Altech UEC has further expanded its capabilities, with a R50 million investment in equipment to meet the continuing demand for terrestrial set-top boxes, satellite decoders and smart TVs.
The company claims to be the largest developer and manufacturer of set-top boxes in Africa.
The investment follows the opening two years ago of Altech UEC's set-top box manufacturing facility, which was prompted by SA's imminent move to digital television. The plant, in Durban's Mount Edgecombe, is a 13 500m2 facility that incorporates all Altech UEC's facilities under one roof, from plastic moulding, to painting, printing, surface-mounting of components and packaging.
Altech has recently been bought out by parent company Altron, in a R1.8 billion move that will see the minorities bought out and the development of a new division called Altron TMT (Telecommunications, Multimedia and IT), to be headed by Craig Venter, currently CEO of Altech.
Altech UEC's facility can produce three million decoders a year, a figure that can be doubled through the installation of new lines, which will take about three to four weeks, Venter said, speaking at the opening ceremony.
Right on time
Part of the new expansion includes installing Panasonic Surface Mount Technology, an electronics assembly manufacturing solution that Altech says ensures high-quality and on-time delivery. Altech UEC's first box rolled off its production line in 1997.
"The Panasonic Next Production Modular pick-and-place installation is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. Its advanced process intelligence systems allows for zero board transfer time, smart feeder monitoring and a 400 000 component placement per hour capability," the company says in a statement.
In addition to the electronics assembly equipment, Altech UEC has installed a state-of-the-art plastic injection moulding machine with robotic-controlled extraction for the plastic casings of the set-top boxes.
The machine is an environmentally sustainable investment due to its low power consumption compared to its hydraulic counterparts. Because of its servo-controlled systems, it allows for hyper-accurate repeatability and reliability, says Altech.
Rajesh Ramkawal, manufacturing executive at Altech UEC, says the upgrade investment has created an additional 120 specialised and sustainable jobs at the manufacturing facility in Durban. "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.
"This investment provides us with the capability to manufacture six million set-top boxes per annum and ensures Altech UEC is well placed to meet current and future demand for set-top boxes and smart TVs," he notes.
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