SAIMC: Johannesburg Branch
April 2002
SAIMC
There was a saying in the Air Force of years ago that sounded something like this: "Daar is konfussie in die Ranke" (There is confusion in the ranks). The squadron drill sergeant would normally utter this when nobody knew what was expected of them. The same could be said of the Johannesburg Branch with the election of our new Chairman for 2002: Our new Chairman 'assumed' that the previous Chairman would be taking care of the monthly Branch News, and vice versa. This reciprocal assumption was responsible for the lack of news from Johannesburg for the past two months, but thankfully we have now sorted this out.
Branch of the Year 2001
They actually did it; Secunda Branch managed to upstage their parent branch by taking the contest with a two-point margin, to become the youngest branch ever to win this competition. It was done through commitment, dedication and sheer passion for the Institute, and our congratulations go out to Piet and his crew for a job well done.
As far as we know, the scores from Johannesburg and Secunda were also the highest ever. So far they hold the record for the quickest conversion from Sub-Branch to full Branch status (one year), and now also the quickest to Branch of the Year. What is next, we wonder?
Database
There are still a lot of our members out there who do not receive monthly invites and Branch information; if we do not have your e-mail address you will not hear from us. Please send your information to the address below in order for us to reach you. I sometimes wonder if anybody ever reads this column, everybody who reads this and sends us an e-mail in response, can come to our next meeting for FREE beer, FREE snacks and the best conversation this side of the Jukskei.
Council matters
The Johannesburg Branch is represented by two Committee members on Council this year; Cornu Perold, our Chairman, is the Honourary Treasurer and Johan Steyn, our Vice Chairman has been elected Vice President Council. The President for 2002 is Graeme Bell, Managing Editor of this publication.
Branch activities
As usual, our monthly branch meetings are held every second Wednesday of every month, except December, at the Rivonia Country Club in Achter Road, Rivonia. Topics and the programme for the evening are sent out the previous week via e-mail. Bookings for the first of our two Golf days are also now open, please contact Warren Mitchell at [email protected]
Johan Steyn, Vice Chairman, SAIMC Johannesburg
[email protected]
Further reading:
International robotics conference streams live to Africa
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SAIMC: Durban branch
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SAIMC: Johannesburg branch
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Instrotech recently hosted a technical presentation on load cell technology and applications at the SAIMC Johannesburg Technology Evening, presented by Trevor Salzwedel. The session covered load cell fundamentals, selection and installation, mechanical considerations and calibration methods.
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SAIMC: Johannesburg Golf Day
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The SAIMC Johannesburg Golf Day on 22 May 2026 brought together 16 four-balls for a day of golf, networking and fundraising, with generous support from sponsors across the instrumentation and control sector.
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SAIMC to exhibit at Electra Mining Africa 2026
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The SAIMC International INSPIRE Conference 2026 will be held on 14 and 15 October 2026
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SAIMC’s International INSPIRE Conference
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The SAIMC International INSPIRE Conference 2026 will be held on 14 and 15 October 2026.
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Knowledge Sharing for Industry: SAIMC’s June 2026 event
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SAIMC will host a technical presentation focused on an important challenge facing modern industry, tracking and tracing across increasingly complex supply chains.
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SAIMC: Johannesburg branch
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The Johannesburg Branch had the privilege of being hosted by Phoenix Contact for our technology event in May. Shamil Surbun, BU manager for Automation, presented a CPD-accredited session on ‘From Sensor to Cloud: How SPE and APL Are Transforming Industrial Connectivity’.
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From the office of the CEO: Power Hour goes national
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South Africa’s automation, control, mechatronics and computer engineering community is changing fast, and the SAIMC is changing with it. I am excited to announce a new national initiative that will reshape how we deliver technical knowledge, strengthen branch identity and bring our community together like never before.
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