News


From the editor's desk: A day in the life of PI, and SAIMC has a new branch

September 2015 News

The Southern African Regional PROFIBUS Association will in future no longer be called SARPA, but will be known as PI SA – PROFIBUS & PROFINET International SA. This is in line with international trends and the emergence of industrial Ethernet, which, having already proved its value in factory automation, is now being accepted as a viable communication infrastructure solution for the process industry as well.

According to the ARC Advisory Group, PROFIBUS PA is PI’s preferred solution for networking process devices in the field. Compatible with the international fieldbus standard IEC 61158, PROFIBUS PA meets the requirements for intrinsic safety in ex­plosive environments and can also provide device power over the bus. Traditionally, PA devices would connect to a host such as a DCS via PROFIBUS DP. Now, thanks to the development of new gateways, PA segments can be connected directly to PROFINET – meaning that PROFINET can serve as a next generation plant-wide communication system backbone. This brings industrial Ethernet one step closer to the level of the instrumentation by allowing a single PROFINET segment to connect multiple PA ‘clusters’.

The significance of adding PROFINET connectivity to legacy networks is that it will open up new levels of data transparency and availability in existing process plants – a prerequisite for the era of the Industrial Internet of Things and Manufacturing 4.0.

Because PROFIBUS and PROFINET are being developed by the same PI organisation, the two protocols have been brought together with similar procedures, communication priorities, data maps, grounding rules and troubleshooting. In fact, PI International has announced that the PROFIBUS PA profile V3.02 is to be usable in PROFINET as well as in PROFIBUS systems i.e. the revised profile version is being specified independent of the physical layer. The announcement goes on to say that the final step is to develop a solution to make PROFINET devices available for use in hazardous areas and in two-wire tech­nology for power supply via the cable.

In its latest press release, PI International announces that the first PROFINET applications are already in use in the process industry, such as the connection of remote I/Os and motor management systems. Interested readers should diarise Wednesday 30 September as PI International chairman, Karsten Schneider, will be in country to host a breakfast presentation at Monte Casino. See page 10 for details.

SAIMC Pretoria branch

Behind the scenes at the SAIMC, Jurie Weidemann has been working tirelessly to establish a new branch in Pretoria. On 19 August it all came together at the Centurion Country Club where the latest branch held its inaugural meeting. Michael Garnham from the local PROFIBUS Competence Centre kicked things off with an interesting presentation titled “Pretoria Industries: Case studies on PROFIBUS and PROFINET challenges”. Well done to Jurie and everyone else who helped to spread the SAIMC message northwards. From the team at SA Instrumentation and Control, a warm welcome to the Pretoria branch, we look forward to publishing your monthly news in the magazine from now on.

On the subject of SAIMC, don’t forget the year-end function on Friday 2 October as tables are selling fast. See 'SAIMC: From the president's desk' for details.

Rugby World Cup

In closure this month, sincere thanks to Adroit Technologies for sponsoring the wall chart that you will find as an insert in this issue. Rugby fans can see the entire competition at a glance, from the first pool games right through to the final, and record the results as the games progress. Good luck to the Springboks, here’s hoping we get to watch you take on the ABs again in another thrilling RWC final.

Steven Meyer

Editor: SA Instrumentation & Control

steven@technews.co.za



Credit(s)



Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page

Further reading:

Bosch Rexroth hydraulics and pneumatics training calendar
News
Bosch Rexroth Africa has published its comprehensive training calendar for 2024.

Read more...
Interoperability is key to achieving sustainability in mining
Schneider Electric South Africa News
Mining companies of the future will prioritise building operational efficiency and resiliency to address volatility across their value chain. Companies that are ill equipped to address internal volatility will be less likely or able to address an increasingly volatile external market. . This was the message from Schneider Electric at this year’s African Mining Indaba.

Read more...
RS South Africa showcases test and measurement solutions
RS South Africa News
RS South Africa recently exhibited at the MTE Moab Khotsong 2024 mining and technical exhibition in the Free State.

Read more...
The global motion control market
News
The global motion control market was valued at $21,7 billion in 2023.

Read more...
Industrial metaverse set to grow
News
The industrial metaverse is set to greatly enhance manufacturing engineering, training, safety and production.

Read more...
Moog takes a leadership position in lunar exploration
News
NASA is planning for a sustained human presence on the Moon, and resources such as water could eventually be harnessed from the lunar surface instead of being transported from Earth, and it has turned to industry to find ways to excavate and transport that icy regolith.

Read more...
Hitachi Energy to expand transformer operations
News
Hitachi Energy has announced an investment of more than $32 million for the expansion and modernisation of its power transformer manufacturing facility in Bad Honnef, Germany.

Read more...
ifm South Africa celebrates new warehouse
ifm - South Africa News
ifm South Africa recently celebrated the launch of its new warehouse.

Read more...
From the editor's desk: The little helicopter that could
Technews Publishing (SA Instrumentation & Control) News
The thrill of space exploration captures our imagination. I‘ve been following NASA’s Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter with fascination as these tiny vehicles pushed the boundaries of scientific achievement.

Read more...
ABB wins award for excellence in emissions monitoring
ABB South Africa News
ABB has earned this year’s Frost & Sullivan Company of the Year Award in the global emissions monitoring systems industry.

Read more...