ISA's first Irish President valedictory message! - " Brian Curtis 2018 President ISA: "...ISA has an obligation to help industry leaders as well as the public better recognize the value and benefits of automation. Through our collaboration with the Automation Federation, we’re just beginning to scratch the surface in leveraging our capabilities in industrial cybersecurity. While there is growing awareness among industry leaders of the risks of industrial cyberattack, we need to work harder to foster recognition in the marketplace that ISA offers real solutions to mitigate these risks. It’s also important to note that conversations about cybersecurity can serve as the door opener to educate those about other important ISA offerings and capabilities...."

SAR Testing. - PCTEST Engineering Laboratory will conduct SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) testing of 5G devices using Anritsu’s Communication Test System MT8000A. The MT8000A will be used in PCTEST’s Columbia, (MD USA), and San Jose, (CA USA) laboratories to emulate a 5G New Radio (NR) radio access network, providing mobile operators and device makers with an efficient means to conduct SAR testing, which is critical due to the imminent rollout of 5G NR technology by operators worldwide.

MES support in France, Belgium and Switzerland. - To further expand the PAS-X Service Partner network of Werum IT Solutions, supplier of Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) for Pharma & Biotech and the French-based company SPC Consultants signed a mutual agreement to offer extensive MBR services in those countries.

Replacement oxygen sensor selector tool. - Analytical Industries Inc’s new online replacement oxygen sensor selector tool has been updated with a wider range of industrial electrochemical oxygen sensors.

Low-cost connection to powerful Industrie 4.0. - IO-Link was originally developed in order to provide easy standardized wiring of intelligent, complex sensors and actuators using a simple three-core sensor cable. As the issues surrounding Industry 4.0 grew more specific, it quickly became clear that IO-Link is the key in implementing powerful Industry 4.0 concepts, since a wide variety of field information is required from production plants.

Ethernet switches for imaging. - Harting has developed a new Ethernet switch that enables the implementation of individually tailored plug & play network solutions for data-intensive applications.

Distributor Award. - ZF manufacturer of electromechanical switch and sensor solutions for the industrial market sector, has again been given recognition for the quality of support and collaboration with their Distribution network by SPDEI.

Biologics project recognised. -

Top Five Technology Trends for 2019 - New technologies continue to make their way onto the plant floor and at an almost dizzying rate. This has both positive and negative effects for those responsible for investigating, implementing, using, and supporting operational technology in industrial, infrastructure, and municipal environments. Arc Advisory's Craig Resnick & Paul Miller give their take for 2019.

Reliable navigation of AGVs. - With its RSL 400 safety laser scanner with measurement value output, Leuze electronic is setting new standards in the reliable navigation of automated guided vehicles (AGVs).

DIN-Rail power supply. - PULS Power has announced the availability of the PIC480.241C single phase input 24V, 20A output power supply. An extension of the market-leading PIANO-Series this cost-oriented power supply is just 49mm wide freeing-up maximum rail space for functional system modules.

Scanning assembly! - The Ricoh SC-10 camera inspection system is designed to both provide assembly instructions to operators and verify each step has been completed correctly. The simple, self-contained camera system is having a major impact in many different manufacturing environments in Japan is now available in Europe through Stemmer Imaging.

Obsolete PSUs? - Powerstax offers users of legacy equipment and those involved with repair or refurbishment of critical or capital systems form-fit-and-function replacement power supplies incorporating the latest technology and providing major increases in reliability and efficiency.

Contactless detection. - Omron Electronics Components Europe is addressing the growing demand for contactless position and presence detection in industrial machinery, office automation and similar applications with the launch of a new range of exceptionally compact surface mount photo-microsensors.

Creates 3D data really quickly! - The Ensenso XR stereo camera from IDS can calculate 3D point clouds itself. Afterwards, it transmits the data via Gigabit Ethernet or WiFi to a host PC for further analysis. The advantages of the new camera series include, for example, significantly faster 3D data generation and reduced load on bandwidth and connected PCs.

Humidity & moisture transmitters. - The high-end EE310 and EE360 industrial transmitters from E+E Elektronik are now available with stainless steel or with polycarbonate enclosure. The EE310 humidity and temperature transmitter is dedicated for demanding industrial processes control. The EE360 measures the moisture content of industrial oils and thus enables predictive maintenance of machines and plants.

Guides to Circuit Board Hardware. - Essentra Components have produced two new guides for electronics design and production engineers to assist in the selection and use of PCB hardware components. By sharing their expertise in component technologies Essentra Components short-cut the search process and save time in the development cycle.

Award for components supplier. - Omron Electronic Components Europe has been named Electro-Mechanical Supplier of the Year for the third time by the French association of electronic component distributors, SPDEI (Syndicat Professionel de la distribution en Electronique Industrielle).

Fire-resistant shelters for chemical plant. - Novel outdoor equipment shelters from Intertec Instrumentation have been chosen to help a leading European chemical manufacturer to upgrade its distributed plant control system.

French award for innovative instrument. - The leading French technical magazine MESURES awarded Camille Bauer Metrawatt AG a prize for innovation. Their product CENTRAX CU3000/5000 was named as worthy of special mention and picked out for the cherished trophy.

Component market forcasts growth though uncertainty reigns! - A Forecast just released by the manufacturers’ authorised distributor (afdec) group within the Electronic Components Supply Network (ecsn) predicts that the Britain & Ireland electronic component market will grow in the range 3.4%-to-8.5% in 2019, achieving a mid-point of 5.9%.

Changes at Endress+Hauser
Dr Andreas Mayr is to be Chief Operating Officer.

Dr Peter Selders is to be CEO of Endress+Hauser SE+Co. KG in Maulburg (D).

Jörg Stegert is Group Chief Human Resources Officer.

Choosing a VOC sensor - Arthur Burnley, Sales and Marketing Director of sensor manufacturer Alphasense, explains the factors affecting the choice of sensor – for both end-users and manufacturers of monitoring instruments. He also discusses the key questions that must be addressed, but first it is important to be aware of the technologies currently available.

Fast communications for rail industry. - Harting has introduced a number of innovative connector solutions and products targeted at the rail industry and focusing on the three key benefits of weight reduction, easy handling and increasing data throughput.

Panel mounted connectors. - Cliff Electronics' comprehensive range of market leading FeedThrough (FT) connectors, supplied in the industry standard 24mm diameter XLR panel cut-out, now includes the very popular CAT3 RJ11 and RJ14 connectors offering users a panel mount option.

Emitters, Detectors and LEDs for Wearables. - Marktech the designer and manufacturer of standard and custom optoelectronics components and assemblies, including UV, visible, near-infrared (NIR), and short wavelength infrared (SWIR) emitters, detectors, InP epiwafers and other materials, has announced its dedicated offerings for wearables.

Laser beam quality. - Laser Components has introduced an automated system, the Gentec-EO Beamage-M2, that can determine the quality of a laser beam in only 20 to 60 seconds by means of an M² measurement.

Beta testers sought for WirelessHART Gas Detectors. - United Electric Controls has announced availability of discounted Beta test versions of its Vanguard WirelessHART gas sensors for ammonia (NH³) and carbon monoxide (CO).

Corrosion-resistant moisture analyser. - Michell Instruments has announced a new variant of its OptiPEAKTDL600 moisture analyser, developed specifically for use in catalytic reforming processes in refineries.