Here we are at the end of May, still in lockdown Level 4. While we at the Johannesburg branch are doing our best to bring technology to our loyal members, there is still nothing like the human touch.
One thing we can be sure of is that Covid-19 has changed the world as we know it, maybe forever. Technology that was only supposed to be with us in 10 years has now been fast tracked to be ready in 5 years. Where does that leave the process control and automation industry? Not to be left behind, the industry will have to find innovative ways to assist its customers with the latest technology.
With most industries facing job losses, automation will most definitely play a much bigger role going forward and we must assist our customers to embrace new technology.
April technology evening
Due to the lockdown, the Johannesburg branch decided to host a digital technology evening so as not to let our members down. Dean Floyd from Pepperl+Fuchs stepped up and provided us with a YouTube presentation on AS-Interface.
So, what is AS-Interface? It is a distributed network for standard and safety I/O. It is an open solution supported by 300 vendors. A simple network can reduce wiring by up to 90%, and installation is fast.
Hardwired sensors are extremely labour- and cost-intensive, so the sensor world came up with the idea of distributed networks. Networked sensors have reduced labour and cost due to direct connection to I/O modules on most PLCs, with shorter and lower-cost cables being used.
It is also important to note that AS-Interface is backward compatible, meaning a gateway or scanner sold today will work with any AS-Interface device ever built, and it supports functional safety as well.
SAIMC User Advisory Council annual summit SAIMC Supplier Advisory Council
SAIMC
The SAIMC User Advisory Council is proud to present the 2025 Annual Summit, formerly known as the MESA Africa Summit. The theme is ‘Mining and manufacturing in South Africa: SMART operations in a disruptive world economy’.
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The Durban branch of the SAIMC was pleased to welcome Vusi Sithole, managing member of Hybrid Control Corporation in Richards Bay, who presented\on the very pertinent topic of ‘Infrastructure monitoring and control for water loss management’.
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SAIMC
We say it every year, and we’ll say it again: May in Durban is hard to beat; but 9 May, when the Durban Golf Day teed off at Kloof Country Club, was something else. With sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 20s, it was a fantastic day, full of fun and great energy.
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SAIMC
Horst Weinert, head of Didactic at Festo Southern/Eastern Africa, will be sharing some of Festo’s Didactic experiences of working across industry and education. He will cover training for productivity and employability in the public and private sectors, discussing especially the potential for inter-company training centres.
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The local Johannesburg Branch of the SAIMC recently hosted a Technology Evening at Bryanston Sports Club on 9 April 2025.
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The April technology meeting for the Durban branch of the SAIMC was kindly sponsored by ProRisk, a subsidiary company of the Proconics Group of Companies. Process safety engineer, Guillaume de Swardt gave a fascinating presentation on the power of operational risk control by utilising CFD software.
Read more...SAIMC User Advisory Council KS4I event SAIMC Supplier Advisory Council
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The SAIMC User Advisory Council started 2025 with its first event in the ‘Knowlege Sharing 4 Industry’ event series on the 19th of March.
Read more...Knowledge Sharing 4 Industry
SAIMC
In proud partnership with Innomotics, SAIMC will be hosting the first Knowledge Sharing 4 Industry event for 2025.
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