The June technology meeting for the Durban branch of the SAIMC was held as usual at the Premier Splendid Inn in Pinetown. An intrigued audience listened attentively whilst Dhilkash Bahadur from ifm took everyone through his presentation on the evolution of vision systems and how it is shaping the next (fifth) industrial revolution.
Dhilkash posted the challenge of imagining what the future holds for humans in an ever-evolving world of machines and factories, asking how much more and how much further will digitalisation and automation go? He looked at where we started, how we got here, and what possibilities the future holds, and showed how camera technology is the next step to unlocking the untapped potential of the fifth industrial revolution.
He ended his presentation with the thought: The future is bright … the speed of light-bright!
Dhilkash Bahadur qualified at Sappi Kraft as an instrument mechanician in 2008. In 2010 he moved to Dunlop Tyres as an instrument technician and then subsequently climbed the ladder to the electronics and automation department as a senior electronics technician. In 2014 he moved to ifm. He has an N6 diploma in instrumentation and was well qualified to present here.
The SAIMC would like to thank Dhilkash and ifm for their kind sponsorship of this evening and the very informative presentation.
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...From the office of the CEO: Introduction to GRIP SAIMC
SAIMC
Industry has long been concerned about graduates who have no understanding of the modern equipment they will face in industry. This has triggered an investigation into the possibility of creating a facility whereby graduates register with the SAIMC and rotate through all the vendors to obtain experience on modern equipment.
Read more...SAIMC: Durban branch SAIMC
SAIMC
The SAIMC Durban Branch hosted a technology meeting featuring a presentation by Abacus Automation on the practical role of AI in industrial automation, drawing considerable interest from attendees.
Read more...SAIMC: Johannesburg branch SAIMC
SAIMC
Instrotech recently hosted a technical presentation on load cell technology and applications at the SAIMC Johannesburg Technology Evening, presented by Trevor Salzwedel. The session covered load cell fundamentals, selection and installation, mechanical considerations and calibration methods.
Read more...SAIMC: Johannesburg Golf Day SAIMC
SAIMC
The SAIMC Johannesburg Golf Day on 22 May 2026 brought together 16 four-balls for a day of golf, networking and fundraising, with generous support from sponsors across the instrumentation and control sector.
Read more...SAIMC: Johannesburg branch SAIMC
SAIMC
The Johannesburg Branch had the privilege of being hosted by Phoenix Contact for our technology event in May. Shamil Surbun, BU manager for Automation, presented a CPD-accredited session on ‘From Sensor to Cloud: How SPE and APL Are Transforming Industrial Connectivity’.
Read more...From the office of the CEO: Power Hour goes national SAIMC
SAIMC
South Africa’s automation, control, mechatronics and computer engineering community is changing fast, and the SAIMC is changing with it. I am excited to announce a new national initiative that will reshape how we deliver technical knowledge, strengthen branch identity and bring our community together like never before.
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 and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.
From left: Dhilkash Bahadur, ifm; Mark Calvert, Durban branch general manager.
printer friendly version