Wireless and Ethernet data acquisition platform expanded - National Instruments has announced six new wireless and Ethernet data acquisition modules and two ingress protection (IP) enclosures for remote monitoring and control in harsh environments. The new modules combine high-voltage digital I/O and IEEE 802.11b/g (Wi-Fi) or Ethernet communication to remotely monitor and control actuators such as pumps, valves and relays. Engineers and scientists can use these and other NI Wi-Fi or Ethernet devices with the NI 9921 and NI 9922 IP enclosures to protect their equipment from dust particles and splashing water or rain in outdoor or industrial environments.

New business unit combines design, devedlopment and testing capabilities - Three prominent technology design, development and testing businesses, ERA Technology, Culham Lightning and Vector Fields have been brought together under the new name of Cobham Technical Services - as part of a group wide rebranding programme by FTSE 100 parent company Cobham plc.

Substantial increase in orders forseen in European nuclear market - The number of aging power plants in Europe has given rise to an increasing need for the construction of new plants. An estimated 300GW of capacity needs to be added in Europe by 2020. Additionally, the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), emissions regulations will tighten in 2013 as it enters Phase III. Facing these circumstances, nuclear power surfaces as an attractive option in carbon-constrained Europe, and it is expected that nuclear energy will be back on the agenda for many countries which have been quite reluctant to this generating option.

After years of stagnation, Finland got the ball rolling in 2005 when the construction of its third unit at Olkiluoto site began. It was the first new facility in Western Europe after a 15 year hiatus. Likewise, France is constructing its new Flamanville 3 reactor and is planning to add new units. In December 2008, Slovak authorities resumed construction of two units at Mochovce site and Bulgaria has started constructing at the Belene site. Sweden is overturning a 30 year ban on the construction of new nuclear power plants. Italy has decided to reintroduce nuclear power into its energy mix after its complete phase-out of nuclear energy resulting from a 1987 referendum. The country hopes to begin construction of its first nuclear plant by 2013. Moreover, the Britain, Romania, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland and Latvia, have all announced nuclear construction plans Frost & Sullivan

Mew website for its innovative multiple display technology - Not strictly automation, but we liked it! Village Tronic, one of the leading pioneers of multi-display solutions, has launched a new website at that is dedicated to its innovative, high quality ViBook multi-monitor solutions. Up to six displays can be driven by one Windows based computer and up to four for a Mac OS one. This gives a huge amount of screen area that can significantly increase productivity as many different programs can be open and visible at the same time without having to open and close pane. Each display is driven by an ultra compact ViBook that plugs into the DVI socket of the display and the other end of the cable goes to the USB port of the desktop or notebook. Village Tronic's special multi-display software enables users to surround themselves with an extended desktop of independent applications each running on their own dedicated screen or one huge desktop spanning across several screens.

This week Control reports live from ABB Automation and Power World 2009 - They are using blogs and twitter to keep automation professionals informed.

Innovative new Modbus interface tool simplifies Modbus programming and commissioning of Coriolis meters - Emerson Process Management now offers a complimentary, innovative new support utility for all Micro Motion(R) customers who use Modbus protocol to interact with their Coriolis meters. The Modbus Interface Tool is a PC-based data delivery system that replaces more than fifty pages of Modbus register data in tabular form with a simple point-and-click spreadsheet presentation.

Introduces two new PXI chassis - Pickering Interfaces is expanding its range of PXI chassis with the introduction of two new high performance PXI chassis. The 40-922 and the 40-923 are 8 and 19 slot PXI chassis with high cooling capacity and advanced user features. Each chassis includes support for a 3 slot embedded controller or PCI to PXI interface. Careful attention to the design has resulted in a high cooling capacity while maintaining low acoustic noise through the use of temperature controlled variable speed fans.

Acquisition expands power quality expertise - Schaffner has increased its expertise in the increasingly important Power Quality market by the acquisition of Betec-Engineering. , Betec-Engineering are specialists in the development and distribution of the market leading range of Bluewave™ active harmonic filters and currently have a turnover of approximately €2 million.

Video Presentation!

High-density connector module with rapid assembly technology - The new HanR EE Quick LockR module from Harting integrates the company's patented Quick LockR rapid assembly technology into the high-density HanR EE module from the Han-ModularR family of industrial connectors.

Innovative options in drinking water monitoring - Intellitect has just launched two important new options for the Intellisondes™. The in-pipe drinking water monitoring sondes can now be supplied with tiny Fluoride and/or Ammonium sensors. Both of these parameters are extremely important in water quality and with the ability (for the first time) to view water quality real-time at the point of delivery it is now possible to manage treatment processes more effectively and to deliver greater confidence in tap water quality.

Wireless Tx enables more temperature measurements for use in monitoring and maintaining assets - Emerson Process Management announces the expansion of its Smart Wireless solutions with the introduction of the Rosemount® 848T wireless temperature transmitter for high density temperature measurement. The 848T's four-channel efficiency adds to installation cost-savings of Smart Wireless technology to dramatically reduce per point costs and thereby deliver more measurement data for use in improving operations and maintenance.

New features reduce cost, increase flexibility and accelerate development - GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms has announced the latest version of its powerful Proficy® HMI/SCADA CIMPLICITY® control and visualization product. CIMPLICITY 8.0 delivers a new user experience to drive lower total cost of ownership (TCO), increased productivity, and ease of use for developers. "This powerful software solution goes beyond superior advanced control and visualization with powerful analytics for enhanced decision-making, enabling a sustainable advantage in today's challenging business environment," according to the company>

Smart wireless technology enables online filter monitoring to avoid downtime - Emerson Process Management's Smart Wireless technology is enabling INEOS to monitor filters within polyethylene pellet transportation tubes. Blockages to the filters can lead to production downtime at its plant in Kö (D). The polyethylene pellets are "blown" through the transportation tubes using compressed air. The in-coming air is filtered to prevent any pollution of final product. The filters become blocked over time and lose their efficiency, which in turn affects the quality of the end product.

ISA Handbook of Measurement Equations and Tables, 2nd Edition This handbook will keep you current in your field with many new tables and equations added to all the previous editions' chapters on units of measurement, pressure, flow, temperature, level, humidity, electrical, and viscosity measurements.

Humidity transmitter for hazardous areas - Testo now offers a humidity transmitter for hazradous areas. The new Testo 6682 humidity transmitter for Ex applications meets the most stringent requirements for process monitoring in industries including pharmaceutical, chemical and process technology. The Testo 6682 humidity transmitter is intended for protection class ATEX II 2 (1) G Ex ia [ia] IIC T4, the digital testo 6616 humidity probe for protection class ATEX II 1/2 G Ex ia IIC T4/T3.
See also our Safety Page

Maximising asset investment and minimisinge downtime - Rockwell Automation has introduced FactoryTalk AssetCentre Machine Edition, a software tool designed to help smaller manufacturers and machine builders with a limited number of automation assets maximize their automation investment and minimize downtime. Enabled by FactoryTalk Services, FactoryTalk AssetCentre Machine Edition provides manufacturers with a centralized tool for gathering, managing and securing data on up to 25 devices, such as control systems, drives and human-machine interface devices, using a single workstation.

Latest development kit to simplify custom module design - National Instruments has announced the latest version of a module development kit that further simplifies the process for users, OEMs and system integrators to design custom C Series modules for NI CompactRIO and add-on boards for NI Single-Board RIO. With the NI cRIO-9951 Module Development Kit (MDK), customers and third-party resellers can design custom solutions for industrial and embedded applications based on common NI reconfigurable I/O (RIO) architectures and in small form factors. The cRIO-9951 MDK also works with NI LabVIEW 8.6 and includes updated electrical design requirements documentation.

Test system plays key role in ensuring device interoperability of wired and wireless devices - The new HART® Test System recently released by the HART Communication Foundation plays a key role in ensuring device interoperability of both wired and wireless HART-enabled devices. The system automates device testing and verifies compliance to all revisions of the HART Protocol standard.

New throttle position sensor in hollow- and D-shaft versions features Hall Effect technology for applications in harsh environments - Vishay Intertechnology has a new throttle position sensor in hollow- and D-shaft versions that features Hall effect technology for applications in harsh environments.

Coriolis meters now available in more ranges - Five months after the introduction of the first two-wire Micro Motion® Coriolis meters, Emerson Process Management announces an expansion of Coriolis line sizes now available with this new technology. Designed specifically for loop-powered applications, the Micro Motion 2200S transmitter is now available on ELITE® Coriolis meters for line sizes ranging from 3mm to 150mm.
See EPM's technology demo: Micro Motion 2-Wire Coriolis Transmitter

Job hunting in a tough economy Are You Ready to Re-Enter the Automation Job Pool and Compete with Other Professionals Just as Qualified as You? Here Are Things You Can Do to Stand Out from the Crowd. This article in March's "Control" may help.

Free data distribution service - Real-Time Innovations (RTI) has just announced that their Data Distribution Service will now be without cost for most Independent Research and Development (IR&D), Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and university projects. This makes DDS technology accessible to many projects that cannot acquire commercial software or accept the effort and risk inherent in using immature or unsupported open-source options.

New strategy for cooking stations - ControlSoft's Application Note 321, a report on a solution for temperature control on continuous cooking stations, is now available to engineers and operations people involved with such processes in the food and beverage industry. This paper, available free to download "Advanced Process Controllers Improve Temperature Control for Cooking Stations," explains how this real-world project was initiated when a major food processor had problems with the heating control on a cooking station using two Scraped Surface Heat Exchangers (SSHE) in a continuous process.

PLC foils smash and grab raiders - Bank robbers are being thwarted by a simple application of industrial control technology. A small PLC (programmable logic controller) and display screen from Mitsubishi Electric are making unauthorised access to the cash held in ATMs virtually impossible.
Essentially the PLC, a Mitsubishi FX3, is firing a number of solenoids and reed switches to secure or release the mechanical barriers. If anything is done out of sequence, the PLC locks out and won't permit access. It works with a GTO 10 display screen, which issues security instructions and requests a series of PIN numbers and passwords. Typically no one person knows all of the secure information, which is changed frequently and has to be confirmed from off-site senior managers.

Bigger Footprint in Asia-Pacific Region - Werum Software & Systems, provider of Manufacturing Execution Systems for the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, is further strengthening its business footprint in the Asia-Pacific region.

Procurement of replacement parts for customers now board responsibility - As of now, Mr Rudolf Neumann will manage the purchase of replacement parts at AdoptSMT in Salzburg (A). He is widely known throughout the SMT industry as the driving force behind the expansion of operations of based Intec Automation, a supplier of replacement parts, feeders, accessories and consumables for electronics production.

Bimetal thermometer has steady pointer - The bimetal thermometer TBHI offered by Baumer's product segment Process Instrumentation has a steady pointer due to its guided wire. It is now available also with an optional damping liquid avoiding additionally vibrations. The robust measuring device made of stainless steel is suitable especially for heavy duty applications. This every angle version can measure temperature ranges from -70°C up to 600°C. It corresponds to the protection class IP 68.

Robotics acadamy management team confirmed - Based at the Hannover Exhibition Centre (D), the newly established "Robotation Academy" provides advice and support in introducing robots and expanding automated manufacturing processes. The academy for robotics and automation is the first of its kind in the world and represents a joint initiative between Deutsche Messe and Volkswagen Coaching GmbH.
HANNOVER MESSE 2009, 20 to 24 April

High speed carpet sample machine uses industrial Ethernet for real-time multi-axis motion control - Modra Technology, the specialist manufacturer of carpet sample machines, has chosen to base the motion control system for its innovative Mtuft range of machines on Powerlink technology from Baldor. By using this deterministic networking technology for real-time multi-axis synchronization, Mtuft machines set a new industry standard for speed, accuracy and flexibility. They can produce a new tufted carpet sample in just 20 minutes, including setup time - a task which takes at least a day on conventional carpet sample machines or on production machines.

7 in 1 USB test unit - The Circuitgear CGR-101 from Audon Electronics is a PC-based instrument that provides the features of seven devices in one USB-powered compact box. The device offers the performance of a two-channel 10-bit 20MSa/sec 2MHz oscilloscope, a two-channel spectrum-analyser, and a 3MHz 8-bit arbitrary-waveform/standard-function generator with eight digital I/O lines. It also functions as a network analyser, a noise generator and a PWM output source. Its open-source software runs with Windows, Linux and Mac OS.

Wireless communication for sensors and actuators in factory automation - PI (PROFIBUS & PROFINET International) has defined the upcoming work for wireless coupling of sensors and actuators in factory automation. Based on preliminary investigations, PI has decided to use radio technology compliant with IEEE 802.15.1 for manufacturing automation.
More on our Fieldbus News page

Fiscal metering solution to deliver optimum control for oil and gas custody transfer - Emerson Process Management has introduced the new DanPac™ process acquisition controller system for use with Daniel(R) oil and gas fiscal flow metering systems engineered and supplied by Emerson. The DanPac single software platform taps the intelligence of field devices, delivering predictive and diagnostic information for a more robust and precise control. The open-standards DanPac has built-in redundancy and comes with completely pre-configured control hardware and standardized components for faster implementation, reduced cost of ownership and increased serviceability via Daniel global life-cycle support capabilities.

Show to thwart gloom and doom? - With visitor pre-registration increasing daily, this month's Advanced Manufacturing UK engineering extravaganza at the Birmingham NEC (March 25 & 26) is on course to defy the 'experts' who predicted tough times for trade shows in the current economic climate. It features more than 320 exhibitors and a comprehensive series of unmissable education programmes, and Mark Temple-Smith Event Director at organisers Canon Communications, tell us that the message from the UK high-tech manufacturing sector is clear: "Companies that adopt advanced manufacturing technologies are undoubtedly better positioned to withstand a financial slowdown."
Advanced Manufacturing UK 2009, being held at the Birmingham NEC on 25 & 26 March 2009, incorporates these co-located manufacturing-focused events: MEDTEC UK medical device manufacturing technolgies; Mtec Sensors, Measurement & Instrumentation; Machine Building & Automation; VTX Vision Technology Exhibition; 3C Contamination Control & Cleanroom Products; Practical Vacuum & Surfacts UK; and the new Green Manufacturing Zone and Conference.
Signpost's Eoin Ó Riain will be visiting and will be reporting on the show next week, see our preview.

New OPC HDA test tool - MatrikonOPC™ has a new test tool for OPC HDA. HDA Explorer is a free stand-alone tool for verifying historical data through HDA, testing HDA OPC Servers, and troubleshooting connectivity to HDA OPC Servers."In the past, the only way our customers could view and test HDA data was to use full blown analysis tools. This utility enables our customers to test and troubleshoot their historical data much faster and easier than before. HDA Explorer can be installed and viewing HDA data within minutes," said Seán Leonard, VP OPC products at Matrikon.

Limited time discounts available until May 31, 2009! - Keithley Instruments is offering a 20% discount off the list price on a range of world-class Test & Measurement instruments to its European customers. The offer is available for a limited period of time, starting with immediate effect and ending on May 31, 2009. The offer includes the following products:
A range of 6PI-Digit-USB/IEEE-488/Ethernet DMMs with optional switching capabilities
General-purpose and high-voltage sourcing & measurement instruments
Handheld RF power meter
Electrometer/high resistance meter

Access control switch range - The new generation of ITW ActiveMetal' switches from Abacus Switch offers solid-state electronics, diagnostic and real-time feedback, washable/submersible performance, and a limited lifetime product warranty. Also new is a choice of clear, blue, and black anodized finishes, to provide an appearance unmatched by any other active switch. Other features range from a choice of three output options (matrix, RS-232, or Wiegand) to electrical box / panel / under-panel mounting, auxiliary output control for camera or lighting activation, and two customer controlled LEDs.

High power light pulse generator with polarisation maintaining fibre - Berkeley Nucleonics Corporation (BNC) tells us about the latest developments in precise light pulse generation. "Our Model 6040 with optical plug-ins from 650nm - 1580nm, now includes the option for Polarization Maintaining (PM) fibre Outputs." PM fibre is a technique used by the source laser manufacturers and the interconnecting fibre manufactures to optimize the optical throughput of the entire system. The fibre axis is aligned according to various keys and results in improved optical integrity, reductions in loss of optical power (measured in joules or milliwatts) and support of a single polarization state.

Launch of new instrument hire catalogue marks re-branding! - Rebranding during a recession is not top of most companies' list of priorities. However, Ashtead Technology is thriving in the current market conditions and will next month be launching a new catalogue encompassing their new brand to emphasise the company's key areas of expertise. The new catalogue features all of the latest technologies for remote visual inspection, environmental monitoring and non-destructive testing with applications in almost every industry...

Pressure's on but still rising! - Driven by a stronger emphasis on plant asset management (PAM) and safety applications, the worldwide market for Pressure Transmitters is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.3% over the next five years. The market was $2.38 billion in 2008 and is forecasted to be approximately $2.798 billion in 2013, according to a new ARC Advisory Group study. However analyst Joe Gillespie, the principal author of ARC's warns "Pressure Transmitter Worldwide Outlook" warns "Going forward, the market is not expected to sustain its current level of growth. The looming economic recession will adversely impact the market in the near term, extenuating the factors that have been responsible for recent above average growth rates."

Design for testability (DFT) and for built-in self test (BIST) - The economy is in bad shape, and many test professionals are suffering. DFT and BIST are intended to make test more economical, but it is recognised that it is difficult to come up with the money these days. A.T.E. Solutions want to provide some extra help to the two categories most affected by the times:

Engineers who recently lost their jobs People who will have to fly to get to New York

Design & Supply Services to OEMs with new presentation folder - Rotalink has launched a new presentation folder to support its specialist 'centre of excellence' Design & Supply Services to OEMs. This folder is aimed at explaining potential for reduced cost of ownership for integrated designs of motion and positioning controls

Crimp connector for high-voltage rail applications - Harting has extended its Han® HC 650 range of heavy-duty connectors with a new crimp version that can accommodate cables of up to 240 mm" cross-section.

New Features To Reduce Cost, Increase Flexibility and Accelerate Development - GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms has announced the latest version of its powerful Proficy® HMI/SCADA CIMPLICITY® control and visualization product. CIMPLICITY 8.0 delivers a new user experience to drive lower total cost of ownership (TCO), increased productivity, and ease of use for developers.

Enhancements to circuit design software offers enhanced functionality and new third-party vendor tools - National Instruments has announced new enhancements to the Multisim and Ultiboard printed circuit board (PCB) design experience, including the release of the Multisim and Ultiboard 10.1.1 software packages. The latest versions of the software deliver functional enrichments, such as several enhancements to user interface functionality including improved database synchronisation, added temperature simulation parameter support and more than 300 new components from leading third-party manufacturers. These new resources help those new to circuit design with National Instruments tools quickly begin prototyping with improved accuracy.

Helping bring first next-generation U.S. biofuels plant into commercial production - Second-generation biofuels company Range Fuels has formed a strategic relationship with Emerson Process Management to help bring online the first commercial cellulosic biofuels plant in the United States. They selected Emerson as its main automation contractor for the new Soperton (Ga US) plant, which will use non-edible biomass such as timber and wood waste generated by nearby forest industry operations to produce more than 100 million gallons of ethanol and methanol annually.

Analyser revolutionises on-site detection of power-losses - Outram Research has revolutionised the way in which global power-loss trouble-shooter, PQE Ltd, takes on-site measurements which enable commercial and industrial customers to reduce energy costs by identifying power losses in their electricity supply.

Online management portal for remote devices - IntelliCom have launched an online management portal for remote devices. Their NetBiter.net offers monitoring, control, trending and alarm management of your remote devices anywhere in the world, whenever you want. The service constantly monitors the health, readiness and geographical position of remote devices 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Enhancing SCADA, Scalability and User Productivity - Wonderware Ireland has released their System Platform 3.1 and InTouch 10.1, featuring distributed SCADA, scalability and user productivity enhancements to the Wonderware core software platform and flagship visualisation HMI offerings.

CANopen additional functions CAN in Automation (CiA) has released the CiA 302 specification series of CANopen additional functions. This set of specifications comprises descriptions of CANopen manager including Flying NMT (network management) master, SDO (service data object) manager, configuration manager, bus-line redundancy, and CANopen-to-CANopen gateways. The CiA 302 series version 4.1 substitutes the CiA 302 version 3.3 published 2003.
See our Fieldbus News pages

New air bearing stage provides higher throughput performance at nanometre precision - The new PlanarHD air bearing stage from Aerotech features several design enhancements for increased throughput in ultra-high precision step-and-settle and scanning applications such as semiconductor processing and emerging MEMS/Nano technologies. The 500 mm x 500 mm travel stage includes larger air bearing surfaces for significantly improved dynamic characteristics as well as higher power linear servo motors on both axes to deliver an impressive specification that includes a 2 m/sec scan velocity and peak acceleration to 5 g - with a positioning resolution of up to 0.25 nanometres, repeatability to 50 nanometres and accuracy to ± 300 nanometres.

VME board benefits from ultra-low power 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 processor - Concurrent Technologies introduces their first ultra-low power VME critical embedded single board computer based on an Intel® Atom processor with a power consumption of under 20W. The board uses the 1.6 GHz Intel® Atom™ processor N270 and the Intel® 945GSE Express chipset both from the Intel® embedded roadmap, ensuring long term availability.

A new security product for the commercial aviation industry - Ahura Scientific has announced at PITTCON 2009 the release of TruScreen™, a new security product for the commercial aviation industry. Designed to complement existing security measures, TruScreen rapidly and accurately screens for potential liquid explosives.

New Raman materials charactersation software - Also at Pittcon, Thermo Fisher Scientific launched the Thermo Scientific OMNIC Specta software for Raman applications. The software was developed to radically improve the quality and ease of gathering sample information contained in Raman spectral data. The new OMNIC(TM) Specta is a major innovation for Raman technology and brings the most dependable, clear and easy-to-understand results without challenging data preparation and interpretation.

Video monitoring helps in tough economic times - After layoffs, video monitoring can help by replacing missing workers with strategically-located cameras that report to the plant's HMI/SCADA system over the existing network, or via wireless. Steve Rubin of Longwatch, in his white paper Video Helps in a Tough Economy (pdf) says "Assuming the average worker has a fully-burdened annual cost of $80K, you could add about 20 cameras in the factory and still have money left over." A video system multiplies the number of eyes an operator has, without burdening the operator with much more work to do. Integrated into the existing network and the existing HMI, video provides a low-impact, high-value solution that delivers 'virtual operators' in a downsized environment." He explains that when plants have layoffs or shut down, much work remains to be done, often by a severely reduced workforce.