29/4/00

• New acquisition - Rockwell acquired the developer of plant floor scheduling, simulation, and modeling software to boost the company's recently-announced Manufacturing Businessware offering. As part of Rockwell's Manufacturing Businessware suite of supervisory applications, Systems Modeling's Tempo and Arena software products will be used to help customers optimize their plant floor processes.
  See more automation news from ARC Advisory Group.
• Double capacity - Labfacility are proud to announce that they are doubling their capacity at their division in Dinnington, Sheffield (England) through the acquisition of the adjoining 2500 square feet unit. Expansion in both manufacturing and stores will see an additional 10 persons employed at Dinnington.
• Ireland exports - the tiger continues to roar! - Recently released Irish Trade Data for 1999 is outstanding. Exports were over IR52bn, the highest level ever, and the trade surplus exceeded all previous records. It now stands at more than IR17.7bn. Official comments stated "The value of Irish exports increased by 15% in 1999. Our export growth remains well above the global average. By any yardstick, this is an outstanding trade performanceby a world-class exporting sector.
  Ireland's main export markets in 1999 were:
  1. UK IR10.2bn
  2. US IR8.0bn
  3. Germany IR6.2bn
  4. France IR4.4bn
  5. Netherlands IR3.2bn
  
  These five markets accounted for nearly 63.7% of total merchandise exports. Exports to the EU accounted for nearly 64.6% of merchandise exports and exports to the Euro zone countries (11 of the 15 EU Countries) accounted for 40% of merchandise exports last year.

• Cork Exhibition marks climax of I&C year in Ireland - The annual exhibition and conference of the ISA Ireland Section marks the end of another successful year for this section. Without doubt this is a great meeting place for all involved in the I&C market in Ireland and this year was no exception with well over 250 people attending the one day event.
  Picture shows Brian Curtis, President ISA Ireland discussing the latest issue with publisher Eoin Ó Riain on the Readout Stand.
  (For comparison purposes this would approximate an attendance figure of about 6000 to a one day show in Britain - C&I used to draw about 12000 in three days and the ISAExpo draws over 25000 in the US for a four-day event though this will probably increase next year with the co-show IMSExpo to be held over the same period in New Orleans in August. InterKama drew over 80,000 in their five day event last October).
  
• Market Structure Changes and Price Wars Destabilize the Temperature Sensor Industry - Competition is intensifying in the world temperature sensor markets as small companies face the threat of acquisition by larger established market participants. Meanwhile, commoditization of sensors is likely to spark price wars and shrink profit margins for all market participants. According to strategic research conducted by Frost & Sullivan entitled the "World Temperature Sensor Markets", revenues for the total market have climbed from US$1.74 billion in 1998 to US$1.88 billion in 1999. Market growth is anticipated to continue through the end of the forecast period (2006).

• Shut.down valve test package dramatically increases process safety at minimal cost - ICS Triplex has announced a package of hardware and software additions for theTrusted TMR (Triple Modular Redundant) emergency shut down (ESD) system that increases the system SIL (Safety Integrity Level - as defined by IEC61508) at almost no additional cost by periodically testing the valve and actuator subsystem - WITHOUT closing the valve and so shutting down or interrupting the process.
• TechFest Technical Conference - USDATA Corporation, a leading supplier of integrated manufacturing software solutions, will hold its first technical seminar program, TechFest 2000 (Miami Beach, FL, USA, from May 21-25), to provide intensive training, technical briefings, and team building for its Tier One Partners (TOPs), Certified Integrators, and technical, development, customer support and training personnel. According to USDATA President and CEO Bob Merry, "The importance of TechFest results in part from USDATA's recent growth, new products, and the market strength of the company."
• New power supply ATE cuts test time - A new range of power supply test systems from Schafffier provides fast, accurate, comprehensive testing of AC-DC and DC-DC converters. Based on a new test methodology developed by Schaffner, Intepro 9000 offers significant productivity improvements over traditional ATE, reducing test times by up to 90% in some applications.

• Use Ethernet to Centralise Measurement and Automation - Engineers and scientists now can access and share measurement and automation devices across standard Ethernet networks using high-speed serial interfaces from National Instruments. ENET device servers for RS-232 and RS485 serial devices are self-contained products that accept a hardware input from lOOBaseT or lOBaseT Ethernet networks and output to serial ports for connecting to serial instrument devices. Users can easily install these sturdy, compact network terminals on the factory floor at significant distances from the PC. With these servers, engineers and scientists can centralise the control of their measurement and automation equipment because they can access any serial device from any PC on a TCP/IP Ethernet network. All serial ports come with DB9-male serial connectors on the back of the product.
• Images of Jupiter's Moons - Take a peek deep into the sky and see Jupiter's innermost moons--oddly shaped worlds battered by meteorites and bathed in intense radiation - courtesy of NASA's Galileo spacecraft. Three of the inner moons have been photographed: Thebe, Amalthea, and Metis. Images of Amalthea (left), which is 155 miles long, show a 31-mile bright streak. Previous spacecraft pictures taken from other directions showed this as a round, bright spot. The origin of the streak is not known, but scientists theorize it could be debris from a meteor impact or the crest of a local ridge, according to Damon Simonelli, a research associate in Cornell University's Center for Radiophysics and Space Research. Galileo's flybys of Jupiter in August, November, and January were the closest yet to the inner moon system of the solar system's largest planet.

• All you want to know about relays - Now available free from Matsushita Electric Works, one of the world's foremost relay manufacturers, is its beautifully produced and comprehensive Relay Technology book. This pocket sized 72-page hardback publication covers all aspects of relay operation, design and technology. It is packed with information and is profusely illustrated with photographs, coloured cutaways, line drawings and charts. Aimed at designers and specifiers, the Relay Technology book charts the evolution of the relay since its birth in 1837 until today. Now, an estimated three billion of the devices are produced annually for use the world over. In addition, this helpful guide explains the fundamental principles of relay technology including device construction, function and operation.
• Highest Imaging Resolution Tool Accelerates Development of Complex SOCs and Datacom - Schlumberger Automated Test Equipment (ATE), a unit of the Test & Transactions business segment of Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB), introduced today the IDS P3Xa, a design diagnostic and modification instrument that delivers unsurpassed precision and ease of micro-probe manipulation in characterizing system-on-chip (SOC) and datacom devices. The leader in supplying diagnostic tools for semiconductor manufacturing, Schlumberger ATE integrates FIB (focused ion beam) microscopy and mechanical micro-probes in the IDS P3Xa, enabling the development engineering team to reduce diagnostic cycles and time-to-market for complex SOC device designs manufactured at 0.18-micron technology.
• CDROM valve and tube fitting selector aids design of fluid instrumentation systems - Parker Hannifin has produced a new version of its interactive inPHorm CDROM-based selection guide, adding the spectrum of instrumentation valve types to the existing library of tube/pipe fittings. The powerful new tool automates the selection and design-in process and improves the efficiency of the development, purchasing, installation and maintenance phases of any project involving fluid instrumentation.

• Valve Position Indicators and ASi Valve Networking - Moniteur Devices manufacture Advanced Valve Position Indicators and Limit Switches for Industry in the USA, and have the most advanced platform for ASi and DeviceNet Valve Networking. They also have developed propretary sensing technologies for enhanced reliability in nasty environments
• Controls suppliers and end users from around the world gather for FOUNDATION fieldbus training - The Fieldbus Foundation concluded its 2000 General Assembly 30the March 2000, an event marked by strong attendance by controls suppliers and end users anxious to learn more about the implementation of Foundation fieldbus.

• New Acquisition - GE has agreed to acquire the turbine control retrofit business of Woodward Governor. The sale includes a product agreement for Woodward to supply controls to GE for application in the retrofit business. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. The turbine control retrofit business delivers comprehensive control retrofit solutions for the end users of industrial turbines. Its primary focus is on the power generation, gas processing, and hydro power/river control industries.
• Automation web sales to top $41b - The sales of Automation products, which totaled $247 million in 1999, will grow by almost 200 times that value to nearly $42 billion by the end of 2004, according to a new study by the ARC Advisory Group. ARC Senior Analyst David Clayton, the author of the study, says, "Web sales and the implementation of e-business strategies are causing a revolution in the automation business. Consequently, the Internet is fast becoming the hottest distribution channel for automation products."

• New internet launch for electromagnetic fields - The new Safety Test Solutions, Internet launch offers a wide range of information on the topic of electromagnetic fields (EMF), and the range of products and services offered by the company. The websites are available in English, French, German and Spanish, on a wide variety of subject areas.
• Revolutionary DSP architecture delivers ultra-fast, field-programmable, signal conditioning - The silicon intellectual property start-up Systolix, today announces a revolutionary DSP array architecture which makes it possible to build low-cost ICs capable of custom video-rate digital signal conditioning. Called PulseDSP, the architecture adds a radical new option to the programmable signal conditioning choices available to electronic designers. It dramatically outperforms conventional DSPs or FPGA-based circuits in any application requiring high MAC (multiplyaccumulate) rates, such as digital filtering or modulation in wireless communications, or signal linearization.

• Doppler Flow Technology - The Next Generation! - Overcoming many of the limitations of previous types of Doppler flowmeters, Onix Measurement's latest family of non-invasive, clamp-on flowmeters, the Hydra SX dual frequency Doppler range, is re-writing the rule book! Unlike conventional Doppler flowmeters, which operate on a single frequency, DFD generates two independent ultrasonic signals at different frequencies. The frequencies are used to automatically identify and eliminate noise errors. The operation of the instrument is then enhanced by an 'Expert System' which allows the flowmeter to automatically 'learn' the application parameters - resulting in a simple 4 step set-up routine that significantly reduces commissioning time.
• New general manager - The well known distributorship in the south of England, KC Controls Ltd, has announced the appointment of Mark Howarth as General Manager. KC Controls represent Foxboro, Ashcroft, JM Canty, Vega and Optex.

• Improved Economic Outlook to Trigger Sharp Surge in Automatic Test Equipment Sales in Europe - The healthy European economic climate is expected to continue to fuel growth in the European ATE market over the next few years, with semiconductors, IT and telecoms and the automotive industries counting amongst the main beneficiaries of robust economic growth. Sales in the overall ATE market are forecast to climb from $0.82 billion in 1999 to $1.01 billion in 2006.
  "The European Automatic Test Equipment (ATE) Market" - A new Study by Frost & Sullivan
• Europe is busting out all over - Technology investment in Western Europe will increase 10% this year and 11% in 2001 as European business begins to march ahead of its global competitors in many crucial technology areas, according to new research from IDC (International Data Group). "This is a terrific time to be doing business in Europe," said Stephen Minton, EMEA research manager at IDC. "As we move into the age of the global market, European companies are proving they are not ready to be left behind by their North American and Asian rivals."

• Lynx digital I/O board added to VME-based CAT image processing system - Primagraphics, the command & control, video and graphics specialist (), has introduced the Lynx digital input/output board for its VME-based CAT image processing and display systems.

• 500 MHz Pentium III Power in a single slot for CompactPCI Users - Concurrent Technologies has announced a 500MHz Pentium III based single-slot, 6U size PC compatible CompactPCI workstation - the PP PSE/P31. Based on the latest low-power Intel Pentium III Embedded Module, the board addresses the rapidly growing demand for high performance Intel¨ CPU architectures in the CPCI market while satisfying the market's need for low power consumption, high-performance, high reliability, low physical profile and extended product life.

• A frequency converter for every application from Magnus Power - Magnus Power is a specialist in the design and manufacture of frequency converters and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS). At the heart of its range are the LP and HP series frequency converters. These units offer full user control of both output voltage and frequency and are available with either single or three-phase output. Details from magnus-power@kvaerner.com.

• Fresh release of Mint language boosts motion control systems development - A powerful new version of its Mint programming environment for motion control applications has been launched by Baldor. Mint v4 is believed to set new standards for productivity, thanks to features such as an extended library of keywords which provide real-world motion system functions in the form of high level commands, and a common API for all of Baldors wide range of motion control hardware.
• Modular gas delivery system boosts efficiency - Kinetics Fluid Systems has launched a new generation of modular surface-mount gas system technology which delivers dramatic improvements at the assembly and maintenance phases of semiconductor process tooling.
• Even More Concentrated Power! - With the new ultra-compact CP302 board., PEP Modular Computers is setting a new milestone in the performance of CompactPCl CPUs that is capable of the highest demands of computer-intensive applications in industrial automation, image processing, military, telecommunications, Internet and medical applications. Based on innovative technology for the highest levels of integration the robust design is ideally suited for harsh and rugged industrial environments with -40 C to +85 C extended temperature options.

• Greatly expanded motion control functionality - Steeplechase Software a leading PC-based control company, has announced release of version 6.4 of the integrated motion driver for the MEI-DSP card from Motion Engineering, Inc. (MEI), which greatly expands the integrated motion capability of the Steeplechase Visual Logic Controller.

• Ireland's boom continues - The Irish exchequer surplus for the first three months of the year was the highest ever recorded at just over IR1bn, compared with IR287m for the same period last year. Both income and tax receipts were higher than forecast in the budget. Income tax receipts were up 14% on last year, while VAT receipts were up 21%. One of the biggest factors was the dramatic rise in the number of new cars bought this year.

• Withdrawal following Joint-Venture - It is less than nine months since ABB and Alstom put together their resources and capabilities to build a world market leader in power generation equipment and power plant services. Now ABB is selling its 50 percent share in the joint venture ABB Alstom Power to Alstom of France.
• New chairman for Honeywell - Honeywell said on Monday that its Chief Executive Officer Michael R. Bonsignore has assumed the additional title of Chairman of the Board, following former Chairman Lawrence A. BossidyÕs scheduled retirement from the company and its Board of Directors on April 1, 2000. He became CEO of the new Honeywell in December 1999 upon the closing of the merger between Honeywell Inc. and AlliedSignal Inc. He was Honeywell Inc.'s Chairman and CEO prior to the merger.
• The ARC E-Business for Manufacturing Forum 2000 - ARC organizes forums focused on the cutting-edge issues in e-business and enterprise applications. Strategy forums bring together senior executives from user and supplier companies to discuss the technologies and strategies which will impact the industry. It's a place to learn new ideas, establish valuable relationships, and refine your company's strategic direction. The Boston Forum on June 26-27 is filling up fast.
• New fully reangeable pressure transmitter - Druck announce a new series of rangeable pressure transmitters which complement their range of Smart/HART devices, for applications where two-way digital communications are not required. Based upon the company's versatile and widely proven micromachined silicon pressure sensor, the new RTX 1000 Series is available in ranges from 70 mbar to 700 bar with 10:1 rangeability and an accuracy of +/-0.15% of calibrated span as standard. It is a flexible and cost effective alternative to fixed range sensors for applications in many different industries.
• Precision Pneumatic Control - At Slashed Prices! Onix Measurement has announced that it has reviewed the prices of its range of I/P current to pressure transducers. This has resulted in a major price reduction with even further additional benefits for quantity orders!
• New European sales director - Martin Snow has joined ICS Triplex sales team as Sales Director Europe reporting to Vice President Sales, Ed Mullings. Martin, who will be based at the company's UK headquarters in Maldon Essex, will be responsible for all sales activity in Europe, CIS, Middle East, Africa and India.

• Coupling Manufacturer's web site - Colder Products Company (CPC) now provides an interactive web site that is designed to streamline coupling specification. The site's easy-to-use product selector significantly reduces time spent during the specification process. The web site includes the entire CPC catalog of coupling products, a directory of U.S. distributors, and important facts about CPC. Engineers can consult the 'What's New" link to view the latest CPC products and services, or to find upcoming show dates and CPC booth locations..

• "The world's most rapid time and batch historian" - Automsoft International, author of the successful RAPID Historian enterprise-bridging database software, announces the release of their latest version, RAPID Historian 2.0. "Having already defined one world standard by being the first dedicated time and batch data archive entirely based on an object oriented database core, the new version sets the performance standard by being able to process up to 100,000 events per second," said a spokesman.
• Partnership to Develop Automation Software - USDATA Corporation, a global supplier of integrated manufacturing software solutions, and ALSTOM, one of the world's leading suppliers of components, systems and services with revenues of approximately $14 billion, today at a press event in Paris announced that they have formed a partnership to develop USDATA's next generation automation software product. The product will be built for Windows 2000 and based on Microsoft's Windows DNA platform. USDATA and ALSTOM personnel will develop the product at USDATA's Richardson, Texas facility and ALSTOM facilities in Paris, France. A wide variety of target markets will include manufacturing, utilities, and infrastructure.

• Show report - Check out the Highlights of Hannover Fair 2000, the world's largest factory automation show in the Canadian Periodical, Manufacturing AUTOMATION