Imitation: the sincerest form of flattery
January 2004
News
Many countries in the Far East are known to copy the world's leading brands of products, such as very well known watches, sportswear, movies and computer software. At first, KAB Instruments, a South African manufacturer of ultrasonic level measurement products, was in shock after attending its latest exhibition in the Far East.
After a few days of exhibiting KAB's range of products, the managing director of KAB decided to take a walk around the Exhibition Hall and have a look at some other products. He then noticed, from a distance, a Shorti ultrasonic level transmitter on one of the exhibitor's stands. He presumed that one of KAB's international agents or distributors must be displaying KAB's Shorti ultrasonic level transmitter. On closer inspection, he noticed that it was not manufactured by KAB Instruments, and was in fact, a copy. The copy 'Shorti' was larger than the original Shorti, and the faceplate sticker and colour of the housing was different from KAB's original Shorti (see picture: the original Shorti is green). Upon investigation, it was discovered that a company in the Far East was making a copy version of KAB Instruments 'Shorti'.
After the shock, anger and frustration, KAB Instruments has actually taken this as a compliment. Why? Even though the copy version does not have the technology and reliability of the 'original' Shorti, it is a compliment, because the East is known to copy all the leading and most famous world brand products. Shorti is a brand name for KAB Instruments' short range of compact, low cost ultrasonic level transmitters. They are available as 2-wire loop powered, 3-wire auxiliary powered with 4 to 20 mA output, and 110/220 V a.c. powered with configurable relay output.
For more information contact Rudi Tuffek, KAB Instruments, 011 435 5380, www.kabinstruments.com
Further reading:
Helping mines get results from water improvements
News
South African mines operate under constrained, water-scarce conditions where every investment must be justified. Xylem’s Chetan Mistry explains how the right water technology partner helps mines prioritise high-value water systems across the mining lifecycle.
Read more...
From solar to water, onsite plants are the next big industrial resilience shift
News
South African industrial operators who secured their energy supply with onsite solar generation now face the same imperative with water. Robert Erasmus of Sanitech argues that onsite water treatment is the next essential pillar of business continuity.
Read more...
From the editor's desk: Pushing engineering to the limit
Technews Publishing
News
Among the many things robots can do, it’s a lot of fun to follow how fast they are. They go from the Boston Dynamics cheetah, which first reached a record-breaking speed of 45,5 km/h, to the robot Charlie
...
Read more...
Schneider Electric concludes Innovation Summit Middle East and Africa
Schneider Electric South Africa
News
Schneider Electric's Innovation Summit Middle East and Africa, held in Abu Dhabi with more than 2500 attendees, explored the convergence of energy, AI and industrial software, launched an Industrial AI study and announced the NEST Accelerator Programme for energy and industrial tech startups.
Read more...
VEGA brings measurement expertise beyond mining to Electra Mining Africa 2026
VEGA Controls SA
News
VEGA used its Electra Mining Africa 2026 stand to demonstrate that its level and pressure measurement instruments extend well beyond mining, covering water, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and oil and gas applications across the continent.
Read more...
Sustainable solutions for sugar
Bearing Man Group t/a BMG
News
BMG received a Special Commendation Exhibition Stand Award at the South African Sugar Technologists’ Association Congress, where it showcased an integrated turnkey drive solution designed to simplify the upgrading of ageing crushing-mill drive systems.
Read more...
Measure, Manage, Maintain: The operating model behind SA’s water resilience
Siemens South Africa
News
South Africa’s growing water crisis is putting pressure on infrastructure, municipalities and the economy. Siemens highlights how digital technologies, smarter operations and safe water reuse could help shift the country from crisis response towards a more resilient and sustainable water future.
Read more...
VEGA brings measurement expertise beyond mining to Electra Mining Africa 2026
VEGA Controls SA
News
VEGA used its Electra Mining Africa 2026 stand to demonstrate that its level and pressure measurement instruments extend well beyond mining, covering water, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and oil and gas applications across the continent.
Read more...
Schneider Electric concludes Innovation Summit Middle East and Africa
Schneider Electric South Africa
News
Schneider Electric’s Innovation Summit Middle East and Africa, held in Abu Dhabi with more than 2500 attendees, explored the convergence of energy, AI and industrial software, launched an Industrial AI study and announced the NEST Accelerator Programme.
Read more...
RX Africa and Messe Muenchen India join forces to strengthen business platforms in Africa
RX Africa
News
Messe Muenchen India has announced a strategic partnership with RX Africa to strengthen the scale, reach and market impact of its premier co-located trade fairs, analytica Lab Africa and IFAT Africa, ahead of their 2027 editions.
Read more...
printer friendly version