To enhance Ghana’s metal industry manufacturability and production towards factory co-creation, job creation, and sustainability, GYASON Technoengineering Limited, an indigenous Ghanaian company has secured an investment package of $ 3 million from SVL Group Finland for a joint business in Ghana.
The investment package includes the installation of Hi-Tech digitised-automated laser and plasma cutting machines and equipment, training of operators and collaborating workers, the establishment of a product development unit, and a skills training unit.
The drive for such investment stems from the lack of expertise and capacity in Ghana’s metal industry to manufacture metals into highly competitive and innovative products that meet international standards.
Also, the lack of capacity to manufacture metal products that attract higher domestic incomes and global dividends for Ghana. The bases of the above statements are because of current observations in the metal industry of Ghana.
Firstly, observations have shown that the process of cutting metals such as mild steel, stainless steel, acid resistance steel and aluminum are made manually either with flame-cutting equipment or other traditional methods.
These types of metal cutting techniques produce inaccurate cuts leaving undesirable “cut kerf”. Thus, the quality of processed metals and their related productivity issues are mostly affected. Obviously, this scenario shows that the metal industry in Ghana has primary challenges relating to the expertise in metal cutting and ablation, product conceptualisation, product development, and product manufacturing. Hence, processing metals through cutting, bending, and polishing them into finished products is also a big challenge as such expertise and technological know-how are lacking in Ghana.
Due to these challenges, Ghana is behind in the development and manufacturing of metal infrastructure to transform key industrial sectors such as the agricultural sector, oil and gas sector, mining sector, shipbuilding, automobile sector, energy-saving buildings infrastructure sector, renewable energy sector, etc. It can be said that the traditional manufacturing tools utilised across metal industries in Ghana are of the past, and advanced technological equipment must be adopted to ensure quality, productivity, and competitiveness in manufacturing new metal products and structures while improving on existing products.
Considering its industrial exposure, global impact, rich history in business and “win-win” policies for internationalisation and localisation, SVL Group is a perfect partner to assist in solving metal products manufacturability and production challenges in Ghana. SVL Group Finland is a leading international company and has top-notch expertise in metal ablation and 3D metal cutting.
The company is well-vested in the laser processing of metals, especially using high-definition laser machines to cut metal blanks accurately into structural designs and desirable shapes. The company is at the forefront of the global metal manufacturing and production chain.
The Installation of Hi-Tech digitised and automated laser cutting machines would usher SVL Group’s presence in Ghana – West Africa. The laser cutting unit will serve as a hub in Ghana and across West Africa for diverse industrial needs in metal cutting and ablation. The activities of the venture will help reduce the importation of major basic and some essential metal products to Ghana. Also, the venture envisages employing and training more than1,000+ personnel on the job to become abreast with machine and equipment operation, and all other expertise needed in the supply chain of manufacturing and production of metal products.
Other personnel within the group shall receive further training in metal product development with a keen focus on agriculture machinery and equipment manufacturing, oil and gas metallic structural manufacturing, mining and heavy-duty excavation products manufacturing, and shipbuilding to prepare them for future jobs. Also, collaborating workers shall be trained to facilitate materials handling in the manufacturing chain.
In addition, the skills training unit shall spearhead factory co-creation towards job creation. The factory co-creation approach will complement the Ghana government’s 1 District 1 factory (1D1F) initiative.
The approach shall bring SMEs together to work under one-roof while each firm concentrates on their manufacturing expertise (e.g.,welding, assembling, bending, rolling, painting, etc.) for collaborative and common production output. This manufacturing and production chain model will boost the firms’ common product manufacturing quality, productivity, and competitiveness. The factory co-creation model shall be replicated in other regions to expand the net of job creation in diverse manufacturing areas.
Our proactiveness is in line with a) the Ghana government’s initiative to have investments in Industrial Parks and Special Economic Zones (IP&SEZ); b) the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) to promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation, sustainable consumption and production patterns, employment and decent work; c)the African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa’s Development(AUDA-NEPAD) industrialization agenda and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agenda.
We are open to collaborate with the Ghana government, including the integrated aluminum industries, iron and steel industries, companies in the metal industry of Ghana, and other stakeholders. GYASON Technoengineering Limited and SVL Group Finland seek a broader buy-in from all stakeholders to accelerate the commencement of the venture.
Finally, realising the manufacturing of agro machinery for processing agro yields, manufacturing of machines and machinery components, and producing 3D metal parts for automobile manufacturing shall be a success story as we want to support the manufacturing of metal products locally.
A Hi-Tech CNC Plasma Cutting Equipment for cutting metals (up to 80 mm thickness)
The writer is a Mechanical Engineer; IWE candidate @ TWI, UK; Facilitator of TVET; Researcher and Lecturer; and Social Entrepreneur.
Contact: gyason.ghana@gmail.com; WhatsApp: +233207341037; +358442775103
By Dr Emmanuel Afrane Gyasi
