Electricity + Control October 2019

DIARY DATES

Africa Oil & Power 9-11 October 2019

Cape Town International Convention Centre, Cape Town Africa Oil & Power is the continent’s premier conference platform for energy investment and policy. With a series of energy events, AOP brings together ministers, senior government officials and top executives of private sector companies spanning the energy value chain. Enquiries: visit: https://africaoilandpower.com/event/ aop-2019/ Future Energy Nigeria 12-13 November 2019, Eko Hotel & Suites, Lagos, Nigeria The leading power and energy conference and trade expo in Nigeria. Enquiries: visit www.future-energy-nigeria.com or Tel. +27 (0)21 700 3500

H MS Networks, a leading independent supplier of solutions for industrial communication and the Industrial Internet of Things, has released a white paper which presents the findings from research it conducted in industry regarding the prospect of 5G connectivity and its potential in industrial communication. HMS Networks surveyed 50 international industry professionals in early 2019 to find out about the positioning of wireless communication in their companies and how they are preparing for the launch of 5G. The white paper titled 5G: Is the industry ready? presents the results of the survey and provides insight into the current situation in the manufacturing industry in terms of 5G preparedness. It provides an overview of the industry’s opinions towards 5G technology as an emerging trend and future standard in the manufacturing and industrial automation sectors. It also touches on the use of wireless technologies in industry today and future directions of this technology. The research shows, among other things, that more than half of the industry professionals surveyed are positive about 5G in manufacturing and see it as a way to achieve universal connectivity. Key findings • More than half (54%) of those interviewed indicated that they were using wireless communication solutions for remote monitoring and remote operation of assets. One third of the respondents (34%) stated that their companies were using wireless communication for different kinds of IIoT. • Half of the respondents (48%) were clearly positive about 5G in manufacturing: they mostly appreciated that the technology will replace cables, unreliable Wi-Fi, and the many industrial standards in use today. • For the majority (58%) of the respondents, the reliability and robustness of wireless systems plays a decisive role in whether to adopt 5G or not, and this was voiced equally by representatives of OT and IT. Low latency was noted as important by more than a quarter (26%) of the respondents. “The survey clearly showed that the manufacturing and automation industry is becoming increasingly aware of 5G benefits for industrial communication. What is really needed is technical information and practical examples,” says Marcela Alzin, Program Manager at HMS Labs at HMS Networks, who conducted the research. “This is why I created a fictional model of a typical OT professional and his attitude towards 5G – to help us better understand the situation in the market.” HMS Networks is headquartered in Halmstad, Sweden, and operates globally as a leading supplier of industrial communication and IIoT solutions. It develops and manufactures products under the Anybus ® , Ixxat ® and Ewon ® brands and communication solutions for building automation are offered through its subsidiary Intesis. HMS development and manufacturing operations take place at its premises in Halmstad and other facilities. The company also has local sales and support offices in a number of European countries, the UK, USA, Japan, China, Singapore, South Korea and the UAE, as well as a worldwide network of distributors and partners.

MESA Africa Conference 14-15 November 2019

Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association (MESA) Africa will hold its 11th annual conference this year, themed: 2020 Vision and focusing on The digital enterprise: people, productivity & profitability. Enquiries: visit http://www.mesa-africa.org/ or email marketing@mesa-africa.org

SAEEC Conference 14-15 November 2019, Farm Inn, Silver Lakes, Pretoria

The 14 th annual conference of the SAEEC (South African Energy Efficiency Confederation) will focus on five key themes: Strategies for environmental change, Energy nexus links, Sustainable generation and distribution, the 4th Industrial Revolution and energy, and the business of energy. Enquiries: Franki McKechnie, Tel. +27 (0)63 235 8031, or email: admin@saee.org.za 17 th ICUE Conference 25-27 November 2019 UCT Graduate School Conference Centre, Cape Town The African and International Use of Energy Conference will look at the productive use of energy as a strategic resource by an ever- expanding market in the industrial and business sectors and explore energy solutions for the cities of the 4th Industrial Revolution. Enquiries: Tel. +27 (0)21 959 4330, or email: icue@aiue. co.za or ICUE@cput.ac.za The 1 st SAIEE (South African Institute of Electrical Engineers) national conference, themed Engineering an Africa for the Future, will focus on Connectivity and Communication in Africa. Enquiries: visit http://saiee-conference.co.za Beckhoff Product Training 2019 TwinCAT 3 and TwinCAT 2 training courses, monthly, to November 2019 Beckhoff Automation offers training for its system components such as TwinCAT 2, TwinCAT 3, IPCs, Embedded PCs, I/O and Motion products. The 3-day training courses are run at Beckhoff Training Centres in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Durban. Enquiries: Visit www.beckhoff.co.za or email training@beckhoff.co.za 1st SAIEE National Conference 27-29 November 2019 Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg

For more information visit www.hms-networks.com

HMS Networks’ recent research indicates that leading players in the manufacturing and automation industry view 5G positively.

44 Electricity + Control

OCTOBER 2019