26/2/98

• Siebe to buy Wonderware - Siebe plc and Wonderware Corporation announced on Tuesday (24th) that Siebe has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Wonderware for $24 per share in cash, or approximately $375 million. The offer was unanimously approved by Wonderware‰s Board of Directors. Siebe plc expects to initiate a cash tender offer as soon as possible to complete the transaction, which is expected to occur in April of 1998.

• Bigger in Singapore - STATS (ST Assembly Test Services) has announced the opening of its new, larger headquarters and production facility in the Yishun area of Singapore.
• MST Euro-summit - The Network of Excellence in Multifunctional Microsystems initiative (NEXUS) has teamed up with EUROPRACTICE to organise a meeting at C&I 98 with the aim of enhancing European competitiveness through the promotion of Microsystems technology (MST) and other advanced electronics. The meeting, which will involve the Instrumentation and Process Control User Supplier Club (USC), will provide users and suppliers of MST and multi-chip modules (MCMs) with the opportunity to present their industry views to one another.
• IndustryPack for Devicenet - SBS GreenSpring Modular I/O have announced the availibility of IP-Divicenet, a new fieldbus IndustryPack module that implements the DeviceNet protocol stack on an independent processor.
• Best I/O device - MTL8000 Servies Process I/O from MTL has been awarded first place in the control components catagory by the editors of Control Engineering, Control Engineering International, & Process Instrumentation Digest.
  See our Publications Page for links to magazines.

• ARC down under - Automation Research Corporation announced today the opening of a new sales and research office in Sydney, Australia. This move strengthens ARC's position as the leading market research and management consulting firm dedicated to the worldwide industrial automation market. The new office will be lead by Alan Cowley, Regional Director of ARC Australia.
• Fast Ethernet interface for CompactPCI - PEP Modular Computers has launched a network interface board for compact PCI called the CP340 using the recently released Intel 82558 Fast Ethernet LAN Controller.
• New sales HQ for ASAP - Rick Goldstein, VP Sales will oversee ASAP's worldwide sales operation from a new office in Ann Arbor.
  They have also announced a strategic a;lliance with Automation and Servo Technologies throughout the New England territoiry of the US.
• Register on-line - You may now register on line for Mational Manufacturing Week (16-19/3/98 - Chicago). Go to their Web Site to register. Sponsors include the Industrial Computing Society.
• Star award for sustained technical support excellence -= Wonderware Corp has just announced that its technical support group has been awarded a STAR (Software Technical Assistance Recognition) Award by the Sftware Support Professionals Association (SSPA) for consistantly outstanding software support with higher levels of customer satisfaction.
• Multi-parameter vortex steam flow measurement - The new model 240 Innova-Mass Multi-Parameter Vortex Mass Flow Meter is ideally suited to the measurement of steam flows. The meter manufactured by Sierra Instruments offers the required durability, corrosion-resistance, accuracy and high temperature and pressure capabilities required for this type of service.
• Dry block temperature calibrators - The new Haven TempCal dry block calibrators offer accuracy, stability and flexibility featuring an innovative and unique heating design which overcomes the problems of instability normally associated with traditional temperature block calibrators. Talk to Maria Jones for more information.
• Workstation enclosure - SBS Micro Alliance has announced the introduction of its new rackmount workstation enclosure, the Model 814WS.
• Profibus interface card - SST has announced a new Direct-Link Profibus card in PCI (Peripharal Componenrt Interconnect) for,at which allows a PCI computer to communicate with a Profibus-DP as a master or slave, Layer 2, FMS or S7 (MPI).

• Year 2000 Seminar - Details of the Conference & Exhibition being organised by ISA Ireland has now been published.
• Comprehensive water resource - One of the best resources for the understanding of the flow of water is now entirely on line! The US Bureau of Reclamation has been writing and updating this extensive manual of flow in open and closed pipe conduits for over 50 years now, and it is one of the "bibles" of flow measurement.
• New website - The STATS website contains corporate information, the latest data on the company‰s high-pin-count packaging options and test equipment, news and contact information for sales calls.
• Steam mamangement - Field Data Specialists the steam system management company have developed a software for managing steam trap survey, maintenance, and repair called Trapbase for Windows. Trapbase is a state-of-the-art Windows based program that is truly one of its kind. They are looking for distributors at this time.

• Fieldbus Seminar - A three-day fieldbus symposium for manufacturing professionals is scheduled for March 17-19, 1998 as part of National Manufacturing Week held at McCormick Place. Offered by FieldComms International, the theme for this year's event is "Fieldus Technology: Viable Today, Valuable Tomorrow." For more info, see ICS Magazine
• Versatile, modular EMC test system - A versatile new system for testing immunity to conducted interference is being launched by Schaffner.

Eurotherm gets Action - Jim Pinto, the Poet Lauriat of I&C told us the news. Action Instruments, Inc is happy to announce agreement to be acquired by publicly held EUROTHERM, PLC. The transaction is subject to FTC and shareholder approval and is expected to be completed by the first week of March., '98. The company was founded 25 years ago by James J. Pinto and has grown into a leading manufacturer of industrial measurement and control instrumentation products for factory automation and process controls.

Jim Pinto (left) is himself committed to staying with Eurotherm for at least 3 years, and will take a Corporate role in growth strategy, acquisitions and technology. Some of his poetry may be accessed through our Poetry Page.

• B-Plus is a research company delivering independent consulting and engineering services in the fieldbus area. At the moment they are working in most of their projects with CAN (including DeviceNet, CAL and SDS), Profibus and P-NET. They are working in close co-operation with some German universities in order to make sure that their contact partners get really independent and state-of-the-art information.
• Cost savingas at ABB - By standardising on Parker Hannifin valves and tube fittings, and establishing a corporate supply partnership, ABB Kent-Taylor has substantially reduced material costs for its analyser systems manufacturing operation.
  The partnership agreement with ABB Kent-Taylor has enabled Parker to stock to meet the company's production needs, greatly improving the efficiency of the supply chain. By eliminating the need to hold stock on site, and cutting the administrative overhead through vendor reduction, ABB has trimmed its purchasing costs for these types of components by as much as 40% while maintaining the responsiveness of its manufacturing process.
• New CEO at Moore Products - Donald E Bogle has been named President and CEO of Moore Products. He will also serve on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee. William B Moore, former President & CEO will become Vice Chairman of the Board and Chief Technology Officer.
• Calibration - Tech Com Systems provides procedures and documentation for calibrating precision measuring intruments and testing devices. Also has SOP manual and calibration labels.
• Waste reports - Two reports have been issued by Frost & Sullivan recently . One (The growing importance of the Water and Wastewater Treatment Equipment Market) claims that the Urban Wastewater Directive will trigger growth in the water and wastewater treatment equipment markets. The second (European Hazardous Waste Management Services Market) states that environmental legislation will boos t growth, intensify competition and spur market diversification in hazardous waste management services.
• Training courses - The industrial automation sopftware vendor Intellution has produced a booklet summarising the traing courses it offers.

• Free software demo - Soft PLC advise that you can download a free working SoftPLC demo (version 1).

• New multivendor demo - AS-Interface UK, the user group organisation for the open AS-Interface automation networking solution, is underlining the full interoperaability of the system in the control and instrumentation environment using its brand new multi-vendor demonstrator (MVD) system at C&I for the first time.
  See our C&I UK Review Page.
• Irish web development company opens in New York - - World Wide Web development company Nua Ltd became the first European Web developer to make the leap stateside yesterday, opening an office in New York. Nua, having already beaten out 12 US competitors for a lucrative deal with the American Export Group (AEG), expects to penetrate the US market through its expertise in strategic marketing and internationally focused web development. According to Nua CEO Gerry McGovern, "We see ourselves as a bridge for U.S. companies to their markets overseas .... Tailoring your web investment towards a multi-cultural, multi-lingual world-wide audience requires an international mind-set which not many web developers are in tune with". Nua was established in 1995. In 1996, it received the Best Overall World Wide Web Business Achievement award from the European Commission and its client base includes companies such as Siemens, Ericsson, Telecom Eireann. Source: THE IE PROFESSIONAL.

• Technical conference at embedded business show - The VMEbus International Trade Association (VITA) has announced that it will participate at the Embedded Systems Show (London 13-14/ May'98), where it will be presenting a one dAy Technical Conference within the overall programme.
• Densitometers - Staplethorne announce the availability of the Thurning RMS1000 densitometer, the latest in the range of high accuracy radiometric gauges with very fast resolution which are used in research and industry. More details from Dr Keith Barfoot.
• Ave atque vale! - Dick Furness, flow business director with ABB has completed a two-year secondment in the US and has returned to ABB Kent-Taylor in Stonehouse, England. Also announced is the start-up of ABB Analytics in China controlled by John Kelly as regional manager relocating temporarily from UK sales manager.

• Powerful Object technology implimentation - Wonderware Corporation has just announced details of its new, more tightly-integrated FactorySuite 2000 suite of industrial automation software, which it is claimed, provides unprecidented levels of functionality and performance for development of plant floor automation procedures.
• New Y2K area on site - In response to many requests from the embedded software community, the Embedded Software Assotion (ESOFTA) has set up a year 2000 (Y2K) area on its web site. as well as providing a Y2K Internet Reflector.
• New address - Newson Gale is moving to new premises from 16th February. Details are as foillows:
  Unit 6, Chrrchill Park
  Colwick, Nottingham, NG4 2HF
  Tel: +44 115 9407500
  Fax: +44 115 940 7501
  email: ng@newson-gale.co.uk.
• Open manufacturing in the network age - Speaking at the MES Round table organised by MESA Intenational (Manufacturing Execution Systems Association), will be Ron Loyd of Sun who will address "Java: Enabling 21st-Cenbtury Manufacturing." Dr Eliyahu Goldratt, an internationally recognised leader in the development of new business philosophies and systems, will speak on the topic "Theory of Constraints: Turning Management into Hard Science," and will also conduct a two hour executive workshop for roundtable participants. The roundtable is scheduled for Boston 26th to 28thApril 1998.

• First accredited lab - Isotech's new Primary Temperature Laboratory is the first private laboratory in the world to be accredited by reference directly to the International Temperature Scale of 1990, while retaining the discipline and control of a National accreditation organisation to, and association with, National Laboratories via regular and periodic international inter-comparisons. This approval guarantees that Isotech can produce and verify its products, and train its customers to the very highest available level. Details of the new and smaller uncertainties will be finalised during 1998. Isotech is Isothermal Technology Ltd based in Merseyside in England.

• New family of power supplies - Artesyn Technologies has launched the CMP350 series, a new family of 350W AC/DC units with four islated outputs and input harmonic current correction that is compliant with EN 61000-3-2.
• Last call for papers - ECOC'98 the 24th European Conference and Exhibition on Optical Communication (20-24/9/1998 Madrid) has issued its last call for papers which should be submitted by 31st March.

• Total Solutions in UK - Kevin Jackson MD Fisher-Rosemount UK has announced that from May 1st a fully-established F-R Industry Solutions Group will be based in Leicester, England.
• ERP Market Provides Major Services Revenue Opportunities - An IDC Study report shows that the ERP Consulting and Integration services market is experiencing strong growth both globally and in Western Europe with a projected CAGR of 16.7% through 2001. The main success factors of these providers include geographic coverage, business relationships and human resources availability. The market for Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Consulting and Integration Services in Western Europe reached $4.7 billion in1996 and is now expected to exceed the $10 billion mark in the year 2001.
• New control valve trim - Fisher Controls, part of Fisher Rosemount introduces WhisperFlo trim to achieve up to 40 dBA reduction in the noise level of a control valve operating under severe conditions.
• Acetate acid plant uses mass meters - Better accounting and more accurate monitoring of low gas flows are the two main reasons cited by BP Chemicals engineers for installing a Micro Motion Coriolis EKLITE metering system at their Acetyls plant in Hull, England.

• Field-level control for bus members - The Fieldbus Foundation has announced that it considers the decision by Rosemount to provide its two-wire control patent to foundation members "a significent step that enables us to offer a patented technology for migrating control functionality to the field-level." (See Developements section of our Fieldbus Page.
• Flowmeter wins award - The Controlotron System 1010WDP is the latest in a line of award-winning clamp-on flowmeters. ("Plant Engineering" Product of the year '96). It is now available in rugged submersible configurations.
  Another product, their System 1010DN permanent clamp-on transit-time multifunction flowmeter offers the widest choice of performance, functions and features of any flowmeter.
• Program to ES'98 Tutorials - GRoupIPC, an association of 50 companies for the promotion of Mezzanines' solutions, will organise a series of Tutorials on February 19, 1998 in Conference Room "Klostersee" (Holliday Inn, next to the ES '98 Hall). This project will accompany the GRoupIPC PAVILION; i.e. the elaborated stand where the Association will represent most of its European members. More details from the Worldwide & European HQ.
• Plain sailing - Crouzet have supplied a specially programmed micro RPX 10 PLC to Stena Line for use on their Stena Fantasia ferry plying between Britain and continental Europe. The specification was to supply a signal generator to give the seven short and one long alarm which is the abandon ship signal. Please God it never has to be used!
• Weighing in at MTEC - New equipment will be displayed at MTEC 9 (11-12/2/98 - Birmingham, England) includes Nobel Systems' AST intelligent transmitter for load cells and force transducers, the Klay 200 series of smart hygienic pressure and level transmitters and the KIS9 shear force weighing module. If you can't get round tom the show David Viney of Nobel should be able to help you.
• Aquafeed control - Trouw Aquaculture is to use Mitsubishi MX32 supervisory software for production controol throughout their Invergordon (Scotland) plant. This is part of an order for a computer based syste to control Aquafeed production placed with Datastar Systems.
• World wide event - National Instruments has announced plans for a worldwide event to give scientists and engineers a first hand look at the latest technologies that LabVIEW, their leading graphical programming software, has to offer in version 5.0. Learn more about the program and the world wide event through their .

• Products for small and medium sized automation applications - The AL32 line of products from FF-Automation OY, is intended for small and medium-sized automation applications. Thses PLCs Are well suited to different kinds of machine control applications, data acquisition, RTUs, air conditioning etc.
• Expansion of T&M offering - Leading EMC company Schnaffner has acquired Chase EMC, a UK-based company specialising in RF emissions/immunity test. This acquisition makes Shaffner's portfolio one of the most extensive in the world.
• Speakers at C&I UK - Miller Freeman Exhibitions has announced a "host of prominent speakers" unveiling a series of DTI (UK's Dept of Trade & Industry) supported advisory guides for the first time at their C&I Exhibition on 28th April 1998. Guides include the meaurement of Force, Mass and Weight and Pressure and Vacuum. Attendance at the launch lunch is strictly by pre-registration for which you should contact Michael Scott on +44 1223 870967.

• Engine test application flow measurement - Engine inlet-air flow measurement, as practiced in the engine and emissions testing industry, is often a misunderstood and error prone science. Because gas is a compressible medium, dependent on temperature and pressure conditions, measuring mass flow is the only reliable method of controlling stoichiometric ratios in the internal combustion process, or analysing total emissions. The Sierra Model 780 Thermal Mass Flow Meter with flow conditioning provides high-accuracy inlet air flow measurem,ents in engine test applications.
• Vibration - A course to provide an introduction to the processing and analysis of vibration data is scheduled by the Institute of sound and Vibration Research of the University of Southampton (GB). Details from Mrs MZ Strickland.
• Technological development aid - From mid-1998 special Interkama events will be staged in countries "on the verge of industrialisation," where there is a strong potential for innovations and investment. The show itself is scheduled for 18-23rd October 1999. Countries targeted for this treatment are China, India, Singapore, Brazil, Russia, Poland, Czech Republic, Turkey and Iran. The China presentation coincides with Miconex in Peking 25/9 May '98. More details from Babette Luelsdorf.
• Asian venture - Leading EMC company, Schaffner, is expanding its activities in Asia with the opening of a new regional HQ and technical support centre in Singapore, offering EMC products etc into the SE Asia marketc. A new subsidiary company has been formed with their long-time distributor in Singapore, Efox Rifa.

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