Articles and News

The PLCopen Motion Control profile specification has been released for comments until August 16, 2010.

Prior to joining ABB, Mahfet served as the general manager of global sales of the Sensing & Inspection Technologies unit of General Electric

Chloride Group makes UPSes, employs about 2,500 people and reported revenue of 336 million pounds in its fiscal year ended March 31, 2010.

Emerson will install an Ovation control system to help maximize capacity of the Ekibastuz GRES-1 coal-fired plant that produces 13 percent of power for Kazakhstan.

New orders for motion control products jumped 22% in the first quarter of 2010 compared to the same period in 2009, according to figures from the Motion Control Association.

T-BOX WM Wireless Monitor has passed all third party criteria and testing for Ingress Protection level 67 (IP67) and for operation in Class I, Division 1 hazardous areas.

Production of Metso’s engineered valves will move to a new factory and to adjoined office building at the beginning of 2011.

DDW-221 and DDW-100 Ethernet extenders will be part of the regulation, real time monitoring, alarms and flow measurement system of Amsterdam's gas and energy distribution network.

Automation.com, June 2010 by Andy Stadheim, President of Barix Technology The flexibility of the smart grid and the many tools and devices available can be used to build a manageable and effective load shedding system.

The new office is located in South Jakarta.

Catalog covers information and application examples for gripper assembling, gripper components and gripper elements.

By Alexander Schaedlich and William Gilbert, Siemens "Winder" application is designed into the current generation of Sinamics S120 drives.

Automation.com, June 2010 By Harald Poesch, Siemens Permanent magnet synchronous torque motors offer significant advantages on high energy consuming and high dynamic applications.

eSight's energy suite will be used to manage and reduce energy usage across Winstanley's portfolio of buildings.

The ADB Oil & Gas business consists of a team of experienced industry professionals that have been providing plant operators with comprehensive Integrity Management solutions for more than 20 years.

ABB will acquire K-TEK, which will join the Measurement Products business unit within ABB’s Process Automation division.

By Jeff Soplop, Rockwell Automation Algorithmic approach to energy management uses real-time data collection and predictive modeling capabilities to enhance decision making, reduce consumption and increase efficiency

The scope of work includes the immediate installation of four Safety Manager systems and three redundant C300 controllers at the plant, located in Rafnes, Norway.

Cambrex Profarmaco of Milan, Italy, successfully implemented Emerson's DeltaV digital automation system, AMS Suite, Rosemount instruments and meters, and Micro Motion F-Series Coriolis mass flowmeters.

OSI will supply a natural gas SCADA and Pipeline Management System to manage more than 8,000 kilometers of pipelines within the province of Manitoba.

The Zhangzhou Gang Chang Can Food Company uses GlassCheK x-ray to remove glass, stone, metal and high-density plastic contaminants.

Course comes with a 170-page Curriculum Workbook and an Instructor’s CD with all projects, software files and tests ready for customization.

ARC says that adding video to HMI operator stations in automation and process control can play an important role in improving a company’s ergonometrics, while also enhancing safety, security, and regulatory compliance.

Website covers spindle interface and related machine tool components, metalcutting sawing systems, hydraulic/pneumatic rod locks, safety catchers for presses and other machinery/equipment/vehicle operation.

Motoman and Yaskawa Electric America will combine to form Yaskawa America.

AET will use Honeywell’s OptiVision Business Logic software to control production costs by better forecasting its raw material usage, improving its planning and scheduling processes and managing production execution and quality.

ABB will design and install a large-scale smart grid in the new Kalasatama district of Helsinki.

ABB sponsored Vincennes University (VU) and Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC) for membership to the RIA.

This event demonstrates and delivers information relating to acquiring and maintaining the skilled workforce and manpower, efficient planning and scheduling of turnarounds.

The signal quality on the PROFIBUS network was insufficient to sustain a robust communication link. Lowering the baud rate to 1.5 MBit/s immediately fixed the signal quality level on the affected machines.

Web site has an emphasis on flow meter applications.

Emerson's Smart Wireless network is helping deliver improved furnace operation and safety at Ternium Siderar’s steelmaking facility in San Nicolás Argentina.

The portal is a secure and private workspace with tutorials, design and conformance testing resources, online access to evaluation hardware, comprehensive FAQs, and direct technical support.

Ms. Garcia comes to SolaHD from Underwriters Laboratories (UL) in Northbrook Illinois where she spent over ten years in functional compliance areas.

In a few simple steps, users can choose from 1,500 individual components to create their own application specific connectors.

The partnership includes specialized and intensive promotional opportunities that will provide recognition before, during, and after the event.

GE joins Apprion, BP, Chevron, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, ExxonMobil, Fuji Electric, Gastronics, Honeywell, Nivis, Procter & Gamble, R3 Sensors, Shell, Shengyang Institute of Automation, and Yokogawa.

Solution will provide long-range IP-based wireless communications backhaul for smart metering and distribution automation for electric power utility companies

SICK added Industrial Power, Automation, and Industrial Services S.A. (PIASISA) to the family of SICK Authorized Distributors.

Flow-Cal’s Enterprise application suite will enable El Paso personnel to transform their data from “field” quality to “custody transfer” quality.

BETA switches are certified to the exacting IEC 61508 safety standard.

Automation.com, May 2010 By John Boville, Schneider Electric Companies are partnering with their supplier of electrical distribution, automation and control products and solutions to ensure seamless process changeovers.

The EtherCAT Slave Sample Code now includes the CANopen drive profile according to the ETG implementation guideline.

The aim of the investment is to facilitate the long-term development of ABB’s business in India.

Using wireless devices based on WirelessHART, Syngenta expects $25-$50K in annual raw materials savings through cost-effective monitoring of heat exchangers.

Enviro checkweighers and bench scales are NTEP Class III certified, having met the National Conference on Weights & Measures’ standards.

Patti Engineering opened an office in Austin, Texas. Steve Palmgren was appointed senior electrical engineer for the region.

Building Information Modeling makes construction documents interoperable, so product information is easily accessible and design plans are easily amendable.

Dresser and CAR-BER will provide a full line of hot tapping and line stopping products and services.

National risks are becoming more of a concern and entering the risk equation in the form of regulations, compliance, and the possibility of financial penalties.

frameINSPECTOR validates application behavior and conformity of software interfaces in respect to the FDT specification.

Stringent regulations have paved the way for growth opportunities for PLCs, SCADA systems, DCSes, HMIs and software in the European W&WW sector.

The new plant will manufacture land cables for use in both AC and DC applications.

Drees previously served as president of the Buildings business of Schneider Electric in the Americas. Drees joined the company in 2001.

The Edwards Digital Information Expert ‘EDDiE’ tool takes the hard work out of choosing the right vacuum fitting.

Catalog covers sensors, vision, wireless, indicators, and machine safety products.

The contract calls for upgrading all of Malaysia Liquefied Natural Gas' existing distributed control systems to newer Foxboro I/A Series CP270 models.

C-SOPS is a National Science Foundation funded center consisting of Rutgers University, Purdue University, the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez.

Dennison joined PAS from Honeywell International, where he worked in sales and operations for nearly 30 years.

MAG will receive $5 million to fund development of automated manufacturing technology for wind turbine blade spars.

Workholding equipment shipments within the U.S. by the 38 companies participating in the AWT statistical report totaled $42.6 million while exports amounted to $7.4 million.

Automation.com, May 2010 By Mark Howard, Zettlex A key step in selecting a suitable position sensor for an application is to be absolutely clear about what is needed, particularly with respect to sensor resolution, repeatability and linearity.

The newly expanded headquarters is located at 1880 Santa Barbara Street in the historic Railroad Square area of San Luis Obispo.

Direct Industrial will buy automation parts in any condition (new or used) from any manufacturer including Allen Bradley, Siemens and Mitsubishi.

The Web-based diagnostic tool helps identify best practices for manufacturers to improve enterprise level and manufacturing operations processes.

Specs cover EtherNet/IP, DeviceNet, CompoNet and ControlNet technologies.

The system uses 44 Endress+Hauser Promag 53P flowmeters and Cerabar WirelessHART pressure transmitters to monitor flow and pressure in leach fields that are regularly relocated, and use movable, temporary piping.

Matrikon will be integrated into Honeywell Process Solutions, part of Honeywell’s Automation and Control Solutions business group.

SDA was established in 1985 and since then has successfully designed, programmed and commissioned a variety of machines and equipment for customers around the world.

Sensors measure the temperature of metal components during heat treatment.

BICSI is a professional association supporting the information transport systems (ITS) industry with information, education and knowledge assessment for individuals and companies.

As a Cisco Solution Technology Integrator (STI) partner, Rockwell Automation can provide Cisco’s routers, wireless controllers, firewalls and many other infrastructure solutions.

Free sessions include advice on clean water processes including static mixing and chlorine dosing points, as well as training on the full range of Analytical Technology instrumentation.

Automation.com, May 2010 By Dr Peter Harrop, IDTechEx Wireless Sensor Networks are machine to machine M2M mesh networks operating like the internet in that they are self organising and self healing.

G.A. Küchenmeister, the company's founder and Managing Director, will retire from active work.

The video provides tips and insights on making the most of SCADA applications.

Il nuovo Web site è stato tradotto in italiano per aiutare i relativi clienti a scegliere la soluzione che è adatti ai relativi bisogni.

Rosemount wireless transmitters provide reliable data to existing SCADA system despite strong magnetic field, allow operators to reduce energy use by 13 percent.

KUKA will be the supplier/equipment partner for the world’s first greenfield liquid encapsulant solar panel module line.

The 136,000-square-foot Emerson Innovation Center is home to the world’s largest flow lab, capable of testing a two-story-tall valve.

Speake will address ISA’s activities around system security such as support of the ISA-99 standard committee and the Security Compliance Institute (ISCI).

A RFID Case Study demonstrated the benefits of using a single RFID tag to carry information critical in manufacturing, logistics and retail processes.

March U.S. manufacturing technology consumption totaled $258.00 million, up 49.5% from the total of $172.59 million reported for March 2009.

Interface and Intrinsic Safety Quick Reference Guide provides an overview of intrinsically safe products, including amplifiers, analog I/O, solenoid drivers, speed monitors, and relay and power supplies.

Software Advice, a website that reviews and compares manufacturing software systems, recently held a roundtable discussion to share observations on how economic growth is impacting IT purchase and implementation activity.

GT3000 family includes sensors that detect these gases: hydrogen sulfide (H2S), oxygen (O2), carbon monoxide (CO), ammonia (NH3), chlorine (Cl2), and sulfur dioxide (SO2).

Biggest growth is predicted in Asia, Latin America and building automation markets. New technical enhancements include 3D and integrated live video on HMIs.

Unit to design/build automated manufacturing systems for solar panels and wind turbine components.

Industrial engineers involved in modeling using Monte Carlo simulations can obtain an updated version of NAG numeric routines for GPUs from the Numerical Algorithms Group (NAG).

Manufacturing practitioners, designers, educators, and students have been using “Fundamentals of Tool Design” for more than 40 years.

Aegis will supply New Product Introduction and shop-floor paperless documentation software for Makso Electronic's manufacturing site in Veenendaal, The Netherlands.

Catalog covers USB extenders, keyboard-video-mouse IP switch, Category 6 cabling, low-profile antenna, enclosure accessories, and Digi radio modems and long-distance Ethernet bridges.

Hayes Control Systems has been acquired by Beckhoff and renamed Beckhoff Automation Ltd.

Emerson's Smart Wireless technology is helping Lion Oil cost-effectively check product inventory, prevent overfill and remediation costs, and monitor UPS power for the radio tower.

ABB will acquire Ventyx, a supplier of energy management software, for more than $1 billion.

This corresponds to a decrease of 15 percent in comparison with the previous year.

SyntheSys develops and manufactures high-speed signal integrity test and measurement instrumentation for the computer, storage and communications industries.

MG 1 is the standard for practical information concerning performance, safety, testing, construction, and manufacture of alternating-current and direct-current motors and generators.

Delta Air Lines uses the MAXOS non-contact measurement system from NVision in its contract maintenance operations to achieve the highest possible accuracy in overhauling turbine blades and vanes.

The Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) announced that Brooks will receive SME’s highest recognition, Honorary Membership.

Emerson, Corval Ryan, Mustang Engineering and Barr Engineering announced an alliance to provide engineering and project management solutions for industrial gasification conversion projects.

Subjects include documentation requirements, communication requirements, planning and resource coordination, monitoring and control, administration, and closeout.

Version 2 of PLCopen Motion Control was released in May for comments during a 4 month period.

The product line includes low voltage (12-24 volt) BLDC motors ranging from 80 to 225 watts (0.1 to 0.3 hp) with integral multifunction speed controls.

System will enable remote retrieval and replacement of sensors mounted on subsea production equipment.

The six-minute video shows the variety of industrial applications in which TruStability silicon pressure sensors may be used.

The site allows industrial end users and sales representatives to purchase off-the-shelf K-TEK products.

MTS linear-position sensors ensure uniform distribution of metal coatings at Fontaine Engineering.

Sun Automation’s sales territory includes Arizona, New Mexico and Southern Nevada.

With openSAFETY, the Ethernet POWERLINK Standardization Group (EPSG) has now laid the foundation for the first completely open safety-related data communication protocol for all areas of automation.

The ISA Security Compliance Institute (ISCI) posted two of three key elements of the ISASecure Embedded Device Security Assessment (EDSA) certification specification on its website.

Web site makes it easier for design engineers to find LVDT linear position sensors and RVDT rotary position sensors that meet the performance criteria of applications in specific industries.

The reduction in 2009 was a direct result of a downturn in the global economy that resulted in dramatically lower manufacturing activity, including machine tool sales into the manufacturing industry.

Sixteen animations of flowmeter technologies are on the page. The animations briefly show how a specific flowmeter type works.

Tech Data will distribute Quatech’s device connectivity and networking product lines.

Installation of a Smart Wireless flow transmitter on a 50-meter stack at a lead foundry in Torreon, Mexico cost $12,000 less than the cost to install a traditional wired network.

ABB won orders worth $40 million from Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co. Ltd (ZPMC) to supply crane automation and electrical systems for three projects.

Free software applet streamlines integration of Beckhoff I/O into EtherNet/IP systems with automated mapping features.

NRG Energy uses Intelex software as a means of managing their environmental activities across 42 generating facilities throughout the US.

Wilcoxon Research was founded as an independent company in 1960 by two scientists from the David Taylor Naval Research Center (now the Naval Surface Warfare Center).

Guide is intended to support engineers and electricians during the planning and installation phase of a SERCOS III network in order to guarantee a trouble-free operation of machines and systems.

To date, nearly 12 million tons of carbon dioxide have been captured and safely stored 1,000 meters below the seafloor. More than half of the world’s large-scale CCS facilities are now controlled by ABB technology.

These half-day events will demonstrate how easy it is to set up and deploy vision and industrial-ID systems for automated inspection tasks.

The Applicator tool helps instrument and control engineers select the appropriate flow instrumentation for various process conditions and for specific wastewater, potable water and cement applications.

Garriga has been director of manufacturing at Northwire since 1998.

The catalog helps consultants adhere to LEED requirements and specification standards in the Water, Wastewater, Mining, Minerals and Cement, Oil and Gas, and Power Generation industries.

Although the first part of the show was severely impacted by the air travel bans caused by the volcano eruption, the last two days made up for it.

KNAPP will license and integrate Kollmorgen’s NDC Suite technology in warehouse applications for automated order-picking and automating standard forklifts.

Only by means of integrated power grids across regional and national borders can long-term efficiency be attained and future challenges be adequately addressed.

ABB will install seven robots and related software and controllers into FVTC’s industrial training facility in Appleton, Wisconsin.

By Dennis Tafoya, Weidmuller Emerson needed a circuit breaker that needed to respond very quickly to overloads or short circuit conditions to protect field devices such as solenoid valves and chromatographs, and it had to be approved for use in hazardous locations.

ValvKeep valve maintenance and management tool for aftermarket service is now available in Mandarin.

ABB’s orders declined 19 percent in the first quarter of 2010 as a result of lower large orders and overall weakness in the power infrastructure business.

Emerson’s METCO Services will perform 60 audits per year of BP installations in the U.K.

Guide covers all aspects of measurement performance, including how to troubleshoot, how to connect, how to select instruments and much more.

Nine machine builders join Rockwell Automation Machine Builder Program,

The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) has approved the WirelessHART specification as a full international standard (IEC 62591Ed. 1.0).

The EDDL/DDL Host Test Suite includes Test Libraries, Specifications and adaptable Device Simulator to stimulate and verify proper host functionality and behavior for all HART protocol versions.

By Softing Softing Profibus equipment controls DESY, Germany’s largest helium cooling system. Profibus protocol software provided the foundation for achieving redundancy, with Profibus guaranteeing an instantaneous and bump-less switchover of all connected I/O devices.

Topnir offers consulting services including Audit of existing blending, logistics facilities and laboratory practices, and guidance on NIR applications.

By Chuck Karwoski, CimQuest INGEAR A medical device manufacturer used CimQuest INGEAR and the RSLinx server to communicate with numerous Allen Bradley PLCs deployed throughout the plant.

Virtual Classroom courses are covered at the same pace, with the same content and are delivered by the same subject-matter experts as in-house training courses.

Model MT91 Flow Meter has been tested by TÜV Rheinland Germany and found to comply to EN 15267-1: 2009: EN 15267-2: 2009: EN 15267-3: 2007 and EN 14181: 2004.

Skelta provides enterprise-wide business process management (BPM) and advanced workflow software solutions.

IVI, VXIplug&play, and VISA now support Windows 7. The IVI Foundation is an open consortium founded to promote specifications for programming test instruments.

With increasing competition among different end users, companies need to re-evaluate and enhance their product offerings to meet the ever-changing consumer demand.

ABB will supply a System 800xA and instrumentation, plus power transformers and related products for one of Algeria’s biggest water projects in the Sahara region.

Axium will supply mixed load palletizing solutions based on ABB Robotics in North America.

The Gassonic Observer Ultrasonic gas leak detector is now FM and CSA certified.

The PCS 7 system will coordinate process, equipment and operator activities for fully automated manufacturing lines.

As many of you know, Hannover Messe is taking place this week in Hannover, Germany. As one of their US-based media partners, three of us from Automation.com had plans to be there to cover the show. Unfortunately, the Iceland volcano had other plans.

After this basic work on the information model, further steps will include communication function blocks linking the controller directly to the OPC UA environment.

The HERMES AWARD carries a purse of 100,000 euros. The award was presented at the Opening Ceremony for HANNOVER MESSE by Dr. Annette Schavan, German Federal Minister for Education and Research.

To earn the “Introduction to Industrial Electricity” mechatronics certificate, candidates will need to achieve a passing score on the online assessment test.

Integration Objects is now a signed Partner and official Systems Integrator for OSIsoft.

Automated Test Outlook report shares findings of research into innovations and technologies shaping today’s test and measurement applications.

By Rockwell Automation “Demanding Performance Requirements of Oil and Gas Industry Requires Careful Safety System Selection,” discusses the pros and cons of common design approaches.

Participants are asked to submit brief videos that explain why their buildings are the smartest in America.

The Winters Gauge Audit Program will increase gauge monitoring performance, help the customer save on repairs and replacements costs, and consolidate gauge inventory.

By David Johnson, Applied Measurements This weighing approach is cost effective and quick to install, causes a minimum of production down time and is ideal as a retrofitted system.

The acquired business, comprising around 30 persons, will be affiliated to Metso’s Energy and Environmental Technology Segment as of today.

White paper discusses the use of Yokogawa’s CENTUM VP distributed control system (DCS) to meet the requirements of the Food and Drug Administration’s 21 CFR § 11.

Since its inception in 2000, Automation.com has grown to become the leading online publisher of automation-related news, information and resources. Each month, the site attracts more than 115,000 automation professionals from around the world.

The NAG Library for SMP and Multicore contains over 1600 routines. Engineers can download the NAG Library.

Laetus uses cameras from Allied Vision to check pharmaceutical packaging, from the identification of flawed packaging material to its secure removal from the packaging process.

An unnamed mining company deployed Matrikon’s Mobile Equipment Monitor to monitor the performance of heavy mobile equipment at its mine site.

The brochure presents features of the inserts, hoods, housings and accessories of ASI's heavy-duty connectors.

Ms. Keeler has worked as a Staff Accountant at Red Lion Controls for more than five years.

Double-digit growth is expected to resume in the switch market by 2011, but at a more restrained pace than experienced in past years.

National Instruments has become Series Sponsor of the 2010 Robotics Summit Virtual Conference and Exposition.

SCADAgroup is an Australian-based provider of telemetry products and solutions for the water and waste-water, oil & gas and electric power end-market segments.

To date, more than 2000 students from dozens of countries worldwide have come to Opto 22 corporate headquarters in Temecula, California for free product training.

Non-contact infrared sensors from Micro-Epsilon are being used to monitor the temperature of steel strip on an experimental small-scale rolling mill at Corus’ Swinden Technology Centre in Rotherham.

EDSA and Viridity Energy will combine their software solutions to provide power system optimization for the UC San Diego microgrid.

Hermetic Switch will immediately begin operating under a new name: HSI Sensing.

Schneider Packaging Equipment is celebrating the company’s 40th anniversary as a privately owned family business, with three generations of Schneiders in active roles in the company.

Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij (NAM) in the Netherlands applied Emerson's Smart Wireless technology to mobile wellhead test equipment.

Ronald D. Zoromski has joined the company as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Vice President of Finance.

Schneider Electric will supply mechanical services, lighting services, and control systems for energy savings of 15-20% and to cut CO2 emissions across the entire campus.

Barry-Wehmiller appointed Chris Hric Business Development Manager for Global Engineering Solutions. An 11-year veteran of the U.S. Army, Hric commanded troops during Operations Desert Shield/Storm.

By CimQuest Transitions Optical has successfully applied off the shelf .NET technologies in manufacturing using programming tools from CimQuest INGEAR.

The economic downturn has impacted the market growth but there are increasing signs of recovery, starting this year, according to ARC.

DCS manufacturers will have to be wary of competition from SCADA systems, which use PC-based software to integrate programmable logic controllers (PLCs) on a network to replicate the functions of DCS.

This valuable resource—the top purchasing guide in the automation field—is available to ISA’s members from a link on the ISA homepage.

The catalog contains information on PackTrak maglev technology for controlling tools and end effectors.

Asia-Pacific sales director Masao “Mac” Watabe has been appointed to the position of CEO for JAI Japan.

OPTIPACT motion sensors measure velocity by calculating the rate at which an image of a moving surface travels across an optical sensor.

SST designs, manufactures and markets a range of memory and non-memory products for high volume applications in the digital consumer, networking, wireless communications and Internet computing markets.

Proficonn - the smallest PROFIBUS-DP Interface module worldwide - of profichip GmbH in Herzogenaurach received the Innovation prize 2010 as part of the Initiative Mittelstand in the hardware category.

Weston will work from the Ames, Iowa, location and is replacing Tim Hanson, who has been serving as interim Executive Vice President and CMO and will retire later this year.

By Manny Mandrusiak, OPC Foundation The OPC Foundation has been receiving a lot of email lately regarding the different technologies that are now offered in the OPC portfolio in 2010. It is very easy to see where individuals could become overwhelmed with the number of options that now exist. Here at the OPC Foundation we have taken steps to bring some clarity to the marketplace by simplifying the OPC message regarding the three core OPC technologies: OPC Classic, OPC Xi, and OPC UA.

By Software Toolbox TOP Server BACnet OPC Server software provides access to full diagnostics of alarms and monitoring of the cooling systems from the control room

ZigBee Smart Energy version 2.0 Technical Requirements Document (TRD) is available for public comment by the Smart Grid community at large, opening it beyond those who have been active in its creation.

Users can download the Think & Do v8.04 Keyless Development Demo package for free, create software applications with Think & Do, and download these applications to an unlimited number of WinPLC targets.

Open standards, more powerful desktop computers, and lower cost software are making design, modeling, and automatic code generation for PLCs and PACs practical for improving automation.

Fuji will include Aegis NPI software for BOM, CAD, Gerber, and scanned board data conversion with each license of Fuji's Flexa line level management and optimization software.

Second quarter revenue was $22.76 million compared to $19.66 million in Q2-09 and $25.45 million in Q1-10.

By Motion Controls Robotics Buying a used robot? Here's what to consider.

Multiport Serial Board, USB-to-Serial Converter, and Serial Device Server product lines have all passed Windows 7 WHQL certification.