The branch has decided to sponsor three R5 000 awards per semester, one each at UKZN, DUT and MUT, with the aim of promoting automation and control engineering by rewarding outstanding work. The first of these was recently awarded to MUT student, Sthokozo Mthembu, in recognition of the fulfilment of requirements for Design Project 3 in his final year before entering industry.
Sthokozo thanked his lecturer and mentor, Professor Ralph Naidoo before giving some background on the project itself. The focus when finalising the detail was to benefit the blind people in the community by helping them to navigate to their desired destination safely and efficiently. The system notifies the person of any danger/obstacles in their path, keeping them safe while facilitating their independent mobility. In the case of an emergency, the user can call a cell number or send their GPS coordinates to a family member or friend by simply pushing a button, to receive immediate assistance.
We wish Sthokozo all the very best with what promises to be an exciting career!
The August technology evening was held on Wednesday 1 August, as usual at the Durban Country Club. Rob Wright, managing director of RJ Connect presented on the pertinent topic of cloud connectivity and helped members understand the requirements and processes involved in connecting IIoT devices to the cloud. At the same time he explored the latest technologies including MQTT and OPC UA interfaces into Microsoft Azure and Amazon AWS. The highlight of the presentation was a live demonstration and some practical examples of exactly how easy it was to connect to the cloud.
The branch thanks RJ Connect for its generous sponsorship of the evening.
Hennie Prinsloo (right) thanks Rob Wright after the presentation.
MESA Africa Summit has been expanded and rebranded SAIMC Supplier Advisory Council
SAIMC
We are writing to share some exciting developments regarding the evolution of the MESA Africa Summit, which has been a cornerstone event in industrial automation and manufacturing excellence.
Read more...How to claim CPD points SAIMC Supplier Advisory Council
SAIMC
SAIMC makes it possible for you to claim CPD points for attending courses and technical meetings, or completing an online quiz on a SA Instrumentation & Control magazine.
Read more...SAIMC: From the office of the CEO:Slaughtering AI holy cows SAIMC
SAIMC
A couple of sessions at various dealers, a wrong delivery, a failed holiday plan, a two-week unplanned vacation and 32 kg of steel on the back seat awaited us as we left South Africa on a dream holiday. But let me start at the beginning.
Read more...SAIMC: Secunda branch SAIMC
SAIMC
At the most recent SAIMC Secunda technical evening, Jenine Jansen van Vuuren, sales account manager from Comtest Technologies, gave a presentation on the calibration of process instruments.
Read more...SAIMC: Durban branch SAIMC
SAIMC
The Durban branch of the SAIMC held its October technology meeting, not on the first Wednesday of the month as usual, but on the second Wednesday to accommodate the very interesting presenter, Nico Erasmus from Abacus Automation.
Read more...SAIMC: Johannesburg branch SAIMC
SAIMC
The October Technology Evening was hosted by Pepperl+Fuchs. Patience Moila, the enterprise mobility expert for sub-Saharan Africa, presented on ‘Lone Worker Protection for the Mobile worker 4.0’.
Read more...SAIMC: It’s not black and white SAIMC
Editor's Choice SAIMC
Grey imports are a problem worldwide, not least in the automation industry in South Africa. The Supplier Advisory Council (SAC) operates under the umbrella of SAIMC, and is tackling this problem head-on.
Read more...How to claim CPD points SAIMC Supplier Advisory Council
SAIMC
SAIMC makes it possible for you to claim CPD points for attending courses and technical meetings, or completing an online quiz on a SA Instrumentation & Control magazine.
Read more...SAIMC: From the office of the CEO: The real damage of fake news SAIMC
SAIMC
People depend on accurate information and their own reasoning and belief systems to draw conclusions or make decisions. However, when they are inundated with fake news, the reliability of the information they receive is compromised.