The August virtual technology evening was hosted by Eric Carter of turboTRAIN on the subject ‘Instrumentation fault finding: why it is problematic and what can be done about it’.
During the presentation Eric outlined some of the knowledge deficiencies prevalent amongst instrumentation staff, especially the younger ones. He highlighted how these gaps can range from Ohm’s Law, through to understanding of thermocouples, lack of measuring ability, especially when it comes to current, through to ignorance regarding output devices.
He went on to highlight how staff need to be able to grasp the bigger picture; how to dive into the details from there and how training, including the use of graphic illustrations in the form of posters, can help to rectify the problems.
From there, he discussed the need to develop people, and to get the most from their capabilities. He also delved into the need for greater communication with the HR department, particularly when it comes to recruitment.
At the start of his presentation, Eric stressed that it would be about conventional I/O, but that a future presentation could do something similar with fieldbus devices. Of course, this could be extended to control systems and loop understanding. Hopefully, this will also spark some thought about the training systems we put in place for our people.
International robotics conference streams live to Africa
SAIMC
The SAIMC hosted five live-stream viewing events across South Africa for the IEEE International Conference of Robotics and Automation in Vienna, bringing global robotics research and technology directly to local industry and academia.
Read more...From the office of the CEO: Introduction to GRIP SAIMC
SAIMC
Industry has long been concerned about graduates who have no understanding of the modern equipment they will face in industry. This has triggered an investigation into the possibility of creating a facility whereby graduates register with the SAIMC and rotate through all the vendors to obtain experience on modern equipment.
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SAIMC
The SAIMC Durban Branch hosted a technology meeting featuring a presentation by Abacus Automation on the practical role of AI in industrial automation, drawing considerable interest from attendees.
Read more...SAIMC: Johannesburg branch SAIMC
SAIMC
Instrotech recently hosted a technical presentation on load cell technology and applications at the SAIMC Johannesburg Technology Evening, presented by Trevor Salzwedel. The session covered load cell fundamentals, selection and installation, mechanical considerations and calibration methods.
Read more...SAIMC: Johannesburg Golf Day SAIMC
SAIMC
The SAIMC Johannesburg Golf Day on 22 May 2026 brought together 16 four-balls for a day of golf, networking and fundraising, with generous support from sponsors across the instrumentation and control sector.
Read more...SAIMC: Johannesburg branch SAIMC
SAIMC
The Johannesburg Branch had the privilege of being hosted by Phoenix Contact for our technology event in May. Shamil Surbun, BU manager for Automation, presented a CPD-accredited session on ‘From Sensor to Cloud: How SPE and APL Are Transforming Industrial Connectivity’.
Read more...From the office of the CEO: Power Hour goes national SAIMC
SAIMC
South Africa’s automation, control, mechatronics and computer engineering community is changing fast, and the SAIMC is changing with it. I am excited to announce a new national initiative that will reshape how we deliver technical knowledge, strengthen branch identity and bring our community together like never before.
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