The goal of the DEHN AFRICA Technical Team is to offer a range of technical support in lightning and surge protection products, as well as to undertake site assessments and produce designs of lightning protection systems. In achieving this goal, the Technical Team, which has been rounded out with recent appointments of additional resources, has gathered together a select group of impassioned engineers who offer a valuable combined skills-set.

DEHN AFRICA is the local subsidiary of DEHN, a globally active electrotechnical company offering comprehensive services, products and solutions in the field of surge protection, lightning protection and safety equipment.

Tatenda Gora, sales engineer, says, “DEHN Africa offers products within a very niche engineering sector, and so the technical support and engineering services that we offer, including consulting, is critical. The DEHN Technical Team is responsible for providing engineering and technical support in lightning protection, surge protection, earthing and safety equipment. This includes designs, customer support and product specification. Through this suite of service offerings, we add value to the day-to-day activities of the company.

“The team has been in existence since 2014, when we realised that there was a need for technical support in the lightning and surge protection products that DEHN offers. After this, the need for site assessments and designs of lightning protection systems arose, and the team began to grow from there.”

The team is headed up by technical director Hano Oelofse, assisted by Ivan Grobbelaar, senior engineer. Oelofse’s responsibilities include the management of the team, risk assessments, training, consulting and mentoring, just to mention a few.

The rest of the team, and their roles, are outlined below:

• Ivan Grobbelaar, Senior Electrical Engineer: Responsible for lightning protection designs (including detailed drawings), risk assessments, site assessments, training, earthing designs, technical design review and technical support.

• Tatenda Gora, Electrical Engineer: Involved in lightning protection designs, site assessments, safety equipment, training, technical support, technical design review and business development.

• Julienne Puttkammer, Senior Draughtsman and Lightning Protection Specialist: Responsible for lightning protection designs (including detailed drawings), risk assessments, site assessments, training, technical design review and technical support.

• Stefan Nortje, Electrical Engineer: Responsible for lightning protection designs (including detailed drawings), risk assessments, site assessments, training, earthing designs and technical support.

• Jacques Keyser, Electrical Engineer: Responsible for lightning protection designs (including detailed drawings), risk assessments, site assessments and technical support.

“The DEHN AFRICA Technical Team brings together a group of young, enthusiastic and intelligent engineers who are competitive in the lightning protection and engineering field. Our combined technical expertise includes both industrial and academic backgrounds. Our designs are professional in both engineering and presentation, offering detail that can be understood by the layman in the field of lightning protection,” concludes Gora.