Articles and News

Four PowerFlex 755 Variable Frequency Drives operate motors that run the hydraulic emulsion pumps responsible for advancing roof supports at an unnamed mining company in Illinois.

Process Plant Computing Limited will streamline control room alarms across four LNG trains at Atlantic's Point Fortin plant, on the southwest coast of Trinidad.

Emerging nations will no longer propel the west’s economy, which is already suffering a tumbling oil price and, very soon, the end of the fed’s QE program.

Centero will distribute and support the ISA100 Wireless Device Test Kit and ISA100 Wireless Stack Test Kit.

H2W acquired Baldor's Cog Free Brushless, Iron Core Brushless, Single Axis Stepper, Dual Axis Stepper, Polynoid, AC Induction, Voice Coil Actuator products.

By Rich Hunzinger, B-Scada With all of the opportunities presented by today's data-driven enterprise, the time has come to consider whether your SCADA system is limiting your potential.

By Rich Hunzinger, B-Scada One of the fastest-growing and most widespread trends in the HMI and SCADA software realms is that of mobility. Namely, how can we - or should we - take advantage of mobile devices in automated work environments?

Daqing Petrochemical Company will use the HIMA FlexSILon TMC solution for safely controlling turbomachines at its gasoline desulfurization plant being built in Daqing City, in China’s Heilongjiang province.

The FCC recently approved the use of high power transmitters at 5.15-5.25GHz. The AvaLAN 5Ghz product family now has twice as many channels resulting in twice the amount of data capacity.

Proficy Scorecard generates real-time views of information, from multiple data sources within the company, to provide actionable “Scorecards” for all departments in an organization.

By Steve Aamodt, SICK To help prevent injuries and increase productivity for end users, machine builders are incorporating safety into the design of metal forming and bending machines. The old way of thinking, that safety harms productivity, has changed, in large part due to better safety systems.

Changing the paradigm from inspect and reject to predict and prevent is the focus of big data.

Tianchen, a Chinese engineering contractor serving the chemical processing industry, has selected AVEVA Everything3D (AVEVA E3D) as its 3D design solution.

He will join the company in early January 2015, succeeding Andrew Jamison who will be retiring.

The apps require iOS6.1 and can be purchased through the Apple App Store in iTunes. They are compatible with the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

Interactive demonstration center in Houston gives industrial customers a glimpse into the future of managing their manufacturing operations.

Crimson-enabled products allow companies to easily integrate almost any PLC, PC or SCADA system for data collection, monitoring and control.

Wasserbauer installed ITTIA DB SQL data base into its Butler robots.

Wonderware software integrated all their existing disparate systems, achieved reliable and cost-efficient control, enabled safe operations and created scalability for future growth.

Robot orders and shipments in North America set new records in the first nine months of 2014, according to Robotic Industries Association (RIA), the industry’s trade group.

The Program Committee of the 2015 ISA Water/Wastewater and Automatic Controls (WWAC) Symposium has issued a Call for Papers.

WillowTree is an experienced iOS, Android and Mobile Web app developer that enables Microchip’s customers to focus on the core of their Internet of Things designs.

Using Kepware’s KEPServerEX, Cascades now supports communications across all of its seventeen plants, seventeen paper machines, and nearly ninety converting lines with just one piece of software.

To simplify the development of complex machines, Rexroth is integrating safety technology into the Sercos automation network.

InfinityQS ProFicient manufacturing quality software provides companies with real-time visibility across the enterprise and into the supply chain.

ESC Services is a hazardous energy control provider of lockout-tagout services and solutions.

Ridgeline Pipe manufactures about 125 different PVC pipe products that vary in length, diameter, color, markings and other requirements. Allen-Bradley ControlLogix L61 programmable automation controller (PAC) manages all control and motion functions for each piece of equipment in the PVC manufacturing process.

Combining PLC processing and HMI monitoring and control into a single hardware platform is becoming a more available and popular option. This article compares the combined HMI+PLC unit with the separate HMI & PLC system and highlights where each excels.

Using a workflow-based approach, manufacturing businesses and process industry companies can extend and leverage existing purpose-based systems, expose new functionality that was too complex to captur

The next HANNOVER MESSE will run from 13 to 17 April 2015.

Rapid Service Unit can turn certain orders for critical fittings, hose-tube combinations and other custom pieces in the same day they are received.

The free web seminar on 13 November 2014 will discuss the common pitfalls related to calibration system implementation and how to overcome them.

By Julia Santogatta, Belden Wireless can actually be extremely secure, shared medium or not, if you follow the “wireless Golden Rule” and ask yourself some typical security questions when planning a wireless local area network (WLAN).

By Bill Lydon, Editor By recently joining the Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC), MOXA emphasized their strong focus on the Industrial Internet of Things (IoT). Another example of this commitment is their increased rugged industrial communications product scope, including security offerings.

By David Gustafson, Emerson Process Management It took only two weeks to install the first system, and already it’s saved $100,000 in maintenance costs and increased production by 5,000 tons per year.

EECO received its fourth Steelman burnoff oven on August 8th 2014 in Richmond, increasing investment in electric motor repair in Virginia.

A real-life guide to measuring flow by selecting the right flowmeter

Security Application Site simplifies security design by providing access to the latest security resources all in one place.

Horizon Controls Group has offices located in PA and NC, USA as well as in Europe.

By Jonathan Wilkins A new industrial wireless European standard (EN300328 V1.8.1) threatens to make essential plant control sensors useless. It introduces the “listen before talk” (LBT) protocol as a solution for preserving bandwidth in industrial environments.

Yokogawa will license its ISA100 Wireless technology to Murata and Murata will develop communication modules.

By Julia Arneri Borghese, Paradox Engineering When considering a wireless network, the critical decision is how to invest in future proof infrastructures that can provide adequate flexibility and scalability over time. Industrial organizations are not likely to install technologies which bind them to legacy protocols, or force them to replace existing equipment.

On October 21, Dr. Wei Sun, representative of the Standardization Administration of China (SAC), made the announcement.

The release significantly broadens automation and control professionals’ access to a diverse range of technical and educational content and interactive tools.

Embedding controllers around a grid can help measure power flows and demand requirements, and lead to real-time management for best performance.

Kliux Energies in Spain selected Advanticsys’ remote monitoring technology to manage their renewable-energy generation facilities.

The facility designs, develops and manufactures natural gas & liquids measurement products and analyzers, as well as software applications and system solutions for the global oil & gas market.

Scheduled to open in Q4 2014, the $14 million project will double the current size of the facility, adding 100,000 square feet of space for manufacturing and engineering.

The new company name is now TURCK Chartwell Canada, Inc.

Total orders rose to $11.2 billion, boosted by large orders (above $15 million) including a power transmission link in Europe, a mining automation project in the Americas and a gas treatment plant in Africa.

By Randy Miller, Honeywell Modern technologies and practices have been proven to reduce incidents in the main control center by more than 30 percent and sustain safe, optimal availability. Furthermore, capturing best operator practices in a procedural operations framework and equipment based templates helps retain best practices for future generations.

By Edward Nugent, PcVue The implementation of Cybersecurity under the NIST Framework is ultimately the responsibility of the SCADA Application owner and operator as it encompasses the entire system including the organization developing the SCADA application, the corporate networks and computers that it runs on and the control devices and instrumentation attached to it.

What Considerations Should You Make Before Upgrading a Critical System?

Octapharma, a manufacturer of human protein products, is using the PAS-X Track & Trace Serialization Aggregation solution in Vienna.

The next HANNOVER MESSE will run from 13 to 17 April 2015.

Moxa released its position on Enabling the Industrial Internet of Things at the company's Global Distributor Summit in San Francisco, California.

The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBNEC) gave IS a certificate.

Hall 3 at HANNOVER MESSE 2015 will be devoted entirely to the topic of surface technology.

Sizing Tool makes it easy to find the right gear reducer, coupling, or linear mount product compatible with a motor.

Instrumentation software companies are focusing on simplifying complicated technical tasks and processes as well as adding new functions.

Midwest Engineering Systems is doubling its building size by moving the corporate headquarters to a 100,000 square foot facility in Pewaukee, WI.

Endress+Hauser was the Main Instrument Vendor for a $3.8 billion expansion and modernization project at Refineria de Cartagena in Columbia.

Humor can provide insights by opening the mind to the strange but true aspects of the industrial automation profession. Successful humor can cause a smile before you realize the full nature of the sit

By Bill Lydon, Editor A recent design and engineering conference emphasized the need for manufacturing automation and design engineers to collaborate instead of working in independent organizational silos. An open mind is required in order to embrace change and innovate.

By Paul Brooks, Rockwell Automation Manufacturers should carefully consider their infrastructure investments today to take advantage of the emerging wealth of industrial innovations enabled by the Internet Protocol (IP).

By Greg Goodwin, LNS Research The manufacturing industries are constantly looking for ways to cut costs, increase revenue, efficiency, speed, and so on, and advancements in technology are key to furthering this cause. Today, there are several emerging technologies that are having a significant impact on how companies operate. And one that is being embraced with increasingly open arms is cloud manufacturing software.

In his new role, Iverson will be responsible for increasing market share and leading the future direction of the company.

The test rig is for the calibration of high-precision tank gauging instruments developed and produced at the factory in Japan.

Android-based Smart Device Communicator Application uses the Device Descriptor (DD) for the connected HART device so the user has full access to every Parameter and Method.

Clearfield also opened a manufacturing plant in Tijuana, Mexico.

More than 200 process measurement and control professionals in chemical and energy processing and other process industry sectors attended the International Society of Automation’s (ISA’s) 2014 Process Control & Safety Symposium in Houston, Texas.

Six system integration companies recently joined the Control System Integrators Association (CSIA).

Servomex will provide O2 and CO measurement analyzer packages complete with sample handling systems for the world’s largest gasification project at RIL’s J3 Refinery in Jamnagar, India.

The annual automation industry event will be held at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, from Nov. 17 to 20.

On-line store lets engineers evaluate and purchase DC power products on a variety of mobile devices, such as tablets and smart phones.