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FA Automation
PO Box 1659, Boksburg, 1460
Core business offering: Automation and control systems integration.
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Section - Computers & Software
-Computers
- servers
- workstations
-Industrial computers
- Compact, embeddable (PC/104, PCI, ISA bus) modules
- Flat-panel
- Pentium architecture
- PLC plug-in
- Rackmount
- RISC architecture
- Wall mounted, embeddable
-Input devices
- Joysticks
- Keyboard/video/mouse (KVM) extenders & switches
- Keyboards
- Mice, trackerballs
- Network interfaces (see I/O table)
- Pens, wands
- Touchscreens
-PC function cards, modules
- Counter/timer
- Graphics accelerator
- I/O (analog/digital)
- IEEE-488 (HPIB)
- Mass storage magnetic
- Mass storage optical
- Mass storage tape
- Memory, solid state disk
- Relay
-Peripherals
- CRT/LCD terminals
- Hot-swappable power supplies
- Monitors/display systems
- Printers
-CAD
-Electrical design
-Instrumentation design
-Motion control system design
-Plant design
-Safety engineering
-Simulation systems
-Applications
- Alarm management
- Batch production
- Data acquisition, analysis
- Direct control
- Drivers
- DSP (digital signal processing) software
- Dynamic link to libraries (DLL)
- Fuzzy logic
- Link to Windows databases
- Manufacturing execution systems (MES)
- Operator interface
- Programming languages
- SPC/SQC
- System simulation/PID tuning
-Datasharing
- DDE
- OLE
- OPC clients
- OPC servers
-Language
- C, Pascal, etc
- MS Visual Basic
- PLC languages
-Network communications
- DSCNet
- Fieldbus
- NetBEUI
- TCP/IP
-Operating Systems
- .Net
-Operating systems
- DOS
- SPC
- VxWorks
- Windows 2000
- Windows 3.1
- Windows 95/98
- Windows CE
- Windows NT
- Windows XP
Section - Networks for Communication & Control
-4-20mA analog loop
-Arcnet
-ASI
-CANbus
-DCS Data Highway
-DeviceNet
-EIA-485
-EtherCat
-Ethernet
-Foundation Fieldbus
-HART
-IEEE-488
-Interbus-S
-Melsecnet
-Modbus
-Network analysers
- Arcnet
- ASI
- Beckhoff I/O
- CANbus
- DCS Data Highway
- DeviceNet
- EIA-485
- Ethernet
- Fieldbus Foundation
- HART
- IEEE-48
- Interbus-S
- Melsecnet
- Modbus
- PLC Data Highway
- Profibus
- Profinet
- RS232/422/485
- Universal Serial Bus (USB)
-PLC Data Highway
-Profibus
-Profinet
-Remote I/O
-RS232/422/485
-Universal Serial Bus (USB)
-Wireless (for industrial application only)
Section - Process Control & Manufacturing Technologies
-Networked controllers
-PACs - Programmable Automation Controllers
-AC control
- Closed loop
- Inverters - 1 phase AC
- Inverters - 3 phase AC
- Soft starter
-DC control
- Speed control
-Alarm indicators
-Analog panel meters
-Displays
- CRT
- Display wall (control room)
- LCD, flat-panel
- Touchscreens
-Analog I/O
- 1-16
- 17-64
- 65-256
- 257-512
- more than 512
-Digital I/O
- 1-16
- 65-256
- 257-512
- more than 512
-Display
-Multiprocessor
-Networking organisation
- Host-to-PLC link
- PLC-to-PLC
- Remote I/O
-Networking
- 20 mA loop
- Ethernet
- Fieldbus
- PLC-to-PLC
- Proprietary data bus
- Remote I/O
- RS232, RS422, RS485
-Operator interface panel
-PACs - Programmable Automation Controllers
-Programming
- Diagnostic software
- Documenting software
- Function block diagram
- IEC 1131
- Ladder diagram (relay logic)
- Logic diagram
- Sequential function chart
-Scan rate less than 1µs per step
-Scan rate less than 1ms per step
-Scan rate more than 1ms per step
Industry news: |
Energas introduces lower-cost German gas genset for South African market
October 2026, Electrical Power & Protection
Energas Technologies will supply R Schmitt Enertec’s new Energy Line genset to the South African market, offering German-engineered gas-to-power generation of 400 to 500 kW at a lower entry cost through focused standardisation and a simpler standalone architecture. |
Reliable power conversion from high-voltage DC buses
October 2026, Electrical Power & Protection, Conical Technologies
The MEAN WELL DDRH-240 from Conical Technologies is a high-reliability DIN-rail DC-DC converter with a wide 250 to 1500 V DC input range, deriving stable low-voltage power directly from high-voltage DC buses in renewable energy, storage, charging, railway and industrial installations. |
SA’s mining industry must put people at the heart of its digital future
October 2026, IT in Manufacturing
South Africa’s mining industry employs around 470 000 people while its digital transition accelerates. Avenir’s chief executive officer, Tshidi Mndzebele argues that technology should enable and upskill the workforce rather than replace it, setting out five ways mining can make technology work for its people. |
A smarter approach to simplifying motion architecture
October 2026, Motion Control & Drives
In motion system design, the wiring and drive placement between motor and drive are often decided by default, yet they shape a machine’s cost, footprint and adaptability. Kollmorgen sets out how single-cable and decentralised architectures simplify the cabinet. |
Robotic case packer achieves 99% uptime
October 2026, Motion Control & Drives, Rockwell Automation
DCC Automation designed a new robotic case packer for a nutrition supplement manufacturer using delta robots and a unified Rockwell Automation control platform, cutting changeover time from 45 minutes to 5 minutes, and achieving 99 to 99,5% uptime against the previous 10% per-shift downtime. |
Offshore jack-up rig leg extension works completed ahead of schedule
October 2026, News
Mammoet has completed heavy lifting operations to extend the legs of a jack-up drilling rig being converted into a wellhead platform at Drydocks World Dubai, marking the first deployment of a CC8800-1 Boom Booster crane configuration in the United Arab Emirates. |
Grayhill achieves CANopen certification
October 2026, Operator Interfaces, Switches & Relays
Grayhill has achieved official CANopen certification from CAN in Automation for its Touch Encoder T1 series, giving designers a standards-based communication option for integrating touch encoder controls into CAN-based automotive and industrial systems. |
Why dedicated alarm management still has a role
October 2026, SCADA/HMI, Omniflex Remote Monitoring Specialists
Modern SCADA systems manage alarms more capably than ever, but dedicated alarm management and Sequence of Events technology still add value. Omniflex’s Ian Loudon explains how they help operators reconstruct incidents and turn alarm floods into actionable information. |
| visit www.instrumentation.co.za |
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