The first Read-out
September 1977



Ask about prices
Site Map
Signpost
Events
News
Organisations
publications"
Acromyms
Education and Research
Standards
Jobs
News and Discussion Groups
Poetry
Directories & Portals
Links
Details of awards received by the Signpost are here.

Key Resource


All contents copyright © 2018 Readout Publications
The Read- Out Instrumentation Signpost
Measurement, Control and Automation Resources throughout the World



NEWS
Date of last update as at the top of the list (d/m/yy).

Our Archive Page has earlier news.

Contact Details

Statistics

Your Advert (prices)

This Site

Automation News appears on our Facebook Page up to 24 hours earlier than on our news or home pages.
#PAuto tweets

All tweets hashtaged #Pauto used to be available here but this is no longer facilitated by twitter (technical reasons!) but by clicking the image above PAuto tweets may be viewed directly.

Press releases from your company may be sent to any of the addresses shown on our Contacts Page.

Worried about writing PR pieces?
And here is some advice from Control's Walt Boyes PR Wall of Shame and more recently Chris Rand on 10 questions about PR for technical companies ...and 10 answers is useful especially for the smaller enterprise - but the big ones can learn too!

And what about pictures? "Do your photos make - or break - your press releases?" asks Chris Rand on BMON.


Is your website helpful to journalists? Let Marcia Youdkin guide you!
Test your release for readability and understandability on the Gobbledygook Grader

News from Ireland is indicated by the harp (right) the national instrument of Ireland!


Feabhra 2020 February
28/2/2020
    Events Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning & Predictive Maintenance - Predictive maintenance is a major focus theme at the upcoming Hannover Messe 2020. Many of the show’s exhibitors are providers of AI-powered software solutions that predict faults and prevent costly unplanned shutdowns in connected manufacturing plants and systems.
27/2/2020
    PRODUCT Speed & Direction sensing. - Latest addition to Allegro’s transmission speed sensor family improves system design efficiency for optimal fuel economy. The ATS19580 is the industry’s first fully-integrated, back-biased giant magneto-resistive (GMR) transmission speed and direction sensor.

    PRODUCT Ensuring electronic/pneumatic component availability. - Industrial automation specialist Festo has invested significantly in its core product range and related manufacturing and supply network to ensure that its electronic components are readily available worldwide, offer a long service life and are attractively priced.

    Events Seminars announced. - ProfiBus seminars with technology demonstrations and tabletop exhibition being held in Ireland & Britain will be of great value to Designers, Production/System Engineers, Instrument Technicians, Engineers and C&I Engineers involved in the design, operation and maintenance of modern automated factories and process plant.

    APPLICATION An open letter to cyber security policy makers - Control Systems Cybersecurity Expert, Joseph M. Weiss, is an international authority on cybersecurity, control systems and system security. Here he weighs in on cybersecurity, science and technology, security emerging threats and more.

26/2/2020
    Events Coronavirus announcements. - Many organisations holding events throughout Europe and the world are keeping a close eye on developments in this unprecedented emergency - at least in modern times. Events large and small are being effected and it is worthwhile to check on the current status of these on line before travelling.
24/2/2020
    PRODUCT Digital Factory Planning. - The latest version of conversion and simplification software 3D_Evolution Simplifier of the German-French company CoreTechnologie (CT) is now also available with a new DGN interface, completing the wide range of interfaces and formats for all major digital factory planning tools.
    People
    Jan Hartmann
    Jan Hartmann moves to the management of IDS Imaging Development Systems.

    PRODUCT Connectors for XLR panel cut-out. - Cliff Electronics have developed a very wide range of FeedThrough (FT) and conventional connectors designed to be mounted in the industry standard 24mm-diameter XLR panel cut-out. With over 20 different connector types now available in this standard format, panel design and manufacture is greatly simplified. Cliff’s FeedThrough connector design allows standard, off the shelf, cables to be used for internal connectivity further simplifying assembly.

    APPLICATION Industrial 5G Will Transform Industrial IoT and the Connected World - Overview 5G, the next-generation cellular technology, is getting a lot of attention these days and justifiably so. ARC Advisory Group has started to research this new area to be able to provide clients with actionable market intelligence on 5G for industrial applications. This ARC Insight explores the technology behind industrial 5G and potential applications, how the technology can impact and enhance Industrial IoT, and describes the activities of key associations and organizations that are developing technical specifications for 5G systems.

    PRODUCT DIN rail PSU. - PULS Power has added a 40A output model to its remote-controlled DIN-Rail power supply family. The remote-control feature is particularly useful in smart buildings and industrial systems where centralised control of multiple system components is required and allows system administrators and building automation controllers to switch power supplies on or off by use of an external signal switch or transistor gate.

21/2/2020
    NEWS Energy efficiency in Turkey. - At the invitation of the Turkish Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, the Ministry and Camille Bauer Metrawatt AG will discuss Turkey's strategic goals for energy efficiency.
20/2/2020
    PRODUCT Magnetic encoder system interface. - The BML absolute magnetic encoder in the SGA series stands out in any application where high absolute accuracy of position and end-of-travel is required. Comprehensive diagnostics functions ensure reliable operation and more efficient maintenance. With its Drive-Cliq interface the Balluff measuring system can also be perfectly integrated into Siemens controller environments. Siemens has certified the system accordingly.

    PRODUCT Cavity pressure sensors. - Two new cavity pressure sensors from Kistler have front end diameters of only 1mm, the world's smallest, and 2.5 mm both of which can be machined up to 0.5 mm to be made flush with the cavity wall contour virtually eliminating any marking of the moulding. Both sizes come with UniSens® uniform sensitivity to simplify installation, option of Titanium Carbo-Nitride (TiCN) coating for use with abrasive media and 2,000 bar pressure range.

19/2/2020
    PRODUCT Sensor meets the growing demand for digitalisation to collect sensor data. - In today's world, industrial, consumer and even medical sectors are adopting digitalization to collect sensor data. While certain devices are fitted with analog-to-digital converters, the market demands increased accuracy, smaller size, higher versatility and lower prices as data is used for more precise controls. To meet this emerging need, TE Connectivity (TE), has designed the TSYS03, a new digital temperature sensor with an ultra-compact design, precise multi-channel digital output and low power consumption.

    NEWS Wireless excellence recognised! - Iberian Lube Base Oil Company, S. A. (ILBOC), has won the 2019 ISA100 Wireless Excellence in Automation award. In so doing they join a list of distinguished end users which include BAPCO, Alcoa, Phillips 66, PETRONAS, Nippon Steele & Sumikin Engineering.

    NEWSAdvanced analytics for process manufacturing. - Seeq Corporation is the winner of the Advanced Analytics for Process Manufacturing Data category award for Control Engineering 2020 Engineers' Choice Awards program. Control Engineering's Engineer's Choice is the premier award program for new products in manufacturing and non-manufacturing industries.

    PRODUCT Mercury contamination monitoring. - The ergonomically designed Mercury Vapour Indicator (MVI) from Ion Science, is suitable for rapid and reliable mercury detection during decommissioning, demolition, repurposing or refurbishment of industrial plant, laboratories and other premises.

18/2/2020
    NEWS Uncertainties to lead to slower development in 2020. - Endress+Hauser remains on course for growth. In 2019 the Endress+Hauser Group increased its net sales by almost 8% to over €2.6 billion. However Endress+Hauser expects slower development in 2020.

    publications Comprehensive & practical automation. - There are a few publications which can be relied upon as "Bibles" of the automation sector and this is one of them. It is always important that the knowledge contained in them reflects the current state of industry and technology. As one of the editors said, "the book is particularly valuable to automation professionals early in their careers." (Cartlann)

    NEWSFirst for network integration. - Moore Industries has won Control Engineering 2020 Engineers’ Choice Awards for Network Integration – Signal Conditioning with the ECT-DIN 15mm in the Signal Isolator category. An engraved award for each Winner will be presented to each winning company at the 2020 Engineering Awards in Manufacturing dinner in April.

17/2/2020
    NEWS New location reflects and facilitates significent growth. - Abaco Systems has completed its move into its new headquarters, which significantly expands its footprint in Huntsville (AL USA). The new location hosts a significant new Engineering Innovation Center, a purpose-built training facility, and close proximity to key customers. Abaco's new headquarters has space available for further expansion in line with the company's continued growth.

    NEWSVisioning growth continues. - IDS Imaging Development Systems GmbH has exceeded industry expectations in 2019 as in previous years. With a sales increase in the higher single-digit percentage range, the company has held its ground well in the market, contrary to the 7% sales decline forecast by the VDMA for machine vision. The increase in sales was particularly strong in North America compared to the previous year.

    APPLICATION Odour control in Guernsey. - Guernsey's States Works is using an Ion Science handheld photoionisation detector (PID) to measure volatile organic compounds (VOCs) being emitted from an odour control system installed at Guernsey's waste transfer station.

    APPLICATION Energy Management Software. - This ARC Advisory Group energy management software (EMS) emerging market analysis report provides a concise analysis of the market for energy management software and services. This includes information on market size, growth, and key trends pushing and pulling this market space. Energy management software vendors are identified, and some strategy points are discussed.

    PRODUCT Safety and cable access solutions. - Foremost Electronics offers a wide range of safety and cable access solutions for industrial and construction equipment and services.

    PRODUCT Smallest camera-based positioning sensor. - The new IPS 400i from Leuze electronic. is the smallest camera-based positioning sensor on the market for double-depth compartment fine positioning. It helps high-bay storage devices to quickly and easily find the right rack.

14/2/2020
    NEWS Non destructive testing.- Following a rapid growth in demand during 2019, Ashtead Technology has significantly increased the number of flaw detectors in its fleet of rental instruments. Many of the new additions were Sonatest’s latest instrument; the Masterscan D-70 ultrasonic flaw detector, which was specified on numerous occasions, including one particularly large inspection project.
13/2/2020
    PRODUCT LTE testing automatic and fast. - Two new software options for Anritsu Corporation's Universal Wireless Test Set MT8870A to measure RF characteristics of 3GPP-compliant LTE-V2X (PC5) devices have been announced.

    PRODUCT Robust US flowmeter. - The Proline Prosonic Flow G 300/500 flowmeter has been launched by Endress+Hauser. This instrument can be supplied with either of two different transmitters: as a compact version (Proline 300), or as a remote version (Proline 500) with up to four inputs and outputs. These inputs and outputs provide flexibility with the ability to output not only flow, but also pressure, temperature, and numerous other process variables.

12/2/2020
    NEWS MES service partnership. - Werum IT Solutions and SpiraTec have further extended their range of services: SpiraTec has been successfully certified as "PAS-X Endorsed Service Partner" for DACH region and Europe. This qualifies SpiraTec to support pharma and biotech manufacturers during the design and implementation phase of Werum's Manufacturing Execution System (MES) PAS-X at production sites all over Europe.

    Events Partner conferences to launch SCADA systems. - SolutionsPT is to unveil the latest 2020 releases of AVEVA SCADA systems at a series of free events in March 2020 for Systems Integrators and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). The venues are in Ireland and Britain.

    PRODUCT Simple and accurate - Signal Group has launched a new highly accurate but simple to operate version of its Gas Divider, the Model 821S. Designed for testing the linearity and calibration of almost any gas analyser, the 821S only requires one calibration gas and a zero gas in order to conduct a full range calibration check.

    NEWS EMC from Data Portal. - Schaffner has announced its presence on the EPLAN portal with immediate effect. EPLAN is a powerful information source for global design engineering. The data portal offers customers shared by Schaffner and EPLAN benefits from the integration of device data and CAD which can be used digitally and efficiently in design engineering.

11/2/2020
    People
    Scott Krieger
    Scott Krieger has joined Autoscribe Informatics as Director of Technical Services, North America.
    NEWS Smart solution for IO-Link users. - The IODDfinder is a centralised, cross-manufacturer database for IO-Link users. It's been very well received by users. With more than 400,000 downloads in November of 2019 alone and over 12,000 devices, IODDfinder – the Internet platform for IO-Link description files - has become an established name in the market in just three years.

    PRODUCT SCADA for Machine builders & OEMs. - ADISRA SmartView 4.0 is a complete human machine interface (HMI) and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) package designed specifically for machine builders and OEMs. Powerful and easy to configure, ADISRA SmartView allows users to develop effective interfaces displaying the critical information they need to deploy, monitor, and analyse a machine's operation and overall status.

10/2/2020
    BREXIT Data and privacy will be Brexit battlegrounds - What happens on December 31 when the transition period ends and the Britain leaves the GDPR? The EU can decide if a third country has an adequate data protection regime that can be trusted to receive the data of EU citizens. Last week the UK said it would "develop separate and independent policies in areas such as…data protection."

    Events Emissions monitoring conference & show. - The operators of industrial processes looking for the latest help and advice on regulations, standards, methods and technologies, may register now to attend CEM 2020, the international emissions monitoring conference and exhibition.

    NEWS Top employer. - TE Connectivity (TE) has announced its recognition by the Top Employer Institute as one of the best employers in Germany in the Engineering category. The certification as "Top Employer" is the result of a multi-stage certification with a validation process and an independent audit.

7/2/2020
    Education and Research Improving workforce safety with shorter Training time. - Mimic™ Field 3D is an immersive training experience from Emerson, that is designed to help new and incoming workers gain a deep understanding of how changes in the field impact industrial plant processes. This virtual reality-based (VR) solution gives personnel simulated hands-on experience to prepare for any plant event, helping them make better decisions regarding operating changes and practise proper procedures before entering potentially hazardous plant areas.

    APPLICATION No rejections! - Waldon Ltd, an injection moulder located in the Welsh valleys, began working towards achieving zero rejects when it installed its first Kistler Como Injection cavity pressure monitoring system in 2009 which reduced an internal reject rate of 5% to less than 1%. Since then the company has taken advantage of every Como upgrade as they became available.

6/2/2020
    Events Single Pair Ethernet Industrial Automation Joins IoT Revolution - Attending the Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) Symposium hosted by Harting Electronics and the SPE Partner Network organization, InTech's Bill Lydon learned more about the 10BASE-T1 Single Pair Ethernet. SPE is an exciting development enabling seamless ethernet connectivity from sensor to enterprise, connecting the IoT universe.

    PRODUCT Enclosure range extended. - RS Components (RS) has introduced the new Cardmaster and Piccolo ranges of ABS and polycarbonate enclosures from Finnish manufacturer Fibox, the world market leader in thermoplastic enclosures for critical electrical and electronic equipment in hostile environments.

5/2/2020
    PRODUCT Digitalising oil and gas measurement and custody transfer. - Bedrock Automation has introduced full integration of flow computer functionality into the OSA platform. The new OSA +Flow family embeds industry-leading Flow-Cal measurement applications into the high performance, security, and simplicity of the Bedrock Automation platform.

    Education and ResearchIndustrial Digital Transformation Snapshot - Digital transformation remains a top priority of most industrial companies. But it can be difficult to know whether your organization is keeping up with the changes and transformations that are taking place throughout the industrial sector. This Digital Transformation Council and ARC Advisory Group research is designed to give manufacturers/producers a feel for how their organization compares to other companies as we all navigate our individual digital transformation journey.

    PRODUCT Force gauge with a lift! - The Centrax 2020 provides manufacturers and operators of elevators, safety guards and other powered door equipped machinery with a compact, portable and effective solution for door closing force and impact energy measurement. It is now available with full support from Ixthus Instrumentation.

    PRODUCT I/O for the IIoT - Opto 22 has announced groov RIO, a family of intelligent, distributed input/output (I/O) for IIoT and automation applications. groov RIO represents a first-in-class solution for its ability to quickly connect traditional wired switches and sensors directly to Ethernet networks, software applications, and cloud platforms without intermediary control or communication hardware, such as PLCs, PACs, or PCs.

    NEWS Network Integration – Signal Conditioning Award. - Moore Industries' UL approved ECT-DIN 2-Wire Isolator has won the Control Engineering 2020 Engineers' Choice Award in the Network Integration – Signal Conditioning category. The award will be presented at the 2020 Engineering Awards in Manufacturing dinner on Monday, April 27, 2020, in Chicago (USA).

    NEWS Analysers thrive in China. - Gas analyser sales at Signal Group grew during 2019, and the most successful distributor was Beijing Leshi Alliance Tech., the company responsible for sales in China of their FID gas analysers and the new Series 4 suite of analysers.

    NEWS Asset Management - Reporting recognised. - Dream Report from Ocean Data Systems (ODS), has been selected as a winner in the 2020 Control Engineering Magazine "Engineers' Choice Awards" program for the third year in a row.

4/2/2020
    NEWS Edge controller award. - Opto22's groov EPIC® has been selected as a winner in Control Engineering’s Engineers’ Choice Awards for the second year in a row. This year, groov EPIC took the award for the Industrial Internet of Things Connectivity— Edge Controller category.
3/2/2020
    NEWS Far ahead of its time - For two decades, Endress+Hauser has given the topic of digitalization a place it can call home. Endress+Hauser Digital Solutions is responsible within the Group for everything related to digital communications and automation solutions. Currently, applications for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) are the focal point of the work

    PRODUCT USB 3.2 compliant Signal Quality analyser. - Anritsu Corporation Signal Quality Analyzer-R Series MP1900A has been approved as a USB 3.2 Electrical Compliance Test instrument by the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF).

Eanáir 2020 January

There are many online college and university degree programs available with distance learning. These include the associate degrees,the bachelor degree program and online mba degrees for a more comprehensive study.



The site is mantained by Eoin Ó Riain and any suggestions or thoughts are more than welcome.
Suggestions should be mailed to readout@iol.ie. Other Contact Details

The Signpost has been honoured to receive a number of awards.