31/1/2006

Certificate of appreciation for rocket test stand valve innovations awarded - NASA has awarded Flowserve Corp, a global provider of fluid motion and control products and services, a certificate of appreciation for custom-engineering new valves for the agency's Johnson, Marshall and Stennis Space Centers.>
Flowserve's innovative work for NASA includes the design and manufacture of cryogenic split-body control valves whose construction and metallurgy avoid the leakage characteristic of conventional split-bodies. The new designs allow NASA to use one Flowserve valve in place of several competitive valves because they also feature replaceable trims. Flowserve previously supplied NASA with a variety of other innovative valve designs.

Direct-drive linear stage provides cost-effective positioning for hostile environments - Aerotech's ALS1000 high performance linear positioning stage features direct-drive brushless servo technology and long-life linear motion guide bearings to provide micron level accuracy and repeatability with a 50 kg load rating and a travel range up to 450 mm. The compact, low profile stage is fully sealed for harsh manufacturing environments and an internal and fully protected, two-axis cable management system routes motor power and feedback signals to a central connection point for straightforward X-Y table installation and a very smart appearance.

'Overall Best MSc Student' in Electronic Instrumentation Systems awarded at Manchester - National Instruments UK & Ireland recently presented the prize for the Overall Best MSc Student in Electronic Instrumentation Systems to Mohammed Al-Loulah. Originally from Syria, Mohammed began his studies at The University of Manchester in September 2004.  He achieved 76% in taught modules and 78.5% for his project entitled "Interfacing a DSP to PC by USB". Both grades are well above the Distinction level of 70% and ensured Mohammed finished top in the whole MSc class and Overall Best Student. "I am very pleased with the award" said Mohammed. "I have always aimed at a Distinction, but the NI prize was an extremely valuable recognition of my knowledge, skills and hard work". Mohammed is currently applying for the UK Science and Engineering Graduates employment scheme and for scholarships to continue studying towards a PhD degree.

New range of highly flexible and adaptable touch screen HMI's - Complementing its wide range of PLC and PC based automation solutions, VIPA have launched a new family of touch screen HMI's for factory, process and building automation applications. The new TouchPanel family comprises six models with a choice of monochrome or colour displays in industry standard panel sizes of 5.7", 6.4" and 8.4".  With Microsoft Windows CE 5.0 operating system and MoviconX© CE Runtime visualisation software and a wide selection of field-bus interface options, USB and serial communications ports, the TouchPanel range offers maximum flexibility and future-proof stability. Based on Intel Xscale Technology developed for high performance processing for wireless and networking systems such as PDA's and GPS systems, the TouchPanel range features open architecture XML to maximise integration with external systems. By allowing the choice of MoviconX or zenOn 6.20, the user can decide between the most suitable application requirements and leverage its own software development skills and resources to the full. Both systems offer a vast range of features for SCADA based applications.

Advanced check valves reduce costly maintenance on dual-fuel turbines - At Power-Gen Middle East, Parker Instrumentation is showing a unique new family of check valves, specially optimized for the high temperatures and aggressive media found in turbine installations. Now field proven in service at USA dual-fuel power generation installations, the superior performance of the valves can eliminate costly turbine shut downs that can be required for repairs, maintenance, and fuel changeovers.

Long-term maintenance contract for large-scale petrochemical complex in China awarded - Yokogawa Electric Corporation has concluded a long-term maintenance contract with CNOOC and Shell Petrochemicals Company Limited (CSPC)*1 under which it will maintain the instrumentation equipment at CSPC's Nanhai Petrochemical Complex*2 in Huizhou, China. The contract is for a period of just over four years to the end of 2009. They 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 fieldbus( compatible integrated production control systems to field devices.

Programmable Hall-effect switches for gear-tooth or proximity sensing - New from Allegro MicroSystems Europe, the ATS635/636 Series of programmable back-biased Hall-effect IC sensors are true power-on state devices which use an optimised Hall-effect IC and magnet combination to switch in response to magnetic signals created by ferrous targets in automotive or industrial gear-tooth sensing and proximity applications.

New area sales manager appointment boosts component sales - Schaffner, a market leader in EMC components and test systems, announces the appointment of Steve Smith as Area Sales Manager for EMC components. Steve will be focussing on OEM sales in the South East of England. Working alongside other members of the Components Sales team and colleagues in Test Systems Steve will ensure that Schaffner customers benefit by better sales coordination and information sharing about their requirements, maximising the service they receive from Schaffner.

Interface measurement - Interfaces can now be measured up to a distance of 20m with Optiflex, the guided radar (TDR) from Krohne. Tests at Onyx, Norway's leading waste management and recycling company have been successfully completed. For measuring interfaces two reflections have to be evaluated. On the one hand the level pulse and on the other hand the interface pulse has to be analysed, which will, as a matter of course be absorbed by the product. The double cable as well as the coax version provide a stronger focused pulse and therefore a bigger signal amplitude than common level devices. This unit features a 2 GHz bandwidth, which is approximately twice as high as normal and produces considerably slimmer pulses and allows detection of interfaces to a minimum layer thickness of 50mm. Until recently the maximum length of the double cable and therefore the possibility of measuring interfaces was restricted to 8m due to physical reasons.

Detecting Alzheimer's disease biomarker Researchers in the Departments of Chemistry and Neurobiology & Physiology at Northwestern University, Illinois (US) have used a nanosensor to examine the behaviour of molecules that may be involved with Alzheimer's disease. The nanosensor, which incorporates an Ocean Optics UV/VIS spectrometer, has provided new information relevant to the understanding and possible diagnosis of the disease. At the present time there is no definite clinical diagnosis for Alzheimer's disease, but ADDLs (amyloid-derived diffusible ligands), a miniscule toxic protein suspected of triggering the disease, is present at levels up to 70 times greater in autopsied brain samples from humans with Alzheimer's disease than in humans without the disease. A sensitive method of detecting ADDLs in body fluid could, therefore, provide a basis for the laboratory diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.

Passing on the savings! - The cost of adding an AC convenience outlet to control panels has just been reduced by as much as 30%. Users can now purchase the already low cost IMACP series AC power modules from ASI for even less than 9 usDollars. ASI has had such a large demand for these DIN rail mount power modules over the last year that they were able to increase the production and decrease the component cost and pass the savings along to the customer.

DIN rail power supplies - A new range of low cost DIN RAIL mount switching power supplies designed especially for the industrial automation markets. Manufactured by Carlo Gavazzi, this new product line offers a wide range of power and voltages providing DC power for all low power devices commonly used in automated machinery. The new SPD power supply range offers a reliable power source, are short circuit protected with high efficiency and low ripple and are suitable for use with most sensors, electromechanical relays, contactors, solid state relays, timers, thermal-regulators, PLC_s, controllers, DC motors, solenoids, displays and other types of custom electronics.

First in new line of RF test instruments to provide RF signal generation for wireless device manufacturers - Keithley Instruments, celebrating 60 years in business this year, is introducing an innovative line of RF test instruments. With an unrivaled combination of high-performance, speed, flexibility, ease of use, and compact size, these instruments employ new approaches to test and measurement that enable users to save time, effort, and money. These new products will be used throughout the design, development and manufacturing processes, and they complement existing Keithley solutions sold in this market such as battery simulation sources, semiconductor characterization systems, and Source-Measure Units.

Liquid analysis transmitter upgraded - Further increasing the range of transmitters capable of intelligent Foundation fieldbus communications, Emerson Process Management announces the latest release of the Rosemount Analytical Model Xmt two wire transmitter for liquid analysis. Plants using Rosemount Analytical sensors for the measurement of pH, conductivity or amperometric measurements such as dissolved oxygen, chlorine and ozone, can now enjoy the operational and maintenance efficiencies of PlantWeb digital plant architecture when connected to the AMS Suite: Intelligent Device Manager software. Diagnostics continuously monitor sensor performance and allow remote warning of potential or imminent failure, thereby optimising predictive maintenance and reducing costs.

Acquisition adds wireless capability - ITA Holdings, formerly Axeda Systems, today announced that it has entered into a letter of intent to sell the assets of Wizcon Systems and certain other assets of the Wizcon Systems business unit to , a Tampa (US) based premier provider of wireless enterprise automation solutions which help companies dramatically improve their asset performance, energy usage, and workforce productivity. 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.
"eLutions is delighted to have the opportunity to synergize its product offerings with those of Wizcon Systems as well as the opportunity to introduce its existing offering to the European market through Wizcon Systems' sales channels.  The acquisition will allow eLutions and Wizcon Systems to develop an integrated product offering across Europe and North America, adding wireless capabilities to Wizcon's product line and dramatically expanding existing distribution channels." said Dan Collins, co-founder of eLutions.

Long term fatigue testing with load cells - The DSCC low profile "pancake" style load cells from Applied Measurements are providing aerospace engineers with a solution to long term fatigue testing of aircraft structures. For this application the requirement was to find load cells of high capacity and low profile that could be used over a long period involving many millions of cycles. Following initial trials the DSCC load cells were chosen both for their performance and that some custom requirements could be accommodated.
The load cells were supplied bolted to mounting bases making them suitable for use in both tension and compression. In the application they are mounted between hydraulic actuators providing the force and the aircraft structure. They have two separate strain gauge bridges one for controlling the actuators and the other for measuring the force being applied to the structure.

First E-Learning training session success - Wednesday, the 18th January, marked the occasion of IDC's very first E-Learning Training session. Steve Mackey tell us, "The lead up to perfect this session consisted of many trial and error tests of software and hardware (think lots of beeping from both the PC and our IT Developer) and checking and re-checking with Deon Reynders, the presenter for the hour long session. But the most important task was the development of the material to be presented; Will the material be interactive enough? Are they enough practical examples? Will the presentation be clear and easy to understand? However, with a team of staff dedicated to this project and building it even further, we think we hit the nail on the head."

First certifications to IEC 61511 by TUV - After rounds of audits in all world areas, the TUV organisation 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 TUV last Autumn.
Certification applies to all worldwide engineering of the Emerson unique smart SIS that extends the innovations of PlantWeb digital architecture to enable customers to implement safer process plants and facilities. DeltaV safety instrumented systems use information from the intelligent field devices within the PlantWeb architecture. Comprising sixteen-channel modular logic solvers, the DeltaV SIS system can be deployed in distributed fashion to perform programmable electronic system functions for virtually any process safety need.

Ethernet motion control technology speeds tube bending - Ethernet Powerlink-compatible motion control technology from Baldor is catalysing a breakthrough in the performance of Unison's tube benders - allowing multi-stage bending operations to take place in parallel. On the first version of the machine - configured for an automotive manufacturer - tubing components progress automatically through four separate stages. Each bend head is powered by a servo motor axis. In addition to productivity gains, Unison has reduced the size of the control cabinet dramatically. This benefit is a combined result of simpler wiring, and the ability of a single machine controller - Baldor's NextMove e100 - to manage and synchronise a large number of motion axes (15 in total) and I/O via the high-bandwidth network.

Tilt and roll monitoring expands range capability - Lamerholm Electronics is pleased to announce the launch of the new RD404 tilt and roll accelerometer, designed to add additional monitoring capabilities to the ShockLog range of event data recorders. ShockLog is used throughout industry to help companies reduce the cost of damage to goods, whether in production, transit or storage. Now, with the introduction of the RD404, companies are not just able to monitor impact and vibration but also tilt and sway, so giving a complete picture of the physical environment that the product has endured through transit or in storage.

ControlGlobal.com This week's news from Control.

New source for environmental instrument hire in Ireland - Ashtead Technology Rentals will launch a major new instrument rental initiative at IWWE. General Manager James Carlyle says "There is a strong demand for rentable instrumentation in Ireland and as one of the world's largest rental groups, we have invested heavily in the latest technology so that customers in Ireland can benefit from access to the best available equipment. We will use IWWE to launch this imitative and our stand (No. C36) will feature examples from our vast rental fleet of instruments"
IWWE and other exhibitions listed on our Events Page

Small form factor plus industrial temperature range FPGA is ideal for handheld and battery powered products - QuickLogic Europe is making its ultra low power QL8150 FPGA available in 8x8 mm ball grid array (BGA) packages. This small form factor packaging supports the development of portable applications such as smart phones, personal media players, and industrial handheld products.

New joystick option protects against ingress of dust and dirt - Penny + Giles has developed a protective boot for its JC120 single axis fingertip joystick. Designed for use in environments where aggressive materials are present, the boot protects against the ingress of dust and dirt. As a result, manufacturers of control and handling equipment can be assured of consistent, accurate operation and longer operating life despite harsh conditions.

Temperature and humidity measuring devices help avoiding spoilage - Inventory and other collections spoilage can now be minimized by using maximum-featured temperature and humidity monitoring technology with accuracy and reliability now available at approximately half the price - the new TH8 line of 8-inch Temperature/Humidity Chart Recorders and the new KT8 line of K-Thermocouple Remote Sensing 8-inch Chart Recorders from Dickson. These TH8 and KT8 Chart Recorders, though offered at a much discounted price, have a number of added features making them newly practical for protecting supplies, product inventory, archives, and other collections from larger charts for readability, to smaller footprint designs, audio and visual alarms, and more. There are three different models of Dickson TH8 8” Temperature/Humidity Chart Recorders and five different models of KT8 K-Thermocouple Remote Sensing Chart Recorders, with each optimized for different humidity and/or temperature ranges.

SCADA security company acquired - Verano has just announced the acquisition of PlantData Technologies, a leading SCADA security, IT services and industrial automation firm. While PlantData will remain an independent subsidiary, customers in power generation, transmission and distribution, water distribution and treatment, gas and liquid pipelines, and mass transit systems can now gain a comprehensive SCADA and real-time security solution through a single source.

New field sales engineer for East Anglia - National Instruments UK & Ireland has recently promoted Peter Horn to Field Sales Engineer for the East Anglia region (GB).  In his new role, Peter, who lives in Cambridge, will be the first point of contact for customers in East Anglia with responsibility for specifying systems and introducing National Instruments innovative hardware and software.

Deployment of new methodology based for part removal virtual simulations - Kineo C.A.M. has announced that a Major North American Automotive Manufacturer deploys a new serviceability methodology for all part removal virtual simulations. This methodology is based on Kineo Path PlannerTM and takes full advantage of the advanced Dynamic Collision Checking capabilities offered by Kineo CAM's technology.
"With our former methodology, serviceability studies could not be conducted optimally when collision detection processes were involved", explains Sethupathy Kathiresan, Knowledge Based Engineering Analyst. "The part removal simulations took several hours (approx. 2-3 hours or even more) of manual transformation for an experienced analyst time, which represents about 20­25% of the total time to complete serviceability assessment studies. This, in turns, limited the number of assessments which could be scheduled and completed in support of serviceability. Today, Serviceability studies that require part disassembly path simulations are fed into Kineo Path PlannerTM in order to find a feasible and quick extraction path. Finding an extraction path controlled by the dynamic collision checker now takes an average of 5-6 minutes, which means about 2 hours or 76% computation time reduction on each part removal assessment compared to the former methodology. The generated paths and the corresponding swept volumes are the starting points for future data re-use within the vehicle program buck."

Free seminar pre-registration up by a third! - Trident Exhibitions' tell us that visitor pre-registration figures for its free programmes of mtec and Industrial Networks workshops and seminars are up by 30% and 35% respectively when compared with the same period in 2005.
Mtec, which is held in Hall 11 of the NEC on 15th & 16th February benefits from two days of free workshops and seminars held by the British Society for Strain Measurement (BSSM) and the Sensors Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN).

Double bridging - The latest series of universal screw terminal blocks from Phoenix Contact feature a spring-loaded, snap-on grounding foot and standardized plug-in bridge. Potentials can be distributed quickly across all the terminals in the range due to the double bridging shaft.

Felix Brakl (middle), Managing Director of INOR with Michael Dubbick (left) and Stephan Neuburger (right), Managing Directors of KROHNE

Acquisition rounds out product portfolio - Krohne has acquired 100 percent ownership of the Swedish company INOR Process AB, thereby adding temperature measuring instruments for the process industry to its product portfolio. INOR has 56 employees and generates sales of €7.2 million. The company is a technology leader in the field of temperature measurement.

New Micro Motion H-Series meter offers electro-polished finish for high sanitary applications - Emerson Process Management has improved the specifications available on the Micro Motion H-Series hygienic line by offering a 0.4µm (15 Ra) electro-polished internal surface finish on all five line sizes of this Coriolis mass flowmeter. Micro Motion H-Series meters are drainable, cleanable and available with Tri-Clamp, IDF and DIN standard aseptic couplings to suit 6mm to 100mm line installations. Suitable for customers needing excellent accuracy and reliability in hygienic applications, the H-Series is ideal for WFI and CIP applications in biotech, pharmaceutical, food and beverage flow and density measurements.

New sales engineer offers increased customer service - knitter-switch, Europe's leading switch manufacturer, announces the appointment of Victor Hochberger to the role of Internal Sales and Marketing Specialist. Working from the Basingstoke (GB) sales office Victor will support the knitter-switch direct customer base and distributors throughout Britain and Nordic regions.

Innovative liquid crystal modulation ellipsometer for advanced thin film characterisation - Horiba Jobin Yvon introduces the new MM-16, a competitively priced spectroscopic ellipsometer that extends the capabilities of classical ellipsometry for the characterisation of thin film thickness and optical properties with exceptionally high accuracy. This instrument is unique in its ability to collect full spectral ellpsometric data (2048 points) at high resolution and calculate the complete 16-element Mueller Matrix in <2 seconds. This allows simple characterisation of complex birefringent materials, and also simplifies the investigation of samples exhibiting depolarisation effects.

Where the European analysis, biotech and laboratory community meets - When it celebrates its 20th anniversary next May, Analytica 2006 "will verify its position as the leading European trade fair for solutions in industrial and research laboratories. Given the number of exhibiting nations and the presence of international market leaders, Analytica is the largest platform of this kind in the world. Analytica 2006 will focus on the latest trends and products for analysis and quality control, laboratory technology, biotechnology and the life sciences in their entire breadth and depth. Furthermore, the international character of the fair is reinforced by the Analytica Conference, in which the European Association for Chemical and Molecular Sciences is involved".
The 20th Analytica is being held at the New Munich Trade Fair Centre from April 25 - 28, 2006.
More shows, conferences and courses on our Events Page

Making Motion Control Friendly - Technosoft has launched EasyMotion Studio, the new software platform designed for drives/motors setup and motion programming. The software exploits the key advantage of their products: their ability to execute complex motion without requiring an external controller, thanks to their built-in motion controller.

Drives go large! - Mitsubishi Electric has expanded its F700 series of variable speed drives for electric motors with 15 larger sizes up to 530kW. At the launch last year the range ran from 0.7kW to 55kW, the most popular sizes for OEM and end-user applications. The full range now covers virtually every likely use for drives in fields as diverse as manufacturing, HVAC, utilities, wind tunnels and commercial kitchen appliances. The FR-F700 features both optimum excitation control and optimum torque patterns so the drive is always giving maximum performance and efficiency to the load.

Guide details compact double-block-and-bleed manifolds - Parker Instrumentation has published a guide to compact double-block-and-bleed manifolds for connecting process instrumentation. The guide focuses on manifolds with flange interfaces, and on two types of integrated construction that reduce the potential number of leak paths compared with assemblies fabricated from discrete components.

PCB "Top Gun" Hall of Fame contest - Show off your design talent and expertise by entering the 2006 PCB Top Gun Hall of Fame Contest! Printed circuit board (PCB) designers and engineers are invited to battle it out for the honor of being the top two designers in the annual PCB Top Gun Hall of Fame contest, March 26-28, 2006, in Santa Clara, CA. The intensive two-day contest, which is held in conjunction with PCB West 2006 is sponsored by Printed Circuit Design & Manufacture magazine.
Entry forms must be submitted by Tuesday, February 28. To complete an entry form or for additional information, visit www.pcbwest.com/topgun

Push-Pull fibre-optic connector brings 'plug & play' connectivity to industrial environments - The new Push-Pull Fibre LC connector from Harting is the first fibre-optic connector within the company's RJ Industrial Push-Pull family, and brings 'plug & play' connectivity to fibre-optic communications within the industrial environment. The new connector, which integrates a standard LC fibre-optic connector into Harting's Push-Pull housing, is robust, vibration-resistant and environmentally protected to IP 65/67, making it ideal for use in harsh industrial environments.

New advertiser on signpost - The latest company to support the signpost is Amplicon Liveline - "The home of data acquisition!". You'll find their banner on our Acronyms Page. This useful page gives lots of acronyms and has proved to be the most popular page on the signpost after the home and the news page.

Customer offered increased product range and service as companies join forces - Brownsbarn Controls has become part of Hanley Automation Networks. Brownsbarn Controls was founded in 1983 by Mr. Tim Costello and has been a provider of electrical controls to Irish industry from its base in Ballymount, Dublin since then. Brownsbarn Controls has been the distributor in Ireland for many years for the Carlo Gavazzi range of electrical controls as well as several other fine brands such as Hengstler, Dynapar and Eletras Transformers. Brownsbarns trading operations have moved to the Hanley Automation headquarters at Slane, Co. Meath. This move will mean that Brownsbarn is in a position to offer an increased product range and even better customer service to its customer base. Customers will continue to deal with Tim, Mark and Laoise as well as with the Hanley customer service team.

Plug & play, long distance communications, comprehensive diagnostics, SHDSL- Westermo Data Communications announce the release of a Line Extender for connecting two Industrial Ethernet networks over long distances via twisted pair cable. The unit is ideal for utilising existing wiring to link remote sites to a central industrial Ethernet network removing the need to install fibre optic cables for instance. The DDW-100 is designed as a transparent Ethernet Line Extender for 10/100BaseTX networks. Using the SHDSL (Symmetric High-Bitrate Digital Subscriber Loop) standard the unit can send data at rates from 192 Kbit/s to 2.3 Mbit/s in both directions over distances of up to 6.5 km. SHDSL represents the best of several DSL technologies that have been combined into a single industry standard.
Coincidentally Westermo are represented in Ireland by Hanley Automation Networks, mentioned in the previous story above.

Conductor system maintains separation distances in lightning protection installations - The DEHNconductor system from Dehn. is a range of components designed to maintain the critical separation distance which is a key parameter in the planning and installation of lightning protection systems. Maintaining the separation distance, which is determined by calculations specified in the new EN62305-3 standard, is essential to prevent dangerous flashovers between external lightning protection systems and internal conductive elements such as electrical wiring, conduits and equipment. The new system is particularly suited to installations where it is important to ensure that there is no possibility of partial lightning currents entering buildings which may contain sensitive electronic equipment, such as hospitals, industrial plants or rooftop structures containing heating or air-conditioning controls.

Digital multimeter in new case for bench or system applications - TTi (Thurlby Thandar Instruments) has redesigned its Model 1906 digital multimeter to utilise the company's new 2U high bench-top case for which an optional rack-mount kit is available. The DMM is fitted with an isolated RS232 interface as standard, and can also be specified with a GPIB (IEEE-488) interface.

Engineers can now perform internet-like data searches with new software upgrade - National Instruments is changing the way engineers manage and mine test data with the release of NI DIAdem 10.0, the latest upgrade to the interactive software for inspecting, analysing and reporting test data. The new version includes the revolutionary DIAdem DataFinder, which gives engineers and scientists the power to perform Internet-like searches across their data files, regardless of format. DIAdem DataFinder brings sophisticated data management and data mining functionality to the desktop at a fraction of the cost and without the maintenance challenges found in traditional IT-supported data management solutions.

Full-bridge motor driver IC integrates Hall element and motor control circuitry - The new A1441 from Allegro MicroSystems is a full-bridge motor driver integrated circuit designed to drive single-phase, low-voltage bipolar brushless DC motors. Commutation of the motor is achieved by the use of a single Hall-effect sensing element which detects the position of an alternating pole ring magnet. Allegro's advanced IC semiconductor process allows the integration of the Hall element on the same IC as the motor control circuitry, providing a single-chip solution for high reliability.

Sportswoman of the year - Ireland's Minister for Education and Science, Mary Hanafin, T.D., recently announced Cork dual star Briege Corkery as the 2005 Irish Times Mitsubishi Electric Sportswoman of the Year at an Awards ceremony held in the Conrad Hotel, Dublin. Briege won the Award for her outstanding achievements during 2005, when she won two All-Ireland medals with Cork in Camogie and Gaelic Football. Corkery received the monthly award in September for her display in the All Ireland Camogie Final.
Camogie is the female version of Hurling the fast Irish game played with sticks (camáin) and a small ball.

New processor module - Concurrent Technologies announce their new lead-free, high performance, Pentium M based, Advanced Mezzanine Card (AdvancedMC or AMC) processor module suitable for AdvancedTCA, MicroTCA and proprietary platforms. The PR AMC/33x is a single width full height AMC processor module supporting the 2.0 GHz Intel Pentium M processor 760. To enhance overall memory and I/O performance the PR AMC/33x supports the Intel E7520 server chipset. The E7520 interfaces up to 2GBytes soldered DDR2-400 ECC memory giving a peak memory bandwidth of 3.2 Gigabytes/s.

Track safety system monitors the risk of track buckling - Network Rail (The British railway track authority) has approved an innovative new Rail Temperature Monitor (RTM) system developed by telemetry specialist Radio-Tech. The fully automatic, battery powered system is the first solution specifically designed for critical rail temperature management to gain Network Rail approval. It enables temperatures to be monitored constantly, anywhere on the network, providing early warning of the risk of track buckling without endangering personnel.

Averaging oxygen analyser optimises control of large fossil fuel combustion processes - The new O2Mation Model AV550 from Yokogawa is an averaging oxygen analyser designed for use in large fossil fuel burning processes such as power stations, where combustion gas analysis is a key factor in optimising plant efficiency and economy as well as meeting emission requirements. It is a robust, reliable and accurate instrument which combines their expertise in zirconia-based combustion oxygen sensing with a number of features designed to minimise plant downtime and provide technical support to users. These include intuitive colour touch-screen operation, innovative hardware design and powerful diagnostic tools.

Unique square core enables new process valves to achieve 20 million - cycle service life on host of fluids, reagents and gases - ASCO Joucomatic's new 256 - 356 series of 1/8" process valves offer a service life of up to 20 million cycles on a wide range of fluids and gases thanks to a unique design of square core. The valves are designed for tasks such as shut-off, dosing, filling and actuator piloting in a host of applications including sanitary equipment, industrial laundries, food machinery, compressors, heating and refrigeration equipment, washing machines, petrochemical milking machines animal feeders, car washes and welding machines.

Multi-channel 100 MHz ARBs can generate very long waveforms - TTi (Thurlby Thandar Instruments) has launched two new arbitrary waveform generators which combine 1M words of memory per channel with a variable clock architecture producing speeds of up to 100 MHz. The TGA12104 has four channels and the TGA12102 has two. The variable clock architecture differs fundamentally from the direct digital synthesis (DDS) based system used in most lower-cost arbitrary generators. It allows separate waveform segments to be linked together in a repetitive sequence to produce waveform lengths far in excess of the waveform memory length of 1,048,576 words.

Transceiver development platform handles wideband recording and playback - Pentek, industry pioneer of VME board-level technology, has unveiled the latest member of its RTS 2500 development platform systems for real-time wideband data acquisition, signal processing and recording. The RTS 2502 adds playback capability to the family, using the same data-capture front end as the company's popular RTS 2501 and adding four D/A channels with two upconverters for playback. The unit comes preconfigured as a data recording system with a graphical user interface (GUI) to make the RTS 2502 ready to use out-of-the-box. The RTS 2502 is a fully programmable development platform that targets transceiver applications such as military radios and commercial wireless base stations.

EMC test system gets WiFi control - Schaffner has launched a comprehensive update of its Modula EMC test system. Modula employs the latest technology pulse generators and measurement systems for investigating the immunity of products to electromagnetic interference. The new version may be remotely controlled from distances up to 30m using the optional WiFi enabled PDA or PC with wireless LAN. This simplifies taking measurements in both laboratories and on site locations where cables and defined grounding points may make access difficult. The large, colour, touch screen of the PDA clearly displays large amounts of information, allows test routines to be called up from the system library, make simple adjustments of test parameters and saving to memory of user-specific tests.

High temperature measurements at a low-cost - Calex Electronics has announced the ST8818 Series of handheld infrared thermometers, including the new high temperature ST8828. The ST8818 Series is a range of low cost, handheld infrared thermometers with laser sighting and a large backlit LCD display. There are two models to choose from, with different temperature ranges to suit different applications. The emissivity setting is fixed at 0.95, making the ST8818 Series ideal for most organic materials and non-shiny (painted, corroded or anodised) metals.

Industrial PC reduces lifeboat muster times by 70% on North Sea accommodation platform - GE Fanuc Embedded Systems 'Survivor-WildCat' industrial flat panel PCs have proved the ideal, rugged solution as part of an AND Group 'Crusafe' system which has reduced lifeboat muster times by around 70%. Located outside in all weathers at each lifeboat station on a North Sea accommodation platform, the Survivor-WildCats provide the muster station system control and act as a central panel providing information about the location of personnel.

Checks those hard to access places - The new Testo 319 Fibrescope allows easy visual checks in hard-to-access places such as air conditioning ducts, ventilation systems, machines, motors and heating systems. The Testo 319 is a flexible Fibrescope that can be easily inserted into hollow spaces or bores and around bends to facilitate the visual inspection of internal parts. Diagnoses such as corrosion, wear and the condition of welded parts can then be made without the time-consuming dismantling of components.

New sales manager - Schaffner, a market leader in EMC components and test systems, announces the appointment of Colin Sycamore as UK Sales manager for ATE products. This new role will include selling and supporting Power Electronics test systems and selling Schaffner-Electrotest cable and back-plane test instruments and Electro-Emulation systems in the UK. This role is expected to expand the present customer base by further developing Schaffner’s wide expertise in the Power Electronics industry in such area’s as Power Semiconductors, UPS, Fuel cells, Motors & Drives, DVT systems and emerging power electronics test requirements. Electo-Emulation testing in the automotive and rail industries is growing rapidly and dedicated sales effort is required to capitalise on this.

Spanish coupling manufacturer acquired - Emerson Industrial Automation's mechanical power transmission division announces the acquisition of Jaure, a coupling manufacturer based in Northern Spain. The integration of Jaure with the mechanical power transmission division's Kop-Flex operation will significantly strengthen the Jaure brand presence in Europe and add application expertise that benefits both Kop-Flex and Jaure customers.

Specialist distributor of the year - Phoenix Electronics Distribution has received the Harting Specialist Distributor of the Year Award for 2005 - after only two years of handling the Harting connector product line. The award is made on merit, and is based on sales growth, design-in activity and overall performance. Commenting on the award, Doreen Sanderson, Harting's UK Distribution Manager, said: 'Despite the tough marketplace, Phoenix Electronics Distribution has found new business for Harting, and through excellent customer service is continuing to maintain and grow the business. We are delighted with all their efforts.'

Significant enhancements allow users to protect technology investments - GE Fanuc has introduced Proficy Change Management Version 5.50, a powerful tool to manage automation systems and protect software and engineering assets. This release provides significant enhancements with a focus on delivering better integration with GE Fanuc products, providing support for new programs and devices, and providing increased functionality.
For companies to stay competitive they must keep their automation systems running securely and efficiently. Proficy Change Management assists in monitoring software and data assets, protecting against device failure or operator error and meeting government regulatory requirements. With powerful capabilities including security, version control, audit trails, central storage and automated backup and recovery, Proficy Change Management ensures that automation systems continue to run safely and efficiently.

Shielded overmoulded cord sets for industrial Ethernet M12 connections - Harting has introduced a range of shielded overmoulded cord sets for interfacing M12 system components within industrial Ethernet systems. The new cord sets feature a d-coded mating face according to IEC 610 76-2-101, which was developed for Ethernet applications to avoid mismating with other M12-based connectors. They are available for use with AWG 22 and AWG 26 cables, and meet all the relevant international standards on flame retardance and oil resistance.

Multi-format OFDM analysis and generation software for wireless and broadcast testing - Yokogawa Europe has introduced new PC-based multi-format OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multiplex) analysis and generation software utilities for use with the company's ranges of wireless test instruments, extending their application to emerging technologies such as WiMAX, 802.11n, Super3G, 4G and ISDB-T and DVB-T digital broadcasting.

New national website - www.profibus.ie. This will give more visibility to the organisation and provides a valuable information resource for training, research, sales and support activities of this group in Ireland.
More on nthis and other fieldbus news on our Fieldbus News Page

Leading Chinese end users to headline global fieldbus event - The Fieldbus Foundation has announced the keynote speakers for its 2006 General Assembly, to be held at the Ritz Carlton Portman Hotel in Shanghai, China, from February 28-March 1. This year's event, themed, "Compliance, Confidence, Credibility," will include presentations by Huang BuYu, deputy chief engineer, Sinopec Engineering Incorporated; and Seah Ooi Kiat, head instrument engineer, CNOOC and Shell Petrochemicals Company Limited.

Coriolis mass flowmeter with FF communication - Yokogawa has introduced a new version of its RotaMASS Series 3 Coriolis mass flowmeter with Foundation Fieldbus communications. The new RCCT3 model supports bi-directional Fieldbus communications, ensuring interoperability with other field instruments and offering cost reductions by the use of multi-drop wiring with fewer cables. It has four independent analogue input function blocks for mass flow, volume flow, density and temperature calculation. Also included are two independent integrator function blocks for mass, volume or net totalisation, while two additional analogue input function blocks for concentration measurement and net flow calculation are available as options.

Pan European seminar tour - LeCroy, the leading supplier for Oscilloscope and Serial Data Analyzer announces a new Pan-European Seminar Tour 2006 about " Expanding Your Vision on Serial Data Analysis capabilities" covering 12 different locations between mid February and March.
Both Physical Layer Quality measurements as well as Protocol Layers measurements will be part of this one-day free of charge seminar events. The benefits of using new technologies on acquisition for both real-time signal and repetitive signals up to 100 GHz will be demonstrated with a particular focus on jitter breakdown and all the statistical quality measurement on the Physical Layer. Protocol analysis will be focus on PCI-Express , SAS/SATA , USB and Bluetooth with practical measurement demonstration of the Wireless-USB on the UltraWideBand (UWB )radio platform

Infrared Thermometer enhanced with remote-controlled variable target focusing - Raytek, the leading worldwide provider of infrared thermometry, has enhanced the new Marathon MM Series Infrared (IR) Thermometer with an optional motorized, remote-controlled variable target focus capability. The first high-performance IR sensor platform of its kind, the Marathon MM provides additional flexibility for target focusing in a wide range of industrial temperature measurement applications.

New clamp meter series features built-in non-contact infrared thermometer - Extech Instruments, one of the world's largest suppliers of test equipment and portable printers, announces its new series of 1000A and 800A clamp meters. Each 1000A clamp features a unique, built-in, non-contact InfraRed thermometer with laser pointer to monitor temperature and locate hot spots on motors and electrical devices. Each 1000A meter features Min/Max, a Data Hold feature that "freezes" the data in the display, and an auto ranging feature with a manual range override.
Jerry Blakeley, President of Extech Instruments will be at mtec on February 15-16 at the NEC in Birmingham.

New glass tube VA flowmeter - Platon variable area glass tube flowmeters from Roxspur Measurement and Control are the established standard for versatile visual laboratory, test and pilot plant flowmeters. With several frame fittings and different float and tube combinations, these flowmeters cover typically a 10:1 flow range, with flow scales covering water flows from 2-25cm3/min up to 0.4 to 4.4 L/min, and air flows from 5-100 cm3/min up to 30-150 L/min.

UK Re-structuring appointments of new Managing Director and Operations Director - Interconnect Technology Group Harting has re-structured its UK operations in Northampton with the creation of a new company, Harting UK Ltd., which will act as the holding company for two operating entities: Harting Ltd. (the existing UK sales subsidiary) and Harting Integrated Solutions Ltd. - a completely new legal entity which covers the backplane manufacturing operations. As a result of the re-structuring, Peter Hannon has been appointed Managing Director of Harting Ltd., with responsibility for all sales and marketing activities for the UK and Irish markets.
At the same time, Paul Atkinson has been appointed Operations Director of Harting Integrated Solutions Ltd. (HIS), which is co-located on the Northampton site.

One of the largest integrated SCADA systems in the world - GE Fanuc Automation has announced it is working with CH2M HILL, the multinational engineering firm and designer of Singapore's Deep Tunnel Sewerage System, on one of the largest integrated SCADA systems in the world. One of the project's first centralized water reclamation facilities, the Changi plant, is configured with approximately 500,000 tags across an architecture of 50 nodes running the newly-announced Proficy iFIX 4.0.
Proficy HMI/SCADA - iFIX 4.0 is a premier industry solution for the comprehensive monitoring, control and distribution of plant-wide data. A key component of the Proficy automation software platform, this new release of iFIX 4.0 delivers enhanced functionality including third-party PLC integration, productivity enhancements and the ability to handle one of the world's largest SCADA systems.

Test & Measurement World names best in test digitiser - Editors from Test & Measurement World magazine recently named the National Instruments PXI-5922 flexible-resolution digitiser as a Best in Test winner and finalist for the Test Product of the Year in the publication's 2006 Best in Test awards.

Two new practical calibrators for field use - Last year, Beamex introduced the compact-sized MC2 Pressure Calibrator. This year, they will introduce two new MC2 calibrators for field use: the MC2 Temperature/Electrical Calibrator and the MC2 Multifunction Calibrator. After the introduction of these two new models, the MC2 family will include three different portable calibrators in total. By launching a complete series of MC2 calibrators, Beamex aims to obtain a strong foothold in the category of practical and compact-sized field calibrators.

Hope for another bumper exhibition! - Trident Exhibitions has announced that visitor pre-registration figures for its 8 co-located exhibitions - Mtec, Industrial Networks, Machine Building, IPOT, Machine Vision, Displays Technology, Practical Vacuum and Drives & Motion Control Systems - taking place on 15th & 16th February 2006 at the NEC Birmingham were up by 34% as of the first week in January (when compared to the same period in 2005)! Companies who already have representatives registered to attend include Land Rover, IBM, Kellogg, British Nuclear Group, BAE Systems Ltd, QINETIQ, Esso Petroleum Company, Texas Instruments, Unilever R&D, Rolls-Royce, Williams F1, Epson Telford, Honda, Panasonic, Stannah Stairlifts Ltd and Lexmark International.
Visitor pre-registration is available through completion of tickets which have been circulated to more than 800,000 potential and past visitors in the UK and Europe, via the show websites or through our mtec review.

European valves go to China - Truflo Rona, one of the world's leading manufacturers of high integrity valves for the oil and gas, LNG, petrochemical (PTA) and shipbuilding industries says its latest orders for the Zhejiang Yisheng Petrochemical company are part of a general and significant upturn in business. The company, part of the Truflo International group of specialist valve manufacturers, completed its orders for the project's first phase at the end of August and has now taken a multi-million Euro valve order for the second phase. Truflo Rona will supply stainless steel, titanium, duplex and hastelloy valves and other manual and actuated products, all using its highly renowned top entry and double trunnion mounted ball valve specification.

Bidirectional linear current sensor family offers 20 A dynamic range - Allegro MicroSystems Europe has introduced a new family of bidirectional linear Hall-effect current sensors that combine a 20 A dynamic range with an internal resistance of only one milliohm, an accuracy of better than 1.5% and an isolation voltage of 1600 V RMS. The new ACS family offer the smallest isolated integrated current-sensing solution on the market today.

Two cooperate for greater cyber safety - Two leading players in the SCADA security space have just announced they have formed a strategic partnership to provide customers in mission-critical industries a heightened, more comprehensive level of protection against vulnerabilities and cyber threats. Together, Verano, the leading provider of security and SCADA solutions and Counterpane, a leading managed security company and authority on enterprise security systems will help enable customers to meet new and increased security requirements implemented by NERC CIP.
See also our Cyber Safe Page

British electronic design house expands further - Triteq today announces the expansion of its management team with the addition of two new key members. Lak Sidhu and Mike Keene join as finance director and quality manager respectively. "Following a year of rapid growth through the development of our core medical and telematics markets, it became clear that we needed to extend our current management team," said Jackie Berry, managing director, Triteq. "I am pleased to announce the appointment of Lak and Mike and I am confident that their highly qualified and committed approach will ensure we achieve our future targets whilst retaining the agility and characteristics of a small to medium sized company. As we actively work towards the ISO13485 standard, their wealth of knowledge, experience and pragmatic problem solving skills will be invaluable to us."

The power behind the New Lego Mindstorms Software - National Instruments and the LEGO Group have announced their collaborative development of the software component to the next generation of Lego Mindstorms robotics. Lego Mindstorms NXT includes an all-new programming environment, which is based on the NI LabVIEW graphical development software, and is PC- and Mac-compatible. The new product, announced at the Consumer Electronics Tradeshow in Las Vegas, will be available in August 2006.

Distribution manager appointed - Carlo Gavazzi UK has today announced the appointment of Stuart Mills to the newly created position of distribution manager. Mills will report to Alan Hickman, national sales company manager for Carlo Gavazzi, who said: "We aim to grow our business through our distribution network and with the number of exciting new and existing products we have to offer, together with Stuart's industry knowledge, I am confident that we will be successful."

New engine peak meter simplifies condition monitoring of marine propulsion engines - The new engine peak meter from Kistler has been designed to simplify condition monitoring and preventative maintenance of large marine diesel propulsion engines. The enhanced data storage capacity and powerful processing provides statistical analysis of peak combustion chamber pressure over 100 cycles plus an averaged pressure/time curve for accurate combustion analysis. Two areas of memory provide storage for twenty records each to make use in confined spaces easier and minimises errors when data is being evaluated on a PC using the software supplied.

Four serial channels, RS232 or RS422/RS485, on a single PMC board - Concurrent Technologies announces a four channel asynchronous serial communications PMC adaptor suitable for CompactPCI or VME platforms. The CC PMC/RS1 is a single width PMC adaptor that provides four independent RS232 channels (plus an IEEE-1284 parallel port) or four independent RS422/RS485 channels. Front and rear I/O is available for both interface types. The RS232 data rates are up to 230Kbps full duplex and the RS422/RS485 data rates are up to 4Mbps, where the maximum power consumption is 2.5W and 5.0W respectively. The CC PMC/RS1 is an upgrade to Concurrent Technologies' legacy serial PMC adaptors, the CC PMC/232 and the CC PMC/422.

Thermal cycler allows 30 cycle PCR in less than 13 minutes - Lambda Advanced Technology can now offer the SpeedCycler from Analytik Jena in the UK. This high-speed thermal cycler can be used either in a high throughput laboratory or as a powerful standard cycler. Based on a high performance thermal block and special microplates in SBS-Standard format, the system offers a speed up to ten times faster than with conventional cyclers. A typical protocol allows a PCR of 30 cycles to be carried out in less than 13 minutes.

Multi-output programmable power manager combines digital power management and battery charging - Summit Microelectronics has announced the newest addition to the company's second generation of multi-output Programmable Power Manager ICs. As a true "one-chip solution" the SMB118 integrates six precision programmable regulators and programmable battery charging to reduce system size and cost in portable consumer electronics. Like the previously announced SMB122, the SMB118 combines analog power regulation and programmable digital power management, providing design flexibility for parametric adjustment and functional configuration.

Precision power analyser offers IEC61000-3-2 compliance test function - An advanced calculation function has been introduced as an option for the Yokogawa WT3000 precision power analyser to support customer requirements for more advanced and complex power analysis capabilities. The new /G6 Option adds the capability for IEC61000-3-2 compliant harmonic measurements, wide bandwidth harmonic measurements, FFT calculations and waveform mathematical function, plus the ability to store transient waveform data.

Flexibility is key on new feedback static control system - The recently launched Meech Model 986 Feedback system is now installed in a number of factories for automatically controlling the problems of static and has been proven in many processing applications including thermoforming, slitting/rewinding and gravure printing. Unlike other products that merely provide static 'reporting', the 986 DC Feedback System automatically optimises static charge removal by sensing the residual charge on the target material and reacting to it. One of the main characteristics of the system is its flexibility of installation. Engineers at Meech advise users on how best to install the system in order to give optimum sensitivity and performance.

Series of 5 free web events outline best practices for intelligent maintenance systems - Reliability and maintenance professionals seeking to improve the consistency and cost-effectiveness of their maintenance programs can now learn more about intelligent predictive maintenance (PdM) strategies through a series of free Web events hosted by National Instruments. Beginning Jan. 26, at 1 p.m. (CST), and continuing every Thursday until the end of February, this series offers live demonstrations and discussions with leading industry experts on topics ranging from power and vibration monitoring techniques to ultrasonic sensing and automated thermography.
Also listed on our Events Page

Significantly reducing complexity of business-to-manufacturing integration - Wonderware, (whose products are distributed and supported in the UK and Ireland by Pantek), has just announced the release of a new, enhanced version of its enterprise integration offering designed to reduce the complexity and costs of business-to-manufacturing integration. The Wonderware Enterprise Integration Application 2.0 enables manufacturers to improve operational performance by integrating diverse sets of manufacturing systems and business applications to achieve greater levels of business productivity.

TUV protocol type approval for safety instrumented systems specifications - The Fieldbus Foundation has announced that TUV Anlagentechnik GmbH, Automation, Software and Information Technology, the global, independent and accredited testing agency, has granted Protocol Type Approval for the Fieldbus Foundation Safety Instrumented Systems specifications. The specifications are in compliance with International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61508 standard (functional safety of electrical/electronic/programmable electronic safety-related systems) requirements up to, and including, Safety Integrity Level 3 (SIL 3).
More on our Fieldbus News Page

Spreading their wings! - Leading power supply specialist Powerstax has just signed an agreement with well known American manufacturer Condor D.C. Power for the sale of its extensive range of Medical and Commercial power solutions plus RoHS compliant Linear power supplies. Ratifying the collaboration for sales and promotion across Europe and exclusively in the UK and Ireland, Tim Worley, Chief Executive Officer of Powerstax plc stated: "Condor's extensive range of power supplies perfectly complements and enhances our existing range of high efficiency, AC and DC power solutions" Adding "This synergy between our companies means that customers will be able to single-source dedicated medical power solutions from less than 1 watt right up to 5,000 Watts."

Comprehensive machine vision software suite - National Instruments has released the NI Vision 8 Development Module, a comprehensive suite of vision software tools that engineers, integrators and machine builders can use to improve system efficiency and save money by increasing quality control in the manufacturing process. The Vision 8 Development Module combines an extensive collection of vision libraries with acquisition software for thousands of cameras ­ including those based on the IEEE 1394 (FireWire) connection standard - all optimised for common programming environments like NI LabVIEW and Microsoft C++, Visual Basic and .NET. In addition, the Vision 8 Development Module includes new algorithms for golden template comparison, optical character verification (OCV) and Data Matrix grading that are designed to help engineers identify packaging and assembly errors earlier in production.

THEY SAID IT January 2006 "I'd really like to see what ABB and Honeywell and Siemens have to say about this." John Bowron VP of Sales Yokogawa USA "Be assured that Schneider Electric is continuing to manufacture Modicon PLCs as you have known them for years." Statement from Schneider Electric ". . . a leap forward for machine safety." Kevin Colloton GuardLogix Product Manager Rockwell Automation "The First Technology acquisition further positions Honeywell as a global leader in the high-growth hazardous gas detection industry." Dave Cote Chairman and CEO Honeywell ""We don't think it makes sense to re-invent work that others have completed and proven in the field." Keith Unger Chairman ISA-SP95 committee Don't miss this incisive commentary on automation every month!

R&D manager appointed - Kenji Kingsford has joined Parker Hannifin's Partek Operation as Research and Development Manager. He takes overall responsibility for all product engineering at Partek - a leading vendor of PTFE and PFA flow control solutions for semiconductor and high purity processing. With over 20 years' experience leading development teams in the engineered components industry, Kingsford brings a wealth of know-how to the role. Fluoropolymer materials are a speciality, and Kingsford has many patents to his name in the area of fluoropolymer-based flow control components, and has won industry recognition for his work including two DuPont Plunkett Awards for innovative design.

Joining open source software development community - Lattix has announced that the company has joined the Eclipse Foundation, an open source community committed to the implementation of an extensible development platform for building software applications. As an Add-In Provider member, Lattix is committed to delivering the power of Lightweight Dependency Models (LDM) to formalize, communicate and control the architecture of Eclipse projects.
"Our goal at the Eclipse Foundation has been to foster an open-source community that responds to the needs of commercial vendors and serves as a platform for innovation," said Mike Milinkovich, executive director of the Eclipse Foundation. "The endorsement of Eclipse by Lattix will further extend the capabilities of Eclipse developers to visualize and maintain the architecture during application development."

Safety standards endorsed - The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has officially notified ISA that a three-part ISA series of standards may be used in achieving compliance with OSHA regulations pertaining to the prevention and mitigation of accidents involving hazardous chemicals.
"OSHA considers ANSI/ISA-84.00.01-2004 Parts 1-3 (IEC 61511 Mod) to be recognized and generally accepted good engineering practice for SIS (safety instrumented systems)," Richard E. Fairfax, director of OSHA's Directorate of Enforcement Programs, wrote in a letter to ISA. "Therefore, if an employer chooses to use ISA-84.00.01-2004 Parts 1-3 as a basis ('code or standard employed') for SIS, and meets all ISA-84.00.01-2004 Parts 1-3 requirements and other OHSA PSM requirements related to SIS, the employer will then be considered in compliance with OSHA PSM requirements for SIS.
See our Safety Page

New procedure ensures independance for automation publication - Industrial Automation INSIDER, possibly the most important publication in the automation business in Europe (if bnot the world), has reached agreement with the IML Group for the latter to handle all of its subscription sales and renewals with effect from the current issue. Readers will be delighted to hear that ownership of IAI remains with Andrew Bond who will continue to edit, publish and distribute the newsletter by email as before. Thus the independent line so valued by the readers will be mantained. Bond says, "IML Group is a natural partner for INSIDER, being the publisher of the successful industrial and process automation title, Control Engineering Europe. In the longer term, it is hoped to extend the collaboration to include commercial exploitation of the 'Automation Links' pages on the INSIDER website. Existing subscribers should notice no difference, other than that they will be contacted by IML when their subscription is due for renewal."