Research Overview

Centre for Asset Integrity Management (C-AIM)

Research in the Centre for Asset Integrity Management encompasses a broad range of disciplines which cover many aspects of the asset life cycle of complex mechanical systems, including:

 

• Design
• Data acquisitioning
• Condition monitoring
• Diagnostics
• Prognostics and
• Life cycle decision support
   

While the centre primarily focussed on vibration, structural dynamics, integrity and fatigue assessment and modeling of mechanical systems in the past, and this still remains the core of the technical expertise, very significant and rapidly growing industrial support has allowed the centre to expand its activities. Current research encompasses a broader multidisciplinary focus on the entire life-cycle and now includes aspects like equipment reliability, optimising of maintenance decisions, maintenance management, non-destructive testing, condition based maintenance, as well as statistical and financial modeling and analysis for optimisation of the return on assets.
 

C-AIM hosts the Eskom EPPEI chair in Plant Asset Management with Prof Johann Wannenburg as the incumbent. This chair coordinates a large programme of research and teaching that is focussed specifically on the power engineering industry. C-AIM also have good relationships with various OEMs in the power engineering industry.

Further Prof Nico Theron coordinates the activities of the Rand Water chair in Mechanical Engineering.

Prof Stephan Heyns coordinates the activities of the Weir Minerals and Exxaro research programmes in C-AIM.

• Facilities and Projects
• Research Opportunities