At the technology evening of 22 January, Dewald Smit from Festo presented on the choice: ‘Pneumatic vs Electric Automation Energy Efficiency’.
Ann DeBeer (right) thanks Dewalt Smit for the presentation.
In these tough economic times, all of us would like to save money in our factories. In making the decision between pneumatic and electric actuators, there are some key questions to ask like: Are there more tasks than clamping and holding? Are there long strokes, high speed and shorter cycle times required? Is smooth motion required? If all the answers to the above questions are no, use pneumatic, if one answer is yes, use electric drives.
Both technologies have their strengths and weaknesses. Pneumatic is easy to install and cost efficient, yet there could be energy losses from leakages that cost money. Electric, on the other hand, requires higher initial investment, but is load dependent when it comes to use of energy, so a saving in the long run is possible.
Digitise what matters and leverage
SAIMC
SAIMC has been invited to partner with technology leaders 4Sight and NextGenOpX for a one-day industry event aimed at unlocking the full value of OT investments in the mining sector.
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In this day and age, we all have access to AI tools. A lot of people claim that if you are not using AI tools in your daily job today you are falling behind. But would it be ethical to use AI tools to write an article per day and sign my name to it?
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The Durban branch of the SAIMC held its July technology meeting at the familiar Premier Splendid Hotel, drawing a strong turnout of industry professionals.
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The SAIMC Johannesburg branch recently hosted the July Technology Evening at the Bryanston Sports Club.
Read more...Digitise what matters and leverage
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SAIMC has been invited to partner with technology leaders 4Sight and NextGenOpX for a one-day industry event aimed at unlocking the full value of OT investments in the mining sector.
Read more...Bridging the digital gap in industrial systems SAIMC Supplier Advisory Council
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Industrial engineers, digital transformation leaders, and operations managers are invited to an exclusive knowledge-sharing event designed to tackle the complexities of digitising large-scale systems.
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The SAIMC Johannesburg branch recently hosted the June Technology Evening. The presentation covered HVAC systems through the lens of instrumentation, highlighting how sensor technologies form the backbone of effective monitoring and control, allowing for effective energy efficiency.
Read more...SAIMC Durban branch SAIMC
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The SAIMC Durban Branch hosted its latest technology meeting on 4 June.The event drew a strong turnout, highlighting the keen interest in the topic ‘Understanding Level Measurement: Contact vs Non-Contact Methods’.
Read more...SAIMC at KITE 2025
SAIMC
The Society for Automation, Instrumentation, Mechatronics and Control Engineering (SAIMC) invites you to connect with us at the KwaZulu-Natal Industrial Technology Exhibition (KITE) from Tuesday 22 to Thursday 24 July 2025.
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