Articles and News

It can be difficult to define suitable PID gains when an industrial plant has a high level of complexity, such as, modeling nonlinearities, time delay and structural uncertainties.

Professor Stolkin was unanimously elected to chair the Expert Group on Robotic and Remote Systems (EGRRS) at a recent inaugural meeting, which brought together 40 experts from 14 OECD member countries as well as three international organisations including the European Commission.

An NPN (sinking) open-collector, when “energized,” switches the load side of the relay (at terminal “A”) to ground (terminal “B”).

Along with other Zigbee Alliance promoter member companies, Resideo also will play a role in the Connected Home over IP project, which aims to simplify development for manufacturers and increase device compatibility for consumers.

Effective immediately, the organizations will work together under the IIC umbrella to drive industry collaboration and research, foster open systems development and promote best practices for trusted IoT systems such as blockchain and related distributed ledger technologies (DLT).

PCB expects that the environmentally controlled clean rooms will enhance their pressure and force sensor manufacturing and assembly processes.. PCB Design Engineers are already working on the next generation of sensors, whose design and manufacturing is dependent upon a clean room environment.

Oil and gas fields in several states use new technology at production well sites to capture methane and natural gas liquid streams.

Under this alliance agreement, Yokogawa will promote localization in Saudi Arabia, and its integrated control systems and safety instrumented systems will be preferentially selected for plants operated by SABIC in the Middle East and Asia-Pacific regions.

By working together with OCP on open architecture business initiatives to drive network infrastructure transformation, Lanner joins the consortium for a number of projects by leveraging network disaggregation, white box economics, open source software, and software-defined standards to revolutionize the carrier industry.

One of the first steps when creating a new wireless instrumentation network using is a site survey.

A digital controller requires a digital signal as its input. A 4-20 mA transmitter outputs an analog signal. Therefore, a device to convert an analog (A) signal to a digital (D) is required.

ISA's 2019 achievements include a surplus budget, membership growth, and volunteer leaders moving in the same direction to achieve strategic objectives.

Potential blockchain applications are protection and verification of device firmware and application software updates.

Basic control functions may keep a process stable, but much more is needed to optimize performance and achieve specific company goals

The integrated solution allows automakers to deploy and scale global vehicle services such as fleet management, over-the-air software updates and connected safety services.

By Sean Robinson, Novotek UK and Ireland As with most manufacturers, much of the success comes from choosing the right tools for the job. So, what will be on your industrial wish list this Christmas?

Net present value (NPV) by itself is not a good indicator of the viability of a project or a good differentiator between two competing projects.

New projects expose automation professionals to more learning opportunities to continue to grow their skill sets and expertise.

The combined organization, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pa., offers a full range of applied motor control solutions, and is a supplier of low and medium voltage soft starters. Global operations now include facilities in the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Germany, Middle East and Asia.

By Ken Lynch, Senet Whether it is delivering propane for residential heat, optimizing industrial operations, reducing energy consumption in cities or reducing water loss through smart metering and water management solutions, an entire ecosystem of partners has the opportunity to provide limitless societal and economic benefit, delivering on the ultimate promise of the Internet of Things.

By Bill Lydon, Automation.com Integration was the heavy emphasis for Rockwell Automation at Automation Fair 2019, th a particular focus on expanding the system integration business and launching Rockwell Automation Lifecycle Services, as well as greater PTC software integration

The facility replaces Fives DyAG Corp.’s previous operations in Charlotte, North Carolina, bringing automation support closer to existing customers, while expanding visibility within the region’s commercial manufacturing

Using Siemens’ Xcelerator platform, Navantia will implement a digital twin for its new F-110 Frigate program, thus meeting the Spanish navy requirements. Siemens is the industrial supplier who has been able to present an end-to-end project that virtually covers the whole lifecycle process of a vessel

By Mark Howard, EU Automation Nanotechnology involves the manipulation of matter on the atomic and molecular scale —structures between one and 100 nanometres in size. This article discusses three exciting applications of nanotechnology in manufacturing.

Research engineers have devised a new method for estimating the charge state of batteries used in electric vehciles using fractional order calculations.

Compared to 2017, where revenues associated with industrial robots increased by 20%, forecasted declines of 4.3 per cent in 2019 have caused some concern.

A certified public accountant, Seliga holds a master’s degree in business administration from Cleveland State University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Bowling Green State University.

With 5G’s increased bandwidth and ultra-low latency, NNS will be equipped to meet network connectivity demands and will test new ways its engineers can use augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) to support everything from architectural design to employee training.

Once a problem is identified in an industrial process, data must be gathered and analyzed to determine a viable set of potential actions and solutions.

The joint whitepaper, “Advancing the Industrial Internet of Things,” written by the IIC and oneM2M, demonstrates how these two IoT organizations are working together to advance the IIoT and digital transformation, through the creation of an interoperable, flexible and efficient IIoT ecosystem.

According to the report, ABB’s presence in many end-user industries was a major factor in this success. The DCS market saw its main growth in oil & gas, chemicals and refining, where also ABB has a strong footprint.

Within five years, the country has doubled its number of industrial robots. Following Japan and China, the country ranked third in 2018. But the dynamics of robot installations has decreased in recent years and for 2019 a continued decrease is expected.

ATS will support Senseye's clients with the design, implementation, or integration of automated machine data systems such as historians or manufacturing execution systems with its predictive maintenance software suite, Senseye PdM.

The joint whitepaper, “Advancing the Industrial Internet of Things,” written by the IIC and oneM2M, demonstrates how these two IoT organizations are working together to advance the IIoT and digital transformation, through the creation of an interoperable, flexible and efficient IIoT ecosystem.

The platform offers the a hardened real-time, Linux capable, RISC-V-based microprocessor subsystem on the mid-range PolarFire FPGA family, bringing class-leading low power consumption, thermal efficiency and defense grade security to embedded systems.

The ControlEdge Safety PLC was chosen as the winner in the Embedded Device category due to many problem-solving capabilities while demonstrating security and resilience.

Machine vision systems saw a decrease of 2% year over year, at $599.9 million. This category includes smart cameras and application specific machine vision (ASMV) systems. The machine vision components market (cameras, lighting, optics, imaging boards, and software) dipped 4% to $92.1 million in the same time. Total machine vision financial transactions fell 2% to $694.1 million.

Ferrero needed a way to confirm that all its employees could be safely accounted when an emergency evacuation was underway.

This decision validates the IKEA’s commitment to universal open IoT standards for its smart home product offerings and complements IKEA’s overarching vision to create a better life at home for as many people as possible.

By Mark Howard, EU Automation It is vital to understand how cleanrooms truly operate if you are to get the best out of yours. This article explains the key considerations when specifying a cleanroom.

NUM AG has opened a branch in Bangalore in November 2019. With this expansion in Asia, the international company with headquarters in Teufen, Switzerland, intends to reinforce its position in the field of CNC controls.

Their most recent endeavor involves the installation of 2,194 solar panels on the building’s recently replaced roof.

The platform offers the a hardened real-time, Linux capable, RISC-V-based microprocessor subsystem on the mid-range PolarFire FPGA family, bringing class-leading low power consumption, thermal efficiency and defense grade security to embedded systems.

A common issue in a lot of pipeline work is ensuring the physical line data and operating data are consistent.

Line Stigen Raquet joins Creoptix from Mettler Toledo, where she has most recently served as Vice President of Business Development Life Sciences.

Hannover Messe 2019 created a buzz with the 5G Arena showcasing the latest 5G developments, products and solutions for the industry. 5G is starting to make the goal of wireless industrial automation a reality. Companies are already starting to deploy private 5G networks within plants and are seeing increases in performance, determinism, low latency, and reliability.

Siemens introduced the Sinumerik Motion Control (MC) open, industrial PC-based CNC for fabrication and metal-processing machines at Fabtech 2019. The introduction is an affirmation of the growing trend to use Edge Computer platforms to integrate all control & automation functions in a machining work cell including CNC, PLC, Drives, motors, safety and other production related functions to achieve higher levels of productivity and profits.

Simcoa Operations sought the expertise of the local ABB Transformer Service team in Australia to perform an internal inspection for one of their power transformers that handles 50% of the facility’s production capacity.

By Robert Glass, Exel Composites From window and door manufacturers to the professional tree surgeon, weighing up material options usually comes down to cost —but there are a variety of factors to consider before making a purchase.

UL 508A certification is an industrial control panel directive certifying an assembly meets the standards of electrical inspection.

Collaborative robots employ technology that enables safe contact with humans, improving productivity. Appropriate risk assessments and workspace planning is required for safe collaborative operation.

By Mark Howard, EU Automation Augmented intelligence is one of the few technologies named on the Gartner Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies, 2019 that are predicted to reach expectations, over the next two-to-five years. This article explains how augmented intelligence could assist with human and machine collaboration.

To receive the AWS Industrial Software Competency designation, APN Partners undergo rigorous AWS technical validation related to industry specific technology as well as an assessment of the security, performance, and reliability of their solute

An executive summary and bullet-item lists for an automation project allows managers them to understand the basic outcomes and conclusions of your project.

Pepperl+Fuchs Comtrol and Callisto work with each manufacturing customer to deliver initial solutions that have tangible results, and then collect more data from more sources, provide more insight and analysis, roll out to more manufacturing lines and plants, and provide a roadmap to a full manufacturing execution system for true automation.

More than 30 other educational institutions have benefited from ST Robotics’ systems. These include: MIT, Cambridge University, Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Lyon, Newcastle University Australia, National Autonomous University of Mexico, University of Antwerp, St Andrews University, and Queens University Belfast, and the University of Waterloo.

Senet has certified the Zenseio LSMP2 - Professional Multi-purpose Telemetry Station, providing the agriculture market with a pre-integrated, network-tested solution designed to modernize how soil conditions, water usage, weather conditions, and other parameters are monitored.

This deepened strategic partnership expands PRG’s services for Arena customers that desire assistance or simply have limited internal resources. These services enable companies to optimize product development, establish quality systems, and design for manufacturing, then establish strong supply chains and transition to manufacturing.

To select a batch automattion solution for an industrial platform, start with the evaluation of the end user's short- and long-term requirements.

The acquisition will enable MET to introduce electrical upgrades of Electrostatic Precipitators (ESPs) using KraftPowercon’s technology ‘SmartKraft’ and ‘MicroPulse’ power supplies.

Twelve ABB robots are interacting with visitors to Bloomingdale’s holiday celebration at their 59th Street flagship store. ABB’s robots are the main attraction in three of Bloomingdale’s twelve holiday window displays on Lexington and Third Avenues

The Indegy Industrial Cybersecurity Suite integration with Tenable.sc, for on-prem vulnerability management, is available today. The Indegy integration with Tenable.io, for cloud-based vulnerability management, and Tenable Lumin will be available in the first half of 2020.

Applicants must write a minimum one-page paper as to why they like cars and racing and what they think they will learn from the program that will be meaningful to their lives. Also, why they would be a good person to be accepted into this Genius Garage program.

The PLCopen organization and Automation.com conducted a joint survey of PLC programming preferences. Here are some of the results to inform you of current trends in PLC programming and users thoughts on vendors.

Senseye’s operation in Paris is led by Peter Livaudais, VP Strategic Accounts, who has 30 years of experience working in the European technology industry. The company has strengthened its team in France with the recent appointment of condition monitoring specialist Guillaume Lavergne, who joined Senseye in September from Air Liquide.

Despite a small decline in 2019 (-3.8%) the report outlines how the market for motion control products will grow strongly, ultimately exceeding $15bn in 2023.

The published enhancements to The EtherNet/IP Specification outline integration of NAMUR NE 107 diagnostics for process automation into CIP architectures. The addition of this capability provides industry standard diagnostic information for process users while leveraging the benefits of industrial Ethernet.

By Jonathan Wilkins, EU Automation Today’s plant managers are faced with a dearth of automation technologies but it’s not always obvious what will work best. There is rarely, if ever, a one-size-fits-all approach. This article discusses what manufacturers should consider when choosing which type of robot to invest in.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed but GCG has stated that RCD will maintain its operations in Manchester as well as their support facilities in the Caribbean and Asia. In addition to RCD’s facilities, GCG has seven other manufacturing and design facilities located within the United States.

Industry 4.0 initially focused on discrete manufacturing, and now there is an additional focus on process automation

Instrument location plans are most often used to support new plant installations and give the installer information about the actual physical location of the installation of an instrument.

The annual leadership conference was the largest in many years, with discussions on strategic objectives, goals, tactics, and key performance indicators.

The 5G network was installed in Siemens’ Automotive Showroom and Test Center in Nuremberg. Automated guided vehicles are (AGV) displayed here which are primarily used in the automotive industry. New manufacturing options and methods are also developed, tested and presented before they are put into action on customer sites.