South Africa has joined more than 55 countries in signing the Declaration on Gender Responsive Standards and Standards Development, an initiative of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). The Declaration was signed by the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS), on the occasion of the 42nd annual general meeting of the International Organization of Standardization (ISO), in Cape Town in September.
Globally, there is a lack of participation and representation of women in standardisation, according to UNECE, which have been working with national standards bodies in various countries. For society to move towards gender balance, women need to be included in standards development processes. The involvement of women at the fundamental stage of standards development will ensure inclusivity at all stages of society as standards are implemented. Jodi Scholtz, Group Chief Operating Officer at the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) and co-Administrator of the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS), signed the Declaration.
Elsewhere in October, Sparks Electrical News focuses on Motor Control Centres and Motor Protection; Energy Measurement and Supply; Industry 4.0 and Lighting.
Personality of the Month
Devan Pillay, the new Market Leader for Signify in Africa, has a deep knowledge of both the electrical and lighting industries. He believes the onus is on professionals in this space to educate customers. “My interest in electricity started from an early age as we lived opposite an electrical substation which fed the community. We often played around it because it had the most manicured lawns, so it naturally became our soccer field. I was amazed by the constant buzz of the transformers and the complex equipment that the substation housed.”
Future trends for MCCs: ensuring safety for all
WEG Automation Africa – formerly Shaw Controls – is an ISO 9001 Bureau Veritas certified local manufacturing facility, and has over 30 years’ experience as a manufacturer of quality motor control centres (MCCs), distribution boards, medium voltage (MV) switchgear, control desks, PLC and instrumentation enclosures, portable and containerised substations, E-Houses and various other electrical enclosures. Bevan Richards, Executive of WEG Automation Africa and Tyrone Willemse, Business Development Consultant, are busy navigating a sector of the industry which is in flux.
Working knowledge with Terry Mackenzie Hoy
This month Terry Mackenzie discusses motor control centres. The original motor control centres, back in the day, consisted of a vertical marble slab (yes, marble, as in the stuff they make gravestones from). The slab had, mounted on it, a number of knife switches, and cables were connected to the outgoing terminals of the knife switches. Below the knife switch were wire coils through which some of the current to the outgoing circuit flowed. The coils were wrapped around glass tubes, filled with oil. In the oil was a metal plunger; if the outgoing current was greater than the circuit rating, the metal plunger was drawn up magnetically and struck a lever which tripped the knife switch open.
Buyers Guide
The October 2019 Buyers’ Guide lists manufacturers and distributors of products and services in the Motor Control Centres and Motor Protection sector. Download the latest Buyers' Guide here...
Click to download and read this issue in PDF format.
