Articles and News

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

The on-line tool utilizes data collected and analyzed from more than two hundred manufacturing organizations participating in Aberdeen's primary research.

Catalog includes 300 off-the-shelf lenses, mirrors, windows, filters, polarizers, beamsplitters and prisms specifically designed for mid wave (MWIR) and long wave (LWIR) infrared spectra applications.

Speakers at the WBF conference, May 24-26, will include Patrick Kennedy of OSIsoft and Thomas F. Edgar of UT Austin.

ABB will supply a 106 km, 123kV subsea power cable between a new Eni Norway AS oil and gas platform in the Barents Sea and the Norwegian power grid.

The program now offers the flexibility to choose standardized service offerings from four support tiers: Elite, Premium, Standard or Primary.

QSI will offer Beijer Electronics’ line of iX operator panels and software.

SoftDEL Systems has successfully completed the ISO ISO17025:2005 process, including an assessment of the laboratory’s compliance with the A2LA Information Technology Program Requirements.

PAC website clusters all information on the APAX product series with clear illustrations and explanations, including PAC overviews, product offerings, system architectures, etc.

Lepoir was Business Development Manager at RTP Corporation (Pompano Beach, FL), a manufacturer of safety control systems for the refinery, petrochemical and power industries.

Design guide provides engineers and IT professionals with detailed guidance on deploying plantwide EtherNet/IP, a standard Ethernet and IP network technology

Moxa installed PowerTrans PT-7828 and PT-7710 series Ethernet switches to power its new power distribution automation project in Guangzhou, the third-largest city in mainland China.

Efacec will use Moxa IEC-61850-3 Ethernet switches as part of an effort to modernize a 400 kV high voltage substation in Africa.

Report observes a decline in the incident rate in the petroleum and chemical industries, but an increase in the incident rate in the water & wastewater and the power & utilities industries.

ABB will provide a distributed control system for the 2x660 megawatt (MW) super thermal power plant in the state of Bihar in northern India.

Emerson Process Management will install an Ovation expert control system at the Halmore Power Plant, a new 225-MW combined-cycle power generating facility in Bhikki, Pakistan.

Corus will install DTECT X1 online vibration monitoring systems on saw lines at its Medium Section Mill in Scunthorpe, UK, to get around safety restrictions.

By Brent Evanger, Banner Engineering Many engineers use machine vision equipment in quality control inspection processes. To attain accurate results from these inspections, however, the user must ensure sufficient lighting.

Sovtest ATE will provide sales and service representation for Pickering's PXI product range.

Kaman will distribute Bison's gearmotors throughout its nearly 200 customer service centers in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico.

By Chris Jones, Micro-Epsilon Customers sometimes need to measure to sub-micron or nanometre resolutions, against difficult surfaces or materials that cannot be touched. This article compares four types of non-contact displacement measurement technology, advising on the pros and cons of each.

Honeywell will supply an Experion Process Knowledge System to control operations for a new supercritical, 660-megawatt, coal-fired power plant near Bangkok.

ABB will supply a turnkey rectifier/transformer package that includes a DC bus system for Aluminerie Alouette's smelter in Quebec, Canada.

OSI will supply a SCADA, Energy Management System, and Distribution Management System to the Federal Electricity & Water Authority (FEWA) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE.

Sarla Technologies has engineering centers in Mumbai, India; Dubai, Middle East; Milton Keynes, UK; Pittsburgh, USA; and Oslo, Norway.

MCI Electrotechnics uses explosion-proof enclosures from Cooper Crouse-Hinds to protect a variety of electrical equipment destined for offshore and onshore oil, gas and petrochemical applications.

Reasons for more SMT solutions include increased demand for electricity, the proliferation of the Smart Grid, and the aging of both the power infrastructure and utility workforce.

Replacing 90 vintage actuators with new electric drives from ABB eliminates high maintenance costs and offers large fuel savings on coal-fired boilers.

The Anybus X-gateway EtherNet/IP Adapter to Profibus Master is a configurable stand-alone gateway that allows plant-floor devices on the Profibus network to communicate with the devices on the EtherNet/IP network. Typical applications are installations with mixed automation suppliers (i.e. Siemens and Rockwell); such as automobile manufacturing plants where Profibus based segments need to be integrated into industrial Ethernet based control applications using EtherNet/IP.

Available as a free download, this Add-On Instruction enables PLC programmers to retrieve detailed diagnostic data from an AS-Interface SafetyMonitor with just three instructions.

A floating production storage and offloading vessel will be equipped with a complete package of electrical, automation, instrumentation and telecommunications products and systems from ABB.

Emerson will provide equipment, software, and services to modernize LUKOIL’s process automation at their oil and gas refineries, petrochemical plants, and related facilities.

Non-commercial training seminar on April 21, 2010, teaches the basic principles, advantages and benefits of fieldbus technology and segment design.

The b2fair business Matchmaking Event at HANNOVER MESSE arranges meetings between companies, exhibitors and show visitors with similar interests.

An independent panel of judges has nominated five companies out of a total of some 50 applicants for the final round of the HERMES AWARD 2010.

The system will be installed at Jose Batlle y Ordonez Station in Montevideo, Uruguay and will measure and report emissions of SO2, CO, NO, NO2, O2 and particulate matter.

Mountz will be the North American distributor for the FEEDKIDS screw presentation products made by Sony Manufacturing Systems.

The b2fair business Matchmaking Event at HANNOVER MESSE arranges meetings between companies, exhibitors and show visitors with similar interests. This year, the service is free for U.S.-based companies.

Service contract includes control valve servicing, smart diagnostics for positioners and valve database management.

Microchip provides a software implementation of Google PowerMeter, a free software tool that allows consumers to view their energy consumption from their iGoogle homepage.

ABB will supply electrification and automation systems for high-altitude copper mine and concentrator plant.

Emerson Process Management will host the fifth in its series of regional alternative fuel and energy summits on Tuesday, April 13, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

HelioVolt implemented Proficy Software in its new thin film solar PV module manufacturing plant in Austin, Texas.

RuggedCom and CURRENT Group will deliver integrated Smart Grid infrastructure and advanced applications for distribution automation.

Automation.com, March 2010 By Sal Austin, DGX With RFID and geospatial technologies, corporations can track and manage their inventory anywhere in the world at real time speed preventing losses and theft.

The 2010 Product Selection Guide for data acquisition and test and measurement is available in PDF format for immediate download online.

A team from Cumberland-Perry Area Vocational Technical School in Mechanicsburg, Pa., won Phoenix Contact’s Nanoline Contest.

Siemens will furnish and install advanced electrical metering equipment for the Navy’s Southwest Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) project.

The Expo hall floor will bring together the largest showcase of sensing technologies and systems for attendees to evaluate and make informed decisions.

BEI Industrial Encoders, BEI Duncan Electronics and BEI Ideacod have combined to form BEI Sensors.

Temperature data is being transmitted over a WirelessHART network to operators to ensure that the ceramic walls of the chamber are not damaged by stress fractures through overheating.

Torppala has a Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering from Helsinki University of Technology.

Invensys will use the suite of models in its SimSci-Esscor optimization software.

By Nathan Pocock, Director of Compliance, OPC Foundation The OPC Foundation Compliance and Certification program offers different levels of certification. It is extremely important for individuals who purchase this software to understand the rigors that each level of certification requires, and the benefits of those results.

Symbol Factory.NET and Industrial Gadgets.NET graphics technologies have been integrated with the Pulse SCADA/HMI application software.

Under the deal, BAE Systems only pays for actual energy savings realized from energy efficiency improvements.

High silica values can coat turbines, leading to decreased efficiency, engine damage, and costly downtime. The Navigator 600 monitors silica in water to be injected.

Brooks opened a new production line for a recently acquired pressure gauge product family at its headquarters in Hatfield, Pa.

Using PlantWeb control and predictive maintenance technologies, INEOS Chlor has been able to reduce venting of hydrogen gas and instead use it as a fuel to heat onsite boilers for power generation.

Catalog details the company’s family of lead screws, inch and metric series ball screws, and ball splines, including all relevant product specifications and performance attributes.

Ellison Technologies is an authorized distributor of Hexagon Metrology’s dimensional measurement products across California and Nevada.

Website helps IT network and data center professionals understand the benefits of shielded twisted-pair copper cabling.

Visitors to the Bodine web site can now find product information, accessories, and replacement parts by simply entering a Bodine product serial number.

zenon 6.50 industrial process control and visualization software has received certification for Windows 7.

Emerson installed its PlantWeb digital plant architecture with the Ovation expert control system at Unit 1 of the newly commissioned Dnestrovskaya pumped storage power plant (PSPP).

MatrikonOPC supplies the only PKS Compliance Certified OPC connectivity for Honeywell’s Experion Process Knowledge System (PKS).

The E5 is mounted on the outside of the Pouchmaster packaging machine, thereby enhancing compliance to NFPA 70E.

Shanghai SECCO has three M-T DE45 density meters, each equipped with SC1 and SC30 automatic sample changers.

By Michael Perlman, Siemens It is important for today’s machine builders and automation engineers alike to remember that an energy-efficient system can actually translate into higher productivity.

Based in Germany, Pericom specializes in industrial PC, control, and networking products serving the building automation, energy, machine, and water utility markets.

Software Toolbox will provide its Symbol Factory technology to users of FactoryTalk View Site Edition and FactoryTalk View Machine Edition from Rockwell Automation.

Metso will supply a distributed control system, hardware, applications software, project management and commissioning for the PM14 newsprint machine.

Yokogawa signed BBP Sales in Baton Rouge, LA, and TechStar in Deer Park, TX,

Boon-Keng Teng was hired as Allied Vision Technologies’ Asia-Pacific Sales Manager based in the Singapore office.

HALCON Embedded runs on the Nokia N900 mobile phone with the Maemo Linux-based operating system.

P+F will acquire Siemens’ binary proximity sensor business on June 30, 2010. Siemens will continue to accept orders for sensors until the transfer is complete.

Web site covers horizontal and vertical motion through the use of its Rigid Chain Technology.

Bundles are available with various connectors, configurations, number of cables to be bundled, the length, cable material and any special protective covering or coatings that may be required.

The guide details how portable data loggers can be applied in building monitoring applications, such as HVAC/R systems monitoring, commissioning, Measurement & Verification, and load profiling.

ABB will supply substations, power and automation equipment to a 13 megawatt (MW) photovoltaic power plant in northern Spain.

Catalog covers manufacturing design system for workstations, material shuttles or flow racks.

KUKA Robotics products can be seen and demonstrated at the Partners in THINC facility in Charlotte, NC.

PMA designs, manufactures and distributes cable protection products, including conduit.

Sponsored paper describes how Rockwell Automation managed services help reduce costs to manage and support manufacturing technology infrastructure.

Automation expenditures in the food and beverage industry are expected to reach $6 billion by 2013.

Advantech acquired DLoG GmbH from Augusta Technologie for €12.85 million.

ABB opened a new facility for manufacturing power products near Hanoi, Vietnam.

Brochure describes Fisher cavitation control for dirty service applications.

CD-based library includes more than 100 documents, including measurement tips, application notes, and product selection guides.

The video series provides tips and insights on making most of SCADA products.

The E1310 checkweigher provides NTEP Class III legal-for-trade weighing with sealed, stainless steel load cells and 500 percent overload protection.

Emerson’s DeltaV with a Wi-Fi network and mobile operator stations are providing process and plant information to operators at the Novartis biotech production centre in France.

Site covers CO2 lasers, plate and tube cutters, and plate handling robotics.

Endevco, Ferroperm, Vibro-Meter and Wilcoxon Research have been combined into the Meggitt Sensing Systems division.

TUV Rheinland will test and certify electrical products and components destined for the Israeli.

January U.S. manufacturing technology consumption totaled $130.96 million, down 40.3% from December but up 26.2% from the total of $103.77 million reported for January 2009.

Honeywell signed a global five-year agreement to be a Main Automation Contractor (MAC) for Shell.

One element contributing to the price erosion is that controllers are rapidly becoming an automation commodity in some sectors.

Engineering Institute of Technology focuses on advanced distance learning in engineering and technology in areas such as industrial automation, electrical and mechanical engineering and industrial IT.

The authors predict future production platforms will adapt to market changes with a minimum of human involvement. The book targets reasoning machines that are able to collaborate and automatically reconfigure themselves.