30/3/2007

Collaboration and Innovation ­ The Key Differentiators in a Flat World - Maurice Wilkins of ARC Advisory Group reports on the ABB Automation World Conference in Orlando (US).

On-line webcasts provide motion control learning resource - Pioneering web based interactive presentations for motion control theory and application information, Aerotech have recently released two new webcasts covering inertia matching for high load systems and an application for high-speed laser welding of fuel cells.

Customer Value Enhancement Award - Frost & Sullivan selected Emerson Process Management, an Emerson business, as the recipient of the 2006 Frost & Sullivan Award for Customer Value Enhancement within automation and software solutions for the pharmaceutical industry.
Each year Frost & Sullivan presents the Customer Value Enhancement Award to a company that has demonstrated the ability to expand the customer base, while maintaining its existing install base, with more innovative value creation and enhancement strategies than competing vendors. The Award recognises the awardee company's successful sales entry, customer acquisition and service strategies, and the degree to which those strategies have met customers¹ stated needs and requirements.

Website redesigned - The Larson Davis division of PCB Piezotronics (PCB®), has announced the redesign of its website. The new site provides updated tools to aid customers in selecting the right sound, noise and vibration monitoring products for their application requirements.

Providing successful deployment in industrial applications - "The Contemporary Controls PC10420 Series of ARCNET Network Interface Modules (NIMs) continues to provide successful deployment in industrial applications," says Joe Stasiek, Sales Manager for Contemporary Controls. "Designed to operate with PC/104 compatible computers, the PC10420 Series features the ARCNET controller COM20020 by SMSC for various parameter settings." Performance and integration enhancements include command chaining operation and an internal 2K x 8 RAM buffer. Bus contention problems are reduced since the module only needs an I/O address. Various data rates range up to 5 Mbps, and there is no requirement for wait-state

World's best vacuum seals tested but not touched! - TorqSense, from Sensor Technology, , a non-contact digital torque monitoring system that could guarantee an infinite lightness of touch has proven to be the only way to test the seals of super high performance vacuum systems. The ultimate fields of precision manufacture, such as electronics, biophysics and thin film deposition where tolerances are measured in atoms, are often conducted in hard vacuum to remove airborne contaminants and avoid the performance reducing effects of tiny air movements.

Significant growth noted in report - 2006 saw MTL record significant growth, with increases in Orders up 14%, Sales up 15% and Profit before tax up 17%. The year also saw solid investment activity in the major markets: oil and gas, and petrochemical and pharmaceutical, as well as growth across all business areas; the highest growth coming from Hazardous Areas and Visualisation.

Sub miniature gas & fluid pressure sensors - At just 18 mm in length and only 7.9 mm diameter the Model S sub miniature pressure sensor from RDP is ideally suited for gas or fluid measurement and control in situations where a small device is essential. The high quality stainless steel construction with flush diaphragm, which eliminates cavities that might otherwise cause the unwanted build up of sediment, coupled with its small size make the Model S particularly suited for use in pipe-work.

New Data Acquisition, Measurement, and Control Handbook Keithley Instruments has published "Understanding New Developments in Data Acquisition, Measurement, and Control." The 220+-page data acquisition handbook is a practical guide to high performance test and measurement and is available for no charge.

Find out what a spectroscopic ellipsometer can do for your research - The MM-16 liquid crystal modulation spectroscopic ellipsometers is so easy to setup and use that we are offering to loan it free of charge. HORIBA Jobin Yvon is requesting proposals for a suitable experiment that would make use of the MM-16's capabilities and that can be completed in a week. The MM-16 is ideally suited for semiconductor, optical coatings, chemistry, biology, and in-situ real-time control applications.

User conference published - The UK ProfiBus Group has revealed a taster of what's to come at the International User Conference 2007, Coombe Abbey, Coventry on June 26 and 27. The full Conference Programme and abstracts are now on the web.

Bench power supply has fully variable auxiliary output - TTi (Thurlby Thandar Instruments) has replaced its top-selling EX354T 300 W triple-output laboratory power supply with a new model that incorporates a fully variable auxiliary output. The new EX354Tv is a mixed-mode regulated power supply with dual outputs of 0 to 35 V at 0 to 4 A. The third output is now continuously variable between 1.5 and 5.0 V at currents of up to 5 A, replacing the fixed 3.3 V/5 V auxiliary output of its predecessor.

SCADA system offers new features and enhancements - A number of new strategic features and enhancements have been added to the Yokogawa FAST/TOOLS distributed supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system. New developments in FAST/TOOLS Release 8.4 include a trending package, high-availability computing with 'hot standby' for reduced downtime, a LINUX port and a number of new drivers for popular control systems.

Nano Days online educational event - Keithley Instruments, a leader in solutions for emerging measurement needs, announces Nano Days, a unique, on-line nanotechnology educational event from April 24 through April 26, 2007. During this virtual conference, the theme of which is VISUALIZE, CHARACTERIZE, REALIZE: The Future of Nanotechnology, leading researchers from academia and business leaders from industry will present cutting edge measurement technology for nanoscale devices and materials. There is no charge to attend the three-day event.

New oscilloscopes offer up to 2 GS/s or eight channels per device - National Instruments has announced PCI versions of two popular high-speed and high-density digitisers/oscilloscopes, extending the company's high-speed PCI offering to 2 GS/s and low-cost PCI offering to €475 (£330)per channel.

Trace analysis of mercury - The Analytik Jena 'mercur' atomic fluorescence spectrometer from Lambda Advanced Technology is a compact system specially optimized for the complete, cost-efficient determination of mercury traces to the sub-ppt level. The instrument guarantees mercury analyses in accordance with EPA245.7 and EPA1631-EN12338. The 'mercur' combines atomic fluorescence with the cold vapour technique. This converts mercury into the gaseous state, almost completely eliminating interferences and matrix effects to give excellent accuracy and low detection limits.

General purpose CMOS cameras - Firstsight Vision announces the uEye®LE series of extremely compact, low-cost cameras designed specifically for non-industrial image processing applications. Part of the uEye® family of affordable cameras equipped with a USB interface, the LE series can readily be interfaced with a vast variety of systems. Manufactured by IDS, these cameras are ideal for applications in microscopy, medical and security technology. Available in board level and plastic housing variants for added versatility, the series feature a range of 7 high-performance CMOS sensors ranging from Wide VGA resolution at 752 x 480 up to 5 mega pixel resolution. All resolutions are available in color with some models also available in monochrome.

Controlling two 3-phase motors with one chip - Fujitsu Microelectronics Europe (FME) has announced the MB91F487; the first member of a new series within its 32-bit FR microcontroller family. The MB91480 series is optimised for industrial and home appliance 3-phase motor control and offers a rich feature mix designed to target applications in these markets. The MB91F487 integrates three fast (1.2micro.s) 10-bit A/D converters, providing 18 channels that allow measurement of motor parameters and other sensor information. Together with two multi-function timers and PWM (pulse width modulation) units, the device offers a cost-effective, single-chip solution for applications which require control of two 3-phase motors.

Online power supply configurator is wizard! - Excelsys Technologies now offers its customers the ability to configure their own application specific power supplies online and purchase from their nearest authorised distributor. A simple wizard guides customers through setting the required output voltage and current needs. It allows selection of options such as, power fail signal, remote inhibit and enable, a standby +5VDC supply, thermal control signals, reverse fan direction and medical safety approvals if required. The next step configures the specified power supply, indicates the correct Excelsys chassis and powerMod output modules required, indicates the final weight, delivery time and allocates a unique model number reference. A customer specific datasheet for the exact configuration can then be downloaded greatly simplifying project documentation and qualification procedures.

Mini-smart torque sensor - The Kistler Mini-Smart Torque Sensor Type 4502 uses strain gauge technology, integrated signal conditioning and non-contact FM data transmission to provide low cost, accurate torque measurement. An extensive choice of models covering the wide range of 0.5 to 1,000 Nm with an overload capability of 150 per cent of the rated torque makes the 4502 sensor ideal for a variety of industrial and laboratory applications.

More powerful traceability solutions possible - Wonderware Ireland today announced a new version of its Equipment Operations Module, which is designed to help manufacturers and other industrial sites improve the consistency and effectiveness of their plant operations. Several innovative enhancements have been added to this updated version. The latest release includes powerful, easy-to-use functionality that further improves a customer's ability to meet demands for end-to-end traceability of materials, equipment and other resources across manufacturing processes.  Offering compatibility with the ISA-95 industry standard, version 2.0 includes enhanced genealogy functions for correlating events and information captured across multiple areas and process segments, leading to faster implementations and more comprehensive solutions. In addition, several usability enhancements have been made that enable customers to execute activities consistently and provide accurate visibility into the status of operations.

Charge-pump IC drives up to six white LEDs - The new A8434 from Allegro MicroSystems Europe is a high-efficiency charge pump IC that offers a simple, low-cost method of driving up to six white LEDs in various application configurations. Using a proprietary adaptive control scheme (1x, 1.5x and 2x), the A8434 can deliver well-matched (within 0.5%) LED currents of up to 30 mA per LED channel while maintaining very high efficiency and low levels of electromagnetic interference. The LED current is regulated over the entire range of lithium-ion battery voltage to provide uniform intensity.

New product manager - PCB Piezotronics has announced the appointment of Jeremy Bryceson as Product Manager of PCB Piezotronics Limited, its newly established sales office in Britain.

CNC Integration Technology - Recently, OMAC has been working on advancing OPC as a CNC integration technology as a best practice. OPC is an industry standard for open connectivity in industrial automation and has been supported by nearly all of the major providers of industrial automation. The OMAC HMI Working Group organised a joint project between OMAC HMI members Boeing, Okuma, and NIST to evaluate the integration of Computer Numerical Control (CNC) to Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and determine if part accountability could be achieved with minimal integration efforts using OPC/OMAC technologies.
OMAC's Human Machine Interface (HMI) Working Group exists to promote best practices and technology applications that provide connectivity to the enterprise through open architecture.

Smaller Tutus for North Africa! - Parker Instrumentation's valves, manifolds and tube fittings have helped Tyco Fire & Integrated Solutions to build compact Topside Umbilical Termination Units (TUTUs) for a North African offshore project. The TUTUs are destined for an oil and gas platform, and will provide the operator with a means of isolating the hydraulic and chemical injection services to the well. Compact size - combined with easy access for operations and maintenance - is critical for this application: the TUTU cabinets mount on the platform deck, in the limited space available adjacent to the umbilical hang-off.
Sorry about the heading but we couldn't resist it! Just thank God we resisted the temptation to include a picture!

Hitching a ride!The Hitchhiker's Guide to Manufacturing Operations Management: ISA-95 Best Practices Book 1.0 provides in-depth coverage on how you can apply ISA-95, Enterprise-Control Integration Standard, to help lower total cost of ownership (TCO) of manufacturing operations management (MOM) systems and their enterprise and plant interfaces.

Enhanced functionality by providing visibility into automation environment in English, German, French, Polish, Russian, Japanese and Chinese GE Fanuc Automation Solutions has announced the availability of Proficy HMI/SCADA - iFIX® 4.0 in German, Japanese and Chinese. iFIX 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, iFIX 4.0 delivers enhanced functionality including improved third-party PLC integration, and both Developer and Operator productivity enhancements.

Market consolidation impacts enterprise asset management - The worldwide market for Enterprise Asset Management (EAM), not including IT Enterprise Asset Management (ITEAM), is currently at $1.5 billion and is estimated to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.6% reaching over $2.1 billion in 2011, according to a new ARC Advisory Group study.

Diesel & gas engine combustion pressure sensors - PCB Piezotronics has introduced a new series of dynamic pressure sensors, ideal for monitoring dynamic combustion pressure in diesel and natural gas powered engines and other reciprocating equipment. Proper monitoring of engines and machinery using these sensors allows for extended maintenance intervals, improved fuel efficiency, and lower NOx emissions. Sensors feature piezoelectric sensing elements with very fast response times, and are best suited for continuous monitoring or periodic walk-around cylinder balancing. Intrinsically safe versions are available for explosive gas atmospheres.

• They have also introduced Model 482C54, a compact, full-featured, benchtop signal conditioner for ICP®, IEPE, and charge output piezoelectric sensors.

  New single instrument for display colour and contrast characterisation - The Photo Research PR-680 SpectraDuo, from Glen Spectra, marks the beginning of a new era in light measurement. This unique patent pending, battery powered portable instrument is the first and only combined array detector spectroradiometer and PMT based photometer on the market. It can be used either as a spectroradiometer or as a highly sensitive photometer. Additionally it can autoselect the most appropriate mode depending on the available light.

  Forum sponsors - IntelliCom will support the event M2M Forum 2007. This is the second year that they join as a supporting company of the event. The event takes place in Milan, Italy on May 22-23. The M2M forum 2006 attracted over 800 people and had many exhibitors and speakers. This year, the expectations are even higher.
  This and other events are listed on our Events Page

  Innovative pocket-sized measurement technology - The new range of Testo's pocket sized measuring instruments for fast and easy everyday use has been launched. With a maximum height of 13cm these new innovative pocket sized instruments offer both a compact design combined with their renowned high level of quality, all at a competitive price! Each instrument includes a practical protective cap, shielding the instrument from damage during storage and transportation. Also included is a belt clip and wrist strap for easy carriage.

  New XVy-Evolution servodrive range is available for high power and high performance motion control - Gefran has launched its new ArtDrive-S XVy-Evolution series high performance DSP based servodrives for precision motion control applications. With a choice of application software including an IEC61131-3 compatible development environment and a wealth of advanced features such as deterministic Ethernet networking, dedicated application software and absoluter encoder management, the comprehensive XVy-Evolution series covers power ratings from 1.5 kW to 315 kW and is available with a range of matched brushless servo motors.

  New literature - The Precision Solutions business centre of MBDA UK has launched a new series of full colour literature, available from their website (click on the pictures!). A corporate brochure is now available which covers the full range of enabling technologies available in Environmental, Optical and Manufacturing disciplines. In addition there are individual leaflets for the Radiation Effects Group, Environmental Engineering, Electromagnetic Compatibility testing and Diamond Turning. Product literature is also available for the INTERFIRE range of infrared interferometers.

  Range of displays now includes with large format clocks and counters - Amplicon has expanded its BDF range of displays to include large indicators for displaying and counting time. Previously available for displaying process readings and serial commands, the new additions include clocks and counters that show information in hours, minutes and seconds.

  New 6-channel high-temperature pressure sensor calibration system - Kistler has added a new high-temperature calibration system to its range. The new system can calibrate up to six piezoelectric pressure sensors at any temperature from ambient to 250° Celsius. Made up of a solid metal manifold with installation ports for six sensors and electric heating cartridges with thermostatic control, a reference sensor, a pressure generator and a signal evaluation unit, the new system is easy to operate and is available in 19" rack mounting and bench top versions.

  New appointment strengthens team - Lamerholm has announced the appointment of Gemma Howarth as Sales Engineer for the ShockWatch range of damage deterrent labels. Before joining Lamerholm, Gemma was responsible for new business, customer service and ran a sales team for an Amtrak franchise. Through hard work and dedication, she consistently exceeded the tough targets set by the franchisor.

  Ultra-Low temperature measurements - The FOTEMP series of fibre-optic temperature measurement systems from Calex, have been undergoing rigorous testing to push the envelope of their performance. In trials they have now been able to measure the temperature of liquid Helium down to -269ºC, just four degrees above absolute zero!

  Deterministic high-speed serial Ethernet cabled networking for multi axis synchronisation - With deterministic high-speed serial networking for up to ten axes, Aerotech's new Ensemble CP/MP/CL intelligent drives seamlessly combine linear and PWM amplifier technology for brushed and brushless servos, and stepper motors to provide tightly synchronised precision motion control for the widest range of positioning and automation applications.

  Covering the Ethernet revoloution Industrial Ethernet has become a byword for forward thinking industrial networking in the 21st Century, and The Industrial Ethernet Book, the March Newsletter of which has just landed in our mailbox, has been at the forefront of this revolution, with editorial reflecting the latest news and technology from this exciting marketplace. The publication is constantly broadening its coverage to include Ethernet TCP/IP applications, enterprise and internet connectivity, wireless networking and embedded networking and will continue to include the definitive directory of Industrial Ethernet products and services, supported by this rich and vibrant website devoted to the same market sectors.

  Certified packaged composite applications for manufacturing production execution and real-time finance - Invensys today announced that it is introducing two xMII XApps™ Certified Packaged Composite Applications (PCAs) that will help drive incremental business value by offering manufacturing clients a single solution environment extending from the plant or factory floor up through the enterprise. This announcement builds on the "Powered by SAP NetWeaver®" certification status that Invensys announced at last year's ARC Forum in Orlando and furthers a collaborative relationship between Invensys and SAP.
  The Real-Time Production Execution composite application is developed by Wonderware. Wonderware Ireland support the Signpost with a banner advertisement on our home page

The Infinity Project standardises - National Instruments has announced the availability of LabVIEW for The Infinity Project, a version of the LabVIEW graphical programming environment designed for learning and exploring exciting engineering topics in high school and early college science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) classes. Founded at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, The Infinity ProjectSM provides engineering curricula designed for today's high school and university classrooms, including a complete package of curriculum, industry-standard technology and professional development in more than 230 classrooms in 34 states.
The Infinity Project Website

Industrial Push-Pull connectors for automation applications - Harting has expanded its range of Han(r) Push-Pull connectors with new versions corresponding to variants 4 and 14 as specified in the IEC 61076-3-106 standard. The new connectors are designed for use in industrial automation applications, and variant 14 complies with the requirements of the automation initiative of the German automotive manufacturing sector.

New cooling tower controller - ProMinent Fluid Controls has introduced ProMcon, a budget-level unit with a new approach to cooling tower water control. Two simple configurations offer blow-down using conductivity or volumetric measurements. A readout of total dissolved solids (TDS) is provided. The first configuration features a conductivity sensor to measure TDS. This measurement is used to determine the portion of the circulating water flow that is removed in order to maintain the amount of dissolved solids and other impurities at an acceptable level.

Enhanced performance temp calibrators for food and beverage applications - The JOFRA ATC-156B dry block temperature calibrator with reference sensor is used extensively in the food and beverage industry. The accuracy for the ATC-156B has now been improved to ±0.04°C when using the reference input. Temperature stability has also been improved on the unit from + 0.02°C to + 0.01°C and is now guaranteed for a full twelve-month period, for customer peace of mind. The units also feature a temperature stability countdown timer which starts five minutes before the stability indicator comes on. This helps the user to know when to take readings from the sensor-under-test.

High degree of noise immunity provided by outputs from new module - GE Fanuc Automation has announced the availability of a new isolated relay output module for its award winning PACSystems® RX3i and Series 90TM-30 controllers. The new 4 Amp 16 Point Relay Output module provides 16 Form A relays for controlling output loads. The maximum output switching capacity of each circuit is 4 Amps. Each output point is isolated from the other points, and each point has a separate common power output terminal. Outputs provide a high degree of noise immunity, minimizing the need to add external snubbers. The relay outputs can control a wide range of output devices, such as: motor starters, solenoids, and indicators.

Improved support for reliability centered maintenance strategies - The Avantis unit of Invensys Process Systems today announced new enhancements for its Avantis.PRO enterprise asset management (EAM) software solution. Many of these enhancements are specifically designed to provide users with better support for their demanding reliability centered maintenance (RCM) strategies. The new release offers enforcement and validation of critical asset information required for integration with third-party root cause analysis (RCA) solutions. In addition, preventive maintenance (PM) functions have been expanded to enable analysis of forecasted labor and material requirements. Globalisation and multi-site capabilities, for sharing of equipment information, PM jobs, and costing across plant locations or jobsites, have also been improved.

Low-profile mass interconnect system for multiple test instruments - The new S6 Skeeter low-profile mass interconnect system from Virginia Panel Corporation, designed for consolidating multiple test instrument connections in rack-mount and benchtop test applications, is now available exclusively in Britain from the Peak Group. The new system offers the flexibility to meet virtually any test and measurement interconnect requirement, particularly in electronics manufacturing applications.

Process monitoring systems for zero reject clinching and riveting - The use of cold forming processes, such as clinching and riveting, are replacing welding in the manufacture of an increasing number of sheet metal assemblies. Although used for many years, it is only recently that a real understanding of the forces needed for reliable plastic deformation of metals has made cold forming acceptable in the manufacture of quality components including car doors, bonnets and tailgates in both aluminium and steel. To eliminate faulty joins, Kistler has introduced systems using piezoelectric sensors to monitor the processes off-line and on-line.

DIN-rail Power Supplies Support DeviceNet® - PULS has announced the introduction of two new DIN-Rail power supplies aimed at the growing DeviceNet® market. DeviceNet® is a low-cost communications link used to connect industrial devices, typically in factory automation applications. Devices such as; limit switches, photoelectric sensors, valve manifolds, motor starters, process sensors, bar code readers, variable frequency drives, panel displays and operator interfaces may be connected to a DeviceNet® network eliminating expensive hard wiring. The direct connectivity provides improved communication between devices as well as important device-level diagnostics not easily accessible or available through hard wired I/O interfaces.

Distribution arrangements for connectivity products - SIXNET, tells us that GE Supply Company is a stocking distributor for their industrial connectivity products and Ethernet I/O products. Based in Shelton, CT, GE Supply is comprised of more than 150 locations across the U.S., Puerto Rico and internationally. SIXNET's entire Industrial Ethernet Connectivity suite of products, as well as its Industrial I/O, is now available through GE Supply.

e-zine issued - The latest issue of DAVID W. SPITZER'S E-ZINE has been mailed out now and features the usual invaluable insights into flow techniques and applications.

Analysis manager appointed in Ireland - Endress+Hauser Ireland has announced the appointment of Jacques Fouché as the new Analysis Product Manager. He has been with Endress+Hauser Group for nearly seven years in various locations worldwide such as South Africa and Germany, where he specialised in Analysis Product Management.

Patent award - Extech Instruments, a major supplier of test and measurement equipment for the industrial marketplace, has been awarded a patent for the EX470 multimeter with built-in IR thermometer (USPO # 7,056,012). Ergonomically designed for instantaneous, non-contact temperature readings, the EX470 provides fast, easy and safe measurements in a wide variety of applications including locations that are unsafe or difficult to reach. Rated, CAT III-600V, the EX470 offers a 4000 count display, 0.3% basic DCV accuracy, capacitance and frequency functions, and Type K thermocouple measurements in addition to its IR capability.

Wired trigger bus - Agilent Technologies and Pickering Interfaces Ltd today introduced a wired trigger bus (WTB) adaptor that allows Agilent 6000 and 8000 Series mixed signal oscilloscopes (MSOs) to show the logical state and analog representations of all eight LXI WTB channels on a single display. This is the only adaptor on the market able to do this.

Industry leader creates "new and dynamic Remote Automation Solutions division focused on providing innovative results driven solutions to help customers achieve maximum performance!" - Emerson has announced that it has created a new division to better serve the remote measurement and control needs of the oil, gas, water, and wastewater treatment industries. The new Remote Automation Solutions division combines their Bristol, Fisher, Daniel and Mobrey remote technology products and services into one larger, dynamic business. The combination of these longstanding products, along with years of industry expertise within remote automation solutions, will provide many important benefits to customers.

As wide as they are long - Hoerbiger-Origa has expanded its range of pneumatic compact cylinders that conform to the latest ISO 21287 standard for the second time in a year. Originally available in 12mm, 16mm, 20mm and 25mm sizes, the new NZ range is now available in sizes 32, 40, 50, 63, 80 and 100mm versions. Typically used in clamping and holding applications, they are an ideal linear actuators for intricate automated systems in which space and reliability are premium considerations.

New, paperless, high-accuracy temperature/humidity logger with wireless and Ethernet capability and software triggered alarms - Fluke - Hart Scientific, the world leader in temperature calibration products and services, has introduced the new, high-precision Fluke/Hart Scientific 1620A paperless temperature and humidity data logger ideal for quality control in a wide range of process applications, such as pharmaceutical, food and chemical storage areas, many medical environments as well as calibration and research laboratories. Its wireless, Ethernet, and RS-232 communications capability enables an unlimited number of loggers to be placed on a network, with optional PC software capturing all the data in real-time on a common database and providing recorded audit data for ISO/FDA purposes. This software will also trigger email alarms to PDAs, pagers and mobile phones based on user-defined limits.

Industrial USB Joystick offers easy-to-integrate, fingertip control - Abacus has introduced a new industrial joystick featuring a USB interface, offering a responsive, accurate and easy to integrate control interface to the growing number of Microsoft Windows and Windows Embedded based applications in this environment. The joystick allows industrial systems developers to easily and simply offer operators a user interface experience that is as intuitive and easy to use as that of popular computer games.

New options enhance functionality of WT3000 precision power analyser - New voltage fluctuation/flicker and cycle-by-cycle options have been introduced for the Yokogawa WT3000 3-phase precision power analyser, further enhancing the functionality of the world's most stable and accurate instrument of its type. With the new functionality, the WT3000 is compliant with the IEC6100-3-3 standard.

Miniature accelorometer weighs in at only 6 grms - The Model 1020 miniature accelerometer from Environmental Equipments weighs only 6 grms, is smaller than a 10p coin but has a range of ±500g. Made in Britain, the Model 1020 is ideal for vibration resonance searching applications on very small sub-assemblies used in aerospace and automobile instrumentation, computer peripherals, telecoms equipment and packaging approval testing. Despite its small size, the 1020 accelerometer has an output sensitivity of 6.0 pC/g and a very good signal to noise ratio making it especially suited to applications involving low vibration level investigations.

Reusable fitting's audible and tactile cues assure proper torque every time - Hand tightening fluid connection fittings is typically a guessing game; most specify "finger tight," a subjective measurement that varies by person and finger strength. Guessing wrong and over tightening a fitting can result in poor fluid connections and leaky processing. Diba Industries, patent pending Click-N-Seal™ connection fittings, part of its Torque Right™ line, eliminate this process variable. The reusable fittings provide objective feedback that the required torque for a proper seal has been achieved, and prevent excess torque.

New UV and IR lighting for machine vision - Firstsight Vision now offers the new range of UV and IR LED illumination sources from CCS. UV and IR lighting provide powerful alternative illumination possibilities for applications where visible light illumination is inadequate. Experts from Firstsight Vision can ensure optimum results are obtained using these light sources, by recommending the appropriate optical systems and cameras for use with them. Most CCD cameras are not very sensitive in the near-ultraviolet region, so for UV applications, it is essential that a suitable camera is selected. UV filters may be required and it is important to take into account their effects on the overall imaging conditions.

Temperature line card brochure describes full line of sensors, transmitters and assemblies - Moore Industries' Temperature Solutions Line Card brochure describes the company's full line of temperature sensors, transmitters, complete assembles; precision monitoring solutions for hi-tech facility and process control; and assemblies for making reliable surface measurements. Covered are the company's WORM® flexible thermocouple and RTD sensors; analog, universal smart HART, and fieldbus temperature transmitters; general location, hazardous area and explosion-proof connection heads and enclosures; and a wide array of thermowell, flange and fitting types.

DCS Market in Asia Thrives on Massive Investments in Manufacturing Industries - Strong economic activity in Asia is spurring the growth of manufacturing, which in turn is propelling the growth of the automation market in the region. The Asian market for Distributed Control Systems (DCS) is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.0% over the next five years, according to this new ARC Advisory Group study.

White Paper Alert from Control Data Collection from Serial & Ethernet Devices CompactRIO: Reconfigurable Control and Acquisition System Jerry Bernstein on Pricing for End Users

New Chinese language website - Lloyd Instruments celebrates 10 years of being part of AMETEK Inc. with the launch of a new Chinese-language web site. The new site, which follows the format of the English language site has been produced in 'Simplified Chinese.'

Compact pneumatic valve now in two sizes - A compact directional pneumatic valve that can operate as two independent valves in a single body (or in conjunction with a manifold) is now available in a new size. Originally launched by Hoerbiger-Origa in a one-eighth inch size, the S10 valve is now also available as a one-quarter inch valve. The S10 addresses user requirements for smaller valves and also incorporate many other advantages.

Handling complex, multi-user applications on multi-tasking operating systems - GE Fanuc Automation has announced the immediate availability of Proficy HMI/SCADA ­ CIMPLICITY 7.0, the company's award-winning supervisory monitoring and control software. This has been designed to handle complex, multi-user applications on multi-tasking operating systems. Today, CIMPLICITY is installed in companies around the world and is controlling processes in Automotive, Electronics, Power, Food & Beverage, Oil & Gas, Water/Wastewater as well as other industries. It is involved in every aspect of automation, from discrete to process.

EMC testing wall chart guides - Teseq - formerly Schaffner Test Systems - has announced the availability of a series of wall chart guides, which illustrate the most common EMC test requirements. These attractive and easy to follow guides are fully up to date with the latest EMC standards amendments and will be useful for product designers and EMC test engineers. Four specific EMC topics are covered; LF and RF immunity, Transient immunity, RF emissions and Automotive.

Blootooth wireless data acquisition and control - The MFC-4422 from Audonis a Analogue and Digital multifunction I/O bluetooth interface for professional wireless control applications in data acquisition, automation and facility management applications. The Board has 2 Analogue inputs, 2 analogue outputs, 2 relays, 2 TTL outputs and 2 opto-isolated and 2 TTL inputs. Suitable for integration in machinery and office equipment. Supplied with free Windows and PDA Software chart display and datalogging and programming examples

New multi-tasking thermal camera captures clearer images - With Bluetooth voice recording technology and a detector resolution 45% higher than the standard 320 x 240 pixels, the TP8 thermal imager from Land Instruments International sets new standards wherever thermography is used to inspect plant, buildings, structures and other targets. Within the measurement range -20 to 800°C / -4 to 1470°F, users can capture thermal and visual images simultaneously, record dynamic radiometric sequences of moving targets in real-time, and store up to 1,000 images on the generous 2Gb storage card - all part of the standard package. Automatic capabilities include hot spot and image centre detection, and preferred operational settings can be saved and recalled instantly.

Expert team to beard "Red Devils!" - British based AS-Interface Expert Alliance will be traveling to Old Trafford - home of Manchester United Football Club (The Red Devils) - in May for another ASi-tech road show. Featuring a full day of education, information and technical updates,this conference is aimed at both existing and potential users of the AS-Interface networking technology that is optimised for low level sensors and actuators. Applications for AS-Interface include machine automation, functional safety, process control and electrical distribution. AS-Interface is also ideal for partnering higher level fieldbuses such as PROFIBUS, DeviceNet and Industrial Ethernet. Strongly featured this time will be the new V3 specification, for which first products are appearing now.
Mark your diary for 22nd May 2007 and kick-off is at 9.00am!

Develop an automation engineering degree program - A committee of industry leaders and academia met at ISA headquarters last week to begin work on the learning objectives for an automation engineering curriculum for universities.
"There is no doubt that our industry needs a program like this," said Ray Spangler, President of Central Automation, a rapidly growing automation engineering firm in California (US). "We're trying to hire 10 experienced automation engineers in the next two months that can quickly begin to work with clients, and even though we're offering premium salaries, we're having a hard time finding them. So much of the technology needed in automation is missing from current engineering curriculums that new graduates of those programs are not candidates."

Paper call - Topics are Automation and drives as well as "Embedded Software in Automation und Drives" for both parts of the SPS/IPC/DRIVES 07 conference, 27 ­ 29 November 2007 conference in Nuremberg. Papers may be submitted until 7 May 2007.
With a topic structure relevant to industry and the clear-cut relevance of contributions to applications, the SPS/IPC/DRIVES conference lectures and tutorials are an important navigational tool for attendees and provide an excellent platform to discuss new technologies and innovative applications

Water quality monitoring 40 metres below the sea bed! - Natural groundwater collected around the tunnels operated by Eurotunnel (Tunnel system between England and France) is continuously monitored before being pumped to the coast and discharged into the sea. Six new multiparameter water quality monitoring systems have been custom-designed by Hach Lange to ensure that there is no potential for harmful water to enter the pipelines. Each monitoring system is connected to a sophisticated data collection and alarm system that is able to divert water into vast underground sumps if alarm conditions occur. To-date, no such emergency has taken place. Commenting on the new monitoring system, Eurotunnel Senior Technician Specialist Michael Edwards, says "The two major benefits are improved reliability and a lower maintenance requirement."

IT in healthcare - The 6th annual IT Healthcare Networking Conference is scheduled for Kilkenny (IRL) on 19th/20th April. The conference is exclusive to management and senior automation and information technology professionals working in healthcare industries within Ireland. This 'industry focused' environment fosters an open information sharing atmosphere for the participants.
The themes of this years event are:

• Making our contributions relevant in an ever competitive business environment.
• How do IT and Automation answer better the needs of the business by reaping the benefits of integration.
  For further information on registration or agenda contact Éamonn Burke

  Skill and judgement wins out at show! - Javan Balderson's visit to the Kistler stand at Mtec 2007 proved to be more than just an opportunity to see the latest piezoelectric sensors. Using his skill and judgement in the Kistler "Hit the Sensor" challenge, Javan scored 119.9 kN. by far the closest to the target of 120 kN. His precision hammer blow won Javan the Nintendo Wii games console shown on right, being presented by Kistler's Nick Gittins at Powertrain Technologies' offices in Snetterton, Norfolk (GB). See our mtec Review

  Embedded software verification in Korea - S2 Technologies (S2), a leading provider of embedded software verification solutions, today announced an agreement with MDS Technology that establishes a solid international presence in the fast-growing Asian market. This distributor is the preeminent embedded solutions supplier in Korea.

  Testing alternators and starters - Dactem Technologies has just launched the Opal Desk Tester for simple, fast and accurate testing of 12V/24V car alternators and starters. It has also created the Topaz, a heavy-duty new-generation automatic and manual test bench for 12V/24V car and truck alternators and starters. The Opal offers value for money and is designed for use by automotive spare-parts dealers & wholesalers and garages. It prevents returns of alternators (conventional and remote-controlled) and starters in working order, thus saving on guarantee costs.

  New series of industrial computers delivers advantages of both space and economy - Amplicon has enhanced the versatility of its Impact range of industrial computers with the new Impact-R 3010 series. Comprising 3U 19-inch rackmount industrial computers the series is designed to provide an economical or space advantage where 2U designs provide insufficient expansion requirements and 4U designs require more than the available rack space.

  Electrical Apparatus and Hazardous Areas by Robin Garside This popular and indispensable reference book has been completely re-written and revised to take full account of new technical standards, Directives and the DSEAR Regulations. As well as full coverage of the technology for electrical equipment in gas and vapour hazards, the book now includes comprehensive information on protection for non-electrical equipment and types of protection for dust hazards and covers the new risk based equipment selection procedures which have been introduced as an alternative to the conventional selection process.

  Enews just out! - Control Global enews highlights
  Final control
  Cost estimating for process analyzer projects
  Get with the right plan
  in this weeks issue.

  Let there be light! Free LED Key light! - Since mid 2006 all integral display backlighting is available as standard in all VEGA transmitters using the common plics system and instrument display, PLICSOM. This handy universal display and programmer unit already features high-resolution graphics, capable of showing detailed echo curves for time-of-flight and internally data-logged trends in all transmitters, it can also save and transfer data.

  Fieldbus short-circuit tests success - MooreHawke, a division of Moore Industries-International, recently submitted its TrunkGuard fieldbus device coupler to Evaluation International for testing to confirm its short-circuit capabilities and to demonstrate its compatibility with Emerson Process Management's DeltaV Foundation fieldbus communications systems under the worst possible conditions. According to Evaluation International, it continued to operate and maintain communications with DeltaV after multiple short circuits on spurs, temperatures from -40 to 70°C, and operation at upper and lower voltage limits. "DeltaV showed no diagnostic error messages relating to repeated and multiple operation of its spur short-circuit protection," reported Ian Ramsay-Connell, consultant at Evaluation International.

  Switch selector instantly and accurately chooses the "right" switch for yourapplication - Put Ethernet switch basics at your fingertips! Contemporary Controls offers a New Ethernet Switch Selector to help you determine the most advantageous switch to employ in your applications instantly and accurately. You can use it in the office or on site to choose the company's Plug-and-Play (PnP), managed, configurable, and regulatory switchesæall marketed under the CTRLink trade name. This selector covers applications requiring as few as 5-port unmanaged to 24-port managed switches with copper only or copper plus fiber models.

  Lightweight titanium accelerometer has TEDS capability - Kistler Instruments Type 8702B and 8704B ranges of single axis, K-Shear piezoelectric accelerometers are now available with Transducer Electronic Data Sheet (TEDS) to simplify installation and calibration. Three measuring ranges, 25g, 50g and 100g, with or without ground isolation, cover the majority of industrial and laboratory vibration monitoring applications. The rugged, hermetically sealed titanium construction, with radial or axial connector, high shock load tolerance of 2,000g and 100% overload limit provide excellent long-term stability ensuring repeatable, accurate measurements over many years.

Multi-channel cabling to mould temperature signals - Successfully used to allow a single cable to connect multiple injection moulding cavity pressure sensors to the Kistler Como Injection process monitoring system, Kistler multi-channel cabling has now been extended to cavity temperature signals. The technology is based on a miniature thermocouple amplifier with either 2 or 4 channels.

Successful launch of new 2-channel logger - If success is judged by the number of units sold in the first few weeks following a product launch, OTT Hydrometry's new 'DuoSens' two channel battery-powered datalogger might claim to be the most successful in the Company's history. Previously 'Thalimedes' a digital water level logger, was sold in the highest numbers but UK Managing Director, Simon Wills says "DuoSens looks set to break all records; production is running at full capacity in order to keep up with demand. We have received orders for literally hundreds of loggers because, for the first time, customers are able to buy small, cost-effective loggers with the functionality of their larger more expensive predecessors."

Automatic calibration reminder service for NIST-certified instruments - Managers of industrial facilities seeking to meet the highest standards of temperature and humidity control by using NIST-certified instruments can now be assured that their chart recorders’ and data loggers’ calibrations are current through Dickson Company's automatic enrollment of NIST-certified instruments in the Dickson Calibration Club

Collaboration to address the growing demand for pre-integrated solutions - Rockwell Automation and Endress+Hauser are collaborating to address the growing demand for pre-integrated solutions across a great many industries. The partnership will also offer knowledge and experience in process integration, from sensors and process networks to asset management and complete process automation projects.

ULtra high frequency intermediate bua converters - Emerson Network Power has launched two intermediate bus converters (IBCs) that are capable of delivering exceptionally high levels of usable output power with a conversion efficiency of 97%. Forming the latest additions to the Artesyn family of high power density IBCs, the products comprise a 300 Watt eighth-brick and a 642 Watt quarter-brick.

Exhibition in Reading - Announced at the recent Mtec exhibition at the NEC in February, the venue for Instrumentation South event is again the Royal Berkshire Conference Centre, Madejski Stadium, Reading, October 3rd & 4th 2007. This year it will have the added bonus of a separate co-located event entitled Displays Technology South 2007. Running side-by-side, both shows will benefit from the increase in visitors that these events will attract for each other. Displays Technology South will feature exhibitors presenting the widest spectrum of displays technology systems and equipment. These include Craft Data, Pacer International, Review Displays Systems and Ginsbury Electronics.

New manufacturing innovation manager joins North American operations team - Invetech, the specialist in instrument development and custom automation, announces the appointment of Ian Fitzpatrick as Manager of Manufacturing Innovation in North America. Working with current and prospective clients throughout North America, Ian will lead a team dedicated to exploring how specific client’s manufacturing needs can be achieved. Within this role, Ian is tasked with integrating US nationals into the expanding Invetech team while ensuring Invetech’s work programs are delivered seamlessly

New Director of Strategic Planning - Nick Moore has been promoted to Director of Strategic Planning at Moore Industries-International. "Nick's primary responsibilities will include assisting me with the assessment of the company's current and future business development, direction and strategic planning initiatives," says Leonard Moore, founder and chief executive officer. "Over the coming months, Nick will be reviewing and assessing all departments within the company looking for ways to improve operational efficiencies."

Miniature quartz force sensor measures pressure on injection molding cavities and other short-term quasi-static processes - PCB Piezotronics (PCB®) has introduced Model 219A05 miniature charge output quartz force sensor, designed for industrial applications where space at a premium. The sensor is ideal for obtaining an indirect measurement of injection molding cavity pressure by positioning the sensor behind an ejector pin. The high stiffness property of the sensor allows them to follow very fast transient events. They may also be used to measure short term, quasi-static processes.
In another announcement we learn that the company has received CE qualifications for its Series 4100 and 4200 rotating torque transducers, in accordance with European Union EMC directives.

Specialist distributor of the year announced - Phoenix Electronics Distribution has received the Harting 'Specialist Distributor of the Year' Award for 2006 for the second year running. The award was made on the basis of sales growth.

China Software Fair in Dublin at end of the month - A special first experience for Ireland is coming its way later this month in relation to the software industry in China. The background is that an annual software fair is held in the city of Dalian to the north east of China each year. For the first time the Chinese Government has chosen to run a software fair outside China and they have selected Dublin (IRL) for this event. It will be held on Monday 26 March with a morning conference, and after lunch an opportunity for one to one meetings with the 25 companies from China and/or with central and local government officials from China including software park management.

Constant-current LED driver IC with PWM control - The A6280 from Allegro MicroSystems Europe is a new 3-bit constant current LED driver which enables users to minimise the number of components needed to drive LEDs with large pixel spacing. The new driver controls LED luminance using a pulse width modulation (PWM) scheme which gives the application the capability of displaying up to one billion colours.

Materials testers on show at Control 2007 Ametek GmbH will be showing an impressive range of high performance materials testing equipment and powerful NEXYGENPlus software from Lloyd Instruments at the Control 2007 exhibition in Sinsheim (D). This will include a twin column LR10KPlus instrument and three single column LFPlus instruments each testing a different sample, demonstrating the flexibility of Lloyd Instruments test machines. Also on display will be an MFI-10 melt flow indexer from the Davenport range of plastic and polymer test instruments.
Control 2007 is cxheduled for 8-11th May 2007

Integrity in standards - It is reported that the ISA SP100 Wireless Automation User Group leader, Greg LaFramboise, has resigned because the commercial agendas were subverting the process. The set-up of this group was announced last December. While a wireless standard could help make industrial process control safer, more reliable, efficient & secure, while producing better products, the standards process often amounts to blessing vested interests. This he felt was unacceptable. He is to remain as a member of the group however.

Free poster for Ex tool applications - Fluke, the world's leading supplier of handheld test and measurement equipment, is offering a free 'Intrinsically Safe Test Tool' poster and product guide. Available via the Fluke web site. The poster clearly shows where Fluke's Ex test tools can be used in hazardous environments.

Visitors can save time by registering online from today - Effective immediately, those who will be attending LASER 2007. World of Photonics (18/21 June 2007 in Munich, Germany) can order their entrance tickets online
There are several benefits to registering, such as queue-free entry at the event and free transport on the day using Munich's excellent public transportation system. Those registering online and subscribing to the fortnightly Global Electronics Newsletter also have the chance to win EUR 100 Amazon vouchers.
See our Events Page for more shows.

Coriolis range now has Hastelloy for harsh environments - Emerson Process Management announces that it has expanded the range of Micro Motion Coriolis flowmeters with the introduction of the F-Series in Hastelloy C-22 construction. This makes it suitable for use across many industries and applications where the process fluid is incompatible with Stainless Steel. Compact and drainable, the F-Series Hastelloy is ideal for providing accurate and reliable flow measurement in harsh operating environments.

Global partnership announced - Transpara Corporation, and Invensys Process Systems have announced a global partnership through which Invensys Process Systems becomes a global reseller and certified implementer for Transpara's Visual KPI operations intelligence software. The only composite Key Performance Indicator (KPI) engine available on the market, Visual KPI delivers on-demand, business-critical data about process manufacturing and utility operations to any handheld or desktop browser.

COD tests now available for third-party instruments - Water testing specialist Palintest has introduced a new range of Tubetests® for Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) that are specifically for use in non-Palintest instruments. The new M/C formulations with mercuric sulphate enable users of the majority of laboratory COD photometers to take advantage of the price, quality and service that Palintest reagents offer, while using their existing instrumentation.

Enhanced T&M instrument range for 2007 - A significantly enlarged range of handheld and bench style test instruments is now available from Metrix Electronics covering industrial, laboratory, service and training applications. This enhanced range is detailed in the new 2007 Product Guide, which combines the key products from the B+K Precision and Sefram instrument ranges

Members increases further - At the General Assembly of the CAN in Automation (CiA) nonprofit organization, the Board of Directors reported an increasing number of members. In the last year the number of members grew significantly. Also in the first two months of 2007, twelve companies joined the international users' and manufacturers' group for CAN (Controller Area Network).

DCS migration cards - Foxboro Automation has announced the introduction of a new family of plug-in I/A Series migration cards for Moore APACS systems. These Foxboro migration cards enable Moore users to easily upgrade their legacy APACS ACM and ACM+ control systems to advanced Invensys technology, including the latest generation of I/A Series distributed control system (DCS) and Invensys' groundbreaking InFusion enterprise control system (ECS) technologies.

Measure non-contact temperature quickly, accurately and safely - Extech Instruments, offers a comprehensive line of InfraRed Thermometers for instantaneous non-contact temperature readings. The IR line provides temperature measurement solutions for HVAC/R, plant maintenance, automotive, electrical, and food handling/preparation applications. Their IR thermometers are available based on temperature range, distance to target ratio and fixed or adjustable emissivity. Also offered are specialty IR thermometers for data logging and wireless data transmission as well as a broad range of measurement devices with integrated IR thermometers.

Full breadth of automation solutions to be featured in workshops, presentations and discussion Tracks - GE Fanuc Automation has announced that its 2007 Discover Users Conference will be held in St. Louis, Missouri on October 22 ­ 25, 2007. The 3-day conference will highlight best practices in technology, manufacturing and business. "Feedback from our past conferences has been outstanding," said Maryrose Sylvester, President and CEO of GE Fanuc. "It is an important venue for customers to share experiences and best practices. We are confident this year's meeting will provide even more opportunities for this exchange of ideas."

Leadership in the critical infrastructure cyber security market enhanced - Verano has announced that it has named Todd A. Nicholson as chief marketing officer to lead Verano's global marketing and product strategy. Additionally, Verano recently hired a new Senior Director, Chris Martin, to market its Industrial Defender product.

Connectors for outdoor telecommunications applications - Harting has introduced a family of connector products for outdoor communications installations using the company's established Han(r) Push-Pull and Han® 3A housings combined with a range of innovative fibre-optic and copper based inserts.

New distributor for Switzerland - Excelsys Technologies, specialists in configurable power supplies, announces the appointment of Simpex Electronic as its new distributor for Switzerland. Simpex is an experienced re-seller of power supplies in addition to emech, IT and production equipment. The company has experienced sales and applications teams and as SQS and IQNet quality certification.

American technical sales office - Lorlin Electronics has announced the appointment of Saelig Co. Inc. of Pittsford (NY, USA) as their technical sales agent for North America. Saelig was established in 1988 and has a growing reputation for introducing and supporting unique electronic products to American engineers. It represents and markets products from more than 50 companies worldwide. Saelig's application engineers give US based customers knowledgeable advice for specific applications involving both standard and custom designed components.
Lorlin Electronics, founded in 1961, is one of Europe's leading designers & manufacturers of standard and custom rotary, key, push-button, indicator switches, push-push potentiometers and dimmer switches.

Distributor channell manager appointed - Brian Rice has been appointed Distributor Channel Manager for Parker Instrumentation, the leading supplier of tube fittings, valves and manifolds to the oil, gas, petrochemical, processing and utility markets. He brings detailed industry understanding and wide experience of international sales and marketing to the role, plus the knowledge and skills gained as a member of the company's pioneering product innovation team.

New line-scanners for high-temperature metals processes - Land Instruments International has expanded its range of infrared line-scanners with models for imaging and controlling high-temperature processes in the metals industries. Collectively the new Landscan LSP10, LSP20 and LSP21 infrared linescanner heads cover the temperature spectrum from 200 to 1400°C, encompassing almost every process in the production of billets, beams, sections, plate, strip, rod and wire.

Next generation control performance application - Emerson Process Management has announced the availability of the DeltaV InSight integrated control performance software as part of the DeltaV version 9.3 release. DeltaV InSight is an integrated application used to monitor, analyse, diagnose, and improve control loop performance. The InSight application includes all the basic monitoring and tuning capability of its predecessor products, DeltaV Tune and DeltaV Inspect, plus advanced diagnostics and adaptive tuning capabilities made possible with embedded learning algorithms.

Important advancements announced - The National Instruments LabVIEW graphical system design platform is now extended with the release of NI LabVIEW SignalExpress, an interactive measurement software that simplifies data logging, instrument control and academic instruction.
They have added 19 new I/O modules and LabVIEW SignalExpress to NI CompactDAQ Platform. The new modules further expand the measurement and control capabilities of the portable, rugged, USB-based data acquisition system.
They have also announced advances in NI Multisim and the NI Circuit Design Suite 10.0 platform. The NI Circuit Design Suite 10.0 platform, which combines Multisim and Ultiboard with NI measurement software such as LabVIEW SignalExpress, requires virtually no programming and helps engineers integrate design and test.

Exhibition report - Mtec and its co-located shows attracted over 4,200 people who pre-registered and visited the shows last month in Birmingham (GB). The next show is sceduled for 13th & 14th February 2008 at the same venue and they are accepting reservations now!
See our mtec '07 Report

Webshop for wireless, battery-free electrical controls - Wireless, battery-free electrical control switches for office, domestic and industrial are the focus for a new Webshop, set up by Ivory Egg and British supplier TDC. Ivory Egg already runs a popular website covering European Installation Bus components. EnOcean electrical switches and controls are winning growing popularity with their fit-anywhere simplicity. The action of operating the switch generates enough current to send a radio signal to a light or other appliance. EnOcean controls can be installed anywhere within a 100 metre radius of the target unit, be moved at a whim and never require a change of battery.

Remote web based I/O server - Active event management - IntelliCom announces updates to the NetBiter product for active event / alarm management, together with data logging and web based data access. The NetBiter product provides event management where the device itself can detect and send event information to users as email, SNMP, Modbus TCP or SMS to mobile phones. Events can be configured to appear on I/O changes or at specific Modbus register changes.

Newest edition of free product CD - Sixnet has printed its twenty-first edition of their free Product CD, covering its entire line of Industrial Connectivity and Automation products. Key features of the new CD include theirlatest products such as the Slim Line series and Rack-mount series industrial Ethernet switches.

New reporter upgrade launched - Elutionshas announced the launch of WizReport XL Professional, Version 7. WizReport XL offers unique ways to automatically produce reports in Microsoft® Excel® from live process data as well as historians and relational databases. Completed reports are automatically sent to printers, e-mail, fileservers and web servers.

1200W configurable power supply is only 1U high - New from Excelsys Technologies, the world leading specialists in high efficiency configurable power supplies is the Xcite 1200W modular power supply. Just 1U high and 260mm x 127mm the Xcite boasts industry leading 15W/in" power density with up to 90% efficiency and an innovative "plug and play" architecture which allows users to configure a custom power solution in less than 5 minutes.

New hydrogen peroxide measurement station - ProMinent Fluid Controls has introduced a new measurement station for the measurement and control of hydrogen peroxide used in swimming pools, or for the treatment of contaminated wastewater or process media from production environments. Totally biodegradable, hydrogen peroxide is frequently used as a disinfectant or oxidant in water treatment and production. The new system features a new PER1 membrane-covered amperometric sensor in combination with a D1C single channel controller, now available for hydrogen peroxide measurement. This compact unit saves space, has low installation costs and requires little maintenance.

Ultra-compact, four channel temperature controllers include fieldbus communications - Gefran's new GFX4 and GXFTERM04 multi-channel temperature controllers provide precise and rapid control for up to four temperature zones and provides inputs for four additional analogue signals. The range includes several fieldbus communication options and includes advanced diagnostics for demanding process automation applications such as packaging, wrapping and welding machinery. Available in a choice of PID control only versions or with integrated relays and provision for current transformers and fuses, the ultra-compact modules are designed for fast and simple installation with configurable universal inputs, manual and autotuning functions, connections via pluggable connectors, and DIN rail mounting. More on these controllers

Free loop Optimisation Series - ControlSoft has recently completed a three-part LOOP OPTIMIZATION SERIES of emails. The series is aimed at technical support staffers who manage systems that need better tuning parameters and who may need help in explaining the situation to upper management. Facts, figures, history, and projections in the series can help justify requests for more time to tune loops by hand or for attendance at a PID loop tuning training class or for purchase of PID loop tuning software.
To request the series, individuals can go to this web page and Ask for TECH 22.

Remote control and information gathering from in-line check weighers - Two new software packages from Sartorius join their well known Average Weight Control software SPCfWin. Set to revolutionize check weighing, ProControl@Remote and ProControl@Inline, are the ultimate cost-effective solutions for the remote control and monitoring of Sartorius check weighers with the benefit of saving users both time and money.

Laboratory power supplies offer programmable control - TTi (Thurlby Thandar Instruments) has updated its QL series of laboratory power supplies to include a number of improvements including the latest safety binding post terminals. The QL series is a range of high-performance linear regulated power supplies offering unusually high levels of precision and stability. Setting resolutions of 1 mV and 0.1 mA are provided, and output ripple and noise are below 0.35 mV peak-to-peak.

New "Vision Elements Machine Vision Handbook" published - Firstsight Vision has published the latest issue of its well respected 'Vision Elements Machine Vision Handbook' With 40% more information than the previous edition, the new publication features new sections on systems (PCs configured with vision technology), filters, high speed imaging ,UV and IR lighting and comprehensive coverage of the new GigE Vision and Gen Cam technology.

Executive leadership team expanded with vice president of sales for Europe - Francis Griffiths, who has been with National Instruments for the past eighteen years, is one of eight long term members of NI staff to be promoted to Vice President. After graduating with a B Eng (Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering from University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology in Cardiff, Griffiths joined National Instruments UK & Ireland in 1989, shortly after the Branch opened, as an Applications Engineer on the NI Engineering Leadership Program.
The eight promotions to Vice President have occurred across three departments, including research and development, G&A, and sales and marketing:

Francis Griffiths, Vice President of Sales, Europe
Victor Mieres, Vice President of Sales, Asia Pacific
Owen Golden, Vice President of Sales, Americas
John Hanks, Vice President of Product Marketing, Data Acquisition and Industrial Control
Tony Vento, Vice President, Applications Engineering
Jon Bellin, Vice President of R&D, Application and System Software
Kevin Schultz, Vice President of R&D, Data Acquisition and Distributed I/O
Arleene Porterfield, Vice President, Global Information Technology

High efficiency power supply selected for energy saving lighting - Powerstax have been selected to supply a turnkey power solution to EcoLEDLighting, market leaders in LED lighting systems. EcoLEDLighting has recently launched it new Part L Compliant, fully dimmable MR16 lamp replacements, which reduce heat output by 80% and use 75% less energy. To enable the company to develop prototypes into production designs, they went looking for a power supply company that was able to fulfil the specific requirements that were essential for this new LED lighting technology.

Cable catalogue for 2007 - Leading cable solutions provider, Lapp Ltd, announces the publication of its 2007 main product catalogue, a 1000-plus page cable reference book that will find wide interest among users of all types of cables and cable accessories. The new catalogue, which has the theme “Connecting the World”, provides comprehensive details about every Lapp product including full technical data, applications information and ordering criteria.

Quality rent! - Ashtead Technology Rentals has been awarded ISO 9001 certification and General Manager James Carlyle says "This is not simply a paperwork activity ­ it is a public declaration that we are committed to achieving the highest levels of customer satisfaction, so this is great news for instrumentation engineers. As an instrument rental company ISO 9001 certification confirms that we have the processes in place to deliver the right instrument to the right place at the right time."

Cost-effective cylinder offers ultimate flexibility - Hoerbiger-Origa has redesigned its popular AZ piston rod cylinder to offer both improved performance and a much higher level of configurability. With the new AZ, users not only get a high performance product that is exactly tailored to the precise needs of the application, they also get an extremely cost-competitive solution.

New sensor technologies & instrumentation catalogue - PCB Piezotronics has launched the North American edition of its new Sensor Technologies & Instrumentation Catalogue. The full-color catalogue includes 46 pages of PCB’ product and internal capabilities, as well as detailed specifications for acceleration, acoustics, force, load, pressure, shock, strain, torque and vibration products for PCB Piezotronics, and its Larson Davis and IMI Sensors divisions, as well as the calibration system products of sister company The Modal Shop, Inc. Each section is specifically geared toward specific measurement technology requirements for each industry, and provides a snapshot of targeted products and services to serve each.

Cost-effective current transducer for currents up to 350ARMS in railway applications - LEM has introduced the LAC 300-S, a panel-mounted current transducer for the measurement of currents up to 350ARMS. This new closed-loop Hall-effect transducer has been designed for use in railway applications such as propulsion inverters. It is also well suited to auxiliary inverter requirements (used for air conditioning, battery chargersŠ), thanks to its attractive price and high performance level.

Spacing-saving gauging transducer is ideal for component manufacture - With an overall length of just 26mm and displacement range of ±0.5mm, the GT500Z transducer from RDP Electronics is ideally suited to precision gauging in the manufacture of machined parts and tooling. Thanks to Swiss quality linear bearings and use of robust LVDT technology, the GT500Z offers high precision and repeatability with excellent resistance to side loading. Specially designed for precision gauging applications, the GT500Z is one of a series of transducers offering displacements up to ¬±5mm that can all be used in conjunction with RDP's instrumentation products to provide a complete measurement solution.
A demonstration of how the LVDT works!

Exhibition reviewed - The phenomenal results of SPS/IPC/DRIVES 2006 were reviewed at a recent meeting of the Exhibitors' Advisory Board in Stuttgart (D). 43,891 people came to Nuremberg in November 2006, which was an increase of 25% over 2005, when 34,653 trade visitors attended the exhibition.
They voted to retain last year's key topics "Ethernet in Automation", "Safety and Security in Automation" and "Motion Control". These topics are of constant importance and relevence for the automation industry and thus they will be highlighted at the exhibition and at the conference. The Exhibitors' Advisory Board underlined that the key topics are not only to be seen independently from each other but also as growing together to integrated automation and drives solutions. Other and of growing interest are "Wireless in Automation" and "RFID in Automation". Amongst others these topics will be dealt with on the exhibition forums on the three days of the exhibition.
SPS/IPC/DRIVES 2007 will take place from 27 - 29 November in Nuremberg.
See also our comprehensive Events Listings

Put a Lab in your Back-pack!...simultaneous sub-ppm analysis of multiple compounds - How could we resist a release sent with the words "This is not your average piece of PR..." So here goes: - Quantitech has announced the launch of the world's first truly portable FTIR multicomponent workplace gas analyser. In the past, field-use instruments for the detection of toxic gases have sacrificed analytical performance for the sake of usability. As a result, many portable instruments have merely provided data that is indicative and non-specific, whereas analytical instruments have been difficult or impossible to operate in the field.
The main markets will be industrial health and safety, chemical spill response, contaminated land, leak detection and the measurement of anaesthetic gases in hospitals.

Bimetal temperature sensor provides local readout and a mV or ohm signal, requires no power - The Bimetal Dual-Mode Remote Thermometer from Moore Industries provides on-site indication of process temperature conditions, and simultaneously provides a mV or ohm signal proportional to temperature for input to a transmitter, Remote Terminal Unit (RTU), controller, recorder, indicator, PLC, DCS or SCADA system. The BIMETAL requires no power supply at the point of measurement. It includes a rugged thermowell probe assembly that contains their RTD or thermocouple sensor, and a large analog display. Both the sensor and display are NIST traceable, and can be quickly calibrated in the field. No source of power is needed to drive the local analog readout; the thermocouple or RTD can be read via a standard transmitter, signal conditioner or analog input device.

11 new PXI RF switches for video and communications test announced - National Instruments has doubled its PXI RF switch offering for 50 and 75 ohm RF applications with the release of 11 new RF switches. The new modules include 4x1, terminated 4x1, dual 4x1 and 8x1 multiplexers as well as quad (4) SPDT and dual-terminated SPDT general-purpose configurations.

Fieldbus at Hannover - The Fieldbus Foundation has unveiled its plans to exhibit at the forthcoming Interkama 2007 (part of the Hanover Fair, to be held April 16-20 in Hannover, Germany. Based on the theme "Changing the Playing Field", the Fieldbus Foundation will be demonstrating its global strengths and capabilities in process and hybrid applications on its large stand.