By Chisomo Phiri
After successfully facilitating automotion training in Blantyre in December 2023,Chimwemwe Phiri, a Managing Director at Tichi Automation says he will now facilitate the similar training in Lilongwe from 8 to 10 January, 2024.
In an interview with 247 Malawi News, Phiri said the training in Lilongwe will take place at Shareworld University.
He said the training helps students for the industrial world.
Phiri indicated that at a time robotics and automation are becoming the in-thing,the training also helps the students get jobs as they gain hands-on experience, knowledge and skills.
“This training will be hands-on. It will involve wiring up and programming. The key focus is on programmable logic controllers. But we will have an introduction on the human machine interface [Connecting people and machines in line with current trends]. We will also look up variable speed drives, pneumatics and industrial sensors,” said Phiri.
According to him, programmable logic controllers are the main head of the industrial revolution youngsters have an affinity to, with industrialization as one of the key pillars in the attainment of the Malawi 2063.
He said the time is opportune for interested people to programme and operate an industrial-related computer system that continuously monitor input devices which make decisions based on customised programmes.
Phiri said upon the completion of the training, the students will be able to identify Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC) inputs and outputs, Troubleshoot programs and perform visual inspections, create sequences and programmes, perform online uploads and downloads, and develop industrial projects.
He said the attendance fee for the training per participant is still K60, 000 as it was in the commercial city.
Chimwemwe Phiri did his technical studies in Malawi and worked with Malawian companies before going to South Africa to work with a Denish tech company where he has been working as an automation technician.
While working with the company, he has also been undergoing different courses to do with technical and engineering studies.
In March last year, Phiri created a pick and place robot as a contribution towards Industrial automation.
The robot can be used in automated warehouses and factories for carrying things from one point to another.