Articles and News

Orders were up 11.3% from February but down 1.4% when compared with the total of $502.89 million reported for March 2011. 2012 is up 12.9% compared with 2011.

PROJECTUS has extended its AVEVA PDMS with the addition of AVEVA OpenSteel and AVEVA Global.

The Automation Federation announced that the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) approved and fully support the creation of a U.S. Automation Community College Consortium.

Excelerate, an end-to-end engagement with customers, makes it easy for them to find enclosures for all their design needs.

Kosmala joins Okuma from ABB Robotics where he led the southern US sales team.

ABB remains the leading EAM supplier in Asia and Latin America, and was ranked second in North America.

Darius Adamczyk replaces Norm Gilsdorf who was named President of High Growth Regions for Russia, Central Asia, and the Middle East.

Alarm system optimization for increasing operations productivity

The Manufacturing Institute and its partners, including ISA, plans to award 500,000 credentials to individuals, positioning them for employment and advancement in manufacturing jobs.

Linear actuators are playing a vital role in helping Kluth, a manufacturer of roof panels, to eliminate virtually all sources of defects in its machining processes.

Automation.com, May 2012 By Bill Lydon, Editor Hannover Messe was again an impressive event that brings together people from the many isolated "silos" in manufacturing to one event for learning and sharing. China was the partner country this year providing yet another dimension to the event.

The website is a hub of information about robotic solutions for customers in diverse industries engaged in a variety of processes.

Based in Guangzhou, Aeromat is a control systems integration company, serving consumer goods, pharmaceutical, water treatment and automotive industries.

In addition, two OEMs have joined the Rockwell Automation OEM Program.

The SunSpec Alliance is dedicated to establishing information standards for renewable energy. Its mission is to drive data- and communications interoperability standards.

By P. Jason Ward, RSR Partners The US economy exhibits all of the attributes of an underpowered engine struggling to push a heavily laden truck up a long, low grade.

Automation.com, May 2012 By J Timothy Shea, Senior Analyst Due to expected increasing demand for level measurement and inventory tank gauging technologies as tools to help companies to continue to improve operational efficiencies, increase productivity, gain greater control over inventories and enhanced accuracy, VDC is forecasting a 5.2% CAGR through 2016.

Automation.com, May 2012 By Jeanne Schweder, Freelance Editor Predicting the reindustrialization of the U.S. over the next five years, Global CEO Joe Hogan said that the company is in the "sweet spot" to take advantage of the many megatrends driving the American economy.

The best way to classify process simulators is to look at the original intent of the simulator software when first released, who are the software developers, who configures the models, and how are the

Automation.com, May 2012 By Dr Harry Zervos, IDTechEx EnOcean Equipment Profiles (EEPs) lays the foundation for fully interoperable, open wireless technology comparable to standards such as Bluetooth and WiFi.

The main steam isolation valves will be installed in Unit 1 of the Sanmen Nuclear Power Plant, located in the Zhejiang Province of China.

Sensors Expo & Conference takes place June 6-7 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL.

The push-pull quick die change systems were made up of three floor mounted and two cart mounted die transport and positioning systems, using Serapid’s Rigid Chain Technology.

HP30 high-pressure disc valve motors power standard drillheads on the all-hydraulic, tophead-drive rotary drills used for water-well, geothermal and auger drilling.

This year’s FRC challenge, “Rebound Rumble,” required robots to shoot as many foam basketballs as possible into various hoops located on the field.

IEEE 802.11-2012 supports devices and networks that are faster, more secure, while offering improved Quality of Service and improved cellular network hand-off.

The two-volume edition features PLCs, PACs, touch screen monitors, AC and DC motors, text panels, sensors, encoders, pushbuttons, switches, drives, and more.

The training center in Istanbul will serve both Turkey and its neighboring countries, acting as a training hub for the region and offering an extensive range of Honeywell training courses.

Automation.com, May 2012 By Jeanne Schweder, Freelance Editor "First, do no harm" sums up the approach global engineering giant ABB took to its January 2011 acquisition of Baldor, the leading U.S. motor manufacturer. Just over 12 months later, the company has shown record profits as well as profit-sharing for employees, and a 50 percent improvement in customer satisfaction rates by year’s end.

PTC ASIA 2012, held from October 29 to November 1, 2012, is the largest manufacturing technology exhibition geared towards mechanical, electrical and fluid power transmission and control in Asia.

infoteam Functional Safety Management Process (iFSM) is now officially certified by TÜV SÜD according to IEC 61508:2010.

Automation.com, May 2012 By TURCK Identifying Tray Cables for Your Next Installation helps operators in defining, selecting and understanding tray cable uses and standards.

The Process Training Unit features Endress+Hauser instruments and Rockwell Automation PlantPAx process automation system for educating field technicians, engineers and sales personnel.

The 205.5 MW greenfield power plant fueled by natural gas is scheduled to start up by the end of 2012.

Linamar deployed KEPServerEX Communications platform to gather data from sixty production machines controlled by six disparate systems.

Verhappen will be responsible for overseeing all Yokogawa business operations in Canada.

Automation.com, May 2012 By Bill Lydon, Editor Participants of the Pharmaceutical Automation Roundtable discussed the topic of networking approaches while considering the differences between manufacturing automation control system networks and business IT networks.

G3-PLC is a global, open powerline communication protocol specifically designed for smart grid communications and recently standardized by the ITU.

The Mechanical Product Assembly & Logistics Center in Glendale Heights supports electro-mechanical product manufacturing operations for the Americas region.

The site identifies common packaging challenges and how Mitsubishi Electric solutions are designed to overcome them.

Catalog covers Valco and Cheminert GC, LC, HPLC, and UHPLC valves, fittings, and accessories, as well as Metronics calibration devices and Precision Sampling products.

MEA is Alaska’s second largest electric cooperative, providing services to 57,000 customers via more than 4,000 miles of transmission and distribution lines.

An I/O checkout on a DCS system is rather difficult because there is no means to “force” the I/O as you can most PLCs

ISA announces the opportunity to attend an exclusive, behind the scenes technology Walt Disney World tour in conjunction with ISA Automation Week 2012, held 24–27 September 2012.

Automation.com, May 2012 By Mark Howard, Zettlex Article lists 10 simple rules for design engineers when selecting position and speed sensors that must cope with shock or vibration.

US Veterans Administration deployed the Infometrics continuous, monitoring-based commissioning program at its 650,000 square foot Caribbean Healthcare system facility in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Attendance totaled 472 for the three-day event. Conference attendance has grown 32 percent in the past three years

PowerScan D Cabled Barcode Reader System is now certified for use in Class I/II/III, Division 2 hazardous locations.

The system will be installed on BM8, one of the largest board machines in the world with an annual production amount of over 400,000 tons.

The system will replace an existing ERP system to support the company's growth and improve operational efficiency through realtime information and reporting.

The seamless interaction between EPLAN Electric P8 and Automation Studio allows development to occur in parallel processes.

ABB reported higher orders and revenues in the first quarter of 2012, led by growth in North America.

The Dallas engineering office, originally launched in 2007, will be expanded to accommodate approximately 30 engineers and project managers.

Paxon Industries will be responsible for implementing SYSCON-PlantStar's real-time production and process monitoring systems in Chinese manufacturing companies.

A manufacturer of speciality chemicals in the UK, Robinson Brothers is conducting a trial of the transmitter on a steam main supplying its chemical manufacturing plant.

Conveyor Concepts manufactures components for the conveyor industry, including conveyor rollers, drive assemblies, polyurethane wheels and related products.

The Safe Motion Profile guarantees that the safety-related functions of peripheral devices are available across the entire network in a uniform and manufacturer-independent way.

The idea is to be able to link variables in different engineering systems via a top level architecture in a very easy way.

Part 3 – Extensions to the Function Blocks extend the scope of the safety specification, and harmonize the diagnostics interface for easier handling by the user.

The web site covers customized DC brush motors, brushless motors, and gear motors.

ABB will update Styron facilities on a global basis with System 800xA process automation control and safety instrumented systems.

Quick Response (QR) Codes will make it easier to identify products, access support contacts and download technical documentation.

Bains served as director of R&D and led rigorous product development, guided technology acquisitions,and expanded the work of NI engineering centers.

May 9, 2012 8:00 am CST and 3:00 pm CST The free webinar is one hour long and includes tips and tricks for incorporating energy management dashboards into SCADA/HMI applications; examples of case studies and applications that have implemented EMS functionality; and a live Q&A session.

Rowland holds a master’s degree in business administration from Indiana Wesleyan University and a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from Xavier University.

Camera Link HS builds on the key strengths of Camera Link and adds new features and functions to meet customers’ demands.

Opto aPAC app monitors and manages a SNAP PAC System using mobile devices running the Android operating system.

The Control System Integrators Association (CSIA) announced winners of three awards during the association’s 2012 Executive Conference in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Students are invited to propose ideas on ways to advance innovation in the process automation industry.

The collaboration under the name 'Partnership of Experts' includes the development of a hybrid motor starter using busbar systems technology which is short-circuit-proof and has connectivity to Eaton-developed SmartWire-DT technology.

Automation.com, April 2012 By Bill Lydon, Editor The Pharmaceutical Automation Roundtable group described the overall goal and vision of unified recipe management is to increase manufacturing productivity and accomplish zero day production releases. How far have they come?

Is a VFD or Valve Faster?

An e-catalogue covers the company's range of metal, plastic, circular and rectangular connectors used in industrial, medical, instrumentation and renewable energy.

The first practical results of the machinery initiative, which was launched jointly by Sercos, ODVA and OPC Foundation in April 2011, was announced at the Hannover trade fair 2012.

Specification V1.3 not only broadens the functionality and the range of applications of the globally accepted real-time standard Sercos but also includes new trends in machine and plant construction.

The diagnostic tool allows a comprehensive and detailed analysis of the data traffic in Sercos III networks.

ODVA, OPC Foundation and Sercos International plan to combine Sercos III and EtherNet/IP compliant devices on an integrated network infrastructure.

ODVA expanded capabilities for the optimization of energy usage on EtherNet/IP and other CIP Networks.

The Florida Section of the American Water Works Association and the ISA will co-promote the 7-9 August 2012 Water/Wastewater and Automatic Controls (WWAC) Symposium.

ATEX approval was obtained for LVCS continuous output stainless steel vertical liquid level sensors and vertical float switches.

mGuard International Users Conference, presented by Phoenix Contact and Innominate, will be held June 6-7 at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown.

ABB will provide mechanical and electrical equipment, and related installation services, to modernize the hoist.

Kepware signed Exata Sistemas de Automação Ltda as its Preferred Distributor partner throughout Brazil.

A Control Valve Primer by Hans D. Baumann

The first practical results of the machinery initiative, which was launched jointly by Sercos International, ODVA, and OPC Foundation in April 2011, were announced at the 2012 Hannover trade fair.

Enhancements in v2.0 include improved Encoded Test DDs updated to align with the current Test Specifications, test report spreadsheets for documenting test results, and more.

Engineers unable to travel to Germany for the Hanover Fair (Hannover Messe) can stay up-to-date with the latest news from the world’s largest industrial tradeshow.

Products to receive SIL3 capability status include direct-acting solenoid and pilot operated poppet valves, spool valves, and solenoid hydraulic valves for use in ballast control systems.

TVI Vision has developed, manufactured and marketed line scan cameras for industrial machine vision applications since 1993.

Thermal Imaging Technical Resource includes an analysis of specifications, an explanation of image viewing technology,and a comparison of industrial vs building thermal imagers.

Guangzhou Metro Line in China connected various monitoring equipment to ControlNet using solutions from Rockwell Automation and the Anybus Communicator from HMS Industrial Networks.

Enhancements in Servo Drives a la Carte tool include Different Core controls, Power stages and Motor types.

An IP68 rating means the enclosure provides protection from continuous water immersion, dust penetration and leakage from high pressure water jets or heavy seas.

The worldwide market for Plant Asset Management Systems will experience an unknown amount of growth this year according to ARC.

United Stationers installed an integrated intelligent lighting system consisting of energy-saving LED fixtures and Daintree’s ControlScope wireless lighting controls.

Website helps machine builders quickly and easily find the motion and machine automation information they need to build machines with a competitive advantage.

Mike has held several positions in MESA, including the International Board of Directors, Strategic Advisor, Executive Chair of the Marketing Committee and North American Conference Chair.

Founded in August 1987, COPA-DATA now has ten subsidiaries, cooperates with distributors throughout the world and has zenon customers in more than 50 countries.

ST100 Flow Meter received FM and FMc approvals: Class I, Division 1, hazardous locations, Groups B, C, D; Class II and III, Div 1 Groups E, F, G; Nonincendive Class I Division 2 Groups A, B, C, D; Nonincendive Class II, Division 2 Groups E, F, G.

IEEE-SA published IEEE 1591.1-2012 – Standard for Testing and Performance of Hardware for Optical Ground Wire (OPGW)-- used in the smart grid to provide grounding for transmission lines and communications back to utility systems.