Company Announcement - Stratosat Datacom (Pty) Ltd celebrated the inauguration of its Sub-reflector Manufacturing Facility on the 23 April 2015 in Elandsfontein together with SKA, the Department of Science and Technology, General Dynamics SATCOM Technologies, Airborne International and various South African suppliers. Stratosat Datacom (Pty) Ltd as part of the Schauenburg International Group won the tender issued by SKA (SA) in 2012 to design, build and install 64, 13.5 meter Offset Gregorian deep-space telescopes for the MeerKAT project. Stratosat Datacom teamed up with General Dynamics SATCOM Technologies, global leader in the design and building of advanced radio telescope antennas, to install the MeerKAT radio telescope antennas. For this purpose Stratosat Datacom opened up a Panel Manufacturing Facility in Kempton Park in November 2014. The first 4 antennas were completed at the SKA site near Carnarvon in the Northern Cape at the end of March 2015 which was a major milestone.
For the purpose of manufacturing the sub-reflectors based on composites, Stratosat has additionally partnered with Airborne International, a Dutch company, which is the market leader in highly specialized composite structures.
On the 6 February 2015 the first shipment of material, from General Dynamics SATCOM Technologies in the United States, arrived on site in Elandsfontein, where Stratosat Datacom together with the team from Airborne International started the production of the composite Sub-reflectors at the TSR-building in Elandsfontein. “Based on one of its fundamental business-principles of Growing in Partnerships, the Schauenburg Group is committed to foster its foothold in South Africa through technology transfer and creating local job opportunities. I am really proud of what we have accomplished so far in cooperation with domestic and foreign suppliers”, says Florian Schauenburg, CEO of Schauenburg International Group.
The project, which forms part of the greater SKA project, required that at least 75% of the components be manufactured locally and as a result these two manufacturing sites were established by Stratosat over the last 12 months.
Part of the agreement in building these antennas in South Africa is to transfer skills and knowledge to South Africans. “In order to further promote education and training in the country we have recently established an Education Trust to provide bursaries to young black students and we have joined the German Chamber’s C.A.T.S program, which is based on integrated learning covering theoretical studies with practical experience in the work place”, states Dieter Kovar, Managing Director at Stratosat Datacom.
It is Stratosat Datacom’s vision that this facility will serve as a technology hub for the telecommunications industry to promote the further development of radio astronomy research by bringing new technology and skills into the country. The long-term intention is to manufacture panels based on different technologies such as aluminium and composites according to customer needs.