Johannesburg branch
November 2005
SAIMC
What is the Box that we are encouraged to think out of? Be it a box or bag, it is a constriction of our thinking normally associated with fear, greed or education.
At the Johannesburg branch of the SAIMC, we make it easier for our members to pull something out of the bag by engendering a spirit of companionship, and providing technical stimuli that will help them to formulate new ideas. This month we are going to discuss electrical capacitance tomography (be careful saying this, you may injure your tongue). This is a technique for measuring and displaying the permittivity distribution of a mixture of dielectric fluids inside a closed pipe or vessel. If only two materials are present, ECT can be used for measuring the concentration distribution of the fluid mixture. This development could make the possibility of measuring multiphase flow with credible accuracy a possibility. This is something very new and not yet available commercially. (Permittivity is a measure of the ability of a non-conducting material to retain electric energy when placed in an electric field.)
Branch activities are continuing well, we have a full schedule of topics for discussion at our monthly meetings, and the Summer Golf Day is a reality thanks to Jan van Wyk and team. This is a busy time for members of the various committees and council, but be assured, the interests of our industry are being attentively observed. All office bearers within the SAIMC need commendation for their voluntary contributions.
Please remember, to be able to provide you with the benefits that the SAIMC provide, you need to keep us informed regarding the changes in your details. Just e-mail these changes to [email protected].
Vivian MacFadyen, Johannesburg branch chairman, [email protected]
Further reading:
SAIMC: From the office of the CEO
SAIMC
SAIMC
The INSPIRE Conference 2026 brought industry and academia together to explore advances in automation, AI, mechatronics and engineering. It also marked a new direction for the SAIMC as it works to build future-ready engineering talent and strengthen South Africa’s automation industry.
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SAIMC Durban takes to the skies
SAIMC
SAIMC
SAIMC Durban members went behind the scenes at the ATNS facility at King Shaka International Airport. The visit offered a fascinating look at the sophisticated technology and highly trained people keeping South Africa’s skies safe.
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SAIMC: Durban branch
SAIMC
SAIMC
At the SAIMC Durban branch September 2026 technology meeting, Werner Das of SICK explored how deep learning is moving industrial machine vision beyond rule-based systems into practical, everyday quality control on the factory floor.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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SAIMC INSPIRE 2026 brings together industry, robotics and research
SAIMC
The inaugural SAIMC INSPIRE Conference will bring together the industrial automation, robotics and academic communities for two days of presentations, panel discussions and networking, and will explore developments in smart manufacturing, mining, robotics
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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.
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SAIMC: From the office of the COO
SAIMC
SAIMC
Recognising practical engineering talent is a missing link in the South Africa’s skills pipeline.
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