A level switch for all media -

Advantages & challenges of wireless applications - Experts will explore the advantages of and address concerns about wireless applications in industrial automation at ISA Automation Week.

SolutionsPT has appointed Kraig Appleton as a Solutions Architect.

Flex-block plinth has double appeal- Successfully introduced in 2012 in the 100 mm high version, Rittal's flex-block plinth is now available in a 200 mm high version, ex stock.

Novel twin channel CameraLink (PoCL) embedded vision computer - The EOS-4000 from Adlink and Stemmer is industry's first 2 channel PoCL (Power over CameraLink) ready-to-deploy embedded vision pc system.

Warrenty period extended - Recognising the need for reliable and durable displays, Fluidwell has pursued excellence in quality and reliability. To support this claim, the warranty period for displays has now been doubled to two years.

Cost optimised electro-mechanical joining module - The new NCFB electro-mechanical joining modules from Kistler Instruments have been value engineered to provide a cost effective solution to many assembly and joining processes.

Versatile servo technology for tomorrow's machine design - What tomorrow's machine design can look like and what part servo drive technology will play in it, will be the main focus of Kollmorgen's presentation at the SPS/IPC/Drives exhibition

Training contract for Kuwait Oil Company - Emerson's most comprehensive training programme to date is designed to help KOC enhance maintenance-engineering expertise.

Solutions for safe applications based on IEC 61508 - With IXXAT Safe, HMS offers a product family under the IXXAT brand for fast, cost-effective implementation of safe communications solutions in industrial automation devices.

Laith Marmash has joined Stemmer Imaging's British sales force.

Distributor appointed - OI Analytical (a Xylem brand!) has appointed Lab Solutions (previously Anaserv Ltd) as sole distributor for the company's Automated Chemistry Analyser (ACA) line in both Britain and Ireland.

Optimising metrological inspection process - A renowned jewel-bearing specialist uses Keyence's IM Series image dimension measurement system to improve the repeatability and rate of its test metrological equipment!

Truly handheld RF spectrum analysers! - Aim-TTi have launched a new series of handheld RF spectrum analysers, the PSA Series II. Available in 1.3GHz and 2.7GHz versions, the new instruments are smaller, lighter and have longer battery life than other handheld RF products.

FPC/FFC connector offers fast, reliable assembly - An FPC/FFC connector featuring a new rotary backlock mechanism for quick, reliable cable insertion, conforming to an industry accepted footprint has been announced by Omron.

USB plug and play - National Instruments has four new R Series boards (USB-7855R, USB-7856R, USB-7855R OEM and USB-7856R OEM) with USB connectivity, which help engineers add FPGA technology to any PC-based system using one of the most widely adopted buses on the market.

System software for solder paste inspection with optimised 3D Calculation - Goepel electronic's 3D Solder Paste Inspection (SPI) system OptiCon SPI-Line 3D is already one of the fastest SPI systems and captivates with its extraordinary measuring accuracy at productronica.

Protecting America's infrastructure! - The Automation Federation and the Alabama Technology Network will sponsor an informative, free seminar on 21 February 2014 in Birmingham, Alabama, USA to examine the details surrounding the implementation of America’s Cybersecurity Framework.

ISA100 Wireless module with built-in antenna! -

Updated solution improves tracking and managing software and licenses - A new version of Wonderware Software Asset Manager, which automatically locates and inventories Wonderware licenses has been issued.

Connector manufacturer doubles order book! - RF and Waterproof connector manufacturer Intelliconnect has doubled its order book in the year to August 2013 compared to the previous 12 months.

Enabling instrumentation monitoring over the web - Mantracourt have announced the latest version of their T24LOG100 instrumentation monitoring software which advanced features such as a web server that allows remote viewing of instrumentation data to on tablets, iPads and smart phones.

Large European grant for water work! - The European Commission has awarded a €6m grant to the SmartWater4Europe project led by the Dutch water company Vitens; a consortium of 21 organisations, of which Intellitect Water is one.

Environment Agencies build new technology into rain monitoring network! - During recent trials conducted by the British Environment Agency (EA) and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), in cooperation with the British Met Office, OTT Hydrometry's Pluvio2 raingauge exceeded the target performance requirements of the assessment and over 100 units have now been purchased by the EA.

A best multinational workplaces - For the third consecutive year, the Great Place to Work® Institute has ranked National Instruments among the top 25 multinational companies to work for in the world.

1.5 million valve controllers! - The process industry's use of Emerson Process Management's Fisher FIELDVUE digital valve controller continues to grow as aggregate sales jumped to over 1.5-million shipped worldwide.

Reliable transmission of energy, signals & data over all power ranges - The new Harting Han® PushPull Signal connector provides reliable transmission of energy, signals and data over all power ranges, consistently and in a uniform package profile.

Switching modules and chassis at November fair! - Pickering Interfaces is to showcase it's newest switching modules and chassis at productronica 2013.

Environment for modeling, testing and system checkout prior to start-up - Invensys has released its SimSci SCP270, included in the Dynamic Simulation Suite (DSS), replacing FSIM Plus.

Position transmitter for simple stroke measuring & feedback - Festo has launched a new range of pneumatic cylinder position transmitters, the programmable SDAT-MHS.

Compact vision system - National Instruments has announced their CVS-1457RT, a rugged, compact device powered by a 1.66 GHz Intel Atom processor and featuring two independent GigE Vision ports with Power over Ethernet (PoE) technology.

Bioethanol plant control system - Yokogawa América do Sul has received an order to supply the control system and field instruments for the Sao Miguel dos Campos second-generation bioethanol plant.

Fluorescence spectrometer - Edinburgh Instruments has launched a new fluorescence spectrometer, the FS5, a fully integrated steady state spectrometer with single photon sensitivity, designed for the research and analytical market.

Ready for the cold! - Enclosure heaters can prevent the temperature of delicate electronic equipment from falling to a level at which condensation occurs and is arguably as important as providing cooling during warmer periods.

LIMS customer survey results - Autoscribe has recently conducted a satisfaction survey with its Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) customers worldwide.

WiFi for La Serenissima! -

Lock-out, Tag-out feature improves worker safety, productivity, decreases downtime - Invensys has released a new version of its Avantis.PRO 5.0.5 Enterprise Asset Management software.

Updated software improves integration support for online process optimisation & yield accounting accuracy - Invensys has released a new version of its Off-sites Software Suite. The updated software features new web client capabilities for the Analyser Management and Data Acquisition system module and increased performance and support for a wider range of web browsers for the Tank Information system, Order and Movement Management module and Material Balance Module web clients.

Leader in asymmetric cryptography solutions joins Wireless standard body - Crack Semiconductor, a Canadian-based leader in Public Key or Asymmetric Cryptography Solutions, has joined the ISA100 Wireless Compliance Institute

Learn how industrial automation and control can improve operational results - In light of ever-increasing pressures to improve the efficiency, reliability, safety and quality of industrial processes, the International Society of Automation (ISA) today announces it will conduct an Industrial Automation and Control educational track at its upcoming 2013 ISA Automation Week Technology and Solutions Event

Low-cost Modbus gateway - B&B Electronics has expanded its family of Vlinx Modbus Communications Gateways with the MESP211, a low-cost, compact gateway designed to convert Modbus ASCII or Modbus RTU serial signals into Modbus TCP Ethernet.

Automated high-bay warehouse - Siemens has constructed a high-bay warehouse using energy efficient drive technology and a powerful automation system for AUDI AG at its plant in Györ (H).

Resistors easy to access! - ARCOL Resistors now offers customers an online facility to locate and purchase their wide range of resistor products from their global distribution network.

Dynamic asset assignment & image capture improve field operations - Invensys has released a new version of its Wonderware IntelaTrac product offering. This new release helps organizations improve production efficiency and productivity with two key features focused on accessing operating information for decision support.

European distribution agreement extended - KOE Europe has announced an extension of Data Modul's distribution agreement in Europe. Data Modul will now also operate as a franchised KOE distributor in Great Britain, Italy and the Nordic region (Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden) and will promote and supply the full range of KOE Lite+, Rugged+ and UWVA 'IPS Like' LCD modules.

Manufacturing Conference to focus on jobs & competitiveness -

BroadR-Reach PHY automated compliance test - The new Option BRR for Tektronix oscilloscopes automates the full range of tests required for BroadR-Reach compliance testing and can save users up to 90 percent on testing time compared to manual testing.

AC voltage/current standard - The Yokogawa 2558A is a new precision AC voltage/current standard that offers a simple stand-alone solution for the calibration of measuring instruments and power sensing devices including power meters, clamp meters and current transformers.

"One Stop Shop" for power connectors - Cliff Electronics are using Productronica (12/15 Nov 2013) to launch a new range of locking 2.1mm and 2.5mm DC plugs and sockets which have been introduced in response to increased market demand for secure power connections.

Robotics at Hannover Messe - The Robotics, Automation & Vision Application Park and its associated lecture forum at April's fair will feature an expanded format. The ROBOTICS AWARD will be made for the fourth time at the show!

Call for papers at Water/Wastewater Conference - The Program Committee of the 2014 ISA Water/Wastewater and Automatic Controls (WWAC) Symposium has issued a Call for Papers, inviting authors, innovators, thought leaders and other professionals in the water and wastewater industry to submit abstracts for presentation consideration at the conference.

Low voltage PSUs - Moore Industries has added low voltage power supply options to many of its products. This addition makes these products suitable for use in remote applications such as oil and natural gas wellheads where power supplies are limited and harsh environmental conditions often exist.

Secure connection of redundant networks - The new security module Scalance S627-2M from the Siemens protects automation networks from unauthorised access by means of a firewall. In this way, redundant network structures, for example redundant rings, can also be securely connected for the first time according to MRP (Media Redundancy Protocol) or HRP (High Speed Redundancy).

Industrial cloud historian for big data - Invensys has released a new, cloud-hosted Wonderware® Historian Online Edition that will enable customers to safely share more plant data with their workers while lowering their IT burden.

Torque sensor for supercharger research! - A key component of the system monitoring the efficiency of the supercharger is a Kistler Smart torque sensor which is able to operate precisely and reliably at high speed.

Next-generation gas density meter! - Emerson has released the Micro Motion Gas Density Meter, the next generation of the Micro Motion 7812 gas density meter designed for natural gas custody transfer, refinery/fuel gas measurement, hydrogen purity monitoring and many other process gas applications.

Exclusive single layer injection molded PVDF diaphragm! - Blue-White Industries tells us that they are proud to introduce the world's first Single Layer Injection Molded PVDF Diaphragm for the Chem-Pro® Series C2 and C3 Metering Pumps.

Reducing delivery times! - Recognising this need for faster deliveries, Fluidwell has now considerably reduced production lead times to fulfill orders in less than 10 working days (completely made to order).

Using Industrial RFID! - Tool identification using Balluff Industrial RFID increases efficiency, as it makes incorrect tool allocation or missing tools a thing of the past.

Wireless solution to monitor overhead cranes. - Crane maintenance is "simplified" at KIA Motors plant with ProSoft Technology wireless solution.

Compact wireless gateway to increase asset & production monitoring in remote operations - Eliminating manual readings in remote locations, and delivers real-time information to help operators make better production and maintenance decisions

ATE and mass interconnect systems - At NIDays 2013, the Peak Group, a National Instruments Alliance Partner, is featuring its latest developments in automated test systems as well as test solutions using mass interconnect products from Virginia Panel Corporation (VPC).

Control system order for geothermal power plant in Indonesia - Yokogawa has received an order from PT. PLN, a government-owned utility in Indonesia, to supply the control system for a project that will renovate the first of four 20 MW power generation units at the Lahendong geothermal power plant, which is located in the Lahendong district on Sulawesi Island.

SPICE simulation environment - National Instruments has introduced Multisim 13.0, a best-in-class SPICE simulation environment used by educators, students and engineers worldwide to explore, design and prototype circuits.

Thomas Crone is new President and CEO of ProSoft

Multi-format, multi-standard portable waveform monitor wins award! - Tektronix has announced its new WFM5250 has received an outstanding 4.5 Diamond rating in the Broadband Technology Report's Diamond Technology Reviews, marking the sixth year a Tektronix product has received 4 or more Diamonds in this highly regarded product reviews program.

Integration key to optimising performance in batch processing - An integrated solution to optimise real-time performance, specifically designed for complex batch processes is now available through SolutionsPT.

Thoughts and comments on Invensys happenings last month -

Dr Peter Jost, Father of Tribology to be honoured by Britain's Royal Academy of Engineering

Controllers for extreme environmental conditions in mid-level & high-end automation - Siemens has developed a new controller for extreme environmental conditions. Siplus S7-1500 has the same performance characteristics as the newest standard controller family Simatic S7-1500 for mid-level and high-end machine and plant automation.

Robust oxygen analyser for combustion control monitors its own "heartbeat" - The XZR200 Oxygen Analyzer from Michell Instruments offers users added peace of mind with a built-in early warning system that alerts operators of any faults with the unit. A 3.3 V DC logic output acts as a 'heartbeat' and enables operators to check on the health of the sensor preventing incorrect measurements.

Efficiency - It's not just about operating energy consumption says Rittal - Rittal's new TopTherm fan-and-filter unit makes installation and servicing simpler and quicker as mounting on the enclosure, electrical connection, reversal of the direction of airflow and replacement of the filter mat are all possible without the use of any tools.

Achieving 100% quality injection moulding even faster - The new firmware upgrade V2.4 for Kistler's CoMo Injection process monitoring system offers better functionality and new features that will help processors achieve zero-defect production even faster.

Connecting to PLCs - The CM CANopen module from HMS Industrial Networks enables users of the SIMATIC™ S7-1200 PLC to integrate CANopen devices into their automation systems (using the TIA Portal®)

Torque tools ease assembly of connectors with axial screw termination - Harting has introduced a set of torque tools designed to ease the installation of its Han® range of industrial connectors using axial screw termination technology.

Coriolis flowmeters in oil &gas application in Norway - An RHI Normag AS plant in Porsgrunn, Norway, has reduced maintenance costs, minimised plant downtime and improved the accuracy of energy-use measurement by using Micro Motion® Coriolis flowmeters.

Pharma event in the Netherlands - Teva Pharmachemie BV are participating at Automation in Pharmaceutical Industry 2013 on the 7th of November 2013 in Leusden (NL).

Handheld, battery-operated passive intermodulation analyser - Anritsu Company has introduced three frequency options for its industry-leading PIM Master MW82119A Passive Intermodulation (PIM) high-power, battery-operated, portable PIM test analyser.

I/O modules - Opto 22 has announced two new high-frequency analog SNAP I/O modules: the SNAP-AIRATE-HFi rate-input module and the SNAP-AOD-29-HFi module with pulse-width modulation (PWM) and time-proportional output (TPO).

Manufacturing IT platform in India pharma plant - Dr. Reddy's Laboratories have successfully rolled out Werum's PAS-X Manufacturing IT Business Platform at their Indian greenfield site in Visakhapatnam.

Loadcell manufacturer expands - Continuing its planned expansion to provide customers with a greater range of load measurement products and ex-stock load cells, load cell manufacturer LCM Systems has just taken delivery of new curing ovens that will result in increased production of higher capacity load cells.

Full HD TFT display for industrial & prosumer markets - KOE Europe has announced the introduction of a new 7.0-inch TFT display featuring Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) resolution. Embracing the trend for high resolution displays in the consumer market,

Software for process industry in plant engineering & management - With the new version 10.1 of the Comos software solution, the Siemens Industry Automation Division is expanding its range of industrial software for the process industry in plant engineering and plant management.

Acquisition expands storage tank solutions! - Enardo LLC, a leader in safety and environmental control equipment for the oil and gas, petrochemical, wastewater, refining and other industries has been acquired by Emerson.

Adding some "Bite" to industrial automation! - Watchdog Relay, now available from Red Lion Controls, is "the industry's only rugged hardware-based solution that reliably monitors and provides fail-safe shutdown of processes controlled by RTUs, PLCs and other automation devices".

Connected world architecture to rural wastewater utilities - The latest high performance offering from GE Intelligent Platforms is Pump Station Appliance, a purpose-built solution that provides connected control and monitoring for rural wastewater facilities.

Paper call - The Program Committee of the 57th Annual ISA Power Industry (POWID) Symposium has issued a Call for Papers, inviting authors, innovators, thought leaders and other professionals in the power-generation industry to submit abstracts for presentation consideration at the conference.

Next generation 802.11 dual-band Wi-Fi platform for industrial wireless M2M - AirborneM2M Wi-Fi connectivity technology enables secure self-sufficient communications for rugged, mission-critical M2M networks

Machinery health - AMS Machinery Manager version 5.6 of Emerson's asset management software has been released.

Thermal mass flow controllers - Brooks Instrument has expanded its GF 40/80 Series portfolio of thermal mass flow controllers (MFCs) to enable a broader range of applications.

Life Science laboratory - Intel, imec and five Flemish universities (UA, UGhent, KULeuven, UHasselt, VUB) announced the planned foundation of the ExaScience Life Lab on the imec campus in Leuven, with which Janssen Pharmaceutica will collaborate in the future.

Manufacturing Operations - Aegis Software has launched an entirely new multi-lingual website designed to showcase the Company's flagship Manufacturing Operations software, FactoryLogix for their fast-growing international audience.

Combining the Elements of Success - Emerson Global Users Exchange, said the Chairman the Emerson's User Group, Savannah River Nuclear Solutions' Tracy Waller, presents an "opportunity for "Combining the Elements" of success to impact your company's bottom line."

Sponsored for European Heart and Lung Transplant Games - Last Summer, Mitsubishi Electric sponsored David Berber in the 14th European Heart and Lung Transplant Games in Apeldoorn (NL). The idea of the games is to help raise awareness and to encourage donations across the globe, while at the same time, allowing the recipients to honour their donors and express gratitude for this Gift of Life.

Acquisition compliments regulator line - Enardo LLC, a leader in safety and environmental control equipment for the oil and gas, petrochemical, wastewater, refining and other industries has been acquired by Emerson.

Software guides operators through work processes - Proficy® Workflow Version 2.1, a software solution that makes it even easier to integrate with existing automation and control systems, speeding response to out-of-spec HMI/SCADA conditions with appropriate action is now available from GE Industrial Platforms .

Extending transmission paths in 10 Gbit/s network cabling - The new Harting Ha-VIS preLink® Extender permits the easy extension of transmission paths in 10 Gbit/s network cabling systems, as well as allowing unused cables to be reactivated and extended until the next required connection

Meter for online gas specific gravity measurement - Emerson Process Management has released the Micro Motion® Specific Gravity Meter, the next generation of their Micro Motion 3098 Gas Specific Gravity Meter, designed for custody transfer, refinery/fuel gas energy measurement, hydrogen purity control and many other process gas applications.

Bus equipped element diaphragm valves - The AS-i communication bus facilities, remote visualisation capability and easy clean, stainless steel construction of Bürkert's Element range of diaphragm valves has resulted in their specification by Unither.

Resistors for measurement and control systems! - MSR Bare Element Resistors from ARCOL, have been developed for current sensing and shunt applications in intelligent power systems and instrumentation.

Withstanding the racing vibe! - Building on its well established relationship with motor racing, from grand prix to touring cars, Kistler Instruments has introduced a high quality, miniature piezoresistive pressure transmitter.

New website & headquarters! - Magnetrol®; International has launched its new, redesigned corporate website.

High-end Visual IR Thermometer - Fluke has introduced the high-end Fluke® VT04 Visual Infrared Thermometer, a troubleshooting tool with an infrared heat map which offers higher resolution as well as temperature alarms and time-lapse features.

Unique portable humidity calibrator - Michell Instruments has upgraded its portable humidity calibrator - the S503 - with an optional, external battery pack.

Fieldbus integration - The Fieldbus Foundation is developing technical specifications for integration of devices based on the Modbus® communications protocol into its FOUNDATION for Remote Operations Management (ROM) technology.

High-speed, multichannel LVDS recorders for R&D, earth, sea & airborne applications - Pentek has introduced three additions to the Talon® family of high-speed turnkey recording systems handling LVDS (low-voltage differential signaling) digital I/O

Turbine flow meters for diverse applications - The Vision Series turbine flow meters, from Badger, comply with lead-free provisions of the United States Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and are bisphenol A (BPA) free.

Manufacturer of chemical equipment acquired - SEAL Analytical has acquired Thomas Cain, a manufacturer of automated chemical addition, sample preparation and digestion systems for the analysis of mercury and metals in environmental laboratories.