Articles and News

At the April working group meeting in Chongqing, China, the ISA100.11a draft standard is scheduled for initial work group balloting, the first step in the approval process for the standard.

Downloadable catalog features more than 370 books, DVDs, study packages and CD-ROM products for purchase.

ABB is upgrading the control systems at EPRL's 38.5 MW power station in Thetford, Norfolk, UK, to include a System 800xA.

A DeltaV system, AMS software, Fisher valves and Foundation Fieldbus equipment are installed at the Centre for the Assessment of Technical Competence training center in the UK.

Paqworks now carries Moxa's IEC 61850-3 and IEEE 1613 compliant Ethernet Switches suitable for electric utility substation environments.

The project, “Proactive Determination of Networked Node Vulnerability,” will seek out weaknesses in network security before and during a security intrusion event.

Calculator determines if a user's current system is operating as efficiently as possible, and compares it to a Brooks solution.

Interactive design guide has library of 50 applications, allowing users to locate the specific product series or part number that best matches their needs.

Adept Technology and Prosurgics will develop surgical robotic systems for image-guided and navigated neurological and soft tissue surgery. The surgical robotics market in the USA is forecast to be worth $2.5 billion by 2011

Project includes controls for the high lift and low lift pumps, UV system, clarifier, generator, filters, Ethernet network, wireless and a Wonderware SCADA system.

The endowment will be used to provide scholarships to students studying the arts and sciences related to the theory, design, manufacture, and use of instrumentation, systems, and automation.

The NCS has been running since February 2005 in an environmental chamber at temperatures up to 221°F. The only problem so far: Labels are turning brown.

An ABB-based robotic end of line packaging system for Cederroth handles cosmetic bottles in any orientation, in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, with and without trays.

ABB will supply a System 800xA control system, motor, drive system ACS 6000 SD, installation and commissioning.

By Microscan Biosite, manufacturer of medical test panels, encodes ID tracking numbers in a bar code on each panel. It had problems reading a long Code 39 bar code--even with a machine vision system--so it changed to a Data Matrix code, which it reads easily with Microscan Quadrus MINI scanners.

Center has Optical Emission (OES), Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) and Wavelength Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (WDXRF) systems.

Accomplishments so far include hiring staff, improving government relations, adding OMAC activities, participating in the WBF, and coordinating a trade show in China.

CEDES is a leading supplier of safety and measuring light curtains, as well as other safety and non-safety optoelectronics, control units and related accessories for industrial applications.

Safety Manager can now be used for applications that require a U.S.-certified NFPA 72 certificate.

Han Shin Power Tech will be the exclusive dealer in Korea for Adept's complete portfolio of robotics, controls, vision and software products.

Note addresses the requirements and methods for ensuring optimum synchronization and alignment of process data for process analytical technology (PAT).

Service provides a rapid evaluation of the cyber-security vulnerabilities and exposure risk of SCADA and process control systems.

Autodesk donated FDO Provider to the Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo). This provides ability to directly access and manipulate data within the new database.

ABB to install System 800xA, ACS800 drives, and a Freelance 800F compact control system at the coal mine in Tamnava, Serbia.

The ERP system will integrate inventory control, formulation and lab management, regulatory reporting, production, labor tracking and other processes.

Micro Motion Coriolis flowmeters are used by Argosy for flow measurement and quality monitoring in Russian Sputnik oil separator systems.

SB Electronics uses pressure-sensitive film from Sensor Products to check tolerance of press plates that flatten the round capacitor profile.

Partners in THINC allows visitors to see real parts being manufactured for real customers in real time.

KOMPAS users are able to work directly with the TraceParts library — one of the largest Mechanical Parts libraries in the world.

CDI to do system integration projects in electric power and distribution.

Net income in the fourth quarter of the prior year was $96 million, an increase of 20 percent over the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007.

AMETEK acquired MCG, a manufacturer of customized motors and motion control solutions for the medical, life sciences, industrial automation, semiconductor and aviation markets.

ABB won a contract worth $123 million to design, construct, and provide System 800xA automation for a new fertilizer processing plant in Chile.

Alpha Gear Drives opened an office in Waterdown, ON, Canada

Center helps Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX) improve asset utilization and availability in its facilities.

Zecotek and Fujikura will jointly develop, manufacture and commercialize Zecotek's crystal and fiber based lasers and Fujikura's infra-red fiber lasers.

The Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory was named Autodesk Inventor of the Year for 2007. Using Autodesk Inventor software, LNLS designed a system with 15,800 parts.

The catalog details the company's testing services, product types, product approval schemes, service approval schemes, and available certification marks.

The expansion increased WAGO’s product manufacturing and storage capacity to 75,000 sq. ft.

Mesh field network monitors wellhead annular pressure and heat exchanger pressures on the Grane offshore platform.

I/Oassistant is used as a configuration tool when designing TURCK’s BL20 in the panel and BL67 on the machine nodes. It uses FDT/DTM, and will generate a fieldbus I/O map.

Manufacturers need to change their concept of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) from one that effectively ends with the sale to one that promotes an ongoing involvement with the customer and builds on continued service to develop valuable, revenue-generating relationships. In addition, manufacturers will need to re-evaluate their corporate governance and decision-making control in this new environment and their supply chain strategies given the increased high-technology content in their products. ****

ABB will provide a SCADAvantage Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system for the SEMCO natural gas control center in Port Huron, Michigan.

TiPS is celebrating 20 years of delivering tools for maximizing the capabilities of operators and operations management.

Pang is responsible for managing the R&D group in San Jose, and for coordinating U.S. efforts with JAI’s R&D group in Japan.

Wonderware achieved the Service Capability and Performance (SCP) certification for the 5th year in a row.

The A&WMA is challenging undergraduate and graduate students to try their hands at solving the types of environmental questions faced by professionals in the industry.

ISA20 Instrument Specification Forms cover most instrument types used in the pharmaceutical and other industries. The CD has 73 fill-in-the-blank forms.

Lucich was formerly VP of Distribution and National Accounts with Rexnord Industries.

SUNY New Paltz School of Science and Engineering receives funding for New York State farm solar energy projects.

This program provides consumers of circuit protection devices with an opportunity to properly recycle electrical components that may otherwise populate a landfill.

Power generation utilities in Southern Africa are expected to increasingly adopt automation and control solutions based on DCSes, PLCs or SCADA to counter the effects of the current power shortage.

On a quarterly basis, the Process Control Technology alert reports and analyzes the latest advances across a range of process control and automation areas.

Autodesk, Emerson, the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance, and PBG Industries made donations to the Gateway Academy programs for secondary-school students.

Prism Solar will implement the IFS Applications product suite of mixed-mode manufacturing, which will be integrated with PLC and RF devices to automate its data collection processes.

Catalog includes data acquisition and control products based upon PCI, PXI, ISA and Ethernet interfaces.

Catalog covers Ethernet Managed Switches, servers, wireless, USB, converters, cards, digital and analog I/O, fiber optics, cabling and connectors.

Four minute demo shows how HazardWatch Fire & Gas Detection System monitors plants for deadly gas and flame safety hazards.

Gilsdorf is now vice president and general manager for Honeywell Process Solutions operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Donation is to the IEEE and NFPA Arc Flash Collaborative Research Project. The donation will help expand the knowledge of electric arc phenomena and enhance worker safety.

Available in digital format, this book covers new topics such as ISA100.11a, RFID, WirelessHART, and WiFi.

ABB’s Expert Optimizer software won “Most innovative technology for electrical energy efficiency” award at the Global Fuels conference in London.

ProTeus CMMS software manages maintenenace of everything at Spokane International from electrical pumps to HVAC.

Phoenix Contact engineers will lead students in a series of hands-on experiments that reinforce science and math learned in the classroom.

Leveraging the knowledge and know-how of the people in an organization is a powerful way to make improvements and solve problems. The difficulty is getting this done effectively and avoiding an ineffective committee that creates more problems.

Scientific Support Services is the exclusive distributor of Aspectrics’ EP-NIR biodiesel process analyzers across UK and Ireland.

"Champion of Science" Congressman David Price visited Automation Federation and ISA leaders at AF headquarters in Research Triangle Park.

ABB will provide a System 800xA to help expand operations and increase processing capacity by 80 percent.

John Nichols, formerly Director of Business Development, has been appointed Managing Director.

The new company would employ about 25,000 people worldwide and achieve sales of more than EUR 2.2 billion. The merger will not result in any job losses.

ABB signed a Full Service agreement with Huhtamäki Oyj to manage maintenance activities at its facility in Hameenlinna, Finland.

The Honeywell User Input Subcommittee (UIS) was formed in 1993 to provide a mechanism for customers to coordinate and prioritize input to Honeywell for enhancements to global installed systems.

ABB's net income increased to a record $3.8 billion in 2007 from $1.4 billion a year earlier as markets remained strong and further operational improvements were made.

Aleithe will be responsible for the continued growth and strategic business development of low voltage drives in the U.S. market.

System retrieves real-time, event-driven alarms and data from PLCs and broadcasts the alarms and data via email messaging.