SA Instrumentation & Control | Volume 39 | October 2023

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www.instrumentation.co.za October 2023 1 Electrical power & energy-efficient systems Water & wastewater Wireless & telemetry Motion control & drives VOLUME 39 NO 10 OCTOBER 2023 04 12 14 48 REGULARS FEATURES IT in manufacturing Control systems Process measurement Condition monitoring 26 22 18 30 39 36 41 47 News & events SAIMC news Automation professionals Product news SKF South Africa, Comtest KROHNE SA, ABB South Africa, Turck Banner, Instrotech, WIKA Instruments, ifm - South Africa, VEGA Controls SA LOESCHE South Africa, Siemens South Africa, IDX Online, Absolute Perspectives, Iritron Michael Brown Control Engineering CC, Beckhoff Automation, SMC Corporation South Africa, Emerson Automation Solutions NewElec, GHM Messtechnik South Africa, Vepac Elecctronics ABB South Africa, Jojo, Endress+Hauser South Africa Omniflex Remote Monitoring Specialists, Omron Electronics, ifm - South Africa, ABI Research, Pepperl+Fuchs, Gail Norton Instrumentation Agencies, Turck Banner, RJ Connect SEW-EURODRIVE, BMG OUR COVER 16 In the course of digitalisation, the communication capability of field devices is becoming increasingly important. With the MultiFieldbus module, Siemens has developed a communication interface, for the first time, that supports data exchange via the three Ethernet fieldbus protocols PROFINET, EtherNet/IP and Modbus TCP. Read our cover story on page 16 to find out how this makes it possible for plant manufacturers to implement industry-specific or regionally-different requirements without having to change the system in order to open up new markets.

2 October 2023 www.instrumentation.co.za welcome VOLUME 39 NO 10 OCTOBER 2023 Disclaimer 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, inserts and company contact details are printed as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, adapted, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd, Reg No. 2005/034598/07 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the editor should be addressed to Kim Roberts at [email protected]. Sending material to this publication will be considered automatic permission to use in full or in part in our Letters column. Be sure to include your name, e-mail address, city and zip code. We reserve the right to edit all letters. EDITOR Kim Roberts MSc Chem [email protected] CIO & DIRECTOR Graeme Bell NHD Elec. Eng., MBA [email protected] CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Michael Brown BSc (Eng) (Rand), CEng MIEE MSAIEE Gavin Halse BSc Chem Eng Lance Turner BSc (Hons) Information Systems ADVERTISING Sales manager Jane van der Spuy [email protected] Tel: +27 83 234 5412 Heidi Hargreaves [email protected] Tel: +27 83 504 0436 DESIGN AND LAYOUT Technews Production Department SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES For address changes, subscriptions, renewal status or missing issues, email: [email protected] or write to: Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd, Box 385, Pinegowrie 2123 SUBSCRIBE ONLINE www.technews.co.za PUBLISHERS Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd Wild Fig Business Park, Block B, Unit 21, 1494 Cranberry Street, Honeydew Welcome to our bumper issue of SA Instrumentation & Control. Spring is more than here and there are some interesting things going on in the background. One of these is the quiet revolution in solar. The equivalent of a power plant The latest data from Eskom shows that South African households and businesses have installed 4,4 GW of rooftop PV power, up from 983 MW in March to 4412 MW in June 2023. This is equivalent to a fair-sized power plant. This increase has reduced the demand that Eskom needs to meet during the day by a long way, and softened the impact of loadshedding; and it’s expected to increase another 420% by 2030. Imports of solar panels have hit a new record, with R8,4 billion worth of panels being imported in the second quarter of 2023, over double the amount imported in the first quarter, which in turn was more than the entire value imported in 2022. Research from RMB Morgan Stanley shows that electricity generated from the private sector will exceed the output from Eskom’s generation plants by 2025. It looks like the private sector is filling the void left by Eskom in a similar way to private airlines filling the gap left by the collapse of SAA. Lithium batteries through the roof Here’s another one. All this solar power needs to be stored, and demand for lithium batteries also went through the roof in 2022, with imports tripling compared to 2021. Economists at Trade and Industrial Policy Strategies say that South Africa imported a record R12 billion of lithium batteries in 2022. In the first quarter of 2023, we imported five times as many batteries as in the whole of 2022. The private sector is getting off the grid at a staggering rate. PwC says the strong increase in the number of jobs created over the past 12 months reflects a growing resilience of private companies to the negative impacts of loadshedding. Our digital wellbeing There’s more. Nowadays our quality of life is merging with our digital experience – think what it’s like if something happens to your phone or laptop. The Digital Quality of Life Index put out by Surfshark ranks us 72nd in the world in 2023 – not too bad, considering. This is an annual study that ranks 121 countries by their digital wellbeing, based on internet quality, internet affordability, e-security, e-infrastructure and e-government. A quiet revolution Among the study’s key findings are that we have the best digital quality of life in Africa, while our internet quality is 63rd in the world. At 70 Mbps, our mobile and fixed internet speed have improved by 30% since last year. We performed best in internet affordability, at 52nd in the world – despite what we might think. A gap in the market Here’s a different example − someone who saw a gap in the market and went for it. In News & Events we feature Manqoba Siya Gumede, who has written a field reference handbook on Industrial Instrumentation and Process Control. He is trained and qualified in instrumentation, and has been in the industry for 24 years. The book covers information compiled from academic references, plant and field manuals, and fieldwork experience. It contains practical information that can be used, regardless of academic level, and covers a very wide range of principles in electrical instrumentation and electronics. Manqoba says the aim is to simplify the daily life of a technical person in the field of industrial instrumentation. The book is ideal for instrument technicians, newly qualified engineers, municipal technical departments, lecturers at universities and colleges, and even ‘rusty personnel who need a refresher’. It contains helpful practical advice that cannot be found in the usual academic texts. As he says: “This book is for all”. A blast from the past SAIMC goes back a long way, and there are many colourful characters in its past. The council believes this history is worth preserving, and is looking for articles on interesting historical stories about people and events that shaped the automation industry over the years. There’s even a prize for the winning story. To kick this off we have a story from Ken Baker, a former president and long-time member of SAIMC, who shares his memories of his illustrious career and his time with SAIMC. Its a fascinating reminder of what it was like in the ‘good old days‘ and is worth a read. We have it online, and the link to the SAIMC website is in the CEO’s letter by Johan Maartens.

www.ifm.com/za WE SUPPORT WORLD FOOD MONTH Join the life threatening challenge! Water saving is crucial for food processing manufacturers as well, since it aligns with resource efficiency, sustainability, cost savings, climate change mitigation, and long-term viability. By reducing water usage and adopting water-efficient technologies, these manufacturers can contribute to building a more resilient and sustainable food system while also benefiting their operational bottom line.

NEWS & EVENTS 4 October 2023 www.instrumentation.co.za Drakenstein Municipality, situated in Paarl in the Western Cape, is one of the first distribution utilities globally to implement Schneider Electric’s green, SF6-free RM AirSeT switchgear with pure air technology and native digital connectivity. The project sees Drakenstein Municipality taking proactive steps towards alleviating the harmful greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions produced by SF6 gas found in traditional gas-insulated switchgear. It is 23 500 times more potent than CO2. The RM AirSeT pure air switchgear installation, enabled by its native connectivity, also forms part of Drakenstein Municipality’s upgrade of its 25 year old scada system to ETAP, a model-driven electrical scada software solution. The project is being rolled out in in partnership with Schneider Electric and system integrator partner, Altek. “We are extremely proud and excited to embark on this journey with Schneider Electric,” says Conrad Poole, executive mayor of Drakenstein Municipality. “Sustainability is in the DNA of our organisation and our community, and this project is a perfect fit for our sustainability vision and best practices. It underscores our ongoing commitment to excellent service delivery, while ensuring a sustainable future and protected environment for coming generations. Being an early adopter of this pioneering technology will enable us to share the lessons learnt with our peers. As the largest Western Cape municipality outside Cape Town, and one of the most financially sound, well-governed and stable municipalities in South Africa, we are honoured to now also be setting the pace in this regard.” “Drakenstein Municipality is undoubtedly leading the way in establishing a modern, digitised infrastructure that enables it to monitor equipment like the RM AirSeT switchgear remotely. This in turn allows for expanded network visibility, and preventive and proactive maintenance and problem solving,” explains Vladimir Milovanovic, vice president of Power Systems for Schneider Electric Anglophone Africa. “Furthermore, by implementing green technology such as our SF6-free switchgear, the municipality is undoubtedly showing its commitment to mitigating its environmental footprint, while benefiting from improved operational performance and efficiency.” The rollout of RM AirSeT is a part of Schneider’s Grids of the Future programme, and a milestone in in its progress towards producing a complete portfolio of SF6-free switchgear by 2025. The average lifespan Greener energy distribution of switchgear is between 30 and 40 years. Utilities therefore have a once in a generation opportunity to take action to avoid the risk of additional GHG emissions. By eliminating the use of SF6 gas in switchgear, the environmental footprint of electrical networks will be significantly reduced. Features of the RM AirSeT include: Protection against harsh environments: It is completely sealed from the external environment, which provides extra protection against the harsh conditions of grids, such as humidity or saltwater. The design makes it suitable for utilities and some industrial settings. Its compact footprint also enables it to be used for deployment in space-sensitive applications. Natively digital: It offers condition-based maintenance features, feeding data from its sensors to both local field tools and apps, and sophisticated analytics tools. These can be hosted either in the cloud using best of breed cybersecurity practices, or on premise. Management of more complex networks: It is equipped with the Easergy T300 Feeder Remote Terminal Unit, a modular, IoT-connected device for modern grid automation. This offers a single solution for 24/7 app-based condition monitoring, with controls to check the quality of power connections and identify and isolate faults in seconds, and self-healing capabilities for reduced downtime. Built to last: The advanced Schneider Electric-patented CompoDrive operating mechanism is reinforced to handle the increased switching requirements of a modern, decentralised grid. With ten times the mechanical endurance of conventional mechanisms, RM AirSeT has a lifespan of 40 years and 10 000 operations. Complete and flexible range of functions: It includes functions such as switch, switch-fuse, circuit breaker, and metering, with the freedom to combine them. Peace of mind for regulatory compliance: SF6 gas is a regulated fluorinated gas, which currently has special exemption for use in electrical distribution across many geographies. However, as alternatives become more readily available, various countries and territories are considering measures to restrict its use. Pure air offers ultimate transparency. For more information contact Schneider Electric South Africa, +27 11 254 6400, [email protected], www.se.com/za/en Seen at the launch, from left: Herman Rossouw, senior engineering technician; Jaco Bence, senior superintendent; Leon Laing, manager: planning and customer services at the Electrotechnical Engineering division at Drakenstein Municipality; and Jacques Visser, development manager, Schneider Electric.

NEWS & EVENTS www.instrumentation.co.za October 2023 5 Condition monitoring specialist, WearCheck recently opened its doors to its second laboratory in India – this one in Durgapur. This follows the success of its Chennai-based laboratory, which has operated successfully since 2010. The South Africa-based company has been recognised as a leader in the preventive maintenance sector across the African continent and beyond since 1976. It offers an extensive range of world-class condition monitoring services in 16 state-of-the-art laboratories in Africa, the Middle East and India. The new strategically-located laboratory addresses the growing demand for top-drawer condition monitoring services in the West Bengal region. As a major industrial hub, Durgapur is home to operations including manufacturing and power generation. The experienced and highly qualified WearCheck team is standing by to provide world-class condition monitoring services to Bengal’s mechanised sector. Plant maintenance in the West Bengal region is about to be WearCheck extends its footprint to second India lab revolutionised with speedy analysis and reporting through a wide range of condition monitoring services provided by the brand new Durgapur laboratory. WearCheck’s fundamental goals are to save time and money for its customers by ensuring that industrial machinery operates at peak performance with reduced maintenance costs. WearCheck services clients in sectors ranging from power generation and renewable energy to mining, fleet management, aviation, and maritime. The company’s core business is the scientific analysis of used oil, fuel and other fluids, whereby samples are analysed in the laboratory for trace particles, which indicate which component is suffering unusual wear patterns. This information is assessed by highly trained diagnosticians, who make recommendations on the required remedial action for the component in question. WearCheck’s diagnosticians have access to a huge database of information on performance trends for different machinery components − data which has been carefully collected and collated since the company’s inception over 45 years ago. Michael Brown’s Practical Process Control Training Courses and Loop Optimisation Services Cell: +27 (0)82 440 7790 Email: [email protected] Website: www.controlloop.co.za MICHAEL BROWN CONTROL ENGINEERING CC Courses: These well known courses are unique and invaluable to newcomers as well as experienced practitioners and process engineers in the field of industrial regulatory control optimisation. The courses offer a new and very practical approach to this subject, which very few people really understand properly. Courses are available on demand for six or more delegates and are suitable for instrumentation and control technicians and engineers, and for plant process engineers. Many chemical and mechanical engineers have attended the courses as well as metallurgists. Even people with many years of experience in this field have found the courses a real eye opener. Optimisation Services and Consulting: Michael Brown has had 35 years of experience in control loop optimisation, and in that time has successfully optimised controls in many different types of plants, including pulp and paper, power stations, chemical and petrochemical, oil, steel, mining and metallurgical recovery, cement, brewing, glass, dairy, food, and sugar, both in South Africa and many overseas countries. His work has proved invaluable to plants and has resulted in greatly improved performance and ROI. THE PART 1 COURSE IS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE VIA SELF STUDY AND ZOOM SESSIONS WearCheck managing director, Neil Robinson travelled to India to cut the ribbon of the new world-class WearCheck Durgapur laboratory. Pictured at the launch in Durgapur are WearCheck staffers from three countries. WearCheck regional managing director, Sundip More, outlines the concept of proactive maintenance: “By monitoring a component’s condition regularly over time, our scientific techniques provide reliable data which enables our diagnosticians to predict accurately whether and when that component will potentially fail. We identify a potential failure before it occurs and recommend a remedy. This way, catastrophic failure is avoided, thereby enhancing machine availability and performance. The repair work to the component can then be scheduled for a time that suits the work programme. Unplanned component failure can be extremely costly. With forewarning about potential component failure, our customers dodge unnecessary maintenance costs and maintain efficiency by upholding optimum production levels.” For more information contact WearCheck, +27 31 700 5460, [email protected], www.wearcheck.co.za

NEWS & EVENTS 6 October 2023 www.instrumentation.co.za EPLAN and Dassaults Systèmes have entered into a technology partnership as part of the EPLAN Partner Network, whereby both parties will be working on expanding the interface between EPLAN and the Dassault Systèmes 3DEXPERIENCE platform. The goal is seamless integration of electrical engineering and fluid power technology in the context of product development. The agreement was signed in Hanover, Germany by Dominic Kurtaz, managing director of Eurocentral, Dassault Systèmes, and Sebastian Seitz, CEO of EPLAN & Cideon. The partners will be contributing their expertise in the interests of their shared clients, thereby enabling companies to set up end-to-end digital development processes. Seitz explains: “With the bidirectional interface between the EPLAN Platform and the Dassault Systèmes 3DEXPERIENCE platform, we are increasing the process efficiencies of our common clients. When all systems are bidirectionally connected – ECAD, ERP and PDM for instance – users are working in a truly interdisciplinary manner, and thus much more efficiently.” Kurtaz adds: “The bidirectional interface simplifies numerous processes and creates new collaboration opportunities for our customers. We are therefore delighted to take this groundbreaking step together with EPLAN.” The partnership will be expanded in the coming months. Both companies are working in tandem to further optimise the interface – the PLM 3DEXPERIENCE Connector – and provide new solutions for digital product development in the cloud environment. A joint demonstration environment is also planned as part of the Engineering Collaboration Network at www.ecn-online. com, with videos and sample data in the PLM cloud environment and joint interaction on customer projects. The interaction of EPLAN and the 3DEXPERIENCE platform allows the data management processes for electrical EPLAN partners with Dassault Systèmes engineering and fluid power engineering to be automatically controlled. Access to the Dassault Systèmes cloud-based platform is available directly in EPLAN Electric P8 and EPLAN Fluid. For instance, components lists and bills of materials can be synchronised with just one click. For users of both platforms, automating routine processes makes everyday work even easier. Common operations such as searching for, finding and creating projects, checking in or out of them, or exporting EPLAN project pages into neutral formats are all carried out much more efficiently with the interface. Fast and easy document generation in particular will save users both time and effort. All that is needed to output in neutral formats is a checkmark when checking in. The neutral formats are then automatically linked to the associated EPLAN project. From left: CEO of EPLAN & Cideon, Sebastian Seitz, and managing director of Eurocentral, Dassault Systèmes, Dominic Kurtaz. EPLAN and the 3DEXPERIENCE platform have bidirectional communication. Checking into projects from EPLAN on the platform is automated, as is opening projects from the PLM system. Important descriptive PDM attributes, including information for the drawing header, can be added companywide in the 3DEXPERIENCE platform and are automatically available during the next checkout of the EPLAN project. Furthermore, the software supports traditional PDM functionality such as the approval or transfer of documentation to manufacturing. For more information contact Johan Reyneke, EPLAN Software & Service, +27 11 609 8294, [email protected], www.eplan.co.za

NEWS & EVENTS www.instrumentation.co.za October 2023 7 Advancements in applications like Chat GPT have fuelled a surge in interest surrounding Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI). However, while a lot of buzz is being driven in the consumer space, the B2B market for Gen AI remains largely untapped. This represents a huge opportunity for suppliers. ABI Research forecasts that Gen AI will generate $450 billion in B2B value by 2030. Generative Pretrained Transformer (GPT) applications like ChatGPT have ignited massive interest in Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) since late last year. So far, the opportunities for Gen AI have been constrained to the business-to- consumer (B2C) space, with the business-to-business (B2B) largely undefined. In the long run, Gen AI has a colossal impact on the B2B space, with ABI Research is forecasting it to contribute roughly $450 billion in value across various verticals by 2030, but several enterprise challenges are holding back adoption right now. The value of Gen AI is too great to pass up, from improved employee productivity, and operation efficiency to service augmentation and widespread automation. This whitepaper explores the potential revenue opportunities and roadblocks of Gen AI. Topics covered include: • What’s holding Gen AI back in the enterprise? • Why smaller, fine-tuned models are the future of generative AI. • Open-source vs closed-source models. • How suppliers, including those providing R&D, hardware, data services, ML service tools, application development, and enterprise services, can take advantage of the huge market opportunities. Gen AI for business-to-business To view the whitepaper visit www.instrumentation.co.za/ex/abi2.pdf

NEWS & EVENTS 8 October 2023 www.instrumentation.co.za This book covers information compiled from academic references, plant and field manuals, and fieldwork experience. It is not a textbook, nor can it be measured against any academic level or curriculum; but it contains useful practical information that can be used in the instrumentation and process control area, regardless of academic level. The book covers instrumentation, electrical and electronics principles. The wide range of principles covered includes level, pressure, flow, temperature, valves, switches, PLC, telemetry, fault-finding methods, programmable instruments, isolation procedures, speed, dust monitoring, consistency, analytical methods, weight and mass, indicators and displays, moisture and humidity, relays, PIDs, VSDs, terminology, converting tables, and more. It is divided into chapters that illustrate principles, topics and tasks, with examples of how each principle can be applied. Each chapter includes basic principles, typical drawings, Field reference handbook for instrumentation and process control Condition monitoring specialist WearCheck provides a range of predictive maintenance services to help extend the life of industrial machinery. These include the scientific analysis of used oil, coolant and other fluid, reliability solutions, transformer chemistry services, water analysis, lubricant-enabled reliability (LER) testing, and advanced field services. Juliané Strydom. WearCheck expands its skilled workforce diagrams or pictures of the principle, calibration procedures, and typical problems and solutions. It also gives tips and advice on fault finding in electronic instrumentation equipment. Recommendations on how to use equipment correctly in a particular application are also included. The aim is to simplify the daily life of a technical person in the field of industrial instrumentation. The book is ideal for: • Instrumentation apprentices. • Learnerships (instrumentation, electrical and mechanical). • Technicians or engineers newly qualified in the abovementioned fields. • Millwrights and process controllers (cross-trades). • Companies in mining, manufacturing, power, and municipal technical departments. • Lecturers at universities and colleges. • Individuals who need to understand how a certain instrument or electronic item works. • Rusty personnel who need a refresher. Let each of your artisans or technician have a copy in his or her tool bag or shelf. Even long-qualified artisans or technicians can use this book as a reference as it contains helpful practical advice that cannot be found in the usual academic texts. This book is for all. For more information contact Manqoba Siya Gumede, GUMCO Holdings, +27 83 672 6511, [email protected], www.gumcoholdings.co.za Siboniso Mathebula. Adel Pillay. Mike Du Preez. Yamkela Maganga. Prudence Mahlalela. Lynette Pillay. Loshini Govender. Technicians and scientists with specialised skills and training perform these services for the company, which is dedicated to providing a world-class condition monitoring programme. WearCheck conducts ongoing internal training and upskilling for promotion, and also recently brought in additional talent to ensure that its growing customer base continues to enjoy outstanding service. Here are some of the new appointments and promotions: • Siboniso Mathebula joined WearCheck as an instrumentation technician at its Durban laboratory. • Adel Pillay joined WearCheck as a laboratory technician – transformers, based in Durban. • Mike Du Preez joined WearCheck as the area agent for the Eastern Cape region, based in East London. • Yamkela Maganga was promoted to laboratory technician at WearCheck’s Cape Town laboratory. • Prudence Mahlalela was promoted to senior laboratory technician at the WearCheck Specialist Laboratory in Johannesburg. • Lynette Pillay was promoted to transformer laboratory supervisor at WearCheck’s Durban transformer laboratory. • Loshini Govender was promoted to transformer diagnostician for WearCheck’s transformers division in Johannesburg. • Juliané Strydom was promoted to national sales manager, based at WearCheck Johannesburg. For more information contact Wearcheck, +27 31 700 5460, [email protected], www.wearcheck.co.za

NEWS & EVENTS www.instrumentation.co.za October 2023 9 20 years of EtherCAT EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG) will be holding a series of exclusive breakfast seminars across the country at the end of October and will be celebrating ‘20 years of EtherCAT’. Further details are at www.ethercat.org/2023/southafrica. Here is executive director, Martin Rostan’s Q&A account of EtherCAT’s remarkable history. 20 years of EtherCAT: how did it actually start back then? Beckhoff had already launched the Lightbus in 1989, an optical fibre-based bus system for fast communication with input and output modules. The Lightbus had a transmission rate of 2,5 Mbit/s and already used the principle of processing on the fly. At the end of the nineties the next generation of this fibre optic technology, with a higher transmission rate, was developed. The project name was Fast Lightbus. At 50 Mbit/s, this would have been significantly faster, but somehow we felt that something was still missing. This came with the idea of linking the Lightbus principle with Ethernet. At that time, the use of Ethernet at the field level was just emerging, and this also fitted in well with the Beckhoff approach of using technologies from the IT world for automation technology, thus benefitting from the much larger IT market. After all, Beckhoff was the pioneer of PC-based control technology, which follows the same approach. What is special about the principle of processing on the fly? Instead of sending a telegram to each network node in each cycle, and receiving a telegram from each node, a single, correspondingly longer telegram is sent through all nodes and processed by them on the fly, almost without delay. Each node reads the output process data intended for it and inserts its input data into the same telegram. Since the network nodes have been informed beforehand where the respective process data is to be found in the frame, no node-related address information has to be carried along. Thus a bit remains a bit and does not become a whole frame. This is how we achieve maximum efficiency. Typically, over 90% of the entire telegram is used for process data. So the bandwidth is used the most efficiently; and since the same frame is used for input and output data, the available bandwidth can usually even be doubled. This is why EtherCAT achieves such high performance. EtherCAT is often referred to as the fastest fieldbus solution. Why is that so important? For every control engineer, it is obvious that shorter cycle times mean better control quality, and ultimately leads to better product quality. This applies not only to all applications with a motion control component, but also to measurement tasks. Thanks to PC-based controllers, computing power is no longer a bottleneck − the bus system is usually the limiting factor. For this reason, the performance of the bus system has also become increasingly important. Anyone who combines a control system that can handle cycle times in the sub-millisecond range with a bus system that cannot keep up, is doing something wrong. It is less obvious how applications with so-called transitions benefit from the shorter cycle time, thanks to EtherCAT, and thus from faster response times. The controller may wait only a few milliseconds at a time for a sensor signal confirming the arrival of the part or the reaching of the target position before moving on to the next process step; but reducing these small waiting times is worthwhile, and leads to measurably better efficiency and more machine throughput. That’s some sophisticated technical reasoning, do users go along with it? That’s right. With EtherCAT, we go much deeper into the technical arguments than are usual with most fieldbus organisations. That is exactly our approach − convince with convincing technology. This is what gives engineers particular pleasure. When we presented EtherCAT for the first time at the Hanover Fair in April 2003, we were not able to score points as a large user organisation, nor was Beckhoff yet one of the large suppliers of automation solutions whose technology practically spread on its own due to its market significance. So we explained the special features of our new technology and initially won over those users who were quickest to recognise the benefits of the exceptional performance of EtherCAT. Then you founded the EtherCAT Technology Group with them? Correct. Of the 33 founding members of the ETG, half were users, not manufacturers of automation systems, and they were usually considered to be technology leaders in their industry. In other words, they were companies that were used to convincing with convincing technology. Of course, it also helped to overcome the chicken-and-egg problem to start with users right away. The chicken-and-egg problem? Yes, that’s one of the challenges when introducing a new technology. The vendors Martin Rostan, executive director of the EtherCAT Technology Group. Continued on page 10

NEWS & EVENTS 10 October 2023 www.instrumentation.co.za only implement the technology when users ask for it; and users can only be won over when there are suppliers for the corresponding devices. Another challenge was that we did not have any cost-effective EtherCAT chips at the beginning, but had to work with FPGAs, which were still very expensive back then. An EtherCAT interface still cost a lot of money at that time. With the availability of the first EtherCAT ASICs in 2006 the problem was solved quickly. In the meantime, the chips are available from 13 different manufacturers and the interface costs are lower than those of classic fieldbus systems, not to mention other Industrial Ethernet solutions. With EtherCAT, a standard Ethernet port in the controller is sufficient, which has helped us a lot in spreading the technology. Speaking of popularity, on the occasion of 20 years of EtherCAT, the ETG has published figures for the first time, and they differ significantly from the known market studies. Why? This is because it’s the first time. We were previously reluctant to do so for two reasons. Initially, FPGA-based devices dominated, and we did not know their quantities. We could not yet count and leave out the modular devices, the EtherCAT terminals. After all, it would be misleading to count a modular I/O station with 50 electronic terminals as 50 EtherCAT nodes, even if these are actually 50 EtherCAT nodes. In the meantime, however, these bus terminals use special chips, and we assume the share of FPGA-based devices to be less than 10%, so that the fuzziness in their number does not matter. So we arrive at almost 60 million EtherCAT devices, without counting the bus terminals. That should mean market leadership. With over 7200 member companies, the ETG is also the world’s largest fieldbus association. How has this come about? While the technology and its user benefits are certainly in the foreground, the extraordinarily dedicated team of the EtherCAT Technology Group has contributed decisively to the success of EtherCAT. The tech team not only coordinates the technical working groups, writes specifications and represents EtherCAT in the various standardisation bodies, but above all supports our members in implementing the technology. This means tech support and workshops, and also regular interoperability meetings, so-called plugfests, which we hold worldwide. Our members highly appreciate the quality of our implementation support, and actively contribute to it through the very comprehensive developer forum in the members area of our website. The marketing team is equally committed to organising high-quality trade show booths and technology seminars, which we have now held in over 50 countries. At the beginning, I would not have thought that 1000 member companies would be possible, and so far the growth is still not slowing down. Meanwhile, almost 500 new member companies are added every year, which also shows how busy the membership administration is. Is this all organised from Germany? Although the headquarters of the EtherCAT Technology Group is in Germany, we have offices in China, Korea, Japan and the USA, which operate pretty independently and support the members locally. Over 3000 member companies from Asia show that EtherCAT is also a leader on this continent. With over 1000 members in the Americas, the ETG is the fieldbus association with the largest membership there as well. We are looking forward to the worldwide team finally coming together again soon to celebrate 20 years of the EtherCAT Technology Group in a proper way. But before that we will celebrate with the members. At the next meetings of the Technical and Marketing Committee there will be festive evenings. There is a lot to celebrate, and certainly special EtherCAT applications are part of it. Yes, of course some EtherCAT applications are particularly rewarding. For me, as a sailor, the high-tech yachts in the America’s Cup are among them, all of which use EtherCAT. I hope to make it to the regattas in Barcelona next year. And since I am an aerospace engineer, EtherCAT in space excites me. EtherCAT has already been used on the ISS and was selected for the robot arms on the Lunar Gateway space station. But EtherCAT also rides on tractors, and helps with the experiments that have won Nobel Prizes in physics. All this only because EtherCAT is so fast? No. The performance of EtherCAT is often highlighted, but our special Hans Beckhoff at Hanover Fair in 2003, explaining the EtherCAT technology at its first public appearance. Continued from page 9

NEWS & EVENTS www.instrumentation.co.za October 2023 11 functional principle has many more advantages. For example, we can automatically address the network nodes during startup, which greatly simplifies commissioning. We can synchronise the nodes with high precision, even without special hardware in the controller. EtherCAT users do not need any IT know-how or switches, and therefore do not have to buy, install and configure them, nor are they limited by cascaded switches. We can therefore create line topologies with almost any number of nodes − but not only the line, also branches, tree topologies and rings for line redundancy, and that without special redundancy nodes. We have built special diagnostic features into the EtherCAT chips that help us to not only reliably detect bit errors and even loose connectors, but even to localise them. All this saves a lot of time and money. So EtherCAT has a whole bundle of unique selling points, which makes it very easy for us to promote it. The other bus technologies are on your heels and are challenging your unique selling points with new versions. Gigabit and TSN are starting to arrive in the fieldbus market. Yes, the competition is trying very hard, and keeps inventing new versions to close the gap between us. With Gigabit and TSN technologies they try to catch up with our performance advantage. But anyone who can do the maths quickly realises that the EtherCAT functional principle cannot be beaten, even with Gigabit. EtherCAT will continue to perform better even at 100 Mbit/s, when realistic scenarios are compared. For applications that actually require more bandwidth, we have EtherCAT G in preparation. The beauty of our extension to higher bit rates is that it will not be a new version of EtherCAT, but an extension. The more robust 100 Mbit/s technology will not be replaced by EtherCAT G, but supplemented where the application requires more bandwidth. I assume that even in 15 years, 95% of the EtherCAT devices will use 100 Mbit/s. This maintains the stability of EtherCAT. We have always only enhanced EtherCAT, never changed it. This means that you can use a current EtherCAT device in a system from 2004 without any problems, while our competition keeps releasing new, even more complicated versions that are not downward compatible. How do you see the next 20 years for EtherCAT? Twenty years ago I boldly predicted that ten years later EtherCAT would be number two in the market. Another ten years later we are even further ahead. I don’t see any development that should change that. With EtherCAT G, we are enhancing our technology for application areas that require even more bandwidth, and we are making EtherCAT future-proof. When I look at the membership growth of the EtherCAT Technology Group, the end of the line is obviously far from being reached. For more information contact Martin Rostan, EtherCAT Technology Group, +49 911 540 5611, [email protected], www.ethercat.rocks

12 October 2023 www.instrumentation.co.za SAIMC NEWS Johan Maartens. National Members From the office of the CEO The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn: Alwin Toffler. From caveman to chatbot Yes, this month the heading is more formal because I have some news that I want to share with you. We are looking for articles that could earn the contributor some cash, while contributing to the preservation of interesting past events that shaped the automation industry through the years. After intensive research to find an appropriate title for this series (we asked ChatGPT), we agreed on From Caveman to Chatbot. Articles should encompass the following: • Main focus on how the industry has developed. • Secondary focus on the author’s role in the industry (interesting stories). • Something meaty – between 500 and 750 words. Chosen articles will be published online in the SAIMC’s official publication, South African Instrumentation and Control (I&C) magazine at www.instrumentation.co.za, in the SAIMC category, and in the online newsbrief. They will also be sent out in the regular SAIMC newsletter. The winning article will earn its author the Cuppa Award. Explanation: Cuppa is slang for ‘cuppachino’. A person might not be able to do a lot with R1000 nowadays, but they certainly can have a cup of coffee with a friend! The first contribution by Ken Baker is at http://www.instrumentation.co.za/20586r Category 1 CPD points We have decided that we need to make sure that our members are able to obtain those elusive CPD points in Category 1. After fruitful discussions with Jane van der Spuy and Kim Roberts, we decided to create a quiz every month from information contained in I&C magazine. This quiz could earn you one CPD point in Category 1, if you pass with 80% or more. Unfortunately, the national education pass rate of 30% does not apply. For each question there is a link to the relevant article in I&C. There is no time limit on the quiz, neither is there a limit on the amount of times that you may do the quiz. After successful completion, you will receive two emails, one with the results and the other with a link to download your certificate. You can then upload this certificate to the ECSA website to obtain ECSA’s recognition of the CPD points. The first two new quizzes are available on our website at www.saimc.co.za/quizzes/ thanks to the hard work of new I&C editor, Kim Roberts. Once logged in, from the Home page go to CPD events, and then CPD Online Quizzes, or otherwise just go to the link ‘Quizzes | SAIMC Africa’. More of these quizzes will be added every month, so please keep an eye on our official publication. Name change Since ECSA requested the SAIMC to participate in the formalising of the Computer Engineering discipline, and with the advent of MESA Africa in SAIMC, we will discuss a possible name change where the C for ‘Control’ will change to C for (industrial) ‘Computer Engineering’. End User Advisory Council I am calling on all C-Level managers within our field to contact me if you are interested in establishing the End User Advisory Council. I will invite successful applicants to the SAIMC 2026 Strategy Session to be held on Saturday 14 October 2023, where we will review the scope of all the advisory councils and the way forward for the SAIMC. The advisory council will form the backbone of a possible change in curriculum that caters for the needs of the MES/MOM industry. There is currently no path for a matriculant to enter MES/MOM, except by experience that is very difficult to come by. The lack of new entrants into this field does not serve our industries well, as they depend on this technology to fine-tune their processes. MESA The new MESA website is also now up and running at www.mesa-africa.org/about/. Many thanks to Jane Collett, who was instrumental in getting this website going again after the untimely passing of Gavin, who used to manage this website on behalf of MESA Africa. Yours in automation Johan Maartens.

www.instrumentation.co.za October 2023 13 SAIMC NEWS Branches Johannesburg: Jenine Jansen van Vuuren at [email protected]; Mobile: +27 63 204 5248 Cape Town: Hein Ries at [email protected]; Mobile: +27 73 351 2875 Durban: Mark Calvert at [email protected]; Mobile: +27 83 452 3181 Gqeberha: Prof. Theo van Niekerk at [email protected], Mobile: +27 82 440 8957 Richards Bay: Mervyn Govender at [email protected]; Mobile: +27 83 299 2260 Secunda: Lezahn Meiring at [email protected]; Mobile: +27 84 440 7787 Tshwane : Mark Taylor at [email protected]; Mobile: +27 61 769 3344 Vaal: John Phala at [email protected]; Mobile: +27 71 679 5076 Zambia: Andrew Sikwese at [email protected], Tel: +26 96 963 1008 Council: Ina at [email protected], Mobile: +27 82 440 8957, Tel: 08610 72462 (08610 SAIMC) The Durban branch of the SAIMC held its September technology meeting at the Premier Splendid Inn, as usual. Bryce Mildenhall, sales manager at Elonics discussed the evolution of industrial networks, and posed the very relevant question: Are you ready? The evening’s topic was ‘Building Future-proof Industrial Networks’, and its relevance and interest was borne out by the great attendance at the meeting. Bryce showed that with the rapid growth of IT/OT converged applications that introduce countless sensors and machines into industrial networks, it’s no longer just about whether devices are connected or not, but whether there is seamless transfer of data to the right place at the right time, with the necessary reliability to ensure continuous operation. Future-proof industrial network communication is the key to success in our converged, digital future. Bryce is a DUT graduate in computer systems engineering with over 13 years Durban branch Branch general manager, Mark Calvert thanking Bryce Mildenhall for his presentation. experience in industrial connectivity and automation solutions, so he was well qualified to present at the meeting. The Durban branch would like to extend its thanks to Elonics for the presentation and sponsorship of the evening.

14 October 2023 www.instrumentation.co.za AUTOMATION PROFESSIONALS Abacus Automation supplies innovative, custom-developed technical solutions using standard PLCs, drives, scada and motion control equipment and is Siemens approved for crane automation. With 23 years in the industry, this award-winning and internationally acclaimed company has highly qualified, experienced and professional staff. It operates out of offices in KwaZulu-Natal. Tel: +27 31 702 5767 [email protected] www.abacus-automation.co.za Abacus Automation Control Software Solutions - CSS Customer-centricity allows CSS to attain a high percentage of repeat business from its growing customer base. With a solid 17 years’experience in designing customised C&A solutions, CSS partners with customers in relationships thriving on information sharing and open communication enabling them to enhance customer operations. Supplier Certification provides customers with the assurance that the CSS team is completely up to date on current trends and technology as indicated by a number of prestigious awards. Tel: +27 31 914 0040 [email protected] www.cs-solutions.co.za Moore Process Controls Moore Process Controls provides process automation and optimisation solutions to realise the maximum potential of your plant and assets. Its offerings include DCS, PLC, scada, compressor control solutions, MES, production management and predictive maintenance systems, control loop optimisation, alarm and energy management systems, plant security and access management systems, Matrikon OPC, OSi Soft, dashboards and historians, wireless and data solutions including digital twin, process simulators and training simulators and cloud-based IIoT solutions. Tel: +27 11 466 1673 [email protected] www.moore.co.za Consulting engineers, system integrators & project houses EHL Consulting Engineers offers comprehensive C&I services across all industries including control system design, software development and system integration; legacy system upgrades and replacements; process automation and optimisation; and IS and SIL services. Tel: +27 11 370 7400 [email protected] [email protected] www.ehl.co.za EHL Consulting Engineers Autotronix is a recognised leader in industrial automation design and implementation having attained its ISO 9001 certification. Autotronix offers its clients turnkey control system integration services for energy management, PLC/HMI/scada/VSD, manufacture of control panels, applications for water distribution and manufacturing. The company operates from offices in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. Tel: +27 31 705 0400 or +27 16 422 7644 [email protected] www.autotronix.co.za Autotronix Iritron is a new millennium technology company providing quality solutions in the fields of electrical instrumentation and control systems engineering, MES systems integration and simulations. It has a proven ability to manage projects efficiently and produce high quality results. It has an extensive track record of successfully implementing plant infrastructure reticulation, designs, and automation and information systems. Iritron, a TUV accredited ISO 9001:2015; ISO 14001:1015 and ISO 45001:2018 as well as a GAMP®5: A Risk-Based Approach to Compliant technology company, can offer its clients PLC, DCS, MES and scada software and hardware, as well as electrical and instrumentation design, engineering, project management and commissioning services. Tel: +27 12 349 2919 [email protected] www.iritron.co.za Iritron

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