A new smart and safe way to monitor powertrain equipment in hazardous areas

Operators can carry out remote real-time health checks on powertrain equipment in hazardous areas with  ABB Ability™ Smart Sensors that offer improved analytics, functionality and communications.  ABB will launch its Smart Sensor for rotating machines operating in hazardous areas at Hannover Messe 2020, the leading international technology fair.   It further extends the existing scope of applications for ABB Smart Sensors with a new generation design for powertrains in hazardous areas. Chemical and oil and gas customers can now benefit from cost-efficient condition monitoring in a wide variety of applications. …

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145 Years After Jules Verne Dreamed Up a Hydrogen Future, It Has Arrived

Verne wrote of a world where “water will one day be employed as fuel, that hydrogen and oxygen which constitute it, used singly or together, will furnish an inexhaustible source of heat and light, of an intensity of which coal is not capable”.

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LOCALISATION OF MANUFACTURING KEY UPLIFT SA

Viren Gosai is General Manager at ARTsolar – an SA Solar PV manufacturer & engineering procurement and construction organisation. SA Solar PV manufacturer & engineering procurement and construction organisation.As South Africans, we have always been resilient and faced almost insurmountable situations – and we overcame! But today, we face new challenges, and if they remain unresolved they may just result in irreversible consequences – like our declining manufacturing industry! Globally accepted opinion on the resuscitation of an economy is that the internal manufacturing sector is a crucial contributor. Sadly, our…

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The advantages of a rubber lined pump for wet sand applications

Mark Doyle, Global Product Manager for Linatex® Rubber, looks at the process of pumping fine aggregates and explains why rubber is the most suitable wear material for this application. The construction aggregate industry transports slurry in various forms, from fine sand to coarse aggregate. Fine particle sand can be extremely abrasive and often rapidly wear down a slurry pump. The properties of coarse aggregates that can affect the performance of the pump are size, shape and surface texture, and gradation of particle sizes, with fine materials developing excessive friction in…

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SAISC Steel Awards – a huge success, but what now for the rest of industry?

On 10 October this year, some 900 people attended the South African Institute of Steel Construction’s (SAISC’S) annual Steel Awards held at three venues simultaneously in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town. And they were well rewarded for their attendance as this year they were treated to a record number of highly innovative entries. What is more, the Steel Awards enjoyed unprecedented sponsor support while the entries themselves with the most diverse seen to date. The range of building types entered was compendious and the quality and of the innovation brought…

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Managing complex supply chains with automation and innovation

The world has drastically changed for discrete manufacturing, and only now are many organisations realising that they haven’t driven sufficient innovation in their supply chains to respond to these challenges. If asked “what do you feel is the biggest threat to manufacturing organisations in 2019?”, you might suggest any of the following: The increased need for product customisations More pressure than ever to get to market faster than the competition The logistics challenge of global supply chains It’s becoming very real for a lot of manufacturers, with rising prices for…

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SAISC Steel Awards – what makes a good Steel Awards entry?

The 2019 South African Institute of Steel Construction (SAISC) Steel Awards were an unmitigated success with a record number of entries, a record level of sponsorship and an unprecedented diversity of entries. However, the question that has to be raised is what makes an entry strong for this key event on the local steel industry’s calendar. “The first thing we are looking for is the innovative use of steel in construction – and this year’s entries were characterised by particularly high levels of innovation,” says SAISC Technical Director Amanuel Gebremeskel.…

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The changing face of digital payments

JOHANNESBURG – Around the world there is growing, collective consensus that digital disruptions will continue as old ways of doing business are fast being ditched, and new ways are being adapted across industries. Industries such transport, accommodation, print media, television and dining, have all seen disruptions that were not really expected to take off at such speed two decades ago. Now these industries are playing catch up, with some winning and others struggling to keep their heads above the water. What has been noteworthy is the advent of the democratisation…

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Drones could help overcome the poor transport infrastructure in Africa

CAPE TOWN – Drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) could help to overcome poor transport infrastructure, as only one-third of Africans live within 2 kilometers of an all-weather road. Making sure that the remaining two-thirds have access to decent roads will cost more than $50 billion (R736.4bn) and take several years, which is why Africa has been a pioneer in using drones for peaceful civilian use. Timothy Reuter, Head of Aerospace and Drones at the World Economic Forum was part of a panel discussion on unleashing the drone economy at…

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What’s trending? Manufacturing trends for 2019

In 2018, KFC ran out of chicken, we sent a car into space and we all had to decide if we heard Yanny or Laurel in an audio clip. As we start a new year, we have a lot to look forward to, particularly in manufacturing. Each new year brings new technologies and processes to increase digitalisation and improve our results. Here are three areas of manufacturing that could trend in 2019. In 2018, manufacturers have focused on implementing Industry 4.0 technologies including, automation, Internet of Things (IoT) devices and sophisticated software…

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