Articles and News

More than 200 prospects and customers attended the second day of "Results-Driven Power Control" ABB Low Voltage Products Roadshow, held at the Ritz Carlton on June 23 - 24. "They arrived early and expressed enormous interest in the workshops and exhibits," said John Fahey, a principal of En-Sync, a manufacturer's representative for the district.

The Joint Venture company has its headquarters in Yuyao to the South of Shanghai and carries the name Ningbo Hirschmann Electronics Co., Ltd. It will produce Hirschmann standard versions of different connector series in large quantities. Customized versions and special versions will still be manufactured at the Hirschmann sites in Békéscsaba/Hungary or Neckartenzlingen.

The Honeywell system will enable the Datong Coal Mine Group to increase mine safety and improve the operating efficiency of its mining operation. The contract is valued at $2.5 million and includes design, engineering, commissioning, testing and maintenance services.

Actual solutions and success stories from many different applications are featured on the website. It shows how the Ethernet network infrastructure fits into the four main industries of machine building, metals, petrochemicals, and semiconductors.

Accuracy grades created by THK in 1973 have been adopted as the Global Standard. After 30 years, THK’s manufacturing capability has improved the accuracy standards of LM Guides. In addition to revising specifications, THK has added two new accuracy standards (Ct7 and Ct5) to accommodate a wider range of application requirements. THK accuracy grades range from sub-micron to normal.

Square D was presented with Rexel's prestigious Outstanding Distribution Supplier Award at its President's Club Sales Award event held April 29 in Cancun, Mexico. Rexel, the U.S. subsidiary of Rexel S.A., the world’s largest electrical parts distributor, presents the award to a select group of suppliers for outstanding performance throughout the year.

ETL, the international testing laboratory, awarded UL-294 certification for ISONAS ClearNet IP Reader-Controllers®. Certification signifies that the ISONAS products have been tested and found to meet industry standards for electronic devices and physical access control.

A registration statement relating to the common shares has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission but has not yet become effective. A preliminary prospectus has also been filed with Canadian provincial and territorial securities commissions but has not yet become final for the purposes of a distribution to the public in Canada.

Invensys will implement five Tricon triple modular redundant (TMR) systems for integrated turbine compressor control (ITCC) and emergency shutdown (ESD) at a new plant being built for Egypt Basic Industries Corporation (EBIC). The anhydrous ammonia plant, at Ain Sokhna in Egypt's Suez Industrial Zone, will produce a planned 2,000 metric tons per day and will be the largest ammonia plant in Egypt.

Danfoss Drives won the 2006 Award for Product Innovation in the field of variable frequency drive technology. The award recognizes Danfoss’ VLT AutomationDrive – their newest and most advanced variable frequency drive.

The project management function within FleetwoodGoldcoWyard will change significantly under Herbeck’s direction. The goal is to develop an industry-recognized project team that can add value to the company’s equipment capabilities, improve its execution of larger single business unit and multiple business unit projects, and exceed the expectations of its clients.

WELSH scientists are working to send productivity rates buzzing by studying the behavior of honey bees. Researchers at Cardiff University 's Manufacturing Engineering Centre have devised a new mathematical algorithm after observing bees foraging for nectar. This calculation, the researchers claim, will enable companies to maximize results by changing basic elements of their processes.

The agreement will help China’s power plants improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions. Honeywell will provide its portfolio of energy solutions used to optimize efficiency of utility plants. Power plant operators will be able to access Honeywell applications through FibrLINK’s power industry service networks.

The solution includes Matrikon's ProcessGuard for alarm management and archiving, ProcessNet for web-based visualization of real-time alarm and process data systems, ProcessMonitor for advanced analysis and predictive alarming, and consulting services.

Wisconsin Secretary of Commerce Mary Burke will present the award, accompanied by members of the Wisconsin Society of Professional Engineers board of directors. Last April, the Allen-Bradley E3 Solid-State Overload Relay received the Governor’s New Product Award, Best in State, in the Mega Employment Category, making it eligible to compete for this year’s National Society of Professional Engineers Award.

NHK Spring's optical coupler business includes the component micro-fabrication technologies and film deposition technologies required to produce high-performance quartz optical waveguides. OMRON intends to combine NHK Spring's quartz optical waveguide technology with its own stacked polymer optical waveguide technology to create new products that will expand its business in the "Fiber To The Home" optical coupler market.

Seminars on Berger Lahr motors, drives and controllers will be held on Wednesday Sept. 20th in Toronto, on Tuesday Sept. 26th in Quebec City, and on Wednesday Sept. 27th in Montreal.

Elsevier will publish ISA Transactions on behalf of ISA starting in January 2007. Elsevier will distribute ISA Transactions to an international audience via the electronic platform ScienceDirect which currently has access to more than 10 million users worldwide.

The VDC survey analyzed telephone interview and web survey returns from nearly 1,000 users of rugged mobile computing platforms during the first half of 2006 and in 2005. This marks the second year in a row that Intermec has distinguished itself in service support among VDC survey respondents.

The two test and measurement companies are working together to provide instrument drivers to engineers and scientists shortly after the release of new Agilent measurement products, making it even easier to use NI LabVIEW with Agilent instruments.

This agreement allows Pacific Technical Products to sell and support Precise Automation’s products in Southern California. These products include PrecisePlace Robots, Guidance Motion Controllers and PreciseVision Software.

The use case study allows end users to describe their specific industrial wireless application requirements in their own words, and will provide structure to ensure adequate detail for the committee's working groups. The use cases that have been completed, and those in progress, cover a variety of industries, including oil & gas, water, nuclear, food processing, chemical, aerospace, and automotive.

The Cirronet acquisition is valued at up to approximately $24.0 million in cash and stock; The Caver-Morehead acquisition is valued at approximately $4.0 million, all cash. Both Cirronet, a wireless data communications and networking company, and Caver-Morehead, which offers computerized maintenance management system (“CMMS”) software, are privately held.

The new operator training course provides in-depth information on the DeltaV system, operator user interface, alarms, trending and module operation. This program is a cost effective alternative to traditional classroom training, as it eliminates the need for costly travel and lodging.

ExperTune has appointed Kevin Gibbs as its Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. His primary focus will be managing the continued growth of PlantTriage sales.

Ethernet Direct is cooperating with Pako Communications Pvt Ltd. to take part in India’s Automation 2006 exhibition, which will be held from Sep. 27-30 in Bombay Exhibition Center.

The Market for Temperature Sensors in the Americas, 2nd Edition says the temperature sensor market in the Americas totaled $620 million in 2005. Revenues from sales of temperature sensors in the Americas are projected to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.2 percent through 2010, when they are expected to reach $760 million. Trends include a shift to noncontact measurements and a move away from thermocouples and RTDs.

Small and medium-size manufacturers are more optimistic than other industry segments, with many owners and managers projecting revenue growth and continued hiring over the next 12 months, according to the results of an International Profit Associates Small Business Research Board (IPA SBRB) survey

The upgrade will help the agency fulfill the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and other executive orders mandating significant reductions in energy consumption, emissions and electrical demand by federal government agencies. The GSA’s Energy Center of Expertise (ECOE) will integrate web-enabled PowerLogic ION EEM energy analysis software into an existing network of PowerLogic ION 8600 intelligent revenue meters and power management software.

A test of the Power Genius™ power controller on a metal stamping press at Check-Mate Industries was performed on a 10 horsepower motor powering a 60 ton stamping press producing handgun magazines. 23% energy savings were measured during a test conducted over two hours--one hour without and one hour with the product.

JIMTOF is a trade fair widely recognized and attended by all manufacturers in Japan, the world's largest producer of machine tools in the world. The JIMTOF2006 fair features choice state-of-the-art manufacturing process technology on a grand scale at Japan 's largest exhibition hall, Tokyo Big Sight, which provides over 82,660 square meters of exhibition area.

Bruno Schiavello, director of fluid dynamics in the technology department of Flowserve Pumps, has won the 2006 Fluid Machinery Design Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

This white paper offers practical "Good System Implementation Practice" tips to help improve your validation documentation and ensure your system's Part 11 compliance. MasterControl's recommendations cover five key areas: System SOPs; User Authentication; Access security; Audit trail; Record retention

Telemecanique® Automation and Control Repair Services can maintain more than 120,000 products from more than 2,500 manufacturers. Customers now have a single source to repair or replace their entire automation and control equipment line, regardless of the manufacturer.

The flowmeter selection chart shows the technology that provides best value in a typical application of a fluid. The chart also compares various technologies and fluids on the basis of cost, accuracy, installation requirements, output type, on-unit display availability, power requirements, flow switching availability, rangability, fluid conductivity and response time.

ISA will host a special event for young automation professionals at ISA EXPO 2006 in Houston, Texas. YAPFEST, the Young Automation Professional Festival, will be open only to automation professionals and students aged 30 and under, and will feature networking opportunities with industry executives, food, entertainment, and prizes.

The LXI Consortium’s recent PlugFest, held July 25-27 in Cleveland, Ohio, was highlighted by the testing of products meeting Class A and Class B requirements in a simulated real-world environment. Class A devices are the most advanced LXI instruments that include time synchronization via the IEEE 1588 precision time protocol as well as a hardware trigger bus.

Schneider Electric's Initi@tive 2006 trade exposition in the United States, to be held September 28-30 in Orlando, will include seminars on automation and control, electrical distribution and energy efficiency.

Jason Klann has been promoted to senior vice president, business development and strategy. In this role, Klann and his team will continue to drive external growth through acquisitions, as well as working with the North American Operating Division business leaders to continually develop and grow Schneider Electric business strategies in a competitive and changing marketplace.

ABB has signed an agreement with Cooper Tire and Rubber Company to manage maintenance operations at Cooper's Albany, Georgia plant in the United States.

FKI Logistex has won a contract from Hamburg Library (Hamburger Öffentliche Bücherhallen (HÖB)) in Germany to deliver a fully automated RFID-based item-handling and sorting system for the Hamburg central library and 17 city libraries.

ControlAir Inc. announces the current-to-pressure (I/P) and voltage-to-pressure (E/P) Type 900X transducer is now available with zero-based units ranging from 0-7.5 psi to 0-60 psi outputs. The Type 900X approved by Factory Mutual (FM) and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) as intrinsically safe, is also now compliant with the ATEX directive 94/9/EC for equipment intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres in Europe.

The leading PLM integration specialist in the area of product data integration and supplier communication, announced that it has expanded its global presence by opening a new office in Michigan’s Automotive and High Tech Corridor, in the Detroit regional city of Troy, effective July 1, 2006.

ATS Automation Tooling Systems Inc. today announced the launch of a significant reorganization of its Automation Systems Group (ASG) as part of the continuing implementation of its strategic plan and improvement initiatives.

Emerson Process Management received a contract to modernize the instrumentation and control systems for Unit 3 of the Karlshamn power plant in Sweden. The contract, which calls for the installation of Emerson’s PlantWeb digital plant architecture with the Ovation expert control system, was awarded by Karlshamn Kraft AB, a company within E.ON Nordic and partly owned also by Fortum Generation.

Ethernet Direct will sponsor a worldwide Industrial Ethernet Survey being developed by Network Vision. To better understand how companies look at and approach industrial Ethernet technology, Network vision has developed the Worldwide Industrial Ethernet Survey to help recognize key issues and how companies are addressing them.

During this two-day, hands-on course, attendees will learn how to assemble and configure instruments from a variety of vendors into an efficient test setup, and control all of them from a single software interface. Attendees will be able to avoid costly delays by learning how to recognize common test system data communication issues and to steer clear of measurement errors by learning how to coordinate the operation of multiple instruments.

Worldwide expert Jane Lansing, Vice President of Marketing at Emerson, will give a keynote address at ISA's first annual Marketing and Sales Summit, held 13-15 September at the Omni Hotel in Austin, Texas. Lansing's topic, "Engineers are People, Too," will focus on marketing to engineers and technical customers. Her presentation will explore methods of communicating effectively with audiences, implementing efficient marketing in a challenging environment, and developing effective tools for a sales force.

CompoNet meets the requirements of applications using large numbers of simple sensors and actuators by providing high speed communications with configuration tools and combining this with efficient construction, simple set-up and high availability – all on a single network.

Safety light curtains are an advanced method of safeguarding personnel around many hazardous machines. Also called light screens, optical guards, and presence sensing devices, safety light curtains offer freedom, flexibility and reduced operator fatigue when compared with traditional guarding methods such as mechanical barriers, sliding gates and pull-back restraints.

"Instrumentation Technician" will be the featured profession as topic of discussion. The meeting will provide an opportunity for women involved in the instrumentation industry to discuss their daily work life and share common insights and experiences.

Seminars in multiple locations around the world in September and October illustrate how PAT and other technologies can help today's pharmaceutical manufacturers drive manufacturing excellence. The first seminar is September 19 in Billerica, Massachusetts.

Engineering Procurement Contractor, GSEC of Seoul, Korea, has awarded Invensys Process Systems a multimillion dollar automation contract to provide an integrated process control, safety, asset management, and plant information system solution for the grassroots Laffan Refinery under construction at the Ras Laffan City in Qatar.

The Federation, formed last year, is an umbrella organization under which associations and societies engaged in manufacturing, business integration, and process automation activities can work more effectively to fulfill their missions.

Under the agreement, the companies will co-market dcLINK, DSI’s automated data capture (ADC) and RFID solution, to Lawson customers worldwide. DSI will also be a one-stop source for Lawson customers to purchase handheld and vehicle-mounted data collection devices, RFID portals and interrogators, labels, tags, implementation services, and support.

The workshop will provide potential PROFINET developers with a wide range of technical information including PROFINET vendor presentations to help them select the best tools to develop their PROFINET compatible products. The workshop is designed for device developers, development managers and product marketers.

ABB, the leading power and automation technology company, announced it has acquired the assets of the manufacturing and industrial contracting units of Raffin Electric Company Ltd., in Canada. Based in Calgary, Raffin Electric is a leader in custom pre-manufactured Power Distribution Centers and other electrical distribution equipment used primarily in harsh outdoor environments.

Emerson Process Management won a contract to install its PlantWeb digital plant architecture with the Ovation expert control system at We Energies Oak Creek Expansion Project.

Siemens' Annual Industrial Ethernet Symposium will be held for the first time in the U.S. this fall. Scheduled for Oct. 3-4, 2006, the symposium will be held at the Westin Michigan Avenue Hotel in downtown Chicago.

FlowSense recently hired Patrick J. Baynes as Project Manager & Estimator for its Building Services Group.

KUKA Robotics has been selected by Robotic CNC Solutions of New Berlin, WI, to provide robots for its new large format machining cell. The cell utilizes a KUKA robot combined with a linear floor slide to give machinists an expanded working area and travel capability.

Free machine vision seminars for manufacturing professionals run from August through December and are held in major cities throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. These popular half-day events show how machine vision can be applied to improve quality and reduce costs.

Blazer Industries will implement a DEACOM ERP system to fully integrate manufacturing operations and reduce procedural inefficiencies, including duplicate entries and manual processes. Blazer Industries was hindered by separate software systems and a number of labor-intensive procedures that slowed productivity.

As the main automation contractor, Honeywell will supply Qatar Shell GTL Ltd. with some of its highest profile solutions – the Experion Process Knowledge System (PKS) Release 300 platform, UniSim process simulation solution, the Safety Manager instrumented protection and fire & gas systems – to enable a smooth startup and safe and reliable operations for the Pearl GTL project. Last year, Qatar Shell GTL awarded Honeywell a front-end engineering design (FEED) contract to conduct preliminary engineering for the site.

Dr. James Truchard, president, CEO and co-founder of National Instruments, kicked off the 12th annual NIWeek, the world’s leading virtual instrumentation conference and exhibition, on Tuesday by unveiling NI LabVIEW 8.20, the 20th anniversary edition of the graphical development platform, and offering a glimpse of graphical system design in the next 30 years.

Since the publication of the first edition, new material has been added covering continuous emission monitoring systems and custom software. The coverage of analog communications, motion control and electrical installations has been expanded to provide more in-depth coverage of these critical topics. Other topics such as digital communications, industrial networks and maintenance issues have also been updated.

The event will feature practical tutorials and technical working group meetings addressing Make2Pack and B2MML on April 30 and May 3-4. Networking opportunities will be featured at a group event on the evening of May 1 and a special sponsor showcase on the evening of May 2.

Allied Electronics has signed a distribution agreement with Panduit, a leading manufacturer of wiring and communication products. Allied will distribute Panduit’s entire line of products, greatly expanding Allied’s current offering of wiring and cable accessories.

FKI Logistex has won a major contract from Michaels Stores, Inc. to supply a turnkey picking, cross-docking, and automated sortation system at the company's new Northwest retail distribution center in Centralia, Washington. The 715,000-square-foot facility will be the fourth Michaels distribution center for which FKI Logistex has provided a fully automated material handling solution.

The company's enhanced manufacturing and sales presence on five continents allows fast response to the increasing demand for global power solutions, while increased engineering focus assures that a wide selection of new products will assure smooth operation no matter where they are deployed.

WonderWorld 2006 conferences are designed to provide executives, information technology professionals, operations management and engineering personnel with vital information on how their companies can optimize their plant and enterprise operations. Attendees will learn how to achieve maximum efficiency and increased performance throughout the enterprise with the use of best industry practices and Wonderware's wide variety of information and automation software solutions.

Twelve companies have already responded to the invitation and registered their interest in presenting their portfolios at Digital Factory during HANNOVER MESSE 2007 (the Hannover Fair). These include: across Systems, empolis, Siemens AG A&D MC, Siemens I&S, IBM, IDS Scheer, Infoman, Infor, Innosoft, Prostep, SA Service Alliance, and the Research Institute for Rationalization and Operations Management at RWTH Aachen.

Over twenty companies from around the world have responded to the call for proposals from ISA's Wireless Systems for Automation standards committee. The committee is holding a preliminary proposal review meeting on 11-15 September 2006 at ISA in RTP, NC.

Coming off a century most remarkable for its pitched competitive battles, many business experts are predicting that this century will be more distinguished for its cooperative efforts. For years, Bosch Rexroth has been following a collaborative approach with customers and suppliers. Now they are extending that model to their distribution partners.