by Paul Meanwell, SA Flameproof Association 
 

For the foreseeable future, all explosion protected (Ex) equipment used in South Africa, whether manufactured locally or imported, will need IA certificates before it can be put into use legally... (more)

The "SABS mark" was formerly accepted by the South African end-user as a sign of reliable quality but, with the drive for globalisation and adoption of IEC specifications, the landscape was changed for all technologies... (more) 

  

The problem is Acid Mine Drainage. But what are the solutions? Who makes the profits, who pays the price, and who picks up the costs? The mining industry? The taxpayer? Join the public debate on 29 August 2013... (more) 

  

A number of conflicting and confusing messages have been circulated to electrical contractors about the ECA(SA), the Electrical Contracting Board (ECB) and the Department of Labour (DoL) over the past few months... (more)

Vector will be publishing exam questions from previous exams issued by the Department of Higher Education and Training as a service to our readers who are studying for their Engineering Certificate of Competency... (more) 

The Minister of Labour has signed the Collective Agreement for the Electrical Industry. Details of the new minimum wage rates payable by employers were published in the Government Gazette on 12 July 2013 and the increases became effective on 15 July 2013... (more)

A common trend in trade test failures is round the non-isolation of control circuits even when the main circuit has been isolated. This month we look earthing an installation... (more) 

The United Nations mandates the parameters for the off-set of GHG emission reduction goals by creating a platform for financial and technological development which is legislated and ratified at country level... (more) 

This month's letters focus on the banning of the incandescent lamp - some in favour, some against and some pointing out misunderstandings... (more) 

Variable-speed drives (VSDs) have enabled unprecedented performance in electric motors and delivered dramatic energy savings by matching motor speed and torque to the driven load requirements... (more) 

The four primary options available for maintenance and service of uninterruptible power supply (UPS) products, their differences and specific advantages... (more) 

The vortex shedding flowmeter first emerged 25 to 30 years ago and has grown steadily as a major flow measurement option... (more)

  

Today's pressure sensors work in the harshest of environments, often with the most hostile and corrosive media, to take the simplest of pressure readings. Selecting the right one for the right job is not necessarily an easy task... (more) 

New, intelligent lighting solutions surpass what is currently available with most building management systems, offering functionality which can double the saved energy with a marginal increase in the upfront cost... (more) 

From the ICMEESA archive: A rarely encountered job of work done on shaft guide ropes at the Consolidated Murchison mine in the Northern Transvaal: deepening an existing shaft from 213 to 427 m called for replacement of the guide ropes... (more) 

With new products and electrical insulation kits available in the market, the use of conventional electrical tape has decreased and electricians today may not possess the taping skills that were once an integral part of their profession... (more)