Conference details announced - WWEM 2006 (Telford (GB), 1st - 2nd November) will focus on the regulations, procedures and technologies involved with compliance monitoring of aqueous discharges to the environment. The keynote speech will be given by Chris Howes, the British Environment Agency's Head of Modern Regulation and a range of expert speakers will give presentations on complementary issues relating to water monitoring. However, the exhibition and conference will appeal to more than just those responsible for regulated processes; the event has become the Britain's focal point for all matters relating to the monitoring and testing of water quality, level and flow.

World's leading expert on industrial safety to deliver lecture - Widely recognized as a worldwide expert on process safety, Dr. Trevor Kletz will present the Wednesday Keynote & Rimbach Lecture on 18 October at ISA Expo 2006 in Houston (TX.USA). Author of eleven books, including the multi-million dollar seller, What Went Wrong? Case Studies of Process Plant Disasters, Kletz's work includes studies of inherently safer design, Hazop and QRA, human error, accident case histories and investigations, hazards of modifications, and hazards of computer control. ISA is thrilled to bring this noteworthy presentation to industry professionals.

Advanced batch control system in Irish plant - Yokogawa has supplied an advanced batch control system to Takeda Pharma Ireland (a subsidiary of Takeda Pharmaceutical) at the new Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) plant in Dublin. This is Takeda's first API facility to be constructed outside Japan. The new plant will be used to develop and produce APIs used in clinical trials through to launch and full commercialisation. In addition, Takeda also plans to produce APIs for products such as the diabetes 'blockbuster' drug Pioglitazone (brand name Actos).

High current density RoHS-compliant POL converters - Artesyn has launched five new high current density POL converters that provide dramatic savings in board real estate and external component costs. There are three new ultra-small LDO-C series units, offering a choice of 3, 6 and 10 A outputs, and two new members of the SIL-C2 family, with 20 A and 40 A outputs. All five converters are RoHS-compliant members of Artesyn's C-class family of cost-optimized products, and provide flexible and economic solutions for powering silicon on densely-packed boards.

Distributed motion control - Using MotionChipTM DSP Control Technology, Technosoft has developed a family of intelligent, universal drives, based on customer requirements: IDMx40 Intelligent Servo Drives, IDSx40 Intelligent Stepper Drives, IPS110 / IBL2403 Intelligent Minidrives, ISM4803 / ISCM4805 Intelligent Control Modules. These high-performance intelligent products represent a true universal drive solution covering all type of applications for brushless, DC, linear and step motors from 25 W (45 V, 0.5 A) up to 640 W (80 V, 8 A). They are designed to embed motion control, drive and PLC functionalities in a single frame unit of different sizes.

New line of integrated spectroscopy modules dedicated for OEM applicationss - This new line is an example of how we can supply spectroscopy modules which are suitable for a whole range of application such as colourimetry, analytical chemistry, life science and process monitoring. These modules are exclusively available to help OEM customers quickly define important performance parameters, after which a fully customised spectroscopy solution can be achieved.

Modulated LED source for spectrofluorometers - Intense light sources for frequency-domain lifetime fluorescence spectroscopy, with depth of modulation far beyond that of traditional Pockels cells, are now available from Horiba Jobin Yvon. The new modulated LEDs can be added to the FluoroLog-Tau-2 and Tau-3 systems. The modulated LEDs have an intensity up to five times the standard system using a xenon-arc lamp plus Pockels cell, with sine-wave modulation frequency of 500 Hz-320 MHz. Available in collimated or focused beams. The modulated LEDs are "plug-and-play", with all cables and electronics included. Three wavelengths, 280 nm, 295 nm, and 365 nm, are now offered, with more to come soon.

Pinpointing customer side leakage on water mains made simple - Customer Side Leakage (CSL) is traditionally difficult to pinpoint with acoustic leak detection and often results in several excavations on customer property. HWM Palmer Environmental has introduced the innovative new 'Leak-Finder' system specifically designed to provide accurate and reliable pinpointing of CSL. It significantly reduces disruption and speeds repair time as the leak can now be found with the first excavation in almost every case.

Revolutionising flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry - A completely new approach to flame atomic absorption spectrophotometery (AAS) has been launched by Lambda Advanced Technology. The contrAA 300 from Analytik Jena AG combines the simplicity of AAS with the speed and flexibility of ICP spectrometry by utilising a high resolution continuum light source in conjunction with a high resolution double Echelle monochromator for the first time in the technique. This increases sample throughput, improves detection limits and reduces costs. This novel approach means that all atomic absorption lines from 190 ­ 900 nm are available from a single light source without the necessity for a different hollow cathode lamp for each element of interest.

Expansion of electron microscope sales area - Hitachi High-Technologies has announced a major expansion in sales territories for its electron microscopes. With the appointment of Paul Allen as Electron Microscope Distributor Manager, Greece, Turkey, Israel, United Arab Emirates and South Africa now have local distribution outlets for Hitachi's comprehensive range of scanning and transmission electron microscopes.

Adapted for desert conditions - ProMinent Fluid Controls has supplied specially adapted Ultromat polymer preparation and dosing systems for use at a sewage works in the State of Qatar. The special ATF/96 4000 units have been designed to work in ambient temperatures of 50šC and at high relative humidity.
The ATF/96 4000 is a turnkey, three compartment automatic batching system for powdered and liquid flocculants, which allows the preparation of a 0.05 to 0.5% solution in batches of 4000 l/hr.

Acquisition expands portfolio of measurement and control products, technologies, and services for process industries worldwide - Emerson has just announced it has acquired Bristol Babcock from FKI of Loughborough (GB), for $121 million. To be renamed Bristol, it becomes part of Emerson Process Management and adds industry-leading measurement and control products, technologies, and services for oil, gas, power, water, and wastewater industries worldwide.
Headquartered in Watertown, Connecticut, USA, Bristol Babcock has annual revenue of approximately $80 million. Bristol Babcock products and technologies include remote terminal units, flow computers, transmitters, and distributed process controllers. It has manufacturing facilities and offices in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada with additional offices in Mexico, the Middle East, Australia, and China.

New environmental sampling unit - The new Environmental Sampling Unit (ESU) from Crowcon is a cost effective device for monitoring high density gases such as chlorine, sulphur dioxide and flammable vapours where positioning a conventional sensor is not practical. An electric fan draws an air sample into the chamber via a pipe, where Xgard detectors monitor the presence of flammable or toxic gases.

Blog to share information on industrial Ethernet - The attention drawn to blogging has led Contemporary Controls to create its own online journal to increase awareness of Industrial Ethernet. The blog, titled Bill's Blog," can be found on the company's website.. Bill Greer, Senior Product Specialist at the company, created this blog to share his thoughts, experiences and insights on this ever-popular technology. Subjects discussed may range from simple to complex to those that challenge at the outset but appear fascinating to their team of engineers once a conclusion has been drawn. Greer hopes that if you encounter an interesting Industrial Ethernet issue, you'll feel free to post a comment and share your knowledge with our readers.

Sub micron analysis - Raman/AFM hybrid technology - Horiba Jobin Yvon the world leaders in Raman spectroscopy has announced the launch of its new series of LabRAM Raman microscopes compatible with Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) coupling and integration.
The use of Raman microscopy has become an important tool for the analysis of materials on the micron scale. The unique confocal and spatial resolution of the LabRAM series has enabled optical far field resolution to be pushed to its limits with often sub-micron resolution achieved. The next step to increasingly smaller material analysis on the 200-400nm range has been the combination of Raman spectroscopic analysis with near field optics and an AFM.

Versatile connectivity solution for complex cabling combinations - Han Easy-Hood from Harting is a new industrial connector hood which is designed to offer a versatile connectivity solution in applications where complex cable variants and large cable diameters have to be accommodated in a single connector. The new product has been developed in response to the ongoing trend towards installations using different and complex cable variants in a single connector. It combines a high packing density with ease of assembly and access for maintenance, and lends itself to automated production environments.

A first for the process industry - Emerson Process Management has introduced the Rosemount 3095 MultiVariable transmitter with Foundation fieldbus communications technology and fully compensated mass flow functionality. A first for the process industry, the new mass flowmeter is an extension to the industry-leading, field-proven Rosemount 3095 platform, and an addition to the intelligent field device functionality of Emerson PlantWeb digital plant architecture. This mass flowmeter delivers four measurements from one device: pressure, differential pressure, temperature, and the derived fully compensated mass flow. A single MultiVariable mass flowmeter installation reduces multiple process penetrations, inventory, and installation costs.

Maximum functionality in minimum width - Pilz is writing a new chapter in the long success story of the PNOZ. The new compact safety relays PNOZsigma are the result of many years of experience coupled with modern safety technology. With particularly narrow housing widths and multifunctionality compressed into each unit, PNOZsigma represents maximum functionality in minimum width. Selectable operating modes and a homogenous functional setup provide additional benefits. With these relays, the requirements of safe automation can be implemented faster, with greater flexibility and in less space.

New additions to high-accuracy current sensor family - Allegro Microsystems Europe has introduced a number of new devices to its ACS75x Series of Hall-effect current sensors. These devices provide a small form factor current sensing solution with minimal insertion loss. The ACS755 uni-directional current sensors offer an economical and precise current sensing in industrial, consumer, communications and automotive systems. Typical applications include motor control, load detection and management, power supplies, and overcurrent fault protection.

Process viscometer is "truly fit and forget" - An on-line viscometer from Hydramotion has solved an important problem in process control for leading specialty chemical manufacturer Zetachem. At its Durban (ZA) plant Zetachem produces a number of specialty polymers, including the polyamine flocculants used in water treatment plants to assist in liquid-solid separation processes. Viscosity is a key control measure for determining the degree of polymerisation during polyamine production. Previously, the company had to take individual samples of the reactor contents and determine viscosity manually in the lab. Now, with a Hydramotion XL7 process viscometer on line in the reactor, production staff have immediate feedback on progress of the polymerisation stage.
Zetachem is a major supplier of specialty polymers and chemical management systems to leading companies in the water treatment, mining and pulp and paper industries. It is also the largest supplier of organic coagulants in the southern hemisphere.

Level measurement for low dielectric constants - Low dielectric constants present most guided radar (TDR) level meters with almost insoluble problems. Under such conditions, Otiflex from Krohne has already proven its effectiveness. At Xella, the leading supplier of calcium-silicate brick and aerated concrete products and services, it performed convincingly even at a dielectric of 1.16. At their plant near Magdeburg, perlite had to be measured in a 15 m high silo. Perlite is an extremely light powder and is used for the manufacture of AESTUVER-brand dry lining boards. A particular feature of perlite is its low dielectric constant, which has prevented conventional TDR meters from reliably measuring the level. However, Krohne's new level meters, including OPTIFLEX, feature the so-called TBF (tank bottom following) mode, which detects the probe end return signal rather than a direct reflection from the product surface. In the case of products with poor reflective properties the level meter is able to see through the product and determine the position of the probe end.

Lifecycle automation process combined with full scriptless builds - Catalyst Systems Corporation, leading provider of Enterprise build management software, has announced general availability of the latest version of Openmake, the advanced development tool for automated build management combined with Lifecycle Activities Management. Release 6.41 incorporates new features for centralizing control of lifecycle processes from scheduling SCM updates to executing test and deployment tools.

$20,000 educational grant to Test & Measurement World's Test Engineer of the Year - National Instruments recently presented the prize for Test & Measurement World's Test Engineer of the Year to Zafer Boz, a British-based engineer for STMicroelectronics. Zafer, who is currently studying for his Master's Degree at Surrey University (GB), whilst working as Principal Test Engineer at STMicroelectronics' wireless business unit in Reading, was one of six engineers to be profiled in Test & Measurement World.  The thirty two year old was voted Test Engineer of the Year by readers because of a software tool he designed for the ST Test Executive Environment.  Using National Instruments LabWindows/CVI, Zafer's software tool enables laboratory experiments to be converted to test procedures without any programming skills, making it easy for his colleagues to evaluate the wireless LAN chips that their division designs.

European instrument company to expand level and pressure facility - The Endress+Hauser Group is to expand its locations in the Upper Rhine Valley. The Maulburg plant will be extended by additional production facilities, offices and a new staff restaurant. The company intends to invest approximately €10 million in Maulburg over the next two years. Building applications will be submitted within the next few weeks. Two new buildings are planned for the facility, responsible within the Group for level and pressure measuring technology. The existing canteen and production wing on the Harzfeldstraße side of the plant will be replaced by a new three-storey building. Offices, production facilities and a modern staff restaurant will be housed on approximately 4,000 square meters of floor space.

Residual chlorine analyser is the first of its kind in the world to offer automatic calibration - A requirement for continual calibration for Free Residual Chlorine measurement has been the nemesis for these analysers and now with a cleverly engineered solution and using state of the art electronics the CRIUS 3500 from Process Instruments, is able to save customers considerable sums of money by automatically calibrating the sensor at a user defined interval (daily, weekly or two weekly) with out a visit to site for a period in excess of three months.
This tried and tested measurement technology (a membraned polarographic probe), is enhanced with a third, reference, electrode which eliminates zero drift. Though pH correction is not often required, where it is required there is an option for a module which uses carbon dioxide or a more traditional acid buffer. Where preference is for correlation to a pH electrode a second input facilitates this.

Industrial recorder offers 180 mm chart width - The Yokogawa microR20000 is an advanced industrial recorder which combines 180mm chart width with a large display and Ethernet capability. The recorder's large full dot-matrix (181 x 16) vacuum fluorescent display dramatically improves the display of measurement data and allows greater flexibility in how that data can be viewed. It allows the combined display of measured numerical values and bar graphs, and also offers navigational functions which greatly simplify the initial parameter setup procedure.

Pressure relief valve and control valve in one - Bio-Chem Valve has developed an innovative, ultra-inert pressure relief and control valve which is available in Europe from Omnifit Ltd. The solenoid operated valve protects a system from excessive pressure, and functions as a control module that can be used for periodic purging of a system, opening a bypass channel when a pump is running in a closed system, and providing on/off control.

New compact leak noise correlator - MicroCorr 7 is a new leak noise correlator from HWM Palmer Environmental. The system takes advantage of the latest technological developments while building on the proven performance of the MicroCorr series. It features new, highly compact transmitters and a PDA control unit connected to the system via Bluetooth with all the traditional correlator functions.

OMAC Approves PackAL Guidelines Library - The OMAC Packaging Workgroup (OPW) approved the PackAL guidelines at their meeting in Orlando, Florida. PackAL will be added to the OPW Guidelines fo Packaging Machinery Automation. An updated version of these guidelines is scheduled to be released in April.
PackAL is an application library of common software elements used in packaging applications that was developed by the PackSoft subgroup of the OPW. The application library is made up of twenty-three functions. Thirteen functions are machine functions, such as wind/unwind, dancer control, registration, and indexing. Nine functions are communication functions for horizontal line communications, and one function is for the PackML machine state model.

Joining forces on system-on-chip development - Essensium, a fabless provider of SoC ASICs (system-on-chip application-specific integrated circuits), today announced that is has acquired all shares of Mind N.V., a leading provider of embedded Linux, eCos and DSP software integration services.

Young stress! - The British Society for Strain Measurement's (BSSM) 2006 Young Stress Analyst competition is to be held at the University of Bath during the Institute of Physic's 6th International Conference on Modern Practice in Stress and Vibration Analysis (5-7 September 2006). This annual competition, sponsored by AWE plc and Airbus UK, is intended to encourage young practitioners in the field of experimental mechanics to present their work.

Fabless vetern appointed - Summit Microelectronics has announced the appointment of Evert Wolsheimer, PhD, to the position of vice-president of manufacturing and quality. Dr. Wolsheimer reports to Summit president and chief executive officer, Patrick Brockett. Before joining Summit, Dr. Wolsheimer held a number of executive positions at Xilinx, with the most recent position of vice-president of quality and reliability. A member of the executive team at Xilinx since 1991, he spearheaded the use of outsourcing process development and wafer manufacturing and oversaw the company's product engineering, process and packaging development, foundry collaborations, and reliability.

Compact Ethernet switch for use inside industrial control panels - The Harting ESC TP08 Ethernet switch is the first of a range of compact IP30 devices developed for use inside industrial control panels. The unit allows up to eight Ethernet devices to be connected via RJ45 ports, yet has a width of only 22.5 mm to enable considerable space saving for the network installation.

Putting the brakes on complexity - "Lifting and hoisting applications can be both simplified and optimised thanks to TorqProve, a new and unique torque control feature on the Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 700 range of AC drives from Rockwell Automation. TorqProve offers both torque control and mechanical brake redundancy, providing users with more on-board functionality ­ simplifying applications and reducing installation times and costs." This is a product of the PowerFlex 700's flux vector control (FVC) architecture, which provides excellent torque and speed regulation, in combination with fast update times of torque inputs, enabling the drive to cope with occurrences such as torque shocks. It can be used for many kinds of lifting, hoisting or elevator-type applications and simplifies them by automatically coordinating the stopping and starting actions of the PowerFlex 700 drive with the setting and releasing actions of a mechanical brake. This coordination is achieved by checking the current flow though all three motor phases. Only if enough torque is available to assume control of the load does it allow the mechanical brake to be released.

New version of automation software - GE Fanuc has announced the new version Proficy HMI/SCADA - iFIX 4.0. A key component of the Proficy automation software platform, iFIX 4.0’s extendable architecture is capable of discovering PLC information, including configuration and tags, delivering new levels of developer productivity and efficiency. The iFIX 4.0 release features innovative device discovery and automated configuration capabilities supporting the Siemens S7 PLC immediately, with support for Rockwell (Allen-Bradley) PLC networks and other OPC sources announced in the near future.

New power supply catalogues focus on individual markets for ease of use - Powerstax, manufacturer of application rich power supplies and converters announces the publication of three new catalogues. Each covers a specific market segment providing a convenient, easy-to-use overview of their comprehensive range of AC-DC and DC-DC products, medical and custom power solutions. In a unique and attractive 8 page foldout format, each catalogue is colour coded for ease of use.

400a current measurement converter featuring a split coil - Current measurement technology from Phoenix Contact has been expanded to include a new product, capable of processing currents up to 400 A. These new current measurement converters convert sinusoidal and non-sinusoidal currents from 30 Hz to 6 KHz into the analogue standard signals 4-20 mA or 0-5(10)V. The MCR-SL-S-100(200)(400)-U-(I)-(LP) measurement converters can be effortlessly installed at any time and with no interruption to the power supply due to a re-cabling principle that allows for easy retrofitting. Every module features a switch for selecting the measuring range.

A single integrated development platform for laser applications - Aerotech's PC based A3200 software machine control system combines 1 to 32 axes of Firewire distributed motion control with HMI, PLC and vision control modules and is now available with the Nmark� galvo control package for vector and graphics based laser marking applications. OEMs and machine builders of laser marking systems are able to significantly reduce application development time and cost by controlling industry standard XY2-100 protocol galvo scanning heads and additional axes of servo based linear and rotary motion with other machine control functions within a single, integrated programming environment.

Simulation software Voted No 1 by Control Magazine Readers - Mynagh Technologies is pleased to announce that MiMiC Process Simulation Software has been awarded first place in Control Magazine's 14th Annual Readers' Choice Awards for Simulation Software. The company also received recognition as one of the top "Vendors Offering Exceptional Service."
MiMiC Simulation Software allows process companies to test their automation system and train their operators in an off-line environment. MiMiC is easy to use and flexible; users can quickly build realistic models of their processes. Users of MiMiC Simulation Software have consistently achieved significant reductions in startup times and improvements in product quality, resulting in saving as much as $US100-500K per day through faster time to market, eliminating off-spec product costing from $US50K to $US1MM per unit production, and reducing unscheduled downtime at costs of $US5-50K per hour.

Logging maximum shock, temperature, humidity, air pressure and time - A re-engineered portable instrument to measure and record peak shock, temperature, humidity and ambient air pressure over a user defined interval is being newly introduced by MadgeTech. The UltraShock will allow the user to see whether something was hit or dropped during shipment, assembly, and production, or to validate the operating of drilling equipment. It is a stand-alone instrument that measures and records shock as peak acceleration levels over a user defined interval and can be started and stopped directly from a computer.

Extending "industry's fastest,smallest, and most cost-effective SMU line - Keithley Instruments announced two new additions to its Series 2600 System SourceMeter Instruments. The Models 2611 and 2612 add higher voltage and higher current capabilities to their revolutionary source-measure unit (SMU) platform introduced last year, significantly lowering the cost of test for a wide range of electronic components. The 200V and 10A capabilities of the two new models make them ideal for functional test and I-V characterization of silicon and compound semiconductor devices like FETs, diodes, voltage regulators, and optoelectronic components. In line with the other Series 2600 System SourceMeter Instruments, the Models 2611 and 2612 combine the highest throughput SMU technology available with a compact and scalable form factor that allows seamless integration into systems from one to 16 SMU channels.

Increased demand for carbon black supported in Egypt - Emerson Process Management has recently completed the installation and startup of PlantWeb digital plant architecture with Foundation fieldbus technology on a fourth production line at the Alexandria Carbon Black Company (ACBC). The company, Egypt's only manufacturer of carbon black, installed the new line to meet increased demand for its carbon black products which are used in the manufacture of tyres, rubber products, plastics, inks, dyes and paints.
ACBC is the fastest growing carbon black producer in the world with over 90% of production being exported to companies that include Goodyear, Michelin, Bridgestone, Pirelli, Dunlop and Continental Tyre.

Look no wires! - New quadband solution for wireless applications - The new Promodem 19 from telemetry specialists Jekyll Electronic Technology offers users a simple and effective platform for wireless automation in a wide range of industrial and processing environments. Vending, traffic monitoring together with security and surveillance systems are just some of the areas that have benefited from this new technology.

New website shapes-up! - Geomagic software enables engineers and designers to transform scan data from physical objects into highly accurate digital models for applications ranging from ensuring the NASA space shuttle Discovery's safe return, to reconstruction of legacy parts and molds for Harley-Davidson motorcycles, to new processes that speed quality inspection for companies such as Schneider Electric and Howmet/Alcoa. More than 4,000 professionals in industries such as automotive, aerospace, medical devices and consumer products use Geomagic software and services. They have just launched their new website.

THEY SAID IT March 2006 "We're a gateway from the process to the commercial world." Thomas Punzenberger Managing Director Copa-Data "Both Schneider and Thoma Cressey have highlighted that Citect will remain an independent company." Martin Filz Managing Director for Europe Citect "The market's only complete SCADA security solution." Brian Ahern President and CEO Verano "Process Systems produced an excellent result including a £14 million profit increase and a 17% improvement in orders at CER." Ulf Henriksson CEO Invensys "Emerson has solved all these problems." John Berra President Emerson Process Management Don't miss this incisive commentary on automation every month!

New thermal imager brings powerful diagnostics within reach of maintenance engineers - Fluke, has introduced the Ti20 Infrared Thermal Imager to bring the powerful diagnostic and predictive capabilities of infrared thermography within reach of industrial maintenance engineers. This new thermal imager represents a breakthrough in price-performance by providing detailed, fully radiometric images at less than £4k. Detailed on-camera inspection routes ensure that all potential problem areas are regularly visited to identify faults before they cause failure and loss of production.

Prestigious award - Flow and level measurement specialist Krohne Ltd in England, has been presented with the coveted Queen's Award for Enterprise: Innovation 2005, an honour which recognises the company's achievements in developing its technically advanced Optimass Coriolis mass flowmeter.

Safety feature for peri-pumps patented - Blue-White announced the company has been issued a patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark office, for its exclusive Tube Failure Detection System. The TFD System is breakthrough technology for Peristaltic Style Metering Pumps. The TFD System will detect a wide range of chemicals and this exclusive technology was designed to disregard pump compatible fluids. If a non compatible fluid is detected, the pump will automatically shut off and energize a relay or switch, permitting communication with external equipment, such as a back-up pump, an alarm or a SCADA System. Blue-White is the only peristaltic metering pump manufacturer to add this kind of safety feature to its pumps.

New brochures simplify selection for panel builders - Carlo Gavazzi UK is introducing its first ever information resource for the panel building and design market. The new brochures encompass both the power distribution and automation markets. The Power Distribution brochure addresses the needs of applications such as airports, shopping centres, hospitals and telecommunications and has been designed to simplify product selection. Products highlighted consist of a portfolio of essential energy meters and power analysers including the WM4 a combined universal utility meter and power analyser which provides measurement of all instantaneous variables with SMS messaging and alarm outputs.

New affilliation announced - On Mondaay (6/3/2006) at WBF's (World Batchg Forum) annual meeting, ISA and WBF announced their intent to affiliate. This has been in the discussion stages for about six months, starting with an overture from the WBF leaders, who were looking for a society to affiliate with and had seen the early success of the OMAC affiliation.

New rugged infrared thermometer takes everyday knocks on the production line - The new RT8A infrared thermometer from Land Instruments is sturdily built to withstand the rigours of measuring the temperature of moving materials, webs or inaccessible objects without contact in hostile production environments. Measuring product temperature in this way can improve quality, conserve energy, and optimise production rates without contaminating, damaging or interfering with the process or material. Encompassing four models covering operating temperatures from 0 to 500degC/0 to 1,000degF, the two wire stand-alone RT8A range of infrared thermometers is suitable for a wide variety of primary OEM and end-user applications in industries as diverse as asphalt, mineral processing, glass, food, paper, converting, plastics, printing and textiles. Automated assembly cell for oilfield drill bits specialist - Process automation and industrial robotics specialist, Barr & Paatz, has supplied and commissioned a fully automated assembly cell for ReedHycalog, one of the world's leading manufacturers of oilfield drill bits and related applications technology. Occupying a footprint of just three metres square, the installation includes the first UK application of the Mitsubishi RV-3S industrial robot, an all-new compact and powerful 6-axis machine, said to be the fastest in its class.

A world's first signal analyser - The new Yokogawa FlexRay signal analyser is the world's first self-contained tool for providing physical-layer waveform observation and protocol analysis for the fast, highly reliable FlexRay in-vehicle local area network. Based on the company's high-performance DL7400 Series of digital oscilloscopes, the new analyser allows the user to capture FlexRay Bus signals with a wide variety of dedicated triggers and carry out analysis and troubleshooting on parameters such as surge voltage, noise, level fluctuations and other sources of error.

New standard committee to focus on EDDL - A new ISA committee will focus on developing a standard to help accelerate the implementation and widespread uses of fieldbus devices throughout industry. The committee is to be formed to create a standard that adopts the generic language specified by IEC 61804 to describe the properties of automation system components. The specified language is capable of describing device parameters and their dependencies, device functions, graphical representations, and interactions with control devices.
Don't know what EDDL is? See our Acronyms Page.

Enhancements in latest version of digital plant architecture to reduce project installation and lifecycle costs - Emerson Process Management announces the release of DeltaV version 8.3, a key component of Emerson's PlantWeb digital plant architecture. The new release includes Zone 1 and 2 remote I/O, and an energy limiting single port fibre optic switch for use in Zone 1 areas. The remote I/O has been designed to reduce life cycle costs, and the switch permits fibre optic cable to be used in Zone 1 areas without protective sheathing, reducing installation costs. "The goal for our new remote I/O scanners is to drive down our customers total life cycle costs, ensuring easy installation and maintenance," said Thomas Steiner, Marketing Manager DeltaV & DeltaV SIS for Europe, Middle East and Africa. "Our I/O modules are 'plug and play', requiring no dip switch settings or user configuration effort. And unlike other remote I/O solutions, the I/O can connect with different controllers on the control network.

New connector meets special requirements - A new connector from Harting is designed to meet the mechanical and electrical requirements of PICMG (PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group) AMC.0 but with a press-in interface. The inclusion of the press-in option is scheduled for the next revision of the AMC.0 specification. This new connector supports the high data transmission rates and low crosstalk required by the AdvancedMC(tm) specification. The optimised footprint enables easy routing, while the use of 0.55mm plated PCB holes provides robust and reliable press-fit mounting. At the 2006 Drives & Controls Exhibition (Birmingham GB, 16-18 May 2006), the Harting Technology Group is featuring its new Industrial Communications & Power Networks Division. The new division builds on their established expertise in industrial interconnection systems to provide a complete range of solutions for communications and control in the industrial environment, with particular emphasis on Industrial Ethernet.

IP67 adapters reduce cabling inventory - Phoenix Contact can now offer a variety of adapters to meet the increasing need for flexible sensor/actuator cabling, reducing the number of cable types that suppliers need to stock, as various adapters can be utilized for sensor connections. The adapters are available in a variety of pin layouts and models, as M8-pin to M12-socket or vice versa. For quick wire connection, the adapter is equipped with M12 to M8 snap-in technology.

New edition of switching handbook issued - Keithley Instruments has published the fifth edition of its Switching Handbook. The 190-page handbook covers the fundamentals of the switching function in test and measurement applications and is available for no charge through the website.

Cylinder service - ASCO Joucomatic's new Premier Cylinder Service enables companies to get interrupted production back-on line, fast, and with minimum downtime costs. The new service provides a safety net in the event of unexpected failure of pneumatic cylinders, by providing a facility for replacement in as little as 4-hours.

EtherNet/IP switches - Contemporary Controls has announced the availability of its EtherNet/IP switch features designed in their industrial-grade EISX_M, EICP_M, and EISB_M managed switches. Included among the features are full-duplex capability on all ports, IGMP Snooping, port mirroring, VLAN, auto-negotiation and manually configurable speed/duplex, wire-speed switching fabric, SNMP for switch management, and IEEE 802.1D Spanning Tree Protocol (STP)_all important to control networks.
Levine says Contemporary Controls meets all the required and recommended EtherNet/IP switch features as stated in a presentation written by Rockwell Automation Inc., of Milwaukee, Wisconsin titled "."(PPT presentation)

First anniversary celebrated - One year after affiliating with ISA, OMAC's outlook is brighter than ever. OMAC is reporting renewed strength in the development and use of open, interoperable control and automation systems technologies for end users, technology providers, and OEMs. OMAC reported on progress made in a number of packaging, manufacturing infrastructure and machine tool initiatives at its annual meeting. The meeting was held in concert with the ARC Next Generation Manufacturing Forum in Orlando, FL.

1/3/2006

New 8-segment fieldbus power system offers free redundancy - MTL-Relcom has launched what is seen as the "next generation" in fieldbus power systems, the F800 series. Designed for large-scale installations, the F800 series represents the 'state-of-the-art' in high-density, redundant fieldbus power supplies. Designed to achieve low per-segment cost and high packing density in large fieldbus installations, the F800 series uses 8-channel power supply modules in a redundant format on a passive base - the 'Naked Carrier' concept. With up to 50% space saving over existing fieldbus power supplies, the highest levels of system availability are achieved by eliminating all single points of failure. Savings in hardware overhead means that the F800 can provide redundant fieldbus power for the same cost as previous generation 'simplex' systems - so redundancy comes for free.

Contactless rotary sensor provides peak performance in harsh environments - Penny + Giles, has launched its largest contactless rotary position sensor, the SRH880. Using proven, non-contact Hall effect technology, the new SRH880 is robust and can operate in high dither conditions with a virtually limitless sensor life. It also features a rugged aluminium or corrosion resistant stainless steel housing for use in harsh environments. As a result OEMs benefit from a reliable, long life sensor that provides accurate rotary measurement in construction, agricultural, military and utility vehicles.