Electricity + Control September 2015

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Innovative applications centre opens
Automation solutions provider, Festo, un-
veiled its brand new applications centre at
its Johannesburg headquarters recently.
Customers and media were treated to a
tour of the cutting edge centre.The applica-
tions centre is the first of its kind in South
Africa, boasting state-of-the-art ‘Electric
Drive Handling and Vision Systems’. Festo
customers are now able to physically test
any 4D electric drive applications in a con-
trolled environment to confirm details like
maximum speed, accuracy and cycle time.
With remote capabilities such as live
video streaming, the applications centre is
positioned to meet the needs of customers
all across Southern, East and West Africa.
Brett Wallace, managing director of Festo
South Africa, highlighted the value that the
applications centre is able to deliver to Afri-
can manufacturers in a highly competitive
global marketplace.
“Our clients cannot afford to make mis-
takes.Whatever they design and implement
needs to work the first time. Our applications
centre is there to support them by allowing
them to simulate the handling of the actual
products with real products and software.
Although Festo has powerful simulation
software, there is nothing as reassuring as
taking a concept from theory to practice.
In this way, we are able to add value that
brings them security, confidence and com-
petitiveness.”
The applications centre works hand-in-
hand with another recently unveiled Festo
i nnova t i on ,
its Handling
Guide Online
(HGO).This in-
tuitive online
tool, another
fir st in the
South African
market, allows
users to quick-
ly and easily
design and or-
der a handling
system from
scratch. The
customer is prompted to enter parameters
and information critical to the task on hand.
The powerful software then makes use of
Festo’s extensive data base of proven de-
signs to provide possible solutions.
Enquiries: Enquiries: Russell Schwulst.
Tel. 08600 33786
Courses accredited for CPD points
Yokogawa South Africa’s training courses have been
accredited by the Society for Automation Instrumenta-
tion Measurement and Control (SAIMC), for Continuous
Professional Development (CPD) points for registered
professionals of the Engineering Council of South Africa
(ECSA). For the first time inYokogawa’s 100 year history,
field instrumentation and control systems training courses
offered byYokogawa SouthAfrica have been evaluated and
accredited by a professional body.
It has been a lengthy process of six years to reach
this important milestone which was spearheaded by
Yokogawa’s service training manager, Nico Marneweck.
“We believe that the recognition of our training courses
will make a meaningful contribution to the competency of
South African and African industrial automation”, explains
Marneweck.
SAIMC is an ECSA recognised voluntary association
which has the ability to validate courses for CPD points.
Fourteen courses covering field instrumentation and
control systems have been accredited. Yokogawa has
embarked on a strong drive towards training and skills
development since 2009 offering training courses at the
Yokogawa SouthAfrica head office in Roodepoort or onsite
at customer premises as well as 12 month student intern-
ship programmes.
Since 2011, Yokogawa South Africa has successfully
trained over 1 200 people.
Enquiries: Christie Cronje.Tel. 011 831 6300
or email
ROUND UP CONTROL SYSTEMS + AUTOMATION
Brett Wallace, managing director,
Festo South Africa.