Articles and News

Opinions of minority participants actively working in the field of automation. They aren’t asking for any special treatment, just fairness.

The former is dedicated to the manufacture of fastening elements, above all for the automotive market. The latter has two lines of business; one consists in building high-precision machines, some of which are specially indicated for the fastener sector.

By Kapil Venkatachalam, Technology Crossover Ventures While manufacturing software vendors want their customers to focus on the technological bells and whistles of the future, many manufacturers are still grappling with the clunky and highly customized systems they’ve relied on for the past 20 years.

The testbed is expected to facilitate the integration of Internet of Things (IoT) systems to connect manufacturing sites and head offices for strengthened operations, such as the globalization of supply chains and improved production quality, delivery time and productivity.

Collectively, the five Deutsche Messe events – Industrial Automation North America, MDA North America, ComVac North America, Industrial Supply North America, and Surface Technology North America – showcase exhibiting companies from 22 countries.

By Rick Delgado, Freelance Technology Commentator As robots become more prevalent and capable, they’ll likely require bigger investments from organizations seeking to utilize them. Could that lead to robots being equipped with self-defense capabilities?

The company is working with the support of Fives Machining to serve the US market, which has become the leader in additive manufacturing. The company also plans to manufacture its large-part metal additive machines in the U.S.

By Anthony Borges, PINPoint Information Systems This document summarizes the manufacturing execution system (MES), or manufacturing operations management (MOM) solution implemented by an Aerospace parts manufacturer in order to introduce full-accountability into their assembly processes.

By Amanda Eason, Rockwell Automation In industry, there’s always a growing need to find ways to increase throughput without increasing production time. One way to achieve this is through the use of highly flexible and adaptable smart devices in control system architectures.

Smart machines refer to intelligent devices that use machine-to-machine technology for resolving problems and make choices without human interference.

Victor Polyakov, CEO of Tibbo Systems, has joined St. Petersburg International Economic Forum and participated a Russia-Germany business roundtable devoted to Industry 4.0.

AutoQuiz: Continuous Sequence of Steps Performed by a PLC

Levin joins Peratech from Synaptics, where he was a Senior Business Manager and led initiatives to introduce keyboard and automotive products. Levin joined Synaptics through the acquisition of Pacinian, where he served as Vice President of Business Development.

Smart metering solutions provider Kamstrup will be supplying 27,000 intelligent electricity meters to Swedish utility Västerbergslagens Elnät AB over the next three years.

By Jonathan Wilkins, EU Automation Technology is advancing at a phenomenal pace and now, many industrial components are becoming obsolete in as little as three years. As the worlds of engineering and IT continue to band together, this article discusses what this combination means for manufacturing.

The EtherCAT Conformance Test Tool, or CTT, is the official reference tool for specifying compliant implementation of EtherCAT technology into EtherCAT slaves. The CTT enables the hundreds of EtherCAT device manufacturers to ensure reliable interoperability in the field.

Co-located with IMTS, North American and international exhibitors will showcase coating processes for metals, plastics, glass and ceramics, as well as electroplating, industrial plasma-based surface treatment, and micromachining.

NGRAIN Viewer for Android offers organizations working with heavy equipment, assemblies, and other industrial assets in the field, the opportunity to explore possible use cases for smart glasses and 3D content.

The Silicon Review selected MAVERICK for this honor based on its revenue growth, creativity in innovation, customer reviews and domain influence.

A major driver for the effort for open process control standards, has been the widespread call for accelerative automation technology, along with an ecosystem of suppliers that can leverage the latest technology.

By Graham Mackrell, Harmonics Drive UK Robots are still mainly used in industry and they have only just been permitted to operate outside a robot cell, but the robotics revolution is in full swing. This article explores what a robotic future really looks like.

Since June 2016, Brenntag GmbH has been using the OpenTAS Terminal Management System to load its heating oil and diesel products at its terminal in Britz, Berlin.

By Cisco Find out how Cisco’s communication infrastructure benefits Industry 4.0 developments and expands the options for enterprises looking to build a reliable, stable, scalable, safe and powerful end-to-end communication network.

Rodewald brings to EPLAN over 24 years in industrial business development and corporate sales leadership. He succeeds the retiring Raymond Gaynor, who had led the Americas division since 2011.

An electric motor and generator assembly, also called a dynamometer is a setup used fro converting electrical energy into other forms of energy.Electric motor and generator assemblies are used commonly for household appliances

New opportunities from ISA in the late Summer and early Fall of 2016.

The inaugural North American Commercial Vehicle Show will be held at the Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC) from September 25-29, 2017.

IFS Applications 9 will be used at HIMA as a central ERP system to unify the enterprise’s complex global business processes. The order placed with international ERP provider IFS includes licenses and services with a total value of about EUR 3.1 million.

In his new role, Austin will oversee a skilled team of engineers and technicians who develop and execute turnkey automation projects for manufacturing and utility customers.

By Bill Lydon, Editor The Schneider Electric Connect 2016 event was buzzing with energy and Schneider fueled the excitement with the introduction of products that increase the performance and power of hybrid system offerings

Production and refinery engineers responsible for measuring, monitoring and flaring waste gas will find the advanced ST100 Series Thermal Mass Flow Meter from Fluid Components International (FCI) with FCI’s VeriCal™ In-Situ Calibration Verification System combines precise air/gas measurement capability with the convenience of in-situ calibration verification.

The two companies are going to market with a bundled cybersecurity solution for Data Centers. PTS DCS is offering the secure Bayshore IT/OT Gateway software product as part of its cyber threat protection services for data center industrial controls.

VDMA Machine Vision and the OPC Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the preparation of an OPC UA Machine Vision Companion Specification. The group will create a companion specification which will enable camera vision systems to be securely connected to controllers

This new control architecture integrates nonlinear optimization with VFD motor control for all drive applications, including those requiring rapid transient response, limited overshoot and settling time, and insensitivity to load disturbances.

Ann Flodin will be responsible for managing daily operations in Recipharm in Research Triangle Park and will focus on expanding and strengthening the development services Recipharm offers its customers in the US.

When it comes to machine safety, we regularly hear plant personnel worry safety procedures and controls will affect their line’s productivity. It’s a legitimate concern, but it’s also a myth that safety procedures will ultimately hinder plant efficiency.

Migrating or updating your control system is necessary and inevitable once it has reached the end of its life. Migration only replicates your current system. You will be struck with the same problems just on an updated control platform. Why replicate your current system when you can enhance it with new and better technology? What good is migration without modernization?

The CSIA Exchange now features its own blog, largely authored by its system integrator members and member partners. It has also incorporated a new library-resources section.

By Bruce Kraemer, IEEE Standards Association The car of the near future will be transformed from an isolated island of glass and steel to a fully interconnected node in the Internet of Things (IoT). Information and communications technologies are rapidly transforming vehicles and the roles they play in our daily lives.

Commercial building automation systems market is undergoing a rapid transformation after years of moderate growth. Various initiatives by several governments encouraging green buildings presents ample opportunities for the market to grow smoothly.

Kithara Software has integrated the Storage Module into the »RealTime Suite«, a groundbreaking technology for fast real-time data storage via solid-state drives.

Instrument and plant engineers responsible for managing processes with a wide range of hydrogen gas applications will find the ST100 Series Thermal Flow Meter from Fluid Components International (FCI) provides precision mass flow measurement in a no-moving parts instrument featuring compliance with the necessary major safety approvals for the Americas and worldwide.

Members of Partners in THINC provide superior technologies that are integrated with Okuma’s CNC machines and controls to deliver advanced manufacturing system solutions.

Engineers responsible for oil/gas production at remote field sites that lack easy access to electric power will find constant power technology thermal mass flow meters from Fluid Components International (FCI) can provide a solution to their gas flow metering needs.

Sometimes, the grain can be extremely dusty and sometimes, due to the humidity in the environment, the dust becomes like a paste. This can lead to build-up on the level measurement sensors. Because the radar transmitter is a non-contacting instrument, the risk of product contamination was eliminated and the facility had no costly extended delays due to stuck or broken cables.

Honeywell supplied the Ilsky Refinery with a complete set of services for building an integrated production control system based on its hybrid HC900 controllers.

Intesis was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Igualada, Spain, close to Barcelona. Intesis offers communication gateway solutions and interfaces within the building automation field.

This comprehensive book helps you prepare for exams for the ISA Certified Control Systems Technician credential or license as a Professional Engineer (PE).

AbraxSys widens its LCD product capability with the addition of DisplayPort interface availability. It’s the future standard and it’s available today on most AbraxSys’ industrial and high bright LCD models.

A new report published by Allied Market Research titled, World Control Valves Market," projects that the world control valves market would reach $13,674 Million by 2022 at a CAGR of 7.6% from 2016 to 2022. Pneumatic control valves market occupied a dominant share of about 80% in 2015 and is expected to maintain its lead throughout the forecast period.

Attendees met face to face with the leading authorities and thought leaders at the pulse of change in the energy industry and gained the critical insights and perspectives needed to stay ahead in the rapidly evolving energy marketplace.

Elevation to the distinguished grade of ISA Fellow is granted to Senior Members in recognition of their exceptional engineering scientific contributions to the field of automation.

By Marc Petock, Lynxspring Talk about cyber security these days often focuses on technology. As with many things, there are multiple sides that should be discussed. When it comes to cyber security, the business side may be most crucial.

Northern Industrial release their brand new e-commerce store, nicontrols.com, for 20 different worldwide countries. The site enables users of industrial automation equipment to purchase new parts, refurbished parts and check repair prices for over 200,000 automation parts online 24/7.

AutoQuiz: PID Control Loop Definition

The Linking Oil and Gas Industry to Improve Cybersecurity (LOGIIC) report outlines technical and security considerations when evaluating and selecting Real Time Data Transfer (RTDT) solutions for industrial automation and control system environments

Independent laboratories throughout the world rely on thousands of standards and test methods, including many developed by ASTM International. This directory is dedicated to helping manufacturers find the right labs to test their products.

The variety of solutions, designed to lower engineering overhead and bring machines to market faster, include motion control solutions, handling guides and mobile app resources for automation.

The FANUC Robotics CNC Certification will be offered to qualified soldiers at no-charge through an agreement between the United States Garrison, Fort Sill, and Choice Career College (CCC), a FANUC Certified Education CNC school.

The project involved implementing a SCADA remote control system to connect railway stations, sectioning facilities and substations on the Moravice-Rijeka-Šapjane, and Škrljevo-Bakar lines in the far north-west of the country with the Remote Control Centre in Rijeka.

The SmartVentilation on-demand solution provides fresh air for the 500 meter deep underground mine, which extracts gold, tellurium and other minerals for commercial electronics and industrial uses.

The Market Guide, released on June 21, 2016, assesses the state of the MES market and makes recommendations for manufacturing executives pursuing the deployment of MES applications.

Our partner Ilma Machine-building company took part at the XXIII coal mining technologies international exhibition “Coal of Russia and Mining”, which was held from 7 to 10 June in Novokuznetsk.

Supported by a qualified network of Canadian resources and industry veterans, NexRev Canada ULC will introduce DrivePak and Freedom—NexRev’s two key energy management solutions—to commercial, institutional and industrial markets

Holt will have global management responsibility for ValvTechnologies’ fossil power group and sales activities worldwide as well as developing long-term strategies for business growth and customer performance in the global fossil power severe service marketplace.

By Chris Jones, Micro-Epsilon UK Although red laser triangulation displacement sensors have been in use for more than 20 years, blue laser versions are also now available. Before selecting which colour to use, it is important to understand which type performs best on which target materials.

Three new members have joined in the first half of 2016, bringing the total number to 26. To be eligible, candidates must be current Rockwell Automation Solution Partners or Recognized System Integrators with three to five years of machine safety experience.

Multi-loop PID tuning is the procedure for the online tuning of a cluster of PID controllers operating in a closed loop with a multivariable process.

Dr Irwin has experience in creating products and solutions for the wireless market, in the space of IoT, applications, experience management, self-organizing networks and location awareness.

By Bob Love, Schaeffler UK Linear systems are a key part of production machinery and plant automation. If your linear systems are not providing the low friction movements they should be, you will strain your motors and drive systems, which will increase bearing loads and reduces component life.

By Robert Holloway, EU Automation This article discusses the potential of continuous manufacturing compared to its isolated, batch manufacturing alternative, in relation to pharmaceutical manufacturing.

By Manuel Terranova, Peaxy Inc. One critical business imperative of this decade is making good use of data assets. A comprehensive digital dossier, which aggregates such data, is incredibly useful for predictive maintenance initiatives, design processes and other business-critical applications.

Epicor provides industry-specific solutions to customers in the manufacturing, distribution, and retail sectors. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Drawing on the expertise and insights of some of the world’s leading gas turbine experts and specialists, the technical program will showcase instrumentation techniques, developments and applications within gas turbines measurement and control systems.

Numerous users, providers and developers met at the Robotation Academy in Hannover. The network aims to further develop and raise the profile of ‘Industry 4.0’ and IoT applications.