At its March Technology Evening, the Johannesburg branch hosted Mike O’Neill from Expo Technologies, England, who presented on ‘Ex P type protection for the process industry’.
Eric Carter (right) presents Mike O’Neill his certificate after the presentation.
Ex p can protect many systems that are difficult to cover with Ex d or Ex e type of explosion protection. Applications suitable to Ex p protection are control, panels, switch gear, motors, generators analysers and shelters. The basic principle includes purging the enclosure to displace any gases present. The enclosure may then have a small flow (leakage compensation) or a large continuous flow to ensure it remains pressurised to prevent ingress of external atmosphere. The various Ex p methods are static pressurisation, where the enclosure is purged, pressurised and sealed; leak compensation, where the enclosure is purged and pressurised then switched to small flow to top up any leaks; and finally continuous flow where the enclosure is purged and pressurised and the purge flow continues.
The three types of Ex p covered were, Ex pz (zone 2 manual) and Ex px (Zone 1 which requires some automation), and Ex py (zone 1 – manual). Mike covered some practical limits, minimum requirements and IEC and NFPA standards governing Ex p protection, pneumatic and electronic timers, enclosure types, typical alarms, certification, as well as advantages and selection criteria of Ex p and smart purge.
The branch thanks Mike O’Neill for his valued and informative presentation.
Johan Maartens (right) handing over the coffee machine won by DR Shorer at the SAIMC rebranding lucky draw.
Committee for 2014
The branch also elected the following committee members to serve for the 2014 financial year: Eric Carter (chairman), Alvin Seitz (treasurer), Dave Robinson (site visit coordination), Andrew Bharath (media liaison), Roxanne Bredenkamp (secretary), Mike Banda, Debbie Scott, Gary Friend and Jay King.
The following site visits are planned for the course of the year:
* Unilever.
* 3M.
* Sedibeng Brewery.
* AST.
Technology evenings are envisaged by the following companies:
* Beckhoff Automation.
* Phoenix Contact.
* Endress+Hauser.
* Robor.
The branch will be hosting its annual golf day in August – formal invite to follow soon.
SAIMC: Johannesburg
SAIMC
The Johannesburg Branch of the SAIMC hosted a successful Technology Evening on 10 September. The event was well attended and generously sponsored by Phoenix Contact.
Read more...SAIMC: Durban branch SAIMC
SAIMC
At SAIMC Durban’s October Technology Evening, Nico Erasmus delivered a thought-provoking presentation on a topic close to every automation professional’s heart: PLC and Drive Manufacturer Generational Hardware - UpGrades, UpGates or UpRates?
Read more...SAIMC: Johannesburg branch SAIMC
SAIMC
The Johannesburg Branch of the SAIMC hosted a successful Technology Evening on 10 September. The event was well attended and generously sponsored by Phoenix Contact.
Read more...Why ECSA matters SAIMC
SAIMC
I always knew I had to register as a Professional Engineer. Then I opened the registration guidelines.
Read more...SAIMC: From the office of the COO: Enabling AI-ready manufacturing in South Africa SAIMC
SAIMC
Last month, I wrote about the ethical use of AI in our daily lives. This month, I want to explore two concepts, backed by different architectures and technologies, that can assist our manufacturing facilities to exponentially increase the pace of their digital transformation.
Read more...SAIMC: Johannesburg branch SAIMC
SAIMC
The SAIMC Johannesburg branch hosted its June Technology Evening at the Bryanston Sports Club, where attendees explored a topic beyond the usual scope of process automation.
Read more...SAIMC: Zambia branch
SAIMC
SAIMC Zambia recently facilitated an industrial visit to the Zamefa Cable Manufacturing Company in Luanshya for twenty automation students from Sinozam. The visit gave students valuable exposure to the advanced technology used in copper and aluminium cable production.
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.