Articles and News

The Global Outsourcing 100 list sets a precedent by providing the first industry-wide benchmark for overall outsourcing excellence. It includes companies in such areas as information technology and business process outsourcing, facility services, real estate and capital asset management, manufacturing, and logistics. ATS was ranked 30th out of the 100 companies listed.

Matrikon Inc. announced that it intends to make a normal course issuer bid to purchase its common shares. Under the bid, Matrikon intends to acquire up to 1,559,248 common shares, representing not more than 5% of the 31,184,959 common shares issued and outstanding as of May 1, 2006. The bid will commence May 17, 2006 and end May 17, 2007.

Emerson, the project's Main Instrumentation and Controls Contractor (MICC), also has begun integration and testing of the digital automation system. Upon completion of integration and testing, the company will install its PlantWeb digital architecture, assist with the expansion project's commissioning and startup, and provide operator training.

The control system is designed to produce consistency in production variability and a single electronic record of operations. The system will be used at Genentech’s Vacaville, Calif. plant, which is currently undergoing a major expansion.

Represented this year at ABB's Automation World were (18) internal business units, (4) communications partners, (10) media partners and (9) technology partners. The 40,000 sq ft of exhibits that housed this was indeed impressive. In the center of the hall was a café area where you could go and talk business with some of the over 2500 registrants from 36 countries.

The sensors replace outdated manual gauge- and fuel flow-reading processes that cost railroads time, money and personnel. The new automated fuel management systems provide railroads the ability to better manage fuel inventories and reduce labor demands.

The Emerson solution was chosen by Drax Power and Capula, the contractor undertaking the refurbishment, following presentations and demonstrations of interfacing the Rosemount 3420 fieldbus interface module to their Schneider PLC host system. Drax Power Station uses six steam boilers to generate up to 4000MW. At curre

This agreement allows Power/mation to sell and support Precise Automation’s products in the northern United States. These products include PrecisePlace robots, Guidance motion controllers and PreciseVision software.

The Microsoft Mobile & Embedded Developers' Conference is one powerful gathering of brainpower. Thousands of members of Microsoft's Mobile and Embedded development communities get together for in-depth technical training, hands-on technology sessions, presentations from leading experts and networking opportunities with industry peers. That's why Intermec is particularly honored that this year's conference features Intermec RFID and mobile computing gear.

The Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive and its companion Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive were drafted to prevent the massive increase of electronic waste entering Europe's landfills.

MICE, PowerMICE and MACH 4000 product families have special software packages, called Industrial Profiles. These network components can then be totally integrated in the three standard protocols PROFINET, EtherNet/IP or Modbus TCP. This integration enables both the configuration and monitoring of the network components according to the plug & play principle.

Industrial HiVision network management software (Operator Edition 2.0) has automatic discovery of the network topology via LLDP (Link Layer Discovery Protocol). With this protocol, network components and end devices such as PLCFs or I/O components can be discovered exactly and monitored reliably. This software is particularly suitable for use in complex, redundant Ethernet networks and is available for Windows 2000/XP and Linux operating systems.

The starting point for the alliance will be a joint trade fair stand at the Interkama+ “Secure Automation” (hall 7, stand A43), the international lead fair for process automation within the Hannover Messe. Both companies will present innovative solutions covering the fields of industrial security and Industrial Ethernet.

The capital raised will be used to support the commercialization of existing products as well as accelerate key product developments. Additionally, it will enable Aspectrics to expand its support infrastructure to its major customers in the food, water and hydrocarbon processing industries.

In a continuance of the OAGIS and ISA-95 standards convergence effort announced in December of 2005, a key working meeting took place recently at ISA offices in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. The meeting, which was held April 26 through 28, was attended by many end user and solution providers in addition to representatives from the standards organizations. The purpose of the meeting was to delve into the important detailed technical work necessary to achieve the convergence goals for the OAGIS(r) and ISA-95 standards.

Under the terms of the agreement, Honeywell will provide LCM technology support and migrate Lyondell’s existing process automation system to the Honeywell Experion® Process Knowledge System (PKS). Experion PKS will help Lyondell optimize operational efficiency, improve production output and reduce the risk of errors for operators. Honeywell will also provide support services to help Lyondell improve maintenance efficiency and reduce costs.

The aim of the contest is to encourage researchers and development engineers to share nanotech electrical measurement techniques that will help the industry at large. The editors of R&D Magazine will judge the contest entries. Three prizes will be awarded: 1st Place - $2,500; 2nd Place - $1,500; and 3rd Place - $1,000.

Honeywell announced that global consulting firm Frost and Sullivan has honored the company with its 2006 Product Innovation Leadership of the Year Award in the industrial automation and process control space. The award is presented each year to the company that has best demonstrated the ability to develop and/or advance products with more innovative capabilities than competing vendors.

Beginning with this release, GE Fanuc will turn out a regular pulse of new tools, utilities and add-ins for its HMI/SCADA products in the form of Productivity Packs available to its Proficy GlobalCare customers.

Mike Fahrion was recently promoted to Director of Engineering. Joining B&B Electronics as an electrical engineer, Fahrion subsequently served as Director of Engineering and most recently as the company's Director of Marketing. "Having directed both of these major departments at B&B Electronics, Mike Fahrion is poised to move the company forward, applying a major focus on innovative new product development," says Wiencek.