Automation industry veterans are IoT pioneers and didn't know it! -

Position switches with analogue output for Ex zones 1 and 21. - The Ex HS 98 position switch, which the steute business division "Extreme" has demonstrated at the SPS IPC Drives, sets itself apart from all other Ex position switches in the comprehensive steute range due to one very striking feature.

World's smallest US sensor. - The UMB800 from Pepperl+Fuchs is the world's smallest ultrasonic sensor in solid stainless steel. It is made entirely from FDA-compliant materials. With its large detection range and highly compact design, it opens up new automation possibilities in hygienic applications.

Wireless switchgear and networks. - The steute business division "Wireless" presented recently at SPS, not only its new wireless switchgear, but also a completely new platform for the integration of wireless switchgear in user IT structures.

Distributor in Turkey acquired. - Yokogawa Europe has acquired 100% of the shares of its distributor in Turkey, Birlesik Endüstriyel Sistemler Ve Tesisler A.S.(BEST), which is based in Izmir.

Digital and optical feed-through connectors. - The latest addition to Cliff Electronics’ growing range of feed-through connectors packaged in the widely used 24mm diameter XLR connector format are Digital and Optical Feed-Through connectors which are fully compatible with the industry standard Toslink, SC and LC fibre optic connection requirements.

Operational technologies for mitigating cybersecurity risk! - International Society of Automation (ISA) Executive Director Patrick Gouhin delivered a keynote address entitled, "Utilizing an Operational Technologies Approach to Mitigating Cybersecurity Risk" at the Cybersecurity Conference recently in Raleigh, (NC USA), which was co-hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce and the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce.

Latest DTM for HART. - The latest version of the Generic HART DTM from ICS GmbH, works with field devices, that use HART protocol rev. 5, 6 or 7. HART capable field devices that were built-in 25 years ago and have no device description or specific DTM can be handled in the same way as field devices that are to be commissioned today.

For oil troubling water! - Spectro Scientific has appointed Quantitech, as exclusive distributor for Britain and Ireland for a portable infrared analyser, the InfraCal 2. Based on the original highly popular InfraCal, (formerly manufactured by Wilks Enterprise who were purchased by Spectro in 2013)

CCTV investments drive growth. - Demand for remote inspection equipment such as CCTV remote control crawlers and push-rod camera inspection systems has been experienced by Ashtead Technology.

Handheld process calibrators. - Yokogawa has introduced the CA300 Series of handheld process calibrators: a family of three models featuring high accuracy and stability, with each model incorporating a dedicated range of functions for loop diagnosis, thermocouple simulation and RTD (resistance temperature detector) simulation, respectively.

Facility closes to streamline Customer support and logistics. - ZF Electronics UK Ltd, better known by its brand name CHERRY Industrial Solutions, is set to close its Luton facility at the end of the month.

Next generation DC power packs. - Intepro Systems has introduced the EL 9000 B Series of electronic DC loads. This Series is offered in 15 models with rated peak power from 1,200 to 7,200 Watts.

Drives & motors to ISO9001:2008. - Emerson's combined drives and motors business is now certified to the ISO9001:2008 quality management system. The certification covers 20 Control Techniques and Leroy-Somer locations, called Automation Centres, in Western Europe, with further sites planned through to 2017.

Wireless steam trap monitor certified! - Spirax Sarco has released a new product that has successfully achieved ISA100 Wireless certification. The STAPS ISA100 Wireless Steam Trap Monitor has been designed for easy, non-intrusive installation with accurate wireless monitoring and reporting of steam trap performance.

Adaptor for push pull connectors. - Harting has introduced a new M12 PushPull adaptor that enables the use of unthreaded connectors in existing applications with a standard flange, thereby allowing quick and secure mating in a highly compact design.

Foam Seals - protecting enclosed instruments & components? - Sonderhoff Chemicals develops and produces special sealant materials for polyurethane foam seals used in a variety of applications in the context of control cabinets and electronics housings.

Servo inverter series expands portfolio. - With this new servo inverter series, Bonfiglioli offers the broadest connectivity with the most advanced control technology and the highest power density.

Wireless steam trap monitor certified! - Armstrong International has released a new Steam Trap Monitoring product that has successfully achieved ISA100 Wireless™ certification with the ISA100 Wireless Compliance Institute.

5 year long life oxygen sensor. - The OLCT 100 is a 4-20 mA analogue gas transmitter from Oldham. It is designed for industrial applications in hazardous locations.

Smallest 75W PSU. - Gresham Power Electronics, has announced the availability of their new (M)WLP75 power supply series. This “smallest of its class” power supply measures just 2 x 3 x 1 inch, making the (M)WLP75 series the smallest convection cooled 75 Watt AC:DC converter available on the market today.

Applying FOUNDATION Fieldbus. - Applying FOUNDATION Fieldbus is a new book from the ISA stable that serves as a comprehensive and practical guide to the theory, engineering and implementation of FOUNDATION Fieldbus in process control systems.

Solutions don't help! - Chris Rand has always disliked the use of the word 'solutions' in marketing. Not just because it's used by companies who think they're too grand to sell products, but because he believes it has the opposite effect to that which is intended. It's supposed to be helpful, but it can put up barriers, not take them down.

The invisible roadside killer - Jim Mills, Managing Director of Air Monitors, explains why diesel emissions will have to be lowered and how the latest monitoring technology will be an essential part of the solution.

Christian Fortunel appointed to run LZ Lifescience operations in the US as vice president.

Industrial communication for the process industry in the context of Industrie 4.0 - Industrie 4.0 requires Industrial Ethernet as its "lifeline", and PROFINET is very well suited for that. The project launched by PI will merge PROFIBUS PA and PROFINET by first connecting existing PA solutions followed by gradual integration or development of PROFINET technologies needed for PA.

Upgrade without hesitation! - The current version of Copa-Data's automation software, zenon 7.20, has successfully passed Microsoft's Windows 10 compatibility test. The software runs reliably on the new operating system and supports all quality and security requirements.

Ultra high torque brushless slotless motor. - The newest addition to Portescap's Ultra EC™ mini motor platform, the 22ECT brushless motor, is designed specifically to deliver ultra high torque in a compact size.

Next generation wireless LED Lighting control. - GreenPeak Technologies has launched its wireless low-cost ambient lighting application based on the new GreenPeak GP651 communication chip that can support various ZigBee and IEEE 802.15.4 communication protocols.

Control system for first hybrid energy storage plant in Europe. -

MES implementation on Thai site. - Werum's PAS-X MES went live at the Government Pharmaceutical Organization's (GPO) manufacturing site in Rangsit, Thailand - the first in the Thai pharmaceutical industry. GPO is the largest pharmaceutical producer and distributor of important medicines for the Thai market.

Advantages of ball guided, ball screw driven linear units. - Thomson Industries has released a new video to introduce the benefits of the WM80, ball guided, ball screw driven linear units. These linear systems are designed for high thrust, payload, precision and stiffness with force up to 12000N and repeatability to 0.005mm.

What's the future for the electronics instrumentation sector? - Frost & Sullivan has published three market insights about the future of the electronic industry and what will determine it, where the new opportunities for growth are, and how to stay profitable in changing economical environment.

Low-power floating point processor for intelligent connected devices. - Cortus has announced the release of the FPS26 single precision floating point IP core today, the third in a family of products based on the Cortus v2 instruction set.

Energy efficiency in pneumatics! - Festo has published Energy efficiency@Festo, a new guide which details a number of ways that plant managers can improve efficiency in their pneumatic production processes by up to 60%.

Fast drinking water analyser optimises treatment. - Festo's advanced precision analyser has dramatically reduced the time and complexity of measuring trihalomethane levels in drinking water at Anglian Water (GB).

Driver & motor cuts energy usage! - The prospect of improved energy efficiency, increased operational reliability and lower maintenance costs appeals to any business.It was these three factors which ensured Emerson was able to help Stål & Plast, a Danish extrusion specialist, improve its production processes by replacing three worn-out DC electric motors with energy-friendly Dyneo PM motors and a Unidrive M variable speed drive at the company's extruder plant.

24 Volt device connection standardised! - Uniform plug connectors facilitate installation as well as handling during maintenance, e.g., when devices must be replaced by the end user. PROFIBUS & PROFINET International (PI) recognized this years ago and created clear standards for PROFINET systems.

Dust & Airquality workshop! - Ashtead Technology and TSI are to co-host a technical workshop on Dust and Air Quality Monitoring. The free-to-attend event will take place on Wednesday 27th January 2016 at TSI’s British headquarters in High Wycombe (GB).

First petroleum, refining and environmental monitoring succeeds! - The inaugural PEFTEC event took place in Antwerp (B) in mid-November 2015, and reported feedback from conference speakers, exhibitors and delegates has been extremely positive.

Estimating plant energy savings easily! - With a long history of involvement in promoting energy savings, Emerson Industrial Automation has invested massively in research into technological solutions and services designed to cut energy bills.

City Technology, a part of Honewell, has made two new appointments.

Marco Di Nubila (Top) as Global Marketing Leader & Theresa Barry as Product Manager.

Durable miniature switches. - Omron Electronic Components Europe has launched two durable new compact surface mount switches aimed specifically at high use switching applications such as elevator switches, circuit breakers, digital pens and laser pointers.

Defining switch upgrade strategies. - United Electric Controls (UE) has announced a new program to help companies assess their industrial switching needs and evaluate upgrade opportunities.

Fast selection of standardised Ex plugs and sockets. - R. Stahl assists customers in finding a suitable plug connector for specific applications with the "Plugs & Sockets Selection Guide" for the SolConex product range, a series of standardised, Ex-certified plugs and sockets for hazardous areas.

The impact of AI on education. -

Staying grounded! - A cost-effective range of neutral earthing resistors (NERs) has been designed by Cressall to help generator manufacturers and end users around the world protect distributed generation systems.

Matt Newton has been named as Director of Technical Marketing with Opto 22.

Electronic component market in Ireland & Britain. - According to the manufacturers' authorised distributor (afdec) group within the Electronic Components Supply Network (ecsn) the Britain & Ireland electronic component market is likely to remain 'flat' in 2016.

High temperature thermocouples! - Model TC80 series thermocouples from WIKA, were developed to measure extremely high temperatures. These high-temperature thermocouples comply with DIN EN 50 446 for temperature ranges up to 1,600 degree C.

Operator interface device for use in indoor, outdoor and in washdown areas. - The 5.7" Enhanced HMI, HG2G-5T series is a significant upgrade from IDEC Corporation's previous Basic 5.7 inch model.

Best practitioner in test & measurement. - Microlease has been named Company of the Year for Best Practices in Global Test and Measurement Rental and Leasing Services by Frost & Sullivan for 2015. Microlease received the same accolade in 2013 and 2014.

Pilot valves for harsh environments. - The VOFD valve, from Festo, is exceptionally tough and provides excellent performance even in harsh environments found in the pharmaceutical, chemical, petrochemical and oil and gas industries, enabling operations managers to improve uptime and productivity.

Delta at SPS! - The Delta booth focussed on the company's smart and highly integrated solutions for industrial automation and energy management applications. They also demonstrated its complete line of industrial automation products including: AC motor drives, AC servo drives, PLCs, HMIs, industrial Ethernet switches, smart sensors, machine vision solutions, power meters, flow meters, and temperature controllers.

EBook on challenges with IoT - In this special eBook, "Sensors and Embedded Systems in the Era of the IoT," the key issues and challenges impacting engineers designing for the IoT are examined and the steps they can take to develop reliable and resilient products

1,000,000 drives rolled out! - The ten millionth ABB low voltage drive rolled off the production line at ABB's Beijing factory in November. The ten millionth drive is going to Wuhan Guide Electric Co., Ltd. in China, a system integrator manufacturing electric control systems for port cranes.

Thermowell design prevents vibration. - For applications in processes with high flow rates, WIKA is now offering thermowells in the new ScrutonWell design. This variant damps the excitation that leads to vibrations, which in turn can cause failures.

New benchmarks in temperature sensing. - Baumer's TER8 compact sensor is based on RTD technology and is specially designed for applications with demanding requirements on measuring accuracy and stringent hygienic standards. It is available both for front flush installation and in two variants with an immersion sleeve.

TOC analysers for Britain & Ireland. - Quantitech has been appointed exclusive distributor in Britain and Ireland for ErsaTec gas analysers for the measurement of organic gases such as solvents and fuels.

Turbine flow meters! - The Blancett® B1500 Series Turbine Flow Meter has bee launched by Badger. It is designed to perform in harsh environments found in the oil and gas, and petrochemical industries.

Drives designed for high speeds. - Emerson has expanded its Control Techniques variable speed drive range with two new models designed specifically for applications which demand high speeds.

For the reliable provision of cybersecurity management services! - Yokogawa has received a Type 1 report on the internal controls that it employs in the provision of production control system secured remote solution services at its customers' plants

Smallest US Sensor! - The UMB800 from Pepperl+Fuchs is the world's smallest ultrasonic sensor in solid stainless steel. It is made entirely from FDA-compliant materials.

PCB assembly taken in-house! - In an investment worth some £250,000 (€356.00), Ion Science is now manufacturing printed circuit boards (PCBs) at its facility in Cambridgeshire (GB).

Update and extension. - The edition 2.0 of the IEC 61800-7 series has been published by CiA. It contains also the CiA 402 profile for electrical drives and motion control. In IEC 61800-7-201, there are specified the modes (e.g. Interpolated position mode, homing mode, etc.) and the related parameters.