Field reference handbook for instrumentation and process control
October 2023
News
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, 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.
Further reading:
RS South Africa shapes future engineering talent
RS South Africa
News
RS South Africa is demonstrating that nurturing future engineers goes beyond traditional classrooms or competitions. On STEM Day, the company shone a light on the full spectrum of its educational initiatives.
Read more...
ABB and Compu-Power bring high-efficiency UPS innovation to IS3 X-Change 2025
News
ABB recently participated in the 31st annual IS
3X-Change 2025 in Cape Town, alongside its long-standing channel partner Compu-Power.
Read more...
UKZN’s SMART lab wins aviation award
News
: The SMART Lab at UKZN was awarded first place in the Aviation Research and Development category at the Civil Aviation Authority of South Africa’s award ceremony for outstanding contributions and achievements in the aviation sector.
Read more...
Meta and partners announce completion of 2Africa subsea cable system
News
Meta, in partnership with leading global and regional telecommunications companies, has announced the completion and activation of the core 2Africa subsea cable system. This marks a historic milestone in digital infrastructure, establishing what the world’s longest open-access subsea cable system.
Read more...
RS South Africa retains Level 2 B-BBEE status
RS South Africa
News
RS South Africa has once again achieved Level 2 B-BBEE verification.
Read more...
SEW-EURODRIVE unveils world class facility in Gqeberha
News
In a landmark event in the Eastern Cape attended by key customers and industry leaders, SEW-EURODRIVE officially opened its expanded state-of-the-art facility in Gqeberha, marking a major milestone in its strategy to strengthen regional support and deepen its footprint in the region.
Read more...
Africa’s brightest young battery innovators
Schneider Electric South Africa
News
Schneider Electric and Enactus, the international NGO dedicated to inspiring students through entrepreneurial action, have announced the winners of the 2025 Energy Transition Battery Innovation Challenge, funded by the Schneider Electric Foundation. It empowers young innovators to design battery solutions addressing the region’s most pressing energy challenges.
Read more...
Africa’s strategic role in powering the global clean energy future
News
The 2026 Africa Energy Indaba is to spotlight Africa’s mineral wealth, industrialisation potential and the urgent need for sustainable value chain development.
Read more...
The road to the Indaba
News
The Africa Automation Indaba 2026 is set to become a landmark gathering for Africa’s automation, process control and manufacturing community.
SA Instrumentation and Control will be running a dedicated editorial series spotlighting the voices, ideas and debates shaping Africa’s industrial future.
Read more...
Crash reconstruction tests advance vehicle safety research
News
The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Scientific Multidisciplinary Advanced Research Technologies (SMART) Lab recently participated in a series of collaborative crash reconstruction tests held at the Toyota Test Track.
Read more...