Photos courtesy of "Supreme Heat Treatment"

Started as the Heat Treatment Specialist Division in 1977, this is the longest running specialist division of the SAIF. In 1978, a course on "Understanding Heat Treatment" was proposed by then chairman, David Pye. This was accepted, after careful consideration, by the SAIF committee. This course is now one of the annual courses run by the SAIF.

Another notable success of the IHTSE was to gain the recognition of Heat Treating as an apprenticed trade in South Africa. This was achieved with the considerable assistance of Atlas Aviation (now Denel Aviation).

The Divisions aims and objectives are to provide a place for heat treaters, and those interested in Heat Treatment, to meet, share common problems, learn and grow together and to have a voice and forum to report technology advances in the Foundry & Heat Treatment SA Journal (formally FWP Journal).

South Africa has a very active and diverse die casting community, ranging from wheel manufacturers using the low pressure process to high pressure and gravity die casting operations supplying the automotive, industrial and domestic industries.

The most technically advanced of these industries are the alloy wheel producers. However, technological input was stifled during the years of sanctions (against South Africa) and the industry is now struggling to establish itself in the new world market in which it has found itself since the early 1990's.

As such, the Die Casting Technical Committee, or Special Interest Group, was recently established to help disseminate technical information to foundries using the permanent mould processes. These processes include gravity, high pressure and low pressure die casting. Materials used in these processes tend to be Zinc, Aluminium and Copper alloys. It is anticipated that all foundries that use these processes will be represented or have access to information generated by this committee.

The responsibilities of the committee will be to help provide current technical information, regarding the permanent mould processes and materials, to those die casters that are members of the SAIF. This will be done through the use of:

• Monthly Meetings to give direction in the persuit of the policy of the sub committee;
  
• Technical Meetings, normally held after the council meeting, where speakers present a technical paper to member sof the SAIF and their guests;
  
• Training courses, on aspects of die casting, to be held during the year. Members will receive beneficial rates, but all involved in the industry will be welcome;
  
• Technical inserts in the SAIF Journal ("Foundry and Heat Treatment SA") which is sent to members bi-monthly.