Articles and News

Not enough young people are interested in technology beyond the functionality of their smartphones, and too few know what they are missing by deciding against a career in mechanical engineering. This video might help.

The guide includes both selection criteria and guided workflow steps for choosing the correct Cloud ERP system and supplier.

The Program Committee of the 59th ISA Analysis Division Symposium has issued a Call for Papers inviting abstracts for presentation consideration at the conference, which will be held 4-8 May 2014 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA.

July U.S. manufacturing technology orders totaled $351.21 million, down 23.6% from June and down 23.6% when compared with the total of $459.44 million reported for July 2012.

By Thomas R. Cutler Holistic is not the first word that comes to mind regarding automation; neither is order-taker. Yet thousands of interviews over the past twenty years have revealed that many system integrators who provide automation services, particularly in material handling, better match the description of order-takers.

By: Christophe Romatier, Honeywell Process Solutions A centralized remote collaboration center makes the best use of resources by creating a hub where experts from a variety of disciplines can access information, troubleshoot and optimize production facilities—all from a single location.

Johnson has been with Opto 22 since 1994, serving briefly as Network Manager and then as Senior Project Engineer until becoming Engineering Manager in 2011.

The system will be used for grid simulation in the test and certification of PV (photovoltaic) inverters.

B&R servo technology and POWERLINK communication helped Woojin optimize the speed and precision of three different lines of injection molding machines.

REO UK, a manufacturer of resistive and inductive wound components, added a 3D printing machine in its factory in Solingen, Germany, to assist with rapid prototyping.

Roughly half of the 5,000-square-meter floor space is reserved for production and development with 800 square meters set aside for a clean room.

President and CEO, Tony Paine, will speak as an expert on systems communication and industrial automation during two acclaimed energy telecommunications and manufacturing intelligence events this fall.

The office in Singapore will coordinate Omega's business throughout the Southeast Asia region.

By Bill Lydon, Editor Duke Energy, the largest electric power company in the United States, has deployed National Instruments (NI) technology for monitoring, analytics, and diagnostics in their electric utilities in an effort to improve operations and optimize workforce activities.

New Standards and Technologies Streamline Safety Systems

PLCopen formed several working groups for software development, coding conventions, documentation and other functions for IEC 61131-3 and its PLCopen extensions.

PLCopen and Kormocon, the Korean Motion Control Industry Organization based in Seoul, signed an agreement to open a PLCopen office in Korea.

By Chris Hansford, Hansford Sensors Discusses the importance of preserving high levels of performance in automation equipment and how this can be achieved using reliable vibration measurement equipment.

By Bill Lydon, Editor The BAS system was implemented using Beckhoff’s programmable controllers and software based on IEC 61131-3 and a standard library of building automation functions including lighting control, window shade control, climate control, and energy consumption monitoring.

PCT Engineered Systems' (PCT) cooling capacity needed to be increased dramatically to meet business demands and the company was able to quickly and efficiently meet this challenge using Siemens controllers and drives.

The two companies will develop solutions for transmission, distribution and power conversion systems to power and control subsea pumps and gas compressors at depths of 3,000 meters.

Renishaw's Equator programmable gages are being used for measuring and sorting mud-motor bearings.

Conceptual knowledge should be sought to see the commonality in seemingly different industrial application requirements.

LCI-90i-IS Rugged Programmable Controller (RPC) has been awarded Underwriters Laboratories (UL) certification for Class I, Division 2, T5, Group A, B, C, and D locations.

Testing Anywhere MOBILE multi-platform test automation app works on Android and iOS.

Barnard comes to PAC from Flowserve where he worked for 7 years as Vice-President of Manufacturing, Vice-President of China Operations, and Vice-President of General Industries and China Sector.

In order to make more users available to Wecon hmi，Wecon has lunched 10.2 inch economic hmi.

Redbusbar supplies LED voltage indicators to major coal port expansion.

By Patty Solberg, Powerit Solutions Utilities are increasingly adopting advanced demand response (DR) programs—and that represents a growing opportunity for energy-intensive businesses to reduce their overall electricity costs while contributing to corporate sustainability efforts. To participate successfully in these programs, energy-intensive businesses must have DR-ready automation.

Bridge Data Manger is being used by the campus to verify that the utility meter data reporting, including the electrical, gas, steam, and chilled water use is performing as the building design intended.

Metso automation systems will be used for the turbine control, sluice gate control, excitation control, vibration monitoring as well as for a power plant/river training simulator.

Temperature controllers from West Control Solutions are being used by Active Magnetic Inspection on two stress relief ovens that each required monitoring of 60 product containers.

University of Utah’s Department of Chemical Engineering has received $108,000 in control system tools and software from Opto 22.

The Power Meter will be a key test tool for Undergraduate and Graduate testing laboratories in the new Electrical and Computer Engineering Building under development.

Frost & Sullivan says the market for European Safety Instrumented Systems earned revenues of $510.1 million in 2012 and estimates this to reach $665.4 million in 2017.

Commonly used in process automation, the ILME rectangular connectors are known for their hi-quality construction and reliable connection.

ARC says mobile devices with customized displays are rapidly making their way into the manufacturing environment and driving CPM-P/MES growth.

Datalogic will acquire the high power pulsed fiber laser assets and technology of Multiwave Photonics, a Portuguese company based in Porto.

The CAN repeaters are offered under HMS’s recently acquired IXXAT brand and enable machine builders and system integrators to use extended CAN topologies including tree or star topologies.

ABB will design, supply, install and commission a new indoor substation to replace a 40-year-old installation in Grajau, near the Maracanã stadium in Brazil.

Rockwell will supply fully integrated safety solutions to Transocean, a provider of offshore contract drilling services for energy companies.

The demonstration center allows Adept customers and integrators to prove out advanced robotic packaging, handling, dispensing or assembling applications in real time.

ODT Global will represent QComp in the Northeastern U.S.

Industrial control systems are increasingly under attack and basic wireless security is inadequate. Government-validated technologies can be used to achieve greater cybersecurity

IWK Verpackungsteckni and OYSTAR IWK USA make tube filling and cartoning machinery for the pharmaceutical and personal care industries.

Emerson will provide PlantWeb, DeltaV digital automation system, DeltaV SIS process safety system, CSI 6500 Machinery Health Monitor, AMS Suite predictive maintenance software, and pressure, temperature, radar level, and vortex flow transmitters.

Now your mobile device can tell you to go maintain and inspect your CNC machines.

Farsens is offering basic and regular sample kits for parties interested in testing their wireless battery free sensor products.

Neo-Dyn brand of pressure and temperature switches has been third-party certified to the functional safety and security standards required by IEC 61508.

By Shaun Luper The stunning and sometimes revolutionary strides made in the consumer and corporate computing industries over the last decade (and more) have Automation clients, customers, and insiders wondering why the evolution of tech in Automation has not paralleled these gains to a greater degree.

ISA Training and Education in September: Learn, Advance, Succeed

Call for Papers invites authors to submit abstracts for presentation consideration at the conference, which will be held 5-7 March 2014 in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA.

Add comments through the software during programming. People will be very glad that you did.

Flea3 USB3 Vision cameras interface to NI Vision Acquisition Software, Vision Builder for Automated Inspection (AI) and LabVIEW Vision Development Module.

LXI Consortium approved Rigol Technologies as a LXI test house in China capable of testing the core LXI Standard as well as all of the LXI Extended Functions.

LLC GSE-Giprokauchuk is a Russian company that does design and research for the chemical, petrochemical and synthetic rubber industries.

NEMA TS2 is a standard for traffic control assemblies, such as traffic lights, emergency road condition signs and walk/don't walk signs.

The actuators have been supplied to valvemakers in India for installation on Phase 2 of the Kochi-Koottanad Bangalore-Mangalore Pipeline project.

SPEC (System Plast Engineering Calculator) evaluates applications for steel or plastic chain and modular belt conveyors.

Pringle, who has been serving as President of Fluke Industrial, is now responsible for all Fluke global businesses. Pringle succeeds Barbara Hulit, Fluke President since 2005.

Moxa received Underwriters Laboratories (UL) certification of its VPort 36-1MP-IVA-T surveillance camera for Class 1, Div. 2 hazardous locations.

Emerson will automate equipment and processes for two environmental projects at DC Water’s Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant in Washington, D.C.

Raveon will support existing RF Neulink customers with a continuing supply of RF Neulink products, technical support, spare parts, and product enhancements.

By Mike Roberts, LNS Research With mobile-enabled quality management at our doorstep, it’s important to know what’s coming and what’s already available at some levels. There are three key functionalities you can expect to see in the not too distant future.

Belden previously was Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at the Rockford site as well as heading the PCI operations in Hay-on-Wye, Wales in the United Kingdom.

No numbers reported, but increased regulations on food and drug safety are fueling the growth in the batch management software (BMS) market.

The vendor-neutral seminar includes presentations by technology experts, live demonstrations of WirelessHART technology (IEC 62591; EN 62591), and firsthand experience of the technology’s interoperability, reliability, applications and ease of use.

Peggy Smedley, Editorial Director of Connected World magazine will be the keynote speaker at ISA’s 8th Marketing and Sales Summit, which will be held 11-13 September 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

Catalog covers descriptions, specifications and technical drawings of DENSO four-axis SCARA and five- and six-axis articulated robots, as well as controllers, teach pendants and programming software.

Exida certified the Detcon DM-700 Toxic Gas Sensor for Safety Integrity Level (SIL) 2 capability per IEC 61508: 2010.

Model predictive control (MPC) offers several advantages for control of chemical processes. However, the standard MPC may do a poor job in suppressing the effects of certain disturbances.

Regulatory exemptions that allow motors of lesser efficiency to be produced beyond dates stated in legislation have slowed both annual sales and the global installed base of motors.

Mohd Shariq Khan, a student from Yeungnam University in South Korea, won the annual Asia Pacific student competition.

The Netherlands have been named the “Partner Country” for HANNOVER MESSE 2014.

Gene Haas Foundation Machining Championship Award certificates were presented at an awards ceremony in Kansas City, Missouri.

TÜV Süd confirmed that the B&R X20 safety I/O modules and controllers satisfies all of the requirements of EN 50156 "Electrical equipment for furnaces and ancillary equipment."

Version 3.0 gives users better access to products from the company’s focused delivery program.

By Jon Irvine, Valin The rule of thumb in a heating application like heat trace is to place the sensor in the most extreme location-- the lowest expected location for minimum temperature control and the highest expected location for maximum temperature control. The temperature sensor can only process the information supplied to it and placement is everything.

Advantages of using Foundation Fieldbus on floating production storage & offloading project, analyzing results as if implemented using Foundation Fieldbus.

IHS says the Southeast Asian general motion controls market is forecast to grow to more $90 million by 2017, and the computer numerical control (CNC) motion controls market to more than $70 million.

Given the growing need among companies to better integrate their manufacturing processes with their overall business strategies and operations ISA announces the formation of an enterprise-focused educational track at ISA Automation Week 2013.

Everyone else predicts Asia is booming, but ARC says it's suffering. Who's right?

The company’s executives, sales leadership, marketing and product management staff are relocating to the new location in Schaumburg, IL.

Classes typically are a combination of classroom and hands-on training on either the Endress+Hauser Process Training Unit (PTU) or live instruments in training stands, both designed to simulate operating conditions.

The two are Robin McKee, formerly from Par Nuclear, and Matt Besser who previously worked at Aspect Automation.

Through automated, frequent measurements of zeta potential, the on-line system enables continuous monitoring of the coagulation processes used in the treatment of the water.

Readback control of valve position compensates for a host of unknowns in connection with valve response but a positioner, like a controller, must be tuned.

Compliance with ever tightening safety and environmental regulations will play a positive role in the growth of the radar level transmitter market.

The global market for Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) grew by 8 percent in 2012, thanks to e-commerce.

The Atlas Copco cell has an ABB IRB 6640 robot, three Okuma lathes, SVIA’s PickVision Smart Camera vision system and a Renishaw equator. The IRB 6640 will load and unload the three lathes.

This workshop trains automation professionals on the ”must know” topics that will allow them to properly design and implement secure control networks and OPC architectures.

Those who oversee production facilities are increasingly turning to control system integrators for help with asset lifecycle management (ALM).

The Tamar conveyor system had to handle "green totes" - something the existing conveyor system couldn't do.

ISA-62443-3-3-2013, Security for Industrial Automation and Control Systems Part 3-3: System Security Requirements and Security Levels, addresses risks arising from the growing use of business information technology (IT) cyber security solutions.

RLE has more than 7 million feet of Northwire manufactured leak detection sensing cable installed in a wide variety of systems around the globe.

exida issued a functional safety certification per IEC 61508 for the Neo-Dyn Pressure Switch Series, Temperature Switches Series, Differential Pressure Switches Series, and Low Pressure / Vacuum Switches Series.

Emerson replaced aging turbine and balance-of-plant controls with its Ovation expert control system at Westport 5 Generating Station in Baltimore, Maryland.

What kind of MES do you need?

The Latin American market for low-voltage AC & DC motor drives is forecast to expand to $595 million in 2017, rising at a rate of 7.1 percent from $420 million in 2012.

Softing's Linking Device and Gateway FG-110-FF has been integrated with Emerson's AMS Suite predictive maintenance software application to connect to any FOUNDATION fieldbus network.