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Feabhra 2019 February
28/2/2019
    PRODUCT Toxic gas monitoring by wireless. - In response to the critical need for monitoring of toxic hydrogen sulphide gas in wellheads, tank farms, and other remote locations, Emerson has introduced its first fully integrated wireless gas monitor the Rosemount™ 928 Wireless Gas Monitor.
    People

    Phil James

    Powerstax has appointed Phil James as Sales Director.

    Events Efficient utilization of unused device data. - Endress+Hauser is to highlight the intelligent utilization of data and information from field devices and show how the vast potential hidden in plants can be unleashed at Aprisl Hannover Fair. The foundation of this strategy is innovative diagnostic information generated by Heartbeat Technology, a wide selection of digital interfaces and connectivity modules, as well as the Netilion IIoT ecosystem.

    Events Petrochem event in new venue! - This year the event, the 3rd international PEFTEC conference and exhibition on testing and monitoring in oil, petrochemical, refining and environmental applications, will take place on 22nd and 23rd May at the Rotterdam Ahoy exhibition centre (NL). The Industrial Methane Measurement (IMM) Conference will run alongside.

27/2/2019
    Education and Research Cybersecurity and SCADA. - SolutionsPT is to host a free Tech Day on Thursday, March 14th, designed to let engineers explore the latest developments within Citect SCADA 2018, and their comprehensive cyber security solutions.

    PRODUCT Cost-effective and multi-capable test equipment for Fibreoptics! - The new Yokogawa AQ1210 OTDR (Optical-Time Domain Reflectometer) only resembles the existing AQ1200 in appearance - internally it has been completely re-engineered to bring the features and user-friendly operation of the AQ7280 flagship OTDR to the installers and testers of Passive Optical Networks (PON) and Fibre To The Antenna (FTTA).

    NEWS Love all! Grass court tennis sponsors. - The Harting Technology Group is once again the "Official Technology Partner" of the GERRY WEBER OPEN. The technology group thus continues its successful 2017 and 2018 partnership for the 27th tournament edition of the renowned ATP 500 series grass-court event at the Gerry Weber Stadium in Halle/Westphalia (D) from June 15-23, 2019.

26/2/2019
    PRODUCT Differential Hall Effect sensors. - Active wheel speed sensing in compact and durable package. - Texense, the motorsports and aeronautical sensor specialist, has recently released two new differential Hall Effect (DHE) wheel speed sensors that ensure highly accurate and extremely durable motorsports wheel speed measurement. These are now available with full support from Variohm EuroSensor.
25/2/2019
    PRODUCT A first in wireless radar level transmitters! - A high-performance version of the Rosemount™ 3308 Guided Wave Radar (GWR) Wireless Level Transmitter has been introduced by Emerson. It the first standalone wireless radar level device to comply with the API 18.2 standard that provides guidance for crude oil custody transfer from small lease tanks.
    People

    Arne Dehn

    Arne Dehn is taking over as CEO with Stemmer Imaging.

    Education and Research The flow market analysed! - Flow Research are about to ship one of the most comprehensive studies ever published of the worldwide flowmeter market. This study is called Volume X: The World Market for Flowmeters, 7th Edition. This All-in-One Study gives 2018 market size and market shares, and forecasts through 2023 for all flowmeter types used in process environments.

    Education and Research Can Robots learn to set their own goals? - A project funded by the European Union (EU) aims to improve the ability of robots to set their own goals and develop autonomous skills. According to the European Commission, this would increase EU’s competitiveness in the field of artificial intelligence and advanced learning. The research team has already demonstrated the basic open-ended learning process for solving tasks using Goal-based Open-ended Autonomous Learning Robots (GOAL-ROBOTs). Could this technology soon be used in the manufacturing environment?

    PRODUCT Linear actuators. - With the recently announced increase in maximum dynamic load from 10 kN to 16 kN for stroke lengths to 500 mm, and with static loads to 18 kN, Thomson’s Electrak® HD series linear actuators are now an even more compelling alternative to hydraulic and pneumatic cylinders for positioning tasks on heavy-duty machinery and equipment.

22/2/2019
    Education and Research Rise of the machines threatens 40% of jobs in Ireland. - The study "Automation in Irish Towns: Who's Most at Risk?" examined automation in urban areas and identified areas where jobs are at a high risk and at a lower risk of being replaced by machines. Two out of every five Irish jobs are at "high risk" of being taken over by machines. The towns most at risk of automation, include Edgeworthstown, Ballyjamesduff and Cahir.

    PRODUCT ASi digital modules. - ASi-5 is the latest generation of the proven standard AS-Interface for the efficient networking of sensors and actuators at the automation base. The product range from Bihl+Wiedemann currently contains the following ASi-5 products: ASi-5/ASi-3 Gateways, a counter module, an ASi-5 Slave / IO-Link Master as well as digital I/O modules.

    publications" Design, selection, and functioning of control valves. - The first-edition release of Fluid Mechanics of Control Valves: How Valves Control Your Process, a practical reference guide to proper control valve design, selection, and operation has been published by ISA.

    NEWS Strategic partnership with Japan. - Werum IT Solutions is pleased to announce a new strategic partnership with Toyo Business Engineering Corporation (B-EN-G), a leading and highly experienced provider of integrated enterprise and manufacturing solutions headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

21/2/2019
    Education and Research 5 Year partnership for talent development! - Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) has announced a five-year strategic partnership with Intel Ireland as part of a far-reaching programme of collaboration in future talent development, research and engagement. The partnership is in support of the TU Dublin capital campaign Transforming Tomorrow.

    PRODUCT High-performance drive controllers. - Aerotech has introduced two high-performance single-axis controllers: the digital XC4 and XC4e PWMs. They are suitable for driving brushed or brushless DC motors as well as moving coil actuators and stepper motors. A special feature besides the position-synchronized outputs (PSO) is the HyperWire® fibre optic interface.

    NEWS Intelligent water systems challenge. - For the second year in a row, the International Society of Automation (ISA)—through its Water and Wastewater Industries Division (WWID)—is supporting an initiative designed to demonstrate the value of intelligent water systems, smart water technologies, and leveraging data for improved decision-making.

    Standards DC energy meters certified! - LEM has become the first company to receive the German certification for the EM4TII (Energy Meter For Traction) DC energy meters. Mathieu Béguin (Product marketing engineer) summarises, "Originally developed for railway applications, we identified an opportunity to adapt the EM4TII DC Meter to comply with German regulations. Information about the new DC Meter will follow in due course."

    Events Machine Vision event! - Visitor registration for the UKIVA Machine Vision Conference and Exhibition is now open. The one-day event will take place in Milton Keynes (GB) on Thursday 6th June 2019. The Conference program for 2019 will feature around 60 speakers, delivering the richest and most diverse program offered to date.

    NEWS Good results! - Endress+Hauser's business developed very positively across all regions and industries in 2018. The Group has reported new highs in net sales, income and employment. According to preliminary figures, Endress+Hauser increased net sales by more than 9 percent to over 2.4 billion euros in 2018.

20/2/2019
    PRODUCT Drives water & HVAC etc. - The new SINAMICS G120X frequency converter from the proven SINAMICS family of drives, now available through Alpha Drives, is optimised for infrastructure and industrial water/wastewater applications as well as pumps and fans in building automation.
    People

    Andrew Keith

    Telema S.p.A has appointed Andrew Keith as its new group product development director. .

    PRODUCT 125 Amp adaptor. - Rittal has launched a new 45 mm RiLine Compact adaptor, which is rated at 125 amps. It has two rear contact rows enabling users to easily and quickly plug the adaptor into two power boards mounted adjacent to each other.

    NEWS 5G Protocol conformance. - Anritsu Corporation has announced the submission of the industry’s first Protocol Conformance test in the Sub-6 GHz Frequency Range 1 (FR1) to 3GPP RAN5 working group for approval. The test defined by 3GPP TS38.523 has been verified with Exynos modem 5100 5G New Radio (NR) modem developed by Samsung’s System LSI Business on Anritsu ME7834NR Protocol Conformance test system.

    PRODUCT Connecting IIoT! - Harting has developed a number of innovative, targeted connectivity solutions for the IIoT world of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). The fourth Industrial Revolution is witnessing the ever-advancing convergence of the physical with the digital world.

19/2/2019
    APPLICATION Towards full automation. - Even before officially launching the new product, Compact Dynamic, Weland Solutions has received a first signed purchase order. In the summer of 2019, the facility will be operational at Axelent based in Hillerstorp (S), with customers worldwide.

    PRODUCT AC line reactors. - The Schaffner Group has introduced a new generation of AC line reactors with optimised design and best cost-performance ratio.

    PRODUCT Optical screwdriver! - AFL's lightweight, ergonomically-designed FOCIS WiFi2 fibre optic connector microscope does not require any cables or displays. All you need to operate the "optical screwdriver" sold by Laser Componants is a standard iOS or Android mobile device. The corresponding app is available for free download.

    People

    Servomex Appointments

    Servomex Strengthens Sales Teams With New Regional Sales Managers.
18/2/2019
    APPLICATION Fasteners: metal or plastic? - Here Essentra Components discusses plastic vs. metal fasteners and why plastic can be a better choice. Metal is the most common material used to create fastening solutions, however plastic fasteners offer a different and often more appropriate set of characteristics. Notably, they're used in space – for example the Hubble Telescope and International Space Station are held together using plastic fasteners.

    NEWS How OPC UA and TSN Are Driving the Creation of a Universal Industrial Network - Summary The future of industrial networking just got a lot brighter. After a year of uncertainty surrounding the future direction of industrial Ethernet, recent announcements appear to have settled a looming rift in the industrial networking community. In a significant move, the OPC Foundation announced in late 2018 that it will now actively promote its Publish-Subscribe model for communication with devices at the field level. In addition, time-sensitive networking (TSN), a mechanism for time synchronization and determinism, is quickly gaining acceptance among industry players.

    publications"Selecting semiconductors! - A new Discrete Semiconductor Selection Guide has been released by Anglia, guiding customers through the vast range of industry standard discrete devices available. The interactive guide is Internet-linked – each product category has an associated Website Data Reference which takes customers straight to the associated page on Anglia Live.

15/2/2019
    PRODUCT Connecting solar power plants. - TE Connectivity (TE) has introduced the new TE ENTRELEC PI-Spring range of terminal blocks ZK-PV, dedicated to large commercial and utility-scale photovoltaic installations. The PI-Spring range have voltage of 1500V DC (IEC) / 1000V DC (UL), complementing the existing 1500V offering including DBL distribution blocks and SNK screw power terminal blocks ZS150 /ZS240.

    PRODUCT OPC Unified Architecture. - Red Lion Controls has announced new capabilities for their award-winning Crimson® software, including an OPC UA Client driver with encrypted password support, OPC UA Historical Access, an MQTT connector for Google Cloud and store and forward buffering for all Crimson cloud connectors.

    PRODUCT Precision RF connectors. - A new precision connector series to meet the increasing demand for proper RF-connections up to 90 GHz has been introduced by Rosenberger. The newly developed RPC-1.35 connector series – the "E connector" – is characterised by a highly robust mechanical design, minimum 3000 mating cycles, high connector repeatability, maximum return loss values and is designed for high-performance RF measurements in the E-Band.

    Events Process analysis added to event! - PEFTEC 2019 has been expanded to include a full Process Analysis Conference, as well as the hugely popular Analytical Conference. In addition, both conferences will merge for a joint session on 'Big Data/Big Analysis'.

14/2/2019
    Standards Cybersecurity standards in medicine. - The Medical Device Innovation, Safety, and Security Consortium (MDISS), a major nonprofit public health and patient safety organization based in the US, has announced it is developing a set of recommended practices and profiles for securing medical systems based on the normative requirements in the widely used ISA/IEC 62443 series of standards for industrial automation and control systems cybersecurity.

    PRODUCT Asset management made less complex. - A new release of Emerson’s AMS Device Manager helps improve plant reliability with better organised data for more informed and proactive management of field devices. New embedded tools allow project and operations teams to customise plant device hierarchies, project tracking, and device alerts, delivering improved decision support - a key competency of digital transformation. With AMS Device Manager, Emerson is helping teams effectively use device data to deliver more reliable operations and shorten project engineering timeline.

    Web Site New electronics components website! - JPR Electronics has launched a new website. Its modern design offers customers simple navigation, fast response, a great user experience and simple online purchasing.

    Brexit SMIs not ready North or South - The AIB Brexit Sentiment Index for Q4 2018 reveals that 35% of SMEs in the Republic of Ireland (ROI) and 40% in Northern Ireland (NI) that had planned to expand or invest in their business have either cancelled or postponed investment plans due to Brexit.

People

Andrew Turnbull

Tim LOveless

Lynx Software Technologies has expanded its European team with the appointment of Andrew Turnbull (top) as Senior Director, EMEA Sales and Tim Loveless as Principal Solutions Architect.
13/2/2019
    PRODUCT Current sensors based on AMR Technology. - Aceinna has announced its new MCx1101 family of ±5A, ±20A, and ±50A Current Sensors for industrial and power supply applications. The first high accuracy wide bandwidth AMR-based current sensors on the market, units and evaluation boards are available now for sampling and volume shipments.

    NEWS Power devices & developments kits stocked! - Anglia is now offering an extensive stock profile of Analog Devices' (ADI) Power by Linear devices and development kits.

    APPLICATION Robust switchgear passes tests! - .steute commissioned the Fraunhofer IFAM (Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials) in Bremen (D) to conduct a 1-year exposure test on their "Extreme" range at its site on the small German island of Helgoland.

    Events Dive into industrial automation software. - SolutionsPT is hosting a free Tech Day event for manufacturers, allowing them to take a deep dive into the latest Wonderware software, explore the digital modelling of operational assets and the very latest OT cyber security advancements. (26 Feb Cheadle GB).

12/2/2019
    Education and Research New larger training centre. - A new, larger training facility and office for the International Society of Automation (ISA) has been opened in Eindhoven (NL). The new premises, just a short walk from Eindhoven's international airport, is six times larger than the previous ISA training facility in the city.

    APPLICATION Power monitoring in Data Centre. - The HuiShang bank enhanced 24/7 operational security mains power quality monitoring in a data centre using with Camille Bauer instrumentation. The bank decided to invest further in securing its 24/7 operations. To do this, they installed extra equipment to monitor the electrical power quality.

    PRODUCT Measuring many gases! - Pyroelectric detectors are ideally suited for gas analysis. Until now, this has been complicated if many gases should be measured. There were often simply too few measuring channels for this purpose. The new LRM-278 from InfraTec now offers exactly the right solution for this. Combining eight channels in a TO8 housing with a diameter of 15.2 millimetres this detectors is the first of its kind worldwide.

    PRODUCT Quick release terminals. - JPR Electronics offers a wide range of quick-release terminals manufactured by market leading connector manufacturer Schützinger. Since the launch of their first quick-release terminal an entire product family has emerged and successfully established itself in the market. Quick-release terminals provide the ideal connection in any situation where a safe and rapid connection must be created quickly between a conductor or cable and another device.

    PRODUCT Robust laser module. - The FLEXPOINT® laser module ILM12IP from Laser Components is specially designed for outdoor use. Its housing complies with protection class IP67. This means that even the finest dust particles cannot penetrate the housing. Even a half an hour of submersion in water does not bother the module.

    Education and Research Process measurement video channel! - Krohne has opened a new dedicated YouTube channel, "KROHNE Tutorials," for explanatory videos on industrial process measurement devices. It contains user-oriented Installation-Commissioning-Verification (ICV) videos, starting with H250 M40 and OPTISWIRL flowmeters.

    PRODUCT CO2 sensor on track! - The EE8915 from E+E Elektronik meets all relevant railway standards for reliable CO2 measurement in railway vehicles, e.g. in the passenger compartment or driver's cab. On-board sensors ensure high CO2 measurement accuracy independently of temperature, altitude or weather conditions.

    PRODUCT Board-level cameras. - USB 3.1 Gen 1 board-level cameras from the uEye LE family from IDS are available as variants with the use and control of liquid lens lenses. The cameras focus in milliseconds on different object distances – for millions of cycles, wear-free and without moving parts. This makes them particularly suitable for applications where the working distance changes frequently.

11/2/2019
    BrexitNo-deal Brexit scenario would create serious traffic congestion and supply chain chaos! - As an island nation, Britain is critically dependent on international trade. Together, imports and exports represent about 60 per cent of the nation's gross domestic product (GDP). More than 40 per cent of exports from Britain currently go to the 27 other member states of the European Union (the EU27), while more than 50 per cent of imports come from the EU.
    People

    Chris Kaye
    Chris Kaye as Business Development Manager with Meteor Communications, with specific focus on the Drainage Authority sector.

    PRODUCT Integrated systems for power distribution. - With the new Rittal VX25 large enclosure system, low-voltage switchgear and distribution boards can now be easily and safely manufactured in accordance with IEC 61439. This means that electrical engineering companies can set up central and compact power distribution systems ideally, with a rated current of up to 2,100 A using the "VX25 Ri4Power 185 mm busbar system".

    NEWS Brexit! Robots to the rescue! - At a time when apprehension about Brexit is reaching fever pitch, an innovation company is helping British businesses to stay competitive by launching a robotics hire scheme alongside its existing robotics sales operation. Under the scheme, Bots Automation is offering a range of robotic arms for hire that can help perform tasks including assembly, CNC machining, painting, injection molding, screwing, picking and placing.

    PRODUCT Connector stack heights added. - Harting has added two new stack heights to its compact har-flex® 1.27 mm pitch connector family, allowing designers to optimise the use of space in PCB and device design by enabling a broad range of PCB spacings from 8 to 20 mm.

    PRODUCT Biogas flowmeter. - Krohne has updated the OPTISONIC 7300 Biogas ultrasonic flowmeter for the measurement of dry and wet (raw) biogas with variable composition. Besides the standard temperature sensor, it now features a pressure sensor that can be ordered optionally with the flowmeter and comes mounted on the flow tube.

    PRODUCT Anti-cavitation valve trim. - Emerson's Fisher Vee-Ball™ Rotary Control Valves are now available with Cavitrol™ Hex Anti-Cavitation Trim to reduce or eliminate vibration caused by cavitation. The Cavitrol Hex trim option provides improved performance in severe service applications while maintaining valve efficiency, resulting in increased safety.

    PRODUCT Reliable turbidity measurement. - In its EXspect 271 backscattering sensor, Exner is launching a compact measuring device for reliable and economical turbidity measurement. One major benefit of the new sensor is in the spherical design of its optical measurement system. This minimises the attachment of air bubbles and the build-up of deposits.

    People

    Attila Bilgic
    Dr Attila Bilgic, CTO Krohne Group, has been elected as the new Chairman of the VDI/VDE-GMA Executive Board for the period 2019-2022.
8/2/2019
    NEWS Partnership advances secure automation. - Bedrock Automation has established a partnership agreement with Wood, a globally recognised integration provider. Under the agreement, Wood’s automation and control group will deliver Bedrock Open Secure Automation (OSA®) to its clients in energy and industrial markets.
5/2/2019
    PRODUCT Industrial programmable controller to IEC 61131-3. - Opto 22 has added international standard IEC 61131-3 programming options in its groov EPIC® edge programmable industrial controller.

    PRODUCT Photoionisation detector. - Ion Science has launched its ‘world first’ FalcoTAC fixed photoionisation detector (PID) with 10.0eV lamp for fast and reliable detection of highly toxic total aromatic compounds (TACs), including benzene, in high humidity environments.

4/2/2019
    PRODUCT Driver machine interface. - Adlink Technology has released its latest Driver Machine Interface (DMI) touch panel computer, the DMI-1210, designed specifically for train control and driver information display.

    APPLICATION Tips for IT security. - Rittal’s teams work closely with leading industrial companies to create IT infrastructures for use with Industry 4.0 technology, including edge computing platforms. They have put together several tips to help companies implement fast-deploying and secure IT for production environments.

1/2/2019
    Brexit Who knows? The Brexit dilemma!Jean Claude Junker and Theresa May - It would appear that industry in Britain has by and large been in a state of stagnation – “torpor” is the word used in a recent article – waiting hoping for a favourable and non-disruptive result to the interminable negotiations. This would appear to be confirmed by Dharshini David of the BBC when he says, “Business investment is stagnant…”. In our experience no native instrumentation and control body or publication, with few notable exceptions, such as Processing Talk and GAMBICA, seems to realise exactly what is going down the line still less really understands what the implications of BREXIT are! The majority seem to think that everything will be alright on the night!

    PRODUCT Wireless Solution for IIoT for Europe! - Yokogawa will release the Sushi Sensor, an OpreXTM brand wireless solution, in markets other than Japan, starting with Europe (March 2019). Already available in Japan, the Sushi Sensor is a compact wireless device with integrated sensing and communication functions that is intended for use in the monitoring of plant equipment vibration and surface temperature.

    PRODUCT Monitoring ship carbon emissions. - Krohne Marine has introduced a new version of EcoMATE: the software system for fuel consumption monitoring now also includes monitoring and reporting of carbon emissions for ships. It enables crews, operators and fleet owners to monitor all vessel types with a single integrated software tool that provides automatic calculation and reporting of emission and efficiency data.

Eanáir 2019 January

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