Articles and News

SHL Automation will use the KUKA KR 16 robot in its Automated Grinding system. The new system is designed to grind, scotch and measure door handles, and allow manufacturers to improve worker safety and product quality. The new system will be demonstrated at SHL’s open house scheduled to take place at SHL’s headquarters on December 5-7 from 10am to 1pm.

Dynomax will open a new support facilty in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, in late November. The new facility, which will supplement existing Mundelein operations, is currently undergoing renovations to support the controlled environment necessary for precision manufacturing and assembly.

Continuum Integrated Tray/Shrink System is ideal for packaging loose containers and multipacks in a variety of materials, including glass, PET, HDPE, metal and fiber cans, HiCone, shrink bundles, and paperboard overwrap. These products can be packed into both corrugated and chipboard trays.

Emerson will install its PlantWeb digital plant architecture with the Ovation expert control system and Foundation fieldbus technology at the new Ratchaburi power plant in Thailand. When completed, the two-unit, combined-cycle plant will have a production capacity of 1,400 MW. The first 700-MW unit is scheduled to begin commercial operation in March 2008, with Unit 2 to follow in June 2008.

Honeywell will provide an advanced automated process control system with integrated wireless technology for Masteel, one of China's largest iron and steel manufacturers. The contract includes Honeywell's IntelaTrac PKS process control system, Uniformance PHD, LIMS. Digital Video Manager (DVM) system, and design, engineering, commissioning, testing and maintenance services.

An inventory, navigation and picking system, integrated by Primary Marking, combines Intermec 750 mobile computers and SF51 scanners with Genesta's SyVox speech recognition software. The combination increases productivity without sacrificing the accuracy of scanning. Primary Marking also developed custom interface software that allows the collected data to go directly into Lighthouse for the Blind's ERP system.

Invensys will install an InFusion-based SCADA system to monitor and control 56 substations and automation points located along the company's Myrtle Beach and Moncks Corner electrical distribution network in eastern South Carolina. Monitoring and control will include Power Factor Control by switching capacitor banks, to maximize the efficiency of power distribution, driving direct cost savings.

Livingston & Haven will sell and support Precise Automation’s products in Georgia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. These products include PrecisePlace robots, Guidance motion controllers and PreciseVision software.

M-Series sensors are being used to increase the safety and efficiency of international coastal shipping between European nations. The highly accurate magnetostrictive level sensors provide precise measurements of hazardous materials being carried by fuel barges as required by the European Agreement Concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Inland Waterways (ADN).

Honeywell has been recognized for Excellence in Automation and Process for helping maximize energy and operational efficiency at the Samsung Fine Chemicals facility in Korea. The honor was presented to Honeywell at Asian Power Awards 2006.

Deutsche Messe AG and Fiera Milano S.p.A. have agreed to jointly promote and stage trade fairs in selected growth markets around the world, including the booming markets of India and China. Three new trade fairs on automation, motino control, and material handling have emerged from this alliance and will take place concurrently 27-30 November 2007 at the Bangalore International Exhibition Center.

ABB's 800xA Extended Automation system will provide control and monitoring of tanks and reactors, batch control plus control functions for automatic valves, stirrers and analog measurement signals for the process. The systems also include functions for the assembling and handling process, operational data management with functions for reporting and archiving.

The X-Mark line of cabinets, enclosures, racks and accessories for manufacturing facilities and IT environments will now be sold under the Belden brand.

Dow Corning is using a dynamic simulator, built and implemented by Invensys Process Systems, to train operators at its Barry, South Wales, production facility in the UK. It is anticipated that use of the simulator will result in significant savings in training and manpower costs, enhanced plant safety and increased productivity.

Deltran spring and electromagnetic friction clutch/brake products have been paired with Thomson mechanical motion control solutions. The new line is called Thomson-Deltran.

As automation equipment continues to decrease in size and increase in complexity, sensor manufacturers are striving to provide smaller sensors with greater capabilities that meet new user requirements. Many new designs can function in confined spaces where traditional, larger, barrel-shaped proximity sensors cannot.

The KUKA KR 500 robot will be used as the building block of Primal Rides’ new robotic gaming ride. The interactive ride can be designed to match customer’s requirements in theme, intensity and realism. Additionally, the ride offers the option to cost effectively change themes to adjust to rider appeal. Primal Rides will be showing a scaled down concept version of the ride on their booth (#4004) at the IAAPA Expo in Atlanta, Georgia November 15-18, 2006.

Intermec commemorates the company's 40th anniversary with a series of celebrations at its offices around the world. Intermec was founded in 1966 as Interface Mechanisms, a start-up company developing dual-image tape, a machine readable code used to compile data for the phototypesetting industry. One of the company's early leaders, Dr. Dave Allais, went on to invent Code 39, still one of the world's most widely used bar code symbologies.

In this capacity, Mr. Welch will help Invensys develop and deliver a new suite of comprehensive enterprise network and security solutions to Invensys' global customers. He has 24 years of experience in the services industry. This includes positions with companies such as Digital Equipment Corporation/Compaq Computers, Nortel Networks, and Unisys.