Articles and News

More than 800 soldiers, airmen and civilians from across 44 states and territories participating in Cyber Shield 17 at Camp Williams in Utah

With this advancement of its web portal, solutions provider Eplan and the current 130,000 registered users will experience Azure Services like the Azure Content Delivery Network.

Designed to better serve Matrox software users located around the world, the on-demand Matrox Vision Academy expands upon the current classroom-based on premise training sessions to help users build out skill sets and knowledge on their own timeline and from their preferred location.

Ghana Water has invested in 40.000 Danish intelligent meters to help diminish the nation’s supply challenges. The project is the first of its kind ever carried out in Ghana

The target is to offer TSN as firmware upgrade to the users of netX technologies. Hilscher developed a firmware upgrade for TSN which can turn a standard real-time ethernet device into a TSN enabled device.

Cisco introduced three new solutions to the Connected Factory portfolio. Cisco Connected Factory is designed to bring the power of data across the manufacturing siloes of today.

Teledyne DALSA will highlight its configurable LWIR camera platform at the AUVSI XPONENTIAL in booth #1231. The exhibition takes place May 9-11 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, Texas.

System design enhancements will bring a step change in compactness, with a potential to deliver 350 percent more power per square meter of space used – suitable in applications like offshore wind or interconnections, in terms of converter station footprint be it on offshore platforms or onshore installations.

By Jonathan Wilkins, EU Automation This article discusses the evolution of the programmable logic controller (PLC), and predicts what the future might hold for this crucial piece of equipment.

The Association for Advancing Automation (A3) announced that the Automate 2017 show and conference broke all previous attendance records with show attendance of 12,960 people, which is a 37 percent increase over 2015.

Hydro Ottawa transports power from the provincial electricity grid across a distribution network comprised of 85 distribution stations, 2,700 kilometers of underground lines, 29,000 kilometers of overhead lines, 45,000 transformers, and 48,000 hydro poles.

Novatio Digital Workforce is designed to automate repetitive business tasks while freeing companies’ human capital for more value-added activities.

The emerging frontier for industrial innovation points at exciting changes likely to revolutionize the business of manufacturing.

From Monday, September 25 (by exhibitor invitation only) to Thursday, September 28, truck and trailer brands and suppliers will be showcasing new equipment on the floor of the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia.

At the official ceremony held on the Tuesday of HANNOVER MESSE, fleXstructures CEO Oliver Hermanns was delighted to receive the prize in honor of its IPS ROBOT OPTIMIZATION software solution. Second place was taken by Mayser GmbH & Co. KG (Lindenberg, Germany) with eta|opt GmbH (Kassel, Germany) coming in at third place.

By Andy Owen, MasterMover While stability has gradually been restored in the years following the financial crash, the industrial sector continues to face an uncertain future. This is driven by what has been dubbed the skills gap. This article explores why the engineering skills problem is persisting — and what businesses can do about it.

With the integration of the OPC Unified Architecture Standard (OPC UA) into operation and control systems, both existing machines and new designs can be made IoT ready, and so can be integrated into the Smart Factory environment.

This collection is designed to deliver an optimized business operations solution to customers, allowing both companies to solve challenges across the oil and gas industry.

Online registrations are open to all hackers at www.blurrybox.com. The contestants will have three weeks to break the code and report their exploits for their chance to win €50,000.

Mentor provides a portfolio of solutions for the industrial market, with offerings that include the Nucleus real-time operating system (RTOS) and the Yocto Project-based Mentor Embedded Linux platform.

Industry 4.0, energy and environmental technologies, vocational training, startups and direct foreign investment are among the themes that will feature prominently in Mexico’s 2018 showcase. Mexico is the first Latin American nation to ever present itself as a Partner Country of HANNOVER MESSE.

Johnson joined SYSCON in July of 2015 to head SYSCON-PlantStar and lead the startup of the new SYSCON Sensors division.

With TrendMiner, process and mechanical engineers and operators can identify trends in their processes, look for similar trends in the past, fingerprint operating windows, monitor behavior, send notifications to engineering or control room staff and predict deviations in live processes.

Feedforward provides preemptive corrective action for production rate and grade changes enabling key PID controllers to provide consistent product quality.

By Paul Gruhn, ISA Society Leader Pat Gouhin (ISA CEO and Executive Director), Robert Lindeman (AAES Board member and former ISA Society President), along with Eric Cosman and Paul Gruhn (two ISA Society Leaders), attended a number of meetings in Washington D.C. in late April, discussing the future of American engineering with the government

Visitors to the Rockwell Automation booth (NRG Center, Booth 847) will also learn about the latest control and safety solutions for subsea and topside, including emergency shutdown and blowout prevention.

These are preliminary results published by the Statistical Department of the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). During the same period, the number of jobs in the US automotive sector rose by 260,600 - according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

By Jason Andersen, Stratus Technologies The vision of an intelligent, connected automation infrastructure has the potential to dramatically reshape how industrial enterprises operate. No wonder some are calling it the “next industrial revolution.” But the journey to realizing that vision will be strictly evolutionary.

The cooperation between FIT and Telit will focus on transforming the business service and offerings of manufacturers, enabling them to capitalize on all the benefits of Industrie 4.0.

Gathering requirements are important because they define the objectives, purpose, scope, needs, and other key meters.

The demand for small form factors for space-constrained embedded application is increasing rapidly. In response to this requirement, DFI gladly introduces you to ultra-small size products which includes industrial motherboards and system-on-modules based on the new generation Intel® Atom™ processor E3900 series (code name: Apollo Lake).

Profibus DP enabled Rotork IQ multi-turn electric valve actuators were installed during the upgrade and expansion of the water treatment plant. The majority of the 136 IQ electric actuators were installed to control the inlet, outlet and backwashing functions on the new and existing filters.

In joining The Linux Foundation, Opto 22 hopes to spearhead the adoption of open-source technology in the industrial automation and process control industries, and accelerate the rollout of Industrial Internet of Things applications.

DFI held a factory tour to introduce the manufacturing process of industrial motherboards and embedded system for the Japanese students from Special Needs Education School for the Deaf, University of Tsukuba, in December.

As more and more balance is required among high performance, small size, and ability to be fanless in the embedded markets, DFI is glad to introduce to you a brand-new option: EC70A-SU/EC70B-SU industrial box PC powered by 6th Generation Intel® Core™ i7/i5/i3 processor (code name: Skylake).

By Alex West, IHS Markit Early this month ABB; a supplier of robotics, process automation, and electrification components, acquired B&R Automation, an industrial software and automation hardware company. So what does the B&R Automation acquisition mean for ABB?

The goal of the project is to minimize adverse effects and make sure associated industry players are represented as the Swiss government makes important decisions that promote a sustainable environment.

EE Boost chose C3D Labs’ line of products for the development of its simulation software of wave behavior in acoustic, elastic, electronic, and photonic applications.

Since studies have shown that ticketing experience plays a vital part in customers’ perception of transit service quality, Korea Railroad Corporation (Korail), a national operator of railway lines, recognized the need to deliver efficient passenger services by upgrading the ticket vending machines at major stations.

DFI’s upcoming boards with 7th Generation Intel® Core™ processor (code name Kaby Lake) bring customers overall enhanced experiences such as low-power with a TDP of 15W, increased CPU performance by 5%, visual enhancement with lower power consumption, and faster speed shift technology.

DFI announced that it has been awarded an IPC J-STD-001 and IPC-A-610 Qualified Manufacturers Listing (QML) by IPC’s Validation Services Program under the on-site audit guidance.

DFI has launched new industrial motherboards powered by the latest Intel® Atom™ processor E3900 family (code name Apollo Lake).

As a national operator of railway lines, Korail recognized the need to improve its services due to consumer demands and the modernization of mass transit. Through collaboration with other hardware suppliers and system integrators, DFI contributed to the successful upgrade of the TVMs at major subway stations in Seoul.

The combination of the 6th generation Intel® Core™ processor and DFI’s high quality production ensures that the new SBC is equipped with high speed CPU performance, powerful 4K-capable graphics, DDR4, and Windows 10 support.

GE Healthcare has reduced the size of its repair cell stations at the Repair Operations Center by 40%, much of which is due to the integration of the OTTO self-driving vehicles.

Wireless technology has gained rapid acceptance in many industrial sectors because of its cost effectiveness, reliability, fast deployment, and flexibility.

The first two joint industry solutions powered by ABB Ability and Watson will bring real-time cognitive insights to the factory floor and smart grids.

The award was presented during the HANNOVER MESSE Opening Ceremony on 23 April by Germany’s Minister for Education and Research, Johanna Wanka.

By Mathew Daniel, Sciemetric Instruments Data, data and more data. It’s the hot topic in manufacturing today with all the hype and anxiety around Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things. How should it be collected, managed and used effectively?

The newly formed company has offices in Delft (the Netherlands), Framingham (USA) and Odense (Denmark). RBM has four conference and expo events already planned in the next twelve months.

The 300-exhibitor event provided a platform for companies to conduct business, and tap into the talent and experience from the industry community. Asia’s premier manufacturing technology industry event concluded last Friday at the Singapore Expo.

EdgeX Foundry is an open-source project hosted by The Linux Foundation, building a common open framework for Internet of Things (IoT) edge computing and an ecosystem of interoperable components to unify the marketplace and accelerate enterprise and Industrial IoT.

The two will accelerate the delivery of cloud-based, IoT solutions for all of Schneider Electric’s end user segments, marrying Microsoft’s experience in the cloud with Schneider Electric’s domain expertise in power management, plants, machines, buildings, data centers and grids to empower companies in a wide variety of markets to use IoT as a competitive differentiator.

The EPLAN Data Portal is an online source of free device and component data for machinery and plant design. Downloads now exceed over one million datasets per month from a selection of 700,000 parts from 179 leading manufacturers that continues to grow.

By Tom Egan, PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies Robotics, automatic labelers, smart packaging and digital printing are just some of the technologies that can help an operation become more flexible and cost-effective with rapid response times to save on related expenses. This article will discuss some resources you might not know about.

There are many challenges to effectively executing industrial automation scope as overall project size grows to $100 million and beyond.

A continuity check is performed on a length of finished wire or cable to determine if the electrical current flows continuously throughout the length.

Red Trident’s RF engineering solutions and services include deploying wireless backhaul networks, conducting full RF spectrum analysis, terrain analysis, signal loss analysis, submitting FCC filings, and designing and managing point-to-point, point-to-multipoint, and static or dynamic mesh networks.

The book encourages both manufacturers and automation suppliers to better capitalize on fast-emerging innovations in industrial technology, such as process automation systems, to drive transformative improvements in manufacturing.

The expansion will include new production lines, equipment and training at the company’s existing plant in the Nizhny Novgorod region of Russia. The plant is part of Honeywell’s Elster Gazelektronika business.

Products from both companies will be showcased, demonstrating how to integrate and deliver edge computing applications and connect real-world signals and industrial “things” to the digital world of information technology, mobile, and cloud computing.

By Jennifer Waldo, GE Digital and IoT Talent Consortium Given the rising importance of the Internet of Things, “digital transformation” has become a business necessity, and the industrial sector is facing a huge shift. In addition to technological challenges, organizations must also address how to find, train and manage the people who will power this transformation.

This plant will be built in Doha, which is about 20 km east of Kuwait City, by Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity and Water. The plant will produce 270,000 tons of fresh water per day, which is sufficient to meet the needs of 900,000 residents.

Effective immediately, Wood Group will serve as TPC’s main automation contractor providing automation, technical, systems, process, software, fabrication and construction support to the company’s manufacturing facilities in Houston and Port Neches in Texas and a terminal in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

Since the inception of YES, igus has donated products to tens of thousands of students worldwide for projects including a record-setting solar car, a full scale submarine, a 3D pizza printer, and countless others.

The project’s Honeywell solutions will include licensing, basic engineering design and other associated services for a modular Penex isomerization unit

The topics of H2+FC NORTH AMERICA will include hydrogen generation, storage and transportation, fuel cell systems and applications, stationary-, automotive-, mobile fuel cells, special markets, components and supplying technology, fuel cell and battery testing.

Whoever is interested in innovation in industry will find inspiration at the 150 startups exhibiting at Young Tech Enterprises in Hall 3 at HANNOVER MESSE.

By Jonathan Wilkins, EU Automation While it may still be some time before we replace ourselves with androids, automation is having a significant impact on the way we work. This article will discuss further, the impact of robotics on the job market.

Before implementing a cybersecurity technical solution, take an inventory of your industrial network cyber assets and perform a vulnerability assessment.

By Dan DeYoung, Rockwell Automation Implementing a smart manufacturing approach requires an automation system that can keep up with these demands – a system that integrates all smart devices on a single network with one control platform. Automation systems must be able to deliver the promise of smart manufacturing

Renishaw’s neuromate stereotactic robot assisted surgeon Prof. William Gray during the SEEG case, a procedure which uses intracerebral electrodes to measure electrical signals.

This funding round is intended expand PAS sales and marketing across its global offices as well as increase research and development for Cyber Integrity, its flagship cybersecurity software product.

The demonstrator, which attracted a lot of interest at SPS IPC Drives 2016 in Germany, shows the transmission of the Sercos III real-time protocol via Ethernet standard IEEE 802.1 TSN (Time-Sensitive Networks).

Wi-FAR supports line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight broadband services at distances up to 30 km, enabling deployment of middle- and last-mile solutions to regional, rural and remote areas. TV white space can also support a range of current and emerging infrastructure applications, including machine-to-machine communications, Internet of Things (IoT), Smart Grid deployment, industrial automation and homeland security.

By Bill Lydon, Editor, Automation.com As automation technology gets more advanced, with more capabilities, so to does it come with an increasing number of cyber security vulnerabilities. As such, this week’s Deep Dive will revolve around Deloitte's new cyber risk platform

Safety, equipment and environmental protection, process efficiency and capacity, product quality, and control system maintenance depend on PID tuning.

The combination, which is the first investment of its kind for Superior Controls, closed on March 31, 2017. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Honeywell acknowledged 14 channel partners for excellence, innovation and service among more than 300 companies supplying and integrating Honeywell solutions in Asia-Pacific. Honorees surpassed their business goals by delivering superior value to customers.

The objective of feedforward control is to measure disturbances and compensate for them before the controlled variable deviates from set point.

The software will help support the next generation of geoscientists throughout India and will be rolled-out to petroleum and reservoir engineer students at both universities.

U.S. manufacturing technology orders increased more than expected in February, up 19.6 percent from January, according to the latest U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders report from AM

This is the first-ever plant-wide implementation in Japan (based on a March 2017 Yokogawa market survey) of SDN, a software-based technology that enables the creation of virtual network environments.

The Romania facility plays an important part in the Group’s global growth strategy. Over the next two years around 100 new jobs will be created in Sibiu.

ISA President Steven Pflantz says ISA members should seek opportunities to serve as advocates and ambassadors for the industrial automation profession.

During the meeting with Secretary Ross, Moret, who previously served as chair of the Board of the NAM Manufacturing Institute, highlighted the contributions Rockwell Automation has made to lifelong learning and its critical role in bolstering modern manufacturing competitiveness.

Honeywell’s solution is designed to improve safety, efficiency and productivity through control, optimization and monitoring of product blending, movements and inventories in refineries, tank farms and terminals.

Beyond opportunities from developing new and existing applications, the investment will enable Victrex to explore the potential of additive manufacturing within the fibers area, building on the additive manufacturing consortium announced in 2016.

An ISA technical paper proposes a model predictive control as a novel active queue management algorithm in dynamic computer networks.

By Don Pham, IDEC New laser scanner technology allows plant personnel to address safety challenges with more comprehensive coverage zones and configurations. This article will explore some of these technology advancements and discuss how they help improve safety and optimize operations.

NGCP is responsible for delivering safe and reliable power to customers in the Philippines over more than 21,000 circuit kilometers of transmission lines. Cost, resource and energy optimization pressure drove NGCP to invest further in their Schneider Electric solution

The UK’s role in robotics innovation will be shared again with the public this summer with the return of UK Robotics Week, encompassing an expanded nationwide program of events for this week-long celebration (24th – 30th June 2017).

VEGA Americas and SignalFire Wireless Telemetry have teamed up to couple VEGAPULS69 radar level instruments with a SignalFire Remote Sensing System (SFRSS) to provide a wireless remote monitoring and control solution to track flour usage.

Knick Interface LLC will be managed by Mr. Steve Allard, who brings substantial experience in both factory automation and process control industries. Steve will be operating out of Knick Interface’s sales office in California.

Combined with the SIL 2-certified One Series Safety Transmitter, UE now offers process instrumentation end users with a e range of options for electromechanical or digital switching in general process or hazardous area functional safety applications.

At interpack 2017, Siemens is presenting automation solutions for packaging machines, such as the Multi-Carrier System, as well as machine concepts to meet the requirements for speed, efficiency, individuality, and flexibility.

Automated Control Concepts, Inc (ACC), announced that key executive team members have been promoted to advanced roles within the company as the company founder, Robert Tomasetta, retires from the operational role he has held for 34 years to serve as Chairman of the Board.

This relationship is intended to enhance the integrated Petro-SIM engineering environment for a holistic approach to equipment sizing and rating in process design and troubleshooting across the upstream oil and gas, oil refining and petrochemicals industries.

The Automation Competency Model has been a tool for educators and parents, industry management, and lawmakers.

By Bill Lydon, Editor, Automation.com Connecting the manufacturing plant floor with the business enterprise through a single, open network has been an elusive goal in today's automation industry. Many industrial automation people believe that TSN will become a high volume, low cost technology with adoption by automotive and consumer industries