Firing up the Jewellery Market
WITH a strong SME sector vital for economic growth and job creation it is crucial that established companies provide both financial and operational support to potential entrepreneurs. Cape-Town based and JSE listed Brimstone Investment Corporation (Brimstone), whose support of entrepreneurial start-up, Hot Platinum, has resulted in the innovative local company now being in a position to enter international markets. Hot Platinum, which was acquired as a fledgling enterprise through Brimstone’s entrepreneurial investment fund, has created induction technology for the processing and analysis of base and precious metals, with their specialized high temperature system being marked as a world first. Brimstone’s Fred Robertson says the group is always on the lookout to invest in strong startups and recognised, in Hot Platinum, the potential to create new opportunities and set new industry benchmarks. According to Robertson, executive deputy chairman of Brimstone, “The determination of entrepreneurial spirit coupled with an innovative mindset has positioned Hot Platinum ahead of the game since no one in our country is able to process high temperature metals at the moment.” “Brimstone’s aim in supporting impressive startups is to encourage entrepreneurial spirit in South Africa. Our involvement in Hot Platinum, through our financial support and guidance, will hopefully have a cascading effect to empower other promising, emerging entrepreneurs. Hot Platinum shows entrepreneurial flair and we want to be a part of guiding them in achieving their plans for growth and expansion into the global market,” Robertson says. Hot Platinum’s technology development was started ten years ago as the brain child of a young engineering student at UCT, Irshad Khan, who, after studying the commercial heating and jewellery markets extensively, realised that there was a need for improved metal processing technology. In 2002, the Hot Platinum consortium was formed, and has gone on to make its induction technology for the processing and analysis of Platinum Group Metals (PGM’S) amongst the best in the world, it is claimed. Hot Platinum’s machinery and technology, which is used primarily in the jewellery manufacture and mining industries to melt metals at very high temperatures deploys an energy efficient heating component, utilising up to 70% less energy than traditional technology. This energy efficiency will allow for the expansion into many other potential areas, such as larger more energy efficient heating and processing technologies for the mining and foundry industries, making its products useful across the beneficiation value chain. The technology creates substantial cost advantages to manufacturers, with the ability to ultilise up to 40% less metal to create the same yield. Ref. 1. Hot Platinum, http://www.hotplatinum.com/ 2. Casting Platinum Jewellery Alloys Platinum Metals Review, October 2005, Volume 49, Issue 4, Pages 174-182 http://www.platinummetalsreview.com/dynamic/article/view/49-4-174-182
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