On Thursday 2nd November the Secunda branch held its last technology evening for 2017 at the Honeywell Hub in Secunda. Hennie Grobler from Yokogawa presented on the topic ‘PLC versus DCS’. He highlighted some interesting facts regarding the programmable logic controller (PLC). The first PLC was developed by General Motors, in order to simplify the automotive manufacturing process. A distributed control system (DCS) is a combination of a field control system and a supervisory control and data acquisition (scada) system. When it comes to choosing between installing a PLC or a DCS it is important to ask the following seven questions:
1. What are you manufacturing and how?
2. What is the value of the product and the cost of downtime?
3. What do you view as the heart of the system?
4. What does the operator need to be successful?
5. What system performance is required?
6. What degree of customisation is required?
7. What are your engineering expectations?
Answering these questions shows that the application or type of process will ultimately be the deciding factor in choosing between a PLC or DCS for process control. We would like to thank Hennie for an excellent presentation.
Annemarie van Coller, vice president.
All instrumentation and control related artisans, technicians and engineers are welcome to attend our monthly technology events in 2018. The planned dates for 2018 will be communicated in January 2018. All Secunda SAIMC presentations will earn CPD points for ECSA registered persons and any enquiries can be directed to the branch chairman Johan Maritz at [email protected] or 082 856 3865.
On a personal note, the Secunda SAIMC branch would like to congratulate committee member, Annemarie van Coller on being elected as vice president of the SAIMC council. We are extremely proud of her and know that she will make a big success of this opportunity.
SAIMC: From the office of the COO: Ethical and practical use of AI SAIMC
SAIMC
In this day and age, we all have access to AI tools. A lot of people claim that if you are not using AI tools in your daily job today you are falling behind. But would it be ethical to use AI tools to write an article per day and sign my name to it?
Read more...SAIMC: Durban branch SAIMC
SAIMC
The Durban branch of the SAIMC held its July technology meeting at the familiar Premier Splendid Hotel, drawing a strong turnout of industry professionals.
Read more...SAIMC: Johannesburg branch SAIMC
SAIMC
The SAIMC Johannesburg branch recently hosted the July Technology Evening at the Bryanston Sports Club.
Read more...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’.
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