Electricity and Control June 2020

FEATURES: · Industry4.0+ IIoT · Energymanagement+ the industrial environment

· Measurement+ instrumentation · Transformers, substations+ cables

COMMENT

Is there opportunity in a time of crisis?

energy + information in industry

EC June 2020 cover.indd 1

5/28/2020 1:30:01PM

I have had contact with many of our colleagues ‘in industry’. The phrase itself is an interesting one at these times, isn’t it? This what I hear: much of our economy is stagnant and unquestionably struggling. It seems large swathes of various industries are in this predicament – and I have no doubt that it is terrifying. Others are saying they are overwhelmingly busy – and hardly touching ground. This, by the way, does not necessarily translate into making any profits. But they are busy. What is particularly interesting is to see how some industries have been able to capitalise on the circumstances. And that is good. In an area in which I am very closely involved, for instance, online education has become a necessary reality for many learners in this country. Such reorientation of an enterprise may well be providing a temporary solution to a crisis – but at the same time we see announcements for the launch of new, exclusively online schools, for example. The message here is that nothing will ever be the same again. And surely that does provide opportunity. In a previous comment I observed how the online circulation of this magazine went from a few hundred in January, to almost five thousand now – a reaction to the reality of the environment we find ourselves in. Will we print again? Of course! And we are. But the online circulation is now verging on being at the peak of our highest print run. I recognise that many of us will never fully appreciate the trauma, the angst, and the anger experienced by so many whose businesses have been irreparably damaged by this situation. I guess we were all wrong when we predicted where we would be at this point in this year, weren’t we? But some interesting things have emerged. I have been fortunate to have been party to a number of discussions in this regard, with colleagues all over the globe. Prior to this pandemic there was always a certain scepticism about meeting where you were not eyeball-to-eyeball and shaking hands – and so on. On that first flight to Cape Town or Durban for a one-

hour mid-morning meeting, and possibly a site visit. Now we are attending meetings with international colleagues, viewing issues on a plant through the lens of an onsite colleague – and speaking on equal terms. It seems the fact one cannot attend the site meeting (on site, after a flight or a few hours’ drive…) is no longer a problem – we simply join the meeting and we interact. The meeting could be in California, Edinburgh or Freiburg – and on we go. Another issue that emerges is the role of local industry – and the essential need to be able to supply and serve local industry. I fully accept that goods may well be moved about internationally – but we see interesting possibilities emerging locally too. Those greenhouse gases are way down; nature is taking over in some areas again – yet we know we can turn that back almost instantly. Will we be comfortable doing that? I suspect more folk than before will be questioning this. Should we be revisiting where we manufacture, and from where we serve industry? My suspicion is that some things will evolve using digital transformation, and others will have to be reconsidered based on the fact that – seriously – things will never be the same again. Somewhere in this, I see a renewed opportunity for local – and regional – manufacturers. Let’s see how things return to a new ‘normal’…

Greater safety, lower maintenance require- ments and reduced energy consumption are factors driving the popularity of dry-type transformers in Africa, according to local specialist Trafo Power Solutions. (Read more on page 3).

Editor: Leigh Darroll Design & Layout: Adél JvR Bothma Advertising Managers: Helen Couvaras, Heidi Jandrell Circulation: Karen Smith EditorialTechnical Director: Ian Jandrell Publisher: Karen Grant Deputy Publisher: Wilhelm du Plessis

Circulation: Quarter 1 (Jan – Mar) 2020 Total print circulation: 4 139

Published monthly by: Crown Publications (Pty) Ltd Cnr Theunis and Sovereign Sts, Bedford Gardens, PO Box 140, Bedfordview 2008 Printed by: Tandym Print Telephone: +27 (0) 11 622 4770 E-mail: e-mail: ec@crown.co.za; admin@crown.co.za Website: www.crown.co.za www.electricityandcontrolmagazine.co.za

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Publisher of the year 2018 (Trade Publications)

Electricity+Control is supported by

Ian Jandrell PrEng IntPE(SA), BSc(Eng) GDE PhD, FSAAE FSAIEE SMIEEE

Electricity + Control JUNE 2020

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The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher, the editor, SAAEs, SAEE, CESA or the Copper Development Association Africa