At its March Technology Evening, the Johannesburg branch hosted Mike O’Neill from Expo Technologies, England, who presented on ‘Ex P type protection for the process industry’.
Eric Carter (right) presents Mike O’Neill his certificate after the presentation.
Ex p can protect many systems that are difficult to cover with Ex d or Ex e type of explosion protection. Applications suitable to Ex p protection are control, panels, switch gear, motors, generators analysers and shelters. The basic principle includes purging the enclosure to displace any gases present. The enclosure may then have a small flow (leakage compensation) or a large continuous flow to ensure it remains pressurised to prevent ingress of external atmosphere. The various Ex p methods are static pressurisation, where the enclosure is purged, pressurised and sealed; leak compensation, where the enclosure is purged and pressurised then switched to small flow to top up any leaks; and finally continuous flow where the enclosure is purged and pressurised and the purge flow continues.
The three types of Ex p covered were, Ex pz (zone 2 manual) and Ex px (Zone 1 which requires some automation), and Ex py (zone 1 – manual). Mike covered some practical limits, minimum requirements and IEC and NFPA standards governing Ex p protection, pneumatic and electronic timers, enclosure types, typical alarms, certification, as well as advantages and selection criteria of Ex p and smart purge.
The branch thanks Mike O’Neill for his valued and informative presentation.
Johan Maartens (right) handing over the coffee machine won by DR Shorer at the SAIMC rebranding lucky draw.
Committee for 2014
The branch also elected the following committee members to serve for the 2014 financial year: Eric Carter (chairman), Alvin Seitz (treasurer), Dave Robinson (site visit coordination), Andrew Bharath (media liaison), Roxanne Bredenkamp (secretary), Mike Banda, Debbie Scott, Gary Friend and Jay King.
The following site visits are planned for the course of the year:
* Unilever.
* 3M.
* Sedibeng Brewery.
* AST.
Technology evenings are envisaged by the following companies:
* Beckhoff Automation.
* Phoenix Contact.
* Endress+Hauser.
* Robor.
The branch will be hosting its annual golf day in August – formal invite to follow soon.
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.
Read more...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.
Read more...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.
Read more...SAIMC: Eastern Cape branch SAIMC
SAIMC
The SAIMC Eastern Cape Branch co-hosted a satellite viewing site for ICRA 2026 at Nelson Mandela University, giving postgraduate students, academics and local industry professionals access to premier international robotics and automation keynote sessions.
Read more...SAIMC: Johannesburg Technology Evening SAIMC
SAIMC
The SAIMC Johannesburg Branch July Technology Evening, hosted by WIKA Instruments, covered key level measurement technologies and featured live product demonstrations from area sales manager Anthony Terblanche.
Read more...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.
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