Celebrating 30 years of community, creativity and connecting

ABinBev walked away with the CEO Award for the effective use of AVEVA industrial software solutions at the 30th Xchange Conference, held by IS³ (Industry Software Solutions and Support) in the Drakensberg, KwaZulu-Natal, this week.

Dion Govender, Managing Director of IS³, praised ABinBev at the event’s vibrant awards ceremony for “redefining success through its excellent use of our operations control suite. The company has achieved this through building exceptional skills and a learning ecosystem within the group.”

IS³ is the AVEVA Select Partner in Sub-Saharan Africa and serves a range of industrial sectors, including mining and metals, automotive, pharmaceutical, energy and power, food and beverage, construction and engineering, and transport and logistics with AVEVA software solutions.

IS³ also honoured gold miner Harmony with its Innovation Award for being a gamechanger in its innovative use of AVEVA software, spanning from operations 3km underground to cloud solutions.

The Longevity Award, which recognises a customer that has consistently expanded and optimised their systems environment over time, was awarded to Sibanye Stillwater. Sibanye placed its trust in IS³ and AVEVA many years ago when it signed up for ArchestrA (originally a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and Human-Machine Interface (HMI) platform). Sibanye has, over the years, advanced to using Asset Operations and Maintenance Flexibility (AOC Flex), a comprehensive suite of tools and capabilities aimed at optimising asset management and maintenance processes.

IS³ also celebrated the esteemed Mike le Plastrier, who started the predecessor of IS³ with a Founder Award. IS³ celebrated 30 years of significant exchanges and collaboration among its customers from Southern, East and West Africa at XChange. The event has seen industry leaders return year after year to gain new insights and network with about 400 delegates from this pioneering community.

Govender reminded the conference delegates that XChange has always been about connectivity, creativity and its extraordinary community. “The community has faced some challenging times but have remained resilient.”

Likening the strength of the conference’s interactive community with the power of AVEVA’s Connect platform, a cloud-based solution enabling secure access, sharing, and collaboration on operational and engineering data, he emphasised: “The future belongs to those who Connect.”

ENDS

Source to read full article:

• Engineering News

With a rich 29-year history, X-Change User Conference stands as Africa’s largest and most prestigious annual user conference dedicated to industrial software and related technology. Hosted in South Africa by IS³ – Industry Software Solutions & Support, this premier event has once again positioned itself at the forefront of the fast-paced industry. X-Change 2023 brought together local and international end-users, system integrators, and OEMs in a dynamic environment to address key sustainability goals and highlight the latest industrial solutions.

X-Change 2023 witnessed a staggering turnout, with 400+ attendees from various countries, highlighting the event’s global reach and significance. Representatives from 15 nations, including delegates from Angola, Australia, Botswana, Canada, France, Gabon, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, UAE, UK, USA, Zimbabwe, and of course, South Africa, contributed to the conference’s rich diversity, fostering cross-cultural exchange among industry professionals.

X-Change kicks off with a relaxing golf day, preceded by registration and opening dinner to set the tone and introduce future facing theme for the next two days and immense our delegates in an isolated location with undivided attention.

The expo area featured 15 esteemed exhibitors who highlighted innovative technologies, innovative solutions, and industry trends. Notable participants included Schneider Electric, PCS Global (Pty) Ltd South Africa, Control Systems Integration (Pty) Ltd, ifm, ProcessVue, Endress+Hauser Group, RJ Connect, Nozomi Networks, Stratus Technologies, 4Sight Operational Technologies (OT) Asset Automation, SCAN RF Projects, CSI3, i-RAMS, and Oculus Operational Innovations. Their presence added immense value to the conference, allowing attendees to explore new products, forge partnerships, and stay up to date with the latest industry developments.

The conference commenced with a networking opportunity through a golf tournament on day zero, offering a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere for participants to connect. Notably, Ziaad Suleman managed a remarkable hole-in-one, setting the tone for a memorable event. The outdoor opening dinner further enhanced networking opportunities and introduced the conference theme, generating anticipation and excitement among attendees.

Day one witnessed captivating keynotes from AVEVA experts, including Tim Sowell, Lisa Wee, and Ernst Van Wyk. In addition, eight inspiring customer success stories were shared, displaying real-world applications of industrial software solutions. The day also featured an expo networking evening, fostering meaningful interactions between attendees and exhibitors.

Day two was dedicated to insightful breakaway sessions, focused on AVEVA software, and featured keynotes from Tim Sowell, Hanno Van Niekerk, Ernst Van Wyk, and Mark Sham. These sessions provided in-depth discussions and valuable insights into specific areas of interest, empowering attendees with actionable knowledge.

The culmination of X-Change 2023 was marked by the highly anticipated awards gala dinner. Winners were announced across multiple categories, including Engineering X-Cellence, Planning and Operations X-Cellence, Asset & People Performance X-Cellence, Operations X-Cellence, Innovation Award, Best Business Value (ROI), Best Exhibitor, Best Presenter, Partner of the Year, and the prestigious CEO Award. The winners’ exceptional achievements were celebrated, displaying the industry’s commitment to excellence and innovation.

X-Change 2023 received overwhelming support from industry leaders such as AVEVA and Schneider Electric. Their commitment to the event underscored their dedication to fostering innovation and driving progress within the industrial software sector. Their involvement played a vital role in ensuring the success of the conference, and their contributions were appreciated by all attendees.

X-Change 2023 successfully brought together industry leaders, professionals, and stakeholders, providing a platform for knowledge sharing, networking, and collaboration. With its commitment to sustainability and focus on industrial solutions, the conference reaffirmed its position as a vital event for driving innovation and progress in the African industrial software industry.

To be a part of our 30^th annual X-Change User Conference, pre-register here: https://bit.ly/3p2Qm5m

With a rich 29-year history, X-Change User Conference stands as Africa’s largest and most prestigious annual user conference dedicated to industrial software and related technology. Hosted in South Africa by IS³ – Industry Software Solutions & Support, this premier event has once again positioned itself at the forefront of the fast-paced industry. X-Change 2023 brought together local and international end-users, system integrators, and OEMs in a dynamic environment to address key sustainability goals and highlight the latest industrial solutions.

X-Change 2023 witnessed a staggering turnout, with 400+ attendees from various countries, highlighting the event’s global reach and significance. Representatives from 15 nations, including delegates from Angola, Australia, Botswana, Canada, France, Gabon, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, UAE, UK, USA, Zimbabwe, and of course, South Africa, contributed to the conference’s rich diversity, fostering cross-cultural exchange among industry professionals.

X-Change kicks off with a relaxing golf day, preceded by registration and opening dinner to set the tone and introduce future facing theme for the next two days and immense our delegates in an isolated location with undivided attention.

The expo area featured 15 esteemed exhibitors who highlighted innovative technologies, innovative solutions, and industry trends. Notable participants included Schneider Electric, PCS Global (Pty) Ltd South Africa, Control Systems Integration (Pty) Ltd, ifm, ProcessVue, Endress+Hauser Group, RJ Connect, Nozomi Networks, Stratus Technologies, 4Sight Operational Technologies (OT) Asset Automation, SCAN RF Projects, CSI3, i-RAMS, and Oculus Operational Innovations. Their presence added immense value to the conference, allowing attendees to explore new products, forge partnerships, and stay up to date with the latest industry developments.

The conference commenced with a networking opportunity through a golf tournament on day zero, offering a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere for participants to connect. Notably, Ziaad Suleman managed a remarkable hole-in-one, setting the tone for a memorable event. The outdoor opening dinner further enhanced networking opportunities and introduced the conference theme, generating anticipation and excitement among attendees.

Day one witnessed captivating keynotes from AVEVA experts, including Tim Sowell, Lisa Wee, and Ernst Van Wyk. In addition, eight inspiring customer success stories were shared, displaying real-world applications of industrial software solutions. The day also featured an expo networking evening, fostering meaningful interactions between attendees and exhibitors.

Day two was dedicated to insightful breakaway sessions, focused on AVEVA software, and featured keynotes from Tim Sowell, Hanno Van Niekerk, Ernst Van Wyk, and Mark Sham. These sessions provided in-depth discussions and valuable insights into specific areas of interest, empowering attendees with actionable knowledge.

The culmination of X-Change 2023 was marked by the highly anticipated awards gala dinner. Winners were announced across multiple categories, including Engineering X-Cellence, Planning and Operations X-Cellence, Asset & People Performance X-Cellence, Operations X-Cellence, Innovation Award, Best Business Value (ROI), Best Exhibitor, Best Presenter, Partner of the Year, and the prestigious CEO Award. The winners’ exceptional achievements were celebrated, displaying the industry’s commitment to excellence and innovation.

X-Change 2023 received overwhelming support from industry leaders such as AVEVA and Schneider Electric. Their commitment to the event underscored their dedication to fostering innovation and driving progress within the industrial software sector. Their involvement played a vital role in ensuring the success of the conference, and their contributions were appreciated by all attendees.

X-Change 2023 successfully brought together industry leaders, professionals, and stakeholders, providing a platform for knowledge sharing, networking, and collaboration. With its commitment to sustainability and focus on industrial solutions, the conference reaffirmed its position as a vital event for driving innovation and progress in the African industrial software industry.

To be a part of our 30^th annual X-Change User Conference, pre-register here: https://bit.ly/3p2Qm5m

With a rich 29-year history, X-Change User Conference stands as Africa’s largest and most prestigious annual user conference dedicated to industrial software and related technology. Hosted in South Africa by IS³ – Industry Software Solutions & Support, this premier event has once again positioned itself at the forefront of the fast-paced industry. X-Change 2023 brought together local and international end-users, system integrators, and OEMs in a dynamic environment to address key sustainability goals and highlight the latest industrial solutions.

X-Change 2023 witnessed a staggering turnout, with 400+ attendees from various countries, highlighting the event’s global reach and significance. Representatives from 15 nations, including delegates from Angola, Australia, Botswana, Canada, France, Gabon, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, UAE, UK, USA, Zimbabwe, and of course, South Africa, contributed to the conference’s rich diversity, fostering cross-cultural exchange among industry professionals.

X-Change kicks off with a relaxing golf day, preceded by registration and opening dinner to set the tone and introduce future facing theme for the next two days and immense our delegates in an isolated location with undivided attention.

The expo area featured 15 esteemed exhibitors who highlighted innovative technologies, innovative solutions, and industry trends. Notable participants included Schneider Electric, PCS Global (Pty) Ltd South Africa, Control Systems Integration (Pty) Ltd, ifm, ProcessVue, Endress+Hauser Group, RJ Connect, Nozomi Networks, Stratus Technologies, 4Sight Operational Technologies (OT) Asset Automation, SCAN RF Projects, CSI3, i-RAMS, and Oculus Operational Innovations. Their presence added immense value to the conference, allowing attendees to explore new products, forge partnerships, and stay up to date with the latest industry developments.

The conference commenced with a networking opportunity through a golf tournament on day zero, offering a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere for participants to connect. Notably, Ziaad Suleman managed a remarkable hole-in-one, setting the tone for a memorable event. The outdoor opening dinner further enhanced networking opportunities and introduced the conference theme, generating anticipation and excitement among attendees.

Day one witnessed captivating keynotes from AVEVA experts, including Tim Sowell, Lisa Wee, and Ernst Van Wyk. In addition, eight inspiring customer success stories were shared, displaying real-world applications of industrial software solutions. The day also featured an expo networking evening, fostering meaningful interactions between attendees and exhibitors.

Day two was dedicated to insightful breakaway sessions, focused on AVEVA software, and featured keynotes from Tim Sowell, Hanno Van Niekerk, Ernst Van Wyk, and Mark Sham. These sessions provided in-depth discussions and valuable insights into specific areas of interest, empowering attendees with actionable knowledge.

The culmination of X-Change 2023 was marked by the highly anticipated awards gala dinner. Winners were announced across multiple categories, including Engineering X-Cellence, Planning and Operations X-Cellence, Asset & People Performance X-Cellence, Operations X-Cellence, Innovation Award, Best Business Value (ROI), Best Exhibitor, Best Presenter, Partner of the Year, and the prestigious CEO Award. The winners’ exceptional achievements were celebrated, displaying the industry’s commitment to excellence and innovation.

X-Change 2023 received overwhelming support from industry leaders such as AVEVA and Schneider Electric. Their commitment to the event underscored their dedication to fostering innovation and driving progress within the industrial software sector. Their involvement played a vital role in ensuring the success of the conference, and their contributions were appreciated by all attendees.

X-Change 2023 successfully brought together industry leaders, professionals, and stakeholders, providing a platform for knowledge sharing, networking, and collaboration. With its commitment to sustainability and focus on industrial solutions, the conference reaffirmed its position as a vital event for driving innovation and progress in the African industrial software industry.

To be a part of our 30^th annual X-Change User Conference, pre-register here: https://bit.ly/3p2Qm5m

Celebrating 30 years of community, creativity and connecting

ABinBev walked away with the CEO Award for the effective use of AVEVA industrial software solutions at the 30th Xchange Conference, held by IS³ (Industry Software Solutions and Support) in the Drakensberg, KwaZulu-Natal, this week.

Dion Govender, Managing Director of IS³, praised ABinBev at the event’s vibrant awards ceremony for “redefining success through its excellent use of our operations control suite. The company has achieved this through building exceptional skills and a learning ecosystem within the group.”

IS³ is the AVEVA Select Partner in Sub-Saharan Africa and serves a range of industrial sectors, including mining and metals, automotive, pharmaceutical, energy and power, food and beverage, construction and engineering, and transport and logistics with AVEVA software solutions.

IS³ also honoured gold miner Harmony with its Innovation Award for being a gamechanger in its innovative use of AVEVA software, spanning from operations 3km underground to cloud solutions.

The Longevity Award, which recognises a customer that has consistently expanded and optimised their systems environment over time, was awarded to Sibanye Stillwater. Sibanye placed its trust in IS³ and AVEVA many years ago when it signed up for ArchestrA (originally a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and Human-Machine Interface (HMI) platform). Sibanye has, over the years, advanced to using Asset Operations and Maintenance Flexibility (AOC Flex), a comprehensive suite of tools and capabilities aimed at optimising asset management and maintenance processes.

IS³ also celebrated the esteemed Mike le Plastrier, who started the predecessor of IS³ with a Founder Award. IS³ celebrated 30 years of significant exchanges and collaboration among its customers from Southern, East and West Africa at XChange. The event has seen industry leaders return year after year to gain new insights and network with about 400 delegates from this pioneering community.

Govender reminded the conference delegates that XChange has always been about connectivity, creativity and its extraordinary community. “The community has faced some challenging times but have remained resilient.”

Likening the strength of the conference’s interactive community with the power of AVEVA’s Connect platform, a cloud-based solution enabling secure access, sharing, and collaboration on operational and engineering data, he emphasised: “The future belongs to those who Connect.”

ENDS

Source to read full article:

• Engineering News

Background

SOUTH AFRICA – Located between Vereeniging and Sasolburg, the Lethabo Power Station, owned by Eskom Holdings, is responsible for over half of the electricity generated on the African continent and provides affordable electrical power to an increasing percentage of the African population.
Eskom Holdings generates, transports and distributes approximately 95% of South Africa’s electricity – making up 60% of the total electricity consumed on the African continent. Eskom is the world’s eleventh-largest power utility in terms of generating capacity, ranks ninth in terms of sales, and boasts the world’s largest dry-cooling power station.

Improving Safety and Plant Profitability
AVEVA supplied an Operator Training System (OTS) at Eskom’s Lethabo Power Plant in South Africa that is helping to boost safety, efficiency and profitability at the plant.

Operator Training System Solution
Eskom realized that improved productivity depends on improved plant operation, which depends on the quality of its operators. As a result, in March 2004, Eskom took delivery of AVEVA Generic Drum Unit Simulator.

The Generic Drum Unit OTS is based on a sidewall-fired unit boiler coupled with a train of high, intermediate and low-pressure steam turbines. The simulator components include physical, first principles based dynamic simulation models, the instructor station, DCStype controls, and training for up to four operators.

The flexibility of the solution allows the emulation of the DCS interface through a single application, including alarming and trending, execution of the process model, and support of the instructor’s interface. This integrated solution allows the displays to be visible at every operator station for maximum training flexibility. This interface also requires minimal training for an instructor, allowing the focus to be on process training rather than navigating the simulator system.

Dan Wilbers, Managing Consultant of Operator Training Systems and Services, AVEVA said, “The generic drum simulator purchased by Lethabo is the result of AVEVA’s extensive experience delivering training systems to power generators around the world. We are excited that it has been chosen as the platform to build a solid performance improvement strategy at this facility.”

Benefits Realized
The training program has already produced a lot of benefits. Operating costs have been reduced, while plant understanding and personnel safety have improved. Lethabo operators are able to maintain plant equipment in the normal operating range and prepare for off-normal operations such as valve breakage and tube leaks.

Background

SOUTH AFRICA – Located between Vereeniging and Sasolburg, the Lethabo Power Station, owned by Eskom Holdings, is responsible for over half of the electricity generated on the African continent and provides affordable electrical power to an increasing percentage of the African population.
Eskom Holdings generates, transports and distributes approximately 95% of South Africa’s electricity – making up 60% of the total electricity consumed on the African continent. Eskom is the world’s eleventh-largest power utility in terms of generating capacity, ranks ninth in terms of sales, and boasts the world’s largest dry-cooling power station.

Improving Safety and Plant Profitability
AVEVA supplied an Operator Training System (OTS) at Eskom’s Lethabo Power Plant in South Africa that is helping to boost safety, efficiency and profitability at the plant.

Operator Training System Solution
Eskom realized that improved productivity depends on improved plant operation, which depends on the quality of its operators. As a result, in March 2004, Eskom took delivery of AVEVA Generic Drum Unit Simulator.

The Generic Drum Unit OTS is based on a sidewall-fired unit boiler coupled with a train of high, intermediate and low-pressure steam turbines. The simulator components include physical, first principles based dynamic simulation models, the instructor station, DCStype controls, and training for up to four operators.

The flexibility of the solution allows the emulation of the DCS interface through a single application, including alarming and trending, execution of the process model, and support of the instructor’s interface. This integrated solution allows the displays to be visible at every operator station for maximum training flexibility. This interface also requires minimal training for an instructor, allowing the focus to be on process training rather than navigating the simulator system.

Dan Wilbers, Managing Consultant of Operator Training Systems and Services, AVEVA said, “The generic drum simulator purchased by Lethabo is the result of AVEVA’s extensive experience delivering training systems to power generators around the world. We are excited that it has been chosen as the platform to build a solid performance improvement strategy at this facility.”

The Solution

The iROC solution will creates the ability to:

1. Integrate systems and information sources to provide a holistic In-Time view across the value chain.
2. Create Situational Awareness by using integrated data sets and defined business rules, initiating actions that maximises business benefit.
3. Standardise critical workflows to minimise human error and as a result minimise business risk.

The Success

The Business benefits will be:

• By adding the integration of control room operations into the entire mine business value stream, better decision making and operational loss reduction can be achieved.
• Integration of control room operations into the entire mine business value stream will also allow us to visualise impact to business and better manage our mining as well as process operations.
• Machine and people tracking improving both safety and efficiencies.
• Access to more granular information will improve focus on the root causes of problems and variations to which better targeting of corrective actions is possible.
• In-Shift monitoring and control to respond to problems as they occur and minimising deviations to plan, which provides the opportunity to save the shift in the shift.
• Empowering supervision to make more informed decisions to reduce variability.
• Improved equipment utilisation.
• Improved response time to breakdowns implying improved availability.
• Improved mining cycle management implying more effective use of resources both human and machine.
• Improved face utilisation.
• Improved scheduling and planning.
• Platform for continuous improvement and continuous integration of future digital transformation initiatives to the iROC.

Celebrating 30 years of community, creativity and connecting

ABinBev walked away with the CEO Award for the effective use of AVEVA industrial software solutions at the 30th Xchange Conference, held by IS³ (Industry Software Solutions and Support) in the Drakensberg, KwaZulu-Natal, this week.

Dion Govender, Managing Director of IS³, praised ABinBev at the event’s vibrant awards ceremony for “redefining success through its excellent use of our operations control suite. The company has achieved this through building exceptional skills and a learning ecosystem within the group.”

IS³ is the AVEVA Select Partner in Sub-Saharan Africa and serves a range of industrial sectors, including mining and metals, automotive, pharmaceutical, energy and power, food and beverage, construction and engineering, and transport and logistics with AVEVA software solutions.

IS³ also honoured gold miner Harmony with its Innovation Award for being a gamechanger in its innovative use of AVEVA software, spanning from operations 3km underground to cloud solutions.

The Longevity Award, which recognises a customer that has consistently expanded and optimised their systems environment over time, was awarded to Sibanye Stillwater. Sibanye placed its trust in IS³ and AVEVA many years ago when it signed up for ArchestrA (originally a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and Human-Machine Interface (HMI) platform). Sibanye has, over the years, advanced to using Asset Operations and Maintenance Flexibility (AOC Flex), a comprehensive suite of tools and capabilities aimed at optimising asset management and maintenance processes.

IS³ also celebrated the esteemed Mike le Plastrier, who started the predecessor of IS³ with a Founder Award. IS³ celebrated 30 years of significant exchanges and collaboration among its customers from Southern, East and West Africa at XChange. The event has seen industry leaders return year after year to gain new insights and network with about 400 delegates from this pioneering community.

Govender reminded the conference delegates that XChange has always been about connectivity, creativity and its extraordinary community. “The community has faced some challenging times but have remained resilient.”

Likening the strength of the conference’s interactive community with the power of AVEVA’s Connect platform, a cloud-based solution enabling secure access, sharing, and collaboration on operational and engineering data, he emphasised: “The future belongs to those who Connect.”

ENDS

Source to read full article:

• Engineering News