Final control elements and a first for European users!Years ago at an ISA technical meeting in the early eighties the speaker endevoured to gaze into the future of instrumentation. Foretold was the demise of the dedicated instrument to be replaced by a multi-parameter instrument or, horror of horrors, a computer terminal. Of course since that time we have seen that the indicator/controller/recorder part of the control loop has all but been replaced by the computer and software with the advantages and disadvantages that that change has brought including Stuxnet and its children.
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Headlined is a piece on some market analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Strategic Analysis of Control Valves in the European Market. Progress in the market had been derailed severely in 2009 by the Global economic recession. They found, however, that the market earned revenues of €496.5 million in 2010 and estimated this to reach €676.3 million in 2017. The uptake is fueled particularly by the prospect of reduced maintenance costs. Final control elements covered in this issue included Burket's new 8681 head which is designed specially for use in pneumatically controlled hygienic process valves. Asco Numatics has introduced low power, intrinsically safe solenoid operator for use with their spool valves and which is compatible with all intrinsic safety isolation barriers. Also featured is Blue-White's new metering peri-pump A2. Other products are also covered including test & measurement and environmental instruments. Many comments have been made about what is happening in the area of exhibitions and shows. Many old frioends have disappeared, been subsumed or changed into a completely different format. One change is the proliforation of user groups. One of the most successful of these which has enjoyed phenomenonal is the Emerson User group. This year for the first time they are bringing all the hype and excitement of what twitter calls #emrex, to Europe and have scheduled two days at the end of May this year for us Europeans in Duesseldorf on the Rhine. Another type of event which continues to operate quietly is the trainig course or workshop. One such is the National Instruments Symposium held in Dublin earlier in the year and reported on in this issue. In company news, and reverting to control valves, we report on the association of Multiplex Engineering with the Portuguese manufacturer Valsteam Adca. Another development reported on is the investment by Irish company Crest Solutions in Belgian company VistaLink which makes the amalgameted entity one of the largest machnie vision resources in Europe. The recognition of excellence is an important part of product development and Biotector's receipt of two such awards for manufacturing and the Inaugural Chairman's Award is marked in this issue too. The usual features on peaple, including appointments are covered including ISA events which is one of the most popular sections of Read-out. It is possible to advertise both in Read-out, Ireland's journal of instrumentation, control and automation, which circulates to approx 2500 named automation professionals throughout Ireland, and on the Read-out Instrumentation Signpost, which is visited by up to 6000 visitors per week. Rates (in Euro, Pounds Sterling or US Dollars) Read-out is generally distributed free of charge within Ireland but due to high distribution charges outside we regret a small charge is made for subscriptions in other countries. Subscriptions may be made using Paypal here. Our facebook "fan-page" lists most stories we receive even those not included in our printed publication. Who reads Read-out? [] Advertising Rates |
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