Control systems + automation : Products + services
Championing sustainable, scalable industrialisation across Africa
Ensuring product quality in motion plastics Motion plastics manufacturer igus has expanded its testing facilities to a total test laboratory footprint of more than 5 500 m² of dedicated research space in order to accommodate its increasing product portfolio and enable continuous improvement of its product quality. The newly enlarged test laboratory combines several testing areas for energy chains, highly flexible chainflex cables, iglidur plain bearings, drylin linear technology, low-cost automation components and igus:bike applications. New developments are expected to enable deeper and broader evaluation of product performance before any products are released to customers. Ian Hewat of igus South Africa says, “igus has expanded its test laboratory to support faster innovation cycles and more comprehensive real-world testing scenarios. This means customers will benefit with greater confidence that the components they use will perform reliably in their specific applications under the most demanding conditions. “A feature of the expanded facility is the new 1 500 m² test area, adding to existing dedicated outdoor and indoor test Johan Nieuwenhuizen, Sales Director and Co-CEO says, “As Africa moves towards the next phase of industrialisation, reliable, affordable and locally supported technology is essential. The Adroit Supervisory and Human Machine Interface software was built in Africa for African conditions, and our mission is to ensure every customer can modernise at a sustainable pace without sacrificing existing investments.” South African industrial automation software leader Adroit Technologies reaffirms its commitment to accelerating Africa’s industrial growth by providing resilient, affordable, and future- ready digital solutions for utilities, manufacturing, and process industries. With more than three decades of experience and over 30 000 licences deployed across six continents, the company continues to build technologies shaped by the realities of African operations. Adroit Technologies maintains prices in line with African markets and all licences, services, and support are based on South African currency. This way African customers avoid exposure to volatile foreign exchange rates. It makes advanced SCADA, IIoT, MES, mobility, and digital transformation solutions accessible to organisations that need predictability and cost-efficiency. The company’s technology integrates seamlessly with new and legacy infrastructure, enabling gradual modernisation without disruptive system replacement. Thus, Adroit Technologies plays a role in sustainable and inclusive industrial development. Its software supports critical sectors including mining, manufacturing, water management, food processing, energy, and public utilities. In addition to technology, the company provides comprehensive skills development through structured training, top-tier telephonic support, certified system integrators across the continent, and a dedicated Digital Services Division specialising in cloud, IIoT and AI. It serves customers not only as a software supplier but as a long-term partner.
The company’s flexible approach reduces the barriers to digital adoption: it offers licensing based on real data points, unlimited internal I/O, and concurrent client licensing. Owning its intellectual property and maintaining rand-based pricing, Adroit Technologies claims that it delivers one of the lowest total costs of ownership (TCOs) on the continent. The company’s platforms directly support ongoing industrialisation across the African continent by assisting economic transformation through sustainability, regional integration, and innovation. Its solutions help reduce energy
Johan Nieuwenhuizen, Sales Director and Co-CEO, Adroit Technologies.
consumption, enable multi-site visibility across borders, and introduce Industry 4.0 capabilities without requiring infrastructure replacement. Adroit Technologies also bridges the OT/IT divide with native OPC UA and MQTT integration (Open-Platform Communications Unified Architecture and Message Queuing Telemetry Transport, the standard messaging protocol for machine-to-machine communication in IoT applications), secure mobility, cloud-ready edge technologies, and enterprise-friendly APIs (Application Programming interfaces). With strong engineering support and specialised training, African organisations can confidently maintain integrated digital ecosystems for long-term efficiency. “By extending rather than replacing existing systems, we enable industries in Africa to modernise without operational disruption. This strategy, combined with robust local support and accessible pricing, continues to position Adroit Technologies as a trusted partner in the continent’s industrial transformation,” says Nieuwenhuizen.
For more information visit: https://adroitscada.com/
spaces. The testing environments simulate real operating conditions, including outdoor weather exposure, extreme temperatures down to -40°C, cleanroom- comparable environments and customer- specific application trials,” Hewat says. He adds that the test laboratory runs more than 15 000 individual tests across over 742 test stations every year. These include endurance runs, multi-axis stress tests and application-specific cycles such as long travel simulations for energy
At the igus test facility all tests are conducted according to international standards.
chains and dynamic loads for bearings. The extensive data generated in the expanded facility feeds into igus’s online tools, including the service life calculator, product finders, CAD configurators and predictive maintenance tools. As a result, the tools help engineers and procurement professionals more accurately define the right components for their projects.
For more information visit: www.igus.co.za
APRIL 2026 Electricity + Control
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