Meetings
November was a busy month for the committee as we held our second golf day, a site visit to Eskom TSI and a year-end function where 50 of us joined forces and went to the State Theatre to watch the latest ballet performance of the South African Ballet Theatre, The Nutcracker.
The Johannesburg branch has had a productive year and has had lots of fun at the same time.
On 9 February, we will kick off with our AGM that will be held at the Rivonia country club. This is your opportunity to elect and vote in the new committee for 2005 so please make a note of this date. Members of our National Council will be present and will award fellow membership certificates to nominated members who have rendered many years of dedicated service to the SAIMC.
Site visit feedback
A special site visit was arranged by us for our members and their invited guests to the South African Airways Flight Simulator at Johannesburg International Airport. We were able to fly a Boeing 747-400 and an Airbus A-380. The simulation of flight with detailed graphics and with G-forces throwing you from side to side, the take-off from JHB International airport, flying through adverse weather conditions and eventually the successful landing at Cape Town were so realistic that when we stepped out of the simulator we believed that we would have a long walk back to Gauteng. The only complaint was the lack of the friendly airhostesses that are normally encountered on an SAA flight.
We thank Jan van Wyk for hosting this visit and SAA for their generosity in allowing us this opportunity.
Eskom Calibration and Verification Centre for flow pressure and temperature
In conjunction with the Secunda Branch, we arranged an exclusive technical visit to this facility that has the largest accredited flow rig in the southern hemisphere. This National Calibration Standards accredited facility with its 28 m tower and diverter system is capable of reaching flow rates as low as 60 and up to 120 000 litres per hour with line sizes from 15 to 900 mm. It has both NCS and SANAS certification for both volume and mass flow. Eskom has two volume vessels of 200 and 5000 litres and two mass tanks of 50 and 200 tons. The water storage reservoir holds 23 megalitres of water, which can be circulated by any one of seven pumps connected to a manifold and valve arrangement depending on the test requirements. The pressure and temperature laboratories are fully equipped with traceable deadweight testers and electronic read out equipment.
On behalf of the committee, we would like to wish you all a safe and happy festive season.
Chairman, Johan van Jaarsveldt, johan.vanjaarsveldt@za.endress.com
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