Mpahlwa, Danie Gouws, Herman Theron, and chairman of the SABS Council, Prof Sibusiso Vil-Nkomo, at the awards ceremony
The magnetic test bench is an avionics test apparatus used for the calibration and verification of mechanical and electronic aircraft compasses and compass components before installation in aircraft. The compass under evaluation is positioned stationary while a generated magnetic field is rotated around it, simulating an aircraft compass swing, ie, a procedure used for the calibration of aircraft compass systems. This eliminates the wasting of man-hours and aircraft fuel during problematic compass swings due to faulty compass components.
The product consists of several highly sophisticated subsystems: a specialised coil system is used to cancel the ambient magnetic field, and to generate a rotating magnetic field at the centre of the coils. The ambient field to be cancelled by the coils is measured with an accurate electronic compass or magnetometer. The system also includes a microprocessor with application-specific software, data-acquisition card, voltage-to-current analog electronics, power supply and user interface.
Currently the magnetic test bench systems are in use at Langebaanweg, Ysterplaat and Waterkloof Air Forces bases, and will possibly be offered to the civilian aviation market later.
Further reading:
From the editor's desk: Inspiring the next generation
Technews Publishing
News
Welcome to the August issue of
Dataweek. Peter Howells is still on leave, so I am back for this issue. I hope you enjoy the content and find value in it.
August is Women’s Month in South Africa,
...
Read more...
Procurement is becoming a competitive advantage
RS South Africa
News
As mining, manufacturing and industrial businesses continue to navigate rising costs, supply chain disruption and increasing pressure to improve operational performance, procurement and inventory management have become strategic business priorities rather than simply administrative functions.
Read more...
Powell Electronics signs partnership agreement with IOT Electronics
IOT Electronics
News
Powell Electronics has entered into a partnership agreement with IOT Electronics to strengthen its presence across southern Africa.
Read more...
Omniflex delivers ICCP systems across London
Omniflex Remote Monitoring Specialists
News
Omniflex has supplied impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) systems for a range of prominent buildings across London, helping to protect reinforced concrete structures from corrosion and extending their service life.
Read more...
New appointments for Würth Electronics South Africa
Würth Electronics South Africa
News
New appointments for Würth Electronics South Africa
Read more...
MTN celebrates 80 Western Cape digital graduates
News
Eighty unemployed young people from across the Western Cape have successfully completed MTN South Africa’s Digital Skills for Digital Jobs (DS4DJ) programme, earning accredited qualifications in Data Analytics, Systems Development and Cybersecurity.
Read more...
GirlCode Hackathon 2026 kicks off across South Africa and Botswana
News
GirlCode, in partnership with Absa Group, Truecaller, MTN, SAP Fioneer, RS South Africa and other ecosystem partners, successfully hosted the first leg of the 2026 GirlCode Hackathon.
Read more...
Rooibos heads to space
News
A South African scientific initiative linking agriculture and space research has officially launched today with the Rooibos in Space programme at Parklands College’s Innovation Centre in Cape Town.
Read more...
From the editor's desk: Local can be international
Technews Publishing
Editor's Choice News
Welcome to the July 2026 issue of
Dataweek. As you can see from this introduction,
Dataweek’s regular editor, Peter Howells, is on extended leave and I am filling the void in his editor’s column – hopefully without being too boring.
Read more...
Landis+Gyr EMEA introduces new company name: EYKON
News
EYKON is the new company name of Landis+Gyr EMEA, formerly part of the Landis+Gyr Group. The company supports electricity, gas, water and thermal utilities in managing increasingly complex networks, improving operational efficiency and enabling more sustainable use of resources.
Read more...
printer friendly version