Our Story
From academic research to industrial innovation—the journey of Protea Machine Tools.
The Beginning
PMT's South African origins date back to 1998, when Lukas—now PMT's Chief Technical Officer—first conceived the concept of a reconfigurable three-legged platform. At the time, he was completing a Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Pretoria.
After finishing his Master's studies at the end of 1998, Lukas commenced a PhD in Engineering in 1999. By 2001, his doctoral research had delivered a pivotal result: he demonstrated that reconfigurability offers a viable solution to the limited workspace problem that had long hindered the development of parallel-layout machining centres. This breakthrough was realised through the design, construction, and validation of a reconfigurable three-legged test model, developed as part of his PhD research (see Figure 1).
Figure 1: Experimental Test Model of the Reconfigurable Three-Legged Platform
Reconfigurable Demonstrations
The adaptability of the test model is demonstrated in a series of videos showing three distinct mechanical reconfigurations:
Video 1: Reconfiguration 1 of 3
Video 2: Reconfiguration 2 of 3
Video 3: Reconfiguration 3 of 3
The Zeroing Process
Following any reconfiguration sequence, the platform must be re-zeroed—an essential prerequisite for executing a prescribed toolpath, as illustrated here:
Video 4: Zeroing Leg 2 of 3
Toolpath Execution
The effectiveness of the reconfiguration approach is further validated through the execution of multiple prescribed toolpaths. These demonstrations show the platform accurately tracing toolpaths that are large relative to the physical size of the test model, clearly confirming the robustness of the underlying concept:
Video 5: Executing Toolpath 1 of 4
Video 6: Executing Toolpath 2 of 4
Video 7: Executing Toolpath 3 of 4
Video 8: Executing Toolpath 4 of 4
Together, these early experiments established the technical foundation of PMT's core philosophy: scalable performance enabled by reconfigurable machine architectures.
Building Expertise
After completing his PhD at the end of 2001, Lukas entered the defence industry in 2002, where he gained extensive experience in high-precision mechanical design and manufacturing—skills directly aligned with the development of advanced machine tools.
In 2011, he joined an international industrial diamond manufacturer, further strengthening his capabilities in technical project and systems management. There, Lukas led an international engineering team responsible for the development of a state-of-the-art diamond synthesis press, one of the largest of its kind. The project was successfully delivered in 2015, marking a major milestone in his industrial leadership experience.
In 2016, Lukas transitioned into academia, joining the University of Pretoria as a Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Design. This role provided the opportunity to focus more deeply on the development of a 5-axis hybrid (parallel–serial) machining center, while also exploring the commercialisation pathway of this enabling technology.
International Recognition
In recognition of this work, Lukas was selected as part of the 2018/19 cohort of the Royal Academy of Engineering Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, one of only 16 African entrepreneurs chosen for the programme (see Figure 2). The intensive eight-month programme provided world-class entrepreneurial training and mentorship, directly leading to the formal establishment of Protea Machine Tools (PMT) in December 2018.
Figure 2: Royal Academy of Engineering Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation
Our Leadership Team
PMT was co-founded with Conrad Mahuma, a ZEISS Metrology Business Partner with extensive local and international experience in advanced metrology system installations. In 2022, Conrad and Lukas invited Arthur van Jaarsveld to assume the role of Chief Executive Officer. Like Conrad, Arthur has deep roots in ZEISS Metrology, having led the South African division for many years, and has successfully co-founded and scaled multiple technology-driven ventures.
The PMT executive leadership team expanded further in 2024 with the addition of Pedro Adams, who brings decades of experience in automotive manufacturing and executive management, strengthening PMT's operational and industrial leadership.
That same year, Lukas joined the University of Cape Town as part of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, where he is establishing the Advanced Manufacturing Laboratory. This facility plays a direct role in supporting the ongoing research, validation, and development of PMT's core technologies.
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, PMT is well positioned to advance its technology from its current Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 3 to a fully industrialised, field-proven enabling platform—unlocking new manufacturing capability and competitiveness across Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond.
We invite partners, collaborators, and investors to engage with us as we scale this vision together.