Articles and News

The site contains videos, quick-start product guides and a library of code that help customers reduce the complexity of selecting, designing and configuring control systems. The site includes tools such as CompactLogix System Quick Start, an easy-to-understand guide designed to help reduce the time and cost associated with engineering, configuration and installation of a midsize control system.

Cooper Bussmann, Inc. is the primary sponsor for the #63 NASCAR Craftsman Truck operated by MB Motorsports race team. Cooper Bussmann will run a limited schedule of races including Dover, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Atlanta and Homestead-Miami.

TectoYou is sponsored by the Federation of German Industry (BDI) under its business development program "Germany - Land of Ideas" and by Deutsche Messe. TectoYou provides a program of information and events targeted directly at young people, professionals, and university graduates who are coming to the end of their training and need to find their way around the world of work.

The agreement, which could be worth up to $5M over the next three years, covers DSP real-time operating systems for select Agere Sceptre and Vision mobile handset platforms, and future platforms. Enea's OSEck (OSE Compact Kernel) is a DSP-optimized version of Enea's full-featured OSE real-time operating system.

The service improves workflow efficiency in laboratories. It uses advanced models and both automated and non-automated approaches to identify and eliminate pinch-points and to plan for future changes. Invetech provides advice on workflow issues and will find the best solutions for each individual laboratory.

Emerson will replace the existing turbine control system for Unit 1-2-3 at Marion Generating Station in southeast Illinois. The site consists of six units owned by Southern Illinois Power Cooperative. Emerson will install its Ovation turbine control system technology to replace existing turbine controls.

The contest objective was to foster development and propagation of improved test techniques to advance nanotech measurement art. Researchers who submitted entries are making complex and advanced measurements for applications as diverse as characterization of carbon nanotubes, electrical contact resistance, electrode spacing via atomic layer deposition, characterization of semiconductor junctions, and studies of nanoscale electrochemical modification in electronic devices.

The Siemens Automation Summit will be held June 12-15, 2007 at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando. The theme of this year's event is "Automation, Innovation, Inspiration."

The site offers improved navigation, secure order entry, search capability and an interactive calendar to keep industry informed about all of ODVA’s activities worldwide.

Brochure covers three printing and labeling systems for use in industrial applications such as terminal block labels, wire markers, cable tags, switch and pilot light name plates, equipment labels and component labels.

Advantech will co-sponsor an automotive research lab administered by the Pennsylvania Transportation Institute at Penn State. This project develops a campus-wide hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) capability to test advanced vehicle powertrains and controllers. Advantech will supply industrial PCs, embedded PCs and accessories.

The $13.5 million project will use Honeywell’s Business FLEX applications, integrated with third-party technologies, across Dolphin Energy's entire gas production, processing and pipeline distribution network in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

ICONICS, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner provider of Web-enabled, OPC-based, HMI/SCADA Visualization and Manufacturing Intelligence software for Microsoft Windows operating systems, announces our participation in Microsoft’s “Ready for a New Day Launch Tour 2007” held in major cities across the United States.

Gibson Engineering is the ICONICS distributor for all six New England states. Gibson is the largest Machine Vision reseller in New England. Established in 1945, Gibson Engineering is an Automation Solution Provider serving the six New England states with regionally located sales engineers and technical support team.

An I/A Series DCS was installed at the recently constructed Cilacap Power Plant, a two-unit, 600-megawatt coal-fired generating plant located at Cilacap, on the south coast of central Java in Indonesia. The new plant is to date the largest coal-fired generating project imported to Indonesia from China.

Ameren selected PAS' Alarm Management Optimization Real-Time (AMO-Rt) software for its enterprise-wide alarm management initiative at all 30+ electric power generating facilities. The AMO-Rt license includes modules for Alarm & Event Analysis, Documentation & Rationalization, Audit & Enforce and State-Based Alarm Handling, providing functionality not previously available to Ameren.

Somji founded Matrikon in 1988 and was chief executive officer until December 2005 at which time he retired to become Chairman of Matrikon’s board. Somji has stepped down as Chairman of the board but will retain his directorship. Hugh Bolton, who most recently acted as Lead Director following four years of service as board Chairman, will resume the role of Chairman.

The center to be named the “ONU Robotics Technology Center of Excellence, powered by KUKA Robotics Corporation” will provide students with hands on design and programming experience using KUKA robots, controllers and software. The university opened the center located in Taft Memorial Hall on South Union Street in Ada, Ohio, on January 26th, 2007.

Downloadable brochure describes VSA-1214 and VSA 1215 handheld instruments for vibration data collection and analysis.

Market Intelligence Service (MIS) provides a database of global statistics for all automation and software products. It lets you select more than 40 automation and supply chain products, choose a worldwide or individual region or country view, analyze over 20 specific industries, and select the currency to view results.

Dr. Paul McKenzie, Vice President and General Manager at Bristol Myers Squibb, and Walter Boyes, Editor-in-Chief at CONTROL Magazine, will give keynote addresses at the WBF 2007 North American Conference. This year's conference will be held April 30 - May 3, 2007 at the Tremont Grand Conference Center in Baltimore, Maryland.

The video tutorial and training site, learn.automationdirect.com, is divided into product categories. It helps answer questions on a range of automation topics such as Selecting a PLC, Building a Combination Manual Motor Starter, HMI and PLC software features, the basics of sensors, motors and motion control, and more. Typically, the presentations are divided into several 1-30 minute segments.

Gumlink, a Denmark-based chewing gum manufacturer, used GE Fanuc Production Management software for improved decision-making, to increase production efficiency by 10%, and achieve payback in less than three months.

Falcon's UPS is the recipient of the Chaos Manor Users Choice Award, given by Dr. Jerry Pournelle, columnist and science fiction writer.

Shanghai SECCO Petrochemical will deploy Pavilion's Polymer Solution on extruder and reactor control applications on six polymer lines, including two Innovene polyethylene lines, one Innovene polypropylene line and three polystyrene lines.

ISONAS joined the HID Connect Partner Program.

Adept has been selected by a major Prescription Benefit Management (PBM) Provider as the robotics supplier for its automated distribution center. Cobra i800 robots will be employed as intelligent handlers used in sorting and filling orders for prescription drugs destined for the expanding home delivery market.

BP presented its Digital & Communications Technology (DCT) Helios awards to BP teams that collaborated with Emerson to develop innovative wireless technology.

MOXA's industrial Ethernet switches, media converters, and serial-to-Ethernet servers have been certified by the DNV and GL classification societies.

“UV Luminescence Sensor Application Handbook” has been updated with new application descriptions, including control of wood optimizing saws, and control of glue dispensing on packaging. The revised handbook also contains new illustrations and updated specifications.

The theme of this year's General Assembly, "Changing the Playing Field," reflects the Fieldbus Foundation's emphasis on providing a total automation infrastructure management solution for industrial end users. The event will address key topics such as open scalable integration, process integrity, and business intelligence.

Automation Systems Interconnect cut prices by 10% during the month of February on the CSF5 5 amp power supply.

JMP Engineering is now a Certified Member of the international Control Systems Integrators Association (CSIA).

Banner Engineering kicked off the 2007 racing season by capturing 2nd and 4th place finishes out of 44 starters in the GT class of the Rolex 24 at Daytona this past Saturday/Sunday.

ABB will supply all the electrical, control and fieldbus communication equipment for the project, including the incoming 132KV electrical substation, medium-voltage switchgear and protection devices, low-voltage motor control centers, variable-speed drives, low- and medium-voltage motors, sectional drives and motors for the new pulp dryer, Industrial IT Extended Automation System 800xA for control and integration, as well as the Information Management System.

GE Fanuc is working with SunBio Systems to provide biodiesel production systems. SunBio Systems' skid-mounted, “quick-start” biodiesel machines range from university grade research and development systems to mid-sized plants that produce up to 15 million gallons of biofuels per year. The SunBio biodiesel machines are based on GE Fanuc controller systems.

CV60 vehicle-mounted computers, IV7 vehicle-mounted RFID readers and IA33E RFID antennas are available for use in real-world RFID scenarios at Microsoft Technology Centers in Austin, Reston, Chicago, Boston, Silicon Valley and New York.

In this new position, Alex Zrolka will be charged with the planning and execution of business development strategies that will be essential for the successful growth of the company in the US life sciences market. Prior to Invetech, he held marketing management, business development, sales and consulting positions with Biotech Envoy, Genicon Sciences, QIAGEN, Bio-Rad laboratories and DNAStar.

Matrikon has been recognized as one of the world’s top five providers of alarm management software by the readers of Control magazine.

Rimrock Corporation, New Berlin, WI, will use the KUKA KR 60 robot in its RoboRouter 200 automated routing, cutting, and trimming system. It uses the KUKA robot inverted and mounted to a Güdel TrackMotion system providing a reliable and cost effective alternative to manual or CNC router operations.

SWF Companies of Reedley, CA, is a provider of automated machinery for packaging products in cartons and corrugated containers and for palletizing complete loads. The addition of SWF to Thiele brings together packaging machinery names as Bliss Machinery, Salwasser, Padlocker, Tisma, Dyna-Pak, McDowell International, Tri-Sterling, and GSMA Robotics and System Integration.

intelligent RollerDrive uses Interroll's RollerDrives and Holjeron's sensorless Zonelink Low Pressure Accumulation (LPA) control module. The result is a conveyor system that provides enhanced control capability, improved diagnostics, and lower installed cost.

The operation has offices in Vietnam, and agents in Singapore, Thailand and Middle East.

The 135,000 square foot facility is now in use for encoder assembly and R&D. The building, designated A30, has five floors each with approximately 27,000 square feet, and currently holds about 600 employees.

ProsCon Holdings Ltd. is a privately held engineering firm headquartered in Cork, Ireland, with an office in Dublin. ProsCon primarily serves major customers in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology markets.

The funding will support the Society of Manufacturing Engineers' Science, Technology and Engineering Preview Summer (STEPS) Camps and Academies as well as Project Lead the Way’s (PLTW) “Gateway to Technology” middle school curriculum. The programs expose students to the exciting possibilities of manufacturing and engineering careers.

Avnet Electronics Marketing will serve as a stocking distributor worldwide for all PITTMAN brand products, effective immediately. Products include brush- and electronically-commutated BLDC motors and stepper motors.

Stratum, Intermec and other industry leaders have helped create an RFID (radio frequency identification) program at Oakton Community College, in Des Plaines, Ill. Oakton's RFID program provides hands-on experience in a simulated industrial warehouse environment to prepare students for opportunities in the workplace.

The 60-page handbook offers an overview of the emerging test technique known as parallel parametric testing, a strategy for wafer-level parametric testing that uses concurrent execution of multiple tests on multiple scribe line test structures and helps semiconductor fabs maximize their test throughput and reduce their cost of test.