Electricity + Control September 2016

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Quality measurement for food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries
German-based GHM Messtechnik GmbH,
recently opened a dedicated South African
subsidiary in Alberton, Gauteng, offers Ger-
man-quality measurement instrumentation
technology suited to meeting the specific
requirements of the food, beverage and
pharmaceutical industries.
Jan Grobler, Managing Director of GHM
Messtechnik SA, said: “The South African
food and beverage and pharmaceutical sec-
tors require measurement technology that
offers precision and reliability while comply-
ing with stringent local hygiene regulations.
“GHM Messtechnik (GHM) provides
complete technological solutions through
the consolidation of four companies. We
believe that food hygiene processes can
only be safeguarded by the producer when
the measurement technology utilised in
this industry comprises a hygienic design
and conforms to all applicable laws, which
GHM’s technology does. The media used,
to be processed or created in the food in-
dustry often changes properties in regard
to density, consistency, conductivity and
temperature. Boilers, tanks and similar
containers are filled with the widest range
of media to which cleaning processes must
be adapted andmodified.We supply devices
that offer safe and reliable measurement for
all of these processes,” said Grobler.
The use of materials that come into con-
tact with media is well documented by the
FDA and 3A. All GHM’s sensor parts that
come into contact with media and close to
the process are capable of withstanding the
cyclical cleaning and sterilisation tempera-
tures as outlined by the abovementioned
standards associations.
GHM offers more than 30 different basic
designs in their new GTL temperature sen-
sor series, all of which are suited for use
in the pharmaceutical, food and beverage
industries, and are European Hygienic Engi-
neering and Design Group (EHEDG) certified.
“Our sensors offer wide ranges of length
and diameter, with our transducers being
configured to customer requirements. The
correct configuration can be achieved by the
customer by using the GTL programming
tool” said Grobler.
Enquiries: Jan Grobler.Tel. +27 (0) 11 902 0158
or email
CONTROL SYSTEMS, AUTOMATION + SYSTEMS ENGINEERING ROUND UP
CONTROL SYSTEMS, AUTOMATION + SYSTEMS ENGINEERING
Schneider Electric offers fieldbus modules which facilitate seamless
integration into the main automation architectures. Fieldbus modules
include protocols such as EtherNet/ IP and Modbus/TCP Dual port and
Modbus serial links. There are also Standard Modbus and Ethernet
protocols, connection of configuration and runtime tools, control
and the supervision of the Altivar Process in process architectures
(controllers, SCADA, HMIs,) in industrial networks (read and write
data), diagnostic, supervision, and fieldbus management functions as
well as Ethernet services mainly in the form of SNMP, SNTP, BootP
and DHCP, IP v6, cybersecurity services, FDR versus Open Ethernet
topologies.
There is numerous configurable I/O as standard to facilitate ad-
aptation to specific applications intuitive commissioning using the
graphic display terminal. Altivar Process VSDs further ensure local
and remote access and monitoring using the embedded Web server.
Energy saving and protection of the grid by means of integrated
harmonic filters as well as installation EMC conformity by means of
integrated EMC filters which culminate in optimised energy efficiency.
Conclusion
Control systems must encompass solutions that provide simplified
choice of automation systems therefore providing peace of mind and
confidence for the user because the devices are interoperable and
performance levels are guaranteed.
Once the automation implementation is chosen, the customer
will have an adequately precise framework, alongside the catalogue
and specific guides, to select the requisite automated functions and
devices. Schneider Electric automation and control products and solu-
tions cover the breadth of the industrial, infrastructure and building
sectors through the capable technology of controlling simple ma-
chines to complex process control applications across all industrial,
infrastructure and building sectors.
take note
• More and more, human intervention is becoming less
necessary in automated systems.
• The less humans are involved the more confidence in
the system is critical.
• Modern control and automation systems are built to
provide confidence and reliability.
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