Low price, high accuracy load cell is ideal for industrial weighing - The RLW compression load cell from RDP is ideally suited to industrial weighing applications where high accuracy at a competitive price is called for. Industrial weighing can take many forms, but one typical example for the RLW load cell is 'hopper weighing'. Sealed parallel beam load cells mounted at three points and connected in parallel compensate for distributed load effects and provide a resultant signal used as a measurement of the hopper load. Not only is the RLW easy to attach but it also offers good long term and temperature stability.

Benchmarking process operations in real time - ProcessApex software now benchmarks and tracks the business results of fired heaters, heat exchangers, and dryers. Use the results to make decisions that directly impact efficiency, throughput, operating targets, and bottom line of operations.

40 years of success - Moore Industries-International, leader in the design and manufacture of electronic measurement and interface instruments for the process industries, celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2008. The company's products are used by virtually every Fortune 500 manufacturing company, including those that produce chemicals, petroleum, power, paper, food and beverages, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology products.

Whither Automation Skills? - Many people think that the automation industry is quickly developing a "skills shortage," which will occur after the current generation of engineers retires. (Jim Pinto in Automation World April'04)

Leading process automation companies support wireless standard - Executives from leading process automation companies voiced their support for the new WirelessHART™ Communication standard during the HCF press conference at ISA 2007 (2 Oct, Houston, TX). In a display of unified commitment to the new technology, representatives from ABB, Emerson, Endress+Hauser, and Siemens spoke of the positive impact WirelessHART technology will have on the process industry and their expectation for the quick adoption of the technology by end users.

New president for European region with Global focus - Premier Farnell has announced the appointment of , Andy King as President of Farnell Europe and Global Head of EDE, with effect from 16th June 2008. Most recently Andy was European Vice President of Sales Development at Arrow Electronics, providing strategic direction to the company's European sales drive, in particular addressing the various needs of different customer segments across EMEA.

New catalogue for full power - RECOM has launched its new 2008 catalogue and optimized its product range which offers a wide range of innovative products ranging from R-78 switching regulators with 97% efficiency to a completely new series of LED drivers. With more than 6,000 different products covering the whole range of low power conversion - AC/DC-converters, DC/DC converters, switching regulators and LED-Drivers - they now have one of the most comprehensive portfolios on the market.

Complete machine control solution for small to medium process and automation applications - A combined HMI and PLC system, capable of completely self-contained machine control for small to medium sized automation applications is available from Gefran. The new GF_VEDO 35 and 57 series includes a choice of 3.5" or 5.7" colour or mono touchscreen HMIs with an IEC61131-3 PLC plus I/O and fieldbus expansion to offer the convenience of a single package with the potential for significant time, cost, wiring and space savings.

New Automation Solutions brochure for Laser, Medical and Life Sciences applications - Aerotech have released a completely updated and redesigned Automation Solutions brochure for Laser Processing, Medical Device Manufacturing and Life Sciences.

Network-based control system - Yokogawa has released an enhanced version of the STARDOM™ network-based control system that complies with US gas industry standards and provides a new data-logging function for the FCN/FCJ autonomous controllers. These enhancements reduce costs by improving the efficiency of both operation and maintenance. Yokogawa will use the release of this enhanced version to strengthen its sales targeting the oil and gas upstream processes

Micro card edge connector for 1.6 mm PCB applications - The new Harting Micro Card Edge connector is designed for surface mounting on 1.6 mm thick printed circuit boards in board-to-board mezzanine configurations as well as in small pluggable daughterboard applications.

New chief appointed - Quantum3D has announced that its board of directors has elected Michael L. D'Addio as the company's new chief executive officer (CEO). Gordon Campbell, company chairman, marked his arrival by saying, "Michael is a talented and seasoned executive whose unparalleled leadership expertise will enable us to accelerate the growth of the company."

Din-rail power supplies beat harsh environments - PULS are now offering conformal coating on a number of their power supply models. Conformal coating provides higher operational safety and reliability in a number of installation environments where conditions may be prone to high humidity, vibration, thermal shock or rapid temperature changes, unusually dusty or have airborne contaminants.

28/4/2008

Asset optimisation manager appointed - Emerson Process Management has appointed Andy Hammond to the position of Sales Manager, Asset Optimisation for the UK and Ireland. He will be responsible for the diverse range of Asset Optimisation products and services, ranging from portable and online machinery health monitoring equipment, through to the AMS® suite of predictive maintenance software applications.
AMS Suite, an essential element of their proven PlantWeb® digital plant architecture, uses predictive intelligence to improve availability and performance of production assets.
In another appointment Karin Jones has been appointed Marketing Communications Manager for the same territories. She will help implement the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) strategy as well as provide a full range of integrated marketing communications.

Downloadable from their website, Controlsoft's PID Loop Tuning Tips Pocket Guide is now 12 pages long. Created to give engineers a concise guide to tuning PID loops, this handy publication includes an expanded reference section on common controllers. The 12-page guide can easily fit into a jacket or jeans pocket for handy on-the-job access.

Improved modeling and training functionality - The new release of MiMiC v3.0.0 from Mynah Technologies, supports all open OPC process control system platforms. This includes HIMA, Emerson, Rockwell, and Schneider process control systems, among others. Additionally, the new 3.0.0 release includes improved modeling and operator training functionality.

Innovative new platform for handheld applications - Engineering samples of QuickLogic's latest customer specific standard product (CSSP) platform for the connectivity, intelligence, and logic requirements of handheld applications are now available.

An essential resource for damage deterrent solutions - Lamerholm has launched its new global website. As a world leader in the design, development and supply of innovative equipment for damage monitoring, their new site is a valuable source of information featuring comprehensive technical and application details of the company's complete product range.

NMi certification of calibration facilities at European flow centre - Emerson Process Management has announced the completion of the certification of all three flow calibration test facilities at its European Flow Centre. This certification by the internationally recognised NMi (Nederlands Meetinstituut) further extends the traceable calibration capability of the Flow Centre. The new flow calibration facilities are purpose designed for the flow and density calibration of Emerson's Micro Motion® Coriolis flowmeters. Flow ranges from 0.13 kg/min up to as high as 18,000 kg/min of water are now covered. This range will allow calibration and certification of the full range of Micro Motion Coriolis flowmeters supplied up to line sizes of a nominal diameter of 200 mm (8ins).

Portable FT-IR spectrometers for on-site lubrication analysis - A2 Technologies, the innovator and manufacturer of the PAL Series of portable Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analyzers announces important new enhancements to its product line. Designed for on-site lubrication analysis of turbine generators, diesel engines, compressors, gearboxes and hydraulic systems in the power industry, the PAL systems are now able to accurately and precisely quantify the level of water in these oils in the range of 50 - 5000 ppm with accuracy of better than 5%. This advance now permits the PAL systems to be as analytically effective as the gold standard Karl Fischer titration for measuring water in the aforementioned concentration range.

ISO 9001:2000 certification achieved - XenICs is now certified according to ISO 9001:2000. The award includes all of XenICs' corporate functions and departments.
XenICs is the leading developer of innovative infrared detection solutions for a wide range of applications. XenICs designs, manufactures and sells in-frared detectors and cameras, both line-scan and 2-D, covering the infrared wavelength ranges from 0.4 to 14 micrometers. In addition, XenICs delivers custom products according to the agreed specification and planning.

Oscilloscope support - National Instruments has announced support for new Tektronix value line oscilloscopes in the latest version of >LabVIEW SignalExpress Tektronix Edition, an interactive PC-based measurement software for quickly acquiring, analysing and presenting data without programming.

Certified achitect status achieved - National Instruments UK & Ireland today announced that four more UK engineers have achieved the prestigious Certified LabVIEW Architect status: Ian Lloyd and Stephen Swindley from City Technology Ltd, and Peter Davies and Mark Lee from Develop-ing Solutions. This is the highest level of NI LabVIEW certification available, with only six engineers in Britain & Ireland and sixteen across the whole of Europe, currently certified at this status.

Answer for high throughput photovoltaic scribing - Aerotech has launched a new range of high precision electromechanical automation systems for laser scribing photovoltaic panels and flat panel displays. With travel up to 2.5 m, speeds to 3 m/sec and acceleration to 5 g, the SolarScribe features high performance direct-drive linear motor technology for maximum production throughput and for complete application flexibility includes a choice of air bearing and mechanical bearing systems in split axis or gantry configurations to match the customers' performance and budget requirements.

High sensitivity, high G khock triaxial DC response accelerometer - The Automotive Sensors division of PCB Piezotronics (PCB®) has announced the debut of a series of high sensitivity, DC response triaxial accelerometers, ideal for a variety of NVH and vehicle durability measurements in automotive and off-highway applications. Accelerometers are well-suited for brake deceleration compliance certification; vehicle radiator and air cooler durability testing; roll stiffness/static rollover threshold tests; vehicle and component test chamber instrumentation; and NVH and multi-axis motion test platforms, among others.

High efficiency 72 watt external AC-DC power adapter - Emerson Network Power has further expanded its portfolio of ac-dc power adapters with the launch of a high efficiency 72 watt model. The new AD72 power adapter features a universal 90-264 Vac input - enabling it to be used anywhere in the world - and produces a single, fully regulated 16 Vdc output capable of delivering up to 4.5 A continuously.

Fast and accurate sensor film helps production - Pressurex®, a thin flexible film from Sensor Products is a versatile tool for quality control and machine component inspection. Its ability to easily and rapidly show inconsistencies in surface pressure between mating or contacting surfaces has lowered scrap rate and assisted in the design and manufacture of many industrial and electronic products.

Rotary switch can be customised - Continuing new design opportunities for rotary switches are strengthening Lorlin Electronics position as a major switch supplier. As the Britain's longest established switch manufacturer Lorlin have a broad product range, the local engineering skills and based manufacturing facilities to provide standard and more importantly custom switch solutions.

24/4/2008

Customer service leadership in the calibration management software market - Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards identify exemplary achievements within various industries and functional disciplines. The company recently presented their award for Customer Service Leadership to Beamex in the European calibration management software market.

Precision linear Hall sensor for current and position sensing applications - The new A1351 from Allegro MicroSystems Europe is a high-precision linear Hall-effect sensor IC with a 125 Hz push/pull pulse-width-modulated (PWM) output that is proportional to an applied magnetic field.

Ultra-tiny 16-Bit ADC family's 0.5uA shutdown current ideal for portable sensor appplications - Linear Technology Corporation introduces the LTC2451 and LTC2452, a pair of 16-bit delta sigma ADCs with 0.5uA (max) shutdown current in ultra-tiny 3mm x 2mm DFN packages. Their low power, tiny size, and guaranteed 16-bit no missing code resolution makes these ADCs ideal for battery-powered applications such as remote sensors. Operating from a single 2.7V to 5.5V supply, these ADCs are designed to measure single-ended or differential sensors via either I²C or SPI serial interfaces.

European industry's best practices awards banquet - Frost & Sullivan will host its prestigious European Best Practices Awards Banquet on 15 May, 2008 in London (GB). Top performers from diverse fields ranging from automation, electronics, energy and power systems to aerospace, defence and environmental and building technologies will be honoured at the event. This Awards Banquet is sponsored by Bosch Rexroth.

Simple thin film measurement tool - HORIBA Jobin Yvon has introduced the Auto SE, a new thin film measurement tool that allows full automatic analysis of thin film samples with simple push button operation. Sample analysis takes only a few seconds and provides a complete report of film thicknesses, optical constants, surface roughness, and film inhomogeneities.

Two low-cost PXI embedded controllers for test, measurement and control applications - National Instruments has announced two new low-cost embedded controllers - the PXI-8104 and PXI-8183 - that deliver exceptional performance for value-based test, measurement and control applications. With these new controllers, engineers and scientists can apply PXI in a variety of new applications across many industries including consumer electronics, automotive, semiconductor, telecommunications and aerospace and defense.

Three announcements at show - MTL have announced a technology enhancement, a new IS product and the introduction of new patented technology at the Hannover Messe.
The introduction of the 9400 Series Intrinsically Safe (IS) Ethernet. This technology has been proven in use in many mining applications, and with the new ATEX and IECEx certification the 9400 series delivers the same benefits for all process industries.
MTL will be introducing the launch of their patented "FAST SWITCH" technologies. This announcement will be the first in a series of products that makes use of innovative technologies in industrial network applications.
Lastly, there has been a major enhancement to MTL's range of Fieldbus Intrinsically Safe Concept (FISCO) . The new enhancements will allow FISCO to be deployed across a wider range of fieldbus applications in process industries, and in particular those where the 'live-maintenance' benefits of intrinsic safety are required.
Visit our Safety Page

A new GSM/GPRS based web gateway for remote monitoring and control - IntelliCom has announced NetBiter® WS200, a new industrial GSM/GPRS based web gateway for remote monitoring and control, alarm management and data logging. It is a new product in the NetBiter® product range. It has built-in support for remote access to devices over GSM, GPRS, Ethernet, Internet and LANs. Support for Telephone modems using an external adapter. It has a built-in web server to provide web based access from a remote location, alarm management (by email, SMS, SNMP and Modbus TCP) and data logging and trend graphs of field equipment data.

Wireless greenhouse of the future - GreenPeak Technologies has announced that Kronos (global provider of human capital management solutions), has selected their low-power wireless mesh networking technology for one of their wireless terminals.
Hortimax, a Kronos VAR (value added reseller), is active in greenhouse harvesting management systems. In one of their projects, a harvest administration system is used to monitor the activity and location of individual mobile harvesting carts. This solution is based on the Kronos wireless terminal and uses GreenPeak's wireless mesh technology to transmit data from individual mobile harvesting carts to routers, which enables the data to be gathered and analyzed in a central coordinator unit. The wireless technology allows the monitoring of individual pickers' efficiency. Compared to the old situation, where only the average picking weight per corridor and not per individual picker was known, the new system was able to increase overall greenhouse productivity by 15%.

New version of software suite Improves plants' ability to drive performance and ewnhance enterprise applications - GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms has announced a new version of its award-winning Proficy® Plant Applications, one of the cornerstones of the company's Production Management Software suite. Version 4.4's powerful new features decrease a user's time-to-value, making it easier for manufacturers to reach production, quality and cost objectives.

22/4/2008

Digital vortex flowmeters offered with quick delivery - Yokogawa's popular digitalYewflo vortex flowmeter is now available via a new quick delivery service in which standard versions will be delivered to the customer within just three days from placing the order.

Lotus hybrid blooms! - The torque-current characteristics of a combined motor-generator developed for a Lotus-based hybrid car have been comprehensively mapped by a Sensor Technology's TorqSense digital torque sensor. Specialist electromagnetic design company Elektro Magnetix (EMX) of Brighton developed and tested the motor-generator for Lotus Engineering's EVE(Efficient, Viable, Environmental) Hybrid. This is a technology demonstrator that is showcasing many of the medium term solutions that will be used to reduce vehicle emissions.

Variable speed drives lower the costs of automation applications -- even washdown duty! - Baldor has launched a family of frequency inverter drives for AC motors that has the ability to reduce total cost of ownership substantially for common process automation equipment. The drives offer a very simple user interface that provides 'out of the box' solutions for a large proportion of variable speed motor control applications. They are also available with a range of environmental protection, from a standard industrial housing to a dust- and splash-proof version (IP55 or NEMA 12), and even a full washdown duty (IP66 or NEMA 4X) variant. The latter version is unusual in this smaller power sector of the market.

Latest wireless module is 50% smaller and lower cost - LPRS has introduced the latest radio module from Circuit Design Inc. The new MU-2-R embedded radio module operates at 434MHz and brings together industrial quality and reliability while having dimensions of just 50x30x9mm it,s only 55% the size of the existing MU-1-R.

First MID compliant energy meter with detachable display and dual mounting - Carlo Gavazzi has launched the world's first compact three-phase energy meter with a patented multi-application detachable display and dual mounting technology. The new EM21-72D can be used either as a basic energy meter or multifunction meter and brings both simplicity and compactness to building management systems and cost-allocation applications.

Manufacturing automation forum - The European Manufacturing Automation Forum (EMAF) is a series of highly educational events specifically designed for professionals from the discrete industries. Forum participants will learn how to effectively manage and optimize production plants using collaborative manufacturing concepts and technologies.

Safety instrumented system - Yokogawa Electric Corporation is releasing an enhanced version of the ProSafe®-RS Safety Instrumented System, ProSafe-RS R2.01.00. This new version is smoothly integrated with Yokogawa's latest production control system, CENTUM®VP, and offers improved security and support for Windows Vista. These enhancements strike the optimum balance between improved operational efficiency and safety.

PC-based data-acquisition system combines high performance and ease of use - The new Yokogawa SL1000 is a PC-based data-acquisition unit designed to provide high-speed data logging and fast data transfer in electro-mechanical and power measurement applications.

19/4/2008

Next-generation robot control system - FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), a nonprofit organization inspiring young people to be science and technology leaders, has selected the National Instruments CompactRIO embedded control platform as its next-generation FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) robot controller.
With this platform, high school students will create advanced robots starting in the 2009 FIRST season. Students can program their robots based on CompactRIO in either NI LabVIEW graphical programming software or the ANSI C language.

New head for sales operations of three major industrial power and automation brands - Frank Schlosser has been appointed to the new position of Sales Director for Baldor-Dodge-Reliance in Europe. He will manage the European field sales and customer support staff for the company's three major electric motor and power transmission brands.

Redesigned website - Following a year in development, Firstsight Vision's new website is now live.
"All-Gigabit" industrial Ethernet switch - Sixnet announces their newest addition to the Slim Line series of industrial Ethernet switches; the "All-Gigabit" SL-8MG, with 8 ultra-fast Gigabit ports for auto-sensing 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet links. This switch features four flexible combination ports that each offers the convenience of both a copper RJ45 and pluggable fiber optic connector. This allows you to start with a RJ45 connection and easily upgrade to a noise immune fiber optic link by just plugging in a fiber transceiver. Multimode, singlemode, long haul up to 80+ km and special application transceivers are available to meet just about any requirement.

Intermix Strain Gages, Transducers, Thermocouples, LVDTs, Other Sensors - Vishay Intertechnology have announced that their Micro-Measurements System 7000 is now available with new features and capabilities. Previously available as a 4U-height, 19-inch, rack-mountable scanner, System 7000 is now also available as a 32-channel, bench-top scanner. In addition, it also now enables the use of linear variable differential transformers (LVDTs), as well as other types of sensors. LVDTs are used in applications where displacement measurements are required.

Scalable, enterprise-wide HMI and SCADA offerings - HardwarePT have added a range of compact panels to its comprehensive Applications Ready Platform portfolio. The new panels are the entry point to the its latest integrated and scalable HMI and SCADA software solutions that can manage a single machine, production line, complete plant or a customer's entire automation and information enterprise.

New rugged electro optic level sensor - Gems Sensors & Controls has announced the launch of a new miniature, low cost Electro Optic Level Sensor, the ELS-950. The compact size, durability, high temperature capability and low cost makes the ELS-950 ideally suited for monitoring coolants, lubricants, hydraulic fluids and overflow reservoirs in industries as diverse as off highway vehicles, medical, oil and gas, water, HVAC, marine, transport and food & beverage.

New module combines graphical system design platform with World's most popular microcontrollers to simplify embedded system development - National Instruments and ARM have announced the NI LabVIEW Embedded Module for ARM Microcontrollers, an extension of the LabVIEW graphical system design platform that directly targets the ARM 7™, ARM 9™ and Cortex™-M3 microcontroller families. The module is the first product in an ongoing collaboration between the companies that combines the ease of use of LabVIEW with the performance of ARM microcontrollers.

Viscosity test instrument launched - Lloyd Instruments announces the launch of the Davenport™ PETPlus Intrinsic Viscosity Measurement Instrument. This new compact stand-alone instrument offers significant benefits for determining the intrinsic viscosity (IV) of moisture-sensitive PET polymers, avoiding both the costs and the environmental hazard of handling and disposal of toxic solvents. The PETPlus also measures the degradation factor and provides the mean and standard deviation for the batch.

Industrial Gigabit Ethernet switch has five ports - Harting has introduced a new industrial Gigabit Ethernet switch, the eCon 2050-AA, which allows the connection of up to five Gigabit Ethernet ports in a very small space.

Certified! - SyTech has announced that its product, XLReporter™ has been approved by Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc. as a reporting option for use with the SIMATIC® PCS 7 process control system from Siemens. XLReporter provides the key layer of technology that enables reporting in Microsoft Office Excel to be performed automatically and in the background.

Product of the year - For the fifth consecutive year, Wonderware has received Frost & Sullivan's 2008 "Product of the Year" in the human-machine interface (HMI) category. WonderwareInTouch 10.0 and System Platform 3.0 software also were recognised for their ability to assist manufacturers in achieving operational excellence by maximising equipment utilisation and operational effectiveness. In writing the award, Frost and Sullivan said that customers using InTouch 10.0 HMI and System Platform 3.0 software identified several outstanding features including ease-of-use offered by ArchestrA graphics, scalability via object-based creation, interoperability with other hardware and robust customer support. These factors were cited as key to reducing engineering time and lowering overall lifecycle costs.
Wonderware supports the signpost with a banner advert on our Home Page

Integrated communications - GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms QuickPanel View products have been enhanced to allow greater integrated communications with a vast array of products through collaboration with Kepware Technologies' KEPServerEX.

Accurate analysis of metal coating types and thickness - A2 Technologies has announced that its hand-held FTIR system Exoscan, has the performance capability to provide accurate measurement of anodization thickness and type on large parts, without the need to dissemble or otherwise modify the part for testing. In a new application note entitled "Metal Coatings Analysis Using the Exoscan Hand Held FTIR", the system demonstrates why it is ideal for non-destructive analysis of samples that are too large to bring to the laboratory or too valuable to require a small portion to be removed for analysis.

Speaker at symposium - Among the speakers at the the 54th International Instrumentation (IIS) Symposium will be Manufacturing Hall of Fame inductee Dick Morley who is to deliver the first keynote presentation entitled "Black Holes, Chocolate, and Nano," on Tuesday morning at 8:30 a.m. Morley is known to many as the father of the programmable logic controller (PLC) and is a visionary in advanced technological developments. As an inventor, machinist, author, consultant, and engineer, his peers have acknowledged his contributions with numerous awards from groups such as Inc. magazine, the Franklin Institute, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers and the Engineering Society of Detroit.
The Instrumentation Symposium (5-8 May in Pensacola, FL US), is organised by the ISA

Website gives fast access to high efficiency power supplies - Europe's largest manufacturer of high efficiency DIN-Rail power supplies, PULS, has unveiled it's new, high speed website. The homepage features a simple to use "product finder" where visitors may enter a PULS part number or simply the volts, amps or watts they require and be directed immediately to the "best fit" product offerings.

Growth of Automation and Control Solutions in the European Pharmaceutical Market - The pharmaceutical industry in Europe is struggling with various challenges such as price pressures and severe competition from generics companies. This is marking it as a market with scope for strong growth with respect to automation and control solutions. As awareness about the ways in which various automation solutions can reduce the impact of the challenges faced by the pharmaceutical companies increases, automation vendors might be assured of a steady market in the pharmaceutical industry.
New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Automation and Control Solutions in the European Pharmaceutical Market, finds that the market earned revenues of $906 million in 2006, increasing to $952.5 million in 2007 and estimates this to reach $1.415 billion in 2013.

17/4/2008

High-precision Power Analysers for the test and development of power electronics - Comprehensive analysis and setup software included as standard Fluke has introduced the compact, high-precision Fluke Norma Series Power Analysers which offer the latest power measurement technology to assist engineers with the development, testing and manufacture of motors and drives, inverters, lighting, power supplies, transformers and automotive components. These rugged analysers provide unmatched price performance for easy and reliable use in the field or as a bench unit in laboratories and on test benches.

New free of charge CD rom for biodiesel analysis - Aspectrics has a new CD Rom for biodiesel analysis. This free of charge CD Rom entitled, "Aspectrics Biodiesel Analyzers" is intended to complement the newly introduced Aspectrics Biodiesel Quality Analyzer (BQA 1000) and contains a wealth of information related to biodiesels, feed stocks and general analysis.

2007/2008 test tools catalogue - Over 250 quality test and measurement products for the electrical, maintenance, construction and HVAC markets Amprobe has introduced its latest 50-page 2007/2008 Test Tools Catalogue covering over 250 quality test and measurement products for professionals in the electrical, automotive, maintenance, construction and HVAC markets. All products conform to the requisite IEC safety standards for use in their designated safety area category.
Amprobe products can be ordered online from Warwick Test Supplies.

16-bit, 105Msps Serial Output ADC Conserves FPGA I/O Pins - Linear Technology Corporation announces a 16-bit, 105Msps ADC that establishes a simple, new benchmark for digital communication between high speed ADCs and FPGAs. The LTC2274's new high speed 2-wire serial interface greatly reduces the number of data input/output (I/O) lines required between a 16-bit ADC and the FPGA from 16 CMOS or 32 LVDS parallel data lines to a single, self-clocking, differential pair communicating at 2.1Gbps, freeing up valuable FPGA pins.

Video demonstrates new possibilities in electromagnetic design - Vector Fields has published a video exploring the potential of a radical new type of tool for optimising electromagnetic equipment designs. The video illustrates a process that makes auto optimisation possible, and within practical timescales for almost any scale of problem, even if a user specifies several or even competing objectives.

Sensors for hydraulic cylinders with limited space _ RDP Temposonics-RD4 sensors have been designed for installation into hydraulic cylinders and are ideal for clevis head cylinders, or any space restricted application. New developments of an existing successful product means that now the electronics can be a short cable length away from the sensor vastly reducing the size of the sensor head and enabling it to fit into many more cylinders.

Compact depth gauge offers good value for money - With the hydrostatic pressure transmitter ED753, Baumer's product segment Process Instrumentation launches a very compact depth gauge with an excellent value for money.
HANNOVER MESSE, Hall 9, Stand A32

New Global Headquarters in the US - Aegis Software has opened new Global Headquarters in Horsham outside Philadelphia (PA US). The new offices will meet Aegis, growing workforce demands and provide a unique training environment for the company,s rapidly expanding customer base.

14/4/2008

Motor control kits - The new Technosoft MCK28335 kits with source code and MATLAB libraries are complete motion control development and evaluation packages based on TI's latest floating-point digital signal controller: TMS320F28335. With this embedded floating-point processor, users will significantly save development time and effort: specific issues related to fixed-point processors (as saturation, overflow, scaling of parameters and variables) are no longer a problem.

3-channel DC Sensor Signal Conditioner for Shock Accelerometers - PCB Piezotronics (PCB®) has introduced Model 478A30, a 3-channel DC sensor signal conditioner with selectable gain. This model is designed to be compatible with new Series 3991/3993 high amplitude 20,000 g MEMS DC response shock accelerometers, and providing the end user with a MEMS-based high-g shock measurement system, with frequency range from DC to 150k Hz.

Wireless for Process Manufacturing to Grow at 32% Annually and Reach $1.1B in 2012 - The market for wireless devices and equipment in process manufacturing will grow to over $1.1B in 2012, a growth rate of 32% per year, according to a new ARC Advisory Group study "Wireless in Process Manufacturing Worldwide Outlook" The data in this study is from 2007 and includes a forecast of market growth through the year 2012.
See more on wireless on our Wireless Page

A wizard that builds wizards! - ExperTune has received a patent for its novel wizard builder technology. The wizard builder creates connection wizards for communication between process controllers (DCS's and PLC's) and PC based software. In a way, it is a "wizard that builds wizards". Their PlantTriage performance supervision software uses this wizard technology.

Industry's first wireless pH/ORP transmitter - Emerson Process Management continues to expand wireless instrumentation benefits by adding the Rosemount Analytical® Model 6081-P wireless pH transmitter to its growing Smart Wireless plant solutions. Closely following approval of the WirelessHART™ standard, the new field device is the industry's first wireless pH/ORP transmitter. Emerson's Smart Wireless solutions extend PlantWeb® architecture that has delivered digital automation benefits in thousands of facilities around the world.
See more on wireless on our Wireless Page and also our report on Emerson's Smart Wireless Launch!

Industrial wireless technology experts in Beijing - 117 standardization experts from the United States and China gathered in Beijing to discuss developments in standardization, new technologies, and applications of wireless systems for automation in the U.S. and China within the IEC. The meeting served to enhance the dialogue between the United States and China on emerging standardization issues.
It was held under the auspices of the U.S.-China Standards and Conformity Assessment Cooperation Program (SCACP), sponsored by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency. Key presentations were given by Key presentations were given by ISA100 Committee members David Kaufman of Honeywell, Cliff Whitehead of Rockwell Automation, Charley Robinson of ISA, Professor Yu Haibin of Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Mr. Mei Ke, Instrumentation Technology & Economy Institute.

Yokogawa Walt Reports 8 Apl 2008 9 Apl 2008 11 Apl 2008

Two new 20A fault insertion modules - Pickering Interfaces is expanding its range of PXI Fault Insertion solutions with the introduction of two new modules, the 40-193 and 40-194.The new modules provide a compact solution for simulating both high and low current faults when testing control systems, which is especially useful in a Hardware-in-the-Loop (HILS) test applications. Each module supports 7 channels which faults can have injected - each channel can be opened (to simulate and open circuit) or shorted to one of two fault connections (such as ground or battery supply). Channels can also be shorted together to simulate other types of wiring faults.

Closing the loop between the plant floor and plant/corporate maintenance systems - GE Fanuc Intelligent PlatformsGE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms has announced its newest addition to the Proficy software suite of Production Management solutions - Proficy Maintenance Gateway. This new software closes the loop between the plant floor and plant/corporate maintenance systems by using real-time production data, events and information to drive maintenance. With bidirectional communication between production and maintenance systems, companies can improve asset reliability to reduce equipment failure rates and increase uptime.

10/4/2008

'Next Generation in Automation Software' - ICONICS has released its new 64-bit-based, OPC-integrated, Web-enabled HMI/SCADA suite, GENESIS64™. The suite includes several modular solutions that simplify connectivity from the plant floor to corporate business systems. Designed from the ground up to take maximum advantage of Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, .NET and SharePoint(R) technology, it allows plant operators and IT professionals to integrate real-time manufacturing and business information into a common, Web-enabled visualization dashboard.

New and innovative interactive website - Hanwell Instruments has launched its new and innovative interactive website. Along with comprehensive details on the company's extensive range of equipment for industrial monitoring and control, the new site also leads customers through how the products can be integrated to provide a complete data acquisition solution. By a simple mouse-click, engineers can choose products for integration into either a network or standlaone system.

Enhanced visibility and traceability to product manufacturing - Aegis Software announced at Apex 2008 earlier this month, the release of their completely redesigned Version 7.0 Manufacturing Operations System (MOS) Software. The result of a decade of experience delivering MOS technology for assembly-based manufacturing, V7 advances manufacturing information systems to an unprecedented level, and addresses the growing need in high-reliability markets for comprehensive data visibility and product/process traceability.
Thaey also hope to exhibit at National Electronics Week (London GB) in June.

High-density industrial digital I/O for USB - National Instruments has announced the NI USB-6509, a bus-powered, portable, USB digital I/O device for acquiring data in a broad range of applications. With 96 bi-directional digital I/O channels and plug-and-play USB connectivity, the device is ideal for industrial control and automated test applications yet versatile enough for general-purpose data acquisition and academic applications. The USB-6509 delivers, to a portable USB form factor, an industrial feature set of four high-reliability features for industrial or harsh applications previously available only in PCI and PXI systems.

Level, flow and interface with one single device suited for SIP/CIP applications - The hygienic Thermatel® TD2 switches from Magnetrol International offer level, flow and interface capability in one single device. By setting up the switch differently, the unit can detect level in highly viscous liquids, detect variable or flow/no flow conditions of liquids - gases or detect one liquid layer over another (interface).

New distributors wanted for machine monitors! - As a result of an increase in recent sales opportunities, damage deterrent specialists, Lamerholm is looking to expand the distributor network for its range of equipment monitors. Companies with experience in sales or maintenance of factory vehicles, particularly forklift trucks, are being offered the opportunity to increase their current portfolio of products, with special price incentives available.

Acqisition adds tunable diode laser spectroscopy to range - Yokogawa Electric Corporation has acquired Analytical Specialties, Inc. (ASI), a company with a unique gas analyser technology. With this acquisition, the company is adding the TruePeak tunable diode laser gas analysers to its analyser lineup and strengthening its ability to deliver comprehensive solutions in the industrial automation market.

Wireless EEG system self-powered by body heat and light In the framework of Holst Centre, IMEC has developed a battery-free wireless 2-channel EEG* system powered by a hybrid power supply using body heat and ambient light. The hybrid power supply combines a thermoelectric generator that uses the heat dissipated from a person's temples and silicon photovoltaic cells. The entire system is wearable and integrated into a device resembling headphones. The system can provide more than 1mW on average indoor, which is more than enough for the targeted application.

Custom-made fittings to meet users' exact needs - Brennan Industries has the capability to manufacture custom designed fittings, solving users' unique design problems where standard fittings are not feasible. OEM designers simply provide Brennan specs of the desired custom fitting. Per the customer's concept or request, they can provide a drawing, prototype or production run of the unique fittingand also manufacture one custom fitting if only one is needed.

A new generation of cellular modems! - Sixnet and BlueTree Wireless Data integrate their respective technology to bring you a new generation of rugged cellular data modems targeting the Telemetry, SCADA, Business Continuity and Mobile Data markets. Committed to developing products to fulfill market demand, the BlueTree 6000 series modems have been designed to meet the needs of the specific cellular data applications in which they serve. Each modem has application specific functionality enabling SIXNET customers the most appropriate cellular modem for their specific application requirements.

Publications' publication! - ISA - the automation society has just updated their comprehensive Books and Standards Catalogue. Members and customers have access to the latest titles along with updated editions of several existing titles online or they can download the catalogue in pdf format from tha page.

Process technology assets acquired - GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms has signed an agreement for GE Fanuc to acquire the assets of the MTL Open Systems Technology (MOST) product lines including the MTL8000 general purpose I/O, intrinsically safe I/O, SafetyNet system, and process control technologies.

Combatting OEM intellectual property theft - Eurotherm has introduced an advanced security feature for their 3500 and Mini 8 controllers that prevents the unauthorised cloning of control configurations to protect the intellectual property rights of their original equipment manufacturer (OEM) customers and value added distributors. OEM security has successfully protected the 2600 and 2700 series of Eurotherm controllers for several years but there are still a lot of unprotected units in operation that are vulnerable to cloning.

The INEOS ChlorVinyls use of fieldbus at Runcorn - Processingtalk brings us an exclusive account this week of the project description presented by Paul Young, Automation Improvement Manager, describing the implementation and results of applying these new technologies in this €300 million improvement project, probably the first major fieldbus project in Britain, as presented to the recent Fieldbus Foundation general assembly and user meeting in Antwerp (B).
More on this and other fieldbus news on our Fieldbus News Page

Global multicore programming workshop - National Instruments has announced an initiative sponsored by Intel Corporation to deliver free, hands-on multicore programming workshops based on the NI LabVIEW graphical programming language to engineers and scientists around the globe. The Multicore Programming with NI LabVIEW Hands-On Workshop will be presented in 18 U.S. and Canadian cities beginning in May and 15 international cities this Autumn. The half-day workshop features perspectives from Intel on the industry transition from single-core to multicore systems, examines the current capabilities of multicore architectures including the latest Intel® Core™ microarchitecture and provides insight into the multicore technology roadmap from Intel.

8/4/2008

Enabling efficient root-cause analysis in real-time and keeping plants operating smoothly - Yokogawa and Pepperl+Fuchs announce the release of a new solution for managing the physical layer of FOUNDATION™ fieldbus H1. This is being released as one of the diagnostic solutions of Plant Resource Manager (PRM™) R3.02.

New international business development manager - The IMI Sensors division of PCB Piezotronics (PCB®) has announced the appointment of Doug Eberhart, a 25-year veteran of the industrial vibration monitoring market, as IMI Sensors International Sales Manager, overseeing the growth and development of new and existing sales channels.
PRM is a key component of Yokogawa's VigilantPlant® Asset Excellence initiative. PRM integrates and manages maintenance information, monitors online conditions, and records historical data of assets ranging from field devices to plant equipment.

Agreement on China, Taiwan and Hongkong representation - In order to satisfy the market needs and the increasing demand for test solutions in Asia, Fast Electronic Technology Ltd. announced today a distribution agreement with Digitaltest GmbH, a global leader in electronics testing and production solutions for electronics OEMs and contract manufacturers. The agreement was signed to create a new way of providing commercial and technical support to Digitaltest,s Chinese and Taiwanese customers and serve new clients in the area.

5/4/2008

An introduction to the LXI standard - Pickering Interfaces has published the second edition of its successful publication LXImate. The LXImate 130 page book provides an easy to read description of the LXI Standard, product availability, and its evolution.
The LXI Standard is accepted as the natural replacement for GPIB, providing an interface that applies the power of the Web to test and measurement.

Election results - The General Assembly of the CAN in Automation (CiA) has re-elected its three directors: Arnulf Lockmann (Janz AG) as Business Director, Heinz-Juergen Oertel (Port) as Technical Director, and Holger Zeltwanger as Managing Director running the CiA office. The CAN (Controller Area Network) trade association with 526 members has had a successful business year. About 1000 engineers have been trained in CAN/CANopen technologies. And some additional CANopen specifications have been released (e. g. application profile for photovoltaic systems).

Fifth consecutive year certification - For the fifth consecutive year, Wonderware has achieved the Service Capability and Performance (SCP) certification. Their Technical Support Center team successfully completed the certification process, involving independent, rigorous measures of best practices in the services industry which represents a benchmark for support organisations around the globe. "The results of the 2007 assessment audit demonstrate that the Wonderware Technical Support Center is achieving an excellent level of performance relative to the stringent requirements defined in the SCP Support Standard," said Gordy Stauffer, SCP auditor for Service Strategies Corp.
Wonderware Ireland support the Instrumentation Signpost with a banner advert on our Home page

Explosion & Blast Pressure Sensors - Series 137A Quartz, free-field, ICP® blast pressure pencil probes from the Aerospace & Defense division of PCB Piezotronics (PCB®) are designed for a broad range of explosion, blast, and shock wave testing. Applications include measuring blast pressure in free-field or closed bunker arenas to obtain peak pressure, total impulse, shock wave and time-of-arrival measurements often used to study blast effects on structures, vehicles, and humans.

Latest version of supervisory control systen launched - GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms has announced the latest version of its industry-leading supervisory control solution, Proficy® HMI/SCADA - CIMPLICITY® 7.5, offering more diagnostic tools, security, development tools, connectivity and flexibility than ever before.

Torque transducer suits test and production applications - The Model QSFK-9 torque transducer from RDP Electronics is well suited to low volume testing in research and equally at home for setting or checking torque values in production. Typical applications include torsional fatigue and motor testing in research and development, or component testing and torsional tightening in production environments.

Space saving 2 phase input Din-rail DC power supply - PULS has launched its latest space-saving DIN-Rail mounted power supply. Part of the highly successful MiniLine series the new ML100.200 is designed for phase-to-phase operation at 380-480VAC with no neutral. Taking power between two phases reduces terminal space and costs associated with wiring, fuses and installation time.

3/4/2008

Industry environment and chemistry showcase - Planned from 20th to 23rd November, WORLD CIA 2008 is the showcase dedicated to chemistry, industrial applications products and technologies for the environment this year moves at the outside of Italian borders, to the new exclusive multi-functional center Montecarlo's Grimaldi Forum. World CIA 2008 intends to support chemistry up against new challengers of the global market, giving a comprehensive sight on the new products and innovations in the manufacturing industry.

The updated Foundation Fieldbus, 2nd Edition, features a wealth of background information, tips, tricks, and items to note when designing, installing, maintaining or troubleshooting a FOUNDATION™ Fieldbus system. FOUNDATION FIELDBUS, 2ND EDITION;Ian Verhappen and Augusto Pereira ISA; ISBN 978-1-55617-964-8

Extended range fluid compensation flowmeter interface - COX Instruments, a leading supplier of high-accuracy liquid and gas flow measurement solutions, has introduced the COX 4080 extended range fluid compensation flowmeter interface. This integral flow computer provides total flow compensation to enhance flowmeter accuracy, while extending the linear flow range.

April newsletter published - April Issue of MeasurIT Technologies, who recently changed address, talks about laser level & positioning with interesting and easy to understand explanations.
MeasurIT Technology support the Signpost with advertising on the Home Page

Enhancing engineering and scientific education and research - National Instruments in Ireland and Britain recently stepped up its focus on academia, deploying additional dedicated resources to work directly with academic institutions alongside its existing office and field-based engineers. This move supports the longstanding strategic commitment NI has made globally to enhancing engineering and scientific education and research projects through the use of virtual instrumentation, graphical system design and LabVIEW.

High-density cable management system - AMP NETCONNECT has developed the Hi-D (High-Density) cable management system for data centres. This new system can increase patch densities by, on average, 30% with improved cable management and access compared to traditional techniques

Asset lifecycle management forum - ARC Advisory Group will host its first annual Asset Lifecycle Management (ALM) Forum, October 13-15, 2008 in Houston (TX US). This event will bring together stakeholders and sup-pliers to discuss how better Asset Information Management (AIM) can help them optimize performance in every asset lifecycle stage. Companies will learn how AIM impacts asset performance while networking with others to discuss common issues.

Speaking at Air analysis event - Dominic Duggan of Quantitech will be among the guest speakers at an air analysis conference and exhibition taking place at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in Middlesex (GB). 'Air Analysis - out of the laboratory and into the field' is a joint event arranged by the NPL, the Royal Society of Chemistry - Automation and Analytical Management Group and the Gas Analysis and Sensing Group. Dominic will be discussing the application of a new portable FTIR system at the event which is being held on Thursday, May 15th.

DC-DC converter quiets the competition with its low noise - Enpirion has announced the availability of a new 600 mA synchronous buck converter with an integrated inductor, delivering extremely low output ripple in a tiny 3mm x 3mm x 1.1mm QFN package. The complete solution requires only 2 tiny MLCC capacitors for a solution footprint of only 22 sq mm. Their low noise devices are critical for today's RF, analog, and high-speed digital applications where switcher noise can limit data throughput and cause failure in spectral compliance.

The elephant in the Room and other stories! - There are two interesting Wireless Stories in this issue of Walt Boyes Control.com e-news. They should be read by all who are getting involved in this exciting new technology in manufacturing and process plants. What exactly is the Wireless Eleephant in the room? And Which Way Wireless? are the important questions asked!

Fittings for ferrule connections - Diba Industries has expanded its line of Click-N-Seal#a connection fittings to suit a wider range of fluid connection types. Previously only available for flared connections, Click-N-Seal now comes in a Ferrule line to prevent over-tightening of these fittings in Scientific and IVD instruments. Designed for Bio-Chem Fluidics, Omnifit Gripper, Type S and inverted cone ferrules, the reusable fittings provide objective feedback to prevent excess torque.

1/4/2008

New member for Federation - The Microsoft Manufacturing User Group (MsMUG), formerly a part of OMAC, is moving to a working group under the Automation Federation so that the group can better support the needs of the industry as a horizontal thread across disciplines.

Major power contract in Saudi Arabia - Invensys Process Systems has won a substantial contract from the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) to provide plant performance and monitoring solutions for use on one of the country's most critical power plants. The PP8 plant is based in Central Province and is one of two power stations that supply capital city Riyadh with its electricity needs.

High speed industrial routers connect remote sites securely - Westermo Data Communications has released two high speed industrial routers based on the fastest communications standards currently available to support remote telemetry and industrial control systems applications. The MR-250 is a HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) router. HSDPA is the latest 3G mobile telephony communications protocol that enables download speeds of up to 1.8Mbit/s. Where HSDPA is not yet available the MR-250 will automatically fall back to 3G (UMTS) EDGE or GPRS to ensure it uses the fastest available communication. And the DR-250 router is based on the ADSL2/2+ platform, supporting the fastest broadband speeds available to give high speed access to remote sites over an existing analogue telephone connection, at speeds of up to 24 Mbit/s.

Unprecedented speed and processing performance key to high-end control applications - GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms has announced the availability of its new PACSystems RX3i CPU320, which incorporates the Intel 1 GHz processor to provide unprecedented speed and performance. The CPU320 is ideal for applications where the processing power of the current controller has been pushed to the limit. In addition to the increased performance, the CPU320 has 64Mbytes of user memory available.

Hygienic, replaceable process connections - With the CombiConnect system, Baumer's product segment Process Instrumentation offers a series of hygienic, replaceable connections allowing high flexibility and reducing the stock at the same time.