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, […]
At industrial trade shows around the world, the predominant theme is Industry 4.0. Although Industry 4.0 still has not scaled up to cover a significant percentage of manufacturing setups, its vision of near-total automation – and the promise of resulting cost savings – has clearly captured the industry’s imagination. More importantly, even though the “lights […]
In the manufacturing arena, people and machines tend to have a symbiotic relationship – they depend upon each other for their performance and for future improvements. People are increasingly making better machines – most recently through the use of affordable and innovative automation solutions, based upon more powerful hardware and software. These enhanced machines in […]
No one is better at being human than humans. But robots beg to differ… ask Harish Natarajan, the world record holder for debate competition victories. In February this year, Harish faced the most unique and unpredictable opponent he had ever encountered – Miss Debater, IBM’s six-year-old artificial intelligence (AI) system. While Harish may have had […]
Automated and flexible production processes are the answer to increasing quantities, smaller batch sizes, and high production speeds. Automated guided vehicle (AGV) systems and their smaller relatives, automated guided carts (AGCs), were once mainly the preserve of production logistics in the automotive industry. Now, they are poised to conquer the world of intralogistics processes in […]
