Stephan Botha Email & Phone Number

Johannesburg, Gp, Za

Middelburg Area, South Africa

Lead, support and develop a team of software/system engineers to design, implement and maintain enterprise wide MES systemsFacilitate the definition of business requirements to be able to design and deliver technical IT solutions that add value to the companyMy department is accountable for the collection, ingestion, interpretation and presentation of manufacturing data across the complete plantWe are responsible for the company’s data historization platform (AspenTech InfoPlus21), driving innovation, traceability and aiding in troubleshooting of complex manufacturing processes and equipmentIndustrialisation of AI solutions enabling the deployment thereof into our IT/OT ecosystemMaintain and manage communications interfaces between business and plant systemsMajor Achievements:The engineering feat I am most proud of in my career thus far, is spearheading an effort to recover from a failed communication interface between low level control equipment and the higher level process control and automation systems of a critical production unit. By carefully dissecting the legacy system we were able to retain 20 years worth of process optimization/customization logic whilst totally modernizing the implemented communication layer allowing the systems to communicate again.Implemented Columbus’s first predictive maintenance system harnessing an in house developed AI/machine learning algorithm, which interfaced with the historian for (semi-real time) equipment data, and the user via alarms and alerts when anomalies are detected.

Middelburg, Mpumalanga, South Africa

I was responsible for the following major projects with the Hotmill plant area:Ported old obsolete communications driver (server component) for local historian data gathering to Windows platform (from DEC VAXStation, OpenVMS, ANSI C, C++).Implemented TCP based bidirectional communications interface between new-build plant measuring devices and process control, modeling and automation platform (AlphaServer DS620E, OpenVMS 7.2, ANSI C, Oracle)Lead design, implementation and commissioning phases of new process control, modeling and automation system for Grinder area (C#, MS SQL, Siemens OPC)Rewrote complete communication interface between whole plant area’s process control, modeling and automation platform (Hotmill) and business system (due to business system being replaced) (AlphaServer DS620E, OpenVMS 7.2, ANSI C, Oracle)

Pretoria Area, South Africa

Senior Simulation Design Engineer and Project Manager.I aided in the design of, implementation as well as the project management of several training simulator projects using various dynamic process simulation platforms/packages. These projects mainly consisted out of Training Simulators for the Power Generation sector. I was responsible for the development and implementation of various user added modules for these software packages, including the communication tasks for data exchange with automation/DCS software, such as Control System Emulators for ABB and Siemens via OPC and/or COM technologies. I aided in the design of, and implemented an Electrical Network model/solver that is used in the simulation of Power Generation facilities.

Potchefstroom, South Africa

Started as Software Engineer primarily responsible for maintenance and development of a Dynamic Systems CFD software package. Coding was done in various programming languages, including C++, Java, SQL, amongst others. Graduated into a Project Manager for the first ever use of our Systems CFD package for an Industrial Plant Simulator for PBMR (HTF). After the successful, on time and well within budget completion of the simulator I was drafted for the development of M-Tech's own Integrated Simulation Software Platform built on Microsoft .NET architecture. During the development I was responsible for the design and implementation of a Distributed Control and Logic library, also assisted with the development and implementation of and OPC connectivity library, as well as various other libraries implemented for use within the new simulation platform.

Middelburg Area, South Africa

Did my Engineer in Training (graduate training program) at Columbus. Before completing the training program I accepted an offer of a Systems Engineer for the Hot Mill production area. Main responsibilities included the development and maintenance of the Process Control and Scheduling Systems. (OpenVMS, C, C++, SQL – Oracle admin). Then I was drafted as a System Analyst to manage the production software development for Raw Materials, Steel Plant and the Hot Mill areas of Columbus. My final position at Colombus was that of a Technical Control Systems engineer, which consisted of control and systems engineering on real time control platforms for steel mill operations.