Articles and News

2011 FCI CD Catalog assists engineers in specifying the right flow, level or temperature instrument for improving plant process control lines or increasing OEM equipment performance.

BIM for Revit MEP low-voltage distribution products are in full compliance with AutoDesk Seek RMC SG standards.

Manufacturing is getting more complex and ERP software is not adequately addressing that complexity, leaving manufacturers with disjointed and inadequate technology.

Bosch Rexroth, an active member for several years, became one of the organization’s principal members.

The AIOE’s purpose is to bring together operations professionals from consumer products companies and solutions providers to address key industry issues.

Emerson will supply Fisher control valves to be used in Westinghouse AP1000 pressurized water reactors at the Sanmen 2 and Haiyang 2 nuclear power plants in China.

GE signed an agreement that lets National Instruments distribute the GE cPCI-5565PIO Reflective Memory PMC and PMC Carrier Card for 3U CompactPCI systems.

Invensys will to provide safety systems, HMIs and DCSes for Fujian Fuqing Nuclear Power Plant, units 3 and 4, two 1,000MW nuclear power units under construction in Fujian province in southeast China.

Automation.com, February 2011 While the intense debates continue over industrial wireless standards many automation professionals are applying industrial wireless solutions to achieve greater efficiency and profits for their companies.

Frost & Sullivan says the European market for Medium Voltage Drives was $176.9 million in 2010 and estimates this to reach $287.2 million by 2016.

Building and network designers can now find Siemon cabling product models through the Autodesk Seek web service.

This certification assures that System 800xA’s AC 800M controller is in full compliance with the global IEC 61850 standard for electrical devices.

This expansion is being driven by a surge in demand for its gas chromatographs, pH sensors and other products.

Metso will deliver a turbine control system for a Lang steam turbine at the Martinlaakso power plant in Vantaa, Finland.

In recognition of their home outlet monitoring device, the team has earned a trip to Germany this April.

This enclosure catalog describes each product family and includes photos, detailed drawings from different views in both inch and metric dimensions.

Automation.com, February 2011 OPC UA elevates automation systems to the level of current computing technology by leveraging web services and Internet Protocol (IP), enabling automation systems to deliver increased value.

By Beckhoff Beckhoff Automation industrial PCs, I/O and TwinCAT PLC software help Fifth Light deliver up to 80% energy savings via intelligent lighting systems for buildings.

Hoffmann + Krippner UK will build custom industrial PC solutions for low- to medium-volume requirements.

Almost 77 percent of manufactures participating in a recent survey said they are currently required by their customers to report on their environmental impact.

Machine builders should adopt standards sooner rather than later, says Kevin Ives, Machinery Safety Consultant at Pilz Automation Technology.

ABB's Safety Execution Center (SEC) in Mexico City has been certified by TÜV as having in place and applying a Functional Safety Management System (FSMS).

The Achilles Satellite network test tool is recognized by ISASecure accredited labs to perform Communication Robustness Testing (CRT) of embedded devices.

By Frank Dickman, Innonimate After Stuxnet, the threats from malware and insufficient IT security in automation networks can no longer be ignored. The real danger looming out there, however, is not from Stuxnet itself, but rather from mutations likely to be created by imitators.

Automation.com, February 2011 By Gerald Shankel, Fabricators & Manufacturers Association Manufacturing creates jobs, but manufacturers simply cannot find the skilled labor needed today to handle the kinds of sophisticated production processes and tasks required on the manufacturing shop floor.

ABB Robotics signed Andy Robot and Robotic Arts to provide creative direction for the development of robotic systems for the entertainment industry.

Web site covers encoders, resolvers and accessories for motion feedback control.

ABB reported strong order growth in the fourth quarter of 2010 and higher revenues driven by strong industrial demand for energy efficiency and improved productivity.

Metso achieved SIL3 certification for Jamesbury floating and trunnion soft-seated ball valves and SIL2 certification for soft-seated butterfly valves.

BearCat Pumps of Phoenix, Arizona, is using Micro Motion ELITE high temperature Coriolis mass flowmeters in its metering systems for rubberized asphalt.

Through the Front Panel Express program, 5 to 50 front panels modified with custom cut-outs, handles and silk screen are available in as few as 5 days.

12-page brochure covers robotic systems, sachet & pouch handling systems, specialist bottle handling and vision systems.

Automation.com, February 2011 By Fluke Technicians working on hazardous equipment and high-voltage circuits deserve every advantage to complete electrical test and measurement jobs safely. New test tools provide new ways to work safely and reduce exposure to electrical shock.

Free webinar series, ABC's of Portable Oscilloscopes, makes it easy to understand how to capture and analyze waveforms using a portable storage oscilloscope, such as the Fluke ScopeMeter.

ABB will design, supply, install and commission 800 kilovolt (kV) ultrahigh-voltage direct current (UHVDC) transformers for the Nuozhadu-Guangdong transmission system.

The in-kind software grant from Siemens PLM Software has a commercial value of $65.2 million.

Analytical Technology now offers customer training at its premises in Saddleworth, Manchester, UK.

ABB won an order worth $47 million from Corporacion Nacional del Cobre de Chile (Codelco), the world’s biggest copper producer, to provide gearless mill drives and electrical systems.

The videos, which range from one to four minutes in length, focus on the Model 6517B Electrometer/High Resistance System.

The training centers, in Mobile, Alabama, and Matthews, North Carolina, teach fundamental, theoretical, and practical knowledge about instrumentation and application technology.

EKPC will replace its existing SCADA/EMS system with OSI’s monarch platform.

Automation.com, February 2011 The MGM Grand Hotel and Casino Macau is a $1.6 billion property about three years old located on prime water front land in Macau. Their power bills were $1.6 million per month. The CFO called in John Leslie and his team to make some changes that saved $3.1 million in energy bills in the first 11 months.

Thanks to a large-scale PROFINET network the new Audi A1 manufacturing line at Brussels in Belgium is the newest and most modern Audi plant in Europe.

The Control System Integrators Association (CSIA) 2011 Executive Conference will be April 27 – 30 in Orlando, Fla., at Universal Studio’s Portofino Bay Hotel.

CSIA announces that Combined Technologies, Hamilton, New Zealand, and CoNet, Zaandam, Netherlands, became Certified Control System Integrators.

The Standard-Knapp solution has enabled AriZona to significantly increase case packing speeds. For 12-packs of both 16-ounce and 20-ounce glass bottles, packaging speed has increased by 20 percent.

This enables WAGO to offer more than 150 marine and offshore products with multiple marine ratings including ABS, BV and DNV.

Siemens Industry’s Norwood motor manufacturing plant has been certified by the American Petroleum Institute to use the Official API 547 Monogram.

The website provides comprehensive information on Tritech’s investment casting and machining services.

These facilities will be used to test the load capacity and reliability of large motors and medium voltage drives used in oil and gas applications, from offshore platforms to remote production sites.