Articles and News

Dow Corning is using a dynamic simulator, built and implemented by Invensys Process Systems, to train operators at its Barry, South Wales, production facility in the UK. It is anticipated that use of the simulator will result in significant savings in training and manpower costs, enhanced plant safety and increased productivity.

Deltran spring and electromagnetic friction clutch/brake products have been paired with Thomson mechanical motion control solutions. The new line is called Thomson-Deltran.

As automation equipment continues to decrease in size and increase in complexity, sensor manufacturers are striving to provide smaller sensors with greater capabilities that meet new user requirements. Many new designs can function in confined spaces where traditional, larger, barrel-shaped proximity sensors cannot.

The KUKA KR 500 robot will be used as the building block of Primal Rides’ new robotic gaming ride. The interactive ride can be designed to match customer’s requirements in theme, intensity and realism. Additionally, the ride offers the option to cost effectively change themes to adjust to rider appeal. Primal Rides will be showing a scaled down concept version of the ride on their booth (#4004) at the IAAPA Expo in Atlanta, Georgia November 15-18, 2006.

Intermec commemorates the company's 40th anniversary with a series of celebrations at its offices around the world. Intermec was founded in 1966 as Interface Mechanisms, a start-up company developing dual-image tape, a machine readable code used to compile data for the phototypesetting industry. One of the company's early leaders, Dr. Dave Allais, went on to invent Code 39, still one of the world's most widely used bar code symbologies.

In this capacity, Mr. Welch will help Invensys develop and deliver a new suite of comprehensive enterprise network and security solutions to Invensys' global customers. He has 24 years of experience in the services industry. This includes positions with companies such as Digital Equipment Corporation/Compaq Computers, Nortel Networks, and Unisys.

Engauge Controls has implemented Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture on its latest gantry units. The Allen-Bradley ControlLogix controllers with integrated motion control and FactoryTalk View human-machine interface (HMI) software help them simplify programming and configuration, reduce development costs and speed system installation.

Opto 22 has announced partnerships with Allesco Corporation, Fluid Conditioning Company, Kiser Controls Company, and MCR Technologies, Inc. Each of these distributors will add the complete line of Opto 22-brand hardware and software to their already extensive selections of industrial automation and control equipment.

ISA EXPO 2006 wrapped up on Thursday, 19 October in Houston, Texas. The three day event, held at the Reliant Center, featured a cutting-edge technical conference, a renowned training program, and an exhibition featuring some of the newest technology on the market today.

PTO is offering a free booklet that takes a fresh look at Industrial Ethernet and addresses some of the myths and facts about PROFINET. The booklet: "PROFINET or The Story of Pretty Polly, Sweet SUE and the White Knight," is available on request in hardcopy, or for download in.PDF format

AMI Semiconductor, a manufacturer of integrated mixed-signal and structured digital products, has introduced the AMIS-49200 Fieldbus Media Attachment Unit (MAU). The new device can be used as a near pin-for-pin replacement for the Yokogawa (SAA22Q transceiver, which is no longer in production. It provides a physical interface between bus wiring and actual measurement devices in industrial process automation applications.

Data Systems International will host ON '07: The dcLINK Conference, June 11-13, 2007, at the Green Valley Ranch Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. The conference will help dcLINK customers expand their understanding of the strategic business benefits of real-time data capture using RFID, data collection, and mobile applications.

Keithley and Mesatronic developed advanced probe cards for semiconductor parametric testers used in RF and low current DC applications. When the new probe cards are available later this year, they can be used with Keithley parametric testers for simultaneous extraction of RF and very low level DC current parameters on any combination of probe pins that contact a semiconductor wafer.

Online Shopping Cart System features Online Quotation, Online Purchase Orders, and Credit Card Orders. A customer can use the Online Quotation on the website to get a quotation for products, and can buy industrial Ethernet switches online with a credit card.

Developed for contractors, industrials, OEMs, inspectors, and educators, the materials provide a training resource to help electrical industry workers comply with the latest NEC and industry standards; select and apply overcurrent protective devices; determine fault current levels; and analyze and improve electrical system performance and stability. Publications and e-training are available on line.

LAN eXtensions for Instrumentation (LXI) is the LAN-based successor to GPIB, providing additional capabilities that simplify system creation. In addition to clarification of language, the standard now includes a section on the use of non-LXI devices within LXI-based systems. A free download is available.

It's easy to see why web-based systems are gaining popularity. Web-based systems install and run client applications from any web-browser and when users login they always get the most recent version of an application. There are no client licenses manage, no tedious software installations, no application files to copy over and no communication configurations to setup.

Emerson completed an automation upgrade of the Silane unit in the REC Silicon plant in Moses Lake, Washington, migrating the company's existing PROVOX control system to a DeltaV digital automation system. A new plant-wide MES network was installed that hosts an OSIsoft PI data historian. The project also included new AMS Suite predictive maintenance software.

Honeywell continues its "Sensing and Control" educational series on Wednesday, November 15 at 2:00 p.m. (ET) with a webcast for design engineers involved in specifying and selecting pressure sensors and transducers for OEM applications. The presentation will include a discussion of technologies used by pressure transducer manufacturers and Honeywell's Advanced Thick Film (ATF) technology employed in Series MLH pressure sensors.

Ian Nimmo, Founder and President of User Centered Design Services, joins PAS at an upcoming Alarm Management Workshop as a co-instructor. Mr. Nimmo will bring a strong focus on Abnormal Situation Management (ASM) to help teach the seven steps to effective alarm management together with Bill Hollifield, PAS Principal Alarm Management Consultant, in San Francisco on December 7th and 8th.

OutBound Shipping's customized solution incorporates a multi-carrier certified shipping application using .NET and XML technologies.

The new group--SIMATIC IT Business Unit--combines the company's MES group with the Manufacturing Intelligence capabilities of IndX, a software company acquired by Siemens in 2003. It will offer a single-source solution for every manufacturing software need - from the plant floor to the executive office. The SIMATIC IT Business Unit employs 80 associates with operations in Aliso Viejo, Calif., Spring House, Penn., Houston, Texas, and Chicago, Ill.

ABB and Automated Logic Corp have agreed to jointly pursue facility automation projects, focusing on GxP production, laboratory and clean room facilities, as well as other critical or regulated environments. The agreement combines the strength of ABB in regulated environments and process applications together with the strength of ALC in full turn-key installation of commercial and critical building management applications.

The partnership will deliver world-class security solutions to a wide range of commercial businesses, public sector organizations and industries across East Africa. In particular, the partnership will deliver port-of-entry security solutions at airports and seaports within one of Africa’s largest tourist destinations.

The FDA recently issued a final guidance meant to help pharmaceutical companies operate modern quality systems that are fully compliant with Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) regulations. This question-and-answer article provides pertinent facts about the FDA's "Guidance on Quality Systems Approach to Pharmaceutical CGMP Regulations," issued on Sept. 29, 2006.

Ciba Specialty Chemicals chose GE Fanuc's Proficy™ Plant Applications Batch Execution software, running on a Proficy HMI/SCADA - iFIX® platform, for two main pigment manufacturing processes at its Paisley, Scotland plant. Key factors in the decision were the recipe consistency, the flexibility and the ease-of-use offered by the software, part of the Proficy Production Management solution suite.

Rio Tinto Coal Australia Hunter Valley Operations and Matrikon won the "Minerals Process Plant of the Year" Award at the Australian Mining Prospect Awards for Innovation in Coal Prep Plant Control Optimization.

The free catalog introduces 10 new products including the UEILogger family and an embedded Linux toolkit for the company's PowerDNA product line. The catalog can be downloaded as a PDF.

The new course catalog from Emerson's Educational Services, available on CD, describes some 300 training courses designed to facilitate the engineering, operation, maintenance, and optimization of industrial process automation systems and devices. Engineers and technicians who take these courses are better able to optimize the performance of their processes, and enhance productivity in their plants.

TURCK appointed Dean McCaskill president of North American operations. In this role, McCaskill assumes complete responsibility for TURCK's operations, including its manufacturing facilities. McCaskill has more than 25 years of experience in the industrial manufacturing, distribution and business development sectors. Prior to joining TURCK, McCaskill served as general manager for Barnes Group. .