Automation is rapidly emerging as a catalyst for industrial transformation enabling businesses to meet sustainability targets, enhance productivity and drive economic efficiency.
During 2024, the emergence and importance of partnerships was key to navigating strategic growth and technological innovation for many companies in our field, allowing for collaboration in areas such as complex legacy migration projects, executing high horsepower drive retrofits, and meeting increasingly complex market demands- while ensuring our customers maintain their competitive edge.
Expectations are set to shift significantly, with a substantial swing anticipated in a number of critical industries in South Africa where automation and instrumentation will play an essential role in meeting very competitive market demands.
Industry expectations for 2025
With a big swing in the agricultural space expected to come to the fore, automation and instrumentation will play a significant role in this critical industry.
Coming off of a five-year drought, the expectation is that this year will deliver bumper crops across all agricultural products, including sultanas, nuts, grapes, and olives. This will place significant pressure on the infrastructure of producers, which they will need to be ready for or risk spoiling the potential of their crops.
Automation becomes a crucial strategic tool helping producers develop plans about their inputs and when, where and how these inputs need to applied.
In the mining sector, the current landscape remains stable, though not without its operational challenges. Companies are prioritising improved maintainability, enhanced sustainability, workforce optimisation, and strategic cost management to drive efficiency- ensuring growth and global market competitiveness.
An emerging industry trend here, is that there will be greater focus on machine safety equipment, reflecting a growing organisational imperative to prevent operational stoppages, reduce production interruptions and maintain consistent operational capacity while mitigating potential production delays.
New technology
While in 2024 the conversation was dominated by artificial intelligence, we are seeing the idea of human-robot collaboration gaining traction in the year ahead. The rise of Industry 5.0 is further spurring innovative solutions.
In automation and control, there is constant growth, learning and change. Therefore, we will see investments going into the expansion of product pipelines. Looking forward, we will be rolling out more powerful variable speed drives, giving us reach to customers with higher voltages and power requirements − higher voltage, higher power, higher performance products.
Moreover, there are interesting movements within the realm of low-complexity products such as push buttons, contactors, motor protection devices and circuit breakers. A notable push is underway to deliver Ethernet IP capabilities into the low-end motor control space. This advancement aims to offer customers improved safety and better visibility into production line operations, ensuring systems run efficiently. The integration of simple devices will facilitate quicker troubleshooting processes, reducing costs and downtime recovery. With the information available through these devices, significant changes in how facilities operate their machinery are anticipated in the coming years. Developments are also expected in field safety device automation. For example, intelligent safety pull switches will be enabled to access ethernet networks, preventing hazardous motion. In terms of sustainability, there will be an increased focus on supply chain management. Companies will be evaluated based on their suppliers, including questions about the reputation, sustainability, and legitimacy of those suppliers. This scrutiny impacts the producers of the final product. Therefore, it is important to support customers’ decisions and provide products that are reliable, reputable, and sustainable for the future.
Looking ahead
Referro Systems will prioritise partnerships to ensure local stockholding, offering diverse products and services, reducing downtime and revenue loss, providing access to innovation, enhancing safety, and introducing advanced technological solutions. Our ongoing premium brand relationships with Rockwell Automation, Festo, AMCI, Allpronix, Sulzer, ACTOM, Pure Light and Fluke (Comtest SA), exemplifies the growing importance of strategic alliances that ensure customers can access comprehensive product portfolios with high-quality technical support. Understanding the significance of local presence and having existing relationships within South Africa further allows for significant benefit to suppliers outside the country.
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