Amtec Techniquip adjusts to new realities
To keep up with the changing face of the education sector, particularly ways of teaching/learning, Amtec Techniquip has developed new exciting products to assist with distance learning at a time when learners cannot physically access their engineering learning institutions.
That the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the traditional education system, especially ways of teaching/learning, is no overstatement. As a manufacturer and importer of educational engineering equipment, accessories, instruments and tooling, Amtec Techniquip has been working tirelessly to help its customers adapt to the new realities of doing business.
“The system and ways of teaching have been influenced drastically by the pandemic,” says Roger Forte, sales at Amtec Techniquip. “Engineering by its very nature requires a hands-on approach, and it has been interesting to see how various learning institutions have managed to cope with changes ushered in by the pandemic.”
This too, he says, has affected Amtec Techniquip’s own business, as the social distancing rules have made the traditional face-to-face marketing campaigns impossible. However, in line with the digital wave that is sweeping across the world, the company has adopted a new digital approach to boost its online presence throughout the territories/countries it services.
Amtec Techniquip has also used the ‘downtime’ to develop new exciting products it is looking to bring to the market in the next few months. “We have been affected by the pandemic, however, we have used the ‘free time’ to develop a number of new exciting products and solutions we are looking to launch in the next few months,” he says.
Forte adds that the company felt that the time should be used wisely to work on a number of internal processes to optimise customer experience through faster turnaround times on all enquiries. “We have used the time to implement systems that will allow us to offer faster turnaround times on our manufacturing processes, as well as our internal processes to ensure that we are able to track all aftersales enquiries and assist our clients in the most efficient manner.”
Forte believes that every piece of equipment that the company has out in the field needs to be operational at all times to ensure lab technicians or lecturers are able to demonstrate processes at any time and ensure that future engineers get the training they deserve.
While it has been difficult to provide solutions that speak to all the various disciplines, fields and levels of engineering, Amtec Techniquip has launched a range of new technologies that aid with distance learning during these unprecedented times. These include the Virtual Factory Automation Software; Electrical Machines Software; Process Control Virtual Software; Advanced Structural Engineering Packages; Free Fluid Mechanics Simulation Software; and Free Electrical Circuit Drawing Software.
“All these packages have been developed specifically for the educational engineering sector, and allow us to offer simple yet effective ways of sidestepping the challenges of not having physical access to the laboratory,” says Forte.
The solutions have already generated a lot of interest in the market. Amtec Techniquip has already sold a number of packages to its clients, which have definitely eased the pressures that the educational system has been under since March 2020. The positive feedback, says Forte, “has been fantastic and we are pleased to be able to offer workable solutions for our customers”.
Commenting on whether these software solutions are the future of teaching/learning in the engineering sector, Forte is of the view that while “they are in some way fantastic”, the physical time in the laboratory and the exposure learners are subjected to in this environment cannot be recreated in a software package. Being an engineer himself, Forte therefore believes that the value of “getting your hands dirty” in the laboratory/workshop environment is a requirement in shaping engineers of the future.
Web: www.amquip.co.za
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