Altech UEC boosts capacity with R50 million upgrade
18 September 2013
News
A R50 million upgrade has been carried out by Altech UEC to increase its capacity to manufacture terrestrial set-top boxes, satellite decoders and smart TVs.
The investment has created an additional 120 specialised and sustainable jobs at the company’s manufacturing facility in Durban, according to manufacturing executive Rajesh Ramkawal.
“This investment is one example of our commitment to creating employment as part of the digital migration process and government’s overall job creation targets,” he said. “We remain committed to the development and training of our employees, having sent a team of support staff to foreign OEM facilities in order to train on the new equipment. This has brought much needed technical acumen and expertise back into the local marketplace.
Ramkawal said that the new equipment will stand Altech UEC in good stead to meet current and future demand for set-top boxes and smart TVs, and provide it with the capability to manufacture six million set-top boxes a year.
Part of the expansion includes the installation of a Panasonic Next Production Modular (NPM) pick-and-place SMT solution which is claimed to be the largest in the southern hemisphere. Its advanced process intelligence system allows for zero board transfer time, smart feeder monitoring and placement capability of 400 000 components per hour.
In addition to the electronics assembly equipment, the company has installed a state-of-the-art plastic injection moulding machine with robotic-controlled extraction for the plastic casings of the set-top boxes.
Further reading:
From the Editor's desk: Growth through inclusivity
Technews Publishing
News
As the engineering fields in South Africa continue to make progress toward gender equality, we are finally starting to see the presence and contribution of women in engineering and industrial roles.
Read more...
KITE 2025 proves its value
News
The KwaZulu-Natal Industrial Technology Exhibition (KITE) 2025 confirmed its place as KwaZulu-Natal’s must-attend industrial event, drawing thousands of industry professionals.
Read more...
Otto Wireless Solutions announces promotion of Miyelani Kubayi to technical director
Otto Wireless Solutions
News
Otto Wireless Solutions is proud to announce the promotion of Miyelani Kubayi to the position of technical director, effective 1 August 2025.
Read more...
DMASS experiences continued slowdown
News
The European electronic components distribution market continued its downward trajectory in the second quarter of 2025, according to new figures released by DMASS.
Read more...
World-first zero second grid-to-backup power switch
News
JSE-listed cable manufacturer, South Ocean Electric Wire, has completed a solar installation it says marks a global first: a seamless switch from grid to backup power in zero seconds.
Read more...
News
OMC deploys cobots to improve throughput 10x, while maintaining quality and ensuring consistency of fibre optic production.
Read more...
Cobots for opto production line
News
OMC deploys cobots to improve throughput 10x, while maintaining quality and ensuring consistency of fibre optic production.
Read more...
SACEEC celebrates standout industrial innovation on the KITE 2025 show floor
News
Exhibitor innovation took the spotlight at the KITE 2025 as the South African Capital Equipment Export Council announced the winners of its prestigious New Product & Innovation Awards.
Read more...
SA team for International Olympiad in Informatics
News
The Institute of Information Technology Professionals South Africa has named the team that will represent South Africa at this year’s International Olympiad in Informatics.
Read more...
Anritsu and Bluetest to support OTA measurement
News
Anritsu Company and Sweden-based Bluetest AB have jointly developed an Over-The-Air measurement solution to evaluate the performance of 5G IoT devices compliant with the RedCap specification.
Read more...
printer friendly version