Articles and News

AccelerATE gives HART field device manufacturers a simple, quick, and low cost path to enable product lines with the WirelessHART specification.

Johan Nye, Ivan Susanto, Kevin Staggs and Ernie Rakaczky were elected officers for the ISA Security Compliance Institute.

The office will provide sales, technical support, and training for Omron industrial automation customers across Mexico.

FlowSense hired McFee as project manager for its Building Services Group in the Midwest and Southwest regions..

Catalog covers precision dispensers and metering pumps for laboratory, industrial, process and OEM applications.

Abstracts may be submitted for the conference session presentations through 11 April 2008. The event, in Cleveland, Ohio, is set for 17-19 September 2008.

The IICI, the official compliance testing organization for standards such as WBF's B2MML and BatchML schemas, issued a call for members. Members will be entitled to use the IICI logo on products and system.

Emerson will provide integration and process automation services for installations involving DeltaV automation systems and TruBio Bioreactor Control Systems.

Siemens is donating $250,000 in hardware, software and cash to Rochester Institute of Technology's Advanced Systems Integration Laboratory.

The site describes indoor and outdoor programmable LED electronic display systems. Visitors can navigate by product category, including Indoor, Outdoor, Digital Billboard, and content management.

EDSA develops power analytics software solutions for the design, simulation, deployment, and preventive maintenance of electrical power systems.

Since November 2007, 22 FDT Group member companies have participated in a project to test the interoperability of the FDT/DTM Technology in a very diverse setting.

ABB was awarded a $13 million contract to provide GMD systems and related equipment for General Moly's new Mount Hope pure molybdenum development project, in Central Nevada, USA.

ADLINK will acquire a total of 39,743,137 common shares in Ampro, representing 100% of Ampro's shareholding, with a total investment amount of US$20 million.

HMS reported net sales of 29.4 M€, hired 20 new employees, started a second shift, and moved its headquarters into a new facility.

Honeywell announced a $2 million contract to implement its Experion Process Knowledge System with Profibus at a stainless steel plant operated by Outokumpu.

"Think Customer" at Siemens Energy & Automation involves many of the top executives in the company taking new temporary roles in the operation so that they get an eyeful, or earful, from working directly with customers for a day.

Gray Matter Systems is Semaphore's authorized distributor for markets in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Florida.

The WBF European Conference Committee is accepting abstracts and papers for the 2008 Conference. The deadline for submission is May 1, 2008.

Con Edison's East River Repowering Project realized a three month startup time reduction. Scenario simulation consists of actual plant control software and duplicate workstations that mimic the East River control room.

The donation will help expand the knowledge of the electric arc phenomena and enhance worker safety through advances in the codes and standards relating to safe employee work practices.

InduSoft won for its Web Studio v6.1, the only HMI/SCADA solution that runs on almost every type of hardware.

ADiS Welding Technologies will distribute Applied Robotics' line of tool changers, collision sensors, grippers and connectivity technology.

The OEM agreement enables customers to trend KPI status and calculations by adding time series capabilities even if their back-end data source is not time series-based.

ABB will provide automation and electrification systems for the Sawan Gas Field Compressor Project, located 80 km southeast of Sukkur city in Pakistan.

SLS Solar Line Saxony will use Adept's robots and motion control and machine vision software in its automation equipment for solar cell production.

Simsci-Esscor PRO/II simulation software helps refiner meet upcoming Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Mobile Source Air Toxics (MSAT) requirements for benzene emissions.

WireScope Pro cable tester meets and exceeds the requirements in ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-B.2 Annex E and Annex I for certifying Category 6A structured LAN cabling.

Services will include feasibility demonstrations, support for systems integrators, and acceptance support at end user sites.

April 1-3, 2008 Texas “Designing a better machine faster with the configurable component," seminars will be held in Houston, Austin and Arlington, Texas.

He will supervise the company's Regional Managers and Customer Service groups for Hardy and Metrix in North America.

New facility in Jiangsu Province, China, includes a 5,300-square foot warehouse and 3,400-square foot office.

Handbook provides a convenient and complete reference for a wide range of commonly used data to assist in effective and efficient testing operations.

EPLAN improves the engineering design times, costs and quality of Electrical Control Systems, Fluid Power Systems, and Instrumentation & Control Systems.

The updated site contains four times as many enclosure products as before.

General Motors will sponsor the Bright Minds Mentor Program, taking 50 high school students to the SME RAPID 2008 Conference & Exposition.

Temposonics R-Series sensors play a key role in a number of motion control applications throughout the Centralia Sawmill in Centralia, WA.

Matrikon Downtime Reporter and Matrikon Production Manager software will be used throughout Xstrata Coal's Coal Handling and Preparation Plants.

Welding Solutions catalog covers sensors, cordsets and accessories able to withstand the abrasion, physical impact, weld slag and splatter created by welding cells.

On-line product data eliminates the need for customers to refer to printed catalogs and datasheets, or make multiple telephone calls to confirm product specifications.

The Society of Manufacturing Engineers announced a new initiative called Innovations That Could Change The Way You Manufacture.

Program promotes strong business relationships and help partners grow their Lantronix business.

Product selector guide covers the entire mobile hydraulics line of Temponsonics sensors.

CBS Evening News "Hard Times, Good Jobs" series featured growth at Bison Gear.

The first application will be the control system for a hydraulic workover unit being designed and built for a major offshore production facility in the Gulf of Mexico.

The worldwide market for radar level devices is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 5.9% over the next five years.

Abstracts will be accepted until 11 April for paper, panel, and tutorial sessions.

Endevco added 10 independent manufacturers representatives throughout the United States and one in Canada.

Vulnerability database for industrial control systems provides visibility into the reliability, safety and security of systems and networks.

Drive System Explorer software is available free of charge on the company’s website.

The first episode in a new series of lean manufacturing podcasts, “Developing Front-line Supervisors to Succeed in a Lean Environment,” is available via a free download.

Commtest hired a regional sales manager, two district sales managers and a training manager.

The Royal Mint's effluent has high solid content, meaning that pH probes and electrodes require cleaning a minimum of once a day. The ATi Auto-Clean Q45/72 system uses an integral high pressure air supply to automatically remove contaminants from the face of the sensor.

Higher quality pumps are enjoying promising growth as they maximise the efficiency of operations.

The industry is certainly moving away from isolated system control towards more integrated solutions, but “Total Facility Control” seems like a stretch.

Mustang Engineering will provide detailed engineering design and site construction management for process control of a steam cracker complex in Singapore.

OPC Tunneller allows users to easily overcome DCOM headaches to create efficient, seamlessly networked OPC solutions.

ABB won an order from Vale to deliver gearless mill drive systems that will maximize productivity and energy efficiency at a new copper mine in northern Brazil.

Invensys joined ENPPI and GASCO in a joint venture to create Invensys Process System Egypt, the first ‘Industrial Automation Engineering Centre of Excellence’ in the country.

This document briefs PoE technology and discusses the concerns for practical PoE deployment in industrial environments.

Website allows users to search and find company and product information, with access to downloadable files and links to supporting documentation.

Westermo will be an autonomous business unit within the Beijer group focusing on industrial data communications. Lars-Ola Lunkvist, CEO of Westermo, will remain with the company.

AMT acquired K-R Automation, a Warren, MI, based automation controls design, engineering and panel manufacturing company.

Sensor catalog has a sensor selection guide to help choose the right accelerometer or 4-20 mA sensor for the application. Also included are technical notes.

Emerson installs PlantWeb architecture with Foundation fieldbus and AMS Suite predictive maintenance software at Jianxi Copper's expansion of its Guixi Smelter in Jiangxi Province, China.

The process control and IT network security cyber security solution is is based on industrial best practices as outlined by ISA, NERC and NPRA.

By Rockwell Automation “Maximize Efficiency, Space & Weight Savings with Medium-Voltage Transformerless Drive Configuration” paper explains the business value of transformerless drive technology.

IDENTEC will add InSync’s Edgeware web-based development platform for RFID, GPS and other location-aware applications.

Bay-Tec provides control system engineering, integration and construction services to clients in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, semiconductors, petrochemicals, and the food and beverage industry.

Catalog covers cable actuated position sensors, magnetoresistive and magnetostrictive position sensors, and magnetic angular and inclination sensors.

The Short Form Product Guide provides an easy reference selection guide for Calex DC/DC converter and AC/DC power supply products.

At the April working group meeting in Chongqing, China, the ISA100.11a draft standard is scheduled for initial work group balloting, the first step in the approval process for the standard.

Downloadable catalog features more than 370 books, DVDs, study packages and CD-ROM products for purchase.

ABB is upgrading the control systems at EPRL's 38.5 MW power station in Thetford, Norfolk, UK, to include a System 800xA.

A DeltaV system, AMS software, Fisher valves and Foundation Fieldbus equipment are installed at the Centre for the Assessment of Technical Competence training center in the UK.

Paqworks now carries Moxa's IEC 61850-3 and IEEE 1613 compliant Ethernet Switches suitable for electric utility substation environments.

The project, “Proactive Determination of Networked Node Vulnerability,” will seek out weaknesses in network security before and during a security intrusion event.

Calculator determines if a user's current system is operating as efficiently as possible, and compares it to a Brooks solution.

Interactive design guide has library of 50 applications, allowing users to locate the specific product series or part number that best matches their needs.

Adept Technology and Prosurgics will develop surgical robotic systems for image-guided and navigated neurological and soft tissue surgery. The surgical robotics market in the USA is forecast to be worth $2.5 billion by 2011

Project includes controls for the high lift and low lift pumps, UV system, clarifier, generator, filters, Ethernet network, wireless and a Wonderware SCADA system.

The endowment will be used to provide scholarships to students studying the arts and sciences related to the theory, design, manufacture, and use of instrumentation, systems, and automation.

The NCS has been running since February 2005 in an environmental chamber at temperatures up to 221°F. The only problem so far: Labels are turning brown.

An ABB-based robotic end of line packaging system for Cederroth handles cosmetic bottles in any orientation, in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, with and without trays.

ABB will supply a System 800xA control system, motor, drive system ACS 6000 SD, installation and commissioning.

By Microscan Biosite, manufacturer of medical test panels, encodes ID tracking numbers in a bar code on each panel. It had problems reading a long Code 39 bar code--even with a machine vision system--so it changed to a Data Matrix code, which it reads easily with Microscan Quadrus MINI scanners.

Center has Optical Emission (OES), Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) and Wavelength Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (WDXRF) systems.

Accomplishments so far include hiring staff, improving government relations, adding OMAC activities, participating in the WBF, and coordinating a trade show in China.

CEDES is a leading supplier of safety and measuring light curtains, as well as other safety and non-safety optoelectronics, control units and related accessories for industrial applications.

Safety Manager can now be used for applications that require a U.S.-certified NFPA 72 certificate.

Han Shin Power Tech will be the exclusive dealer in Korea for Adept's complete portfolio of robotics, controls, vision and software products.

Note addresses the requirements and methods for ensuring optimum synchronization and alignment of process data for process analytical technology (PAT).

Service provides a rapid evaluation of the cyber-security vulnerabilities and exposure risk of SCADA and process control systems.

Autodesk donated FDO Provider to the Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo). This provides ability to directly access and manipulate data within the new database.

ABB to install System 800xA, ACS800 drives, and a Freelance 800F compact control system at the coal mine in Tamnava, Serbia.

The ERP system will integrate inventory control, formulation and lab management, regulatory reporting, production, labor tracking and other processes.

Micro Motion Coriolis flowmeters are used by Argosy for flow measurement and quality monitoring in Russian Sputnik oil separator systems.

SB Electronics uses pressure-sensitive film from Sensor Products to check tolerance of press plates that flatten the round capacitor profile.

Partners in THINC allows visitors to see real parts being manufactured for real customers in real time.

KOMPAS users are able to work directly with the TraceParts library — one of the largest Mechanical Parts libraries in the world.

CDI to do system integration projects in electric power and distribution.

Net income in the fourth quarter of the prior year was $96 million, an increase of 20 percent over the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007.

AMETEK acquired MCG, a manufacturer of customized motors and motion control solutions for the medical, life sciences, industrial automation, semiconductor and aviation markets.

ABB won a contract worth $123 million to design, construct, and provide System 800xA automation for a new fertilizer processing plant in Chile.

Alpha Gear Drives opened an office in Waterdown, ON, Canada

Center helps Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX) improve asset utilization and availability in its facilities.

Zecotek and Fujikura will jointly develop, manufacture and commercialize Zecotek's crystal and fiber based lasers and Fujikura's infra-red fiber lasers.

The Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory was named Autodesk Inventor of the Year for 2007. Using Autodesk Inventor software, LNLS designed a system with 15,800 parts.

The catalog details the company's testing services, product types, product approval schemes, service approval schemes, and available certification marks.

The expansion increased WAGO’s product manufacturing and storage capacity to 75,000 sq. ft.

Mesh field network monitors wellhead annular pressure and heat exchanger pressures on the Grane offshore platform.

I/Oassistant is used as a configuration tool when designing TURCK’s BL20 in the panel and BL67 on the machine nodes. It uses FDT/DTM, and will generate a fieldbus I/O map.

Manufacturers need to change their concept of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) from one that effectively ends with the sale to one that promotes an ongoing involvement with the customer and builds on continued service to develop valuable, revenue-generating relationships. In addition, manufacturers will need to re-evaluate their corporate governance and decision-making control in this new environment and their supply chain strategies given the increased high-technology content in their products. ****

ABB will provide a SCADAvantage Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system for the SEMCO natural gas control center in Port Huron, Michigan.

TiPS is celebrating 20 years of delivering tools for maximizing the capabilities of operators and operations management.

Pang is responsible for managing the R&D group in San Jose, and for coordinating U.S. efforts with JAI’s R&D group in Japan.

Wonderware achieved the Service Capability and Performance (SCP) certification for the 5th year in a row.

The A&WMA is challenging undergraduate and graduate students to try their hands at solving the types of environmental questions faced by professionals in the industry.

ISA20 Instrument Specification Forms cover most instrument types used in the pharmaceutical and other industries. The CD has 73 fill-in-the-blank forms.

Lucich was formerly VP of Distribution and National Accounts with Rexnord Industries.

SUNY New Paltz School of Science and Engineering receives funding for New York State farm solar energy projects.

This program provides consumers of circuit protection devices with an opportunity to properly recycle electrical components that may otherwise populate a landfill.

Power generation utilities in Southern Africa are expected to increasingly adopt automation and control solutions based on DCSes, PLCs or SCADA to counter the effects of the current power shortage.

On a quarterly basis, the Process Control Technology alert reports and analyzes the latest advances across a range of process control and automation areas.

Autodesk, Emerson, the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance, and PBG Industries made donations to the Gateway Academy programs for secondary-school students.

Prism Solar will implement the IFS Applications product suite of mixed-mode manufacturing, which will be integrated with PLC and RF devices to automate its data collection processes.

Catalog includes data acquisition and control products based upon PCI, PXI, ISA and Ethernet interfaces.

Catalog covers Ethernet Managed Switches, servers, wireless, USB, converters, cards, digital and analog I/O, fiber optics, cabling and connectors.

Four minute demo shows how HazardWatch Fire & Gas Detection System monitors plants for deadly gas and flame safety hazards.

Gilsdorf is now vice president and general manager for Honeywell Process Solutions operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Donation is to the IEEE and NFPA Arc Flash Collaborative Research Project. The donation will help expand the knowledge of electric arc phenomena and enhance worker safety.

Available in digital format, this book covers new topics such as ISA100.11a, RFID, WirelessHART, and WiFi.

ABB’s Expert Optimizer software won “Most innovative technology for electrical energy efficiency” award at the Global Fuels conference in London.

ProTeus CMMS software manages maintenenace of everything at Spokane International from electrical pumps to HVAC.

Phoenix Contact engineers will lead students in a series of hands-on experiments that reinforce science and math learned in the classroom.

Leveraging the knowledge and know-how of the people in an organization is a powerful way to make improvements and solve problems. The difficulty is getting this done effectively and avoiding an ineffective committee that creates more problems.

Scientific Support Services is the exclusive distributor of Aspectrics’ EP-NIR biodiesel process analyzers across UK and Ireland.

"Champion of Science" Congressman David Price visited Automation Federation and ISA leaders at AF headquarters in Research Triangle Park.

ABB will provide a System 800xA to help expand operations and increase processing capacity by 80 percent.

John Nichols, formerly Director of Business Development, has been appointed Managing Director.

The new company would employ about 25,000 people worldwide and achieve sales of more than EUR 2.2 billion. The merger will not result in any job losses.

ABB signed a Full Service agreement with Huhtamäki Oyj to manage maintenance activities at its facility in Hameenlinna, Finland.

The Honeywell User Input Subcommittee (UIS) was formed in 1993 to provide a mechanism for customers to coordinate and prioritize input to Honeywell for enhancements to global installed systems.

ABB's net income increased to a record $3.8 billion in 2007 from $1.4 billion a year earlier as markets remained strong and further operational improvements were made.

Aleithe will be responsible for the continued growth and strategic business development of low voltage drives in the U.S. market.

System retrieves real-time, event-driven alarms and data from PLCs and broadcasts the alarms and data via email messaging.

The green field project of more than 5000 I/O points will include the Siemens SIMATICR PCS 7 distributed control system (DCS) and be the largest PROFIBUS PA installation in the US.

The Endevco model 2224C was factory calibrated by Endevco in July 1962 and purchased by Dr. Charles Stark Draper, a professor at MIT who also ran the MIT Instrumentation Lab.

"Automation Applications in Bio-Pharmaceuticals" by George Buckbee and Joseph Alford helps scientists and engineers improve process control and on-line availability of information.

Wurldtech experts will speak on Best Practices for Managing Cyber Security, Risk, Safety and Compliance.

ABB Chief Executive Officer Fred Kindle is leaving the company due to irreconcilable differences about how to lead the company. Chief Financial Officer Michel Demaré is interim CEO.

Fisher FIELDVUE digital valve controllers were introduced by Emerson in 1994.

VarioFlow PRO network includes integrators who build conveyor systems and solutions for end users in the packaging, general assembly and material handling industries.

Kepware will provide third-party communications for FactoryTalk View Site Edition and FactoryTalk View Machine Edition products from Rockwell Automation.

Betts will be responsible for the product introduction and the development of sales channels across the North America for SCADAWave data radios.

McMillan, Stan Weiner and illustrator Ted Williams co-wrote "The Funnier Side of Retirement." Readers will have a chance to see what retirement offers for "geeks."

By Lonmark International Floor controls are linked via a LonWorks network, using Siemens LMEC gateways onto a BACnet system which handles the interaction with the central AHU, boilers and chillers.

ABB will supply the complete hardware, engineering and commissioning of the control system, as well as drives, analyzers, instruments and Profibus field devices.

With ProTeus, MI reduced its production downtime from 20% to 3.5%, saving nearly $1.5 million per year.

Three webcasts in the Plant2Enterprise Transformation series cover digitizing work processes, BPM, and SOA.

Veugen Integrated Technologies (VIT) will handle sales, installation, and service for the Honeywell Wintriss product line for Ontario and all Canadian provinces west of Ontario.

Peter Lawrence has been appointed chief technology officer (CTO), and Jay Funnell has been appointed chief software architect (CSA).

AII will integrate locations in the US, Europe and Asia, for improved communication, reduced transactions and consolidated visibility of critical business information.

Jasper Wireless has signed operator partnership agreements in over 45 European, American and African countries.

Cooper Controls Limited acquired more than 98 percent of the outstanding shares of The MTL Instruments Group.

Global Partner Program has nine initial partners in the United States, Australia and Europe.

One of the most important benefits OMAC Corporate Members receive is a seat on the OMAC Technical Advisory Board (TAB).

To ensure openness, verify that you will not be locked in on any level of the system. Encourage multi-subsystem integration for maximum efficiency. Start from a good open specification framework and learn the technologies, options, and market directions. After all, freedom of open information exchange is empowering.

ABB will supply System 800xA control system, motors, drive system, switchgear, and measuring and unloading equipment for the new mine hoist.

The Illinois Manufacturers' Association (IMA) named Ron Bullock its Chairman until 2010. Bullock is the owner and Chairman of Bison Gear & Engineering Corp. of St. Charles, Illinois.

National Instruments acquired all of the outstanding shares of microLEX Systems A/S, a provider of virtual instrumentation-based video, audio and mixed-signal test solutions.

Pressure switches monitor vacuum points and trigger emergency stops on steam turbines in China.

by Chip McDaniel, AutomationDirect CorrTech, a systems integrator, replaced the controls in a 1970-vintage box-making machine for Smurfit Stone Enterprises in Ravenna, Ohio. Corr-Tech removed all the control relays and wiring and reconfigured the system using AutomationDirect's DL06 PLCs. And they did it all over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Applied Analytics announced its new headquarters in Concord, Massachusetts, twenty miles northwest of Boston.

ABB won orders worth around $71 million to supply automation and a range of power products for substations in India.

By Grace Engineered Products Wiring a voltage indicator (VI) to the primary power source provides a permanently wired "voltmeter" that gives electricians a full-time, visual, independent, thru-door power indication.

Hy-Energy is a manufacturer of high performance gas sorption scientific instruments for clean renewable energy research.

This team operates as a systems integrator and specifies, installs and commissions all FKI Logistex and third-party products and services involved in supply chain solutions.

This illustrated manual has information on successfully installing, using, maintaining and repairing intrinsic safety systems.

Euro-me will cover China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

SMAC Moving Coil Actuators help SPE, a manufacturer of diesel injectors, to reduce emissions by using an actuator to determine the spring characteristics in their injectors.

InSource Solutions, an independent Wonderware software distribution partner, signed a new distributor agreement and will conduct business as Wonderware Southeast.

The new office, centered in Toulouse, France, will provide expertise in real-time and embedded solutions in Java and Ada languages.

Practical tips and hints based on real applications and test scenarios.

SAP Americas will use ASSETTrac for data collection in its annual fixed asset inventory process in 37 facilities in North and South America.

Dr. Maurice Wilkins, formerly of ARC Advisory Group, will lead the group as VP of Strategic Marketing, Yokogawa IA Global Marketing.

Bradley was Wonderware's president for five years from November 2002 to November 2007.

Frost & Sullivan says the Electric Drives Market in the European Food & Beverage Industry was $260.4 million in 2006 and will reach $413.8 million in 2013.

IFS will manage and support the deployment of more than 5,500 engineers, providing access to project management resources including time reporting and expenses.

ABB will supply $25 million of power and automation equipment to maximize productivity, monitor energy use and minimize energy consumption at a new cement plant.

Plexus, uses Agilent's Medalist x6000 Automated X-ray Inspection system to finds defects in solder joints.

Latest products range from Ovation SCADA software for wind energy management, to new Fisher C1 Series “energy responsible” controllers and transmitters for oil and gas operations.

White paper covers all the information necessary to select the right sensor for a particular application.

Website has detailed descriptions of liquid & gas flow measurement equipment, product data sheets, manuals and application notes.

When building a replacement rig for a seatbelt manufacturer, Mindready Solutions Solutions used a transducer from Sensor Technology and found previously undetected large torque oscillations.

The program offers CoroWare resources designed to help the company grow revenue, build sales momentum, and improve marketplace prominence while increasing market impact.

Testing was performed by the Shell Global Solutions test laboratories in Amsterdam. Results show FDT/DTM and EDDL are complementary technologies.

FDT Group added eight international companies to the membership of the non-profit organization within the past year.

Industry leaders who join can help define how products and systems will become compliant and contribute to test specifications.