On track for £20 million turnover target. - In line with its 30% year-on-year growth objective, Ion Science is celebrating 30 years by announcing it is on target to achieve £20 million (€22m) turnover in 2019. Increasing global awareness of the need to monitor volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for indoor and outdoor air quality continues to drive demand for the company's high performance photoionisation detectors (PIDs).

Power supply with remote control. - PULS Power has introduced their new DIN-Rail power supply CP20.241-V1 featuring a remote-controlled ON/OFF feature. This allows system administrators and building automation controllers to switch the power supply on or off by use of an external signal switch or transistor gate. This remote-control feature makes centralised control of multiple system components very simple to implement and provides a very efficient shut-down facility in the event of system failure or emergency.

Low Cost, Low Profile VGA Connector. - The popular 15 pin VGA "D-Sub" to its market leading range of FeedThrough connectors have been added to the range from Cliff Electronics. All their FeedThrough connectors may be assembled into an industry standard XLR connector panel cut out, simplifying system design and improving product aesthetics.




Daniel Wodera is to become CFO of thyssenkrupp Materials Services effective October 1, 2019.

New IoT adaptor for enclosure cooling units. - Machinery and equipment must be able to communicate with each other and the internet if a company is to implement Industrie 4.0. To ensure customers can integrate existing Blue e cooling units into condition monitoring and IoT systems, Rittal is now offering a special adaptor that retrofits comprehensive communications capabilities.

Power Analysis. - Camille Bauer Metrawatt AG is now introducing the metrologically-certified LINAX PQ5000 mobile to the market. This power quality meter is based on the technological specifications of the PQ3000 and PQ5000 family for monitoring the power supply quality. The PQ5000 mobile mobile measurement solution can be used to check the operationally-relevant aspects of the energy supply.

Confirmed quality with automated tests. - During the development and enhancement of PROFINET devices, developers and system testers have extensively and successfully used the continuously expanded Automated RT tester (ART tester) from PI (PROFIBUS & PROFINET International). This has become an important component of quality assurance, and an increasing number of device manufacturers are integrating it in their testing during the development process.

Gas sensing in the purification process of drinking water. - The processing of clean and safe drinking water is an international issue. Estimates suggest that, if no further improvements are made to the availability of safe water sources, over 135 million people will die from potentially preventable diseases by 2020. (Paper from Edinburgh Instruments).

Traceable calibration of noise & vibration instrumentation. - In a move to safeguard the quality of measurements and eliminate the costs associated with unreliable monitoring equipment, AcSoft is offering traceable calibration of a wide range of noise and vibration instrumentation with a five-day lead time as standard.

Signal improvement capability transceivers. - CAN FD, the next CAN generation, will be used heavily in future passenger cars. Market-leading automakers will migrate from Classical CAN to CAN FD. In order to improve the use of CAN FD networks, CiA has developed their SIC (signal improvement capability) transceivers. CAN in Automation (CiA) has released the CiA 601-4 specification standardizing these SIC transceivers recently.

Simple joining process. - Kistler's new NCFE servopress solution is specifically designed for simple joining processes to deliver a cost-effective alternative to conventional pneumatic or hydraulic systems. Compared to hydraulic or pneumatic units, the NCFE module offers impressively low energy consumption, simple handling and fast commissioning for applications in the measuring range from 10 to 80 kN.

Concepts & Applications of the Industrie 4.0 AAS - Overview The Asset Administration Shell (AAS), a key concept of Industry 4.0 (or “Industrie 4.0” in German), is used to describe an asset electronically in a standardized manner. Its purpose is to exchange asset-related data among industrial assets and between assets and production orchestration systems or engineering tools. This ARC Insight explains how the AAS is built, indicates some of the available documents on the subject, and provides a few application examples.

Wireless pressure gauges contribution to major award. - The Alaska Oil and Gas Association has awarded the ‘Alaska Oil & Gas Project of the Year for Environmental Stewardship and Innovation’ to BP Alaska’s Prudhoe Bay Unit Well Operating Limits Project. The three-year programme began in 2016 and involved the field-wide installation of Emerson’s Rosemount™ Wireless Pressure Gauges at the Prudhoe Bay field, helping transform how the wells are monitored.

Is Cybersecurity Automation The Future? - One of the trending topics in information technology is cybersecurity automation. Automating mundane and repeatable tasks that are people-driven allows businesses and individuals to concentrate on more productive problem-solving activities. A focus on these problem-solving activities can foster innovation and lead to a more resilient organization from a cybersecurity standpoint. Automation also increases the complexity of an organization’s information systems, and as malicious attackers expand their targets, cybersecurity programs must be ready to implement automated cybersecurity solutions. (Darren Death - Forbes Technology Council)

Vibration control system for CNC machine tools. - NUM has launched an innovative accelerometer-based active vibration control system for CNC machine tools. Primarily designed to improve machining by virtually eliminating tool head vibration, the system further helps increase productivity by maximising material removal rate (MRR) and can also provide valuable real-time feedback for predictive maintenance purposes.

Digitize and Optimize Preventive Maintenance for Process Instrumentation - Maintenance can be made more efficient, helping make operations more efficient and profitable, by leveraging new digital technologies. Conventional time-based preventive maintenance (PM) is widely used throughout industry but has shortcomings that can be overcome with smart sensors and analytics (digital transformation).(Fawaz AlSahan, CAP, SCE)

Hand-writeable, self-laminating labels. - TE's TKM and BKM products are self-writable clear vinyl film with a permanent acrylic adhesive. Supplied with a white hand writable area which is over-laminated upon application using the clear portion of the label.

Instrumentation scholarship. - The ProComSol Instrumentation Scholarship Program has just been inaugurated by ProComSol, Ltd. This year the award will be $1500.



Opto 22 has named Josh Eastburn as Director of Technical Marketing.

Mobile analysis - 3D and 2D CAD Viewer. - The powerful 3D_Analyzer Viewer of CoreTechnologie (CT) comprises in the current version 4.3 a new license-borrowing function that allows to use the software for a limited time for example on a laptop.

Standard extended for safety. - The CiA 306-1 CANopen electronic data sheet (EDS) specification was first published in 2005. Its predecessor, the CiA 306 specification, was used for more than 20 years to provide an electronic description of CANopen device interface functionality. New published versions of the CiA 306 series have been extended in respect to the CANopen Safety protocol as standardized in EN 50325-5.

Survey shows growing interest in STEM careers but lack of encouragement, especially for women! - As the world faces a skilled workforce gap, the fifth annual STEM survey by Emerson found that six out of 10 Americans are interested in pursuing STEM careers – but fewer than four in 10 (39%) have felt encouraged to do so. The disparity is even more pronounced among women: two out of three US women say they were not encouraged to pursue a career in STEM.

Carry on regardless? - It is with a mixture of foreboding and uncertainty the people of Britain are looking forward to this years Halloween – 31st October 2019. The feeling in the rest of Europe may be described as sorrow mixed with total incomprehension. Business struggles on however and continues to function despite the planned and unplanned difficulties chosen by the people and/or their elected representatives.

Connected manufacturing and IIot examined. - PI UK will be present on stand E33 in the Connected Manufacturing zone and their Deputy Chairman, Derek Lane will be presenting a paper in the technical sessions on the subject of PROFINET on IIoT/IND4.0 including an update on TSN and APL (Time Sensitive Networking and Advanced Physical Layer).

MES in Irish pharma plant! - Takeda Ireland Limited has implemented Werum's PAS-X Manufacturing Execution System (MES) in a phased approach at its Grange Castle (Dublin IRL), production site. Takeda is a global, research and development-driven pharma company focusing on oncology, gastroenterology and neuroscience therapeutic areas plus vaccines.

New servo pump features ensure significantly reduced service requirements - Baumüller has worked continuously, together with its customers, on enhancement and has now brought its latest servo pump version onto the market. In the latest enhancement, the hydraulic pump is attached directly to the engine with a gear tooth system. This dispenses with the coupling and pump support as is the case with classic servo pump versions, which has the advantage of a shorter installation length and therefore a smaller machine installation area.

Communications standards upgrades. - The CAN in Automation (CiA) association has released new versions of the CANopen profiles CiA 406 and CiA 461. CANopen is internationally standardized in EN 50325-5. This European standard specifies the CANopen application layer and communication profile.

Engaging a Global Service Provider to Support Digital Transformation - Overview As digital transformation adoption progresses, businesses have become increasingly dependent on technology and software for planning, managing, and operating their enterprises. The competitive environment and rapid business dynamics continue to raise the bar for technology adoption to be successful. Internal staff familiar with the company’s operations focus on high-value strategy and application needs. Global service providers (GSP), in turn, often have broad and deep talent pools to provide companies with the resources for execution.

Analysers for power industry applications. - Two analysers for power industry applications have been announced by Endress+Hauser. The CA76NA monitors sodium, while the CA80SI analyses for silica in boiler feedwater, steam, condensate and ion exchangers. Each analyser can accept up to six sampling inputs.

Huge distribution centre opened! - A day of celebrations marked the Harting Technology Group's official opening of its state-of-the-art European Distribution Centre (EDC) in Espelkamp (D). Up to 20,000 order items will be processed every day, with goods dispatched to customers on the day of order.

Protecting water resources. - The British Environment Agency has awarded a 4-year contract to Meteor Communications for the provision of telemetry systems, services and MeteorCloud data hosting for water quality monitoring systems located in English rivers and bathing waters.



Neil Tiley, (top) is the new Servomex Service Manager EMEAI, covering Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India. Nick Tan (below) is their Service Manager ROA, covering the Asia-Pacific region outside of China.

New EU regulations for airconditioning plants. - Bans on the use of certain refrigerants as well as new regulations and rules on the operation, servicing and labelling of cooling and air-conditioning plants will come into force on 01 January 2020. Rittal has the answers to the users of refrigeration equipment questions on what to do now.

Faster integration in projects and operations. - New HART-IP support simplifies link between field devices and AMS Device Manager, reducing asset management project installation costs by up to 85%. Emerson has expanded AMS Device Manager making it easier to connect with devices and control systems and potentially eliminate hundreds of thousands of dollars in project hardware and engineering.

Facilitating easy bump tests! - An optional Premium Plus Case has been launched for Ion Science's range of high performance Tiger handheld photoionisation detectors (PIDs). Capable of holding various PID accessories, the rugged, environmentally sealed Premium Plus Case has been specially developed by Ion Science to accommodate a 34L gas cylinder, allowing quick and easy on-site bump testing of its well proven Tiger volatile organic compound (VOC) monitors.

Biobank management. - Matrix Gemini Biobanking provides a highly configurable environment for all aspects of biobank, biorepository and clinical trials management. It provides an ideal and proven solution for managing bio-samples (such as blood, tissue, DNA etc.) to assist with compliance to regulatory requirements.

On a voyage of discovery faciltated by cameras. - IDS Imaging Development Systems GmbH is a partner of experimenta, the largest Science Centre in the city of Heilbron. Cameras from their base in the nearby town of Obersulm are integrated in seven stations and contribute to exciting and sometimes amazing insights.

Chlor-alkali Process. - Chlor-alkali refers to the chemicals simultaneously being produced as a result of electrolysis of a saltwater or brine solution. Monitoring the Cl2 and NCl3 impurity throughout the chlor-alkali process is vital for safety concerns, environmental regulations, and process efficiency purposes. AAI's OMA-300-CL2 analyzer showcases a seamless dynamic range of the OMA Series from low ppm up to high % concentrations of chlorine and chlorine-based compounds.

How to halt cyber-burnout! - As an engineer involved in building cyber security solutions for industrial organizations, Stefan Liversidge, of Nozomi Networks, has seen stress levels among security staff accelerate significantly over the past year. His observations were validated in the recent "Cyber Security in 2019" survey of over 3,000 CISOs and security decision makers. The report found 37 percent of cyber security professionals felt they were unable to handle the current workload, while two-thirds considered quitting their jobs due to the pressure of cyber threats.




AMETEK Surface Vision has appointed Éric Charette-Béchamp as its Regional Sales Manager for Canada..

Industrial labels. - TE Connectivity (TE) has introduced new self-adhesive polyester rating labels, PR115. These custom-designed labels have UL969 category PGJI2 file MH29684 approval, which means that they can be printed by end-use product manufacturers using thermal transfer equipment.

Taste testing whisky - An artificial 'tongue'developed at the University of Glasgow's School of Engineering can taste subtle differences between drams of whisky. The approach could lead the way to better detection of counterfeit alcohol. In a new paper published in the Royal Society of Chemistry's journal Nanoscale, Scottish engineers describe how they built the tiny taster, which exploits the optical properties of gold and aluminium foils to test the tipples.

IS humidity and temperature sensor. - The new intrinsically safe EE100Ex from E+E Elektronik is certified according to the European ATEX directive 2014/34/EU and the international IECEx standards for use in gas explosion hazard areas up to zone 1. The humidity and temperature sensor offers high measuring accuracy and is dedicated for demanding climate and process control.

Light on for SOLAS!* - The three months grace period on the amended Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Regulations has now expired, and exporters are now required to verify the weight of packed shipping containers. Sensor Technology is able to provide a simple, retrofittable solution for SOLAS compliance, and the company has already worked with a number of exporters who admitted to being “caught out” by the implementation of the legislation.
* The word "solas" is the Irish word for "light".

Strategies for Digital Transformation - Overview The second day of ARC’s India Forum for the process and discrete industries Driving Digital Transformation in Industry and Cities, continued with the same momentum and keenness to understand new technologies generated on the first day. The age of questioning and doubting the digital imperative is over; it’s no longer about if and when – it’s about “have to, but how?” Collaboration at all levels (information technology (IT), operational technology (OT), engineering technology (ET), and other services is the norm to achieve real-time integrated operations.
Report on first day may be found on the archive news page for July at 29th July

Delivering high quality regulators. - The industry-leading image dimension measurement systems Keyence design and manufacture allow its customers to perform accurate inspections at a level of speed and precision that is unparalleled. One such customer is Pressure Tech. a British manufacturer of high-quality stainless-steel pressure regulators for use on gas and liquid applications.

Protecting remote I/O installations. - Intertec is launching a range of tough field enclosures for housing remote I/O and other control and instrumentation electronics, featuring compact passive cooling to dramatically reduce costs of ownership.

Urgent/11 free - reassurance! - "Opto 22 would like to reassure our customers that, after careful and thorough review, we can state that none of our hardware or software products contain the VxWorks IPnet TCP/IP stack or variants of that software and are, therefore, not directly exposed to any attacks that might target these "URGENT/11" vulnerabilities. This statement applies to the recent Opto 22 product family groov EPIC® (edge programmable industrial controller), the groov® Edge Appliance (groov Box), the SNAP PAC® System, and SNAP Ethernet I/O® products." (More information on these security vulnerabilities in body of the story!)

Low level force sensor. - The Type 9215A miniature force sensor from Kistler Instruments is only 23.3mm long and 6.0mm diameter and weighs only 2.5g making it ideal for both laboratory and industrial applications where space is at a premium.

VOC detector used by IVF facility. - The Assisted Conception Unit at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee (GB) has purchased an ION Science Tiger handheld volatile organic compound (VOC) detector in adherence with the Human Fertilisation and Embryology (HFEA) regulations for air quality in tissue laboratories and to ensure optimum culture conditions for embryos.

Ten thousanth visitor to Industrie4.0 centre! - A group of visitors from the German satellite broadcaster ProSiebenSat1 Media SE were in for a surprise on when they visited Rittal's Innovation Centre. Gunnar Scharf, one of its members, was the 10,000th visitor to the Centre. The IT expert received a certificate and a gift from Jan-Henry Schall, Head of the Center.

A first in accelerators built for cloud and edge Data Centres. - Xilinx has expanded its Alveo data center accelerator card portfolio with the launch of the Alveo™ U50. The U50 card is the industry’s first low profile adaptable accelerator with PCIe Gen 4 support, uniquely designed to supercharge a broad range of critical compute, network and storage workloads, all on one reconfigurable platform.

The latest issue of David W Spitzer's e-Zine has been distributed.

RoHS compliance declared. - Anglia has completed its compliance for the latest RoHS standard commonly referred to as RoHS 3. Anglia is shipping RoHS 3 compliant inventory to customers unless it has received a specific request for non-RoHS items such as those typically required for Military & Aerospace applications.
• The RoHS (EU 2015/863) standard will continue to apply in Britain after BREXIT.

Reveal Your Best - ARC Advisory Group recently attended the 44th annual Honeywell Process Solutions Users' Group (HUG) Americas conference in Dallas, Texas. Conference attendance and energy alike were strong, with over 1,400 attendees. This year's theme, "Reveal Your Best," builds on the promise of Honeywell's new Honeywell Forge offerings for delivering visual analytics across process, assets, and people. Once again this year, Honeywell used the event to introduce several new hardware and software solutions, with a focus on the software.

Digital Transducer Interface (DTI) technology. - Kistler is the only manufacturer to partner with automobile manufacturers by offering efficient test setups that feature additional benefits such as automatic sensor detection. For OEMs with limited resources available for the necessary tests, DTI is an efficient way of speeding up processes without compromising on precision, safety and reliability.

E-learning in Automation - New e-learning courses from Rockwell Automation equip workers with the skills they need to support modern industrial operations, while allowing the training to occur at a time, pace and place that’s right for each worker.

The economic environment! - The Irish economy has continued to grow at a strong pace, supported by the buoyancy of domestic economic activity and strong growth in exports, despite the rise in uncertainty about economic prospects and increasing external headwinds. In the event of a no-deal Brexit, growth will be significantly weaker in 2020, with unemployment higher than it would be if a deal is agreed. If a no-deal Brexit is avoided, there is a material risk that continued strong expansion could give rise to overheating in the economy.
Leagan Gaeilge!

The end of the Fieldbus Wars? - "The time of the Fieldbus Wars is over. Finally, there will be the one universal communication standard supported by everyone. All devices will be interoperable and third-party manufacturers can configure them without trouble: conformance tested and certified. The new standard will be stable immediately." This is the vison that Martin Rostan, Executive Director, EtherCAT Technology Group pours cold water on in the July issue of the Industrial Ethernet Book.
See also our Fieldbus Archive (2000 - 2006).

2/8/2019

Unique service for system developers of IPC and embedded systems. - With its proven Power+Board bundles, Bicker Elektronik, offers a unique service for system developers of IPC and embedded systems. As part of extensive in-house laboratory tests, the perfect matching combinations of high-quality power supplies and mainboards from AAEON, ASRock, Avalue, Fujitsu and Perfectron is ensured.

Acquisition expands data processing capability. - A strategic acquisition that boosts its expertise in measurement data management has been announced by The Kistler Group. AMS, the Chemnitz-based (D) software developer, specializes in analysing, processing and visualizing large volumes of measurement data – so this acquisition adds to the expertise of the Swiss measurement technology expert with a special focus on vehicle development.

Cybersecurity Lab for India. - Their newest cybersecurity lab has been opened by Emerson. It helps manufacturers confidently to adopt digital transformation strategies, while protecting the integrity of their plant operations, networks, systems and data.