Articles and News

UL 1741 and 508 approvals allow North American photovoltaic installers to monitor string currents in large-scale DC installations.

Free app for Android-based smartphones and tablets interacts with a Keithley Series 2600B SourceMeter SMU instrument via its front panel USB interface

November ISA Training and Education Opportunities

Schmueckle succeeds MAG founder Prof. Mo I. Meidar, who will continue his involvement with MAG as the Chairman of the global MAG board.

The Electrical Standards & Products Guide (ESPG) is a comprehensive listing of NEMA electrical standards as well as an extensive directory of manufacturers and their products.

August U.S. manufacturing technology orders totaled $356.69 million, up 0.4% from July but down 6.0% when compared with the total of $379.26 million reported for August 2013.

The RapID Platform with the fido5000 REM Switch chip has been certified to PROFINET v2.31 for Class B and Class C devices.

The RapID Platform with fido5000 REM Switch chip has been certified to EtherNet/IP CT11 for beacon-based DLR devices.

The Industrial Automation Exchange is CSIA’s comprehensive online directory for locating qualified system integrators and suppliers.

ISA will own Automation.com, including its website, intellectual property and all associated products, trademarks and copyrights. ISA will incorporate a new wholly-owned subsidiary called Automation.com, and Rick Zabel will remain the Publisher and Managing Director.

AlarmAgent.info makes a system OPC-compatible, enhancing its existing real-time reporting features by sharing data communication with HMI / SCADA software and third-party customized applications.

Many companies with an existing enterprise system typically have only established (but not updated) a maintenance management system. While the system manages calibration tasks like scheduling, and tal

In 2016 Deutsche Messe will organize three additional events – ComVac North America, Industrial Supply North America and Surface Technology North America- at IMTS.

The North American Fluid Power Pavilion will return to its traditional and newly renovated home of Halls 19 & 20 with a floor area of 210,000 square feet.

The technological advances that can flow from networking will be made real and tangible at HANNOVER MESSE in April 2015.

Bottero ground out a solution that is based on a single Kollmorgen AKD servo-converter for driving two servo-motors that are not simultaneously operating.

Unicontrols, established in 1976, has been the leading company for providing small to medium sized stainless steel tanks with professional technology and knowledge.

As of January 1, 2015, Frank Stührenberg, Executive Vice President Global Sales, will become Chairman of the Executive Board of Phoenix Contact.

A new adaptive backstepping sliding mode control law with fuzzy monitoring strategy is proposed for tracking control of a nonlinear mechanical system.

By Rick Zabel for InTech The good news is it is currently a job seeker’s market and will remain so for the long term. Because of the shrinking workforce, there are more jobs in the market than qualified automation professionals. In fact, if you are unhappy with your current job situation, there are other opportunities available. You just have to look for them.

August U.S. cutting tool consumption totaled $166 million, down 2.7% from July’s total and down 3.0% from August 2013.

Yokogawa will supply control systems and safety instrumented systems for a waste-to-energy facility being built for SITA Cornwall Ltd. in the U.K.

The demo room will exhibit smart access applications on edge computing servers, AdvancedTCA (ATCA) servers, and network appliances.

From Strategy to Execution – Leading Change

The sizing tool helps users quickly find precision gear reducers, servo couplings, and linear mounting kits compatible with their motor.

Starting with version 4.7 RationalPlan Single is distributed as freeware under all Linux operating systems.

Metso opened valve service centers in Horgau, Germany and Vitrolles, France.

Zementwerk Berlin is using Malvern Instruments’ Insitec on-line particle sizing systems to efficiently manufacture high performance, ‘environmentally friendly’ slag cements.

BgB Supply announces their participation in the new FLIR TG165 limited product release.

The industrial automation industry is starting to explore and implement Internet of Things concepts and technology.

Festo is the distributor of ZAYTRAN products in North America.

Metso will provide automation, safety and emergency shutdown system extensions to the existing Metso DNA system when the polyethylene plant is upgraded.

As part of this service, process and status data from control loops are captured by the Simatic PCS 7 process control system and analyzed by Siemens experts.

PCE Instruments offers digital display recorders that draw physical parameters in industrial processes or laboratory applications over a longer period.

KHS, a manufacturer of filling and packaging systems for the beverage and food industries, uses Roxtec systems to route multiple pre-terminated cables through one opening, eliminating the cost and labor of cutting connection cables and making individual holes for each.

HIKOB is a provider of wireless autonomous multipoint data acquisition systems.

By Rick Zabel, Publisher & Editor Since Schneider Electric's purchase of Invensys, I have been waiting to hear some news about the integration of the two companies. That news, as it relates to software, was delivered last week at Schneider Electric's first Global Software Customer Conference.

The data modems of MB Connect Line monitor temperatures or capture consumption data. While brainstorming for further practice possibilities, the idea of equipping a barbecue smoker with a temperature monitor came up.

Out of all the energy consumed by U.S. manufacturers annually, induction motors make up 50 percent of the load.

The conference, to be held jointly with the Society for Machinery Failure Prevention Technology (MFPT Society), will be conducted 12-14 May 2015 at the Westin Hotel in Huntsville, Alabama, USA

By Thomas R. Cutler Missives from on-high (the C-Suite) will not touch a second shift factory plant floor worker. Manufacturing leaders must encourage all workers (safety, quality, maintenance, production, and shipping) to become part of the corporate culture, listen and share ideas. It may sound trite, but only through this consistent employee communication, can manufacturers achieve full employee engagement.

MESCO will be using the IEC 61508:2010 SIL 3 certified technology platform from KW-Software with its products to form the basis of safety control solutions.

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued a ruling that establishes the ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2013 as the commercial building reference standard for state building energy codes.

New England Institute of Technology (NEIT)'s automation lab will be used by students enrolled in the Bachelor of Science Degree program in Electrical Engineering Technology.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the motion control technology used by Zaber's positioning devices, describe and quantify the inaccuracies that arise as a result, and offer some strategies to help minimize these effects.

The company finished construction on a 125,000-square-foot addition to better accommodate its growing workforce and the increased demand for locally manufactured products.

The Georgia STEM Education Awards recognizes schools, programs, and companies for outstanding efforts and achievements in supporting and promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Education in Georgia.

Single and dual axis inclinometers are certified for use in Class I, Division 2, Groups A, B, C and D hazardous locations.

With this command set, even complex applications for the thermal imaging area can be solved quite easily.

Aventics celebrated a fifty year anniversary of the opening of the Lexington, Kentucky manufacturing facility.

The all-in-one circuit simulation tool, complete with integrated PCB layout and Bill of Materials (BOM) allows a user to scheme, simulate, PCB design, BOM export and purchase with one integrated tool.

Wonderware MES Performance software cut downtime by 50% and saves $400,000 annually at New Belgium Brewing in Fort Collins, Co.

HIMA France is a competence centre for High Integrity Protection System (HIPS).

The fido5000 REM Switch chip has been certified to EtherNet/IP CT11 for beacon-based DLR devices.

The university will use ActiveCube to facilitate Cognitive Interactive Technology deploying robots and motion capture techniques to analyze what goes on in the brain when movement occurs.

Accreditation was awarded by the German Accreditation Service (DAkkS) in Berlin/Braunschweig.

MAVERICK received a Great Rated! notification from the Great Place to Work Institute based on an anonymous survey of its employees.

The DynAMo alarm management solution was launched in November 2013.

Project Management Is More Than a Disruption: It Is Real Work

The Smart Objects Starter Pack (SOSP) 1.0 provides a basis for interoperability across devices connected to the IoT through an open common object model.

An underground pumping station was created to pump water from the Limmernboden reservoir into the Muttsee lake about 600 m higher up. This elevation difference will be used to produce hydroelectric power on demand.

By Mike Hughes, Schaeffler UK With numerous designs to choose from, specifying the right linear guidance system can be a daunting task. Here’s an overview of the types of system available, as well as their main design features and typical areas of application.

MDA will be held at at Hannover Messe, April 13 to 17, 2015, in Hannover, Germany.

More than 200,000 industrial robots will be installed in 2014 worldwide, 15% more than in 2013.

For the period of 2014 to 2017, sales forecasts indicate an increase to about 134,500 units with an estimated value of US$ 18.9 billion.

InStep Software is a provider of real-time performance management and predictive asset analytics software and solutions.

The eTOP Series 500 Glass HMI has ATEX and UL Class I. Div 2 Hazardous location approvals for use in Oil, Gas and harsh environments.

Schneider Electric software now includes products from newly acquired Avantis, SimSci and Wonderware.

Omron designed the facility to give customers access to engineering and technical resources in one centralized location.

NEMA ICS 7 provides practical information concerning ratings, construction, test, performance, and manufacture of industrial control equipment—adjustable speed drives.

Tupras is using AVEVA Everything3D, Diagrams, Electrical and laser scanning solutions in a major brownfield revamp program.

Iberdrola Renewables in Oregon uses a SCADA system from PcVue in its National Control Center to monitor every turbine at every wind farm throughout the country. Iberdrola has 2,479 wind turbines, each with 300 to 350 data points, which equates to 700,000 to 850,000 I/O data points on more than 20 servers.

This service program supports GE’s Roots blowers, compressors and controls customers.

DB Sync uses a back-end RDBMS, such as Microsoft SQL Server or Oracle Database, to store device data in existing tables and download updates specific to each device.

Bolster Security for Your Legacy OPC Server