Articles and News

Passive loopback process simulation will provide a low-cost, first-order approximation of how the plant will react to the software.

A solution for developers and application engineers, information, such as speed and torque, is sufficient in order to determine the appropriate solution. A list with the most important parameters shows the choices calculated.

As COO, Salvalaggio will lead overall operations of Applied Manufacturing Technologies services along with sales, engineering, and talent management.

In addition to electing its current seven-member Executive Committee, the CMS membership voted to establish a formal Board of Directors at the 35th Coordinate Metrology Society Conference in Orlando, FL in July 2019.

By Mark Howard, EU Automation To prevent the risks of foodborne illness and improve shelf life, food processors and manufacturers prioritize safety. This article shares three ways that technology is improving food quality.

The city collaborated with Carollo Engineers, an environmental engineering firm that specializes in the planning, design and construction of water and wastewater facilities, to help with the technology selection process. The team evaluated different solutions’ capabilities, support services, and more. The PlantPAx distributed control system (DCS) from Rockwell Automation came out on top.

Secure online and offline DTM repository meets use case requirements benefiting suppliers and end users

By Bill Lydon, Contributing Editor Attending the Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) Symposium hosted by Harting Electronics and the SPE Partner Network organization, I learned more about the 10BASE-T1 Single Pair Ethernet. SPE is an exciting development enabling seamless ethernet connectivity from sensor to enterprise, connecting the IoT universe.

The Secured by Cimetrics Early Access Program (SbC-EA) is designed to deploy BACnet/SC and the Secured by Cimetrics (SbC) security management framework to the building automation industry.

Specialized project team knowledge and skills are required for integrating automation system components and technology.

The manufacturing computer systems hierarchy is defined in ISA-88 and ISA-95 by Level 0 through Level 4.

ISA created the Global Cybersecurity Alliance to advance cybersecurity readiness and awareness in manufacturing and critical infrastructure facilities and processes.

The servitization maturity model is a four-step process that will serve as the roadmap for manufacturers to navigate the necessary steps and changes required for the journey to delivering Product-as-a-Service (PaaS).

Big data analytics is valuable, but cannot be used for all industrial needs. Edge analytics can help where big data falls short.

The thought of an industrial system upgrade or a DCS migration can inspire fear, uncertainty and doubt about how such a major project moves forward.

By Tatjana Milenovic, ABB Food & Beverage Connected automation systems are making food and beverage manufacturing more efficient, productive and cost-effective, but this greater connectivity creates greater opportunities for agroterrorism. This article discusses the need to integrate data protection into a wider plant safety system.

IIC Community Forum will be an IIoT discussion forum to provide helpful, relevant content to technology users, vendors, integrators, technology experts, researchers, government entities and academicians.

The project includes an implementation of a wireless energy conservation solution that enables SKF a deployment with minimal impact on the manufacturing line.

The partnership enables MBX customers to have their Lanner-based platforms imaged, tested, configured and shipped directly from Lanner's Taiwan plant, while also giving Lanner and its customers full access to MBX's manufacturing controls, inventory management programs, and global logistics and export compliance capabilities.

Rego has been with PI for 19 years, having grown within the sales operations and in progressive sales management. He built relationships with customers and gained a solid understanding of PI’s manufacturing capabilities, an important factor in PI USA’s future growth.

By integrating Verizon’s Managed Connectivity LTE solutions into Honeywell’s smart meters and other electric, gas, and water solutions, the two companies intend to drive energy savings by more quickly deploying smart electric grid technologies.

The new subsidiary—Cimcorp Iberia, S.L.—based in Madrid is intended to better serve the Spanish market.

CMS Certification credentials aid in verifying an employee’s knowledge of metrology, which is essential to ISO certified manufacturers and companies with Quality Management Systems.

With advances in computer and graphical processing, virtual reality for training personnel has now become practical for process industries.

Studio 5000 Logix Designer (formerly known as RSlogix 5000) is used to program the most powerful Allen-Bradley PLCs (technically PACs), including the ControlLogix and CompactLogix controllers.

An analog voltmeter works by passing a current through a coil that is suspended between two permanent magnets.

The Annual Valve Industry Leadership Forum will be held February 27-28, 2020 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in New Orleans. This is the industry’s premier executive networking event, featuring executive-level analysis on the trends, management strategies, manufacturing innovations, politics and economics affecting the valve industry.

Based in Grand Rapids, MI, eMotion partners with its customers to provide material handling systems integration, hardware design, software and robotic solutions across its customer base

ElevenPaths will offer Nozomi Networks’ solutions for OT cyber resiliency and real-time operational visibility to customers worldwide.

LK Metrology has built a new CMM measurement services department for performing contract dimensional inspection using the latest metrology software with multi-sensor technology applied to LK Metrology CMM designs.

As one of the fastest growing sectors of the robot market, a lack of knowledge could be dangerous. This article will work to quash some common misconceptions about collaborative robot safety.

Constant industrial network monitoring throughout the network life cycle will mitigate any security risks as the network evolves.

HARTING is offering the modular edge computing MICA, which has been designed according to industrial standards for multiple industrial applications, and Expleo is contributing its know-how in connectivity and data-scientific competence.

This will replace TEP’s legacy EMS system in mid-2021. TEP has previously contracted with OSI to implement OSI’s Advanced Distribution Management System with Outage Management capabilities for control of their distribution networks.

Automation stakeholders will benefit from secure DTM/App management and storage in the cloud

Mitchell holds a BS in Chemistry from Bridgewater State University and has spent his career leading global technology businesses in the semiconductor, optics and analytical sciences industries.

The inclusion of wireless technologies in ST’s microcontroller product portfolio delivers flexibility in device architecture and faster transition for the mass market to add connectivity.

The Open Industry 4.0 Alliance acts as a partnership of industrial companies that pragmatically participate in the implementation of cross-vendor industry 4.0 solutions and services for manufacturing facilities and automated warehouses.

Gallello is an established technology executive with a background in engineering vertical software solutions at companies, including MSC Software, Autodesk, Macromedia and Intergraph Japan.

With these web-based tools, users can select and build their vacuum solutions online. They are designed to be used for two different use cases: Users with vacuum know-how can use LEYCALC to calculate the behavior and performance of vacuum systems in detail. The Pump Finder guides beginners to suitable products by a questionnaire.

Mr. Ross holds a degree in Industrial Management from Northeastern State University and brings 30 years of operations and production management expertise to Trust Automation.

Endless examples of robot uprisings and plots for world domination haven’t assisted the technology’s efforts to be welcomed by humans in the workplace. This article discusses three crucial steps to alleviating human resistance to robot deployment.

There are advanced calibration techniques based on loop testing. Perform individual instrument calibration to achieve maximum accuracy.

Maintainability is the probability that a device will be restored to an operating condition within a specified period when maintenance is done with prescribed resources and procedures.

Every manufacturer must pay attention to costs and competitors’ pricing. For better or worse, purchasing professionals are rewarded for capturing the lowest price; few have the time to scour the internet for ever RFQ to see if the bid offered is indeed competitive.

He previously held every officer position for NTMA at the national level, including serving as NTMA Chairman in 2012, and served in every officer position in the Houston, Texas NTMA chapter.

ISAGCA is organized into four general focus areas for cybersecurity including: Awareness & Outreach; Compliance & Prevention; Education & Training; and Advocacy & Adoption.

Netwrix experts predict that the three main challenges for organizations will be targeted ransomware, attacks on AI-based solutions and data privacy challenges. According to Netwrix, organizations will also need to satisfy data access requests, increase cybersecurity awareness, deal with IT skills shortage and justify security investments.

By Mike Guilfoyle, ARC Advisory Group Digitally transformed organizations will be able to transition to and thrive in digital economies, making digital transformation a matter of not “if,” but “when.” Given that industrial digital transformation is necessary to remain viable and competitive, why are mistakes, false starts, and dead-end investments all too common?

AInnovation, dedicated to bringing AI to the industries of manufacturing, retail and finance, deploys various CV and other algorithms to its ManuVision platform, based on which, the Quality Assurance all-in-one Machines are provided to a range of customers in different industries like garment, motor, consumer electronics, helping to identify defective products. It

A sensitive flow measurement is needed to identify the installed flow characteristic online.

Stadtwerke Lohr am Main has been supplied with 39 GT pneumatic piston actuators and 13 CK modular electric actuators to be used at two municipal water works which supply the town of Lohr am Main, in Bavaria, and surrounding areas.

By Jonathan Wilkins, EU Automation An electric motor is a device that converts electrical energy into rotary kinetic energy, powering many diverse processes like a drive, fan, pump or conveyor belt. Each process requires a specific motor, with specialised characteristics for each unique function. This article explores the best ways of reducing costs related to running a motor.

Tripwire’s Industrial Appliance provides industrial organizations a one-box solution for gaining visibility into their operational technology (OT) networks through a passive asset discovery approach.

By Stephen Armstrong, Freelance Industrial Writer With some DCS systems now decades old, system users often know they need to upgrade but find the task daunting given the cost and potential for disruption of operations while the new system is brought online.

Nocom comes to StratEdge from Samtec, where he served as a research and development process engineer. He is certified in Six Sigma Green Belt training, has 5S and RETC semiconductor training, and has developed numerous manufacturing tools and processes.

Closely monitor the temperature of liquids in impulse lines, and always check the viscosity to ensure it is within acceptable operating limits.

UR cobots allow employees to move from repetitive, low-value tasks to higher-value activities that increase productivity and quality as well as work conditions.

The partnership involves Critical Manufacturing’s Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) customers in the complex manufacturing for hi-tech, semiconductor, and medical device manufacturing industries.

Parity is a simple method using a binary code (“1” or “0”) to detect data transmission errors by making the sum of the “1” bits in the source data either an odd or an even number.

Based in Hudson, Ohio, Tribute Software provides integrated ERP software solutions. Tribute systems power millions of dollars in transactions every month and supply thousands of users with critical information.

By Ben Smye, Matmatch While automation greatly enhances productivity, it also places additional demands on steel components. This article examines why wear resistant steels are vital to modern, enhanced production.

These innovators, whose landmark inventions range from the hard hat to the sports bra, will be celebrated as the newest class of Inductees during the NIHF Induction Ceremony.

DataHub middleware from Skkynet was used by ABB to support redundant, secure networking of OPC A&E and real-time data on the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) project in Turkey.

Since 1990, CIMdata has provided coverage of the CAM and Digital Manufacturing software market spaces. This is eBook on CGTech's manufacturing program verification and optimization solution suite

Nordstrom is utilizing Tompkins Robotics’ t-Sort system to handle unit and item sortation of e-commerce and store fulfillment orders as well as the provider’s larger t-Sort Plus robots for parcel and carton shipping sortation to outbound carriers and modes.

ISA author and leak detection expert Ed Farmers shares his life experiences in industrial automation on the road to becoming an ISA Fellow.

The exida Cyber Awards honor exida-certified products and processes that best demonstrate new and innovative work in the realm of automation cybersecurity. exida found the Catalyst IE3x00 demonstrated considerable security and resilience according to the IEC 62443-4-1 cybersecurity standard.

By Darcy Simonis, ABB food and beverage Many manufacturers are turning to new technology to help them keep up. This article discusses the technology being used and the impact it is having on the industry.

This latest Cisco integration provides visibility into OT and IoT assets so IT teams can holistically secure ubiquitous access, streamline connectivity, and ensure they apply security best practices across all their networks.

The handbook is resource for learning the basics about current sensing theory, current transducers and switches, and choosing a solution for an application.

This partnership was formed to address the challenges facing the industry in developing platforms to realize active-safety, advanced driver assistance, in-vehicle infotainment, digital cockpits, vehicle-to-vehicle/vehicle-to-infrastructure and self-driving vehicles.

The IFR President, Steven Wyatt, has a decade of international experience gained in the flexible automation industry. He is currently global Head of Portfolio and Digital for ABB’s Robotics & Discrete Automation business.

A $2.7 million cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) between AddUp Group, a global machine and solutions provider for metal additive manufacturing (AM), and the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) aims to advance laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) technology for the manufacturing of metal molds with complex geometries for the tooling industry.

The ANSI/ISA95 standard, generally referred to as ISA95, is an important tool for digitalization. It provides the framework, modeling, and vendor independent common information models which can be applied in any manufacturing or process industry production architecture.

It can be difficult to define suitable PID gains when an industrial plant has a high level of complexity, such as, modeling nonlinearities, time delay and structural uncertainties.

Professor Stolkin was unanimously elected to chair the Expert Group on Robotic and Remote Systems (EGRRS) at a recent inaugural meeting, which brought together 40 experts from 14 OECD member countries as well as three international organisations including the European Commission.

An NPN (sinking) open-collector, when “energized,” switches the load side of the relay (at terminal “A”) to ground (terminal “B”).

Along with other Zigbee Alliance promoter member companies, Resideo also will play a role in the Connected Home over IP project, which aims to simplify development for manufacturers and increase device compatibility for consumers.

Effective immediately, the organizations will work together under the IIC umbrella to drive industry collaboration and research, foster open systems development and promote best practices for trusted IoT systems such as blockchain and related distributed ledger technologies (DLT).

PCB expects that the environmentally controlled clean rooms will enhance their pressure and force sensor manufacturing and assembly processes.. PCB Design Engineers are already working on the next generation of sensors, whose design and manufacturing is dependent upon a clean room environment.

Oil and gas fields in several states use new technology at production well sites to capture methane and natural gas liquid streams.

Under this alliance agreement, Yokogawa will promote localization in Saudi Arabia, and its integrated control systems and safety instrumented systems will be preferentially selected for plants operated by SABIC in the Middle East and Asia-Pacific regions.

By working together with OCP on open architecture business initiatives to drive network infrastructure transformation, Lanner joins the consortium for a number of projects by leveraging network disaggregation, white box economics, open source software, and software-defined standards to revolutionize the carrier industry.

One of the first steps when creating a new wireless instrumentation network using is a site survey.

A digital controller requires a digital signal as its input. A 4-20 mA transmitter outputs an analog signal. Therefore, a device to convert an analog (A) signal to a digital (D) is required.

ISA's 2019 achievements include a surplus budget, membership growth, and volunteer leaders moving in the same direction to achieve strategic objectives.

Potential blockchain applications are protection and verification of device firmware and application software updates.

Basic control functions may keep a process stable, but much more is needed to optimize performance and achieve specific company goals

The integrated solution allows automakers to deploy and scale global vehicle services such as fleet management, over-the-air software updates and connected safety services.

By Sean Robinson, Novotek UK and Ireland As with most manufacturers, much of the success comes from choosing the right tools for the job. So, what will be on your industrial wish list this Christmas?

Net present value (NPV) by itself is not a good indicator of the viability of a project or a good differentiator between two competing projects.

New projects expose automation professionals to more learning opportunities to continue to grow their skill sets and expertise.

The combined organization, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pa., offers a full range of applied motor control solutions, and is a supplier of low and medium voltage soft starters. Global operations now include facilities in the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Germany, Middle East and Asia.

By Ken Lynch, Senet Whether it is delivering propane for residential heat, optimizing industrial operations, reducing energy consumption in cities or reducing water loss through smart metering and water management solutions, an entire ecosystem of partners has the opportunity to provide limitless societal and economic benefit, delivering on the ultimate promise of the Internet of Things.

By Bill Lydon, Automation.com Integration was the heavy emphasis for Rockwell Automation at Automation Fair 2019, th a particular focus on expanding the system integration business and launching Rockwell Automation Lifecycle Services, as well as greater PTC software integration

The facility replaces Fives DyAG Corp.’s previous operations in Charlotte, North Carolina, bringing automation support closer to existing customers, while expanding visibility within the region’s commercial manufacturing

Using Siemens’ Xcelerator platform, Navantia will implement a digital twin for its new F-110 Frigate program, thus meeting the Spanish navy requirements. Siemens is the industrial supplier who has been able to present an end-to-end project that virtually covers the whole lifecycle process of a vessel

By Mark Howard, EU Automation Nanotechnology involves the manipulation of matter on the atomic and molecular scale —structures between one and 100 nanometres in size. This article discusses three exciting applications of nanotechnology in manufacturing.