Articles and News

Rockwell will supply process skids, automation architecture, a PlantPAx Process Automation System, software, power control and engineering/startup services.

Automation Federation Honored for Workforce Development and STEM Advancements

The National Development and Reform Commission of the People’s Republic of China and the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards adopted EtherNet/IP.

Vernay plans to replace an aged legacy ERP system that was unable to support the company's growing global operations.

The Manufacturing Institute ia a 501c3 foundation affiliated with the National Association of Manufacturers.

ISA Communications Division to host Wireless Factory Automation Workshop

Automation.com, March 2012 By Rockwell Automation Rockwell installed three ControlLogix PACs, FactoryTalk, and a 100Mbit network with two Stratix 8000 switches to replace five old PLCs and ControlNet at a BASF shipping facility in Germany.

Digital Factory, April 23 to 27, 2012, during HANNOVER MESSE, moves closer to two other exhibit halls on related themes: Industrial Automation and Industrial Supply.

Nanotec Electronic US will offer Nanotec’s Plug and Drive Servo stepper motors, BLDC motors, stepper driven linear actuators and intelligent motor controllers.

The permanent pressure loss is less for an annubar than an orifice flowmeter.

The Automation Federation is recognized for its AutomationSTEM program and its initiatives and collaborations, including the alliance with FIRST.

Process safety expert Paul Gruhn will deliver a keynote address at the 58th Annual International Instrumentation Symposium (IIS) on Wednesday, 6 June 2012, in La Jolla, California, USA.

The Water Innovations Alliance (WIA) is an industry association focused on developing new funding, increasing collaboration and raising awareness for cutting-edge water technologies and the problems they solve.

An STS400 reads bar-codes on tires. It replaced laser technology, which was not able to guarantee an effective read rate because of the low aspect ratio codes.

Lab 360 contract manufacturing platform helps customers develop custom wiring.

The company’s facilities are ISO 13485:2003-certified for the design and manufacture of wire, cable and assemblies for medical devices.

Prior to joining GE, Biederman served as the Director of Public Works for the Township of Waterford, Michigan.

Automation.com, March 2012 By Bill Lydon, Editor The goal of FOUNDATION for Remote Operations Management (ROM) is linking people that understand the processes and equipment in a secure fashion around the world to achieve faster start-up time and reduced operating costs.

Microsoft will help Invensys develop its Wonderware Historian and Workflow applications to enable them to run on the Windows Azure cloud.

Since its founding in 2005 Certec has specialized in the development of state-of-the-art web HMI and SCADA systems.

Seniw holds a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacology from the University of Alberta (Edmonton, Canada) and a Master of Business Administration from McGill University (Montreal, Canada).

Guide outlines the essential principles of explosion-protection with respect to electrical equipment installed in harsh, hazardous environments.

Selected models of Mobrey Horizontal Magnetic Float Level Switches have been certified in accordance with IEC61508 to attain SIL 1 for a single device and SIL 2 for a pair of devices.

The e-scrap recycling process at Boliden's Rönnskär copper smelter is controlled by ABB’s 800xA Extended Automation System.

PACs and MCCs from Rockwell Automation helped standardize plant-wide control and contributed to UK completing the project under budget and six months ahead of schedule.

With the global economic downturn now predominantly in the past, capital spending on information technology has rebounded vigorously.

The wireless market is affected by competition between standards that leads customers to fear that wireless is emerging as the next platform for the automation fieldbus wars.

Automation.com, March 2012 By Staffan Dahlström, HMS Industrial Networks Despite a turbulent market, we saw a growing interest in industrial communication solutions in 2011. Trends include the growth of networks (70 at last count), the need to save energy, integrated safety networks and remote access.

Ametek expanded the Center of Excellence for electronic instruments at its China headquarters in the Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Pudong Shanghai.

Titus will present “Using Functional Safety as Part of your Machine Safety Plan” on April 24th and 25th of the four day event.

After adopting EPLAN Electric P8 and EPLAN Data Portal, it has been able to reduce project design time significantly and eliminate common editing errors, leading to faster turnaround times.

Blake Moret, senior VP at Rockwell Automation, was elected vice chair of The Manufacturing Institute's Board of Trustees.

EVSC opened the Motoman Robot Laboratory at the Southern Indiana Career and Technical Center (SICTC) with eight HP3JC robots and NXC100 controllers.

Automation.com, March 2012 By Bill Lydon, Editor Tom Koulopoulos discusses innovation, big data, connections and collaboration at the recent PROFINET Executive Forum. If we open our minds and use data, connections and collaboration, we create a recipe for intelligence (success).

To minimize interaction between a back pressure loop and a flow loop in series, the pressure drop should be much greater across the flow control valve.

ISA and San Jacinto College have signed a collaboration agreement to offer ISA training on the San Jacinto campus in Pasadena, Texas.

Automation.com, March 2012 By Bill Lydon, Editor An energy savings study at Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz plants based on the use of PROFIenergy of PROFINET showed potential savings per work cell of 5,700 euro and 33.250 kg of CO2 emissions per year.

The CT scanner captures all surfaces, both external and internal, of complex free-form parts and assemblies without harming the object.

Continental Automated Buildings Association (CABA) will promote ISA courses to the CABA membership.

New items in the 144-page catalog include Fluke Ti100-Series Thermal Imagers, Tektronix PSM Series RF and Microwave Power Sensors/Meters, and RES TCT2 Breaker Trip Coil Tester & Timer.

Honeywell will supply Experion PKS control system, Safety Manager, Unisim Operator Training System and Field Device Manager for five coal chemical sites in China.

The Electronic Design Specialty identifies experts for customers looking to extend and customize NI reconfigurable I/O (RIO) hardware products.

Institutions joining RIA as sponsored members benefit by gaining access to many opportunities, including student recruitment, savings on conferences and workshops, and professionally reviewed papers.

Robust PID Controller Design for Non-Minimum Phase Time Delay Systems

In 2012, HANNOVER MESSE will showcase innovations in 8 international flagship fairs, including the premiere of IndustrialGreenTec for environmental technology.

MPI helps smaller companies in the polymer industry by using an NVision MobileScan laser scanning system to re-engineer or inspect parts to a high level of accuracy.

The web site has improved graphics and an updated layout, making it easier to use. A new search engine on the product page provides easier access to updated technical and product information.

The agreement also covers on-going maintenance of existing systems, plus the supply of new systems for all current and future developments.

The system is saving the county more than $227,000 in equivalent annual energy costs.

The program combines ExperTune’s PlantTriage software with expert consultation and training.

Celebrating Pi Day

Free webinar series explains the benefits of integrating operational technology with enterprise IT systems.

The video shows how the STA can monitor potentially hazardous events as well as initiating emergency shutdown procedures or alerting personnel of unsafe process conditions.

Magnetrol’s spillage prevention and tank overfill protection products will be added to Honeywell Enraf Safety Solutions’ Alarm Scout service group.

Located in Mendoza, Argentina, ICSA focuses on manufacturing wind and hydroelectric power sources.

ABB won orders worth around $100 million from Rio Tinto for 17 distribution substations to support increased production at iron ore mines in Western Australia.

Celebrating Excellence honors companies and individuals, members and non-members, for significant contributions in leadership.

Fossil Fuel Committee Publishes Functional Requirements

Automation.com, March 2012 By Tom Plocher of Honeywell, et al. Shift logs are the mechanisms that help coordinate activities across shifts or teams. Industrial research has repeatedly argued for the benefits of imposing structure on shift handovers in the form of structured logs, checklists, and displays.

AerosUSA, located in Harrisburg, PA., is the North American operation for Flexa cable protection systems.

Sales of machine vision components and systems in North America climbed five percent in 2011 to nearly $1.9 billion, according to AIA.

The robotic system for the PEMSERTER Series 3000 press picks up, moves, and positions a work piece for alignment with holes where fasteners will be installed automatically by the press.

Pope will address the ISA Safety and Security Division Symposium, held 25-27 April 2012, on the topic of “Is it a Bug or a Feature?”

Enhancements include support for WAGO’s Frequency Counter Module, 2-channel and 4-Channel 0-20mA Input Modules, as well as 2-channel 0–10V DC Output Module.

The Energy Management Information System shows energy targets for each of the mill lines in near “Real Time” and identifies savings and losses in both dollars and energy units.

This is the first board of directors to be elected following the merger of AMT and AMTDA.

The tool combines technical criteria in gearbox selection-for designers who know their application requirements-and finishes with CAD and technical data options.

SoftSwitching Technologies’ solutions improve uptime in manufacturing production by identifying and correcting brief power disruptions called “voltage sags.”

Automation.com, March 2012 By Bill Lydon, Editor The annual ARC World Industry Forum brings together a wide range of innovative industrial automation users, industry associations, suppliers, system integrators, and thought leaders to learn and share ideas. These are the true believers who understand the impact that automation has on sustaining manufacturing competitiveness.

The EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG) Semi Technical Working Group (TWG) is standardizing EtherCAT usage in manufacturing equipment for chips, displays and solar panels.

The Texas Instruments Sitara microprocessor with EtherCAT slave interface announced in April 2011 is now available with a Beckhoff protocol stack.

Catalog covers sensors, lighting and indicators, machine vision, wireless and machine safety.

The MM LITE automation system will be used to transport lenses in a fast, efficient, clean and controlled manner between the various processes in the plant.

Automation.com, March 2012 Flying by Foy specializes in sophisticated automation for performer flying effects. An EtherCAT-enabled Pegasus Automation System propels performers to soaring new heights.

Automation.com, March 2012 Friesen’s increases check weigher system speed by 31% and reduces downtime by 22% using open PC- and EtherCAT-based controls

The Training Package provides a complete environment for teaching safe and effective operations of distillation columns.

Al Boston, Doug Carson and Buddy Smith have been elected to serve on MHEDA’s Board of Directors of the Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association.

EtherCAT was accepted as a Korean Industrial Standard (KS) by the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards.

The merged AMT will be headquartered in McLean, Va. All current employees of AMTDA will be joining AMT immediately.

ABB will supply three gearless mill drive systems, plus related automation and power infrastructure equipment for a new copper mine in Sierra Gorda, Chile.

Recycle valves are used to maintain limited flow through a pump to avoid cavitation under dead-head or low flow conditions.

Cyntech will distribute H+K’s flexx-IPC industrial touch screen panel PC, Sensofoil membrane potentiometers and SENSOTOUCH resistive sensor controllers in the UK.

Customers now have free access to the Netbiter Argos remote management service, available in nine languages.

ABB will supply process control systems, emergency shutdown systems, power management systems, step-up and distribution transformers, medium- and low-voltage power equipment, and site utilities.

YouTube channel features 30+ videos that cover a broad spectrum of content for both new and experienced viewers.

The elcoSystem line of software for electrical engineering is already part of Bentley’s Raceway and Cable Management and Building Electrical Systems under a distribution agreement.

ABB will supply and provide commissioning for electrical equipment, including automation and drives systems for the mine, located approximately 80km northwest of Hanoi.

Valstone is a globe valve and service specialist company in Chungju, South Korea, with net sales of MEUR 10.

Honeywell upgraded the training systems at Banff and Buchan College, Fraserburgh, Scotland, to an Experion Process Knowledge System (PKS).

GENPRO will be using AVEVA PDMS on a number of large projects in the rapidly growing Brazilian chemical, petrochemical and nuclear sectors.

Fieldbus Foundation announced the 2011-2012 recipients of the James O. Gray-Fieldbus Foundation Scholarship Fund.

Using XMOS devices and no-cost development tools, partners use the application code and reference designs, quickly extending them to meet their exact product specifications.

Siemens will use the software to deliver data to its SCADA systems for wind power.

Roland Laird was appointed to the Board of Directors of BACnet and Michael Osborne will be Secretary of the Standing Standard Project Committee (SSPC) 135 (BACnet).

Van Bruaene’s background includes technical and customer-facing leadership roles at companies such as Sun Microsystems and VLSI Technology.

Products include low-voltage induction motors, motors for motion control applications, DC motors, and high-voltage motors.

50 sessions will be offered June 6-7, 2012, in nine tracks: MEMS, Energy Harvesting, Wireless Sensing Solutions, Sensor and System Design, Novel Approaches to Measurement & Detection, Big Data & Analytics, Mobile Sensing, Applied Sensors, and RFID/M2M.

Automation.com, March 2012 By Bill Lydon, Editor PI North America, Siemens, and GE Intelligent Platforms hosted the recent PROFINET Executive Leadership Forum. The invitation-only event brought together users to share experiences, best practices and illustrate the value of PROFINET in manufacturing.

Technip implemented ERP at its Flexi France site to improve production management of flexible pipe for the oil & gas industry.

Omron Industrial Automation and Omron Scientific Technologies combine sales forces for machine automation systems and safeguarding.