Control & Instrumentation Review

New Strategy for the Future

These are extracts from releases sent to the Readout office by Exhibitors.

• ISA England - The England Section of ISA hosted a pavilion at the 1996 C&I Show in Birmingham, England. This is the 25 Anniversary show of C&I. More details of this pavilion and ISA's England section from the Secretariat.
  
• Field Communications Pavilion - This Pavilion was designed to allow visitors to compare and contrast systems conveniently on one large exhibition stand. It featured demonstrations from leading field communications . (see also our Fieldbus Page.)
• Intellution - displayed the latest version of their market-lrading FIX SCADA package which is available in Windows 95 and NT versions.
• FGH Controls- showed their new Proteus 2000 family of 1/8in DIN, auto-tuning, communicating temperature controllers and batch process profilers.
  
• PC Soft International - introduced their new Wizcon 5 SCADA system for Windows 95 which uses true 32 bit native code in preemptive multi-tasking, multi-threaded, client server architecture.
  
• Crane Perflow - showed their wide range of primary flow elements for process plant applications, including orifice plates, pitots and venturis, at their stand No S9. New to the show was the 'Selfcal' range of fully interchangeable sensors for the Universal Perfector portable differential pressure and flow computer.
• WE Instrumentation - in the ISA Pavilion showed a new paperless chart recorder and a powerful 100mm digital recorder, both from Westronics plus several new fibre-optic products from Weed Fiber Optics Europe and multi-colour bar graph indicators from Wechsler.
• Hexatec Systems - released a brand new version of its SCADA software package, SCAN 1000, which provides the open-architecture interfaces for organisations implimenting enterprise-wide computing infrastructures.
• Spirax Sarco - demonstrated their controls capability and introducing their new QL/QLD range of industrial three port valves.
• Danish Products-The Trade Department of the Royal Danish Embassy in Britain introduced Danish Manufacturers who were looking for products outlets in the British Market place.
• Saab Instruments - oferred the chance to win a Saab 900 convertable on their stand this year. Oh yes! Saab are in the level gauging business through theitr UK agents Able Instruments.
• Hawco Two new, CE approved, panel mounted instrument ranges have been selected by Hawco as being the best in their class for Compact Design, Reeliability, Features and Value-for-Money. The Tecnologic family of programmable digital or analogue controllers and matching timers is specifically designed to combine superior performance with the most cost-effective solutions at a price which is at least 20% below that of comparable instruments currently available.
• Raytek For the first time ever Raytek was present on its own stand showing their full range of products. Included were several brand new products to see.
• The Wonderware Stand This stand comprised the famous Wonderware Theatre. This is a multimedia presentation covering Wonderware, the Company, InTouch, InSupport, InTrack and Direktor all working together to illustrate the features and benefits of their products.
  The stand also had a separate area dedicated to hands-on demonstartion of the product range.
• Simulation and Communications. The testing of PLC systems by simulation is now coming of age and this stand demonstarted the new Simulation product Direct-Link for Windows, a powerful, object oriented testing tool.
• Rockwell Automation - Solutions. Long ago Rockwell Automation realised that no one company could do it all. Thus they work with a number of third party companies around the world to develop products that provide the solutions to their customers. Their Solutions Centre was an area dedicated to a number of these companies. These included Bently Nevada, BYKOM, ControlSoft Inc, Negretti Automation, Pantek, Phoenix Digital, ProSoft, RACO, Valcom, Vector International.
• Delta Controls returned after a two year absence to the C&I consolidated the earlier launch of its own range of SMART transmitters and it intends to mirror its success with its range of process switches where it claims a significent market share.
• Lonworks: Echalon, the LonWorks Company, made an important announcement during this years C&I Show, op[ening up its control networking technology and the LonTalk protocol to the world. They expect the development to have a major bearing on the evolution and shape of the control network/fieldbus and manufacturing automation industry. (See also our Fieldbus Page).
• Pantek demonstrated the S-S Technologies range of tools including the all new Direct-Link Simulation for Windows and X-Link, the innovative 'plug-and-play' communications gateway.
• IO Ltd launched a robust, hand-held LonWorks terminal to provide users of distributed control and instrumentation with a convenient portable means of system configuration, commissioning and maintenance tasks from any point on the network.
• Agema launched a new low cost, hand-held infrared sensor with laser sighting.
• Wiedmueller Klippon introduced a range of W Series terminals specificalluy designed for separation between phase, protective
  nd neutral conductors.
• KDG-Mobrey launched a Windows software package for two way communication with a HART sensor network.
• VEGA Controls exhibited the latest Vegapuls 81 FK Ex0 radar based level transmitters featuring the new rugged cast aluminium housing with the added benifit of integral display option in a compact intrinsically safe, or flame-proof sensor.
• GE Fanuc launched the version 2.0 reslease of its recntly introduced CIMPLICITY MES/SCADA and MMI software products for Windows NT and Windows 95 environments and introducing the first in its new "Bundled" MMI product range.
• UCC emphasised their electronic catalogues and the provision of System Designers of downloadable technical CAD files to support their own designs.
• Milltronics new low cost MiniRanger Plus ultrasonic level measurement unit provides high performance yet economical general purpose level monitoring.
• Klinger Fluid Instrumentation went with the Flow! They showed their extended product portfolio of technically-advanced instrument isolation valves, and a new range of BASEEFA-approved magnetic switches.
• Malvern Instruments The Ultrasizer laboratory instrument was launched at C&I and for the first time it is now possible to determine particle size distributions directly in high concentration samples. This is believed to be a major advance. (See also News Section).
• Krohne exhibited a range of products including the new Corimass MasterMeter, the latest in their range of single straight-tube Coriolis mass flowmeters.
• Infrared Engineering launched a new non-contact, infrared sensor for continuous on-line measurement of oil and moisture content in snack foods.
• Foxboro launched spectacularly in a vivid presentation the new I/A Series of Modular Controllers. The new I/A series open modular controller is part of a larger family of microminiature processors intended for continuous, discrete, and hybrid control applications in industries as varied as manufacturing systems and building controls.
• Bourdon Sedeme featured three new industrial pressure transmitters.
• Crowcon launched a new fixed-point infrared detector for flammable gas.
• Camtech Marketing were proud to launch the exciting MoRSE - Modular Robot System for Engineering. which is aa completeee system including Windows based Real-time control Software for modelling all kinds of industrial and laboratory tasks.
• Arcom Control Systems showed for the first time their 486-based single-board computer - the most powerful and highly-integrated STEEbus PC-compatible ever made.
• Gestra used C&I to provide the UK launchpad for its global initiative wch sees them offering an extended range of quality process control valves and ancillary products as part of the newly formed Siebe Control Valves Division.
• Brad Harrison launched a brand new range of miniturised moulded connectors - developed specifically to protect sensor and other wiring systems against electro-magnetic interference.
• West Instruments introduced the world's first circular chart recorder to print trend trend lines, scales and alphanumeric data in four colours - giving new definition to process disturbances.

The Internet Directory of Instrumentation is the world wide Directory of Instrumentation and Control launched by BDI in May 1995.

The Instrumentation Signpost has interesting pointers for the I&C Professional.