Michelle McClelland, Sara Grobbelaar and Natasha Sacks
This paper aims to explore the growth of the South African additive manufacturing (AM) industry over the past 31 years through the lens of the innovation system (IS) perspective…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the growth of the South African additive manufacturing (AM) industry over the past 31 years through the lens of the innovation system (IS) perspective, examining the actor dynamics and mechanisms that facilitated or hindered the industry’s development.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used a case study research approach, analysing semi-structured interviews with eight South African AM experts and documentary evidence. The IS framework and the realist evaluation perspective were used, using a context-intervention-mechanism-outcome (CIMO)-based event history analysis (EHA) framework to explore the actor dynamics and mechanisms of the case study.
Findings
The study used a case study research approach, analysing semi-structured interviews with eight South African AM experts and documentary evidence. The IS framework and the realist evaluation perspective were used, using a CIMO-based EHA framework to explore the actor dynamics and mechanisms of the case study.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to the South African AM industry literature by providing an overview of the industry events over the past three decades and analysing the industry through the IS framework. The study is among the first to analyse the development of the South African AM industry, presenting innovation scholars and managers with valuable decision-making support by providing insights into the innovation activities performed during each stage of the industry’s development, who performed them, the sequence in which they were performed and the outcomes they delivered.
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This chapter discusses the main challenges in higher education comparative research, focusing on cross-national forms of comparison and presenting examples from European research…
Abstract
This chapter discusses the main challenges in higher education comparative research, focusing on cross-national forms of comparison and presenting examples from European research. The first part stresses the importance of constructing concepts which can travel across countries. This part identifies the different vertical levels of comparison involved in higher education cross-national research, discussing how the need for exploring general patterns in higher education (e.g. globalisation and Europeanisation) is confronted with the importance of taking into account the diversity within the particular cases (e.g. institutional and individual experiences). The second part focuses on the equivalence of meaning in large-N (in particular, the Eurostudent and REFLEX datasets) and small-N studies, identifying the respective limits of the two forms of comparison. The chapter contends that comparative research in higher education could benefit from more collaboration between small-N qualitative comparativists and experts of large-N studies used in European policy-making.
Micheal Omotayo Alabi, Deon De Beer and Harry Wichers
This paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the recent applications of additive manufacturing (AM) research and activities within selected universities in the Republic…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the recent applications of additive manufacturing (AM) research and activities within selected universities in the Republic of South Africa (SA).
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is a general review of AM education, research and development effort within selected South African universities. The paper begins by looking at several support programmes and investments in AM technologies by the South African Department of Science and Technology (DST). The paper presents South Africa’s AM journey to date and recent global development in AM education. Next, the paper reviews the recent research activities on AM at four selected South African universities, South Africa AM roadmap and South African AM strategy. The future prospects of AM education and research are then evaluated through a SWOT analysis. Finally, the paper looks at the sustainability of AM from an education perspective.
Findings
The main lessons that have been learnt from South African AM research activities within selected universities are as follows: AM research activities at South African universities serve as a platform to promote AM education, and several support programmes and investments from South Africa’s DST have greatly enhanced the growth of AM across different sectors, such as medical, manufacturing, industrial design, tooling, jewellery and education. The government support has also assisted in the actualisation of the “Aeroswift” project, the world’s largest and fastest state-of-the-art AM machine that can 3D print metal parts. The AM research activities within South Africa’s universities have shown that it is not too late for developing countries to start and embrace AM technologies both in academia and industry. Based on a SWOT analysis, the future prospects of AM technology in SA are bright.
Practical implications
Researchers/readers from different backgrounds such as academic, industrial and governmental will be able to learn important lessons from SA’s AM journey and the success of SA’s AM researchers/practitioners. This paper will allow the major investors in AM technologies and business to see great opportunities to invest in AM education and research at all educational levels (i.e. high schools, colleges and universities) in South Africa.
Originality/value
The authors believe that the progress of AM education and research activities within SA’s universities show good practice and achievement over the years in both the applications of AM and the South African AM strategy introduced to promote AM research and the educational aspect of the technologies.
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The purpose of this paper is to explore the meaning of child health as applied by school doctors in the Netherlands and the way it was adapted to the rapidly improving standard of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the meaning of child health as applied by school doctors in the Netherlands and the way it was adapted to the rapidly improving standard of living and the increasing importance of mental health after the Second World War. The extension of the concept beyond physical health into emotional and social well-being is particularly interesting as the school medical inspection was the only public child-hygienic service in a country where religious groups opposed the extension of public hygienic care into parenting and the family.
Design/methodology/approach
On the basis of secondary literature, the paper discusses the early development of Dutch school medical inspection from a comparative perspective. Changes in the national authority’s and the school doctors’ concepts of what a “healthy” child was between the 1930s and 1970 are examined using a variety of primary sources. These concern both the national discourse and sources that shed light on the daily practice of school medical inspection from the single province for which these are available.
Findings
Although they adopted a new and more inclusive concept of health in theory, school doctors in the Netherlands were reluctant to actually take up issues of mental health in their daily practice. This reluctance was inspired by the fear of losing their pivotal role in child hygiene and their status as public servants.
Originality/value
Studies in the history of school medical services have focussed mainly on their establishment and development as an institution. They seldom extend into the post-war era and do not discuss the extension of the inspection into mental health.
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R.I. Campbell, D.J. de Beer and E. Pei
In a previous Rapid Prototyping Journal paper, the authors reviewed the first decade of rapid prototyping (RP) use within the Republic of South Africa (RSA). The paper analysed…
Abstract
Purpose
In a previous Rapid Prototyping Journal paper, the authors reviewed the first decade of rapid prototyping (RP) use within the Republic of South Africa (RSA). The paper analysed its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, and proposed a “road map” for future development. Much has happened in the intervening years since that article was published and this paper seeks to update readers on the current situation in RSA. In particular, it reports the extensive development of research in the field of RP and additive manufacturing (AM).
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses a literature review approach combined with reflective analysis to distill the most important developments within the RP community in RSA since 2004. These are compared to the previous road map to ascertain if there are any required actions that have been overlooked or any additional lessons that have been learnt.
Findings
The paper shows that there has been good progress against the previous road map and that current plans should remain in place with the addition of a greater educational dimension.
Practical implications
This paper provides readers with an overview of important RP/AM developments in the RSA. The analysis from this paper will aid RSA academics, industrialists and government agencies to assess their performance and to plan for their future roles within the RP community.
Originality/value
As with the previous paper, this paper provides a useful model for other countries to follow since it demonstrates both good practice but also the need to learn from past experience.
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Nienke Nieveen and Wilmad Kuiper
This chapter addresses the balancing act between curriculum guidance and curriculum space, against the backdrop of an integral curriculum review at the national/macro level in the…
Abstract
This chapter addresses the balancing act between curriculum guidance and curriculum space, against the backdrop of an integral curriculum review at the national/macro level in the Netherlands, labelled ‘Curriculum.nu’. As part of this review initiative, many choices have to be made, reflecting answers to the following two questions: What balance is needed between curriculum regulation at the macro level and the provision of curricular space for schools at the meso and the micro level? And, what are the related responsibilities of all involved in the educational system web in order to make the curriculum change successful? Before getting to tentative answers, the chapter will provide an introduction to curriculum policy in the Netherlands and will offer an overview of the motives, aims, approaches and preliminary results of Curriculum.nu. The provisional answers include a set of research-informed principles for making the curriculum review efforts a success, including a call for dovetailing the various curriculum layers and for a strategic curriculum mix of room for school-specific decision-making, substantive guidance, support by exemplification and firm investments in professional development.
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Neal de Beer and André van der Merwe
The purpose of this paper is to develop a process chain for design and manufacture of endplates of intervertebral disc implants, with specific emphasis on designing footprint…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop a process chain for design and manufacture of endplates of intervertebral disc implants, with specific emphasis on designing footprint profiles and matching endplate geometry.
Design/methodology/approach
Existing techniques for acquiring patient‐specific information from CT scan data was and a user‐friendly software solution was developed to facilitate pre‐surgical planning and semi‐automated design. The steps in the process chain were validated experimentally by manufacturing Ti6Al4 V endplates by means of Direct Metal Laser Sintering to match vertebrae of a cadaver and were tested for accuracy of the implant‐to‐bone fitment.
Findings
Intervertebral disc endplates were successfully designed and rapid manufactured using a biocompatible material. Accuracy within 0.37 mm was achieved. User‐friendly, semi‐automated design software offers an opportunity for surgeons to become more easily involved in the design process and speeds up the process to more accurately develop a custom‐made implant.
Research limitations/implications
This research is limited to the design and manufacture of the bone‐implant contacting interface. Other design features, such as keels which are commonly used for implant fixation as well as the functionality of the implant joint mechanics were not considered as there may be several feasible design alternatives.
Practical implications
This research may change the way that current intervertebral disc implants are designed and manufactured.
Originality/value
Apart from other areas of application (cranial, maxillofacial, hip, knee, foot) and recent research on customized disc nucleus replacement, very little work has been done to develop patient‐specific implants for the spine. This research was conducted to contribute and provide much needed progress in this area of application.
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D. Dimitrov, W. van Wijck, K. Schreve and N. de Beer
The research was undertaken to characterise the three dimensional printing (3DP) process in term of the achievable dimensional and geometric accuracy.
Abstract
Purpose
The research was undertaken to characterise the three dimensional printing (3DP) process in term of the achievable dimensional and geometric accuracy.
Design/methodology/approach
New benchmark models were developed that represent characteristics needing to be investigated. The parts were fabricated in different materials. A program was written to measure the features on a numerically controlled coordinate measurement machine. Finally, a statistical analysis was done. The results are reported in terms of statistical parameters and international tolerance (IT) grades.
Findings
The paper provides general IT grades of the 3DP process for parts printed using different materials (powders).
Research limitations/implications
The research is limited to specific materials and equipment.
Practical implications
The data is very useful for designing products to be manufactured on 3DP machines applying either direct or indirect methods.
Originality/value
3DP is more and more used for rapid prototyping with great potential towards rapid manufacturing. Designers need to know the capability profile of the process they are going to use. There is a significant lack of published data on the 3DP process characteristics. This research was conducted to fill this gap and provide much needed accuracy information.
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D. Dimitrov, K. Schreve and N. de Beer
This paper surveys the current state and capabilities of three dimensional printing (3DP). A comprehensive review of 3D Printing applications is presented. The scope of the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper surveys the current state and capabilities of three dimensional printing (3DP). A comprehensive review of 3D Printing applications is presented. The scope of the applications includes design, manufacturing, the medical field and architecture.
Design/methodology/approach
A large variety of manufacturing applications such as rapid pattern making and rapid tooling using the 3DP process directly or as core technology, as well as further implications in design and engineering analysis, medicine, and architecture are presented and evaluated.
Findings
Some research issues are also discussed. An attempt, based on the state of the art, to show weaknesses and opportunities, and to draw conclusions about the future of this important process rounds up this paper.
Research limitations/implications
The scope of this research survey is limited to evaluation and comparison of processes that may be characterised as 3D printing technologies.
Practical implications
The study is very useful as a basis for matching evaluated 3D printing machine and process capabilities to user requirements, and forms a framework on which future comparative studies can build.
Originality/value
A comprehensive overview of the capabilities of 3DP processes is presented and evaluated. It shows the application of 3D printing beyond concept modelling. The paper is valuable for researchers as well as individuals, who require adequate and relevant comparative information during decision making.