Articles and News

Honeywell’s Experion PKS and Safety Manager will be used to fully automate a new fertilizer plant being built near Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

Axens will become a sub-licensor of Invensys Operations Management’s SimSci-Esscor PRO/II software.

Before joining Webb, Gonos served as a turnaround and restructuring specialist for a major carbon materials manufacturer.

The e-guide provides an overview to Keithley's line of digital multimeters, including typical applications.

Integrity and PlantState Suite software will manage process alarms and automation configurations at fifteen sites for Southeast region power utility.

Catslog covers high crosspoint count matrices, very wide multiplexers, switching systems to 10A and matrix solutions to microwave frequencies.

Because the “As One” name has become confusing to potential customers, the company is changing its name to Savigent Software.

Do we need to include valve in SIL verification or can we limit up to the solenoid operated valve considering valve as a mechanical device.

Automation.com, April 2011 By Bill Lydon, Editor The asset management study was done through Virginia Tech’s Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. Survey results indicate companies that elevate the importance of APM through involvement of upper level management or organization-wide involvement tend to out-perform others based on a variety of metrics.

Microsite for Board-to-Board/Wire-to-Board Modular Systems includes a core product selector.

ABB will supply a System 800xA control system as well as integrated safety, compressor protection, emergency shutdown, and telecommunication systems.

February U.S. manufacturing technology consumption totaled $329.43 million. With a year-to-date total of $699.16 million, 2011 is up 138.1% compared with 2010.

The CSense technology establishes an open programming workbench for advanced analytic technologies used to build solutions for prediction, root cause analysis and advanced process control.

Sales of machine vision components and systems in North America soared 54% in 2010 to nearly $1.8 billion, according to the Automated Imaging Association (AIA), the industry’s trade group.

'Smart Efficiency' as the keynote theme for HANNOVER MESSE 2011 was the common thread running through the majority of this year's displays, and was also addressed in the many debates and forums featured at the event.

Open Systems International was selected by Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd. (MAHB) to upgrade the Electrical Power Supply (EPS) system for the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

The driver software is available for download in C# source code without any license fees or usage limitations.

Parpia will take over the position from Ravishankar G., who resigned for personal reasons.

Radius will install FastNet RTU and PDR VHF Data radios as part of a rainwater drainage SCADA system for pumping stations in the cities of Al Dammam and Al Khobar.

Rosemount wireless flow and pressure transmitters on two new storage tanks monitor water usage at GlaxoSmithKline's Cork plant in Ireland.

Invensys will sell ACM Facility Safety’s process safety decision-support software, Machu Picchu.

Solution Center online interactive knowledge base answers questions on the selection, application, installation, maintenance and general use of motion components and systems.

The AS3992 UHF Gen 2 Reader chip is an integrated analog front end and provides protocol handling for ISO18000-6b/c 900MHz RFID reader systems.

Honeywell is creating programs to develop the engineering talent of the future, including plant operators, maintenance technicians, implementation engineers, system administrators and management.

Sensor Technology in the UK is developing technology to ensure safety when excited performers and heavy machinery share the same stage.

Adansor Systems Integration is offering customers a blend of in-house skills incorporating mechanical, electrical and software engineering.

Phoenix Contact brings the Hanover Fair (Hannover Messe) to Americans unable to travel to Germany. The company is posting video news reports from the show.

Keith Garris and Christina Jones have joined the company to cover the East and West coast regions, respectively.

This Ethernet technology will be featured in TI’s upcoming Sitara ARM microprocessors (MPUs) planned for the beginning of the fourth quarter of 2011.

Sakakibara replaces Åke Lindqvist, outgoing IFR President, who was presented the Joseph Engelberger Award on 22 March in Chicago.

The Open Automation Software application demonstrates monitoring 1 to 25 water treatment filter beds with one click of the mouse.

The objective is the establishment of SmartWire-DT as a new standard in the communications interface for intelligent switchgear.

Honeywell will provide its UniSim Design process simulation software to Shell through 2015.

CIMdata says cPDm will continue as the fastest-growing segment of the PLM market with a five-year forecast of 9.3 percent, resulting in a projected cPDm market size of $15 billion by 2015.

With this technology, atomization is effected by steam instead of the more conventional compressed air.

The new facility will supply high-voltage and extra high-voltage transmission cables to carry electric power underground.

Measurement and inspection services company QS-Grimm GmbH uses Micro-Epsilon’s optoNCDT 2400 confocal sensor to measure round tubes.

Pilgrim Software, Inc. will provide integrated risk, compliance and quality management solutions to Thermo Fisher’s informatics customers operating in highly regulated environments.

Bogotá will be the main AVEVA hub for the Caribbean and South American countries situated in the north of the region.

ODVA launched a Machinery Initiative designed to improve the integration of machinery with the industrial manufacturing ecosystem.

CAS will be responsible for the sales and support of all ESCORT Data Logger products in North America.

Emerson has acquired full ownership of its Fisher Sanmar Limited joint venture from Sanmar Engineering

AutomationDirect will sell KEPDirect OPC Server for use with its controllers and remote I/O.

Metso will provide a DNA distributed control system and an information management system for the new plant being built by Hitachi Zosen Inova in Vaasa, Finland.

Bernie Anger, General Manager Control and Communication Systems for GE Intelligent Platforms, has been elected to PI North America's Board of Directors.

Larry Schwartz moves to the position of Chief Strategy Officer and Jim King is promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer.

Headquartered in Mumbai, the DIGILINK cabling business has 92 employees and generated sales of about €25 million in calendar year 2010.

Automation.com, April 2011 By Jeff Kamin, QComp Robots are the buzz for anyone in manufacturing, assembling, packaging or distributing products. Many end users rely on an integrator or OEM to provide a robot solution without really understanding the potential benefits and liabilities. This article poses some of the questions that a robotic user should consider prior to selecting a robot and a robot programmer/installer.

Supply chain software developer merges with systems integrator.

ROMeo optimization software enables CNPC to respond in real time to changes in feedstock variation, process conditions and utilities prices for sustainable energy savings.

MDU will upgrade and replace their legacy SCADA/EMS system with OSI's monarch (Multi-platform Open Network ARCHitecture) platform.

Mroz was the President of ABB’s petroleum, chemical and consumer industries business area based in Zurich, Switzerland.

The 2011 product guide features a complete selection of Lantech product lines, including wireless access points, redundant fiber controllers and industrial switches.

The RNU, a PLC-based fuel governor, is a "plug and play" direct replacement for the existing Woodward range of NetCon controllers.

Automation.com, March 2011 By PLCopen North America The use of skid mounted equipment has become popular for a number of reasons but they pose some unique automation and control challenges that can be solved by using IEC 61131-3 and PLCopen standards.

The approvals, which include ATEX, DNV, Industrial IT, UL and CSA, apply to Ethernet extenders, switches and media converters.

Summerville spent most of his professional career at Rockwell Automation, including 10 years with Rockwell in Asia.

Subjects covered will range from the use of on-line particle sizing in micronization through to process optimization and control of cement production.

SoftDEL Systems promoted its chief marketing officer, Chirag Nanavati, to chief executive officer.

Siemens will provide hands-on educational courses in the fields of process instrumentation technology and applications to its customers in North America.

Blog allows users to ask questions and get them answered by their peers and Sandvik Coromant’s own team of experts.

4 Bravo Marketing provides marketing/consulting services for the industrial and building automation industries.

The office will focus on serving the needs of Mexican and South American Industry.

American engineering students have been invited to participate in Phoenix Contact’s xplore New Automation Award competition.

Metso will supply of spare parts and maintenance services for Metso’s valves, actuators and positioners for 11 refineries in Brazil.

Constellation will deploy the SmartSignal Shield predictive-diagnostic solution, along with SmartSignal Cycle Watch software for combustion turbine start-ups.

Tridium's Niagara Framework connects multiple systems and equipment within Manitoba Hydro Place, a 22-story office tower.

By Chandu Bhatasana, Aker Solutions In gas flow metering, the impact of uncertainty in flow measurement depends on quantity of gas, commercial value of gas metered and uncertainty in measurement. For a high throughput gas metering system, a marginal reduction in uncertainty helps reduce the financial exposure.

He joins the company from Delphi Connection Systems (Irvine, Calif.), where he was Business Unit Manager of Electrical and Fiber Optic Connections.

Invensys announces that Wayne Edmunds, who has been Chief Financial Officer of the Company since 2009, has been appointed Chief Executive to replace Ulf Henriksson.

Summit Energy provides energy procurement, risk management, market intelligence, data management and sustainability consulting services.

Meggitt hired Sean O’Brien as a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer and Martin Luplow as a Quality Engineer.

Rockwell will monitor and control coal handling, ash handling, mill reject, water treatment and fire protection systems at Avantha Power in India.

Online game simulates a Plant Manager’s experience and challenges players to increase productivity, sustainability and the overall health of an industrial plant.

In 2010, with more than 115,000 industrial robots shipped, the number of units sold worldwide almost doubled – with 2009 being lowest year since the early 90’s.