SAIMC


Johannesburg branch

September 2011 SAIMC

At the latest Johannesburg branch Technology Evening, Ralph Hauselmann from Buhler shared his views on the future of automation.

Ralph Hauselmann receives the SAIMC presenters’ certificate from Alvin Seitz
Ralph Hauselmann receives the SAIMC presenters’ certificate from Alvin Seitz

Historically, the PLC was designed to replace relay-logic targeting the digital control environment while the DCS targeted the analogue control environment. Over time these technologies converged and took on attributes of each other; both can now execute analogue and digital control and have settled into their respective markets dictated primarily by the client.

Schneider award: Debbie Scott looks on while Johan Grobler congratulates Tjego Thejane from the University of Pretoria on receiving the Schneider Electric /SAIMC award for best student in instrumentation and control
Schneider award: Debbie Scott looks on while Johan Grobler congratulates Tjego Thejane from the University of Pretoria on receiving the Schneider Electric /SAIMC award for best student in instrumentation and control

According to Ralf, future growth will not come from these technologies, but from decentralised embedded controls. Industrial automation will lean towards nanotechnology and with nanotech wireless sensors (microscopic, low-power, relatively low-cost, multifunction sensors), which will measure almost everything. Coupled with the power and flexibility of the Internet, machine to machine networking and programming with complex adaptive controls and with multiprocessing systems will be achieved.

The presentation ended with a demonstration that illustrated the subject matter.



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