Articles and News

Emerson is installing its Ovation expert control system at all four units of the coal-fired power plant as part of a comprehensive renovation and maintenance project.

Prior to joining Moore Industries, Fagundes was the Director of Aerospace Operations for Kavlico Aerospace in Moorpark, CA.

Peterson joins Phoenix Contact after 19 years at GE Fanuc Automation, where he held a variety of sales and leadership positions.

Yokogawa will introduce its integrated production control systems and operation support software at four of the company’s refineries.

Located in Bangalore, the new office will include all areas of automation engineering, training, field support, and development functions.

M-430iA/2F high-speed, food picking robot meets the hygiene requirements for meat and poultry processing.

The catalog includes photos of each product, compatibility charts to help users match accessories to the appropriate test tools, and application information.

Honeywell's Process Solutions business recognized industrial control providers Wilson-Mohr and AC Controls Company Inc. as its 2007 Distributors of the Year.

Douglas Sharratt, lost his life in a plane crash in Sunriver, Oregon. ProSoft Technology names CFO, Gary Joke, his successor.

Columbia Weather Systems is a manufacturer of Weather Stations for fixed mount, vehicle mount and portable applications.

ELKOMTECH will use Westermo time synchronization R208 Ethernet switches to equip 1700 substations within the Polish electrical distribution network supervised by PSE.

The eSimOptimizer solution will be used at the Avinger and Longview gas processing plants to calculate optimal process targets for the plants.

2600T Series pressure transmitters are compliant with CSA and ANSI/ISA 12.27.01 Dual Seal Standards for the oil and gas market.

MML Capital Partners and PaR's management have teamed to acquire the company from American Capital Ltd.

The group is helping exploration, drilling, and production organizations identify, define, develop, and deploy RFID systems.

The full-service subsidiary will provide application engineering, sales, and customer service for Japan.

The worldwide market, which is around $1.4 billion in 2007, is expected to grow 12% per year to over $2.5 billion in 2012.

Webb has been instrumental to the firm’s success in marketing its services to third-party customers worldwide.

The switch selection guide provides an overview of electromechanical and solid state switches and switch drivers.

InduSoft attained Gold Certified status in ISV/Software Solutions, Mobility Solutions, Business Process and Integration, and Custom Development Solutions.

Dr. Kenneth J. Ryan is the director of the Center for Applied Mechatronics at Alexandria Technical College in Alexandria, Minnesota, USA.

White paper describes the application of new SCADA security technology and outlines a sensible, cost-effective approach that is based on the latest developments in SCADA.

Hogan is currently CEO of GE Healthcare and is a member of the GE Senior Executive Council. He will join ABB on September 1, 2008.

Kepware was selected as the primary provider to extend device communications options for Wonderware’s System Platform 3.0 product.

Companies participating in the Innovation Partner Program will use the Wonderware System Platform software as the foundation for implementations of customer automation and information projects.

Build Something Student Design Challenge encourages students to showcase their skills in industrial design, architecture, civil and mechanical engineering and 3D animation.

The IPSO Alliance is focused on the use of Internet Protocol networking in building automation, utility metering, and other wireless sensor networking applications.

ISA EXPO 2008 will feature enterprise integration as one of six technology exchanges.

Software Toolbox was chosen to provide technical support services to Wonderware, their channel, customers, VARs and OEMs for new device communications options.

Kuhlman Electric manufactures a wide range of high-quality transformers for the industrial and electric utility sectors.

ED Series online UPS provided backup power and frequency conversion on board the North American Eagle supersonic land speed challenger.

Mtelligence achieved "Endorsed Software Partner" status with Wonderware as part of the Innovation Partner Program.

Web site now has the most popular product categories, including connectors, wire and cable, switches, relays, control and power products, on the home page.

The Packers use Eagle Technology's ProTeus Enterprise system, Metasys and ProLink, a web-based Service Request, Preventive Maintenance (PM) Task module.

Matrikon entered into a joint entity agreement with India’s SoftDEL Systems to support Matrikon’s product development initiatives and provide project consulting globally.

The A-Z Flow Meter Literature CD is a comprehensive tool for engineers and technicians for researching the best flow instrument to meet process application requirements.

Paul Sereiko, President and CEO of AirSprite Technologies, will keynote at the ISA Water and Wastewater and Automatic Controls Symposium on 6 August 2008.

The sensors which received new certification are models 786A-IS, 786F-IS, 786T-IS, 787A-IS and 787A-M8-IS, all of which are certified with KEMA, a European hazardous area certifying agency.

DGH data acquisition products communicate via RS232 and RS485 using Modbus RTU protocol. DGH selected Kepware’s KEPServerEX as its preferred Modbus connectivity solution.

Southco opened a state-of-the-art Injection Molding plant to build locks, latches, captive fasteners, positioning hinges, handles and other products.

ABB won a $28-million contract for equipment to provide a new steel plant in Turkey with the reliable power supply needed to ensure high-quality production.

All LyondellBasell production facilities in Europe will integrate and use Matrikon’s Alarm Management software suite with a variety of different control systems.

Optimation, a subsidiary of Nematron, has been operating as separate entity since being acquired in 2001.

Ostvig held various management positions at Honeywell for over 30 years and spent over half of his career in international sales for process control.

Honeywell was honored by the Chinese Association of Automation as one of 2007's “Best 10 Automation Enterprises”

Davis Controls will distribute Semaphore's T-BOX and Kingfisher SCADA system product lines and connectivity products.

The Reel Optimizing System uses strain gage-based load cells to improve roll density by controlling the nip force throughout the entire reel spool change-over process.

OptoVideos have been downloaded by the tens of thousands since they debuted three months ago, and are featured on the websites of several industry-leading blogs and trade publications, including Automation.com.

Lowry Computer entered into a partnership with OATSystems to deliver turnkey asset tracking and work-in-process solutions.

The market reached $4.8 billion in 2007 and is forecast to exceed $6.4 billion in 2012, according to ARC Advisory Group.

Yentz, previously senior vice president and chief operating officer, will succeed Joe Cestari, who has stepped down.

Autodesk and Bentley agreed to expand interoperability between their portfolios of architectural, engineering, and construction (AEC) software.

ABB signed a $61-million agreement with Petrobras to supply process automation systems and services to eight oil refineries in Brazil over the next five years.

TopWorx manufactures industrial sensors and controls which monitor and control automated valves and other field devices.

MAVERICK joins Schneider Electric's Authorized System Integrator program.

Third quarter revenue was a record $20.54 million, compared to $19.01 million in Q3-07 and $19.44 million in Q2-08.

The U.S. Department of Labor seeks Robotics Experts to provide information relating to the occupation for use in the Occupational Information Network.

Dr. David J. Nagel, Research Professor at The George Washington University, will present the Keynote/Rimbach Lecture on at ISA EXPO 2008 in Houston, Texas.

"Gaining Buy-In for Lean" reviews ways to use informal communications to help build support for lean transformation in an organization.

The ERP System will integrate formulation and QC, inventory control, Certificate of Analysis (COA) and Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) generation, production, and accounting/financials.

Bruce Hunn was named director of strategic technical programs, and Claire Ramspeck was named director of technology.

Application Guide provides information on the principles of various products and applications such as liquids, process gases, fuel gases, sanitary, and tank blanketing.

Gary McNear and Craig Conklin resigned from the Board of Directors, and Linda Robison resigned from her positions of Corporate Secretary, Interim Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Counsel.

By ABB Instrumentation Replacing a faulty magmeter with an AC magnetic flowmeter eliminated erratic flow signals and improved control of catalyst slurry flow.

Both companies are distributors of HVAC controls, instrumentation and valves.

Online configuration tool allows users to design FieldConnex fieldbus Type A/ER cordset and extension cables in 10 easy steps.

The openPOWERLINK solution for the master and slave side can be downloaded free of charge. The Open Source implementation reaches cycle times up to 0.5 milliseconds while ensuring high synchronicity.

The T&D division will operate under Bitronics, a NovaTech affiliate, and will serve the US and Western Canadian markets with instruments for electrical measurements.

Flow Meter Selection Tools help research and identify the best Sierra flow meter for gas, liquid or steam applications quickly and efficiently.

Sierra Chronicles contains examples of how mass flow technology improves customer productivity and efficiency, saves money, and increases product quality.

Customer First program offers support options including 24/7 support, dedicated technical account management, critical incident response, software updates and advice on software architecture and security.

The site showcases Banner’s offerings, including sensors, machine safety products, vision equipment, wireless devices and indicator lights.

Menzel will be the exclusive distributor in 14 states in western and north India for Adept's portfolio of robotics, controls, vision and software products.

The guide outlines liquid analytical solutions for leaching and ore extraction, concentration and separation, finished product purification and waste disposal.

Unified Testing Services is a full-service testing and consulting engineering firm based in Woodstock, Ala.

Frost & Sullivan says the market earned revenues of $26.69 billion in 2007 and estimates this to reach $49.18 billion in 2014.

The four-color brochure discusses the BAS Remote family of remote I/O products that allow expansion of BACnet systems in the field.

Innovation Matrix represents Adept Technology, Precise Automation and Inspx LLC.

Throne is responsible for planning, directing and implementing all activities for the Electric Drives and Controls sales and marketing group.

austriamicrosystems will sell New Scale Technologies' SQUIGGLE motors, micro motion systems and other products.

Medica, former senior vice president for Dell and former senior director for Apple, was elected to the NI Board of Directors.

Reliance Security Services, a supplier of electronic security solutions, used Original Software’s TestPlan testing solution to enable its IT team to deliver projects on time and on budget.

ABB won a $233-million contract from Hyundai Engineering and Construction of Korea to supply power systems for a natural gas and steam turbine power plant, to be built in Qatar.

The $20 million plant will be used for the assembly and testing of mechanical gear drives used in wind turbines. The new plant, expected to be completed in March 2009, will create approximately 350 new jobs.

The 328-page, full-color guide covers linear motor-driven tables, screw-driven automation tables, miniature positioners, belt-driven automation tables and drives and controllers.

The tools are compatible with Autodesk design software as well as software from other industry providers through the Green Building XML (gbXML) schema.

MTWZ is a developer and provider of QUINDOS software solutions for quality control of complex mechanical parts such as gears and turbine blades.

Autodesk acquired Moldflow for $22 per share, or approximately $297 million, less the amount in Moldflow's cash balance and proceeds from options exercises.

This easy-to-read guide offers updated information on presentation materials and styles and to help you become a more competent speaker.

ABB's PLCs will control ABB variable speed drives, which orientate the photovoltaic modules across two axes to achieve maximum exposure to the sun throughout the day.

More than 1,000 employees, retirees and other dignitaries and guests participated in festivities at the Neponset facility, where the company started a century ago.

Catalogs cover CD Couplings, Control-Flex Couplings and Schmidt Couplings.

Teltone Gauntlet solutions provide cyber security protection for substation control system equipment and enable utilities to comply with cyber security requirements.

The Raleigh office will provide industrial automation, architectural engineering, process control, software design and other regulatory compliance services.

Bitronics manufactures PowerServe, MultiComm and other high-performance electricity measurement instruments.

MAVERICK Technologies accepted its first two Ranken Technical College graduates into its Project Support Center (PSC) recruiting partnership program.

The system will integrate the business processes of Synalloy's chemical group, including lab management and regulatory reporting, accounting, inventory control, purchasing, and production in a single database.

Energy Chain Systems bible features a new introductory section, updated quick reference guides, and details on the latest products.

European safety legislation is significant and far reaching. At first glance, it can seem like just more red tape which compounds the problems of operating in a highly competitive world. The truth, however, is far from this. The legislation is based on experience and common sense and represents a consistent message for industry — it must be safe! The rational behind the framework of measures is to ensure the safety of individual workers whoever or wherever they may be.

Mikron helped Mega Pumps develop assembly, checking and testing systems that work within the tolerances and with minimum of scrap and rejection.

Matrikon agreed to sell its SCADANet business to CriticalControl Solutions for $800,000 in cash. The transaction is expected to close July 2, 2008.

Emerson will install its SmartProcess Steam Temperature optimization technology on a Doosan Babcock supercritical, pulverized coal boiler that will power a new station in Kentucky, USA.

The book describes the various types of intellectual property, how to protect the property, retain it as an asset, and respect the intellectual property of others.

Romheld Automation Australia will distribute Toellner automation products and services throughout the Australian and New Zealand manufacturing markets.

The Open Modular Architecture Control Users' Group (OMAC) is now the Organization for Manufacturing Automation and Control (OMAC).

Orders for ABB motor and drive systems that enable mines to grind vast amounts of minerals and ore are at record levels as the mining industry seeks to boost production to meet the global boom in demand.

The laboratory will have InFusion, 12 personal computers, 15 large-screen monitors, three servers, and a bank of micro controllers for automated systems.

Equipment includes PlantWeb, FOUNDATION fieldbus, microprocessor-based field instruments, valves, digital systems, and software.

In just two and a half years, the ABB office in Calgary, Canada, has swelled from 45 to more than 200 employees, and it is still hiring.

The new site offers a simplified interface to help visitors better understand the full range of Lantronix’s communications products and platforms.

KOMPAS-3D student edition includes interactive learning system KOMPAS-ABC for the study of 2D Design and 3D Solid Modelling.

The PlantWeb solution includes DeltaV, 3300 FOUNDATION fieldbus, Profibus DP and DeviceNet devices, MCCs, PLCs, Modbus, Fisher valves with Fisher FIELDVUE digital valve controllers, and AMS Suite.

The show was held on June 12 in Cincinnati. The next show is in Anaheim, CA.

Siemens Building Technologies provided an investment-grade energy audit at Allegheny College, the first step in a total energy use reduction plan.

Held at the Shell Global Solutions technology center in Amsterdam, the SIF demo attracted process automation end users and equipment suppliers from around the world.

The brochure includes background on PLCs, the WAGO-I/O-SYSTEM and key 750/753 Series features.

The Modular Vision Systems Division designs, develops and manufactures vision systems, sensors, and ID readers.

Cross Automation will distribute Semaphore's SCADA and communications product lines in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

IFS and ESRI are bringing geographical information systems and enterprise asset management together.

Dr. Pister is the Co-Director of the Berkeley Sensor & Actuator Center, and Co-founder and CTO of Dust Networks.

Three certificate programs are available: Safety Instrumented Systems Specialist, Safety Integrity Level Determination Specialist, and Safety Instrumented Systems Hardware Design and Analysis Specialist.

Honeywell and UOP will provide simulation software that trains refinery operators how to best run UOP processes used in the production of fuels and petrochemicals.

Keithley and Azimuth Systems will deliver RF test solutions for next-generation LTE and WiMAX testing.

The control system includes an HMI and a PROFIBUS fieldbus network to communicate to Siemens variable frequency drives and I/O modules.

Waubonsee Community College hosted a group of guidance counselors for an introduction to Bison's Skilled Workforce Initiative.

Certification entitles integrators to discount pricing on runtime licenses, special pricing on InduSoft products, and free technical training--all without annual support fees.

Ownership was transferred to Metso on June 12, 2008. The acquired company will be integrated into Metso Automation’s Flow Control business line.

An attacker could use the vulnerability to gain remote, unauthenticated access to a host system running CitectSCADA.

The brochure provides an overview of motors and gearboxes, customization services, options and extras.

Emerson will install a DeltaV, Fisher valves and controllers, Micro Motion Coriolis mass flow meters and Rosemount pressure, flow, temperature and level measurement instruments.

Curt Foreman and Chris Husson have been appointed Director of Sales & Marketing and Director of Engineering & Operations, respectively.

Dyckerhoff selected ABB's Expert Optimizer Collaborative Production Management software to optimize the raw mills, raw mix, kilns and cement mills at their Göllheim plant.

Taiwan-based Escort Instruments is a supplier of low-cost test and measurement instruments.

The PLC market reached nearly $9.0 billion in 2007 and is forecasted to grow to over $12 billion in 2012, according to a new ARC Advisory Group study.

Ultrasonic and Coriolis are showing the fastest growth, while positive displacement, turbine, and variable area flowmeter markets are declining slowly.

MAVERICK opened a new office in Oosterhout, the Netherlands, in conjunction with its partner, ZI-ARGUS.

Green Hills joined at the Sponsor level in Power.org, the organization that develops and promotes Power Architecture (formerly PowerPC) technology.

Instrument drivers make it easy for users to connect to and control stand-alone instruments from more than 275 vendors.

Scholarships are available to students pursuing careers in machining technology and manufacturing technology.

Hexagon acquired its leading Sheffield CMM products distributor, Advanced Metrology Solutions of Dayton, OH.

ABB will supply a 330kV electrical substation and power line works for the Capital Wind Farm Project 50km north of Canberra, Australia.

ABB successfully completed commissioning of a 16.5 MW gearless mill drive (GMD) system for a 32 ft SAG (semiautogenous) mill at Minera Yanacocha.

Mobile Equipment Monitor for mining recently went live in its first full production implementation, and the Well Performance Monitor recorded a big sale.

The Future Factory Initiative is a joint effort of SAP Research and external partner organizations; it includes a Living Lab, Real-World Manufacturing Testbed and a Center of Excellence.

Certification covers Fisher GX, Vee-ball, easy-e and HP valves in Safety Instrumented Systems in up to SIL 3 loops, per IEC 61508.

DcLINK automated data collection solution and dcLINK MOBILEApps mobile applications achieved SymbolPLUS validation by completing Motorola's Solution Validation Program.

The facility in Rochester Hills, MI, will house 120 workers from the company’s hydraulics, pneumatics, electric drives, and linear motion and assembly technologies groups.

Wonderware System Platform 3.0, Historian and InTouch 10.0 HMI will be installed at four railway stations and operate the "Passenger Information System."

Intergraph will integrate SmartPlant Enterprise with the PAS Integrity/DOC4000 to provide plant owners with a consolidated view of their control infrastructure.

Capua has been with Delta F since 1987, starting as Service Manager. Curt Fauth, President and CEO since 1991, will be retiring.

Robosoft's robuLAB series can be used for indoor security, medical assistance, assisted living or any other service need.

The project involved an on-line evolution from a 1988 control system to an 800xA DCS while maintaining the plant's existing process control philosophy.

Expert Optimizer 5.0 is successfully applying Model Predictive Control to Jura Cement’s vertical raw mill and cement ball mill in Wildegg, Switzerland.

Canary Labs selected XLReporter as the reporting component of the Trend Historian Reporter Suite, their latest software package.

ABLE serves the oil/gas and process industries in the UK, Ireland, and North Sea region countries.

Contributions from companies and organizations have allowed the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) Education Foundation's Gateway Academies to spread across South Carolina.

The program provides comprehensive training as well as a technical support program that is tailored to the needs of systems integrators.

ABB will provide systems to manage all the plant’s electrical equipment as well as gas-insulated switchgear and generator transformers.

As of July 2008, alpha gear drives will change its name to WITTENSTEIN, Inc.

Combining MatrikonOPC technology with the FactoryTalk Gateway provides unlimited secure OPC access to plant systems.

Industrial Controls Distributors will provide its customers with Junot's manufacturing plant-level SAP integration solutions.

Software includes ASSAY2, BLEND, Production Scheduler, Refinery and Petrochemical Modeling System (RPMS), and Production Analyst

Cybulski joins Festo with an education in Mechanical Engineering and experience in Operations and Sales.

Durabotics provides manufacturing companies with robotic integration solutions that are easy to implement and easy to use.

By Ubisense Ubisense Real-time Location System (RTLS) improved search times for tools and test equipment by a factor of 5 over manual methods and more than 50% over RFID-based methods.

CSEMNC's automation division works with the Chinese automotive industry as well as the automotive transplants in China and other industries.

The deviceWISE platform, which collects data from automation equipment and factory floor devices, is in compliance with Oracle's Manufacturing Operations Center.

Tim Cortes replaces John Kammeter. Kammeter will continue to provide ongoing technical support to PDI in a new role as Senior Technical Consultant.

NewEnergy Alliance is a group of companies aimed to forge a new electricity load response model in the building automation industry.

ABB won a contract valued at $9.8 million from Genesis Energy to design, construct and commission a control system upgrade for five of their hydro power sites.

Results include a 70 percent improvement in ramp rate, from 2 MW/min. to 7 MW/min.; 2 MW reduction in over/undershoot; and a 4 PSI average decrease in throttle pressure.

The UniSim plant process simulator and operator training system will be used at StatoilHydro's Kalundborg Refinery in Denmark.

Honeywell will provide its Experion PKS, Da Vinci Quality Control System, and motion controls to Stromsdal Oyj’s paperboard plant in Juankoski, Finland.

Catalog covers DC brushed permanent magnet motors and gearboxes.

This program enables Opto 22 to develop and maintain protocol plug-ins for Kepware’s KEPServerEX communications product.

Kalkitech FZC and AL GHAD AL MUSHRIQ COMPUTER TECH CO LLC and will serve the GCC, North and East African markets.

Credimex will sell and support Precise Automation's products in Switzerland, including robots, Guidance motion controllers and PreciseVision software.

Bridge Incubation Group will market Visual KPI throughout Europe, Middle East and Africa.

ABB will provide control and protection systems, as well two new ABB SCADA systems for the rectiformer station control.

Emerson will supply PlantWeb, DeltaV, intelligent field devices, and Foundation Fieldbus at Zhejiang Changxing glass plants in the Zhejiang Province.

B&R will supply modular servo drives, industrial PCs, and POWERLINK interfaces for COMAU's articulated arm robots.

CapuTech will act as an exclusive reseller and systems integrator for Matrikon Suite products in Texas and Louisiana.

The subcommittee will compare the technology within the ISA100.11a and WirelessHART standards, with an ultimate goal of merging the best of both standards.

GE Fanuc completed the acquisition of assets of the MTL Open System Technologies (MOST) product lines.

Weisel was a pioneer in robotics, with a career that spanned over 30 years of driving vast improvements in the technology and mindshare of the dynamic industry.

The Eclipse Foundation was created as an independent not-for-profit corporation to act as the steward of the Eclipse community.

Data Logger passes certification tests administered by the OPC Foundation’s Independent Certification Test Lab.

Flight Simulator manufacturer FlightSafety International switched from using VME systems to UEI’s Gigabit Ethernet RACKtangle I/O chassis.

Software will monitor new kiln line at Cementos del Norte’s plant in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, to optimize production and performance

By Jim McMahon Accumulation conveyors, slug merging and high-speed sortation combine to streamline waving, increase throughput and reduce product breakage at Florida distribution center.

Festo will supply equipment for the Dürr EcoRPC robot guidance system.

BioProfile FLEX reduces cell culture analysis time, labor, and operating costs by consolidating chemistry/gases/electrolytes, cell density/viability, and osmolality into a single workstation.

Crown ESA provides Industrial Automation and process control systems in the metals and marine markets.

RIGOL Technologies attended became not only the first Chinese company to join the Consortium, but the first to certify an LXI product.

ABB's online pulp defect analyzer is helping a Södra Cell pulp mill in Sweden achieve its target of 100 percent pulp quality by detecting defects as small as 0.04 square millimeters.

Lean manufacturing expert Jamie Flinchbaugh discusses how machine builders tend to focus too much on what goes on inside the machine rather than on how the machine interfaces with the operator.

House will be responsible for all software and hardware engineering including development locations in California, Massachusetts, Virginia and India.

The Alliance reflects a commitment to drive innovations in demand response that will create smarter buildings and promote environmentally sound business practices.

The SME Education Foundation is supporting 181 academies where secondary school students receive hands-on experience that support science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines.

ABB to supply 800xA Extended Automation System, motors, drives, MCCs, analyzers, CEMS, switchgear, and instrumentation.