Articles and News

Cost sheets show the best periods of operation, and data historians explain the conditions and relationships.

Automation Job Seekers Join us at ISPE Vendor Night March 28 in San Francisco

By Ulf Johannesson, Emerson Many terminals and tank farms struggle with tank gauging because they use outdated equipment. However, modern tank gauging systems can solve these issues

From 18 to 23 September 2017, international manufacturers of production technology will be spotlighting “Connecting systems for intelligent production” at the EMO Hannover 2017.

Total machine vision sales, which grew by one half of one percent, include sales of machine vision components and systems. The machine vision components category saw growth of one percent to $320 million in 2016.

The tool is at users' fingertips on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, and it allows the user to choose from a variety of engineering units (like pressure, temperature, level, or flow) and process signals (like 4–20 mA or 1–5 VDC) for the calculations.

ABB Ability helps customers in utilities, industry, transport and infrastructure develop new processes and advance existing ones by providing insights and optimizing planning and controls for real-time operations.

The partnership is intended to benefit customers with Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) wireless connectivity leveraging OleumTech’s self-contained, battery-powered wireless transmitter technology.

By Jonathan Wilkins, EU Automation With new strains of ransomware and other vulnerabilities created every week, what should manufacturers look out for in new year?

ISA President Steven Pflantz says change requires a mindset shift. The organization needs to view change as an ongoing reality, not a temporary phenomenon.

The Award, sponsored by Printed Circuit Design and Fab magazine, was presented at a ceremony during IPC APEX 2017, held in San Diego, CA, on February 14, 2017.

By Dean Wiech, Tools4ever One of the primary issues that employees in manufacturing facilities encounter, regardless of if they are front office or plant floor, is the number of user names and passwords they need to remember.

This is the first acquisition case of Ubiqconn since its establishment 5 years ago. The management team remains after the acquisition, and resources from the parent company FICG will be provided to expand product lines and branding development for RuggON.

Fint provides fieldbus network products and services to vendors and users in the process control and offshore industry. Fint specializes in products based on the Foundation Fieldbus, Profibus, HART, WirelessHART and now ISA100 Wireless technology.

The modernised, `non-operations’ network provides reliability and bandwidth helping the company to better monitor and control the supply of electricity to 2.4 million properties in the UK.

Assa Abloy AG, the Swiss global leader in locking systems and security technology, has put the Magic xpi Integration Platform at the heart of the company’s new fully automated manufacturing system for its KESO keys.

By Bill Lydon, Editor, Automation.com There is an common adage that has survived the ages: If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. Automation system users are expressing frustrations with existing systems and the lack of modern and open technology.

Remedy for effects of modeling uncertainty, measurement noise & input disturbance on performance of the standard state-dependent Riccati equation filter,

MPPIglobal receives project work with Agincourt Resources Brisbane, QLD, March 13, 2017– MPPIglobal has been awarded the complete installation package of Optimum, MPPIglobal’s Asset Optimization Solution with Agincourt Resources at the Martabe Gold Mine.

The training session is tailored for systems integrators, in-house integration specialists, machine builders and OEMs who wish to develop vision or inspection systems for deployment on Matrox smart cameras or any PC with GigE Vision or USB3 Vision cameras, including Matrox 4Sight GPm industrial computers.

Advanticsys wireless solution supporting M-Bus and Modbus RTU / TCP was chosen by the School and Cardiff Council due to the non-intrusive nature of the installation, with little preparatory work needed resulting in a cost reduction compared to other wired alternatives.

Smart water solutions are gaining traction with municipal water utilities. Over $20 billion is slated for metering, data management, and analytics from 2016 to 2025, globally, according to Bluefield Research.

By Cory Fogg, Automation.com The February 6-9 event provided an atmosphere buzzing over the potential that the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and connected technology are bringing to today’s industry.

A linear flow characteristic is when flow capacity or (Cv) increases linearly with valve travel. Flow is directly proportional to valve travel.

Local services available through the operations center include customer service, order management and banking transactions, as well as technical product support through DDC local Field Applications Engineers..

The award will be presented at the 2017 Engineering Awards Manufacturing dinner on Monday, April 3, 2017, at the Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel.

Jacob Sng, Regional Sales Manager Southeast Asia, and Vivek Shrivas, Application Engineer Asia Pacific, moved their operations into this new space, and two training courses have already been successfully conducted.

The team from the Academy of Notre Dame de Namur in Villanova previously had visited the engineering suite at Great Valley. Their coach, Deb Gleeson, said the young women asked repeatedly if they could connect with the Penn State engineering students again.

The webinar, which will be held on 3/30 from 12 -1:30 PM, Eastern Daylight Time, will feature three automation experts: Ian Verhappen, Senior Project Manager at CIMA+; Ned Espy, Technical Director at Beamex; and Roy Tomalino, Calibration Engineer at Beamex.

The partnership between IBM and Opto 22 enables developers to design, prototype, and deploy applications to connect existing industrial assets to the IBM Watson IoT platform and share their data, capabilities, and resources with other connected systems and assets, to build the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).

By InfinityQS By moving out of “firefighting” mode and into a proactive, data-driven mindset, quality professionals can solve problems more quickly—or even prevent them in the first place.

The combined calibration solution enhances the ability of organizations to obtain precise calibrations for reduced risk and compliance with industry standards.

From 6–9 November 2017, Deutsche Messe will stage Industrial Automation North America and MDA– Motion, Drive & Automation North America parallel to FABTECH at McCormick Place in Chicago.

By Thomas R. Cutler The Hispanic share of the labor force is expected to increase more than that of any other demographic group, because of both overall population growth (from higher births and increased immigration) and higher labor force participation rates.

Understanding fundamental principles & limitations of process equipment is key to developing a proper control system for separation of multiple batch components by vacuum stripping.

The 15-16 March 2017 event, centered on the theme of "Diversity and Inclusion Fuels Innovation in STEM,” is designed to increase awareness within the US Congress of the need for and the importance of increased diversity and inclusion in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce.

By Anthony Borges, PINpoint Information Systems Patterns, trends and associations that might go undetected in text based information can be understood easier with manufacturing execution software that puts data visualization forefront.

The CMS will convene this year at the Snowbird Meeting and Convention Center in Snowbird, Utah, starting July 17 – July 21, 2017.

By Bill Lydon, Editor, Automation.com You know that feeling when you walk past a machine, and something just doesn’t quite sound right? This article discusses the use of audio analysis sensors and deep learning technology to predict equipment problems and generate alerts for preventative maintenance actions.

Electromagnetic flowmeters, aka magmeters, have become one of the most common flow metering technologies over the past 50 years.

A proof test on a system may reveal faults that would otherwise not be mentioned by internal diagnostic measures and is therefore correct.

By Leroy Spence, EU Automation Predictive analytics is not quite magic, but it could make a world of difference for companies who want to improve efficiency. This article discusses how manufacturers can use predictive analytics to manage assets and minimise downtime.

Citelum’s project was designed to achieve four main targets: energy efficiency, city beautification, remote control and management of lighting points, data transmission systems.

RAM has been collaborating with global engineering technologies company Renishaw and, as a result, is using several AM250 metal additive manufacturing systems in its Tauranga facility.

The book explores the complex requirements for effective leak detection of petroleum pipelines and improved pipeline safety.

The IFR strongly supports the idea of greater cooperation in robotics between the public and private sectors. They must adapt education and training systems for example, so that current and future workers can reap the benefits of robotics. Yet, it is important to avoid bureaucracy which does not deliver value.

Advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning have significantly accelerated the application of predictive maintenance on the plant floor.

By Greg Schmidt, Rockwell Automation Manufacturing execution systems (MES) can help companies better understand their operations and get more out of their workforce, equipment and materials. However, traditional MES is often an all-in, enterprise-wide investment.

The machine programming interface between ViTrox Corporation’s automated X-Ray-inspection (AXI) machines and Aegis’ FactoryLogix software will give ViTrox the ability to support native CAD formats.

The two will explore and deploy new digital solutions for operational efficiency of renewable assets (wind and solar PV), leveraging Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), Historian and related application software powered by Schneider Electric’s Wonderware brand.

The Cyber Trainers are designed and equipped with full-function industrial automation system hardware and software configured to perform like the IACS and networks in a real operating water plant or other critical infrastructure.

VWT selected JMA Wireless’ compression connector technology to ensure connectivity in the tunnel system for four mobile operators (KPN, Vodafone, T-Mobile and Tele2) four bands (800, 900, 1800 and 2100 MHz), and six sectors.

By Anthony Borges, PINpoint Information Systems Considering that quality and efficiency are the life blood of any manufacturing company, closing the loop on error-proofing is not only important but often ignored.

Forty-nine teams registered for this year’s competition at the regional level, and eight teams from Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Indiana qualified to compete in Saturday’s national contest.

By Bill Lydon, Editor, Automation.com The application of revolutionary new concepts and technologies, including the Internet of Things (IoT), sensor advances, embedded controllers, and improving technology, are rapidly changing automation architectures.

The Profibus-enabled, ATEX-rated failsafe Rotork actuators have been installed in critical valve areas to prevent potential spillages by automatically closing-off the flow of fuel on receipt of an overfill alarm signal.

The Valve Technical Handbook provides a resource for customers seeking detailed valve information. Over 20 manual valves and 22 actuated valves in a variety of styles are covered.

Wei will focus on China, Korea, Taiwan and Japan, as Peratech moves to mass production in 2017, following recent design wins.

By Rick Delgado, Freelance Automation Writer The trend in computer advancement supports the oft-cited prediction that machines will continue to replace human jobs. While new demand can’t be predicted with certainty, individuals can take advantage of new opportunities as they emerge alongside automation.

There is a straightforward linear relationship between the units of pounds per square inch (psi) and degrees F (Fahrenheit).

In early 2016, Dana Incorporated contracted Remtec Automation to design, manufacture and install an automated turnkey robotic material handling system with vision guidance for a rear axle assembly, integrating the workcell into an existing conveyor system.

The 2017 Engelberger Robotics Award will be presented to Dr. Gill Pratt, CEO of the Toyota Research Institute (TRI), and Dr. Daniela Rus, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

As manufacturing becomes more automated and connected across a wide range of industries, it is more essential than ever to streamline installations and bring about new efficiencies in terms of power and communication.

The Hendrick Motorsports engineering team utilizes Leica Absolute Trackers, Global Advantage CMMs, ROMER Absolute Arms and GridLOK volume-expansion systems for dimensional control of parts, processes and mechanics.

Four vision industry leaders have been re-elected to serve new two year terms on the Board of Directors of AIA – Advancing Vision + Imaging, the industry’s trade group.

As part of this OEM partnership, Nextnine has integrated the SilentDefense technology from SecurityMatters into its ICS Shield solution.

Besola is the Senior VP of Global Sales for Softing. The Board voted unanimously to approve Mr. Besola’s nomination, and he will attend his first board meeting next month.

Abstract submissions for technical papers and presentations are due by March 11, 2017. The CMS Executive Committee peer reviews each abstract, and if selected, the speaker will receive a Notification of Acceptance on April 8, 2017.

The alliance is intended to expand the advanced automation solution portfolios of both companies to bring enhanced value to the North American oil and gas midstream industry.

By Dave Sharpe, Rockwell Automation Whole and healthy ingredients can create obstacles in production, while ingredient transparency is also an issue. Luckily, an automation infrastructure that lets IT and OT communicate can solve many of these complications

The event will run from 08:30–17:00 on March 14, 2017. The day will be divided into five presentations, with topics from improving productivity and safety with robots to boosting profits by using plant electrical assessments.

Diakont has developed a technology to further reduce maintenance requirements for their electric actuators. For high duty cycle applications that require relubrication, Diakont electric actuators offer built-in lubrication exchange system.

This eBook presents CIMdata's perspective on the use of open standards, notably ISO 15926, to improve interoperability, and the application of integrated project execution and integration construction planning techniques to improve project efficiency.

The team, which includes engineers from Veracity, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. (SEL) and Sempra Renewables, will focus on developing technology to reduce cyberattacks aimed at energy delivery systems.

Thanks to Elipse Software’s solution, EVNNPC can now access remotely the data from switches, fire alarm systems, meters, relays, transformers, and third-party RTUs in the substations.

The intention is to present a harmonized standard on the VDW’s “Safety Day” at the EMO Hannover on 19 September 2017.

Technical benefits derived from employing dynamic simulation and control of operational transients of natural gas processing plants

Industrial Ethernet now accounts for 46% of the market (38 last year). Wireless technologies are also coming on strong, now at 6% (4) market share. Combined, industrial Ethernet and Wireless now account for 52% of the market, while fieldbuses are at 48%.

The technology ranges from a 3-D dimensioning system that automatically captures the volume of parcels to connected solutions that boost the productivity of workers in brick-and-mortar retail stores.

Saleem has more than 20 years of experience working with leading companies in the semiconductor industry. Most recently, he was vice president of engineering and business development at Fujikin of America, and a member of their board of directors.

The Chennai, India production plant covers 1,200 square metres, accommodating the production of housings, extruded cables and cable harnesses.

Located in Northwest India, the mine delivers lignite, sometimes called brown coal, to the Jallipa Kapurdi coal-fired power plant. Initially the lignite was transported by truck, but mine officials determined that a long conveyor would be a better solution.

The C3 ROI Tool is a free online analysis tool to help business determine dock appointment scheduling cost savings opportunities.

EUnited Robotics urges all stakeholders to use the terms “robot” and “robotics” with greater precision rather than applying them to a wide range of artificial intelligence and software technologies.

In this position, Rowell is responsible for overseeing Nook’s leadership initiatives, driving operational strategy and supporting employee development.

The integration between SiliconExpert and Omnify Empower PLM supplies detailed part information to users when creating new, corporate parts/part numbers within Empower.

Patrick J. Gouhin, speaking at a Bloomberg LIVE conference in Houston, Texas on the future of cybersecurity in the US oil and gas sector, urged energy executives to take action now to protect their facilities and operations from cyberattack.

By Mark Humphlett, Infor The total output of U.S. manufacturing has increased by more than 250% in the past 25 years, and this growth is expected to continue. In this environment, manufacturers must be proactive about simplifying complex supply chains, or risk falling behind their competitors.

Control Station is one of a select group of software technology companies to join OSIsoft’s Partner EcoSphere. The Partner EcoSphere engages technology and service firms in the creation of value through real-time data collection and analytics.

The declared aim of the 26-month project is to advance the development of products and technologies enabling the implementation of digital industrial production.

What happens when a machine fails or a customer changes its order? Production has to be re-configured, which is time-consuming and expensive. What if there was a better way?

The OTTO self-driving vehicle will be used to sequentially load and deliver tires lineside. The solution will integrate with additional appliances for automatic unstacking onto conveyors. Tires will then move to team members on the line for final assembly.

The “Automation Age” is the most influential period of technological advancement since the invention of the steam engine.

By Bill Lydon, Editor, Automation.com In this day and age, it can sometimes seem like the small manufacturer is getting buried underneath the bigger entities in the industry. Yet, many of today’s advances, like the cloud-based MES, are making it possible for small and medium size manufacturers to improve their operation

By Christoffer Widahl, Emerson Automation Solutions Manual tank gauging at oil and gas extraction sites is a dangerous and potentially fatal operation. The new API MPMS 18.2 standard, which allows automatic tank gauging to be used for custody transfer on production tanks, will help to prevent injuries.

InfinityQS found in its recent survey of 260 manufacturers that 75% of respondents are still manually collecting data. 47% of those rely on pencil and paper.

CodeMeter protects the company’s intellectual property against counterfeiting and reverse engineering, safeguards its EVE devices from tampering, and enables a convenient, online licensing system for its customers.

The effort is designed to give high school and technical school graduates a basic-to-advanced machine tool knowledge that will benefit them in future careers as CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machinists.

An oversized control valve will operate next to the seat where the friction and stick slip is greatest.

The agreement comprises the jointly developed H-system termination boards and associated modules from Pepperl+Fuchs, which are connected through pre-assembled system cables to the connector boards of the HIMax family.

Although there has been no direct comment regarding the future of Windows Compact (CE), it’s clear that CE is giving way to Windows 10 IoT Core. The interesting thing with CE is that it had two distinct use cases: products that had a real-time processing need and those that did not, or at least no need for tightly bounded determinism.

According to the results of the VDMA incoming order and turnover statistics, the European machine vision industry grew by 10 percent in 2016 in comparison with the previous year.

The Bangkok-based operation will provide a range of engineering services, including switchboard supply and fabrication, to the country’s sugar mill, starch, automotive tyre, and food and beverage manufacturers, as well as utility suppliers.

Whether for industrial or business purposes, a system that integrates all systems and accessories is the best. But with many software versions available in the market today, choosing one that is appropriate becomes a hard task. PLC software is one of the best options. It comes equipped with features that enable easy integration and a working atmosphere that fits to all settings.

Management and motion control is a task requiring specialized equipment and software. An undertaking that required massive investment has now been made easy through the introduction of a motion controller known as soft motion, or software-based motion control.

After a competitive review process, Rockwell Automation selected Claroty for the company’s anomaly-detection software purpose built for industrial network security.

As one of the world’s biggest copper ore operations, the Chilean mining company Compañía Minera Doña Inés de Collahuasi SCM based in Las Condes/Chile commissioned Siemens to modernize the drive system of four of its ore mills.

The expansion allows Huffman Engineering to accommodate a growing client base in the western part of Nebraska, as well as Colorado and Wyoming.

Traditional motion control requires extensive hardware and software installations. This can be an expensive undertaking to acquire all the required appliances. Soft motion software provides a solution to this predicament. Designed to run on a PC, soft motion reduces the cost of running and controlling motion by 25–50%.

This joint development agreement is intended to help customers minimize unplanned shutdowns, maximize output, minimize safety risk and optimize supply chain strategies.

Recent reforms in the Latin American energy sector have helped generate significant activity in Mexico, Central America, and South America, including implementations with IEnova, TGI, and TransCanada’s Mexico project

MB Kit Systems designs and constructs extruded aluminum mechanical solutions, including linear actuators, material handling systems, machine bases and safety hard guarding, for a wide range of industrial applications in the United States and globally.

Steven Pflantz, president of ISA 2017, stresses that achieving ISA's potential lies in willingness and ability to change and act as a catalyst for it.

Honeywell UOP will supply a range of technologies in the form of license, design, key equipment, and state-of-the-art catalysts and adsorbents, while Honeywell Process Solutions will provide the process controls and automation systems.

A publicly owned utility, Tacoma Power provides electricity to Tacoma, Washington and the surrounding areas, serving more than 160,000 customers. It draws 90 percent of its power from hydroelectric generation.

The 279 FC Thermal Multimeter is a test tool designed to integrate an RMS digital multimeter with a thermal camera in one device to speed troubleshooting

Based on survey results, 82 percent of respondents expect their sales to increase this year, with 69 percent additionally rating the 2017 business climate as either good or excellent.

Since January 1, 2017, EIS is thus a "PAS-X Endorsed Service Partner" and will support Werum customers in Europe and in the USA in the on-site-implementation of Werum's PAS-X MES.

Global Motion Control Market worth to gain $22.81bn by 2022, according to new statistics released by the Zion Market Research, the market research group.

Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro is the primary generator of electricity in Newfoundland and Labrador. This system is intended to improve the company’s operational effectiveness in complex and dynamic operational environments.

The barcode generator is a free online tool enabling users to create, save, and email custom barcodes. 28 different barcode types, from linear to stacked to 2D symbologies, are now available.

HARTING ix Industrial, HARTING T1 Industrial and M8 D-coded are three of these miniaturised connectivity solutions for the industry of the future.

An industrial automation alarm system is a powerful aid, showing the right time to take the right action to prevent an undesired consequence.

By Florian Douetteau, Dataiku Data science software maker, Dataiku, recently completed a worldwide survey that asked thousands of companies: how does your organization put data science into production?

By Latha D.S. & K. Jayaprakash, Tata Consulting Engineers This article provides a brief cloud technology overview and discusses how cloud computing technology is transforming industrial automation for the future, enhancing plant productivity and cost optimization.

The report investigates connectivity for IoT devices in applications including: energy, manufacturing and process control, transportation, and construction, and further explores the migration from Fieldbus and Ethernet to a variety of wireless technologies.

The LINKnet option card is suitable for use with the 890CD Common Bus Drive, the 890SD Standalone Drive, and the 890PX Cabinet Built Drive. LINKnet is a peer-to-peer network designed to integrate AC and DC drives with remote I/O, with or without a supervisory PLC.

Business Industrial Network, a leading provider of industrial training, announced the release of the new OPC Training for SCADA & DCS Certificate Course software.

With the high pressure test rig located in the Greenwood, IN, production center, instruments can be tested and certified for faster delivery to customers in the U.S. and the Americas.

AlienVault USM provides a deployment model that helps service providers implement and start monitoring customer environments.

The combination of the companies’ technologies is designed to provide industrial and process customers with a solution that maximizes the value of their process data and accelerates digital transformation for Industry 4.0 initiatives.

Educators and students will have access to Hexagon software and precision metrology systems for the collection, analysis and active use of measurement data in industrial sectors such as aerospace, automotive, power generation and medical.

There is a straightforward linear relationship between the units of milliamps and degrees.

REMADE will focus on driving down the cost of technologies essential to reuse, recycle and remanufacture materials such as metals, fibers, polymers and electronic waste.

Insert molding is the process of overmolding thermoplastic material around a preformed component (an insert) to create a finished part that incorporates multiple materials. This capability can produce 25 to 10,000-plus insert-molded parts in 15 days

As a result of work by ISA and the Automation Federation, IEC/ISA 62443 will play a prominent role in securing control systems for industry in the future.

Engineers from ABB in Norway are performing front end engineering and design in close collaboration with Statoil. The FEED is scheduled to run until Q4 2017, when the final investment decision will take place.

Operators at Lockheed Martin Space Systems will use the MES solution to increase factory speed, control, and visibility for several government satellite programs.

Field programmable gate arrays have large parallel data processing capacity, higher performance gain in software application and the ability to processing real-time data are the key driving factor resulting in boosting the demand in the market.

Ersa GmbH and EasyLogix are collaborating to build a customized version of EasyLogix software ‘PCB-Investigator’, integrated into the Ersa ‘CAD 4-assistant.

RPC provides an alternative to industry standard “PID” control in many applications. XMC, the model-less multivariable control technology by APC Performance embeds RPC as its internal control method.

The acquisition strengthens Hexagon’s ability to connect the traditionally separate stages of design and production – integrating real-world data generated on the production floor with simulation data.

The benefits and ROI of of using optical spectroscopy solutions in-line to measure moisture in real time.

2016 was an exciting year of innovation and exploration in industrial automation. All this cutting-edge development fuels the excitement, but also begs a relevant question: Will these developments lead to convergence, divergence, and/or chaos in 2017?

The HAAS VMC is an addition to the 51,000 sq. ft. of in-house manufacturing space that currently provides Custom Welding & Fabrication alongside Contract Manufacturing Services.

AAEON’s vending boards will be pre-integrated with Kii’s software device agents, thereby enabling vending machines and kiosks using AAEON boards to automatically leverage Kii’s smart vending cloud-based solution.

Through this partnership, Opto Engineering and Matrix Vision will work to be able to provide their customers with a combination of imaging components to achieve optimal performance.

By Alexander Müller, Kistler Throughout the industry, the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) principle is a critical factor in decisions on procuring new machinery or plant. Electromechanical joining systems can be many times more cost-efficient in the long term than classical hydraulic and pneumatic technologies.

A speaker from Bosch Rexroth AG will present detailed information, on February 20, about the applications of Sercos III SoftMaster and how to successfully implement the controller

An AC motor consists of a rotor (rotating portion) with a laminated iron core containing copper bars in the slots.

This acquisition adds advanced Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technology to Schneider Electric’s industrial software portfolio.

Yokogawa Electric Corporation announced that it will work with Microsoft Corporation, FogHorn Systems, Bayshore Networks, and Telit IoT Platforms to integrate their technology into an industrial IoT (IIoT) architecture for the delivery of new services.

Panova partners with manufacturers, product engineers, and entrepreneurs to solve technical and supply chain challenges in the design and production of molded components and completed products.

China is the biggest market for industrial robots in the world and takes 43 percent of all sales to Asia including Australia and New Zealand. It is followed by the Republic of Korea, with a share of 24 percent of regional sales, and Japan with 22 percent.

By Robert Plumridge, Sciemetric Instruments Based on Scimetric's experience with customers in industries such as automotive, off-highway and medical, this article discusses the top considerations to ensure operators are in fact testing the part and not the seal.

Sponsored and organized by DiscoverE (formerly the National Engineers Week Foundation), Engineers Week, 19-25 February, celebrates how engineers make a positive difference in our world and seeks to raise awareness around the need to attract more young people to the engineering profession.

Alba consistently ranks among the largest aluminum smelters in the world. Alba enforces strict environmental guidelines, maintains a positive track record for safety, and is regarded as one of the top 10 performers on a global scale.

Keynote speakers for the March 22-25 event include tech entrepreneur Josh Linkner, Philadelphia Eagles long snapper Jon Dorenbos and AMT President Douglas K. Woods.

The learning tool exercises help AM users get the most out of the search features of the Senvol Database. Both the learning tool exercises and the Senvol Database are online and free to use.

Mr. Byres will work with the leadership of the company on product and strategic matters in the arena of industrial cybersecurity and protection.

In the multimillion-dollar deal, Cimcorp and its parent company, Murata Machinery (Muratec), will install the automated logistics systems for the passenger car radial (PCR) tire plant being built in Chester County.

During the year, 34,606 robots valued at approximately $1.9 billion were ordered in North America, representing growth of 10 percent in units over 2015.

By Leroy Spence, EU Automation If you are struggling to get over the post-holiday blues, don’t despair. Sit back, relax and read all about some of the industrial technologies you can look forward to that will change the face of manufacturing in 2017.

Electromechanical switches have their place in the modern plant, but a digital upgrade could pay off in many applications

Based in Ottawa, ON, Canada, PixeLINK manufactures, optimizes and integrates industrial cameras for machine vision applications and microscope cameras for life science and digital microscopy applications.

AL WAHA will use a tool within CPS called Process Reliability Advisor at its plant in Jubail, Saudi Arabia, to continuously analyze the operation of its Oleflex unit, detecting and resolving problems to ensure the plant operates at its peak capability.

By Marc Kaplan, Tempered Networks Today’s most widely accepted methods of cyber security can’t possibly keep pace with the exponentially expanding Internet of Things (IOT) and increased intelligence abilities of hackers worldwide.

Join co-presenters Bill Lydon of Automation.com and Erik Giesa of Tempered Networks for educational and practical advice on how to conquer these challenges in this on demand webinar.

Target markets include industrial automation and production, retail and outdoor advertising, the healthcare and transportation segments, plus a host of additional industries.

Hexagon will participate in CCAM research and provide expertise in optical non-contact 3D measuring systems for industrial manufacturing applications.

The March 28 event, which will be held at the De Vere Cranage Estate in Cheshire, is designed to give plant managers an overview of the benefits of smart factory technology.

By Bill Lydon, Editor, Automation.com In today’s industrial world, one of the the most annoying hindrances to effective system integration is the lack of interoperability between products from different vendors. Yet, efforts are being made to close this gap in the industry.

As President, Steve will be responsible for driving transformational and profitable growth in the Americas and further strengthening customer service.

The product is being used as a regenerative drive on a downhill conveyor at one of the company’s limestone mining facilities. Leroy-Somer was selected as the preferred supplier following a recommendation when the conveyor’s existing drive became obsolete.

By Jason Andersen, Stratus Technologies How can industrial enterprises overcome organizational barriers and begin building the foundation for the IIoT enterprise they envision? This article identifies some best practices that will keep you on solid ground today and well into the IIoT future.

Themed 'From best practices to transformative business models', the conference will include over a dozen educational sessions, including several presented as part of two separate tracks.

After a disappointing 2016 in automation sales, declining revenues for many equipment suppliers and investment uncertainties in numerous end markets, vendors in industrial automation are hoping for a brighter 2017.

Technical focus on the problem of providing simple tuning rules for a two-degree-of-freedom (2-DoF) PID controller with robustness considerations.

Internet of Things Market (Technologies - Zigbee, Bluetooth Low Energy, Near Field Communication, Wi-Fi, and RFID; Applications - Media, Manufacturing, Medical and Healthcare, Consumer Application, and Energy Management) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024

A thermowell is a closed-end tube that surrounds the measuring junction of a thermocouple.

The announcement of the management team expansion comes as the privately-held, fourth generation family business celebrates its 130-year anniversary in 2017.

To meet MAHLKÖNIG’s high-precision requirements, ELNOR ensures accurate production and assembly of its motor parts. Engineers from ELNOR perform geometric verification measurements on a CMM as well as noise and vibration investigations in its laboratory.

The DC will allow Domus Logistics to save up to 5,000 truck transports per year. The activities of five of its external partners will also be integrated into the distribution center.

The solution comprises a number of Unidrive M variable speed drives, along with motors, transformers, brake resistors, rectifier units and generators.

IntervalZero, a solution for transforming Windows into a real-time operating system (RTOS), will be showcasing its innovative RTX64 solution and the KINGSTAR platform for PC-based motion control and machine vision at the Taiwan Automation Intelligence and Robot Show (TAIROS) in Taipei, Taiwan from August 31 – September 3, 2016.

ACS will continue to be independent within the PI Group, the management will not change, and they will continue to supply existing customers.

The updated website contains details and specs on the full product line to a library of Application Notes, videos, and the latest enewsletters and product releases.

The investment is in line with Victrex's strategy to create future value through innovation and further differentiation into selected semi-finished and finished products, in addition to supplying the core polymer.

This agreement combines Columbia/Okura’s robotic bag palletizing expertise with Statec Binder’s global experience with woven poly, FFS, multi-wall paper, and laminated paper/poly bag packaging technologies.

By Anthony Borges, PINpoint Information Systems With the advent of advanced automation techniques, the IIoT and Industry 4.0 concepts, the question remains the same; what is the optimal method to eliminate or mitigate defective products made by human or machine?

Sampol, as DHC operator, requested a solution for remotely collecting meters data previously installed. Advanticsys deployed a system based on its datalogger MPC-330 with M-Bus interfaces to read data from Kamstrup meters.

Stone Edge Farm’s microgrid project strives to not only reduce the property’s greenhouse gas emissions, but also achieve energy independence.

The Sino-German Industrie 4.0 Project (I4.0 Project) is aimed at identifying existing Sino-German cooperation projects on intelligent manufacturing and interconnected production processes in China.

As a Savigent Authorized Partner, Actemium will work with manufacturers to build top-to-bottom solutions using Savigent's manufacturing operations management software.

Founded in 1995 by barcode industry expert, Glenn Spitz, Webscan is the technology developer in barcode verification offering 1-D, 2-D and direct part marking (DPM) barcode verifiers for any type of barcode symbology across many industry applications

The new, expanded fifth edition of ISA's book on measurement uncertainty presents a variety of uncertainty experiments as well as several new appendices.

The Stafford 3-D Prototype Development Service lets users create a 3-D printed part from a print within a few hours and test the form, fit and function to provide feedback on proof-of-concept testing.

The book’s new appendices: include condensed descriptions of the basics of uncertainty analysis, pinpoint the advantages and disadvantages of several uncertainty models used throughout the world, and provide key equations for uncertainty analysis—all in an easy-to-use format.

By Adrian Swindells, Director, Distec The rise of the internet of things (IoT) has driven a need for cross-compatible equipment. This article explores how businesses can keep the cost of IoT implementation to a minimum.

The Automate Launch Pad Startup Competition seeks out startup companies looking to generate awareness of their technology and find new sources of funding.