Articles and News

Under the umbrella of HANNOVER MESSE (Hannover Fair) 2006, "Factory Automation" will present the latest products, systems and services for a complete spectrum of industrial applications.

On January 1, 2006, ISA introduced three new member benefits. The benefits enhance the membership experience of thousands of automation professionals. Each full dues paying Member now receives a free standard each year of their membership. Each Member also has free access to a library of web seminars and free downloads of technical papers from past ISA conferences.

The just-released government NIST 23 standards for the calculations and properties of industrial gases and steam are embedded in the special code created by Emerson as part of a multi-year contract with Air Liquide Large Industries U.S. LP.

BAE Systems has selected the Green Hills GMART SPARK Ada-compliant kernel and AdaMULTI development environment for the new Hawk military trainer development aircraft.

Four different NI products – NI LabVIEW 8, the LabVIEW Embedded Development Module, NI cRIO-4408 and NI SignalExpress 1.1 – were named finalists in five Design News categories, with winners selected online by readers until February and announced in March.

The Embedded Microprocessor Benchmark Consortium (EEMBC) has standardized on the NI LabVIEW graphical development environment and NI PXI data acquisition hardware to implement EnergyBench, a new EEMBC metric that shows the energy a processor uses to run EEMBC performance benchmarks.

As part of the agreement, ProSoft Technology now owns the full rights, patents and intellectual property associated with the OPACTS Terminal Automation & Management Systems, developed by Octal Systems. The agreement will ensure continued support for Octal Systems' products and is seen by both ProSoft Technology and Octal Systems as a positive development for Octal's existing customer base.

The NOF is a Trade Association representing approximately 200 member companies in the North of England who supply goods and services to the oil, gas, marine and renewable energy industries. The capabilities established by NOF member companies in the harsh, demanding environment of the North Sea are highly respected by the developing oil and gas nations around the world.

Transbotics, an integrated solutions provider specializing in automated guided vehicles (AVGs) and automation technology, will integrate KUKA Robotics’ industrial robots into its automatic material handling systems.

Intergraph it has signed a three-year Software License Agreement with CDI-Process & Industrial, a unit of CDI Engineering Solutions, Inc., to globally standardize on Intergraph software. Under the agreement, CDI-Process & Industrial is standardizing on Intergraph’s entire SmartPlant® Enterprise portfolio of plant engineering, design and information and materials management applications.

The awards honor manufacturing companies that are using automation and information technologies to transform their business and create a sustainable competitive advantage. A panel of judges will select seven award winners: one who best demonstrates mastery of each of six business disciplines, plus the Progressive Manufacturer of the Year award for the company that has best mastered technology-driven business transformation across their organization.

Groschopp announced compliance with the European Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive by producing fractional HP motors that use lead-free solder. The company will replace its Sn50 Pb50 solder for Sn96.4Ag3.0Cu0.5 lead-free solder. Solder processes including the flux and cleaner used will remain the same.

The Fieldbus Foundation has announced that an updated version of its FOUNDATION fieldbus specifications is now available. The new specification defines features that enhance fieldbus functionality and provide additional incentives for automation equipment suppliers to get on the "Fast Track to Fieldbus."

WINGAS GmbH, Kassel awarded a contract to Rösberg Engineering GmbH from Karlsruhe for the modernization of the control system of Germany’s largest natural gas storage facility in Rehden. The contract contains the engineering, delivery and priming installation of the complete electrical equipment for PLC and DCS, the commissioning and the trial operation plus the disassembly of the old systems.

The contract covers 18 units at three BP U.S. refineries – Whiting, Ind., Texas City, Texas, and Carson, Calif. Combined, these facilities refine about 1 million barrels of crude per day, or about 7 percent of total U.S. refining capacity. The upgrades are part of BP’s ongoing commitment to improving facilities in North America.

The ARC “Machine Safeguarding Solutions Worldwide Outlook” study determined Siemens has a 23.6% global safety PLC market share, 6.6% more than its nearest competitor. The VDC study reported Siemens has a 33.3% market share for safety PLC shipments in North America.

Intermec Inc and Cascade Corp are teaming to develop a forklift system that incorporates RFID technology into a forklift's very infrastructure, replacing today's cumbersome and inefficient bolt-on approach to data collection.

The Fieldbus Center at Lee College, a National Science Foundation (NSF) recognized and funded institution, today announced an agreement with Westlock Controls to train their sales professionals on the basics of FOUNDATION fieldbus. This is the first such agreement between a Fieldbus Foundation-certified training center and major automation equipment supplier.

This year's event, themed "Compliance, Confidence, Credibility," will address the needs of the expanding FOUNDATION fieldbus market in China and Asia/Pacific, and will feature end user presentations, technical training workshops, and tabletop product exhibits.

"Until recently, most buyers of infrared imaging cameras had to make a budgeting choice between a low-resolution 160x120-pixel camera or no camera at all, but they soon learned they missed a lot at low-resolution," asserts Jon Chynoweth, Vice President of Mikron Infrared.

Emerson Process Management, an Emerson business based in Austin, Texas, (NYSE:EMR), will be at the base of the 25-meter-high Olympic Flame when it ignites Friday, heralding the beginning of the 20th Winter Olympic Games. Emerson is providing the technology that will ignite and maintain the iconic flame as it burns until the close of the competition Feb. 26.

Invensys Process Systems executives presented current trends and technologies in selecting and installing offshore SCADA hardware and related critical technologies at a Zeus Development workshop on Hurricane Evacuation and Remote Operations (HERO). Invensys’ presentation, was part of a series of executive-led discussions on improving availability and utilization of remotely controlled production assets during hurricane related evacuations.

RF Monolithics' Wireless Systems Group is participating in a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract awarded to Nanotherapeutics, Inc. to develop an improved system to detect improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

The initial order is for 22 Adept Cobra s600 vision-guided robots, and is the first part of a multiphase program that could yield several additional lines over the next two years. This program also represents Adept's first design win destined for a major Japanese disk drive manufacturer.

Honeywell is showcasing its newest products for the pulp and paper industry at EXFOR 2006, the world’s largest annual exhibition of technology for the manufacturing of pulp and paper products.

National Instruments is joining more than 20 leading test, measurement and technology companies to host the PXI Technology and Applications Conference (PXI TAC). The PXI TAC is a series of free, full-day events in 15 cities across the United States, Canada and Mexico featuring in-depth informational sessions on the latest PXI platform technologies and roadmaps, case study presentations, hands-on technical training and networking with industry experts.

C.M.H. Manufacturing is a manufacturer of foundry equipment providing a full line of casting equipment to its die casting customers. Waltonen Engineering is a service, integration, design and resource provider to its customers that include major automotive manufacturers, tier one automotive suppliers, defense contract suppliers, appliance manufacturers and product manufacturers.

Intergraph has acquired Alias Ltd., a leading global provider of piping design automation software, based outside of Manchester, England. Alias provides piping software automation solutions, including the popular ISOGEN® product, to Intergraph and other vendors of 3D design software.

Emerson Process Management announced today that it had won a major contract from Reliance Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd. to supply PlantWeb® digital automation architecture and solution services to their new biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility in India. Reliance Life Sciences is a member of the Reliance Group of Companies, India’s largest private sector enterprise.

the CONTROL SYSTEM INTEGRATORS ASSOCIATION (CSIA) announced today that the annual meeting of its members will take place May 11-14 at the Marriott Bay Point Resort in Panama City, FL.

ÅF-Process AB has signed a five-year, multi-million-dollar Software License Agreement to standardize on Intergraph software. Under the agreement, ÅF-Process AB is migrating from existing legacy systems and standardizing on Intergraph’s integrated engineering environment, SmartPlant® Enterprise, through an engineering portal solution to be deployed across the entire ÅF Process division.

The EC21 Embedded Controller is a stand-alone CPU for switching cabinet installation. With an interface for the B&R X2X backplane already on board, the EC21 can be connected to 3 different B&R I/O systems (X67 I/O, compact I/O and the new X20 system) thus allowing for maximum machine flexibility.

Providing operators with enough information to prevent abnormal situations and to diminish the impact of unpreventable abnormal situations is the key to an effective alarm management process. The phased alarm management approach offers a proven, measurable and easily implemented methodology that will guide a plant to a higher level of safety, environmental and production standards.

Nearly 50 leaders of ISA held a three-day meeting at ISA offices in Research Triangle Park, NC at the end of January to discuss how the Society can set the standard for automation in the future. The automation professionals from around the world serve in the senior leadership positions in ISA.

Revenues were $13.0 million, an increase of $1.2 million or 10.1% over the comparable period in fiscal 2005. Gross margin for the second quarter 2006 was $6.8 million, an increase of $1.5 million or 28.5% from the same period of the prior year. Adept reported net loss of $10,000 for the three months ended December 31, 2005, versus net income of $60,000 for the same period a year ago.

Emerson Process Management announces that it has recently completed a $500,000 PlantWeb® digital plant architecture project at the Gedeon Richter tank farm in Budapest, Hungary. The project is an extension to the company’s central tank farm installation which supplies four plants with solvents.

Honeywell (NYSE:HON) announced today it has won a significant contract worth $1.2 million to install a new Experion® Process Knowledge System (PKS) into UPM-Kymmene’s pulp mill in Tervasaari, Finland and to upgrade existing Alcont systems to Experion technology. A major benefit of the project is that UPM-Kymmene will be able to consolidate its control operations into a single central control room, allowing them to enhance the efficiency of process control at the plant.

Tricon TMR systems will be implemented for emergency shutdown and fire and gas applications at the El Gassi, Zotti, Al Agreb and Al Agreb West gas compression and re-injection lift facilities. Invensys will also provide project management, hardware integration, testing, and training services for SonaHess engineers and operators.

Schneider Electric has signed an agreement through its subsidiary Schneider Electric España to acquire AEM S.A., a Spanish firm that designs, manufactures and markets low voltage electrical distribution installation systems and equipment for the Residential and Building markets. AEM S.A. generated revenue of nearly €20 million in 2005.

AlarmAnalyst presents graphical on-line representations of the state of a process plant using alarms, events and operator actions. Time stamps on all values are obtained from the control systems, as part of the acquired data, for a true sequence of events analysis. Plant stability can be assessed using real-time displays of trends in alarm behaviour.

Opto 22, along with business partners Advanced Control Solutions, RCK Controls and Cognex/DVT, is sponsoring a Machine Vision Show at the newly opened Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, February 21st, from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Mike Kelly, currently the CEO of Kinsale Associates, LLC, a Silicon Valley merchant banking firm and previously the Vice Chairman of Broadview Jefferies, a leading middle market investment bank, has nearly 25 years of experience with high technology businesses, guiding their development and profitable growth into both Japan and emerging Asia markets.

Invensys Process Systems Austria has won a contract to supply a SCADA system based on its I/A Series hardware for a major site revamp being carried out by OMV Austria Exploration and Production GmbH.

PAS, a leading global supplier of software products and consulting services for the process industries, announced its 12th straight year of year-on-year revenue growth, with a 39% increase over 2004. PAS, a privately-held company based in Houston, Texas, capped a year slowed by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita with a strong increase in revenues.

PAS, a supplier of software products and consulting services for the process industries, announced its Inaugural Users Conference to be held on April 18-19 at South Shore Harbour Resort and Conference Center in Houston, Texas.

Invensys will supply new controls for a GE 62-megawatt captive steam turbine generator, which is a critical power generation source for the pulping and papermaking processes at the mill. Located in Beauregard Parish, Louisiana, the DeRidder mill produces approximately 555,000 tons of linerboard and 448,000 tons or newsprint annually.

The new user-friendly courses provide fundamentals and practical tips for SIS planning, selection and implementation. The courses include concise information on basic SIS concepts, design and installation, operation and maintenance, safety standard compliance, and new “smart” SIS technologies.

Honeywell will replace OMNOVA’s aging legacy systems at its performance chemicals facilities with Experion® Process Knowledge System (PKS). OMNOVA’s Green Bay, Wis., plant is the first of five sites to undergo the upgrade.

This award recognizes top engineering companies for excellence in business practices, breakthrough innovations and contributions to the community.

The large order from Xyratex International represents a key design win and signifies a strong endorsement of Adept's new MotionBlox-10 controls platform.

Founded in Austin, Texas, in 1976 by Jeff Kodosky, Bill Nowlin and James Truchard, National Instruments pioneered the concept of virtual instrumentation – combining open, flexible software and modular hardware with commercial off-the-shelf technologies – to offer engineers and scientists a user-defined approach to creating more efficient and customizable solutions.

Danaher Motion products are utilized in various medical devices such as surgical hand tools, dental hand tools, respirators, insulin, infusion and volumetric pumps, and analyzers, among others. In addition, Danaher Motion products serve the packaging, semiconductor and electronic assembly industries.

This transaction fits in with Schneider Electric’s ongoing strategy to focus on core businesses in which it has critical mass. For Verdoso, the acquisition of Num represents an opportunity to invest over the long term in a European company that is a leader in highly complex niche markets.

The E!CEMS real-time environmental data management system provides a robust automated, secure and certifiable system for capturing, calculating, historizing and reporting regulatory emissions data. It allows Title V, NOx, SOx, MACT, VOC, HRVOC and Flex Air permit efforts to be managed at a facility’s operational level.

This addition to Banner's highly-informative iKnow Online Training site allows learners to understand the mechanics and applications behind machine safety systems through short, interactive lessons they can do at their own pace. iKnow Machine Safety features simple navigation, interactions, expanded glossary and new downloadable resources for on-the-job reference.

Contemporary Controls (Suzhou) Co. Ltd (CCC) has eliminated the use of lead in their equipment, well before the time the directive goes into effect in July 1, 2006. Plant Manager Basile Waite says significant changes in materials and processes were accomplished to offer products and solutions to meet their customers’ requirements.

The Group's net sales totaled JPY 442,755 million, a 1.5 percent decrease from the same period in the previous fiscal year. The decrease reflected the substantial effect of the transfer of the ATM and other information equipment business to an equity affiliate in October 2004.

Wizcon Systems markets the Wizcon Supervisor (formerly Axeda Supervisor) line of products into the Utilities, Building Automation, Transportation & Infrastructure, Power & Energy and Industrial Automation markets.

After rounds of audits in all world areas, the TÜV organization has certified that all of the engineering work done by safety instrumented systems engineers from Emerson Process Management consistently meets the requirements of the IEC 61511 global standard for functional safety in the process industries. The certificates were presented to Phill Turner, SIS project operations manager of Emerson by Josef Neuman of TÜV on September 25th, 2005.

The contract is for a period of just over four years, from November 1, 2005 to December 31, 2009. Yokogawa will provide round-the-clock support for the Yokogawa products installed throughout the plant, ranging from central control monitoring facilities such as information management systems and FOUNDATION fieldbusÔ compatible integrated production control systems to field devices.

Winners for the 19th annual awards were chosen based on service to the industry, technological advancement, and market impact within eight categories, including among others machine control. The X20 system was the only slice I/O system to win the award in its category.

The popular Understanding and Applying Machine Vision Sensors half-day events show how vision sensors can perform automated inspection tasks in the automotive, pharmaceutical, food, beverage, consumer packaged goods, medical, and electronics industries.

The transaction is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2006, subject to the negotiation and execution of a definitive agreement, approval by Innova Holdings’ Board of Directors, and customary regulatory approvals. Under terms of the agreement, CoroWare and its CoroWare Test Labs subsidiary will operate as wholly owned subsidiaries of Innova Holdings.

Control Engineering selected this year’s Editors’ Choice Award winners from among all of the new products featured in the 2005 issues of Control Engineering, Control Engineering Online or one of Control Engineering’s topical e-mail newsletters.

Under this revised proposal, the consideration payable to Citect shareholders will be increased to AU$1.85 per share plus the special dividend of AU$0.05, subject to the Share scheme becoming effective, as set out in the transaction details...

The KUKA KR 15 SL robot is a six-axis articulated robot is made of stainless steel. The use of stainless steel and the robot’s high IP rating makes it suitable for all applications with stringent requirements for hygiene, sterility and absence of particles such as required in the food and beverage or medical industries.

Appropriately named, SmartPlant Foundation serves as the foundation for Intergraph’s highly successful SmartPlant Enterprise, providing critical integration capabilities for asset creation, maintenance and operations-related work processes.

The new system will monitor, control and manage vital information from ONGC's production and drilling facilities, linking oil basins, processing plants, forward base and other assets to the corporate data center.

GE Fanuc awards the Premier Solution Provider designation to industry-leading systems integrators who have proven capabilities with GE Fanuc products and solutions. Integrators must meet technical, operational and quality evaluations, and pass a rigorous audit process that includes an assessment of customer references and knowledge of automation system design and optimization.

SICK, Inc. will mark 30 years of innovation, leadership, strong growth, and delivering consistent high-quality solutions for its customers by holding a special celebration at its North American headquarters in Bloomington, Minnesota, February 3, 2006 at Noon.

Remaining an independent subsidiary of Verano, PlantData Technologies compliments all aspects of Verano's business from its market-leading security solution, Industrial Defender, to its mission-critical SCADA platform and integration services, offering customers a one-stop-shop for all their real-time control and security needs.

UET, the process engineering division of CHOREN Industries, based in Freiberg, Germany, has awarded Invensys Process Systems a five-year simulation software contract. UET's activities include technology development, process optimization, engineering, materials testing and customer advisory services.

Matrikon Inc. (TSX:MTK) today announced that executive vice president of operations Shafin U. Kanji has resigned effective January 31, 2006 to accept the president and chief executive officer position at JER Envirotech International Corp. (TSX-V: JER).