Articles and News

Intermec Inc. has joined Intel, Cisco Systems, Panasonic and Accela as a sponsor of a Digital Communities initiative to help municipalities take advantage of mobile and wireless computing systems to improve efficiency and responsiveness. The initial focus of the group's work is on six segments of the public sector where technology can provide significant benefits: criminal justice, public service and logistics, education, health services, first-alert response and public safety.

The 2006 Canadian RFID Conference will be held in Markham, ON on April 4th and 5th, 2006, and will bring together some of the most experienced people in the industry, including R. Moroz Ltd. - RFID Canada, Intermec, TI, Philips, IBM, HP, Zebra, Datamax, Toshiba and many others.

Under the terms of the contract, Invensys is to supply its Triconex-brand TMR (triple modular redundant) TRICON controllers for safety instrumented system (SIS) applications on the new PE4, a Euro 200 million, 350,000 t/y linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) plant being built at Schwechat in Austria. LLDPE is used to manufacture plastic film products, such as packaging materials.

The recently approved IEEE 1650TM-2005 standard, known as “Standard Methods for Measurement of Electrical Properties of Carbon Nanotubes,” gives the burgeoning nanotechnology industry one uniform and common set of recommended testing and data reporting procedures for evaluating the electrical properties of carbon nanotubes. The Model 4200 is a core measurement platform for engineers involved in nanotech materials research.

The affiliation will allow both organizations to build on their respective strengths. The two organizations are working through the final stages of the arrangements that would result in WBF functioning as independent affiliate of ISA. Remaining steps should be completed in the first half of 2006.

The Automation Alliance will provide industry wide strategic analysis and coordination through its member organizations. The Alliance will provide technical management, administration, and integrated services such as seminars, web conferences, training, and conference services to be shared among participating organizations.

A variety of products from Agilent Technologies, Keithley Instruments, Inc., Rohde & Schwarz and Symmetricom were tested in key areas of the specification, including LAN functionality, Web interface, programming API and hardware triggering. The event, which took place Feb. 14-16 in Irvine, Calif., was attended by 46 members of the LXI Consortium.

Silchester is one of the European high quality solution providers in Automation and Industrial Information. Silchester delivers turn-key Automation, Control, SCADA and Industrial Information solutions to GAMP, ISO, 21CFR and TickIT standards. For over 18 years our highly experienced application engineers have had extensive experience partnering many of our blue-chip multinational customers. Citect Integration Partners offer the highest standards in Citect integration services. Accredited by Citect, Silchester has the support and training to meet, and exceed end-user's expectations. A world-wide network of project consultants and engineers are available to provide project support and to assist Citect Integrators like Silchester in all phases of implementation.

Three business units within SPC are initially included in the agreement – oil refining, chemicals and terylene polyester production. Invensys Process Systems China will provide a combination of remote and on-site services including online patrol site device check, annual on-site device check, emergency hardware replacement, emergency/routine hardware repairs, emergency site technical support, site training and other services.

The 190-page handbook covers the fundamentals of the switching function in test and measurement applications and is available for no charge on the Keithley website. The handbook is divided into seven sections and discusses topics such as: Switching components; Issues in switch system design; Hardware implementation; Applications

Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc., announced today that its 2006 Users Conference, the Siemens Automation Summit, has expanded its scope to join multiple Siemens automation business units Distributed Control Systems, Manufacturing Execution Systems, Discrete Automation and Production Machines into a comprehensive conference designed to bring Siemens unique integrated solutions to end users, prospects and partners. The new event, themed "Winning Together", affords a special opportunity for attendees to exchange information, network with their peers, attend educational seminars, and interact with partners and Siemens management. The 2006 Siemens Automation Summit will be held June 6-8, 2006 at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas, Nev.

The first contract is for System 800xA Extended Automation; other future contracts may include instrumentation, motors, drives and low voltage products. Tetra Pak is a leader in providing preferred solutions for food processing and packaging to food manufacturers. The first countries to implement the purchase agreement are Sweden, Denmark, Ireland and the Netherlands. The cooperation between ABB and Tetra Pak will also include implementation in the rapidly growing markets in Asia, particularly in China.

One year after affiliating with ISA, OMAC's outlook is brighter than ever. OMAC is reporting renewed strength in the development and use of open, interoperable control and automation systems technologies for end users, technology providers, and OEMs. OMAC reported on progress made in a number of packaging, manufacturing infrastructure and machine tool initiatives at its annual meeting. The meeting was held in concert with the ARC Next Generation Manufacturing Forum in Orlando, FL.

xCouplers modules install into factory floor PLCs to provide a simple way to exchange factory floor and enterprise server data. They provide a seamless and secure method to provide real time information flow between the plant floor control systems and business systems than conventional HMI- or PC-based custom software methods.

The Understanding Direct Part Mark Identification half-day events cover the most important factors to consider when implementing DPM ID for part traceability in the automotive, aerospace, healthcare, electronics and defense industries. Anyone with a DPM application in the assembly and parts supply chain will appreciate this highly informative seminar. Participants will learn how to implement a reliable DPM traceability program that includes marking, reading, verification and process control. The program contains valuable information to help manufacturers achieve DPM ID requirements and traceability goals.

Invensys Process Systems joined BP, Chevron, and Shell in a presentation and panel discussion on PRODML, PRODuction xML, a new open standard for digital technology for production optimization in the oil and gas industry. This presentation was part of the two-day conference “Digital Energy 2006: Bytes and Barrels, Applying Digital DNA to Meet the Business Performance Challenge”, sponsored by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE).

The ISA Foundation is gearing up to give scholarships, encourage student development, and support standards development in 2006. Through the Foundation, ISA awards educational scholarships each year. Scholarships for tuition and research activities are given to graduate and undergraduate students. Students must demonstrate outstanding potential for long-range contribution to the automation profession. Since 2001, ISA has awarded over $135,000 in scholarships to 53 well-deserving students.

Funded by the Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency (DHS/HSARPA), the PCSF provides an open, collaborative environment for representatives from industry, academia, standards bodies, vendors and government. The PCSF is a neutral entity managed by a public/private collaborative (interim) Governing Board and facilitated by Mitretek Systems.

FKI Logistex has begun manufacturing a model of its Maestro™ crane in St. Louis as part of a large order for one of its US-based customers. The model has undergone an engineering conversion for local manufacture. The rest of the FKI Logistex crane product line, including all of the company's Condor™ units, will still be manufactured in the United Kingdom.

Azure has received orders from five automation and materials handling OEMs and control systems integrators for its Universal Wireless Gateway. Under the contracts, the Gateway will be used to provide communications over Wi-Fi wireless networks for flexible manufacturing control systems and automated guided vehicles.

The 6th Annual Fugitive Emissions - LDAR Symposium will be held 13-15 June 2006 in Houston, Texas. The symposium covers leak detection and repair (LDAR) methods and fugitive emissions management systems. The event is designed to create a forum in which paper presentations, tutorials, and speaker panels transfer information from the world's leading experts on fugitive emissions and LDAR to industry professionals.

National Instruments Business and Technology Fellow Mike Santori will deliver the industrial automation keynote address to an audience of industry experts at National Manufacturing Week on March 21 in Chicago. In his keynote address, “Automation: How to Compete in a Global Economy,” Santori examines the critical technologies and architectures that create improved efficiency in next-generation production facilities.

Cisco Systems and RedPrairie have joined Intermec Inc. and Cascade Corp to create a concept for a forklift that will build RFID and real-time location capabilities into the equipment of the future.

Schneider Electric has signed an agreement to acquire 100% of the Italian Group OVA G. Bargellini SpA. OVA operates in the emergency lighting market, with leading positions in Italy and a strong presence across the rest of Europe. The company is also active in the wiring devices business, through electrical components such as portable socket-outlets, plugs and adapters.

Puma rear-projection Advanced Performance Liquid Crystal Displays (AP/LCD™) have been selected by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to provide a large-scale visualization capability in its Integrated Energy Operations Center (IEOC) at Richland, Wash.

From a small workshop in Maldon, UK, ICS Triplex has grown into a world-wide organisation and one of the few remaining independent manufacturing and engineering companies in the automation industry today. With its Headquarters still located in Maldon, UK, ICS Triplex maintains the technology driven, customer led ethos that has been the force behind 40 years of successfully protecting people, investments and the environment.

Southern Peru Copper Corp. (SPCC) has selected PlantWeb® digital plant architecture with FOUNDATION™ fieldbus (FF) technology for digital automation of its Ilo Smelter, Peru facility.

Intermec Inc. today launched two ambitious RFID purchase programs designed to help companies worldwide obtain the superior business benefits of Gen 2 RFID equipment and technology, while maximizing previous investments in earlier-generation RFID. The programs are designed to aid both companies that purchased RFID equipment and tags to meet early compliance deadlines, and companies now considering initial RFID implementations.

Mafelec is a specialty manufacturer of onboard push-button switches for railway, overland and maritime transportation applications. The sale, which is part of the company’s acquisition by its management (Gilles Heinrich and Eric Heitz), demonstrates Schneider Electric’s commitment to supporting the entrepreneurial spirit of its employees.

LCRA will employ I/A Series digital automation from Foxboro in a control system modernization at the Fayette Power Project, a 1,641-megawatt, three-unit, coal-fired generating facility near La Grange, Texas. The new controls implementation will replace existing ash handling PLC systems controls in Units 1 and 2, each with a capacity of 598 megawatts.

The certification recognizes a Microsoft Competency in ISV/Software Solutions and in Networking Infrastructure Solutions. Microsoft Gold Certified Partners represent the top tier of organizations within the Microsoft Partner Program and membership is only awarded to those who have demonstrated the highest level of expertise in creating and implementing solutions based on Microsoft technologies.

Kagan is technology marketing director at Foxboro, Mass.-based Invensys Process Systems. He has worked in the automation and controls industry for more than 25 years. He headed Foxboro’s systems engineering group for a number of years and was part of the original team that developed the ground-breaking, standards-based I/A Series automation system.

AEC, a supplier of automated machinery and control systems, will integrate KUKA industrial robots into their new family of foundry automation cells. These customized cells are designed for casting, grinding, polishing, and material handling applications in the foundry industry.

The system includes the new Datastick® VSA-1212 Vibration Spectrum Analyzer module that attaches securely to select PDAs running Palm OS; new Datastick Spectrum handheld software that collects and stores vibration measurements while displaying them in time waveforms and FFT spectra complete with alarm levels; and Datastick Reporting System(TM) (DRS) software for PCs, which is based on Microsoft Excel.

The program honors the memory of James (Jim) O. Gray, a long-time leader in the Fieldbus Foundation who passed away in 2002. It establishes a perpetual $250,000 endowment fund providing awards to eligible students studying industrial automation.

General Colin Powell, USA (Ret.), will serve as the featured keynote speaker for Intergraph 2006, the company’s international users conference to be held June 12-15, 2006 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort.

ABB's 2005 net income reached $735 million compared to a $35-million loss in 2004, with strong increases in orders, revenues and EBIT. Continuing market strength and further operational improvements in the fourth quarter of 2005 contributed to the strong result.

MTS has expanded the services offered to existing and potential new customers to assist them in specifying, installing and maintaining level sensors in a wide variety of applications. For a reasonable fee, MTS will offer a site survey and pre-sale specification; evaluation and recommendations for the upgrade path; on-site training and hands-on training at the factory; installation and commissioning; scheduled periodic maintenance; and factory-authorized repair service.

A major international petroleum company has standardized on ProcessDoctor for auditing, monitoring and optimizing the assets that control plants for all 16 of their refineries and gas plants. The roll-out of the technology has already begun with one refinery being fully commissioned and two more with plans for immediate deployment.

As announced on January 30, 2006, OMRON Corporation expects to achieve highest ever consolidated profits in FY2005, making this the company's fourth consecutive year of record consolidated revenues and income. We are fully aware that this success is due in large part to the support of our shareholders and other stakeholders.

OMRON has established OMRON Automation PVT Ltd., a new, wholly-owned subsidiary in New Delhi, India. The move marks the beginning of a full-scale entry to the rapidly growing Indian factory automation (FA) market by OMRON's Industrial Automation Business (IAB). The new company will handle the sales and servicing of IAB's control equipment and is scheduled to start operations in April 2006.

The status was attained through successful certification of two new plant-to-business integration solutions. The first is Wonderware's Business Package for Process Performance Analysis 60.1 integrated with the SAP NetWeaver Portal. The second is the combination of the SAP NetWeaver Exchange Infrastructure (SAP NetWeaver XI)-based Content Package for Order Processing 30.1 integrated with SAP® ECC 5.0 and Wonderware Enterprise Integrator 2.0.

The contracts include design engineering, implementation, system integration, testing and support. The systems will enable the companies to implement flexible, reconfigurable manufacturing operations, streamline plant-floor communications system requirements, reduce costs and complexity, eliminate legacy serial communications and leverage IP network investment.

Numerous exhibitors taking part in INTERKAMA+, one of the leading international trade shows that make up HANNOVER MESSE (Hannover Fair) April 24-28, 2006, are staging an information-packed event that examines the possibilities and limitations of Ethernet in industrial applications.

ISA recently announced plans for its 6th annual NOx Emissions and Source Monitoring Technical Conference and Training event. This year's event will be held 7-8 June 2006 in Anaheim, California. Co-located with POWID/EPRI Conference, the event will feature presentations from industry experts on the latest NOx emissions and source monitoring technology.

Ethernet-compatible servo motor drives are catalyzing a breakthrough in the performance of tube bending machinery - allowing multi-stage bending operations to take place in parallel, while also reducing the electrical bill of materials and machine footprint.

Case IH, a worldwide leader in the farm equipment industry, has been using System E2 Energy Chain® to house and protect hydraulic cables on its line of 1200 ASM Series Planters. The 1200 Series is a top-of-the-line precision planter that delivers accurate population and precise in-row seed placement. Energy Chain plays an important role for each machine both on and off the field.

Students from the University of Minnesota in the Igus Y.E.S. (Young Engineers Support) Program developed a chainsaw variation of an Alaskan Mill for cutting large blocks of ice for the commercial use of Ice Occasions, one of the largest manufacturers of ice statue making equipment.

Nachi Robotic Systems recently upgraded its Quality Management System from QS9000/Tooling & Equipment Supplement: 1998 to ISO 9001:2000. This certification reflects Nachi’s commitment to continuously improve its quality management system to provide customer satisfaction by incorporating a process-oriented system.

Yokogawa Electric Corporation and its group companies have launched the Vigilant Integration Partners (VIP) Initiative, an open, non-exclusive, standard-based, and interoperability-driven partnership that enables Yokogawa customers to integrate best-in-class field devices supplied by VIP member companies with the industry-leading CENTUM series production control system and the PRM asset management system.

Yokogawa's Plant Resource Management (PRM) System provides a framework for monitoring and diagnosing the health of field devices, such as process sensors and valves. GE Energy's System 1(r) platform provides similar functionality for the mechanical and thermodynamic health of rotating, reciprocating, and fixed machinery. The two platforms can exchange a variety of status and diagnostic data, allowing users to monitor and manage the condition of a broader cross-section of plant assets than by using either system individually.

Joe Remisiewicz has joined WAGO as a Senior Field Sales Application Engineer. Working out of his home office, in the Detroit, Michigan area, Remisiewicz will be providing application support for the WAGO-I/O-SYSTEM for customers in Michigan, Northern Ohio, Upstate New York, and the Province of Ontario.

Green Hills Software has joined Texas Instruments Incorporated's (TI) TMS320™ Third Party Network as a software and embedded services provider.

Series 2400 SourceMeter® Instruments have received the Test of Time Award from Test & Measurement World Magazine. The Test of Time Award, which was created to recognize product lines that provide state-of-the-art performance for at least five years after their introduction, was announced at the magazine’s awards ceremony on February 9, 2006, during the APEX Show in Anaheim, California.

The readers of Test & Measurement World have voted the National Instruments PXI-5922 flexible-resolution digitizer the 2006 Test Product of the Year. This is the second Test & Measurement World honor for the digitizer, after it was named a Best in Test winner in December. Released in March 2005, the digitizer extends the industry-standard PXI platform with measurement capabilities that exceed the performance of high-end traditional instruments.

Roach is one of seven elected board members directing the technical, marketing and financial responsibilities for the OPC Foundation, a non-profit international standards organization dedicated to providing standards for interoperability in industrial automation.

EDN magazine editors selected NI LabVIEW 8 and the NI PXI-5922 flexible-resolution digitizer as finalists for the magazine’s annual Innovation of the Year award. It also recently honored the NI LabVIEW Embedded Development Module and the NI PXI-5922 digitizer as two of the magazine’s Hot 100 Products of 2005.

Kevin Roach is the Vice President of Rockwell Software where he is responsible globally for all automation and information software. Grant Wilson is Vice President of Technology for Emerson Process Management where he leads the DeltaV System Development team.

The PROFIBUS Trade Organization (PTO) and the PROFI Interface Center (PIC) announced two new courses as part of the PROFItech Certification Training Course program for 2006. The two new classes added to the program include a PROFIBUS Installer’s Class and a PROFINET Certified Network Engineering Class.

The international "Industrial Building Automation" specialist trade fair during HANNOVER MESSE (Hannover Fair) 2006 is the ideal place to find out about the latest innovative solutions in the international building automation market and the expected trends for the years ahead.

Many companies have been attracted by low wage and production costs to leave their traditional base in Germany and transfer production to low-wage economies. However, other companies decided to stay in Germany, focusing instead on the introduction of automation technology to improve productivity. "Factory Automation" and "Digital Factory" are among the leading international trade shows within HANNOVER MESSE 2006.

Microprocessor veterans Rich Belgard, Gary Hoffman, Dr Nick Tredennick and Jim Turley have all accepted the role as advisors to Imsys Technologies. Each of them has a long and outstanding experience in the semiconductor industry, all the way from processor designs to marketing and sales.

"Foundation Fieldbus" by Ian Verhappen and Augusto Pereira provides quick reference information on the FOUNDATION(tm) Fieldbus H1 protocol and installation tips. The resource also provides other useful information that design engineers, control system engineers, and instrumentation technicians need to know about FOUNDATION Fieldbus.

Suncor Energy Inc. and Emerson Process Management announced a 7-year agreement that names Emerson as Suncor’s supplier for automation products, solutions, and services for capital projects at new and existing North American facilities.

There is a growing challenge on the plant floor if you haven’t experienced it yet, I am sure you will soon. A study by ARC predicts that the number of factory floor devices with an IP address is going to TRIPLE in the next four years and those devices are pushing lower and lower into the controls architecture… from systems, to sub-systems down to sensors… so Ethernet equipment with an IP addresses are increasing rapidly.

The ISA EXPO 2006 technical conference program will address major themes in the automation industry and was developed by volunteer experts at a conference committee summit. The five themes chosen for the conference are: Safety and Security, Process Automation, Environmental Controls, Industrial Networking and Systems Integration.

Cognex announced a new series of free machine vision seminars exclusively for pharmaceutical industry professionals involved with packaging operations. This brand new series of seminars called, "Applying Machine Vision to Pharmaceutical Packaging," are half-day events that show how easy it is to integrate, validate, maintain and use the latest generation of machine vision systems to ensure label accuracy, package integrity and product traceability.

Emerson Process Management has received a contract to install its PlantWeb digital plant architecture with the Ovation® expert control system and Foundation™ fieldbus technology in Units 7 and 8 of the Zouxian Power Plant. The project, Zouxian Phase IV, was awarded by China Huadian Group Corp. It represents the first installation of Foundation fieldbus device technology for monitoring and controlling processes at a power generation facility in China.

Rockwell Automation has received the Frost & Sullivan 2005 Customer Service Leadership Award for its demonstrated excellence and outstanding contributions to the worldwide medium voltage drives market. The award recognizes the commitment Rockwell Automation has shown toward understanding customer requirements and providing high-quality products and services for its customers around the world.

The acquisitions made in 2005 (PMI, Elau, ABS EMEA, Juno Lighting and BEI Technologies) and the full-year impact of the acquisitions made in 2004 (Andover Controls and Kavlico) contributed a significant €433 million, or +4.2%. The currency effect became slightly positive, increasing sales by €74 million, or +0.7%.

Blackfin DSP helped Ann Arbor shatter the traditional price/performance barriers that have slowed the thermal infrared imaging camera market. Infrared imaging is critical in manufacturing applications, such as die-casting and plastic injection, for specifications that are not visible to the naked eye.

This new Joint-Venture, will be named Schneider (Shaanxi) Baoguang Electrical Apparatus Co. Ltd. (SSBEA) and will be incorporated in the city of Baoji (Shaanxi Province) as soon as the customary conditions precedent and regulatory approvals are satisfied. Schneider Electric will own a 70% interest in the company while Shaanxi Baoguang Group will hold the remaining 30%.

Under the umbrella of HANNOVER MESSE (Hannover Fair) 2006, "Factory Automation" will present the latest products, systems and services for a complete spectrum of industrial applications.

On January 1, 2006, ISA introduced three new member benefits. The benefits enhance the membership experience of thousands of automation professionals. Each full dues paying Member now receives a free standard each year of their membership. Each Member also has free access to a library of web seminars and free downloads of technical papers from past ISA conferences.

The just-released government NIST 23 standards for the calculations and properties of industrial gases and steam are embedded in the special code created by Emerson as part of a multi-year contract with Air Liquide Large Industries U.S. LP.

BAE Systems has selected the Green Hills GMART SPARK Ada-compliant kernel and AdaMULTI development environment for the new Hawk military trainer development aircraft.

Four different NI products – NI LabVIEW 8, the LabVIEW Embedded Development Module, NI cRIO-4408 and NI SignalExpress 1.1 – were named finalists in five Design News categories, with winners selected online by readers until February and announced in March.

The Embedded Microprocessor Benchmark Consortium (EEMBC) has standardized on the NI LabVIEW graphical development environment and NI PXI data acquisition hardware to implement EnergyBench, a new EEMBC metric that shows the energy a processor uses to run EEMBC performance benchmarks.

As part of the agreement, ProSoft Technology now owns the full rights, patents and intellectual property associated with the OPACTS Terminal Automation & Management Systems, developed by Octal Systems. The agreement will ensure continued support for Octal Systems' products and is seen by both ProSoft Technology and Octal Systems as a positive development for Octal's existing customer base.

The NOF is a Trade Association representing approximately 200 member companies in the North of England who supply goods and services to the oil, gas, marine and renewable energy industries. The capabilities established by NOF member companies in the harsh, demanding environment of the North Sea are highly respected by the developing oil and gas nations around the world.

Transbotics, an integrated solutions provider specializing in automated guided vehicles (AVGs) and automation technology, will integrate KUKA Robotics’ industrial robots into its automatic material handling systems.

Intergraph it has signed a three-year Software License Agreement with CDI-Process & Industrial, a unit of CDI Engineering Solutions, Inc., to globally standardize on Intergraph software. Under the agreement, CDI-Process & Industrial is standardizing on Intergraph’s entire SmartPlant® Enterprise portfolio of plant engineering, design and information and materials management applications.

The awards honor manufacturing companies that are using automation and information technologies to transform their business and create a sustainable competitive advantage. A panel of judges will select seven award winners: one who best demonstrates mastery of each of six business disciplines, plus the Progressive Manufacturer of the Year award for the company that has best mastered technology-driven business transformation across their organization.

Groschopp announced compliance with the European Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive by producing fractional HP motors that use lead-free solder. The company will replace its Sn50 Pb50 solder for Sn96.4Ag3.0Cu0.5 lead-free solder. Solder processes including the flux and cleaner used will remain the same.

The Fieldbus Foundation has announced that an updated version of its FOUNDATION fieldbus specifications is now available. The new specification defines features that enhance fieldbus functionality and provide additional incentives for automation equipment suppliers to get on the "Fast Track to Fieldbus."

WINGAS GmbH, Kassel awarded a contract to Rösberg Engineering GmbH from Karlsruhe for the modernization of the control system of Germany’s largest natural gas storage facility in Rehden. The contract contains the engineering, delivery and priming installation of the complete electrical equipment for PLC and DCS, the commissioning and the trial operation plus the disassembly of the old systems.

The contract covers 18 units at three BP U.S. refineries – Whiting, Ind., Texas City, Texas, and Carson, Calif. Combined, these facilities refine about 1 million barrels of crude per day, or about 7 percent of total U.S. refining capacity. The upgrades are part of BP’s ongoing commitment to improving facilities in North America.

The ARC “Machine Safeguarding Solutions Worldwide Outlook” study determined Siemens has a 23.6% global safety PLC market share, 6.6% more than its nearest competitor. The VDC study reported Siemens has a 33.3% market share for safety PLC shipments in North America.

Intermec Inc and Cascade Corp are teaming to develop a forklift system that incorporates RFID technology into a forklift's very infrastructure, replacing today's cumbersome and inefficient bolt-on approach to data collection.

The Fieldbus Center at Lee College, a National Science Foundation (NSF) recognized and funded institution, today announced an agreement with Westlock Controls to train their sales professionals on the basics of FOUNDATION fieldbus. This is the first such agreement between a Fieldbus Foundation-certified training center and major automation equipment supplier.

This year's event, themed "Compliance, Confidence, Credibility," will address the needs of the expanding FOUNDATION fieldbus market in China and Asia/Pacific, and will feature end user presentations, technical training workshops, and tabletop product exhibits.

"Until recently, most buyers of infrared imaging cameras had to make a budgeting choice between a low-resolution 160x120-pixel camera or no camera at all, but they soon learned they missed a lot at low-resolution," asserts Jon Chynoweth, Vice President of Mikron Infrared.

Emerson Process Management, an Emerson business based in Austin, Texas, (NYSE:EMR), will be at the base of the 25-meter-high Olympic Flame when it ignites Friday, heralding the beginning of the 20th Winter Olympic Games. Emerson is providing the technology that will ignite and maintain the iconic flame as it burns until the close of the competition Feb. 26.

Invensys Process Systems executives presented current trends and technologies in selecting and installing offshore SCADA hardware and related critical technologies at a Zeus Development workshop on Hurricane Evacuation and Remote Operations (HERO). Invensys’ presentation, was part of a series of executive-led discussions on improving availability and utilization of remotely controlled production assets during hurricane related evacuations.

RF Monolithics' Wireless Systems Group is participating in a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract awarded to Nanotherapeutics, Inc. to develop an improved system to detect improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

The initial order is for 22 Adept Cobra s600 vision-guided robots, and is the first part of a multiphase program that could yield several additional lines over the next two years. This program also represents Adept's first design win destined for a major Japanese disk drive manufacturer.