Articles and News

In addition to a fresh graphics approach, the website now offers a greater depth of information on the Sercos automation bus.

By Bill Lydon, Editor The Industry 4.0 initiative is just one part of a 10-point high-tech plan in Germany’s strategy to be the leading supplier of products in a number of disciplines. The 10-point plan was created in 2006 and focuses on academia, research institutions and industry.

By Bill Lydon, Editor Layered cyber security protection has become an important factor for automation systems. The bottom layers of the network include the controllers with real-time embedded processors. I recently interviewed Alan Grau, President and Co-Founder of Icon Labs, about their company and cyber security solution offering.

BASF has decided to establish TuneWizard as a standard control loop tuning software for internal use.

Use external-reset feedback to prevent oscillations for a slow secondary loop or final control element; meet process objectives with setpoint rate limits,

The 2014 edition of Delta Standard Power Supplies catalog and leaflets include a total of more than 30 new models, plus more reader friendly features.

Young Tech is a Korean-based manufacturer of positioners and accessories including electro-pneumatic, pneumatic and smart positioners, solenoid valves and I to P converters.

By installing condition monitoring systems from Schaeffler on 56 wind turbines, Spanish renewable energy provider Geolica is making significant annual cost savings.

Guide describes sensors for displacement, distance, position and length measurement, 2D/3D laser sensors for dimensional measurements, colour sensors, non-contact temperature sensors, thermal imaging cameras, and measurement and inspection systems.

Expanded Metal selected the Epicor enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution to replace its existing ERP software and support its international operations.

ABB is responsible for the engineering, procurement, construction, installation, pre-commissioning, commissioning and testing of two gas turbine driven generators, step-up transformers, new high-voltage switchgear, power management system and associated facilities.

LCD Displays are certified for Class 1 Division 2 environments such as oil and gas drilling platforms, underground and surface mining, chemical processing, pharmaceutical and food processing, and outdoor HMI.

The drive democases are from the ACS880 high performance DTC product line.

IoT Security Advisors will provide security services for organizations that must manage privacy and security challenges associated with the IoT.

A successful industrial project implementation starts with the selection of the right manufacturing operations management (MOM) software applications.

Rootstock’s Cloud ERP will replace the on-premise legacy ERP software, which will consolidate all of Pioneer’s key metrics onto the Force.complatform.

Ocean Data Systems is in discussions with the leading industrial nations, in an unprecedented move to deliver Dream Report as the global standard for reporting in automation.

The EnOcean Alliance has more than 350 companies in the building industry worldwide.

The company cites its partnerships with Siemens, Mitsubishi, Phoenix Contact, Matrox, Kawasaki Robotics and Indusoft as critical components to its success in the Texas region.

A Delay Decomposition Approach to Robust Stability Analysis of Uncertain Systems

At Hannover Messe, 200 companies will use 61,350 square feet of exhibition space to showcase the latest digital tools for intelligent product development and manufacturing.

Germany and the European Union, the United States and China are the countries in which Endress+Hauser has applied for patents.

The theme of Inspire 2014, May 6-8, 2014 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is how the interaction among Culture, Safety and Technology can be used to improve safety in process plants.

When calculating the cost of a project, a decision, or some other activity, do not fail to consider the intangible costs.

The former subsidiary of Bosch Rexroth has been operating as a standalone company since the start of 2014.

The open membership group will focus on breaking down the barriers of technology silos to support better access to big data with improved integration of the physical and digital worlds.

CIO Utilities Technology magazine named MAVERICK Technologies the best source for automation in the utilities industry.

By Chase Gregory, Stahlin Most control housings are typically made up of metals, thermoplastics, or composite materials. Here's a brief overview of the three main types of enclosure materials describing how they perform relative to preventing corrosion and impact resistance.

Inter RAO-Engineering, a Russian engineering contractor (EPC) in the power industry, will use AVEVA solutions as a platform to perform engineering and design work on complex projects.

The website was designed with a fresh new look, user-friendly navigation, and updated with the latest information about products, including Rockwell Automation, Allen-Bradley, Hoffman, Panduit, Thomas & Betts, Mersen, Hevi-Duty, Killark, Hubbell, Hardy Process, Omni Cable, Stratus, ProSoft, Acme and more than 35 others.

GE Intelligent Platforms will develop and manufacture rugged high performance embedded computing (HPEC) and graphics solutions based on Tegra K1.

RAE is a manufacturer of high-performance motion control motors, controllers and gearmotors for industrial and commercial applications.

By Bill Lydon, Editor Emerson invested nearly $70 million in a new 282,000-square-foot Innovation Center in Round Rock, Texas. The center serves as the global headquarters for Emerson’s automation systems and project services business, which helps customers safely, reliably and profitably operate facilities in various industries.

According to a new market report, the global power rental market was valued at USD 7.28 billion in 2012 and is expected to reach 20.64 billion in 2019, growing at a CAGR of 16.2% from 2013 to 2019.

Yokogawa China will provide the CENTUM VP integrated control system to Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum, which is constructing an advanced coal/oil co-processing pilot plant.

Inspire the Next Generation of Leaders by Volunteering for FIRST

This year’s Digital Factory show will be complemented by an expanded lineup of solutions that are geared to the next generation of smart, connected products.

NEPSI is short for National Supervision and Inspection Centre for Explosion Protection and Safety of Instrumentation in China.

All entries must use Honeywell UniSim Design Suite software, available free to professors teaching at students’ universities and colleges.

Brochure includes 28 application examples of how Micro-Epsilon sensors and measurement systems are providing benefits for customers in development, testing, production and quality assurance.

Singapore-based port equipment engineering solutions provider Portek Systems & Equipment, has gone live with the Epicor enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution.

Honeywell’s Refining and Petrochemical Modeling System (RPMS) and its Intuition Executive advanced information management software will be installed in 17 PetroChina refining and petrochemical sites across China.

The Board of Directors named Kevin J. Kilgallen, President of Mid Atlantic Machinery, to serve as Chairman. He follows Chairman R. Stephen Flynn, President of Optical Gaging Products.

By Bill Lydon, Editor Even though New York City experienced a snow storm that accumulated 10 inches of snow, the AHR Expo experienced a record attendance. More than 43,000 visitors and 18,000 exhibitor personnel flocked to the Javits Convention Center.

HART-IP allows the HART Protocol to run over an IP-based connection, delivering valuable HART data at the speed of Ethernet. HART-IP significantly simplifies the connection configuration and the information integration.

The authentication technology cannot be detected by a general physical examination. Depending on customer preference, this covert capability offers four distinct layers of detection.

Severn Glocon is using Metso’s intelligent positioners to help meet demanding anti-surge valve requirements for an unidentified NGL project.

MeterView EX Programming Software for the Vantageview PD6730 and ProtEX Flow Rate / Totalizers provides plant operators with full control of the meter configuration.

By Dave Dahl, Rockwell Automation, et al Low power factor and high levels of voltage and current harmonic distortion, are a significant but often hidden cost in industrial operations. Without corrective measures, these factors increase electrical utility charges, impair equipment health, and prevent efficient industrial expansion.

MES Projects Are About the Business, Not the Technology

REACH is a European Community safety and environmental regulation that deals with the registration, evaluation, authorization and restriction of chemical substances.

Signal characterization in a DCS can solve problems resulting from signal characterization in the valve positioner.

IDTechEx says the RFID market - including tags, readers, software and services, for passive and active RFID - will grow from $7.88 billion in 2013 to $9.2 billion in 2014

Previously, Guitart led a large global R&D team at TECO-Westinghouse Motor Company.

Quest Components will be a franchised distributor of high-power standard, fast and super-fast recovery rectifiers, low-power and bridge rectifiers, diacs, IGBT modules, SCRs, Triacs, TVS and Zener diodes.

IniTECH incorporated the Assured Automation stainless steel angle body valve into batching systems for the flavor, fragrance and beauty care industries.

The PLC/Programming Learning Package provides Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) hands-on training for schools, universities, individual study and company employee education.

By Alex Mills, Chess Logistics Technology Warehouse management systems have come a long way in the last 25 years and the latest versions far surpass their predecessors in terms of performance, sophistication and the value they can deliver to a business. And yet the market is slowing down.

Bürkert Werke, KHS GmbH, Phoenix Contact, SAG GmbH and Sensitec GmbH have been nominated for the Hermes award.

The survey found that supply chain executives want to invest in powerful new technologies and business innovations to improve their supply chains, but are hampered by a shortage of qualified talent and never-ending pressure to cut costs.

The order includes Metso's Neles rotary and globe valves and Jamesbury valves, including control, on-off and safety valves.

Sandhöfner took over from Frank Winter, who led the company in Germany since its founding in 1983. Winter will continue to assist the company in an advisory capacity.

Honeywell's HBS Building Solutions and HPS Process Solutions have been appraised at Maturity Level 5 of Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI).

Metso will supply a DNA automation system, a safety system, and links to Neste Oil's existing systems, as well as automated on-off and emergency shutdown (ESD) valves.

Are Smart Devices in a Plant Your Most Valuable Assets?

The building automation & control systems market in India is anticipated to grow threefold in revenue terms by 2019, at a rate of 21.7% during 2014-19.

SIS hardware was the largest market in 2012, accounting for 49% of total revenues. However, now the SIS services market is set to become the highest dollar value safety market.

The C RS T cable entry seals are for single cable or pipe penetrations and allow the routing of pre-terminated cables without cutting or splicing.

Deutschmann attained certification to the current PROFINET 2.2 and GSDML 2.25 specifications for the UNIGATE IC and UNIGATE CL series.

Toth is vice president and managing director of Rosenberger-Toth in Pennsauken, New Jersey.

The system will ensure the fully automated transport and storage of finished Moduleo vinyl flooring between production, warehouse and dispatch.

By Bill Lydon, Editor Pharmaceutical automation leaders from around the world gathered to discuss a number of automation challenges, including how their companies are dealing with reduced personnel and the need to support multiple technologies at multiple sites. This article highlights those conversations and addresses the automation support models and the use of managed services.

MAC Solutions uses an eWON Talk2M Virtual Private Network router to provide remote diagnostics with good security.

MA and NAM say they are making significant progress toward achieving a five-year goal to award 500,000 industry-based certifications to individuals.

MotionCompass web-based application helps provide mini motor solutions based on unique motion requirements for various applications.