7th annual MESA Africa Conference
January 2016
News
The MESA Africa conference is an annual two-day event hosted in Johannesburg. The theme for 2015 was “50 Shades of MOM“, which was attended by 79 delegates from around South Africa. Two powerful opening keynote presentations were delivered by representatives from GIBS and PWC respectively. Eight user presentations were delivered by representatives from the mining, manufacturing and food and beverage industry sectors, and sponsors this year included Siemens, DRA Projects, Bytes PMC, OSISoft and Elvey Security Technologies.
The first day keynote presentation highlighted the manufacturing concerns associated with both effectiveness and efficiency. During this presentation the increasing complexity of markets and organisations were presented. Too often organisations follow a reductionist way of thinking that focuses on individual elements of a system, whilst the presenter argued that in order to be more effective, dynamic complexity had to be included to stimulate system related thinking.
The second-day keynote explored the impact of the Internet of Things (IoT) on industry, and introduced the concept of Industry 4.0 – the fourth industrial revolution. The presenter unpacked the capabilities required by a company to exploit the opportunities presented by the IoT, and suggested a transformation roadmap that companies could consider to ensure that they do not become obsolete during the next industrial revolution.
The best voted user presentation was a Manufacturing Excellence Solution implemented in a steel company that wanted to retain its competitive advantage of reasonable price, high flexibility and excellent customer service. This presenter explained manufacturing application alignment and the reasons to implement a solution using a big bang approach rather than a phased implementation. The presentation successfully highlighted functionality that resolved business and process issues in the enterprise, and further demonstrated the early benefits derived from the functionality implemented, including efficiency improvements, effectiveness improvements, cost savings and shortened lead-times.
Overall the MESA Africa 2015 Conference was praised by attendees as a value contributor to the southern African industrial community. Looking forward, the 2016 conference is planned for 17 and 18 November, whilst at least two Special Interest Group (SIG) sessions will be hosted: one in Gauteng during April timeslot and one in KwaZulu-Natal during July.
For more information contact Gerhard Greeff, Bytes Universal Systems, +27 (0)82 654 0290, [email protected], www.bytes.co.za
Further reading:
New Würth Elektronik location in South Africa
News
A new Würth Elektronik branch has opened in Brackenfell, Western Cape. The location operates under the name Wurth Electronics South Africa and will serve local customers, as well as being responsible for markets in Botswana, Mauritius, Namibia, Tanzania and Zambia.
Read more...
John Thompson and BECS partner to deliver biomass energy solutions
News
John Thompson, a division of ACTOM and South Africa’s leading provider of industrial energy solutions, has announced a strategic partnership with Berkeley Energy Corporate Solutions, a specialist developer and supplier of biomass energy projects. Together, the companies aim to accelerate the deployment of reliable, renewable steam solutions to industrial customers across Africa.
Read more...
Academy pumps out the next generation of experts
News
KSB Pumps and Valves has invested in a specialised training centre designed to equip internal and branch staff and certified partners with in-depth knowledge of KSB products and systems.
Read more...
Celebrating the power of diversity in the engineering sector
News
The engineering sector has historically been a male-dominated field, and to a large extent it still is. However, this is changing, and the shift is gaining significant momentum as more women begin to take up leadership roles, spearheading innovation and driving inclusive growth.
Read more...
Fifteen years of promoting innovation and supporting engineering excellence
RS South Africa
News
RS South Africa is celebrating 15 years of promoting innovation and supporting engineering excellence through DesignSpark, its pioneering online engineering platform.
Read more...
From the Editor's desk: What happened to the metaverse?
Technews Publishing (SA Instrumentation & Control)
News
One of the most interesting technical crashes in recent years is the metaverse. As recently as 2022, it was white hot, with massive hype led by Meta. Even Bill Gates was saying that in two to three years
...
Read more...
Omniflex celebrates 60th anniversary
Omniflex Remote Monitoring Specialists
News
Remote monitoring specialist Omniflex is celebrating its 60th anniversary.
Read more...
Nidec adopts Siemens Teamcenter for electric motor development
Siemens South Africa
News
Siemens Digital Industries Software has announced that Nidec Corporation, a Japanese manufacturer and distributor of electric motors, has adopted Teamcenter X software from the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio of industry software to achieve innovative motor development and supply to set new industry standards, including automotive.
Read more...
Yaskawa Southern Africa and Sol-Tech advance industrial robotics training
Yaskawa Southern Africa
News
Yaskawa Southern Africa has announced a strategic collaboration with Sol-Tech, a private vocational training institution based in Pretoria, to strengthen technical education in industrial robotics and support the development of future-focused talent for South Africa’s evolving manufacturing sector.
Read more...
Building skills and sharing knowledge for growth in Africa
SEW-EURODRIVE
News
As a leading provider of drive and automation solutions across the continent, SEW-EURODRIVE recognises that local insight and on-the-ground capability are critical to delivering effective sustainable results. The company continues to invest in people development and technical training within its network of African subsidiaries and partners, supporting the long-term growth of its customers and the broader industrial ecosystem.
Read more...
printer friendly version