Articles and News

Automation solution processes municipal waste into high-grade compost and generates emissions-free electric power from waste biogas.

For FY-08, Matrikon posted revenue of $80.03 million, an increase of 9% from FY-07. Net income increased to $9.10 million from a loss of $220,000 in FY-07.

Visit the PLCopen Organization booth and see how PLCopen member companies are committed to control software standards that improve your quality and productivity.

Report includes results and analysis from Longview’s fourth annual Collaboration & Interoperability best practices survey, along with articles on related industry topics.

Emerson will supply PlantWeb, Fisher valves, Rosemount transmitters, Daniel and Micro Motion flow meters, DeltaV and Ovation digital automation systems, and AMS Suite predictive maintenance software.

The service will document the current network layout, analyze/detail data activity within the network, and test the infrastructure against industrial standards/specifications.

Fountain will be responsible for California, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Alaska and Hawaii.

McKeraghan joins VYCON from Eaton Corporation where he managed the Central Zone for Eaton’s Powerware UPSs and power quality solutions.

ASI Instruments will become the K-TEK Solids Level group and focus on dry bulk solids level detection and measurement devices.

Honeywell will protect Woodside’s Pluto onshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant with a sophisticated industrial security system.

ABB signed a $20-million contract for a SCADA system that will improve reliability by monitoring and controlling high-voltage transmission.

Cross Automation will sell and support Precise Automation's controller products in Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee and Virginia.

ABTech Manufacturing built a five-axis platform for nanometer/sub-arcsec processing around Renishaw SiGNUM position encoders.

Website provides information about Sprint Electric’s DC drives, including full product specifications as well as brochures and manuals for download.

By Form Automation Solutions Manufacturing companies need live workers to check production facilities frequently and to correct issues immediately before they escalate. AuditMatic software and mobile computers are being used to automate gathering, analyzing and reporting field data.

Form Automation Solutions signed distribution agreements with InfoLink and Industrial Network Systems.

Brochure highlights ten JIC standard, RoHS compliant, corrosion resistant enclosures to protect electrical and electronic equipment in industrial applications.

Advantech won 10th place in the 2008 Top Taiwan Global Brands survey.

The event helped introduce Chicago Public Schools seniors to admissions personnel from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Toshiba GE Turbine Components (reduced the time required to inspect and measure steam turbine blades from 280 minutes to 45 minutes by using the MAXOS non-contact measurement system.

"Protecting Mission Critical Electronics In The Industrial Environment," recommends that manufacturers safeguard critical systems in poor power environment.

Paper describes the implications of FOUNDATION SIF (FF-SIF) technology for the global plant safety system market and end users.

Mouser will distribute Tektronix oscilloscopes, arbitrary/function generators, and other essentials for engineers’ design benches.

Rockwell to supply automation technologies to help Hebei provincial government upgrade traditional industries.

JUS-MADE LP, a manufacturer of frozen beverages and juices, licensed the DEACOM Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software system.

Hot tanks at the refinery are fitted with wireless temperature transmitters as a cost-effective means of keeping control room operators informed of conditions inside the tanks.

Guide helps network engineers understand how applications flow across the network and how they fail, and provides a five-step process for troubleshooting application problems when they occur.

The "Collaborative Alliance for Semiconductor Test" (CAST) will foster collaboration and standards development to improve semiconductor industry productivity.

By Rick Zabel, Publisher Automation Insights Network is a select group of controls and automation professionals who agree to help us cover news, emerging trends and technologies on various automation topics. Every two months, we will ask people in the Network to share their observations, knowledge and expertise with us. We take that information, distill it, and pass it on to our reporters and editors for use in future stories.

The new 19,000 square foot facility is roughly double the size of its previous location.

“Energy Efficiency in Pneumatics” provides three main areas of energy cost savings to lower the cost of compressed air.

Green Energy Applications Guide highlights critical factors that process and plant engineers must consider to achieve optimum flow meter performance.

Winners include Anne Muller from University of Dresden, Germany, and Mohamed Abdul Galeel Salih Mohamed and Mohamad Tamer Nader Chaklab from the Petroleum Institute in Abu Dhabi.

Report examines how 3D visualization technology plays a role in improving interoperability and communication between engineering and production departments.

Website covers everything from small, compact products to large operator panel interfaces and open PC-based solutions.

Japan’s AIST selected ORBexpress as the communications architecture for AIST’s new advanced robotics platform, OpenRTM-aist.

Normerica implemented a Ship2Save RFID mobile cart system at its manufacturing plants in Brantford, Ontario and Lethbridge, Alberta.

Emissions monitoring solution uses FTIR analyzer technology and an 800xA system to help Chilean cement manufacturer Polpaico meet targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Smart Wireless instruments mounted on a rotating reactor at Coogee Chemical Company, Kwinana, Australia, prevent frequent reactor breakdowns and lost production time.

Churchill will be responsible for Fiberguide’s products and services east of the Mississippi river.

OVS-400 Industrial video server is connected with EDS-231PRO and EDS-351PRO series Industrial rated IP-66 cameras to provide real time remote monitoring.

Honeywell will supply Experion and DaVinci Quality Control systems to Vaahto Pulp & Paper Machinery for the first light weight coated (LWC) paper plant in Russia.

DataCELL FIELD MVC-800 FireWire Cable surpassed 11 million flex cycles in rigorous bending, rolling and torsion tests; other cables hit 20 million tick tock tests.

Opto 22 has received certification for its SNAP-PAC-EB1 and SNAP-PAC -EB2 SNAP I/O processors.

Husky is employing PROFIBUS technology in its high-tech injection molding machines.

ABB reported increases in revenues, earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT), net income and cash flow in the third quarter of 2008.

ABB will provide all maintenance operations and improve efficiency at six pulp, paper and board mills in Finland.

Beckhoff Automation hired five new regional sales and application engineers in the past few months of 2008.

Wireless transmitters monitor wellhead annular pressure at BP’s Wytch Farm onshore oilfitters field.

Students will receive a certificate with the approved CERT logo when they complete the CERT program.

OPC Foundation and Kepware will manage the development of OPC-UA in a managed community “open source code” model.

Plant will recycle methane produced by waste water treatment facilities.

Representatives from ABB, Emerson Process Management, Endress+Hauser, and Siemens supported WirelessHART technology at ISA.

Hoffer Flow Controls HRT1 Rate Indicator/Totalizer has been verified to meet the HART 7 Protocol standard and carries the “HART Registered” mark.

Brian Stewart was promoted to Executive Vice President & COO and Jonathan Ball was promoted to Corporate Advisor.

Electric Motor Education & Research Foundation elected John Morehead as a Director.

SEL uses Mu Dynamics’ Mu-4000 service analyzer to reduce potential security vulnerabilities for control and automation systems.

TMACH-ProCom and MACH-ProSys controllers meet or exceed the BACnet Testing Laboratories (BTL) requirements for the BACnet Building Controller (B-BC) designation.

Citect was acquired by Schneider Electric in 2006. Since then the companies have achieved an average annual growth of 20 percent in the SCADA business.

Site contains information on moving coil actuators, controllers and other products.

Compact Application Protocol (CAP) expands ZigBee applications to any IP-enabled device, regardless of the type of network, wired or wireless. Arch Rock submitted the CAP spec to the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).

Moog acquired Berkeley Process Control for $14 million. Berkeley makes motion control software and hardware.

Cypress Envirosystems partnered with Honeywell to create a OneWireless version of its Wireless Gauge Reader.

Boise enhanced safety at its paper mill in St. Helens, Oregon, by using Smart Wireless products to monitor its eye wash and safety shower stations.

Students at Chico are working on projects with industrial hardware donated by B&R Industrial Automation.

The group will develop a common method for data exchange and an analyzer data model for process and laboratory analyzers.

Geometric provided the infrastructure for housing coordinate measuring machines (CMM), 3D scanners, robotic measuring arms and other metrology solutions.

Invensys will supply I/A Series automation and Triconex safety controllers for the world's first hydrogen-fuelled power plant, to be constructed in Fusina, Italy.

Siemens will make energy efficiency improvements to 5,500,000 square feet of city facilities.

OpenScale now helps businesses improve the security of their Unified Communications (UC) solutions.

Wurldtech and Matrikon signed an agreement focused on introducing cyber risk management solutions for real-time industrial environments.

ICONICS' list of compatible OPC Unified Architecture (OPC-UA) and Data Access (OPC-DA) servers is available on line.

The last Webb retires from Jervis B. Webb Company. Ryuichi Kitaguchi takes over as CEO.

Information on the website includes how industrial Ethernet fits into oil and gas production, transportation, storage, and distribution.

Carter, former president and CEO of Pavilion Technologies, was named president of Rockwell Software.

Grand opening on October 22-24 includes demos of milling machines, technical workshops, supplier representatives discussing their products, and Oktoberfest food and drink.

Mouser will stock AXSEM’s universal and long-range sub 1Ghz ISM RF transceivers, as well as the associated evaluation and development kits.

DS1000B scopes are certified by the LXI consortium, provide over-the-web programming and have 2GSa/s real-time sample rate.

Catalog provides extensive selection, details, data and specifications for NFPA cylinders

Hastings joins Emerson from Rockwell Automation. He's responsible for concept and execution phases of large global projects across the Life Science industry.

The acquisition added 60 technology patents and 10 product lines to Microscan’s portfolio. The acquisition was finalized on September 19, 2008.

Sentient Computing is the now the sole owner of MacroView, an established SCADA/HMI product originally developed in Australia.

Nivis and Apprion will collaborate on providing industrial facilities with secure wireless networks, devices, applications and services.

On-line configurator helps process engineers select the ideal level indicators.

Semaphore obtained Class I, Division 2 hazardous area approvals for its Kingfisher G30 compact, remote terminal unit.

wSNAK kit confirms the significant advantages and simplicity of condition monitoring systems powered by vibration energy-harvesting.

Perry A. Pederson, former Director for the Control Systems Security Program at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is now Vice-President of Wurldtech Labs.

Interactive video game set in an imaginary industrial workplace makes it fun learning how thermal imaging technology helps solve system maintenance problems.

Metso will deliver metsoDNA automation systems,control room stations and equipment, redundant process control stations, integrated HIMA safety systems as well as field equipment maintenance stations.

Portable test kit for CAN protocol versions of M-series linear position sensors assist cylinder manufacturers and equipment OEMs to verify functionality of the sensors after they are installed.

Allied will be a catalog distributor of Eaton’s industrial control and automation products.

"The Six Most Common PID Configuration Errors: How to Find and Fix Them" white paper identifies the most common PID configuration issues, and provides techniques to help find and fix these issues.

3S will integrate CoDeSys SP, the run-time environment for CoDeSys applications, with the Green Hills Platform for Industrial Safety.

Foxboro HART pressure transmitters are now SIL 2-certified by TÜV Rheinland, and all differential, gauge and absolute pressure transmitters meet the new Canada CEC/NEC Dual Seal certification.

PACSystems SafetyNet can now be used in safety applications, including fire & gas, emergency shutdown and burner management for marine, offshore and industrial applications.

Level Plus Model MR liquid-level transmitters are AMS aware, meaning that they work in tandem with Emerson's AMS Suite.

The 12,000-square-foot facility has a demonstration laboratory containing mass spectrometers and other laboratory instruments and consumables.

Siemens will supply a DCS in a project to improve the processes used to convert non-food-based biofuel feedstocks into liquid bio-fuel intermediates.

As part of the wireless backhaul network initiative, the Fieldbus Foundation and ISA will develop a standard to interface between different technologies.

EDUCATIONAL LINK offers information on Industrial Ethernet related topics like Ethernet Term, Network Architectures and recommendations, Industrial Ethernet Software Tools and more.