Electricity and Control May 2022

COMMENT

INDUSTRY 4.0 + IIOT

energy + information in industry

M y previous comment featured a con versation around our energy envi ronment and, based on the feedback I received, it is apparent that many people are considering their options with regard to securing their own energy future. But more than that: they are also thinking deeply about ensuring that we subscribe to a far more sustainable future with regard to our energy usage and its source. Some of the feedback was profound, and I will focus on that in a forthcoming comment. For now I welcome you to another new edition of Electricity + Control packed full of useful information on a variety of topics, including Control Systems and Automation; Drives, Motors and Switchgear; Sensors and Switches; Plant Maintenance, Test and Measurement. Clearly, these are all essen tial topics in the context of modern indus try – and specifically as we work towards increased efficiency in each and every as pect of what we do. I trust you will find the articles informa tive. Regarding the publishing of an article, authors and contributors often ask us what the focus or purpose of the article should be. They seem to face a general sense of, ‘surely everyone knows about this’. What is important to remember, as an author (and as a reader), is that technical magazines like Electricity + Control share information that may revise our understand ing of specific fields or technologies, or alert us to new developments, new projects and particular applications. We find ourselves in a rapidly develop ing technological age – often referred to as It’s essential to keep learning

With electricity prices increasing rap idly, the justification for adopting more efficient motors becomes that much stronger. Higher-efficiency motors save costs over the longer term. (Read more on page 3.)

the age of digital transformation – where new and innovative solutions are hitting the marketplace at an incredible pace. It is essential that each of us is able to properly assess the benefit of any particu lar solution in our own environments. Each plant is different, and many have invest ed heavily in legacy systems. How we go about upgrading and improving each and every aspect of the process therefore re quires a very astute appreciation of what those options are, and what the pitfalls of each may be. There is of course a more fundamen tal reason for reading and writing articles in this magazine: we all need refreshers of even the most basic theory and under standing. Very quickly we become experts in a narrow field and perhaps lose sight of the broader issues. We need to correct for those blind spots. Equally, we may be forced to become generalists (such is the nature of an envi ronment where skills are not always easy to find) and in that case we need a refresher in the basics of some specialist aspects of our industry. Either way – it remains essential nev er to stop learning. The more we learn the more we gain – and by extension, the better equipped we are to ensure that our plants, and allied systems and equipment, perform optimally.

Editor: Leigh Darroll Design & Layout: Darryl James Advertising Manager: Heidi Jandrell Circulation: Karen Smith Editorial Technical Director: Ian Jandrell Publisher: Karen Grant Deputy Publisher: Wilhelm du Plessis

Audited circulation Quarter 4 (October-December) 2021 Total print and e-editions 11 338

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: ec@crown.co.za; admin@crown.co.za Website: www.crown.co.za/electricity-control

CROSS PLATFORM CONTENT INTEGRATION: * Electricity+Control Magazine * Online Edition * Weekly e-Newsletter * Website* LinkedIn

Electricity+Control is supported by

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

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

MAY 2022 Electricity + Control

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