Articles and News

Is model-based predictive multivariable control the technology of choice for automated multivariable control going forward, or is a reevaluation indicated at this juncture?

Over the past year, the Institute and its partners have issued 129,084 certifications, bringing the total to 419,528 certifications issued since 2011.

Chen began his career at Spectronics in 1993 as a Mechanical Product Development Engineer.

Patti provided engineering, design and implementation of an automated temperature monitoring system.

The 2015 Analysis Division Symposium will explore the latest advances in analytical processes, techniques, and applications 26-30 April 2015 in Galveston, Texas, USA.

The problem of state feedback controller design for a class of nonlinear systems, which are described by continuous-time affine fuzzy systems.

The MDA (Motion, Drive & Automation) trade fair will be part of HANNOVER MESSE.

Sercos will present new products, innovative technologies and updates re safety at Hannover Fair from April 13 to April 17 in hall 9, booth G28.

By Jonathan Wilkins, European Automation The static days of the monolithic monitor are beginning to make way for smaller, portable interfaces that provide the user with much more freedom—and problems.

Exception EMS is investing over £300k in an improved production system based around the Aegis FactoryLogix platform.

Because digitalization is the central key to greater productivity, efficiency and flexibility, it forms the focus of the Siemens presentation at the 2015 Hannover Messe.

Microchip plans to introduce Ethernet controllers with EtherCAT.

By Brian Phillippi By making machines smarter through local processing and communication, the IIoT could solve problems in ways that were previously inconceivable. As innovation grows so does the complexity, which makes the IIoT a very large challenge that no company alone can meet.

Indiana-based team designs T-Shirt Launcher for Phoenix Contact Nanoline Contest

As part of the training process, it is important to set personal goals for employees aligned with business goals.

High Coding Level RFID Safety Sensors according to EN 14119

Xothermic used B-Scada’s Status Enterprise software to identify a failed thermocouple in a furnace at the unidentified glass plant.

In Hall 9 / Booth D28 at the Hannover Messe taking place April 13-17, the automation specialists will be presenting programmable safety technology with fast response times.

By Bill Lydon, Editor Kepware Technologies recently introduced a new Local Historian Plug-In for the KEPServerEX communications platform and a Splunk plug-in to support big data systems. The products were born from customers’ requests for an easy to install and use historian for various plant applications, including labs, test situations, and at remote sites.

Free EDR-810 firmware lets network administrators implement firewall security without time-consuming re-configuring of network subnets

The manufacturing industry has production lines and machines with old technology and custom controls that could benefit from an upgrade to newer technology.

Softing’s OPC UA Server Module for ControlLogix is now Certified for Compliance by the OPC Foundation

Verdolotti most recently worked at Parkinson Technologies as a Controls Engineer, and was also a Software Engineer and Corporate Trainer for Yushin America.

The inductive proximity, photoelectric, ultrasonic, capacitive, pressure, linear position transducers, cables, power supplies and displays are for their controls & automation and process control labs.

PIZZATO introduces NG Series, a Safety Interlock Device suitable to applications where a dangerous area or machines remain in hazardous conditions, even after tte machines have been switched off.

The PartnerNetwork program is comprised of machine and equipment builders, suppliers, distributors and system integrators.

In framework of traditional PID controllers, there are only three parameters available to tune, as a result, performance of the resulting system is always limited.

PV industry shipments grew by 15% in 2014 over 2013 to 39.3-GWp from 34.0-GWp the previous year, according to IDTechEx.

Free Online Software Training now includes Track & Trace, Web Services, and Instrument Interface courses.

By Dana Smith, Compressor World Here is what you should do if you deal in air compressors or run a plant that uses a number of different kinds of air compressors.

Sercos International celebrates its 25th anniversary as well as 10 years of Sercos III technology.

Encoder configurator supplies a configured data sheet

SAFESERIES SIL relays include single and dual channel DIN-rail mounted modules suitable for switching safety related circuits up to SIL3 level as per IEC61508.

The cable and connector catalog app is available in both iOS and Android

Inertia Dynamics Spring Applied Brakes are for Servo & Stepper Motors.

Fleming will be in overall charge of product management ─ improving, researching and innovating new products.

Access and usage of the Industrial Data Space will be safeguarded by a set of uniform standards.

IDX Academy is the first certified Foundation Fieldbus training site on the African continent.

By Dan McGrath, Industrial IP Advantage The industrial network switches found in many plants tend to fall into two categories: unmanaged and poorly managed. But the success of the deployment is not about the manager – it’s about the plan.

By Darren Halford, European Automation Which country do you think is the most energy-efficient in the world?

Honeywell’s Assurance 360 Program will provide ongoing services and support to Sasol synthetic fuels and chemicals plant

Nearly 130 professionals within the automation and control field and the pharmaceuticals and food industries gathered in Philadelphia.

The SCADA system was installed for a water and wastewater infrastructure automation project at the city of Fair Oaks Ranch, TX.

Since implementing CodeMeter protection, Faceware Technologies has not detected any counterfeit copies of the current software release on the open market, thus protecting and maximizing their license revenues.

Many government-focused cyberattacks originate from entities in developing countries interested in growing their critical infrastructure.

By Jean Carl, Macro Sensors With improved stroke to length ratio (now up to 80%), the LVDT Linear Position Sensor becomes a viable position measurement device for hydraulic cylinder positioning.

Paul Tanner joined the company as Vice President of Sales for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

M&M Software elevated its membership status to that of sponsoring member of the FDT Group.

Guide covers DC/DC converters, AC/DC power supplies, high brightness LED drivers, POL switching regulators and IGBT drivers.

Curtis Assemble & Test installed a non-contact confocal chromatic sensor from Micro-Epsilon on an automated assembly and test machine that checks the alignment of a precision disc pin assembly, part of an automotive fuel injector valve.

Global Shop is a supplier of ERP software. William William has been selected to oversee the office.

Best practices to get the most out of the inherent capability of a temperature sensor.

By Bill Lydon, Editor The FieldComm Group was formed and became operational on January 1, 2015, by combining all assets of the former Fieldbus Foundation and the HART Communication Foundation. The new group will further intelligent device technologies and their adoption. Ted Masters, President and CEO provided insights into the value of the new organization.

The group will connect young engineers and surveyors with NCEES decision makers to provide feedback and discuss topics concerning the licensure process.

Pressure instrumentation maintenance is a critical and daily task, yet proper procedures for managing and calibrating these instruments are often overlooked or not understood.

Team8 launches with a USD $18 million A-round investment from Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco Investments, Marker LLC, Bessemer Venture Partners, and Innovation Endeavors.

Daifuku is a provider of material handling solutions.

For overview analysis, the report introduces Temperature Indicator basic information including definition, classification, application, industry chain structure, industry overview, policy analysis, and news analysis, etc.

December U.S. cutting tool consumption totaled $168.2 million, up 7.2% from November’s total and up 20.3% from December 2013.

“The Value of Automation: The Best Investment an Industrial Company Can Make” contends that the immense capabilities of automation systems are untapped because their true potential value is not adequately measured or recognized.

Iconics achieved OPC UA Client Lab Certification from the OPC Foundation for its GENESIS64 V10.85 Platform Services.

Beamex, FDT Group, Eaton and Ultra Electronics renewed their partnership contracts with the Society.

Connectors conform to UL 508 (508 A, 508 C) for “Industrial Control Equipment.”

ISA President Rick Roop details the Executive Summit meeting and shares how deeper involvement from key leadership is key to ISA's strategic goals.

Visitors to the Fraunhofer IOSB stand at this year’s Research & Technology show will have the opportunity to learn about a cutting edge Industry 4.0 project dubbed “SecurePLUGandWORK

Oilfield Equipment Market (Drilling Equipments, Field Production Machinery, Pumps and Valves and Other) - Global and U.S. Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2012 - 2018

UniSim Competency Suite provides realistic training experiences for console and field operators in the process industries.

The application specific curriculum is targeted to customer engineers, technicians and programmers interested in earning official certification

Girl Day is an annual celebration of girls’ interests and aptitude in STEM education and potential in STEM-related career fields.

You may have to follow the path of a cross-platform, multigenerational upgrade or migration to upgrade your automation system.

Proseal UK is now able to securely access, diagnose and quickly resolve issues on its tray sealing machines located anywhere in the world, via secure Broadband connections.

By Jonathan Wilkins Putting aside the traditional and universal signs of something going wrong, such as programme bugs and wiring errors, here are the top five things that can go wrong with a PLC.

Research Beam adds a report titled “Global Forklift Trucks Market 2014-2018” that provides detailed information of the Forklift Trucks Market. The report is an excellent piece of study for investors who are looking towards the market.

Version 2.0 of the Matrikon OPC UA Embedded Software Development Kit (SDK) has been certified by the OPC Foundation’s Independent test labs to be compliant with the Embedded OPC Server profile.

The three companies will proceed over the next three years with the implementation of SecurePlant at around 50 Shell plants globally.

Egemin's system includes three automated warehouses and three automated guided vehicles that transport goods between warehouses and production.

U.S. manufacturing technology orders totaled $506.89 million, up 32.7% from November and up 4.7% when compared with the total of $484.08 million reported for December 2013.

Icon Labs’ Floodgate security software runs with Mentor Graphics’ Nucleus RTOS and Mentor Embedded Linux.

Orion flies with 16 radiation-hardened ICs, where they are used to support subsystems for mission critical applications in power distribution, navigation and flight control.

Underwriters Laboratories confirmed that B&R products comply with IEC 61508, IEC 62061 and ISO 13849.

Encompass Supply Chain Solutions provides forward and reverse logistics for a diverse range of finished goods and replacement parts.

Why you should consider templated manufacturing systems when investing in a new factory solution.

For around 50 years, Festo has been a partner to Indian industry, which is relying to an increasing extent on automation technology.

The individual steps including RFQ, layout, quotation and CAD design, for which 10 to 15 days were required in the past, have been shortened to a 20 minutes by the Handling Guide Online.

At the Hannover Messe 2015 trade fair, Festo will once again be showcasing three new, innovative application concepts.

Sensor Specialist to Exhibit Again at Hannover Industry Fair

The MV motor market revenue in China fell by 6.6 percent to nearly $1.8 billion from 2013 to 2014 and IHS says it will continue to drop.

QYResearchReports added latest market survey report on Global And China Robotics Automation Sensors Market 2014

During 2014, Dr. Koon served as President of the International Society of Automation (ISA), which is the founding entity of the Automation Federation.

An ISA technical paper investigates a new fault detection and diagnosis problem via the output probability density functions for non-gausian stochastic distribution systems is investigated.

By Bill Lydon, Editor I believe the growth and application of new technology is a stimulus for the development of new automation system solutions and architectures. These new technologies include, but are not limited to, the Internet of Things (IoT), big data and cloud analytics.

The consolidation was approved by the Boards of Directors for ASHRAE and IAQA at ASHRAE’s recent 2015 Winter Conference in Chicago.

A total of 27,685 robots valued at $1.6 billion were ordered from North American companies during 2014, an increase of 28% in units and 19% in dollars over 2013.

Abstract submission deadline moved to 20 February 2015

BP will use PAS inBound to help manage critical operational limits in their refineries and petrochemicals assets.

The global market for enhanced oil recovery (EOR), valued at US$38.1 billion in 2012, is projected to reach US$516.7 billion by the end of 2023.

In 2014, Endress+Hauser increased net sales by approximately 11 percent, exceeding the 2 billion euro mark.

Orders were steady to higher in all regions and divisions despite a challenging market environment.

Sumer is a French manufacturer of high-performance planetary gearboxes

By David Andeen, Director of Applications, Maxim Integrated “Distribution automation” is an old industry, finding new and vibrant life with the smart grid.