While five-axis machine tools do exist, they’re typically incredibly expensive, unaffordable to most African artisans. Du Plessis’ unique system employs simple design innovations – such as using granite as the base on which all work is referenced – to cut down on costs without compromising on agility and precision.
Developed over many years, du Plessis’ work started as part of a post-graduate degree more than a decade ago. After working in various industries the world over, du Plessis returned to South Africa to work as a lecturer, and revived his designs to turn an academic exercise into a physical device that could benefit the manufacturing industry at large in South Africa.
