Cape Town Branch
December 2004
SAIMC
There was great interest recently with the presentation of the Matrix Controller VSD. Will Law of Varispeed Jhb kindly presented an extract from a paper previously presented at a Jhb Conference. Will explained the concept of the Matrix controller and noted that the design/concept had been known of for some time.
Yaskawa in Japan has taken this concept and turned it into reality by producing 200 prototype 22 kW Matrix Controller Drives. Will explained the advantages of the design and the benefits when a total solution is considered (The Matrix Controller all but alleviates the need for a number of chokes, filters and regen resistors).
We were extremely fortunate to have one of these drives in CT powered up and running as part of the meeting and thanks must go to Yaskawa Japan.
Huge thanks also go out to Ian Robertson and Rory Pentz (amongst others) of Cape Technikon who gave us fantastic support and assistance for the evening. These guys helped organise the venue, catering, power and test equipment! (What else was there?)
Rory Pentz of Cape Technikon
With the help of Cape Technikon, we were able to show (live) the drive harmonics, input and output waveforms as proof of the Matrix Controller effectiveness. Tony Woodford of Varispeed CT provided some insight and thoughts of the new drive's probable applications and expected delivery of production models.
Another great topic coming up at the end of January
We will be discussing UPS Technology on Thursday, 27 January 2005 and we will be back at our normal venue of the Eskom Technology Centre in Edgemead. This promises to be a great evening and a great start to the New Year's Professional Development Program.
Derwyn Oxley, derwyn@iafrica.com
Further reading:
SAIMC: From the office of the COO
SAIMC
SAIMC
The recognition of mechatronics and computer engineering has created both an opportunity and a responsibility. Recognition means little without participation, professional registration without professional conduct, and technical knowledge without the mentorship, implementation and measurable value that industry needs.
Read more...
SAIMC: Johannesburg branch
SAIMC
SAIMC
Hendrik Spies of SICK Automation Southern Africa presented at the SAIMC Johannesburg Technology Evening on 12 August 2026, covering the digital journey from condition monitoring to predictive maintenance.
Read more...
SAIMC: Johannesburg branch: Distilled to perfection: Women’s Month gin experience
SAIMC
SAIMC
The SAIMC Johannesburg branch celebrated Ladies Month with a gin tasting event.
Read more...
SAIMC: Durban branch
SAIMC
SAIMC
The SAIMC Durban branch hosted S’yabonga Langa, systems performance engineer at eThekwini Electricity, who presented on applying substation automation to improve operational efficiency and service quality in modern power distribution networks.
Read more...
SAIMC INSPIRE conference extends abstract submission deadline
SAIMC
SAIMC News
Following requests from our sponsors, the SAIMC INSPIRE conference has officially extended the abstract submission deadline to 28 August 2026.
Read more...
SAIMC: From the office of the COO
SAIMC
SAIMC
Recognising practical engineering talent is a missing link in the South Africa’s skills pipeline.
Read more...
SAIMC: Durban Technology Evening
SAIMC
SAIMC
The SAIMC Durban branch hosted a Technology Evening on mobile machine automation.
Read more...
SAIMC: Eastern Cape branch
SAIMC
SAIMC
The SAIMC Eastern Cape Branch co-hosted a satellite viewing site for ICRA 2026 at Nelson Mandela University, giving postgraduate students, academics and local industry professionals access to premier international robotics and automation keynote sessions.
Read more...
SAIMC: Johannesburg Technology Evening
SAIMC
SAIMC
The SAIMC Johannesburg Branch July Technology Evening, hosted by WIKA Instruments, covered key level measurement technologies and featured live product demonstrations from area sales manager Anthony Terblanche.
Read more...
International robotics conference streams live to Africa
SAIMC
The SAIMC hosted five live-stream viewing events across South Africa for the IEEE International Conference of Robotics and Automation in Vienna, bringing global robotics research and technology directly to local industry and academia.
Read more...
printer friendly version