Articles and News

"End users have continually asked for expanded integration, interoperability and greater ease of use," commented John Berra, president of Emerson Process Management. "We are committed to meeting the growing needs of our existing and new customers, and implementing the EDDL enhancements in our digital devices does that."

GE Fanuc Automation is building its next generation Proficy solutions based on the new OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA) standards released today by the OPC Foundation. The announcement was made at ARC Advisory Group's 14th Annual Forum "Driving Enterprise Performance Through Next Generation Manufacturing Concepts."

Well-respected industry executive, Ken Brown, has been named acting president of Foxboro, Massachusetts-based automation solution supplier Invensys Process Systems following yesterday’s announcement that former Process Systems president, Mike Caliel, has accepted the role of president and chief executive officer of Houston, Texas-based Integrated Electrical Services.

New program makes PAS Integrity™ software available on demand to drive down documentation & testing costs for Engineering Company participants.

These companies join BM Group, Ember Corporation, Freescale Semiconductor, Honeywell, Mitsubishi Electric, Motorola, Philips, Samsung, Siemens and Texas Instruments on the ZigBee Alliance Board of Directors.

Robotics Corporation is sponsoring the Mini-Chopper Build project, modeled after the popular TV show “American Chopper” for high school students in the Wisconsin area. The program is part of an annual event put on by Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton, WI. It is designed to expose students to high tech manufacturing techniques.

Datastick software upgrades for both its PDA and desktop PC software programs provide overall vibration alerts, spectrum averaging, and improved low-level, low-frequency performance in vibration collection and analysis.

In return, Interneer granted Itron an exclusive license to Interneer's Intellect product, as a tightly embedded module for Itron's Distribution Design Studio application. The agreement affords Itron the right to use the full functionality of the latest released version of Interneer Intellect to create appropriate product configurations, sold as available modules to Itron's Distribution Design Studio toolset.

Cleveland Motion Controls, Inc. (CMC) announced today its receipt of the 2006 Governor's Excellence in Exporting Award (eAward). The eAward recognizes a select group of Ohio-based companies whose export activities have resulted in dramatically increased sales.

Honeywell announced today it has been awarded a Process Automation Systems contract for new and existing petrochemical plants to be operated by EQUATE Petrochemical Company K.S.C. (EQUATE) at a petrochemical site in Shuaiba, Kuwait. EQUATE operates existing plants at the Shuaiba site for the production of ethylene glycol, polyethylene and polypropylene. The announced Olefins II Project between Dow and PIC will create several new plants for the production of ethylene and ethylene derivatives, which will also be operated by EQUATE.

Junot Systems, Inc., a specialist provider of plant floor focused SAP® integration solutions, announced today that they have signed a letter of intent to team with IMA Industrial, a manufacturing consulting and systems integration company based in Chile. Through this alliance, IMA’s customers in South America will now have access to Junot Systems’ SAP certified NLINK® integration solution combined with IMA’s industry expertise to provide them with a robust set of plant floor integration solutions to SAP.

Keithley test industry experts will be presenting the seminars on Wednesday, July 12, in Room 3010 in the West Hall Level 3 of the Moscone Center. Doors open at 11 AM with refreshments served and a cocktail reception following the presentations beginning at 5 PM.

The underlying ArchestrA software architecture upon which Wonderware software solutions are built supports the existing OPC standard, and will also support the new OPC Unified Architecture. The OPC UA will offer a common data model and device communications environment for plant connectivity by leveraging Microsoft .NET and Web Services functionality.

"Michigan Avenue Goes French" now has more than 30 companies on its roster for the open-air exhibition to take place from July 13 to 16, on Pioneer Court, 401 N. Michigan Ave., in Chicago. The exhibitors from aerospace, automotive, boating, electronics, medical, and other industries will display products and services to show the public how French industry plays a role in their everyday lives.

Haydon Switch & Instrument, Inc., (Haydon), Waterbury, CT, launched a newly designed website for stepper motor based linear actuators, rotary motors, leadscrew assemblies, and sealed switches.

As part of an ongoing automation upgrade at the site, Invensys -- in conjunction with its strategic partner, Apprion -- has successfully completed the first phase of a comprehensive managed wireless infrastructure deployment at PPG Industries’ large chlor-alkali chemical manufacturing complex in Lake Charles, Louisiana. This infrastructure is designed to help further improve plant profitability, safety, and security, while providing a secure, flexible, and cost-effective foundation to support additional wireless applications in the future.

Servo-Flo® 488 two-component fixed-ratio meter-mix dispense system is ideal for automated or manual high-volume dispensing applications.

This Webinar will reveal the core structural components of an IME, and the adoption and application of OSIsoft's RTPM Platform, to promote the production of: * Enterprise Manufacturing Intelligence * Real-time Performance Management * Operational Excellence * Corporate Performance Management

Simplot Australia has begun evaluation of Citect's new benchmarking service called Meta. The food manufacturing giant will evaluate the Production Performance Analytics service across five plants to leverage best practices and continuous improvement within the Australian business.

The opening of the centers allows Citect to provide standardized educational services to end users, engineers and system integrators at a global level. Major benefits to customers include the opportunity to maximize the return on their Citect investment through the standardization of world class programs, courses and certification.

AMETEK, Inc. today announced it has acquired Land Instruments International Limited ("Land Instruments"), a global supplier of high-end analytical instrumentation. With its headquarters in Dronfield, United Kingdom, Land Instruments has annual sales of approximately £22 million ($41 million).

JMP engineers are using machine vision as a reliable tool to solve a wide array of challenges facing manufacturers today. In its simplest form, a vision system can be used to positively identify a product or differentiate between two or more similar products. In more advanced applications, vision systems can be the basis of flexible and re-programmable Poke Yoke systems that check the presence and/or dimensions of components, features, and holes in products.

InSync's applications allow companies to add sense and respond capabilities to existing supply chain and asset management solutions leveraging the internet and advanced technologies such as RFID and sensor based computing. InSync's customers include Fortune 500 technology companies in the Semiconductor, Electronics and Computer industries.

Loadstar Sensors has launched a new line of products based on its patent-protected capacitive sensing technology. The products launched include the CS-Series of integrated load sensors, the DS-2100 four-channel display and LoadVUE software for easy operation on a PC.

At their recent annual meeting in Hannover Germany, the members of Interests Group SERCOS interface e.V. changed the name of the association to SERCOS International to reflect the world-wide use and acceptance of the SERCOS interface technology, as well as the internationality of its members. The names of SERCOS International’s subsidiaries, SERCOS North America and SERCOS Japan, remain unchanged.

Beckhoff Automation is pleased to announce that David Samdahl has been hired as Sales Manager for the company’s Central Region. Samdahl now serves Beckhoff customers in Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, North Dakota and South Dakota. Samdahl is based in the Beckhoff Automation North American headquarters office, which is located in the Minneapolis suburb of Burnsville.

Honeywell has signed a major agreement with Linde AG, Linde Engineering Division, for its UniSim Design Suite. As a leading international engineering and contracting company, Linde Engineering designs and builds turnkey process plants for a wide variety of industrial users and applications. The UniSim Design Suite enables advanced process modeling and will help Linde engineers create steady-state and dynamic models for plant design.

Advanced Dynamics (St. Bruno, Quebec Canada) recently turned to Autodesk Design Review software to streamline its design review process and make its collaborative workflow process more efficient.

PRISM Certified training is targeted at technical professionals who have responsibility for assessing, designing, installing, inspecting, testing, operating, and/or maintaining safety instrumented systems.

Emerson Process Management has won a contract to install its PlantWeb digital plant architecture with the Ovation expert control system at Nebraska City Station Unit No. 2, a new sub-critical pulverized coal plant to be operated by Omaha Public Power District (OPPD). The 660-MW generating unit will be built adjacent to OPPD's existing Nebraska City Station Unit No. 1 facility located along the Missouri River near Nebraska City.

Invensys Process Systems will supply 11 Triconex safety instrumented systems (SIS) as part of an operations, safety and security upgrade in major offshore projects for Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX). At the Ku Maloob Zaap oilfields off the coast of Campeche State, Mexico, PEMEX Exploration and Production Northeast Marine Region (PEP) is undertaking a significant upgrade and expansion of its drilling and production infrastructure.

The winning project was Lake of Dreams in the Wynn, Las Vegas, which was created by SPL Integrated Solutions. This audio and video performance is unlike any other. By day, the area appears to be a 19,000-square-foot lake surrounded by a waterfall on a mountain. By night, the architectural landscape becomes a surface for video projection.

“We are pleased to be able to officially launch this branch of the company,” said John Bowron, President of Yokogawa Canada, Inc. “Yokogawa has always believed that a commitment made is a commitment kept. We promised when we opened the office a little over a year ago, that we would continue to build the infrastructure required to meet the rapidly growing demands of the Canadian marketplace."

Yokogawa Electric Corporation announced a plan to establish a subsidiary in Vietnam that will provide engineering and maintenance services and increase the competitiveness of its industrial automation and control business in this country, which is experiencing sustained rapid economic growth.

Wittur Turkey identified time and cost savings in several development phases, including planning, design, bills of material management, order confirmation, and production.

Emerson Process Management has been awarded a contract by Taiwan Power Company (also known as Taipower) to supply Fisher valves for general turbine-generator control systems, commonly referred to as balance-of-plant applications, in the Taiwan Lunmen Nuclear Power Number 4 plant. Expected to be fully operational in 2010, the project involves a 2,700 MW plant consisting of two 1,350 MW units at Yenliao, on the north eastern tip of Taiwan, near the capital Taipei.

In order to celebrate this big event with current and potential end-users of Moxa products, Moxa Networking has planned a Lucky Draw event. Winners of the drawing will receive an official 2006 FIFA World Cup Ball, with a new winner chosen each week from the pool of registrants. The Lucky Draw Event will last until July 31.

Rockwell Automation, Inc. today announced its plan to sell the company's Dodge® mechanical and Reliance Electric™ motors and motor repair services businesses. These are leading producers of mechanical power transmission products and industrial motors, and are the principal businesses of the company's Power Systems reporting segment. Rockwell Automation will retain the Reliance Electric and Reliance branded drives and related parts and services as an integral part of its global drives and customer service businesses.

Sigmafine, the OSIsoft solution for data validation and reconciliation, is a configurable tool that can be used in a variety of industries. The presentation will include the specific challenges to each industry, from the oil and gas to metals and mining, and the application of Sigmafine to estimating, assuring valuable material balances, resolving energy loss, and greatly improved decision support.

Training topics cover areas such as digital servo drives, CNC programming, press fit and tightening, general automation, and a variety of maintenance and troubleshooting classes for various hardware configurations.

In order to realize the VigilantPlant concept, Yokogawa offers products and solutions in line with three key slogans: “See Clearly - achieve stable and accurate real-time information exchange,” “Know in Advance - anticipate changes and plan actions in advance,” and “Act with Agility - make fast and intelligent decisions.”

In this new role Ian will be responsible for the development and support of not only MTL's present fieldbus products but also new technologies that will be critical to the ongoing success of both MTL and its customers.

Executives from Cingular Wireless, Verizon Wireless, and Sprint Nextel - the three largest wireless carriers in the United States - will kick off the second annual M2M United conference, held this year in San Antonio, with a morning keynote address on June 27.

The order includes dynamic applications network metsoDNA, DNAhistorian data management system, field engineering and installation. The comissioning of the system is scheduled for February 2007. The Dundee refinery is one of the largest bitumen suppliers in the UK.

Al Rushaid Group and Flowserve Corp. ratified an agreement today to build the largest original equipment manufacturer (OEM) pump repair, manufacturing and training facility in the Middle East. Construction of the 20,500 square meter (220,660 square feet) complex, to be located at the Al Rushaid Oil Field Center in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, will commence in July 2006.

The Automation Federation is an umbrella organization under which associations and societies engaged in manufacturing and process automation activities can work more effectively to fulfill their missions. It coordinates the work of member organizations engaged in advancement of the science and engineering of automation technologies and applications.

Command Tooling System's new high-speed machining demo at IMTS will allow visitors to experience the difference between Thermolock holders vs. conventional toolholders, the benefits of balanceable boring heads, and the difference between single-point boring vs new reaming technology.

This version of the guidelines includes the guidelines for PackAL, an application library of common software elements used in packaging machinery applications that was developed by the PackSoft subgroup of the OPW.

Sola/Hevi-Duty has been awarded a U.S. Patent for the company's uniquely durable mounting clip utilized in the installation of its DIN Rail power supplies, line reactors, surge suppressors and uninterruptible power supplies.

Viola Systems, a leader in industrial-grade wireless M2M connectivity solutions, and Nordic ID, a leader in handheld AutoID and data capture instruments for the retail sector and beyond, have jointly announced a customer success story that is a rewarding result of a long-term and efficient collaboration between Viola Systems, Nordic ID and the S Group.

Emerson Process Management announced today that it has been awarded a contract by EnCana Corporation, one of North America's leading natural gas producers, to apply its PlantWeb digital plant architecture to automate EnCana's new Steeprock natural gas processing plant, located in N. E. British Columbia, Canada. The digital PlantWeb approach will integrate basic process control and a smart Safety Instrumented System.

The alliance will enable both Quatech, Inc. and MTS Technologies, Inc. to develop and test DSRC functionality as part of the US Department of Transportation’s Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII) initiatives.

With the European pump industry approaching maturity, novel technologies such as intelligent pump systems are set to be the main driver for future growth. Demand for these 'smart' pumps is increasing across a wide range of end-user segments such as water and wastewater treatment, building automation, as well as food and beverages.

This deployment represents the first plant-wide implementation of Pavilion's ethanol control solution and includes applications to improve the processes of the entire dry mill plant. This marks the 17th ethanol company to elect Pavilion's solutions to enhance performance and achieve environmental compliance.

The Pittman product line includes PITTMAN brand brush-commutated DC motors and electronically commutated DC motors. The AMETEK unit produces brushless DC motors, slotless motors, motor controllers, blowers, fans, and pumps for a variety of similar end-use markets.

Utilizing Cougar’s extensive data experience, JMP Engineering will be able to offer an even broader selection of services to clients in various manufacturing industries. “Cougar’s industry leading data solutions combined with their broad process experience in the food, brewing, pharmaceutical, and oil and gas industries, is an excellent compliment to our organization,” said Scott Shawyer, JMP President and CEO.

Under the contract, Emerson will lead the automation of facilities that recover and upgrade bitumen into sweetened synthetic crude oil. The contract is for the first phase of the Horizon project which will allow CNRL to produce 110,000 barrels per day of synthetic crude oil. Phase 1 of the project is scheduled to start production in the second half of 2008. In all, three phases are planned for the project, raising total production to 232,000 barrels per day upon completion in 2012.

Honeywell Process Solutions today announced it has attained Gold Certified Partner status in the Microsoft Partner Program with competencies in Business Process & Integration Solutions and Networking Infrastructure Solutions. As a Gold Certified Partner, Honeywell has demonstrated expertise with Microsoft technologies and proven ability to meet customers’ needs. Microsoft Gold Certified Partners receive a rich set of benefits, including access, training and support.

Unidynamics joins Jered LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of PaR Systems, to provide specialty material handling design, manufacturing, and service to the marine and military markets.

Through this global alliance, Siemens has earned the distinction of being the only DuPont process control supplier selected in all three categories: distributed control systems (DCS), programmable logic controllers (PLC) and PLC based process control systems. Additionally, the alliance expands DuPont's acceptance of Siemens SIMATIC PCS 7 and other process control products.

The site features up-to-date news and information about the organization, its charter members and officers. ISA is the founding sponsor of The Federation, and OMAC and WBF are founding charter members.

Intergraph Corporation today announced Shanghai SECCO Petrochemical Company Limited (SECCO), operators of a global scale integrated petrochemical complex, and one of the largest such facilities in China, has commenced implementation of Intergraph's SmartPlant Enterprise.

Intergraph Corporation today announced the commencement of the company's new flagship international users conference, Intergraph 2006, June 13-15 at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. In its inaugural year, the conference will host more than 2,000 attendees from over 60 countries.

As professional sports venues become bigger and more complex in design and scale, architects and engineers are looking for bold new ideas. Retractable roofs have become a popular feature in those structures because they provide the ability to control the stadium's interior environment more effectively. Only a select number of companies have the knowledge and expertise to mechanize and control these immense structures, which, themselves, become architectural feats.

Designed for engineers and technicians, the class will cover basic terminology and building blocks of process control as well as fundamentals and advanced process control techniques using our fully automated, award-winning control solutions.

FANUC Robotics America, Inc., the robotic paint finishing industry leader, will demonstrate its new P-250iA/15 coating robot and R-J3iC Intelligent Robot Controller at the National Plastics Exposition at McCormick Place in Chicago, June 19-23, booth #9620.

Emerson Process Management has announced the availability of Ultra for Flow technology in the Rosemount 3095 MultiVariable Transmitter with MODBUS protocol. Emerson's award-winning(1) Ultra for Flow innovation enables the ability to deliver unparalleled measurement performance in flow applications over wide flow turndowns. Combining Ultra for Flow and multivariable technologies on MODBUS transmitters results in lower installation and maintenance costs and reduced process variability for custody transfer and other critical flow applications.

Participants and speakers from across Europe, Russia and China will meet to discuss the future of automation, and to take an inside look into recent developments. Sponsored by the Department of Electrical Engineering from the University of Genova, Italy, and infoteam software, Germany, the forum will be the first in a series of upcoming similar events.

Themed "Driving Connectivity," this event is committed to providing practical hands-on information for industrial connectivity issues. The MatrikonOPC User Group conference is designed for professionals from the plant-floor to boardroom levels. Sessions will equip attendees with intelligence for users of all experience levels, with tracks focused on OPC fundamentals, advanced OPC integration and corporate strategies.

Green Hills Software Inc., the technology leader in device software optimization (DSO) and real-time operating systems (RTOS), and ArrowSpan, Inc., a developer and manufacturer of next-generation WiFi wireless mesh network solution, today announced that ArrowSpan has chosen the Green Hills MULTI integrated development environment (IDE) and the INTEGRITY real-time operating system (RTOS) to develop highly optimized, ground breaking embedded systems for their MeshAP 2100/1100 Dual-Radio WiFi Mesh Network Access Point.

As part of his new responsibilities, Sadlowski will lead the Power Distribution & Controls Division (PD&C) of SE&A with the Apparatus, Controls and Residential Business Units all reporting to him.

The significant benefits of error proofing both automated and manual assembly procedures are becoming increasingly evident in all industries. The objectives are both increased quality and increased productivity.

Missed the live Webcast? Listen to audio clips of key highlights starting at just 1 minute -- available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Finnish Road Administration needs to gather real-time information from road weather stations, weather cameras and traffic measurement stations. Viola helped Finnra to fill in the communication gap in places where wireline connectivity would not have been a feasible choice.

Bosch Rexroth Corporation will be exhibiting at the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) in booth D-4320 with a wide range of motion control products and systems to help original equipment manufacturers and end-users accelerate productivity, achieve higher precision, reduce downtime, and provide safer motion.

Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) has been selected to provide 60 methane-gas-powered generator sets to produce 120 megawatts of power at the Sihe Coal Mine in Jincheng City, Shanxi Province, China.

The deadline for the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive is July 1, 2006, and Contemporary Controls’ Downers Grove, Illinois, plant has successfully met the challenge. George Thomas, President of Contemporary Controls, thanks his entire manufacturing and engineering staff for their efforts in making the necessary conversion to lead-free products.

PAS, a global leading supplier of software products and consulting services for the process industries, was recently contracted by SASOL for their multi-site Operations Effectiveness initiative. The Operations Effectiveness campaign includes deployment of both Alarm Management and Control Loop Performance software across multiple SASOL operating sites.

The tender has been awarded to prime contractor ES Mätteknik AB, Sweden’s largest system supplier, and was conducted in accordance with EU public procurement procedures. In approximately two weeks the tender is expected to be finalized following the completion of an EU-mandated notice period.

TURCK is now offering the option to completely shield all molded M23 multifast cordsets by connecting a braided shield directly to the coupling nut. This unique method of shielding provides a cost efficient and reliable home run connection with 100% cable and connector shielding providing protection against electromagnetic and radio frequency interference.

To address the aging of the control systems and ensure the long-term stability of station operation, Yokogawa will replace the control systems for the whole station, including the power generation, station common plant and coal transportation facilities, between October 2007 and June 2014.

Intergraph Corporation today announced that it has awarded grants for its SmartPlant suite of plant and industrial design software with an estimated commercial lease value of $1,808,350 to five international education institutions in Argentina, Finland, Haiti and Norway.

Azure Wireless announced that sales of its Universal Wi-Fi Gateway have surpassed 500 units since its introduction in late 2005. The Gateway includes integrated security and a high performance diversity antenna system and provides connectivity over with standards-based 802.11a, b and g wireless networks to serial or Ethernet devices that are not capable of or readily adaptable to wireless Ethernet network connections.

Intergraph Corporation today announced that Pebble Bed Modular Reactor company, PBMR (Pty) Ltd. has selected its SmartPlant Enterprise plant design and engineering solution for the development of South Africa's first pebble bed modular nuclear reactor (PBMR).

Through this partnership, Tendril and Ember will integrate Ember's ZigBee-compliant networking platform with other environments including IP networks, building automation networks and PC/PDA-based applications - enabling rapid deployment of WSCN applications in a variety of fields.

The new courses have been specifically developed to provide iCAP users with the necessary skills to operate these instruments efficiently in a variety of different application areas and allow plenty of hands-on experience.

One of the hottest topics in the industry today is the high cost of energy. Many OSIsoft customers are addressing this problem using the RtPM platform as a means of monitoring real-time energy costs and managing operations accordingly. This Webinar will address their use of the platform for optimizing energy use in pulp and paper mills.

Wavetrend has supplied active RFID tags and readers for the UK Channel 4 series "Honey I ruined the house." This is a natural successor to last year's ground-breaking Project:Life experiment, an innovative example of how active RFID can be used to improve lifestyle.

The Foxboro unit of Invensys Process Systems has announced an upgrade incentive program for users of the thousands of existing ”Nodebus”-based I/A Series automation systems installed around the world. The “Move to the Mesh” upgrade program further reduces the cost and effort required to expand the size and capability of these Nodebus-based Foxboro systems with the latest I/A Series Mesh Control Network technology.

Invensys has won a contract to supply four Triconex centrifugal pump steam turbine speed and overspeed control systems for use on the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) project.

Martin presented the Siemens Customer Excellence Award to Air Products and Chemicals, Astec Industries, CoilPro Machinery, E&I Sales and Prism Systems at an evening management reception held during the Siemens 2006 Automation Summit.

“Siemens' superior domain expertise and application knowledge helps it to solve real-world problems and deliver innovative solutions to customers in the food and beverage industry,” says Frost & Sullivan industry manager Sath Rao. “Siemens offers a broad range of products under its 'Totally Integrated Automation’ solution that can be applied to several different applications.”

As part of the expanded global program, more than 30 Solutions Partner system integrators are gathering in the Summit’s Partner Pavilion to share their extensive technical knowledge and process engineering expertise with Siemens customers from across the U.S. Each partner has expertise in one or more industry segments, including food and beverage, automotive, chemical, cement, glass and pharmaceutical.

Our innovative product lines for industrial process and engineering include items for test, measurement and process control, fluid handling, electrochemistry, and preventive maintenance.

Multi-variable pressure sensing devices combine a pressure output with one or more other types of sensing output (most typically temperature) in one unit. These accounted for a small share of worldwide pressure transducer and pressure transmitter shipments in 2005, at $217.8 million of a $3,850 million market, or 5.7% of the total.