Electricity + Control August 2017

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40 Electricity + Control AUGUST 2017
Earthing & Lightning Protection of
Electrical Equipment & System
10 – 11 August 2017, Birchwood Hotel, Boks-
burg (East of Johannesburg)
In this workshop, run by Mike Visser (MD,
Power Quality Company) you will be given
information relating to earthing and lightning
protection as applicable to utility networks and
industrial plant distribution systems as well
as their associated control equipment. The
fundamentals of earthing and lightning pro-
tection will be explained, equipping attendees
with the knowledge needed to solve real life
earthing and lightning protection problems.
Enquiries: Tel. +27 (0) 11 042 2018 or email
Industrial and Commercial Use of Energy
(ICUE) Conference
14 – 16 August 2017, Cape Town campus,
Cape Peninsula University of Technology
(CPUT)
Enquiries: Nadia Cassiem. Email cassiemn@
cput.ac.za
Smart Buildings & Infrastructure
15 August 2017, Western Cape Summit, Cape
Town
Enquiries: Visit
Waste-to-Energy Technologies Summit
23 August 2017, Emperors Palace Convention
Centre, Johannesburg
The summit would focus on WASTE to Energy:
the process, the treatment technologies for
organic waste and its economic development.
Enquiries: Email or
IDX Training Courses 2017
28 August: Certified PROFIBUS Installers with
Troubleshooting and Maintenance
11 September: Certified PROFIBUS Installers
with Engineers
Enquiries: Tel. +27 11 548 9960 or email
NOT TO BE MISSED
ACDC Dynamics........................................................(OFC, OBC)
Endress+Hauser....................................................................21
Instrotech............................................................................19
JB Switchgear........................................................................27
Omron.............................................................................9
Phoenix Contact...................................................(IBC)
R&C Instrumentation......................................................22
RET Automation Controls...............................................(IFC)
SAAEC Conference 2017......................................................36
TransElectron..................................................................3
WIKA...................................................................................23
INDEX TO ADVERTISERS
We asked Ian McKechnie of Engenamic to Write @ the back and share with us a
few tips on how to Minimise engineering and project problems and disputes.
Irecently commented in the context of ‘troubleshooting and fixing’ that ‘chal-
lenges and potential problems are an ever-present reality’ and ‘come with
the territory’ in the engineering, projects and operations environment. How
their likelihood is minimised, and how they are handled when they do occur, is
therefore vital in minimising their potential impact and in effectively managing
or dealing with the outcomes.
In our professional advisory/consulting practice, one of our principal areas of
practice is in ‘troubleshooting and fixing’, which includes forensic engineering
and consulting. Through this, we also have particular opportunity to add to our
own knowledge base and insights into what can and does go wrong, and as-
sociated contributory factors. In addition, we are also always learning from our own engineering and
project experiences. In this column, I would like to share just a few (and, very obviously, non-exhaus-
tive) thoughts towards achieving successful engineering and project outcomes.
An upfront and early (in the engineering and project life-cycle) investment in structuring, planning,
analysis and front-end design offers a key contributory role in the reduction of engineering and pro-
ject related risks, and hence in enabling the success of projects (a ‘front-end loading’ approach).
This includes a thorough understanding of the engineering application and project scope, require-
ments, environment and circumstances, risks, constraints, and the like. This is particularly pertinent
to complex applications and projects involving infrastructure, systems and product development and
implementation, and people, where the complexity of the projects and applications generally require
a very structured, systematic approach in order to succeed. I am an ardent proponent of a structured
systems engineering approach.
Within a front-end loaded and structured approach, it is also important to ‘be real’ and avoid a false
sense of security. Some elements of that include:
• Manage the risks – know (and understand) what you don’t know – manage the uncertainty
• Allocate the risks appropriately, where they can be best managed
• Design the solutions appropriately – don’t just do things by rote or ‘because that’s the way we
always do it’
• Be proactive – don’t wait for things to happen – ‘anticipate and pre-empt’
• Understand your own, and your organisation’s, limitations and capabilities (and complement and
supplement the capabilities, either internally or externally). Mentor and build the team
• Build-in (and stick to) a rigorous, traceable and quality assurance driven process at all stages (in-
cluding appropriate milestone reviews) – and remember the benefit of external insights, including
objectivity and freshness
Enquiries: Ian McKechnie (CEng, IntPE(SA), PrEng), CEO – Engenamic
brain block ...
Question 2
(Courtesy Rob Melaia, Marthinusen &
Coutts (a division of ACTOM (Pty) Ltd)
What do the abbreviations ‘kW’,
‘kWe’ and ‘kWm’ mean and
relate to, in terms of power in
generators, and why do we use
these terms?
Answers to Brain Block questions
are on our newsletters and website.