2009

New digital tilt indicators - Sherborne Sensors has launched the DTI series, a family of 5-digit, programmable digital panel meters, offering improved tilt measurement system versatility and performance.

Industrial Ethernet on the Plant Floor: A Planning and Installation Guide will show you how to achieve maximum network performance at minimal cost through effective and efficient component selection and deployment. It bridges the gap between the multitude of industrial Ethernet-based networks and the lack of installation guidance for the designer, planner, and installer. Industrial Ethernet on the Plant Floor: A Planning and Installation Guide; Robert Lounsbury; ISA Publications

Motor monitoring -

Split-Range Control PIDTutor has released a book covering all aspects of split-range control. The book, Mastering Split-Rang Control, is designed to help technicians and engineers to implement and troubleshoot split-range control applications.

North American launch of ultra low range precision load cells - Sherborne Sensors has announced the North American launch of their SS2/SS3 series, a family of ultra-low range precision load cells, designed for aerospace, automotive, medical, R&D and general industry applications where extremely low force measurements are required.

New EMI solution features best-in-class data analysis, presentation & reporting - Wonderware Ireland part of SolutionsPT Limited – has announced Wonderware® Intelligence Software 1.0 solution. This new, easy-to-use enterprise manufacturing intelligence (EMI) solution enables customers to contextualise, aggregate and report both historian and operational data using role-based dashboards, presenting key performance indicators (KPIs) and real-time operational business metrics that are used to monitor, tune and optimise operations and supply chains.

New distribution centre opens in Canada - Brennan Industries has opened a new distribution center in Canada allowing for faster and more cost-effective shipments to Canadian customers.

Wet/wet pressure differential transducers designed for high line pressure - For high line pressure applications where it is important to measure the differential pressure between two pressure ports, RDP Electronics has a specialist range of transducers.

Technology alliance - Invensys Operations Management has announced the formation of a global relationship with RWD, a world leader in developing and implementing programs for continuous improvement, advanced learning services and business transformation and change management. RWD will create training programs for Invensys Operations Management's operator training simulators (OTS) for clients in the hydrocarbon processing industries.

Improving packaging performance in 30 days - GE Intelligent Platforms has announced the availability of the Proficy® SmartStart Packaging Performance Solution™, a pre-built software and services solution that offers a low-risk, proven approach to packaging performance.

Plant of the year selected - The HART® Communication Foundation has selected the Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (Japan's largest chemical manufacturer) ethylene plant located in Kashima, (JP), as recipient of the 2009 HART Plant of the Year Award. The award is given annually to recognize the people, companies and plant sites around the globe that are using the advanced capabilities of HART Communication in real-time applications to improve operations, lower costs and increase availability.

1. Joe Alford, Joseph Alford LLC and formerly of Eli Lilly
2. John Gerry, Expertune Inc.
3. (tie) Willy Wojsznis, Emerson Process Management and Les Driskell, ValveConsultant
4. Yukata Wakasa, Yokogawa Electric Corporation.

New brochure for sealed tilt sensors - Penny + Giles, has announced a new STT Sealed Tilt Sensors brochure Complete with technical information, including a selection guide for ordering the various models and features, the free 12 page brochure is available in print and online.

Network cabling system provides high-performance communications at new financial data centre - An advanced network cabling system from the AMP NETCONNECT forms the heart of the internal communications system at a new data centre for Fidessa group plc, a major international supplier of financial markets trading solutions.

Transient capture and time-stamp module - VTI Instruments Corporation has introduced the EX1200-7416, a transient capture and time-stamp module that extends the capabilities of the EX1200 Series of configurable LXI Class A instruments. The new module supports a broad range of applications that require level comparison, event detection, and time stamping.

Remoote monitoring fleet - GE Intelligent Platforms has announced that GE Energy’s Performance & Reliability Centre (PRC) in Atlanta (GA US) has standardised on a remote monitoring and diagnostic platform that utilizes the company’s Proficy® Historian, Proficy SOA, Proficy Workflow and Proficy CIMPLICITY software.

Software adds new functionality to high-speed data-acquisition system - New software for the Yokogawa SL1000 high-speed data-acquisition system provides additional functionality including X-Y display and waveform accumulation capabilities.

Small threaded switching test probe - The new P221/G from Peak Test Services is a miniature threaded switching test probe with an extremely short mounting length of 24.5 mm, allowing it to be used with devices with pin spacings of 2.54 mm.

Low cost Ethernet starter kits - Harting has introduced low cost entry-level industrial Ethernet switch starter kits and patch cables. The Basic and Basic+ Ethernet kits and the new Cat 6 patch cables will be available at substantial discounts until next March.

Tradeshows delayed for a year! - Deutsche Messe, who organise the Hannver Fair among others, is postponing the industrial trade fairs CeMAT MIDDLE EAST, Industrial Automation (IA) MIDDLE EAST and Motion, Drive & Automation (MDA) MIDDLE EAST - all originally schedu­led to take place in February 2010 - until 2011.

Get in there and give your view on our discipline! - '“Our ISA” is a community of automation professionals discussing and debating the past, present, and future of the International Society of Automation. Anyone who has a point to make, a bone to pick, or a wrong to right can do it here.' So now you know!

New suite for WiMax delivers high-performance tools to reduce test time by up to 300% - National Instruments today introduced the NI Measurement Suite for Mobile WiMAX (IEEE 802.16e-2005), a software suite that engineers can use with modular RF instrumentation for automated testing of Mobile WiMAX devices. With this software suite, engineers can perform Mobile WiMAX component and device testing faster than with traditional instruments, and with better accuracy and greater flexibility.

Improving in-the-field decision making for operations workforce - Royal Dutch Shell’s Downstream Manufacturing Division has entered into a multi-year partnership with Invensys Operations Management. Shell will utilise Wonderware’s Mobile Collaboration Solutions mobile workforce and decision-support solution as one tool in the Ensure Safe Production (ESP) initiative at 29 of its global manufacturing facilities.

Solution to provide significant quality improvements, and scrap and waste reduction - GE Intelligent Platforms has announced that United Solar Ovonic (United Solar), a world leader in the manufacturing of flexible solar modules located in Rochester Hills, Michigan (US), has standardized on GE’s Proficy® software platform to reduce scrap, increase throughput and lower the cost of manufacturing thin-film photovoltaic laminates.

Print and/or video support guides for Chart Recorders and Data Loggers on Web - Dickson has announced web publication of online support guides—both in downloadable PDF formats and as videos on YouTube and the Dickson web site - to help its many thousands of worldwide customers to easily monitor temperature, humidity, pressure and other electronic signal “events” important to critical storage.

Quickly and efficiently debug hardware and software designs - Macraigor Systems has ported their proprietary On-Chip Debug Technology (OCDemon), GNU Tools Suite and Eclipse Ganymede/Galileo platform to the ARM Cortex-A8 processor. The Cortex-A8 is ARM’s first superscalar processor featuring technology for enhanced code density and performance, NEON technology for multimedia and signal processing, and Jazelle RCT (Runtime Compilation Target) technology for high performance, power-efficient mobile devices.

New European logistics centre - The opening of a new logistics centre at its Puchheim, Germany headquarters during 2009 allowed STEMMER IMAGING to greatly expand its facilities and provide customers with an even better level of service.

The new machinery directive - how to play safe! - Festo has introduced a one-day orientation course for machine builders struggling to interpret the latest requirements of the new Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC.

Exhibition report from Brazil - Brazil Automation ISA 2009, held Nov. 10-12 in São Paulo (BR), attracted approximately 11,000 visitors according to a report from Silvia Pereira in AutomationWorld. That was down slightly compared to last year, due to the economic crisis, but well in line with organizers' expectations. The annual event, organized and promoted by the ISA (International Society of Automation) District 4/South America, is Brazil’s largest technological solutions and innovations trade show for industrial automation.

Entry-level models series of digital indicating controllers - Yokogawa Electric Corporation announces the release of the UT35A (quarter DIN size) and the UT32A (one-eighth DIN size), two entry-level models in the UTAdvanced™ series of digital indicating controllers.

Accelerated deployment of Field Device Integration accepted - The HART® Communication Foundation announces its support of accelerating the deployment of the Field Device Integration (FDI) technology by enlarging the scope of the EDDL Cooperation Team into the new FDI Cooperation. It joins other industry leaders in recent expansion of EDDL Cooperation Team into new FDI Cooperation

Amicable split completed - GE and FANUC LTD have announced that the two companies have completed their agreement to dissolve the GE Fanuc Automation Corporation Joint Venture. This agreement reverts the respective portions of the joint venture back to the parent company and allows each company to focus on its existing businesses and pursue growth in its respective core industry of expertise.

Remote video monitoring system for utilities - Satel-West has announced its WIPAT Remote Patrol and Monitoring System for utilities such as electric power companies, oil and natural gas pipelines, and water & wastewater treatment plants. The system provides constant monitoring of remote utilities and public infrastructure without land-based vulnerabilities or reliance on telecommunications carriers.

High-bandwidth, low-latency fibre-optic remote controller - National Instruments has introduced a high-bandwidth fibre-optic remote controller for PXI Express-based automated test, measurement and control systems. The ew controller provides up to 838 MB/s data bandwidth at up to 100 metres between host PC and distributed PXI Express chassis

New boards elected - Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association (MESA) has elected a new Internationl Board and have also announced their new EMEA board.

Software for high accuracy recognition and metrology - LMI Technologies has released Version 4.1 of their HexSight software for high accuracy recognition and metrology. The new V4.1 HexSight Software adds further support for colour image processing and hardware acceleration and now supports Sony Intelligent Cameras.

Vortex meter test - A vortex flowmeter such as the Krohne OPTISWIRL 4070 C provides high accuracy at minimal investment cost. In order to check the characteristics of the OPTISWIRL when measuring natural gas, they had a production model tested under practical conditions at the pigsar testing facility in Dorsten (D).

Drift-free precision is now portable - The Optidew Transportable combines the drift-free performance of the chilled mirror principle with the convenience of a transportable instrument.

New version of software increases developer productivity & application reliability - National Instruments has announced the release of LabWindows/CVI 2009, the latest version of the ANSI C development environment for building reliable test and measurement solutions.

New linear actuator - Thomson has introduced the T130 ballscrew driven precision linear actuator now with a 50mm diameter screw for powerful actuation of static loads up to 80kN over stroke lengths of up to 2m.

Battery fault monitor - Linear Technology has announced the LTC®6801, a high voltage battery stack fault monitor that operates without a microprocessor, and without the need for optocouplers or isolators.

Optical spectrum analyser for measurements on LEDs and laser light sources - The new Yokogawa AQ6373 is an optical spectrum analyser designed to carry out measurements over the wavelength range from 350 to 1200 nm, including the visible light spectrum from 380 to 780 nm.

Safety white paper is interactive! - Moore Industries has released “Safety Instrumented Systems: The ‘Logic’ of Single Loop Logic Solvers,” a new digital interactive whitepaper. The whitepaper examines what the "new generation" of safety-certified Single Loop Logic Solvers can achieve, especially regarding IEC 61508, the standard developed by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).

All about automation is tribute to great man! - A Guide to the Automation Body of Knowledge 2nd Edition can truly be said to be the best and most comprehensive educational resource one can find. It features concise and relevant information on all the major topics of instrumentation, automation, and control, written by 35 of industry’s foremost experts.

Motor, drive and power transmission publication focuses on answers - A new edition of Baldor Electric's magazine for motor, drive and power transmission engineers and users - Solutions - is available for download

Collaboration to address new applications in industrial robotics - National Instruments and DENSO Robotics, have announced their collaboration to integrate NI measurement and vision technology with DENSO robotic arms. The collaboration increases productivity and performance in automated test, research and flexible manufacturing applications.

Wireless keeps the ink flowing! - Emerson Process Management’s Smart Wireless technology is helping Sun Chemical improve ink quality and collect additional data in compliance with its air permit classification at its Kankakee, (IL US), facility.

One of America's top system integrators - ESE has been recognized by Control Engineering as a 2010 Integrator of the Year Finalist.
Control Engineering's 4th annual System Integrator of the Year competition recognises the best integrators in the automation business and features them in the Automation Integrator Guide - December 2009 edition.

What do you get when you mix Bing Crosby, Good King Wenceslas, C++ programming, PLC and some CRS robot arms together?

Multi-axis motion controller executes G-code applications - TMC-3D, the Technosoft multi-axis motion controller, is now adapted to execute G-code commands. Today, a lot of industrial applications are defined with these types of motion.

A multitude of housing options - Rittal’s wide range of subracks, all branded under the Ripac banner, provide users with multiple options for housing printed circuit boards or plug-in modules in a 19” rack environment.

Complete, all-in-one solution for automation solutions - Festo has launched a powerful CoDeSys embedded controller for use with its renowned CPX series of multifunctional control terminals. The new CPX-CEC module provides machine builders with a technically elegant means of overseeing all the units in a CPX terminal – regardless of whether they are for pneumatic or electric drives, or I/O functions – using a fast, easy-to-program controller.

T&M equipment included in auction - GoIndustry Dovebid by order of the administrator of Qimonda the online auction of Wafer Inspection, Failure Analysis, Placement & Assembly, Life & Memory Test and Measurement Equipment is to take place 16th December.

Partners for communications - Kepware Technologies has been selected as a communications supplier for Acromag. Kepware will validate KEPServer for use with Acromag products, and will deliver these drivers to Kepware’s long list of OEMs and resellers.

Sample monitoring with unique vision system - RTS Life Science has launched its innovative Tube Auditor instrument. With units already on order from 3 of the top 10 pharma and a major US Biobank, the Tube Auditor features unique vision technology, allowing for fast and accurate volume measurement of samples, and is targeted at the Compound Management, High Throughput Screening and Bio-banking marketplace.

Hi - Bono - are you looking forward to performing here tonight?" - “Sir Kitt” robot interviewed the stars at the 2009 Brit Awards. LPRS was selected by robot designer Peter Reynolds to provide wireless communication to a robot that could interact with celebrities backstage at the 2009 Brit Awards, Europe's premier music show.

New switches provide joystick functionality - Foremost Electronics has introduced "the next step in control functionality." The Navimec™ switch concept from leading switch manufacturer MEC offers soft-touch joystick functionality making it possible to navigate up, down, left and right with the provision of a centre function that will typically be used as an enter key.

CANbus operator panels are rugged and stylish - Available now from Sensor-Technik UK, the OPUS A3 series of rugged and stylish CANbus operator panels manufactured by Wachendorff Elektronik offers new levels of value, versatility and style to designers of vehicle-mounted systems. There are three different models in the series, offering cost-effective solutions to a range of application requirements.

e-letters and web publications received during week ending 4th December 2009 Fieldbus Networks update Control Design e-news Control Engineering EME Control matters! Automation.net/InTech e-news Automation.com/Intech e-news PharmaManufacturing WebWatcher David W Sptizer's ezine Industrial Networking e-news HazardEx Process News The world of Valve Technology NrewsInsights Connections Monitor ControlGlobal e-news S&T e-Digest There are a number of newsletters we receive which are only available in pdf format or are not available in html as web pages. These may not be listed here!

New software delights users - Curvaceous has launched Visual Explorer 2.5 (CVE 2.5) – the fifth major release of its Geometric Process Control (GPC) software this century. CVE 2.5 is designed to use existing data to deliver significant process improvements in a wide range of process plants – from oil refineries to pharmaceutical and chemical sites.

Ethernet switch for explosive risk - To meet the requirements concerning industrial applications placed in explosive atmospheres, Pepperl+Fuchs has adopted the hardened Ethernet Switch developed by Amphenol, which complies with the ATEX Zone 2 regulations.

Positive fieldbus marketing achievements in EMEA - The Fieldbus Foundation, conducting a press briefing at the SPS/IPC/DRIVES exhibition in Nuremberg (D), reflected on its marketing achievements throughout the Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) region during 2008/2009.

Distributor of the year award - Farnell Europe has scooped the 'Distributor of the Year Award' at this year's European Electronics Industry Awards (Elektra) held in London (GB). National Instruments won the Embedded System Product Award and Rohde & Schwarz the Design and Test Product of the Year.

Quick ship flow products - Emerson Process Management has expanded the scope of its recently introduced Quick Ship service to include Micro Motion® Coriolis mass flow and density meters sensors and transmitters, and Rosemount® vortex and magnetic flowmeters. Launched in the spring of 2009, Quick Ship orders follow a different route through order processing and on to the manufacturing plant in order to meet the agreed delivery time.

ABB regroups - ABB is reorganizing its automation divisions to align their activities more closely with those of its customers. These changes will enable ABB to better tap growth opportunities in service, expand its presence in the discrete manufacturing sector and better respond to the increasing demand for energy efficient solutions.

New Power Recorder provides outstanding accuracy and quick set-up for troubleshooting hard-to-find power quality problems - Fluke, the global leader in handheld electronic test and measurement equipment, has introduced the Fluke 1750 Power Recorder, which is designed to provide users with long-term visibility into installation or distribution systems to address intermittent or hard-to-diagnose power quality issues.

Ixthus offers Hardy portable shakers - Ixthus Instrumentation now offers Hardy portable shakers from Metrix Instruments. Hardy shakers are designed to be used in the field or workshop to verify the performance of vibration transducers, connectors, cabling, instruments or permanently installed machine vibration condition monitoring systems.

Windows 7 Support for engineers and scientists - National Instruments has announced software and hardware compatibility with Windows 7, the latest operating system from Microsoft, to help engineers and scientists attain faster performance and higher throughput within their applications.

Control valve dynamics - Greg McMillan continues blogging about exceptional opportunities in process control. In the process industry, what a control loop eventually manipulates in nearly all applications is a flow via a final control element such as a control valve, damper, or variable speed prime mover (pump, fan, or compressor).

EPLAN Data Portal boosts project speed - Engineers need suitable component data that can be imported directly into a project. The web-based EPLAN Data Portal delivers around 100,000 pieces of the latest tested and certified component and device data from numerous component manufacturers - thereby giving users an extra productivity boost.

New catalogue cable extension position sensors - ASM has issued its new General Catalogue "POSIWIRE® - Cable Extension Position Sensors WS".

Analysers approved for MCHERTS & TÜV - Emerson Process Management has gained UK MCERTS approval for its Rosemount® Analytical X-STREAM® range of zirconium oxide in situ oxygen analysers. The analysers are used to measure the residual oxygen remaining in the flue gases from any combustion process.

New VP of sales for control company - ESE has just appointed Joe Trygar, an automation industry veteran, as Vice President of Sales for the company. Joe will be responsible for heading up national sales for the organization, and is chartered to drive growth for ESE's family of Q5 Near Infrared Analyzers (NIR) in the food processing markets.

Multi-residue analysis of pesticides in rice - Thermo Fisher Scientific has just announced a new method that enables rapid and accurate identification and quantification of pesticides in rice.

Two market leaders provide uncompromised, combined best-of-breed solution - Invensys Operations Management,has announced that its flagship Avantis.PRO™ enterprise asset management (EAM) software is now more tightly integrated with Microsoft Dynamics® AX™ enterprise resource planning (ERP) software.

Total control over start-up and energy saving - DIGISTART, the new electronic controller from LEROY-SOMER, part of Emerson Industrial Automation, for induction motors, integrates the latest technological changes including an optimised bypass function.

Interconnectivity available - HMS Industrial Networks in co-operation with Siemens AG, introduces the new plug-in 1SI CANopen extension module for the Siemens SIMATIC ET200S I/O system. This new module brings CANopen connectivity to the SIMATIC ET200S distributed I/O system, allowing seamless integration of CANopen devices into the Siemens automation architecture.

Training courses for first part of 2010 published - Wonderware Ireland & Uk have announced their training schedule and special offers. They are being held in their headquarters in Cheadle Hulme, near Manchester Airport in England.

Reorganisation heralded - Gary Mintchell tells us in his blog that ABB is reorganizing its automation divisions to "align their activities more closely with those of its customers." The company expects these changes to enable it to better tap growth opportunities in service, expand its presence in the discrete manufacturing sector and better respond to the increasing demand for energy efficient solutions.

Ultralow voltage 20mV step-up converter & power manager for energy harvesting applications - We are hearing more and more about energy harvesting as a means of powering units in remote, difficult to reach or in areas where cables are not acceptable or possible especially in wireless transmitter/sensors. Now Linear Technology has introduced the LTC3108, a highly integrated step-up DC/DC converter designed to start-up and run from extremely low input voltage sources such as thermoelectric generators (TEGs), thermopiles and small solar cells.

FPGA module with high-performance features - Pentek is introducing its 71620, a multichannel, high-speed data converter XMC module suitable for connection to HF or IF ports for communications, radar, telemetry and medical systems. This new module is the first member of Pentek's Cobalt(TM) family of products slated to employ Xilinx's new Virtex-6 family. With greater than two times more resources than previous Virtex generations, including new enhancements in digital signal processing, logic, and clocking technology, the Virtex-6 family delivers the industry's most advanced FPGA technology.