Articles and News

Failure to protect Intellectual Property rights means that firms across the industry are at risk of missing out on potentially lucrative commercial opportunities in the UK and abroad.

ISA and the Automation Federation hosted an informational exhibit where students involved in FIRST learned about the automation profession and how to plan for careers in the field.

3D3 Solutions is a supplier of 3D scanning software and hardware products based in Burnaby, Canada.

ISA Training and Education in May: Learn, Advance, Succeed

Website describes S88 Builder, a configuration system developed based on the ISA-S88 standard for best practices of control operations at batch processing plants.

Data acquisition and development tools reduce development time and provide complete data logging solutions.

The open source offering includes software for ISA100.11a and WirelessHART, including Field Devices, Backbone Router, Gateway, System Manager and Security Manager.

Logic Supply will carry three ASRock IPC motherboards, which will be incorporated into Logic Supply’s lineup of industrial PCs.

By Bill Lydon, Editor Industry 4.0 was a thread in the presentations at the Hannover Messe 2013 opening ceremony under the umbrella of this year's "Integrated Industry" theme. The term "4.0" represents a belief that industry is entering a fourth industrial revolution.

By Matthew Littlefield, LNS Research This article will investigate the traditional approach to audit management. Then, with the use of benchmark data from the 2012-2013 LNS Research Quality Management Survey, I'll discuss the benefits of automating the process.

MOHR will supply its EFP-IL SFPI system as a solution for U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Order EA-12-051 requiring installation of SFPI in all U.S. commercial nuclear power stations.

Prior to joining Moore Industries, Watson was the Director of Global Marketing and Communications at Goellner, Inc., a manufacturer of machine tools and machine components.

Dresser-Rand will implement the Experion Process Knowledge System (PKS) Turbomachinery Control Solution in a wide range of control applications.

The three millionth ACS550 drive rolled off the production line on March 25th, marking it the first for an ABB drive series to reach the three million unit production mark.

A supplier selection can end your career or launch it. With leaner engineering departments and more options to choose from, selecting the right solution is an ever growing challenge.

By Bill Lydon, Editor Representatives of pharmaceutical companies from around the world discussed the topic of real-time data integration and dashboarding. Each participant identified their company's progress and shared first-hand experiences. This is the fifth article from the PAR series.

5,833 robots valued at $341.2 million were ordered from North American robotics companies through March, an increase of 14.5% over the same period in 2012 and 10% above the previous first quarter record set in 2005.

Amaco Automation will serve the oil and gas market with controls engineering and automation services.

The user organisation saw a significant increase in the number of visitors to its booth as well as in the quality of contacts compared to the previous year.

The EMO Hannover 2013 will show how sustainable production, from raw materials to recycling, secures global competitiveness.

The RDC6332G control card is the RuiDa technology the sixth generation of carving/cutting control system general hardware platform which the science and technology in April, 2012 grandly promotes.3.5 inch 320*240 picture element 32 real color TFT screen; Ethernet connection and USB connection; Integrates the RDC633XG general platform therefore hardware characteristic; Reaches as high as the 2MHZ high speed data transmission; Presente in figures and diagrams demonstrated; Dynamic demonstration path processing advancement and fiducial mark; The static state looks at the memory document in advance; Direct revision chart level parameter and other parameters; Support mouse operation. The RDC6332G system is the RuiDa technology the technical development the newest generation of laser carving/cutting control system, this control system has the better hardware stability, has a better anti-high-pressured, the anti-electrostatic disturbance characteristic.Has the friendlier operation contact surface based on the LINUX man-machine operating system and a more formidable function.This controller including the more perfect more outstanding movement control function, the large capacity file memory, the two-circuit independent adjustable digital/simulation laser power source control connection, the compatible stronger U plate driver, the multi-channel general/special-purpose IO control, the integrated special-purpose time system support hardware encryption algorithm, may choose and so on with the PC machine communication support ethernet communication and the USB communication.

PAS declares themselves “The Human Reliability Company” reflecting the company’s commitment to developing products to empower the human factor at the plant facility – the operator.

Take the time (and spend the money) to show appreciation to the crews on an industrial project start-up or during a major production outage.

DC brushless motor shipments will outpace shipments of DC brushed and stepper motors used in automotive applications from 2012 to 2017.

The IviACPwr specification describes the IVI class of drivers for AC power sources.

B2MML & Integration Fundamentals training courses will allow students easier access to classes and offer them two options for earning a MESA Certificate of Awareness (CoA) online.

Process Safety Fundamentals (EC50CT) provides a sound foundational understanding of leading process safety concepts, standards and procedures, and accentuates the need to regard process safety as a fundamental daily priority.

The center will now serve as a regional production facility, combining integration services, parts distribution and manufacturing in a central location.

ABB will supply two 3,700 MW overhung synchronous motors and an ACS6000 MV drive inverter, power transformers, medium and low voltage switchgear, and a System 800xA control system.

ISA will conduct three knowledge-intensive training programs in Houston, Texas, USA over four consecutive weeks in June 2013.

The EMO trade show in Hannover, Germany will be held from September 16 to 21, 2013.

Emerson's DeltaV digital automation system and its project and engineering support services have successfully passed annual best practice standards set by Wurldtech Security Technologies.

Custody transfer measurement on barges is shifting from traditional methods under open conditions—allowing vapor to escape from tanks—to closed solutions, eliminating vapor release to the atmosphere during tank gauging.

Investment in process control system documentation has become critical for industrial project as well as business success.

The program will help a company's senior leadership understand the business value of MES, MOM and ERP.

ThreadX RTOS has been certified by SGS-TÜV Saar to IEC 61508 and 62304 for use in safety-critical systems.

Banner contributed more than $35,000 in products to help the museum bring its newest exhibit, Sensor Zone, to life.

Almost entirely student-designed and built, the charging port includes 12 south-facing solar panels, Apollo Solar inverter and Concorde AGM batteries that collect sunlight during the day.

Nagatsu joined Yaskawa Electric Corporation in 1989 and was General Manager of the Business Planning Department and General Manager of the International Sales Department.

By installing wired and wireless Korenix industrial Ethernet switches in 22 of its trackside railway stations and 96 field level sites, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway eliminated the risk of broadcast storms on its monitoring and control system network.

Founded in 1988, the instrumentation and controls company has sold over 10,000 remote monitoring and control systems to customers in the Americas, Europe and Asia.

The project includes miles of inverted friction drive system at the Chrysler Sterling Heights Assembly Plant, which will be used in the body paint process, as well as for delivery of car bodies between the paint shop and general assembly system.

Power-One is a provider of renewable energy and energy-efficient power conversion and power management solutions and a designer and manufacturer of photovoltaic inverters.

Emerson will supply an Ovation control system, AMS Suite predictive maintenance software, valves and smart wireless instrumentation to the waste- and biomass-fed power station at Morcenx in southwestern France.

Share knowledge, network and stay current at ISA Automation Week

By Bill Lydon, Editor The umbrella theme of the 2013 event was “Integrated Industry” that encompassed technology, cooperation and collaboration across corporate and sector boundaries. The Integrated Industry theme has become important with the continuing integration of mechanical design, embedded automation/control, business system integration, and machine–to-machine (M2M) communications technologies.

By Bill Lydon, Editor Representatives of pharmaceutical companies from around the world discussed the value of integrated manufacturing systems. Each participant identified their company's progress and shared first-hand experiences. This is the fourth article from the PAR series.

Sales revenue this year of hazardous area equipment in the Europe-Middle East-Africa (EMEA) region will grow by less than half of what was estimated in 2012.

The mill had previously used a magnetic flow meter to measure the flow of white liquor. The flowmeter was occasionally subjected to a significant vacuum that partially collapsed the liner, so they replaced it.

The best measurement location maximizes the sensor sensitivity and maximizes the signal-to-noise ratio and minimizes deadtime.

By Pat Garrehy, Rootstock What you should know before selecting your Cloud ERP solution. If an organization is considering a Private Cloud ERP vendor, it needs to undertake some comprehensive analysis to be assured that this vendor can satisfy all of their business requirements.

By Carl Benfield, Prescient Power With incentives delivering short payback terms, great quality products, and prices at a record low level, now is the time to build extra income streams and insurance against rising fuel costs into your business plan.

In February 2013, almost 9 years after introducing VEGAPULS 68 radar sensor for bulk solids, VEGA delivered the 100,000th sensor.

GuiXT Liquid UITM Client app, available through the App Store, requires no additional infrastructure for users to experience SAP GUI on Pads, iPhones and iPod touch devices.

E.ON will use Ventyx software in its new smart grid control center in Malmo, Sweden.

Honeywell will install an Experion Process Knowledge System (PKS) to modernize the integrated control room at the Tokuyama Refining and Petrochemical Complex in Japan.

176 Russian exhibitors took part in HANNOVER MESSE, occupying a display area totalling 5,000 square meters.

Increased investments, government regulations and the exploration of new oil and gas deposits will favor the development of the automation and control solutions (ACS) market in Russia over 2013-2016.

Products in the catalog include hazardous and emergency lighting, and surge suppression products.

Beckhoff Automation relocated to Savage, Minnesota where the company has constructed a modern business complex with over 44,500 square feet.

ITS will upgrade nine Siemens S5 PLC Water Distribution Systems with Siemens S7 equipment in the QAB and Formulation 1 plants at AstraZeneca’s Macclesfield site in the UK.

Manufacturing IT Project Pitfalls (Part 2)

The free tool allows a comprehensive and detailed analysis of the data traffic in sercos III networks, easing development, testing and troubleshooting.

Using CNC hardware and software from NUM, Favor Laser in Taiwan developed a high precision laser cutter that is capable of producing very small or very large parts from sheet metal.

IMS says the oil and gas business along with the water and wastewater industry will generate the largest growth of all application markets for medium-voltage motor control centers (MCCs) and soft starters.

The Chinese Society for Electrical Engineering (CSEE) presents the award annually to companies, institutes or individuals that have played an important role advancing China’s electric power industry.

The guide includes both selection criteria and guided workflow steps for choosing an HMI/SCADA software supplier.

This year’s HANNOVER MESSE attracted 6,550 exhibitors from 62 nations and a total of about 225,000 attendees.

The eleven trade fairs staged under the umbrella of HANNOVER MESSE 2013 from April 8 to 12 had 6,550 exhibitors.

The entire auto seat assembly process is managed by an Integrated Systems Design (ISD) PC-based quality assurance system that improves overall seat quality by monitoring the seat assembly and sequencing process.

The 48,000-square-foot building is expected to be completed in March 2014, and will be a state-of-the art customer support, training, and sales and marketing center.

By Bill Lydon, Editor At the recent Manufacturing in America Symposium, hosted by Siemens and Electro-Matic, automation professionals from Ford and General Motors shared their perspectives on a number of automation issues including the lack of engineers, data connectivity, integrated safety, demands on global suppliers, and much more.

Yokogawa will supply control systems and operator training simulators for the Shoaiba II combined cycle power plant, which is being built in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the Saudi Electricity Company.

New equipment includes a CNC lathe, a box fabricating machine, and a flame cutter to increase production of Valvekits.

Manufacturing IT Project Pitfalls (Part 1)

Software PDLP simplifies functional safety software project management. Three training courses are scheduled.

Users of enterprise asset management (EAM) and computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) software report low levels of access to these systems through handheld mobile devices.

Fairbanks Scales is now running IFS Metrix Service Management, encompassing service functions ranging from work orders, service inventories, contract management and mobility.

The videos report feature product launches, customer and employee interviews and other top stories from the fair.

The Experion Process Knowledge System and Experion Orion will be among the Honeywell control and safety systems showcased in this facility.

The successful industrial manager has to have the skill and desire to manage clients, motivate and develop others, provide technical direction, ensure quality, keep the schedule, watch the budget, mit

The country’s economic slowdown impacted multiple markets that use the devices, including appliances, automotive and housing. But they'll be back.

By Pat Garrehy, Rootstock ERP software providers often confuse potential customers with cost comparisons relating to software license, implementation, ongoing maintenance, future enhancements and customizations between Cloud and On Premise solutions. The costs are actually about the same.

Frost & Sullivan says the market earned revenues of $704.2 million in 2012 and is estimated to reach $928.0 million in 2016.

The factory expansion - an investment of more than CAD $3 million for the company - follows a period of sustained growth, with demand for field shelters increasing by some 500% during the last two years.

Emerson will supply 600 Fisher control valves and regulators, including rotary, globe and butterfly type devices. The valves will be deployed throughout the refinery, including within the residual fluid catalytic cracking unit, naphtha processing units and new LPG storage unit.

ABB will supply and install four complete mine hoist systems between 2015 and 2018.

Certification provides a formal recognition of individuals who have demonstrated proficiency within, and comprehension of, a specialized body of knowledge at a particular point in time.

KUKA Roboter won, followed by EEP Maschinenbau and Zurich University of Applied Sciences.

Point Grey added 15,000 square feet to its Canadian headquarters to increase manufacturing capacity and accommodate a warehousing facility.

The 12th Annual Outage Management for Power Plants Conference will be held August 6-8, 2013 at The Westin Dallas Park Central in Dallas, TX.

PTS Mobile allows users to initiate a replacement order for hoses and fittings directly at the point and time of need from their smartphone.

Beamex develops, manufactures and markets calibration equipment, software, systems and services for the calibration and maintenance of process instruments.

The company provides industrial automation, maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) distribution services, controls engineering, field service, maintenance and engineering services.

IMS Research says the global market for direct drive torque motor modules has grown from $98 million in 2008 to $195 million in 2012 and will grow to nearly $300 million in 2016.

The Pneumatics Technology courses introduce the principles of pneumatics and pneumatically controlled systems commonly used in automated manufacturing environments.

App allows engineers to input any two of the key variables of volts, amps, ohms and power, and calculates the other two.

KW Software of Ann Arbor, Michigan, is the 50th PI Competence Center (PICC) for PROFIBUS and PROFINET.

Both companies will work on a system that will allow the capture, exchange and utilization of data and information spanning the entire plant lifecycle, from engineering through to plant operations.

Essential Asset Monitoring solutions provide 24/7 automated monitoring and continuous asset health analysis of the CO2 separator’s bottoms pump, air water column blower, stripper cross exchanger and boiler blower.

The commissioning and configuration of digital communications of a field-level network at an industrial operation, such as Foundation Fieldbus, is fundamental to obtaining certification of the digital

The ION SA5600-SAL is a security appliance with an embedded Avaya Secure Access Link (SAL) Gateway that provides IP and secure dial-up connectivity to Avaya and heritage Nortel systems.

The FDT Group will develop an annex to the FDT2 specification for users of EtherNet/IP, DeviceNet, CompoNet and ControlNet.

Based on ODVA’s industrial EtherNet/IP, the results of this initiative will provide end users with more choices to deploy a complete Ethernet solution for process automation starting with connectivity down to the field level.

The SIG will develop standards for the exchange of information between machines, and between machines and supervisory systems using EtherNet/IP and CIP, sercos III and/or OPC UA, whenever possible.

Orders totaled $385.89 million, up 5.7% from January but down 10.6% when compared with the total of $431.63 million reported for February 2012.

MDIS selected OPC UA as the Master Control System (MCS) and Distributed Control System (DCS) protocol standard for offshore oil and gas production.

The Control System Integrators Association (CSIA) announces that seven control system integration firms recently joined the association.

NANOFLEX hygienic control, power and data cables can be used in U.S. and Canadian industries that require machinery and their component parts to resist the growth of micro-organisms.

Honeywell's Experion Process Knowledge System (PKS) will be deployed throughout the Azzour Water Distribution Scheme so that operators at a central location can control a network of six different treatment plants.

Bosch Rexroth won the award for its Open Core Engineering project, which unites the previously separate worlds of programmable logic controllers (PLC) and information technology (IT).

The Embedded Microprocessor Benchmark Consortium (EEMBC) adopted GrammaTech’s static analysis tool, CodeSonar, to analyze, review and test the robustness of code-based benchmark suites.

Burns Controls is now an Authorized Epson Distributor for the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas.

A simple method to find a robust output feedback controller by random search approach

PLCopen and its members published PLCopen Safety Part 4 safety specification, specific to the application of presses.

At the request of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), representatives from the Automation Federation participated in the first NIST meeting for developing a national cybersecurity program called for by President Barack Obama.

The ISA100 Wireless Compliance Institute (WCI) will display a live demonstration at the upcoming Hannover Messe Industrial Fair 2013, (8-12 April), Hannover, Germany.

Website helps to explain Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and how to automate OEE reporting.

Flowserve will provide a pump package and energy recovery devices (ERDs) to be used at Larnaca, a 15.9 million gallons/day seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination plant located in the Republic of Cyprus.

Field analyzers enable a higher level of control, such as model predictive control, to improve product quality and process efficiency and capacity.

IMS says machinery production in China will rebound 11 percent to $426 billion after suffering from overcapacity in 2012 that limited industry growth.

PAC will supply laboratory analytical instruments for Petroleum Testing application to JAC, including instruments for gas chromatography, sulfur, nitrogen, halides, and elemental and physical properties.

The exploration of new oil and gas fields, with the corresponding increase in investments in refineries and pipelines in key growth regions, is likely to have a high impact on market prospects.

Oldham specializes in providing safety, gas and fire detection systems.

SubDivFormer for Android devices is available free of charge through the Google play store.

Wibu-Systems, a supplier of security solutions, joined the OPC Foundation as a new active member.

Banda now manages the Beckhoff Central Region direct sales team as it delivers advanced automation and controls solutions to machine builders and manufacturers.

16 Rotork IQ40 actuators, one Pakscan P3 wireless master station and three network repeaters are used to control six 100,000 barrel tanks and four booster pumps at Martin Midstream Partners tank farm in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Metso will provide automation systems for two greenfield 1000 MW power plant units located in Xiashu Town, Jurong City, Jiangsu Province, China.

ABB will supply mechanical hoists, skips, cages, and four feeding conveyors to Uralkali, one of the world’s largest potash producers.

ARC says India’s water & wastewater SCADA systems market is spurred by the need to improve the sustainability of its water utility infrastructure.

VYCON will supply environmentally friendly VDC-XE flywheel systems to EasyStreet Online Services to protect their data center, deploying a total of approximately 800kW of clean energy storage.

IPA selected Rootstock Software to support their design, engineering, assembly and service operations.

By Bill Lydon, Editor John Carey of BP Castrol challenged capital intensive industries that generally think they are impervious to change. Carey suggests that there is a great of chance for change and emphasized that it is important to consider how we need to adapt, change our behaviors, and organizations to compete.

By Robert Myles Given the issues present in large-scale PLC/DCS systems and the advantages offered by Dedicated Alarm Annunciators, the additional cost to include one as a redundant system is well outweighed; particularly when the system or the process they are protecting and the cost of a shutdown (or worse) is taken into account.

Yokogawa will supply the integrated automation and safety system for the new liquefaction trains at Cheniere’s LNG facility in Sabine Pass, LA.

Water World will deploy the financial, logistics and manufacturing modules of Epicor ERP in its offices in Egypt and the USA.

Development of a Virtual Linearizer for Correcting Transducer Static Nonlinearity

ARC says globalization drives manufacturers to address initiatives for energy cost savings and reducing energy consumption, as well as for safety and sustainability needs.

sercos international participated in four events in four countries in four weeks world-wide in March 2013.

Valvekits is supplying 250 valve mounting kits and spool pieces for a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facility under construction for Cheniere Energy Inc. on the Sabine River in Cameron Parish, Louisiana.

ABB will provide electrical equipment, including gearless conveyor drives, for Codelco’s El Teniente copper mine at 2,300 meters above sea level.

EFD was founded in 1963 and after years of steady growth was acquired by the Nordson Corporation.

Pradeep Metals manufactures closed-die forgings for the oil & gas, valve, instrumentation, petrochemical, and general engineering industries around the world.

Fast Track simplifies the ordering process by turning job estimates into orders and it ensures that Honeywell assembles the exact valve/actuator combination for accurate order delivery and easier installation.

The Copper Development Association created a comprehensive three-part Motor Management Program. Part 1 involves creating a motor inventory and developing repair and replacement guidelines.

Stewart was formerly President and Co-CEO of Daifuku Webb. He joined the Jervis B. Webb Company in 1981 as a Junior Engineer and has held numerous positions, including COO, Vice President of Engineering and Senior Vice President of Operations.

ARC says automation expenditures in the water & wastewater industry will grow at a rate of 7.8 percent over the next five years.

ISA Training and Education in April: Learn, Advance, Succeed

By Bill Lydon, Editor For a new project or existing systems replacement/migration, life cycles should be part of the analysis when making a decision to purchase a control & automation systems. Your company’s manufacturing competitiveness and TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) are directly impacted by the supplier’s lifecycles of the automation products that you purchase.

DeLaura was named ISA’s Water and Wastewater Industry Division Member of the Year for his work to promote collaboration between WEF’s Automation and Information Technology Committee and the ISA Water and Wastewater Division.

By Bill Lydon, Editor At the recent opening ceremony for Eaton’s new building in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, I gained a better understanding of Eaton as a company and their commitment to developing products that meet world needs. The company has a very rational approach to applied research and development.

As a project manager, continuously monitor everything for signs of problems and immediately inquire if something seems amiss.

ZigBee IP for an IPv6-based full wireless mesh networking solution provides seamless Internet connections to control low-power, low-cost devices.

Kyle Voosen of National Instruments is the AIA ambassador to Europe and Steve Mott of Components Express is the AIA ambassador to South America.

Rotork supplied 100 intelligent electric valve actuation with digital 2-wire monitoring and control for valve automation at the Olivenza Thermosolar power plant in Spain.

Of the five nominees, two--Bosch Rexroth and Hirschmann Automation--are from the automation and control industry.

More than 50 percent of the companies represented at HANNOVER MESSE 2013 on 8 April are based outside Germany.

The Smart Manufacturing Leadership Coalition (SMLC) won a 2013 Clean Energy Manufacturing contract to start developing the nation’s first open smart manufacturing technology platform for collaborative industrial networked information applications.

ISA Automation Week will be conducted 5-7 November 2013 in Nashville, Tennessee.

A Maverick study says that 60 percent of respondents indicated that "U.S.-based support" on a 24/7 basis is an important part of maintaining process controls. Can't get that overseas.

After years of limited growth, the MEMS pressure sensor market is growing due to consumer electronic applications and is expected to show a 22% CAGR.

By Hugh Davies, Optical Metrology Services How high precision laser profile measurement tools and video inspection equipment are helping companies verify the quality of CRA-lined pipes by detecting the presence of wrinkles or buckling.

Honeywell’s Energy and Environmental Optimization (EEO) program certifies contractors to assess and recommend energy savings for commercial buildings.

Exlar is a designer and manufacturer of electric actuators used in motion control solutions in industrial and military markets.

Installation of five Smart Wireless networks and more than 100 wireless measurement devices has increased visibility into the process, enabling the plant to improve control and run closer to its capacity.

Improperly designed UPS in harsh working environments decreases operation continuity and increases the risk of expensive control system shutdowns.

The PROFIBUS Tester identified potential, covert failure nuisances within the PROFIBUS network before DCS commissioning started, reducing the overall time needed for commissioning the DCS by about 25%.

Aegis’ software provides setup validation and traceability, Route Control and WIP Tracking, automating quality data collection and repair, and Interactive Paperless Documentation.

The new building in Webster, New York, is approximately 41,000 square feet.

Shipments for the U.S. industrial valve industry will grow to nearly $4.3 billion, according to figures released by the Valve Manufacturers Association (VMA). This exceeds the industry’s previous 10-year peak in 2008.

Eight-page full-color brochure describes ABB's life cycle services for optimum performance of the company's measurement products.

Rate Your Operation survey analyzes a distribution center’s material handling processes, equipment and maintenance programs.

Catalog covers the company’s selection of electric linear and rotary actuators, performance capabilities, features, specifications and application suitability.

There are many opportunities and some challenges for new engineers entering careers in industrial automation and manufacturing. A Q&A offers many insights.

Masters will succeed Ron Helson, who has been the Foundation’s chief executive since 1993 and will retire from his position as Executive Director.

CALgrafix software enables a user to set up and monitor CAL temperature and process controllers in individual machines or complex automation systems.

Do not go with cheaper instrumentation unless you are certain the impact on maintenance and process performance is (and will continue to be) negligible.

By Mark Howard, Zettlex Nowhere is the trend towards non-contact sensing more evident than in position measurement. With such a bewildering array of options, it can be difficult to select the most appropriate instrument for a specific application.

On February 6th, 2013 the EtherCAT Technology Group held its kick - off event, “EtherCAT in Mobile Applications,” with 115 participants.

As a result, the ETG now has the opportunity to actively collaborate in the maintenance program for Part 7 - xxx of the IEC 61800 series.

Northwire is working with Boeing and the U.S. Air Force to upgrade obsolescent aircraft and technologies with fuel efficient, capable and mission ready aircraft.

The HART Communication Foundation will exhibit at Hannover Messe 2013 (8-12 April, Hannover, Germany).

FactoryKPIs for iOS starter kits, which allow the use of 10 metrics across multiple devices, are now available for $99.

Total energy consumption in the manufacturing sector decreased by 17 percent from 2002 to 2010, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Position Sensor Guide quickly identifies the right LVDT Linear Position Sensor for an application based on desired options such as measurement range, output, body diameter, operating temperature and other specs.

Flowserve will supply Worcester 44 series ball valves, Durco T4E lined plug valves, Atomac lined ball valves and McCanna top-entry ball valves to the Vale Long Harbour nickel processing plant in Newfoundland, Canada.

PLC Checker website is a static code analyzer and collaborative cloud application, used to enhance the quality of PLC programs.

Research details use of a pseudo-partial derivative (PPD) to dynamically linearize a nonlinear system, and aggregation is applied to the predicted PPD, resulting in a model-free adaptive predictive co

China’s move to corner the market for rare-earth minerals (REMs) has prompted manufacturers of low voltage industrial motors to adopt alternative technologies that reduce or eliminate the use of these materials, spurring new growth in the motors market.

Topics of focus include a variety of new technologies and processing techniques for improved speed, accuracy and quality in die/mold and job-shop environments.

The Ubisense Smart Factory System solution for automotive assembly lines has achieved the pilot acceptance in Daimler’s project to equip the assembly line for the Mercedes S Class premium cars in Germany.

Altendorf was Managing Director of Endress+Hauser’s largest plant in Maulburg, Germany, and since 2009 also a member of the Group’s Executive Board.

Datria, with offices in Denver, provides voice-enabled solutions for distribution and logistics, mobile field service management, and manufacturing processes.

ST100 Series Thermal Mass Air/Gas Flow Meter received ATEX and IECEx approvals, for safe operation in potentially hazardous environments.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank announced that Michael Laszkiewicz, Vice President and General Manager, Rockwell Automation, will Chair the Manufacturing Council.

More industry clients are requesting certification for control system integrators as they consider the pool of candidates for industrial automation projects, according CSIA.

Four instrumentation inventors won Patent Rights Incentive Awards, each worth 15,000 euros.

Through its online training modules that cover theory and concepts, the End User Academy (EUA) gives field technicians the preparation needed to successfully begin on-site and classroom training.

By Peter Seeberg and Jürgen Lange, Softing Industrial Automation The eighth and last part of this series provides a summary and gives an outlook on the future of OPC technology.