Frikkie van Zyl and Piet van Huyssteen gave an enlightening presentation at the last Durban branch technology evening. Both were members of the team from North West University who won the 2008 Siemens and Festo sponsored Cyber Junkyard competition.
Frikkie van Zyl and Piet van Huyssteen from North West University seen with SAIMC Durban chairman, Vinesh Maharaj (right), at the recent technology evening
The two gave an interested audience the opportunity to share in some of the ‘behind the scenes’ problems that have to be solved when the objective is to design and build an automated beverage machine – the theme for this year’s competition. The machine had to accept orders from a remote station, make coffee by mixing the ingredients in the specified amounts, and complete the order by delivering the cups back to the remote station using a transportation vehicle. An added complexity was the requirement to cater for batches up to nine cups.
The award-winning design incorporated a variable speed drive, access points, S7-200 PLCs, touch-screen panels and numerous I/O modules all from Siemens. The pneumatic equipment and associated moving parts were supplied courtesy Festo.
Richards Bay
The first Technology evening of the newly resurrected Richards Bay sub-branch of the SAIMC was held on 27 May at the Fleur de Lis Guesthouse in Meerensee. There was an enthusiastic turnout which augers well for future meetings and everybody found Carl Reinecke’s presentation: ‘Earthing for instrumentation – applied witchcraft or engineering’ most interesting.
Peter Molokoane (centre), whose efforts have been responsible for the resurrection of the sub-branch, seen here with presenter Carl Reinecke and Kevin McElroy (right) of the Durban branch
The Richards Bay technology evenings will be held on the last Thursday of each month. Interested parties will be notified by e-mail in advance with details of the presentation. All queries can be addressed to Peter Molokoane on +27 (0)78 804 4771, [email protected]
Durban branch
At the next Durban branch technology evening on 5 August, the Schneider Electric team will be presenting a case study encompassing energy management on the 2010 stadiums.
The team consists of Cindy Montague who will present on the 2010 stadium case study and Geoff Gregson who will be talking about energy efficiency and management issues.
“Schneider Solutions provide a comprehensive suite of building management software, a complete range of controllers, communication devices and field devices and can manage all facilities from one central system. Coordinated control across all industrial and commercial facility systems would enable one to achieve the required energy savings.”
Venue: University of KwaZulu-Natal, Howard College campus, Room G-01, Faculty of Electrical Engineering
Digitise what matters and leverage
SAIMC
SAIMC has been invited to partner with technology leaders 4Sight and NextGenOpX for a one-day industry event aimed at unlocking the full value of OT investments in the mining sector.
Read more...Bridging the digital gap in industrial systems SAIMC Supplier Advisory Council
SAIMC
Industrial engineers, digital transformation leaders, and operations managers are invited to an exclusive knowledge-sharing event designed to tackle the complexities of digitising large-scale systems.
Read more...SAIMC Johannesburg branch SAIMC
SAIMC
The SAIMC Johannesburg branch recently hosted the June Technology Evening. The presentation covered HVAC systems through the lens of instrumentation, highlighting how sensor technologies form the backbone of effective monitoring and control, allowing for effective energy efficiency.
Read more...SAIMC Durban branch SAIMC
SAIMC
The SAIMC Durban Branch hosted its latest technology meeting on 4 June.The event drew a strong turnout, highlighting the keen interest in the topic ‘Understanding Level Measurement: Contact vs Non-Contact Methods’.
Read more...SAIMC at KITE 2025
SAIMC
The Society for Automation, Instrumentation, Mechatronics and Control Engineering (SAIMC) invites you to connect with us at the KwaZulu-Natal Industrial Technology Exhibition (KITE) from Tuesday 22 to Thursday 24 July 2025.
Read more...SAIMC User Advisory Council annual summit SAIMC Supplier Advisory Council
SAIMC
The SAIMC User Advisory Council is proud to present the 2025 Annual Summit, formerly known as the MESA Africa Summit. The theme is ‘Mining and manufacturing in South Africa: SMART operations in a disruptive world economy’.
Read more...SAIMC: Durban branch SAIMC
SAIMC
The Durban branch of the SAIMC was pleased to welcome Vusi Sithole, managing member of Hybrid Control Corporation in Richards Bay, who presented\on the very pertinent topic of ‘Infrastructure monitoring and control for water loss management’.
Read more...SAIMC: Sunshine, swings and smiles: Durban Golf Day hits a high note Technews Publishing (SA Instrumentation & Control)
SAIMC
We say it every year, and we’ll say it again: May in Durban is hard to beat; but 9 May, when the Durban Golf Day teed off at Kloof Country Club, was something else. With sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 20s, it was a fantastic day, full of fun and great energy.
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.
printer friendly version