The topic for the July Technology Evening as presented by Ralph White from ifm electronic on the topic ‘Condition monitoring vibration analysis’, loosely referred to as condition based monitoring (CBM). To date this has to be one of the most technical presentations and provided a significant amount of ‘theory’ along with principles such as Fast Fourier Transformation (FFT) used to monitor and protect against unbalance, misalignment, etc. Some of the advantages of vibration monitoring include advanced defects warning, condition assessment (for improvement e.g. lower energy consumption, etc.) resulting in cost savings due to extended machine life, reduced maintenance (e.g. not simply scheduled but based on condition) and reduced unplanned downtime.
The relation of different types of vibrations, as monitored using frequency, indicate the presence of different types of faults. For example, running speed vibration and its harmonics are used to indicate alignment/unbalance, while the different types of synchronisation vibration e.g. (synchronous, non-synchronous, sub-synchronous) indicate for instance vane pass, electrical defects and V-belt wear. High frequency vibration indicates lubrication issues. More information on this informative topic is available.
Events and site visits
7 September – Technology Evening – Internet of Things (IDX).
30 September – SAIMC National Gala Dinner – Room Five, Rivonia.
5 October – Technology Evening – Bloodhound SCC Project (Swagelok).
SAIMC Zambia SAIMC
SAIMC News
SAIMC Zambia marked its 21st anniversary with the annual SAIMC Banquet, held on 29 November 2025 at Mukwa Lodge in Kitwe, Zambia.
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The SAIMC Durban Branch closed off its 2025 technology meetings with an exceptionally well-attended session on selecting and applying signal transducers.
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The SAIMC Durban branch hosted its much-anticipated annual year-end dinner at the Mount Edgecombe Country Club on 22 November 2025. Durban’s summer weather provided the perfect backdrop for a warm, ...
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At the Durban branch of the SAIMC held in October, Mitch Naidoo took the attendees on an interesting journey on Asset Health Management: Tracking The Pulse Of Your Plant.
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At the Durban branch of the SAIMC held in October, Mitch Naidoo took the attendees on an interesting journey on Asset Health Management: Tracking The Pulse Of Your Plant.
Read more...SAIMC: Johannesburg branch SAIMC
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The SAIMC Johannesburg Branch technical evening was hosted by Proconics Advanced Solutions. The topic of the session was ‘Turning Big 3D Data into Actionable Engineering Insights – Challenges and Smart Solutions’.
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October 2025 marked a pivotal moment for the South African automation and manufacturing community as the SAIMC User Advisory Council hosted its first annual summit under the SAIMC banner.
Read more...SAIMC: Johannesburg
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The Johannesburg Branch of the SAIMC hosted a successful Technology Evening on 10 September. The event was well attended and generously sponsored by Phoenix Contact.
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