Prof. Khumbulani Mpofu

 

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS

  1. Tshwane University of Technology

    (South Africa) (2011)

Doctor of Philosophy Degree (PhD)

in Technology Mechanical Engineering: Doctoral Thesis “Knowledge Based Design of Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems”

  1. University of Zimbabwe (2006)

Masters Manufacturing Systems & Operations Management

  1. University of Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe) (2006)
  1. National University of Science and Technology (Zimbabwe) (2004)

Bachelor in Engineering Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering

Writings

Publications

Professor Khumbulani Mpofu, affiliated with the Tshwane University of Technology, has an extensive body of work in advanced manufacturing and robotics, with over 280 publications and more than 2,400 citations.

Some of his notable publications include:

  • “Documentation of wells around Lenyenye Greater Tzaneen as a potential water resource to combat water scarcity for sustainable use” (August 2024)
  • “Assessment of proper industrial waste disposal at landfill sites and monitoring of selected dumping sites in the provinces of South Africa” (August 2024)
  • “A framework for planning a reconfigurable assembly system for press brake production” (2022)
  • “Development and performance evaluation of a web-based feature extraction and recognition system for sheet metal bending process planning operations” (2021)
  • “Design and simulation of a Dual-arm robot for manufacturing operations in the railcar industry” (2021)
  • “Design sustainability of reconfigurable machines” (2020)
  • “A distributive approach for position control of clamps in a reconfigurable assembly fixture” (2020)
  • “Optimal trajectory scheme for robotic welding along complex joints using a hybrid multi-objective genetic algorithm” (2019)
  • “Towards achieving a fully intelligent robotic arc welding: a review” (2015)

For a comprehensive list of his publications, you can visit his ResearchGate profile.

    Experience

    Vice Chair

    UIC – International union of railways #UICrail

     – Present 11 months

    Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa

    International Railway Research Board
    Continental leadership

      Professor

      Tshwane University of Technology

      17 years 1 month

        • Professor

           – Present 8 years 9 months

          Pretoria Area, South Africa

          • Extensive use of technological and other educational media applications
          • Provide expert guidance in curriculum development/design in collaboration with industry stakeholders
          • Mentoring lecturers and associate professors
          • Contributing to academic supervision to students, to develop their critical and creative thinking and to inspire them to cultivate an academic spirit and to undertake postgraduate studies
          • Ensuring subject-scientific research over the entire spectrum of requirement set for recognized researchers
          • Acting as successful supervisor for masters and/or doctorate students as well as external examiner or supervisor of students of other universities
          • Publishing of articles in accredited journals
          • Presenting at local and international conferences which result in publications of articles in preferably accredited journals
          • Applying for national and international external funding for research and innovation
          • Initiating and leading in community-based projects which add value to the mission and vision of TUT
          • Participating and administering leadership in departmental, faculty and institutional committees and activities
          • Engaging the working methods and programmes of other local or international universities and research institutions
          • Visiting overseas universities, study projects that are undertaken under the guidance of or in conjunction with specialists, participation in seminars of study groups and invitations to act as guest lecturer

        Research Chair in Future Transport Manufacturing Technologies

        DSI-NRF SARChI Research Chair in Future Transport Manufacturing Technologies

           4 years 8 months

        Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa

        Transportation of people is important for enabling the economy to function ensuring citizens contribute to the growth of the GDP. Manufacturing of transport equipment plays an important role to provisioning of safe, reliable and affordable transport. Future transport manufacturing technologies are a key infrastructure to ensure cost effective manufacturing of rail-cars, buses, aircraft and ships. The research focuses on developing manufacturing technologies for SMMEs that will ensure future technological capability with the associated commercialisation infrastructure through an incubator.

        RESEARCH CHAIR IN MANUFACTURING AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

        GIBELA RESEARCH CHAIR IN MANUFACTURING AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

           7 years 7 months

        Pretoria Area, South Africa

        ✰ Sustain the chair beyond the current contract through securing financial resources to grow the chairs impact.
        ✰ Involvement in research and innovation activities (publications and presentations), supervision of postdoctoral fellows, postgraduate students and securing external research funding.
        ✰ Preparation of biennial conferences to showcase the development and impact of the chair.
        ✰ Involvement in the development of research capacity within the Industrial Engineering department and other departments in the faculty and the broader university.
        ✰ Participation in community service projects relevant to current research projects
        ✰ Industry liaison and harnessing critical local, regional and international partnerships.

        Reseacher

        • Reseacher

             12 years 11 months

          Reconfigurable Machine Tool Research

        • HOD Industrial Engineering

             3 years

          Pretoria Area, South Africa

          • Provide academic leadership in the department, including among others, curriculation of the qualifications according to HEQSF.
          • Provide leadership in research and community engagement initiatives.
          • Strategic planning and leadership of the department.
          • Manage academic programmes in the department.
          • Leading the department towards achieving Departmental, Faculty and TUT goals.
          • Support staff in research, innovation and community engagement.
          • Manage the performance of the staff members of the department.
          • Manage all co-operative education and advisory committee activities.
          • Manage student enrollment plans.
          • Manage the budget of the department.
          • Teach at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

        Industrial Engineering Postgraduate Coordinator

          • Industrial Engineering Postgraduate Coordinator

               7 years

            Pretoria Area, South Africa

            1. Coordinating of the Post Graduate (PG) Activities in the department.
            2. Assessment and acceptance of PG
            3. Department Research and Innovation Committee Chairman
            4. Appointment of appropriately qualified experts to offer courses
            5. International partnership engagement
            6. Advanced Manufacturing and Robotics Group Leader

          • Lecturer

               7 years 6 months

            Lecture in Manufacturing, Automation, Production Technology, Control of machines & System Dynamics
            Researcher in Reconfigurable manufacturing and Knowledge Based Systems

            Visiting Researcher

            University of Ljubljana Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

               4 months

            Ljubljana, Slovenia

            Research Mentor-ship in adaptable, reconfigurable, changeable manufacturing system design.
            Strengthening international collaboration and paving possibilities for future combined problem solving in advanced manufacturing and robotics.
            Article writing in Assembly system design, manufacturing system simulation, knowledge based system design
            Research funding application to the National Research Foundation, Horizon 2020 and other research funding agencies.
            Postgraduate (post-doctoral, doctoral and masters) supervision in thesis and dissertation writing, article preparation, research directing and recruitment.
            Past research report preparation, critical research analysis of past research and analysis of past institutional, consortium and national research in manufacturing.
            Planning, forecasting and budgeting new five year research plan.

        Lecturer

        1. Part Time Lecturer

          ROSTEC

             9 months

          Lecturing Engineering related subjects

        2. Lecturer

          Kwekwe poly

             2 years 3 months

          Lecturer- Computer Aided Design & Computer Aided Manufacturing, Computer Aided Engineering, Computer Operations & Application Packages, Engineering Drawing

        3. Trainee Mines Engineer

          Bilboes Holdings Company

             8 months

          Bubi, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

          Here I was involved in the design of pumps for leakage elimination a research project I successfully completed. I worked as a Deputy Mines Engineer and accomplished the following during my stay;

          Acting mines engineer
          Design and implementation of Computerized planned maintenance system.
          Research of best approach to pump leakage management.
          Supervision of Transportation, Mechanical, Electrical, and Civil sections.

        4. Trainee Plant Engineer

          Zimchem Refinery

             8 months

          Redcliff, Zimbabwe

          I worked as an Assistant Plant Engineer and accomplished the following

          Assisted maintenance planner in organising, implementing computerised maintenance.
          Implementation of Computerized maintenance for electrical, mechanic and electronic sections.
          Boiler monitoring and maintenance supervision.
          Departmental monthly meetings and reporting.

        5. Trainee Production Planner

          ZISCO Steel,

             4 months

          Redcliff, Zimbabwe

          Health and safety in Iron and Steel industry
          Steel making production monitoring, from raw materials to finished product.
          Negotiating customer orders and plant production capacity.
          Attending production meetings.
          Industrial engineering mentoring.
          Solving bottleneck problems in production process.

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