Mervyn Gans (right) thanked by branch chairman Howard Lister.
The March Technology Evening was held at the Durban Country Club and this month’s speaker was Mervyn Gans of Engen Refinery. His topic was: Functional Safety Systems for Instrumentation and Safety Integrity Level (SIL) Determination. The evening generated much interest and attracted record attendance.
Mervyn is well known to many Durban branch members and we were very pleased to host him. He graduated from the University of Natal in 1971 and holds a B.Sc. Eng (Elec) and M.Sc. Eng (Elec) and is also a certified functional safety professional. He is a senior member of the SAIMC and SAIEE and a member of the IET, and with nearly 40 years experience in the industry he was well qualified to talk to us.
It was during his time at Conlog that his interest in safety aspects came to the fore when he introduced the FSC (fail safe control) system into South Africa. This was subsequently taken over by Honeywell when Anglo American sold off the Conlog Systems Division. In 1997 he started the Systems Integration company Autotronix and then in 2002 he went back to his love of safety by engineering as lead engineer at Honeywell Safety Systems. He is currently principal IPF engineer at Engen Refinery and is responsible for all the IPF systems throughout Engen.
Mervyn gave a simplified (but really interesting) guide that provided members with an understanding of the basic principles of all aspects that are vital for the proper design and maintenance of all instrumentation that is used to protect lives, equipment and the environment.
SAIMC: Johannesburg
SAIMC
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.
Read more...SAIMC: Durban branch SAIMC
SAIMC
At SAIMC Durban’s October Technology Evening, Nico Erasmus delivered a thought-provoking presentation on a topic close to every automation professional’s heart: PLC and Drive Manufacturer Generational Hardware - UpGrades, UpGates or UpRates?
Read more...SAIMC: Johannesburg branch SAIMC
SAIMC
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.
Read more...Why ECSA matters SAIMC
SAIMC
I always knew I had to register as a Professional Engineer. Then I opened the registration guidelines.
Read more...SAIMC: From the office of the COO: Enabling AI-ready manufacturing in South Africa SAIMC
SAIMC
Last month, I wrote about the ethical use of AI in our daily lives. This month, I want to explore two concepts, backed by different architectures and technologies, that can assist our manufacturing facilities to exponentially increase the pace of their digital transformation.
Read more...SAIMC: Johannesburg branch SAIMC
SAIMC
The SAIMC Johannesburg branch hosted its June Technology Evening at the Bryanston Sports Club, where attendees explored a topic beyond the usual scope of process automation.
Read more...SAIMC: Zambia branch
SAIMC
SAIMC Zambia recently facilitated an industrial visit to the Zamefa Cable Manufacturing Company in Luanshya for twenty automation students from Sinozam. The visit gave students valuable exposure to the advanced technology used in copper and aluminium cable production.
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