The world today is witnessing a new dawn for digital transformation that will require manufacturers to rethink their existing business models and industrial automation infrastructure. To remain relevant and competitive in the age of “Industry 4.0”, manufacturers need to do more than simply adopt digital technologies and deploy predefined processes in isolated islands of automation […]
Industry 4.0 benefits are primarily driven by a data-driven strategy, the theory being that the more data you have, the better decisions can be made that positively affect your business. Data, in the traditional industrial sense, is driven mainly by automatic sensors that read “stuff” and is made available to a control system driven by […]
Mining is an important economic driver of South Africa’s economy, yet political instability on how the sector should move forward has slowed down the development and implementation of new technology and has affected the revitalisation of the industry. With the creation of the Nelson Mandala Mining Precinct at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research […]
Interoperability, by design, allows separate systems to interact seamlessly. This lends itself to the core idea of Ethernet: following the plug-and-play principle, devices made by different manufacturers should work together in a problem-free manner. As one of the factors leading to the success of the technology, interoperability is extremely important for the EtherCAT Industrial Ethernet […]
Although digitisation is an undeniable trend, regular inspection rounds with a defined maintenance plan will continue to be an integral part of plant monitoring and maintenance. Clear and easily legible/scannable markings are essential for these inspections. The identification systems in many old plants are in dire need of modernisation. By modernising, companies can pave the […]
Air conditioner-based cooling is widely used in hot countries for outdoor shelters housing control and instrumentation equipment. Passive cooling techniques provide an interesting alternative, and the market for these has grown substantially during recent years. A further innovation in this area – “hybrid” cooling – is now extending the advantages of this approach and the […]
Asset management is a critical issue for any organisation. It not only involves substantial capital investment in a comprehensive list of items that are regarded as non-negotiable tools of business success, but also imposes strictly-enforced and measurable corporate governance and risk management compliance requirements that are subject to specific reporting and auditing procedures. The company’s […]
Whether they know it or not, everyone has used RFID at some point in their lives. The first radio transponders used during World War II kicked off the development of this branch of technology. Through constant evolution, it has since grown to include today’s commonplace radio frequency identification (RDIF) activated ID cards and key fobs. […]
If South Africa is to compete globally as a location for manufacturing, new concepts are needed to optimise the efficiency of industrial production. In view of the progress made in automation and artificial intelligence, a well-established and improved interaction between man and machine could help to ensure high economic standards and productivity. A promising model […]
There is little doubt that autonomous vehicles, more commonly known as self-driving cars, are set to be transformational. The market alone is set to reach roughly $42-billion by 2025 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) projected at 21% until 2030. Not only will this disruption be immense, giving birth to new types of businesses, […]
