First CIM plant
1992 (Centurion)
Core Database
CA‑Ingres (1990)
Automated Vehicles
AGVs, cranes, conveyors
Quality Standards
ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001
Numismatic Computer Systems (CIM)
How Computer‑Integrated Manufacturing transformed the South African Mint into a world‑class facility – regarded as the most modern mint in the world, with fully automated production, real‑time material tracking, and precision engineering down to microns.
Key Facts
- Only fully CIM mint of its kind (1998)
- IT staff: 19 technologists
- 2 people per shift handle material (vs 10+ normally)
- Capacity: 2 billion coins annually
What is Computer‑Integrated Manufacturing?
Computer‑Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) uses computers to control the entire production process – from initial design to finished coin. The South African Mint's Centurion facility was designed from the ground up as a "pristinely modern plant" with CIM at its core. It is the only fully CIM plant of its kind, and also one of the few mints providing a full cradle‑to‑grave service, taking the process from raw material through to the final product [citation:1].
Implementation at Centurion (1992)
When the Mint relocated to Centurion in 1992, Dion Swanepoel and Marc van Gool (the architects of the Mint's IT department) seized the opportunity to build a completely new infrastructure [citation:1].
- Database core: Computer Associates' Ingres, acquired in 1990 and went live in 1992 to run the rolling mill. All other systems were custom‑written and run on Ingres [citation:1].
- Three‑tier architecture: SAP at the top, Ingres handling factory controls and materials, and a plant management system at the lowest tier [citation:1].
- Hardware: Acer and HP Intel devices running SCO Unix, replacing proprietary IBM PS/2 and AIX systems [citation:1].
- IT staff: 19 technologists – the "lifeblood of the Mint". Nothing moves in the plant without their involvement [citation:1].
Key Components of the CIM System
CAD / Digital Sculpting
Artists create digital 3D models and renders. For circulation coins, designs must be approved by the Mint Board, SARB Governors, Cabinet, and Minister of Finance, then published in the Government Gazette [citation:2].
CAM / Die Production
A computer‑controlled machine cuts the model directly into high‑grade steel, creating a machine punch. The toolroom is equipped with state‑of‑the‑art CNC machinery, producing all tooling in‑house [citation:4].
Production Scheduling
Ingres provides weekly schedules downloaded from SAP, with finite scheduling provided daily. The system controls material handling, balancing, store information, data collection, and reporting [citation:1].
Material Tracking
Every piece of metal is tracked from receipt through casting, rolling, blanking, plating, annealing, polishing, coining, and packaging – all in real time [citation:4].
Minting Process (CIM‑controlled)
The following steps are controlled and monitored by the CIM system [citation:4][citation:9]:
- Casting: Continuous casting furnace with computer‑controlled temperature. Raw materials are melted and cast through carbon dies into 1.5‑ton coils.
- Rolling: Computer‑controlled breakdown and fine rolling mills produce strip thickness within microns of specification. Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) deliver and remove materials.
- Blanking: High‑speed blanking presses punch discs. Each blank is rimmed and inspected for weight and diameter.
- Electroplating: For plated coins, the CIM system controls deposition of copper, nickel, or bronze onto steel cores.
- Annealing (gold/silver only): Flat belt furnace with nitrogen atmosphere, computer‑monitored.
- Polishing: Multi‑sided tumblers with stainless steel balls and special soap – fully automated.
- Coining: High‑speed presses (750–850 strokes/min for circulation; 3–5 strokes under 200–260 tons for proofs). CIM monitors every strike.
- Packing: Automated packaging lines; final product stored in computer‑controlled high‑bay store accessed only by AGVs.
Material Handling System (MHS)
The Mint's sophisticated MHS is a direct result of CIM integration. It includes [citation:4]:
- Stores: Raw material store, coil store, unplated blanks store, final product store – all managed by Ingres.
- Cranes: Coil crane and two final product cranes, moving materials to/from storage locations.
- Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs): Operate in coil store, unplated blanks, plated blanks, and final product store – issuing and removing materials automatically.
- Conveyors: In‑feed and out‑feed conveyors in final product store move materials horizontally.
- Efficiency: Entire material handling operation requires just two people per shift (vs 10+ in a typical labour‑intensive operation) [citation:1].
Quality Control and Laboratory
The CIM system integrates rigorous quality checks at every stage. The Mint's well‑equipped laboratory includes [citation:3]:
- Inductively coupled plasma spectrometer (ICP)
- Optical emission spectrometer (OES)
- X‑ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF)
- Atomic Absorption spectrometer (AA)
- Carbon/sulfur analyzer, tensile tester, hardness testers
- Metallographic microscopes and surface thickness instruments
The Mint holds ISO 9001:2015 (quality), ISO 14001:2015 (environmental), and ISO 45001:2018 (health & safety) certifications [citation:3].
Benefits for Collectors
- Consistent quality: Computer monitoring ensures uniform strikes – every proof coin meets exacting standards [citation:9].
- Advanced security: Latent image technology (e.g., 2018 Mandela centenary R5) and laser‑engraved finishes are made possible by CIM‑controlled die production [citation:8].
- Complex designs: Split‑face, color, and interactive designs (e.g., OR Tambo faceted coins) rely on precise CNC machining [citation:8].
- Traceability: Each coin's production history is recorded – from metal batch to final packaging.
- Export expertise: The Mint produces coins for about a dozen other countries, attesting to its world‑class capabilities [citation:1].
Sources
- ITWeb. "The buck starts here" (1998).
- South African Mint. "Customer Newsletter – From Metal to Money" (2020).
- South African Mint. "Manufacturing of Coins."
- South African Mint. "Health and Safety – Laboratory."
- Engineering News / The E‑Sylum. "New technology being used to immortalise Mandela" (2018).