Articles and News

November 18-20, 2009 New York, NY Meeting has a comprehensive program of workshops, round table discussions and talks addressing current topics in lab automation.

Dr. Douglas White received the AIChE Fuels and Petrochemicals Division (FPD) award, one of two FPD annual awards, for his outstanding technological contributions to the advancement of these industries.

The 28-page full-color catalog provides an overview of flow sensor and controller products and solutions.

In the video, Dr. Peter Martin discusses energy management in the context of five areas that process manufacturers can monitor and control in real-time to maximize profit.

The CL11 single board computer will be deployed as part of the Cabin Electronics system onboard Airbus aircraft.

MAVERICK Technologies will sell aspenONE Production Management & Execution, Advanced Process Control and Operator Training Simulators (OTS).

FDT2.0 has been initiated with the goal to evolve the current FDT Technology to meet user feedback and requirements.

ZigBee will incorporate global IT standards from the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) into its specification portfolio of low-power wireless networking standards.

ABB’s automatic rail-mounted gantry cranes (ARMGs) have revolutionized the way that containers are handled in container terminals the world over.

Rosemount wireless transmitters include five measuring pressure, one differential pressure, and one temperature; each measurement point has redundant communication to the RTU via two or three routes.

PLCopen is a non-profit industry organization dedicated to improving the programming efficiency control and automation engineers by providing information, training, and fostering communications between users, vendors, educators and others.

Honeywell joined CSIA, North America’s largest organization for independent control systems integrators.

Kepware will deliver Windows CE communications solutions for use with ICONICS embedded SCADA and visualization products for machine builders and Panel OEMs.

Wireless Designer simplifies the task of planning and specifying wireless networks.

OSI will use ISaGRAF v5 for the new Automation Control Platform (ACP) option on their OSIRIS Secure RTU.

Stoney Creek Secondary school in Orchard Park, Canada, won the ‘Motorola Quality,’ Delphi “Driving Tomorrow’s Technology,” and the General Motors ‘Industrial Design’ awards.

The worldwide market for Inductive Sensors is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 1.3 percent over the next five years.

210,000 visitors came to Hannover to see 6,150 exhibitors from 61 countries. 70% of the visitors were from Europe, 25% came from abroad, but only 7% came from the Americas.

ABB won an order worth $14 million to provide a complete electrical balance of plant (eBoP) solution for a 150-megawatt integrated, combined-cycle solar power plant under construction in Algeria.

By Northwire Different interpretations of NFPA-79 have generated articles in trade publications and on Web sites, in white papers and in discussions and debates. This paper provides information to sort out the misperceptions perpetuated about NFPA-79.

Lundy has extensive experience in the maintenance and reliability field and is a certified Level 3 Vibration Analyst.

ABB’s first-quarter 2009 revenues rose 3 percent to $7.2 billion while orders decreased by 3 percent to $9.2 billion.

FLT93 Tank Level Switch is now rated for Safety Integrity Level (SIL) 2 compliant service by the testing laboratory TUV NORD CERT GmbH.

The order, which also encompasses GlobalCare support services, is worth more than $1 million and will be deployed in 350 sites worldwide.

Power Efficiency's EcoStart was installed on twenty moving walks at Boston Logan International Airport, saving 60,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year.

Industry Canada certified the inRAx flow computer’s gas measurement values are accurate to the degree that they can be used in the transfer of ownership.

Site includes resources for safety automation issues, with emphasis on machine safety, process safety, safety services, legislation and standards.

CENTUM VP Integrated Production Control System and STARDOM Network-based Control System are certified by the Fieldbus Foundation as Integrated Host Class systems.

Catalog covers Banner's machine safety product line, which includes safety light screens, safety laser scanners, fiber optic safety systems, safety controllers and modules, two-hand control modules and emergency stop devices.

SERCOS III will be the first high performance real-time protocol which makes driver software available as source code, without any license fees and without any usage limitations.

A specification for an encoder profile for the SERCOS III real-time Ethernet protocol is being developed in consultation with users and suppliers and will be available in November 2009.

Website showcases Ethernet, BACnet, ARCNET and Controller Area Network (CAN) technologies in multiple industries, and makes it easier for users to access an extensive technical library and eStore.

Emerson is the main instrumentation and controls contractor for the Qatargas 2 project, the world’s largest facility for producing liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Kepware Technologies has been selected as an Encompass Global partner by Rockwell Automation.

ATEX certification for amplified, Hall effect and magnetoresistive speed sensors covers an ambient temperature range from –40 to 80C.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and South Korean Prime Minister Han Seung-soo visited ABB’s stand in Hannover, Germany.

The service center now has 21,500 square feet of industrial and office space and serves the eastern United States.

Brochure gives a complete overview of particle size analyzers for the cement industry.

Grazier is Investigation Scientist & Science Planning Engineer for the Cassini/Huygens Mission to Saturn & Titan at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

By Nathan Xavier, Rittal Modular freestanding enclosures offer a number of key advantages when compared to traditional unibody enclosures. Many times these attributes are overlooked either out of a false perception of increased enclosure costs, a reluctance to change or a simple lack of awareness to the possible benefits of modular solutions.

The oil companies are using compliance-certified OPC technology from Cyberlogic to aggregate information from legacy OPC servers and build reliable, redundant information systems that can handle volumes of data efficiently.

An independent jury selected the company on the basis of its newly developed mechatronic drive system allowing for the highly dynamic speed control of wind turbine rotors.

Each day, Phoenix Contact's USA YouTube channel will feature a five- to ten-minute video detailing news from the show, including customer and employee interviews, product launches and other show highlights.

System 800xA was registered as a FOUNDATION fieldbus host system after it passed the Fieldbus Foundation’s Host Profile Registration Process.

ABB demonstrated technologies and equipment for the emerging Smart Grid to U.S. Senators and staff at a Smart Grid Demo Day in Washington, DC.

PAC8000 SafetyNet has been approved by TUV for applications requiring the handling of safety and process control data in the same controller.

Specifier’s Guide is a resource of 11,000-plus enclosure products, accessories, and technical information.

Eight SERVOTOUGH Fluegas units, optimized to measure both 02 and COe, have been installed to monitor the oxygen burn mix for the combustion boilers at Drax Power Station in Selby, Yorkshire.

Five easy tips for factory and manufacturing facility owners and operators to reduce their carbon footprint and start reaping the savings.

Siemens Building Technologies supports the University of Missouri System event featuring keynote from T. Boone Pickens on April 22-23 in Columbia, Mo

ASHRAE put together resources to help its members get government stimulus money for projects.

Biden pointed to the Lost Creek wind project as a prime example of how funds from the U.S. federal stimulus package are creating green jobs while expanding the country’s renewable energy portfolio.

Second quarter revenue was $19.66 million compared to $19.44 million in Q2-08 and $19.58 million in Q1-09.

Safety services include machine and process safety education, assessment and risk identification, engineering and design, as well as integration and implementation.

By Rockwell Automation White paper examines how new industry safety standards and technologies are helping protect people, equipment and the environment while reducing costs in specialty chemical applications.

Faro LS and Photon systems, capable of scanning massive objects and areas quickly, can be rented daily, weekly, and monthly.

IPS will supply Triconex safety and Avantis asset management technology to upgrade and modernize 11 Petrobras refining facilities throughout Brazil.

Beckhoff Automation closed the 2008 business year successfully with robust turnover growth of 20 percent.

Matrikon had trading in its shares halted by the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada prior to market open as a result of an administrative error.

CAD models include industrial, IT, climate control and busbar power distribution solutions including enclosures, racks and accessories.

By National Instruments The use of proper lighting is often overlooked when designing a machine vision application. More robust and accurate inspections can be achieved when appropriate lighting techniques are utilized. This application note discusses considerations when selecting lighting equipment and demonstrates how to utilize the Direct Drive lighting controller feature on the NI 17xx Smart Camera with LabVIEW or Vision Builder for Automated Inspection.

By National Instruments PID control is the most commonly used control algorithm in the industry today. PID controller popularity can be attributed to the controller’s effectiveness in a wide range of operation conditions, its functional simplicity, and the ease with which engineers can implement it using current computer technology. This paper covers some of the PID drawbacks and how to resolve them while improving performance in current implementations through changes in the algorithm.

Expansion includes both additional personnel and equipment to increase NVision’s contract reverse engineering and inspection services.

ABB will supply a Static VAr Compensator (SVC) unit to support the transmission grid in north Texas. The SVC unit will be installed at the Renner substation.

Automation Systems and Control Components catalog provides details on PLCs and automation systems, while Drive System catalog covers electric drives and motor products.

Mission Controls is a provider of systems integration and programming services for the dairy, food and beverage industries.

By Rick Zabel, Publisher There is nothing better than face to face meetings. Unfortunately, face to face meetings are not always possible, especially if the participants live in different parts of the country or world. Social networking tools have become a defacto standard of communication for many people and the trend is spreading from younger generations to older generations.

Omron will use Softing’s PROFINET stack in a new line of PROFINET devices.

ABB will supply BMW with 2,100 industrial robots over five years, beginning in 2010, to support the carmaker’s operations in Germany, the UK and the United States.

Siemens Building Technologies is standardizing on MatrikonOPC’s SNMP Agent for OPC and OPC Data Manager.

Among the primary factors behind this move are significant cost savings and a favorable business climate in the Triangle, as well as closer proximity to growing customer and employee bases.

Online tool configures Coaxial, Fiber Optic and Telecom /Modular cables, allowing you to design your own cable assemblies.

The IP-based surveillance solution combines IVC’s video cameras with Actelis’ ML600 family of intelligent Ethernet Access Devices (EADs).

Nearly dry MQL machining slices seven figures from initial system cost for unneeded coolant tanks and high-pressure supply systems, reduces operating costs, and improves plant air quality

Key Instruments is a flow meter manufacturer which offers precision machined acrylic, molded plastic, glass tube, and electronic flow meters, plus flow control valves for industrial, water, chemical, and lab applications.

The Aeroquip Fluid Conveying Products School and the Weatherhead Fluid Conveying Products School will be available in French, Spanish and English.

ABB will supply two 22.5-megawatt gearless mill drives, 600 motors and variable speed drives, and System 800xA Extended Automation to Boliden’s Aitik copper mine in northern Sweden

IPS joined OPTFUEL, a European consortium researching biofuels to power automobiles, and will supply process simulation, design and optimisation technologies.

TRAC-IT MES factory floor efficiency system has brought significant improvements to Uniq Prepared Foods’ production facility, where it makes sandwiches and wraps for European airlines.

Guide helps consulting engineers and other design professionals create effective, energy-efficient laboratory environments.

Micromem will supply Unotron with approximately five million keyboard circuits that incorporate magnetic sensor technology.

epro GmbH engineers, manufactures and assembles API 670-compliant protection systems delivered to the process industries worldwide.

Emerson will provide PlantWeb and FOUNDATION fieldbus for the $375 million expansion of the coal gasification plant in Shanghai.

Prior to Lantronix, Kost was senior vice president and general manager of SanDisk’s Mobile Consumer Solutions Division.

A multi vendor demonstration of OPC UA connectivity will show how legacy-based products fit into OPC UA based technology through the OPC generic wrapper.

Catalog covers protocol conversion, communications, control, data acquisition, panel meters, operator interfaces, signal conditioners, sensors and encoders.

EX Series switch products received the International Electrotechnical Commission's Certification to Standards relating to Equipment for use in Explosive Atmospheres (IECEx).

ABB will supply a complete process control system based on System 800xA Extended Automation and Profibus to E.ON Benelux for a new high-efficiency power plant.

ABB will supply two substations and ten mobile substations to Algeria's state-owned power company, Sonelgaz.

By EVOC Rugged notebooks can be used for data acquisition, equipment testing, communications, etc. In various kinds of harsh and hostile environments, rugged notebooks can be seen acting as unfailing mobile computing platforms.

OPTOCODE models with EtherNet/IP interfaces are now certified by the Open DeviceNet Vendors Association.

Chr. Hansen in Denmark selected Wonderware software to manage operations at its facilities worldwide.

Serial Device Servers (EKI-1351, 1352, 1521, 1522, and 1524) and Modbus Gateways (EKI-1221, 1222, and 1224) have received UL Class 1, Division 2 (groups A, B, C, and D) certification for use in hazardous locations.

Drive & Control Technology for Wind Turbines describes industrial hydraulics technology developed for the wind energy market, including dynamic rotor blade pitch adjustment systems, drive train brakes, yaw drive brakes, gearboxes and more.

Brochure describes standard, mid-range and high performance industrial PCs and Open HMI solutions.

Yokogawa will supply five control systems, plus transmitters and analyzers, for the construction and upgrade of power plants in Egypt.

LogiCamms will use myDIALS software to gain real-time visibility into the operation and performance of remotely located reclaimers, stackers and shiploaders operating in Australian mines and ports.

The worldwide market for Electric Power SCADA is expected to grow at a rate of 5.5% over the next five years. The market was $1,629 million in 2008 and is forecast to be over $2,125 million in 2013.

Hawkins comes to Autodesk from Logitech International where he has been CFO and senior vice president of finance and IT since 2006.

Mike formerly worked as the President of the Motion Competency Center and Berger Lahr Motion Technology – both Schneider Electric Companies.