Articles and News

Taipei Metro installed a video surveillance system for the Nangang-Banqiao-Tucheng Line, using IP video technology from Moxa.

Invensys installed a major control systems and technology upgrade at 12 Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority sites.

Schedule includes a new workshop specifically focused on OPC Unified Architecture (UA) to provide attendees the skills and tools to maximize the benefits of using OPC UA.

HMI information needs to be displayed in meaningful and actionable ways rather than as "raw data."

Wireless technology for industrial automation applications has requirements regarding standards, protocols, methodologies, and support tools

Updates help automate device replacement and enable backwards compatibility among different revisions of FOUNDATION devices used in plant automation systems.

The redesign is now optimized to work with all major Internet browsers including Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome and Safari.

Automation.com, December 2012 By Bill Lydon, Editor Maintenance strategy is becoming an important topic because of aging systems and the lack of experienced personnel. The goal of a maintenance strategy is to achieve the highest automation system availability consistent with the organization's safety, capital investment and profit goals.

The 2013 General Assembly will be held in Shanghai, China, on March 12-15, 2013.

AMT says with a year-to-date total of $4,753.68 million, 2012 is up 5.3% compared with 2011.

Despite the overall decline, certain machine vision components have enjoyed positive year-over-year growth through the first nine months of 2012.

The Pawnee Station set up a cause code system for their text messages in the event of a shut down or malfunction. Each code represents a cause and is texted to plant managers and maintenance personnel.

Emerson will supply Ovation control and SCADA technology for the Catalina Solar and Pacific Wind renewable energy projects.

ABB will supply the switchyard, switch room and other electrical equipment, together with the control system for the Bozshakol mine.

Automation.com, December 2012 By Rebecca Guthrie, Dan O'Brien, et al. Honeywell Performance Materials and Technologies approached Honeywell Process Solutions for assistance on a solution for a standard manufacturing execution system (MES) platform that would reduce total cost of ownership and take advantage of industry standards.

Be extremely careful to select knowledgeable technicians to install capillary seals. Many a pipefitter has pulled them out of the box and bolted them up without the proper gaskets and spacers. If this

In addition to the obvious needs in power generation, the retirement of generating assets in certain areas will create pockets of grid instability that must be addressed.

Advantech has become an authorized distributor of InduSoft’s InduSoft Web Studio HMI/SCADA software package.

Catalog presents technical information clearly so customers can quickly source standard wire and cable products and custom build-to-order solutions.

Guide covers enclosure solutions for oil refining and purification, biodiesel production, etc., with relevant safety classifications.

Classes on safety, security, surge protection, Ethernet, wireless and I/O run from February through April 2013.

Red Arrow replaced unreliable capacitance-based level measurement devices with guided wave radar (GWR) transmitters from Emerson Process Management.

Honeywell will install its MES solution at four power plants in Kuzbassenergo and two power plants in Yenisei, Siberia, as well as at SGK’s head office in Moscow.

CSIA names four new members, four certified members, and three recertified members.

Subcontractors and suppliers will be showcasing their solutions and services to the international audience at Industrial Supply (8-12 April 2013).

Process integration and interdisciplinary product development are core themes of Digital Factory, 8 to 12 April 2013.

The 564 page catalog covers a wide range of machine safety subjects and the complete line of ABB JOKAB SAFETY products.

Accurate mass flow measurements have improved product quality and reduced production time by 10–15 per cent at the Unilever facility in Gebze, Turkey.

Siemens will supply two Robicon Perfect Harmony variable frequency drives (VFD) to the Big Stone Plant, a coal-fired power plant in South Dakota.

Students will design and construct Rube Goldberg machines, which are overly complex contraptions, for hammering a nail.

Motion, Drive & Automation (MDA) trade fair will be staged at the upcoming HANNOVER MESSE from 8 to 12 April 2013.

A goal for the German government is to explore and develop forward-looking new technologies that will lay the groundwork for Germany’s future. The companies exhibiting at Research & Technology are a crucial part of this effort.

PI welcomes the new basic technology as an important contribution toward the widespread use of drives with PROFIBUS and PROFINET in applications.

ABB's S+ Control PDP800 PROFIBUS Interface is built on FPGA technology and intellectual property (IP) cores provided by Softing and does not require a dedicated ASIC.

The USB3 Vision standard supports easy camera connectivity to newer off-the-shelf computer products with built-in USB 3.0 ports.

DARPA will use aPriori as an automated back-end solution for optimizing manufacturing cycle time and product costs for the Adaptive Vehicle Make (AVM) program.

PI views the announcement by Emerson Process Management that it is expanding its AMS Suite to include connectivity to PROFIBUS PA as good news.

By Mark Howard, Zettlex Inductive sensor terminology and techniques can be confusing. This article explains the various types and operating principles, as well as their consequent strengths and weaknesses.

PROFINET functions for process automation include CiR, redundancy, time synchronization, and time stamping.

The Consortium will use the National Instruments Single-Board RIO General Purpose Inverter Controller (GPIC) as the integrated control system for a new 100 kilowatt intelligent power stack module.

Honeywell will supply an Experion Process Knowledge System and plant security to Alliance Oil Company for its Khabarovsk Refinery in far east Russia.

Automation.com, December 2012 By Bill Lydon, Editor Emerson is expanding their role of providing lifecycle services and achieving the "trusted advisor" status with customers. With the addition of new employees and products, they are positioning themselves to better serve process automation users.

The leaflet covers VA Master FAM540, Armored purgemeter FAM3200, PurgeMaster 10A6100, and VA Master glass tube meters.

Users of the EPLAN Platform can use the macros to create overview drawings, electrical and pneumatic circuit diagrams, and PLC overviews of Festo CPX/MPA valve terminals.

VIPA is a manufacturer of PLCs, I/O modules and HMIs in Herzogenaurach, Germany.

"Advanced Control Foundation: Tools, Techniques, and Applications" by Terry Blevins, et al, provides a more thorough understanding of the concepts and capabilities of advanced control products and solutions.

Study says over the next five years, the United States, Germany and Japan will be challenged to maintain their competitive edge against China, India and Brazil.

The PC-based software tool emulates complete Sercos networks and the connected Sercos slave devices.

The EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG) has attracted more than 2,200 member companies from 56 countries.

The Semiconductor Technical Working Group of the EtherCAT Technology Group published 12 comprehensive profile documents since October 2011.

Automation.com, November 2012 By Bill Lydon, Editor The automation industry has been centered on a five layer hierarchical architecture for years but new technology is making it possible to streamline this model to eliminate layers, increase performance, and lower software maintenance costs.

The organizations will work on the interface between BACnet (ANSI ASHRAE 135 / ISO 16484-5) and OPC-UA (IEC 62541).

Employ setpoint filters, velocity limits and external-reset feedback to meet the process control objectives at your plant or facility.

Use disturbance rejection tuning, external-reset feedback, and a setpoint filter in your PID controller to achieve loop performance objectives.

Illinois companies involved in green technologies and advanced manufacturing are invited to join a trade mission to Turkey in June 2013.

Now users can incorporate HART, WirelessHART and FOUNDATION fieldbus information into one standard environment for data and device management.

MACH-ProAir, MACH-ProZone, RC-Archive version 3, and RC-Studio 2 have been certified by BACnet Testing Laboratories (BTL).

The $8 million annex to the existing Reliable Controls building is a targeted LEED Platinum facility.

Passing the Torch: ISA Social Media Community Manager

Update includes integration of the first parts of the PLCopen specifications on motion control.

Advanced Motion Controls has been awarded the PLCopen Motion Control Certificate for its product Click&Move (C&M).

QA Graphics is providing marketing resources to help clients upsell their customer base when discussing graphic needs for projects.

For the first nine months of 2012, motion control product shipments are up 2.3% over the same period in 2011, according to the Motion Control Association (MCA).

Experion SCADA will be used to integrate and manage data coming from than 160 monitoring and control stations along a 1,400 km gas distribution network.

The document contains a general overview of the implementation of safety around presses, coupled to twelve defined function blocks.

IMS says the Asia-Pacific PLC market will be driven by Chinese domestic consumption because no other industry is growing.

Siemens predicts that future production will involve virtual processes for product and plant development increasingly integrated with real production.

Petock was formerly Vice President, Global Marketing and Communications, at Tridium.

IMS Research projects that revenues in the Asia-Pacific PLC market (excluding Japan) will rise to only $3.6 billion in 2016.

Catalog covers Traco Power DC-DC converters and AC-DC power supplies.

Online tool allows users to customize tower light selections and view related information. It works with a variety of operating systems including iPad and Android tablets.

Automation expenditures in the food and beverage industry are expected to reach $7 billion by 2016.

The recovery in the temperature transmitter market was mainly due to an increase in orders from growing industries such as oil & gas, chemical, and electric power.

This remote-monitoring solution allows OEMs to identify and resolve technical issues, perform scheduled and preventive maintenance, and monitor their installed base of machinery.

The interactive 3D CAD drawings are high-quality, photorealistic images that can be rotated and zoomed for a complete view of the product.

After the market suffered as a result of the financial crisis, culminating in a trough in 2009, the market rebounded to exceed its previous peak of over $6 billion in 2008.

The operating range of SDSL broadband routers are now up to 15 kilometres at rates up to 10.4 Mbit/s via standard telephone wires.

Rockwell will supply PACs, variable frequency drives, software and engineering support services for machinery control systems onboard U.S. Navy and Coast Guard surface ships.

Recently I watched the movie Apollo 13 again, this time including my four children who had never seen the cinematic classic. I’ve personally seen it too many times to count; it’s one of my favorites

Automation.com, November 2012 By Bill Lydon, Editor At a recent annual update, Schneider Electric's Jeff Drees said their big software bet is centered on StruxureWare Software - a platform and suite of applications between automation and enterprise computing.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Magmeters

Automation.com, November 2012 By Bill Lydon, Editor Industrial Ethernet protocols, coupled with low cost pervasive Ethernet technology, have made the support of multiple protocols on a single controller a reality, enabling users to leverage the advantages of various networks and make technology additions to existing systems.

The demand for oil and gas is expected to boost investments in upstream and mid-stream oil and gas segments which, in turn, will result in greater demand for controls.

MobiliTec at Hannover Messe trade fair covers hybrid and electric powertrain technologies, mobile energy storage and alternative mobility solutions.

Technical and maintenance staffs are shrinking at manufacturing operations and companies are turning to systems integrators for support. CSIA added some standards.

Based in Calgary, Alberta, Simark Controls is a Semaphore authorized distributor for customers in western Canada.

The app provides section news and events through an integrated events calendar and Twitter feed.

Previoiusly, Arnold was responsible for marketing at SDL Language Technologies, and Marketing Program Manager for CoCreate Software.

Siemens will provide five ROBICON Perfect Harmony Drives and electrical distribution equipment such as panelboards, switchboards, safety switches, switchgear and busway systems.

With more people than ever using a smartphone as their calendar, contact list, day planner, encyclopedia, calculator, and even (believe it or not) their phone, ISA Toronto is pleased to announce the r

The automated gear deburring system drastically simplifies the deburring process by giving Fairfield the capability to automatically deburr a wide range of gears safely and efficiently.

The LVDT lets SL Series Linear Position Sensors from Control Products provide long stroke position measurement in heavy duty applications where rod-type sensors do not hold up.

The two companies will unify Siemens' Teamcenter Product and Production Lifecycle software and Bentley's ProjectWise Factory Infrastructure Lifecycle software.

Over the next five years, manufacturing stalwarts like the United States, Germany and Japan will be challenged to maintain their competitive edge.

The industry to see the most capital expenditure in the Americas will continue to be oil and gas, representing over one third of the region’s total.

By Mike Hughes, Schaeffler Specifying linear motion systems isn’t the black art many engineers think it is. Here are some useful tips on how to select suitable linear actuators for single and multi-axis positioning systems.

Use precise valves, scheduled tuning, external-reset feedback, directional rate setpoint limits, and an enhanced PID to stop split range oscillations.

In 1977, FANUC USA was founded with headquarters originally in Elk Grove Village, IL, to provide service & support for imported machine tools.

Lenze Americas donated $10,000 to the American Red Cross to assist with disaster relief and rebuilding efforts to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy.

ZigBee Input Device is the global standard for greener, innovative and easy-to-use mice, keyboards, wands, touchpads and other input devices used with computers and CE devices.