Augmented Reality (AR) "Human 4.0" - Aegis Software has announced FactoryOptix®, a unique technology that integrates human assembly operations directly into the automated Industry 4.0 environment, using Augmented Reality as a an additional method to deliver FactoryLogix paperless work-instructions.

USB-C connectors. - A FeedThrough version of the industry-standard USB-C connector which can carry data and power on a single cable has been announced by Cliff Electronics. The Cliff USB-C connector has no up or down orientation and the connector cannot be mis-inserted.

How the Potential Tech Worker Exodus from Britain Benefits Ireland! -

City air quality monitoring. - OTT HydroMet is installing fifteen automatic weather stations as part of the English University of Sheffield’s Urban Flows Observatory, which is led by the Departments of Civil and Structural Engineering, and Automatic Control and Systems Engineering (ACSE).

Accelerometer calibration. - MB Dynamics (MB) has announced the global market launch of its Win475 MULTI-DUT CRASH-CAL (MDCC) automated accelerometer calibration system.

EU exit resources! - GAMBICA members can access the EU Exit Resources page in the My Gambica members area, to see the latest advice for businesses in preparing for Brexit.

The Digital Twin – Enabling Realtime Closed Loop Manufacturing Optimization - The Digital Twin has become one of the most powerful concepts of Industry 4. 0. The implementation of model-based, real-time, closed-loop monitoring, control, and optimization of the entire manufacturing and production process, the Digital Twin concept is helping organizations achieve real-time integrated manufacturing.

Managing NOx gas emissions from combustion. - As political pressure increases to limit the emissions of the oxides of nitrogen, James Clements, Managing Director of the Signal Group, explains how the latest advances in monitoring technology can help. Pollution can only be managed effectively if it is monitored effectively.

Single Pair Ethernet Push-Pull connector. - Based on transmission standards (IEEE 802.3), single-pair Ethernet (also called SPE or 1000Base-T1) is integrated into new generations of automobiles. LEMO provides two types of insulators 0B.511(2 contacts) and 1B.512 (4 contacts + screen) compatible with Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) and Shielded Twisted Pairs (STP). The new product is available in the B series and also in a watertight version - the T series connector.

Shawn Opatka is the new Executive Vice President and General Manager of Werum IT Solutions America.

Industry’s most comprehensive operational analytics portfolio. - Following years of strategic investment and innovation, Emerson has developed the industry’s most comprehensive operational analytics portfolio, delivering actionable insights to address industrial manufacturers’ most pressing operational challenges. Their portfolio of operational analytics focuses on the greatest source of value for industrial manufacturers – the production itself. Operational analytics with embedded domain knowledge can impact and improve performance of simple equipment, complex assets and process units, and entire production plants.

Spectrum analysers. - Anritsu Corporation has expanded its Spectrum Master MS2760A ultraportable spectrum analyser series with extended broadband frequency coverage from 9 kHz – 170 GHz, as well as introduced a new series of higher sensitivity models – the Spectrum Master MS2762A - with coverage from 6 GHz to 170 GHz for the most demanding sensitivity requirements.

Barcode printers. - Printronix Auto ID has announced the addition of the T4000 RFID Thermal Barcode Printer to its rapidly growing line of high-performance RFID printers. The T4000 prints and encodes on both standard and on-metal RFID labels and tags making it a universal solution for almost all RFID applications.

Differential pressure sensor. - The EE600 from E+E Elektronik measures the differential pressure in the range 0...1000 Pa or 0...10 000 Pa with an accuracy of ±0.5 % of the full scale. The sensor is dedicated for HVAC applications and can be employed for air and all non-flammable and non-aggressive gases.

Supplier partners chosen for outstanding performance, innovation and collaboration - Emerson’s AVENTICS GmbH recently received the Bosch Global Supplier Award in the category "Purchasing of indirect materials" and thus ranks globally among the best suppliers of Bosch, a leading global supplier of technology and services. Only 47 companies were recognized from a base of 43,000 suppliers.

Safety with steam valves. - With the flange safety valves 355 and 455, Goetze offers a wide range of options for almost every steam application. Operating the systems efficiently and boosting profitability is becoming more and more important. Producing steam is very expensive. This makes it all the more important to operate plants with a high degree of efficiency and minimal steam loss.

Analytics key to digitalization rewards - According to myriad articles, studies and white papers, analytics is now “the topic” for any business application, from supply chain optimization to pricing and distribution. But while this firehose of news and information has eased the way for applications in industrial operations by gaining the attention of the C-suite, it has made it more difficult to navigate the path to a successful implementation.

Leonard W. Moore, founder and owner of Moore Industries-International, died earlier this month. RiP.

Easy, Low-Cost and Space-Saving 5G NR Fading Tests with a Single Unit. - The Radio Communication Test Station MT8000A now with upgraded 5G Protocol Test functions has been announced by Anritsu. The upgrade uses NR (New Radio) Fading software when implementing built-in baseband fading tests, making the MT8000A to provide support for 3GPP TS 38.521-4 B.1/B.2 V15.0.0-compliant 5G NR channel (TDL) model tests using NR Fading software implementing built-in baseband fading tests.

Advancing cybersecurity readiness and awareness in manufacturing and critical infrastructure facilities and processes - Overview The ISA 62443 series is the cybersecurity standard of reference for manufacturing and other critical infrastructure sectors. Most end uses in the manufacturing and other industries will tell you that they follow the standard but, in fact, many do not really understand what this means or what they must do to conform. As a lifecycle standard, ISA 62443 addresses cybersecurity from product selection, engineering, and project implementation, through operations. This adds another layer of complexity.

Versatile ultrasonic flow and energy meter. - The Dynasonics® TFX-5000, introduced by Badger Meter, is an ultrasonic clamp-on flow and energy range of meters. Designed for non-invasive, ultrasonic transit time measurement, the meters are ideal for use in water and wastewater treatment, Heating/Ventilation/Air Conditioning (HVAC) and oil and gas applications.

Edge-based Machine Health Monitoring. - Emerson and Arrowhead Systems, have announced that they have partnered to produce a next-generation, machine health monitoring solution which will increase uptime for high-speed palletiser production used in container stacking but is also adaptable for use with other primary products.

Stuart Harris, Group President, Emerson’s Digital Transformation Business.

Camera process data directly. - The Ensenso XR is the first stereo vision camera offered by IDS that processes 3D data directly in the FPGA. The 3D camera system is therefore particularly suitable for computing-intensive applications such as bin picking or in-line measurements.

LIMS in Australasia. - Autoscribe Informatics Pty Ltd has recently established new premises in Adelaide to strengthen and support the growing global presence of Autoscribe Informatics.

Industrial connectors for Britain. - Foremost Electronics has been appointed Distributor for circular connector specialist Neutrik Industrial Connectors in Britain. Neutrik are leaders in connectivity for the audio, broadcast and lighting markets and supply major OEMs and systems integrators

Talking metals quality in Spain! - The Quality Alliance, a network of high-tech companies that develop and supply quality assurance and control systems to the global metals industry, has announced the group’s annual Quality Day 2019 meetings will take place in Spain in October.

1U Desktop System. - Advantech has announced the release of its latest new 1U THIN barebone system with 8th Gen. Intel® Core™ processors up to 65W TDP – EPC-T2286

Getting ready for a recession - So many indicators are suggesting that an economic recession is imminent, that we all should be planning for it. Recent recessions have been relatively regular in Britain: 1980/81 (five quarters); 1990/91 (five quarters); and 2008/09 (five quarters). That's not good for any of us, but we should be planning for the eventuality. BMON's Chris Rand has some suggestions

Heat shrink sleeves. - The ZHD-SCE low fire hazard and fluid resistant heat shrink sleeves from TE Connectivity (TE) are designed for harsh environments. These ZHD–SCE sleeves can be used in a wide variety of applications including rail, marine, motorsports and industrial that require the highest performance from an identification sleeve, without compromising on safety or capability.

2-Wire Isolator/Converter. - The new UL Approved ECT-DIN 2-Wire Isolator/Converter from Moore Industries is available in a narrow 15mm aluminum housing. The thinner 15mm width has the same General and Hazardous area approvals, RFI/EMI protection and -40°deg;C to 85°deg;C operating temperature range as the rest of the ECT family of isolators, which means it can be installed in hazardous locations and does not require installation in cooled or climate controlled environments, making it perfect for more extreme locations.

Graphics and Video Capture XMC. - A powerful new rugged XMC graphics and video capture board has been announced by Abaco Systems. The NVP2102 takes advantage of the high performance of the NVIDIA® Pascal P2000 GPU with its 768 cores and 4 GBytes of GDDR5 memory to deliver 2.3 TeraFLOPS of peak performance with support for both CUDA® and OpenCL™.

Developing open resource for roboticists. - ADLINK Technology is now part of the Open Robotics ROS 2 Technical Steering Committee (TSC). The ROS 2 TSC sets the technical direction for open robotics and is made of organizations actively contributing to the development and success of ROS 2.

Easy-to-deploy monitoring accelerates asset digitalisation. - The AMS Asset Monitor edge analytics device just introduced by Emerson, digitalises essential asset data and analytics for better operations performance and improved decision-making. AMS Asset Monitor provides actionable insights into essential assets that were previously monitored only with infrequent assessments. The new edge analytics device will connect with Emerson’s Plantweb™ Optics asset performance platform to provide key operations personnel with instant asset health details for operations and maintenance decision-making.

Optical sensors enhanced. - Omron Electronic Components Europe has announced a new series of optical sensors, featuring a longer detection distance. Omron B5W sensors are particularly effective at identifying black, transparent, reflective and other hard to detect services, and the new range also features enhanced performance in this area.

DMM with free accessories. - Until 31st December 2019 and while stocks last, Fluke is offering a DMM Safety Bundle consisting of a Fluke 179 Digital Multimeter (DMM) with a free Fluke TLK-225 SureGrip™ Master Accessory set of leads and connectors representing a discount of over 20% (manufacturer recommended prices) on the items purchased separately.

Mobile water level monitor. - A new all-in-one wireless water level logger from OTT HydroMet, can be used for the remote monitoring of surface or groundwater. Simple to set up and run with a mobile phone, the OTT ecoLog 1000 has been designed for long-term applications, even in remote locations, and is able to issue warnings automatically to help manage or avoid the problematic conditions that can occur when water levels rise.

Personalised digital experience! - Emerson's new personalised digital experience – MyEmerson – accelerates digital transformation by connecting people and technology through streamlined work processes and better collaboration. With this account, users can access digital tools to quickly engineer solutions, manage software and installed assets, access training, collaborate with experts, streamline procurement processes, and improve visibility into buying history and trends.

Experts Debate Use of Cybersecurity Profiles - Overview Awareness of the cybersecurity risks to industrial systems has increased significantly in recent years in response to several widely reported incidents. Analysis of and reporting on these incidents have identified the inherent vulnerabilities of commonly used products and technologies as well as the evolving nature of the threats. It is now generally accepted that either a targeted or non-targeted attack could trigger serious consequences. The response to the increased risk has been inconsistent across sectors and companies.

Easy turbidity measurement! - The new EXspect 231 NIR absorption sensor from EXNER is not only compact and robust, but also can be used in a multitude of processes and, at the same time, is easy to use.

Ready for 5G? - HMS Networks surveyed 50 international industry professionals in spring 2019 to inquire about the positioning of wireless communication in their companies and to see how they are getting ready for the launch of 5G. HMS' whitepaper titled "5G: Is the Industry ready?" presents the results of this study and provides state-of-the-art insights into the current situation in the manufacturing industry in terms of 5G preparedness.

Contactless tube ID measurement. - Developed for an Italian automation specialist and available as part of Riftek's expanding range of laser scanning pipe and tube inner diameter measurement system solutions, a new variant of the RF096 series laser probes speeds precision measurement inspection for tubular components.

OT, IT & Cybersecurity! - - The latest Advancing Automation ebook from Automation.com (Vol XIX),is entitled Industrial Cybersecurity The focus is on the latest insights and initiatives changing the landscape of cybersecurity.

Dust monitoring and alarm. - Following advice from the British Health & Safety Executive (HSE), a large manufacturer was required to monitor airborne particulates in and around its paint shop, and to automatically raise visual and audible alarms when potentially dangerous conditions arise. Ashtead Technology was contacted, and Jay Neermul, Environmental Sales Manager, visited the site to assess the requirements.

Machine vision! - Registration is now open for the STEMMER IMAGING UK Machine Vision Technology Forum which will take place at the Vox Conference Centre in Birmingham (GB) on 13-14 November 2019. Featuring a choice from an in-depth two day program or the free second day, the event is billed as the Britain’s most comprehensive machine vision learning event.

Mitigating Cyber Risk in Maritime Applications - Overview The cybersecurity threat landscape is ever-changing. Attacks are becoming more sophisticated, advanced persistent threats from nation states are becoming more common and even blended with criminal activity. There are also untold unknowns. As the scope of threats seems to widen, we are discovering that a much wider spectrum of systems and assets are at risk. Threats are no longer limited to DCSs, PLCs, and SCADA systems.

Complex powertrain analysis. - The University of Bath and Kistler have co-operated on a project to define how technology can be used to provide an objective and repeatable analysis. The challenge was to be able to characterize the whole vehicle powertrain performance, such that laboratory conditions and on-road conditions could be accurately matched in real-time. For this, accurate analysis of powertrain inputs, outputs and responses are required, including torque and energy flows for the whole system.

Programmable Industrial Controller with VPN. - The release of Opto 22's firmware update 1.4.1 for the groov EPIC® Edge Programmable Industrial Controller has been announced. This update expands the capabilities of this next-generation industrial control system. Engineers and developers will find helpful new networking options and tools, plus new software choices for their automation and industrial internet of things (IIoT) applications.

Analysing noise & vibration. - AcSoft has introduced the latest NoisePAD four-channel real time Acoustics & Vibration Analyser from SINUS. The combination of robust 8” tablet and DSP-based analyser is ideal for a range of automotive, NVH, aerospace, aeroacoustic, building acoustic and environmental monitoring applications, as well as engineering services, quality assurance and research and development.

Channel-Partner in Germany. - Advantech is expanding its presence in the German market with its new channel partner, HY-LINE Communication Products Vertriebs GmbH. The HY-LINE technology company based in Unterhaching near Munich, develops and realizes innovative technical solutions.

Drives with free 5-year warranty. - Control Techniques has launched a free, five-year warranty for its Commander range of general-purpose drives. Anyone who purchases a drive from the Commander range will now be able to register to extend the products’ warranty from two years to five, at no extra cost.

Distribution of disc pump agreement. - ION Science has confirmed an exclusive agreement with TTP Ventus to distribute its award-winning Disc Pump™trade;trade;trade;trade; to the global gas detection market. The micropump platform offers a wide range of innovative features designed to deliver ultrafast millisecond response and more sensitive detection of gases including volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Error detector for Dublin! - Anritsu is to demonstrate the new, world-beating PAM4 Error Detector module for its popular Signal Quality Analyzer-R MP1900A Series PAM4 BERT on stand 28, at the ECOC Exhibition 2019 in Dublin, (IRL), from September 23 to 25 September 2019.

100 new USB3 Vision cameras. - The USB3 Vision camera range by IDS Imaging Development Systems is being expanded by more than 100 models in the coming weeks. The company integrates the entire range of Sony sensors in several camera families, which it currently already offers with a GigE Vision interface.

Ultra-wide angle thermal MEMS sensor. - Omron Electronic Components Business Europe has added a wide angle 32 x 32 element version of its D6T MEMS Thermal Sensors, offering the widest field of view that Omron has ever delivered.

Keeping the Operation Running: - Summary Cybersecurity intrusions against factories and critical infrastructure have been on the rise over the past decade. At the 2019 ARC Japan Forum in Tokyo last month, Trend Micro shared its cyber-defense approach with the Forum's approximate 250 attendees from various industrial sectors. Significantly, this defense approach considers both the cybersecurity knowledge of information technology (IT) staffs and the domain expertise of operational technology (OT) staffs.

Sensors, probes, transducers and indicators. - Positek Limited has increased its comprehensive range of precision sensors with new pressure transducer and temperature probe product lines along with dedicated instrumentation displays. In addition, a broad range of cable extension transducers will supplement the displacement transducer manufacturer's extensive portfolio of linear, rotary, tilt and intrinsically safe position sensors.

Acquisition strengthens final control portfolio. - Emerson has acquired the Spence and Nicholson product lines from Circor International. The acquisition complements Emerson's broad portfolio of steam system solutions for process industries and commercial buildings.

MAP suite announced! - A new generation of all-in-one software solutions: Measurement, Automation, and Platform Suite (MAPS) has been announced by ADLINK Technology. To improve process efficiency and shorten development time and effort, developers working with DAQ and PXI modules may immediately begin work with MAPS software packages such as their Connection Explorer (ACE), diagnostic tools, and easy-to-use testing utilities to analyze device functionality in one click.

Energy harvesting traffic lights - for horses! - When talking about Energy Harvesting Switches, the first applications that one thinks of are primarily in the smart home, building and industrial automation industry. A ZF Friedrichshafen AG's customer, Westcotec, has developed an application for traffic signs using the ZF Energy Harvesting Switch.

Acquisition increases air monitoring capabilities. - The ACOEM Group has broadened its technical expertise and market presence in air and gas monitoring following the acquisition of DynOptic Systems Ltd, the specialist manufacturing company that designs and produces a range of continuous emissions monitoring sensors and instruments. The acquisition includes DynOptic Systems' subsidiary business, Tunnel Sensors, a world leader in tunnel atmosphere monitoring equipment.