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!


Márta 2020 March
31/3/2020
    NEWS Support for ventilators. - Anglia's new COVID task force aims to speed the design and production of ventilators and other essential medical equipment. Anglia Components has announced the formation of a COVID task force to coordinate and allocate available inventory and FAE resources to support customers designing or manufacturing ventilators and other vital medical equipment to help address the COVID-19 emergency.

    PRODUCT Installation Testers with free Digital Multimeter & Software. - Until 30th June 2020 and while stocks last, Fluke UK is offering two 1660 Series Multifunction Installation Testers with a free Digital Multimeter (DMM) plus data management software. The Fluke 1664 UK-DMM comprises a 1664 FC Multifunction Installation Tester with a free Fluke 115 DMM plus free Fluke DMS Data Management Software; the Fluke 1663 UK-DMM comprises a 1663 Multifunction Installation Tester with a free Fluke 114 DMM plus free Fluke DMS Data Management Software.

    NEWS Strategic obsolescence management. - The rapid spread of the Corona virus (Covid-19) puts a massive strain on both the German and international economies. Long before the current crisis, STW has developed a service that reduces the default risks to a minimum and guarantees long-term availability of STW components through component and obsolescence management. This means STW remains able to deliver its products.

    PRODUCT Industrial Gigabit PoE+ switch. - UBF hold a wide range of injectors (midspan) and switches (endspan) for Fast Ethernet PoE and Gigabit Ethernet PoE according to the standards IEEE 802.3af, IEEE 802.3at and IEEE 802.3bt, which are also available with extended temperature range.

30/3/2020
    PRODUCT Ultra-Low-Flow. - The QLF Series in-line ultrasonic flow meter, introduced by Flow Technology (FTI), is for use in ultra-low-flow low viscosity liquid applications.
    People
    David Hearn
    The death has been announced of David Hearn, past MD of Stemmer Imaging UK.
    RIP

    NEWS Reinforcing the Open Integration network. - The Endress+Hauser Open Integration partner program unites 13 manufacturers that want to ensure the streamlined interaction of their products. Softing Industrial Automation joined the partner network at the beginning of the year.

    Education and Research Automation Supplier Revenues Flatten in 2019 - Automation suppliers saw revenue intake slow slightly over the course of 2019, posting a drop of slightly under a third of a percentage point overall; Q4 revenues slipped by nearly 1 percent. Order activity in 2019 cooled, dropping by just over half a percent for both the year and Q4. Process-centric suppliers saw 3.4 percent growth throughout the year, while discrete supplier revenues dropped by nearly 5 percent. The investment climate for automation projects in many discrete industries in Asia remained subdued. (ARC Advisory Overview)

27/3/2020
    PRODUCT Measure for corona prevention. - The concern about getting infected with Corona is currently present worldwide - not only in private life, but also in professional life and in public spaces. The virus has become a major challenge for numerous German companies and public authorities. Every employer wants to protect his employees as best as possible and therefore take effective preventive measures in this context. Automation Technology (AT), has recently developed an innovative solution for the prevention of possible corona infected people - the so-called "FebriScan".

    APPLICATION Coast with the rolls! - In Europe's biggest roller coaster, the Helix at the Liseberg amusement park in Gothenburg (S), POG 10 HeavyDuty incremental encoders from Baumer monitor the speed of the carrriage's drive as it approaches the start ramp. The HeavyDuty technology guarantees high reliability and precision under extreme environmental conditions – serving up both thrills and reassuring safety for riders.

    PRODUCT LED and Light Guide mounting. - Essentra Components have seen that for approximately the last three decades LEDs have taken over from incandescents in electronic equipment, then in higher power electrical applications and most recently of course in domestic/public decorative lighting and general illumination. Drawing on their many years of worldwide experience in this field, they have produced an "LED Light Guide for product and panel building"

26/3/2020
    PRODUCT Low cost high-performance data-acquisition unit. - RS Components has introduced a low-cost, next-generation data-acquisition system that offers the ability to quickly and dynamically sample more signals simultaneously. This data-acquisition system (DAQ973A) is shipping now from RS in the EMEA and Asia Pacific regions.

    PRODUCT Wireless accelerometer. - Scalable, reliable and more compact wireless sensors for remote condition monitoring help companies get the most from their assets by minimizing downtime, maximizing availability and reducing installation costs. Further, enhanced condition monitoring systems are key to improving the uptime of machinery. To provide this level of performance in critical machinery in industrial applications, TE Connectivity has designed the 8911 wireless accelerometer.

25/3/2020
    PRODUCT Wireless network solution for digitalised production. - Different sensors and electromechanical switches, but also actuators and command devices, can be integrated in this wireless network solution. They all transmit and receive data via the sWave.NET® wireless standard developed by steute for precisely such applications.

    PRODUCT PIM analysis over fibre. - The IQ fibre Master™ MT2780A multi-port CPRI-based RF and PIM analyser just introduced by Anritsu, is the first instrument to perform true PIM analysis over fibre and present RF spectrum results derived from IQ data.

    APPLICATION Applying data science to hazard analysis - The use of standardized data structures that are already revolutionizing PHA documentation. Extending these standardized data structures will allow the development of tools that can display a single set of data as a HAZOP worksheet, LOPA worksheet, or bow-tie diagram. (Edward M. Marszal, InTech Jan/Feb 2020)

    NEWS Impact of COVID-19 on Industrial Markets - ARC Advisory have written many reports and completed several webcasts about the impact of the virus on industrial markets, we will be doing a lot more research and writing many reports over the coming weeks.

    BREXIT Tug-of-war: What does Brexit mean for EU and British chemical industry? - Brexit is sealed ... What’s next for the EU-British chemical industry? — Europe is the second largest chemicals producer in the world. With Britain now leaving the EU zone, what will this mean for chemical trade between the two sides? (PROCESS Worldwide)

24/3/2020
    NEWS Making remote working work! - Strictly speaking this is not really automation as we would know it but it is perhaps something that can help some of us in our work - especially for those organisations unused to working remotely. GForge is helping businesses adapt to the coronavirus threat by making it easier than ever before to use a collaboration platform to empower remote workers.

    Events Belfast seminar deferred to October 2020 - Due to the Covid-19 pandemic the planned Belfast Profibus seminar has been rescheduled to October. This event will address the key practical issues arising from the use of digital communications technologies in automated manufacturing and process industry applications, with particular attention to Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).

    APPLICATION Picking apples for cider! - The SFM Samurai is a self-propelled apple harvester that harvests fallen fruit and is widely used in the cider production industry. With the capacity to harvest up to 100 tonnes of apples each day, the machine is designed for optimal navigation through the narrowest of orchard rows thanks to its SFM developed four-wheel steering system that uses Novotechnik RFC4800 series angle sensors, supplied by Variohm EuroSensor, to monitor each axle position to ensure complete front and rear wheel synchronisation.

23/3/2020
    Paper Whether Augmented, Mixed and Virtual Reality? - XR is a term which has become more prominent in the last few years. It encapsulates virtual, augmented, and mixed reality topics. The definition of each of these has become saturated in the past decade, with companies using their own definitions for each to describe their products. The new IDTechEx Report, "Augmented, Mixed and Virtual Reality 2020-2030", distils this range of terms and products, compares the technologies used in them, and produces a market forecast for the next decade.

    NEWS Gas analyser manufacturer offers help! - The British Government’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy has issued a call to manufacturers seeking support in the supply of ventilators and ventilator components as part of the response to Coronavirus. Despite a healthy order book for gas analysers, Signal Group has responded positively; formally expressing a willingness to help.

20/3/2020
    PRODUCT Titanium-housed for US flow meters. - The Daniel™ T-200 is a titanium-housed transducer, for Emerson's gas ultrasonic flow meter product line, marking the first use of metal 3D printing to enhance the acoustic performance of ultrasonic flow meters in custody transfer applications. The T-200's robust design provides increased reliability, uptime and safety while achieving the highest accuracy class attainable in gas measurement.

    Paper Seven Tips To Improve OT Cybersecurity - Extensive material has been published to advise operational leaders on cybersecurity issues and concerns. What is lacking, however, is a holistic view of the situation, as research suggests that technology alone cannot adequately manage cybersecurity risk. This white paper draws upon the insights of multiple ICS cybersecurity specialists from Honeywell, working in the industry for over 15 years. (Honeywell)

19/3/2020
    Education and Research Scholorships program opened in USA. - Emerson has announced the application period is now open for its 2020 ASCO Engineering Scholarship Program for U.S. college students*. The merit-based scholarships are awarded on the candidate's potential for leadership and for making a significant contribution to the engineering, instrumentation, systems, and automation professions. Recipients may also be eligible for an Emerson internship.

    PRODUCT Precision sensor application development support. - TE Connectivity has announced today its integration with ADI MeasureWare, a plug and play suite of hardware measurement kits and software studio tools to help fulfill the growing need for precision measurement across multiple industries including precision agriculture, machine health monitoring, electrochemistry and other areas requiring precise measurement.

18/3/2020
    PRODUCT High risk internal corrosion levels. - DataManager v8.2 analysis software from Emerson continuously monitors high risk internal corrosion levels in hydrofluoric acid alkylation units to prevent acid leaks and unplanned shutdowns, and offers better predictability of equipment lifespan.

    WEb Site The latest in automation. - Marking the 20th anniversary of providing engineering, operations, maintenance, and business professionals with news, new product and technical information, the ISA subsidiary, Automation.com has launched a new website to provide easier access to essential content.

    PRODUCT Designing connectors. - For the first time ever, users can now make customised adjustments to the housings of series-produced industrial interfaces by using the Han® Configurator, the Harting online tool for designing connectors. Cable entries can be modified and identifying letterings can be applied to hoods and housings.

    PRODUCT Power analyser. - The WT5000, which is the flagship model of our power analyzer WT series, now offers greatly extended capabilities for companies measuring power consumption and efficiency as part of their development cycle.

    PRODUCT Non-contact temperature measurement. - RS Components (RS) has introduced the new Fluke TiS20+ and TiS60+handheld infrared thermal imaging cameras. Offering easy one-handed fixed-focus image capture, these new Fluke infrared imagers are ideal for engineers and technicians new to thermal imaging, allowing accurate non-contact temperature measurement from a safe distance to reveal invisible thermal issues that cannot otherwise be detected.

    Education and Research Industrial Automation Jobs in the Making - Research by Salesleads, a company that tracks industrial companies that are planning construction, expansion, or relocation projects in North America, 435 new projects are in the works as of February 2020, an activity increase of 1% from the previous month.

16/3/2020
    PRODUCT Flow visualisation. - Micro Motion's™ ProcessViz™is a standalone, cost-effective software solution for flow meter process data visualisation. Having an instant visualisation of raw process data translates into direct actionable information, helping plant operators in the chemical, food and beverage, and oil and gas industries reduce the time needed to identify a problem in the flow process.

    Education and Research ISM COVID-19 Survey: Impacts On Global Supply Chains - The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) revealed the first-round results of a survey focused on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) business and supply chain impacts. Notably, nearly 75 percent of companies report supply chain disruptions in some capacity due to coronavirus-related transportation restrictions, and more than 80 percent believe that their organization will experience some impact because of COVID-19 disruptions. Of those, one in six (16%) companies report adjusting revenue targets downward an average of 5.6 percent due to the coronavirus. (ARC Advisory)

12/3/2020
    APPLICATION Cyber-related process hazard analysis - There is still much to learn about the intersection of cybersecurity and safety. This requires collaboration between both communities for the continued protection of assets, people, and communities in today’s challenging cybersecurity environment. (InTech march).
    People
    Owen Bonner
    Owen Bonner is Director of Sales and Operations for Werum, Ireland and UK.

    NEWSGlobal provider of test and technology solutions consolodates. - Microlease, along with the Livingston brand and Electro Rent in Europe, have completed the consolidation of their European operations. The three companies will operate within the global Electro Rent Corporation as Electro Rent.

    Events Rescheduled event: - The Emerson Users Exchange which was postponed due to the COFID-19 Pandemic, has been rescheduled to March 30th - April 1st, 2021. The venue will be the same: MiCo - Milano Convention Centre.

    PRODUCT Probe for CO2, Humidity, Temperature and Pressure - The EE872 from E+E Elektronik measures the CO2 concentration up to 5 % (50 000 ppm) as well as relative humidity, temperature and ambient pressure. Additionally, the 4 in 1 probe also calculates the dew point temperature. It is perfectly suited for use in harsh and aggressive environment, such as agricultural applications.

    NEWSProtecting customers and staff from COVID-19. - Anglia Components has put in place extensive measures to minimise the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on its customers and to protect its staff.

11/3/2020
    PRODUCT Laser Rack Systems - TOPTICA Photonics AG has released quantum-technology-approved laser modules for industrial rack integration: narrow-linewidth tunable diode lasers, amplified or frequency-converted diode lasers, frequency combs, and related accessories.

    PRODUCT Space-saving and robust valves. - The new model IBM monoblock from WIKA is designed to be space-saving and robust. The compact instrumentation valve is optionally available with threaded connections angled at 90°, ball valves and/or needle valves.

    PRODUCT Fibre optic fault locator. - For the localisation of fibre breaks, for continuity testing or for the identification of stressed fibre areas IMM Photonics offers different fibre test devices including adapters and fibre cleaners.

    PRODUCT PSU with built-in redundancy. - The latest addition to the Puls Power Dimension CP Series is a ruggedised unit featuring an integrated high efficiency MOSFET based decoupling function for secure power N+1 redundant operation without the need for an external decoupling unit or use of inefficient "OR-ing" diodes.

    PRODUCT Motion System. - The 2G Motion System is a servo solution from Kollmorgen, based on the latest thinking about single-source, systems-based design. The 2G Motion System was designed specifically to harness the performance capabilities of their AKD2G servo drive and AKM2G servo motor.

10/3/2020
    Paper Augmented and mixed reality: what is it, and where is it going? - XR is a term that has become more prominent in the last few years. It encapsulates virtual, augmented, and mixed reality topics. The definition of each of these has become saturated in the past decade, with companies using their own definitions for each to describe their products. The new IDTechEx Report, "Augmented, Mixed and Virtual Reality 2020-2030", distils this range of terms and products, compares the technologies used in them, and produces a forecast for the market next decade.

    PRODUCT Panels and systems. - Moore Industries Instrument Panels and Systems engineering and design group is offering turnkey solutions for your process, automation or Safety Instrumented System (SIS) monitoring and control needs.

    APPLICATION Network management enables greater security - A modern network management system is an important part of maintaining plant availability in threat situations, as part of defense-in-depth in conjunction with firewalls and other security components. Especially against increasing cyberattacks, a network management system can deliver a decisive advantage.

    Switches ignition protection certified. - ZF Friedrichshafen AG has confirmed that approval has been received for the UL certificate for their NCKL2/8 applying to the D4 range of versatile miniature snap switches.

    APPLICATION HMIs Open the OEM Machinery Aftermarket - New technology is making it possible for OEMs to re-engineer their processes and operations, better support their customers, and capture increasing aftermarket business.

    PRODUCT Gas detector validated! - United Electric Controls has announced that its Vanguard WirelessHART Gas Detector is now HART Registered. This registration ensures that all WirelessHART users will be able to add Vanguard device drivers the next time they update their device descriptor (DD) libraries. It also assures users that they can add Vanguard systems to existing WirelessHART networks, seamlessly and securely.

9/3/2020
    BREXIT Britain opts against fast-track security checks agreement with EU - British negotiators rejected participation in the 'safety and security zone' despite accepting it would significantly increase border delays. The haulage, shipping and freight industries are up in arms after British ministers ignored industry requests to seek vital security waivers from the EU needed to smooth cross-channel freight after Brexit. (Peter Foster - Telegraph, London)

    NEWSPreparing for 5G in manufacturing. - Rittal is one of the first industrial players to receive a 5G frequency allocation. Before the end of the year, a private 5G mobile communications network will be installed in the new Haiger (D) plant. The first pilot projects, for example in production monitoring and analysis, have already been defined.

    Education and Research Coronavirus and automation - What is the coronavirus and why is it so scary? What can happen? A look at the impact of past disruptions on automation markets Global Market Development Where is the business cycle excluding the COVID-19 coronavirus? Process industries are doing well but flattening. Hybrid markets are up by low single digits. Discrete markets are in a downturn. Automotive-focused markets are at the mid of a downturn. We expect low point to be reached in Q2/Q3. Electronics and semiconductor are flattening and stabilizing. (ARC Special Report)

6/3/2020
    APPLICATION Working from home productively - Well, it looks like concern about spreading and catching the COVID-19 coronavirus has led to a few companies encouraging staff to work from home, and I'm sure there are many people making excuses to do so on an individual basis. BEMON's Chris Rand gives his experience 30 year working from home!
5/3/2020
    NEWS Co-operation towards next-generation applications for artificial intelligence. - Emerson and Quantum Reservoir Impact (QRI) have teamed up to develop and market next-generation applications for artificial intelligence (AI)-based analytics and decision-making tools customised for oil and gas exploration and production (E&P). Together, the two E&P software industry leaders will help oil and gas customers embrace digital transformation technologies and harness vast amounts of data to optimise their reservoir management strategies.

    Events Coronavirus announcements. - As a result of the current situation regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19), Deutsche Messe is postponing HANNOVER MESSE, originally scheduled from April 20 to 24, 2020, to July 13 to 17 2020.

    PRODUCT Leading-edge test and measurement kits. - RS Components (RS) is stocking a wide selection of products from Keysight Technologies, a world leading test and measurement equipment provider. These Keysight test and measurement devices are shipping now in the EMEA and Asia Pacific regions.

    APPLICATION Sustainable Manufacturing Through Obsolescence - The amount of worldwide e-waste generation is expected to exceed 50 million tons by 2020. Americans specifically, throw away an estimated 55 billion USD in e-waste material each year. This article explains how manufacturers can achieve sustainable manufacturing through obsolescence management.

    PRODUCT Temperature probes for food. - The B+B stainless steel, screw in probes are, due to their security, reliability and easy cleansing surfaces, excellently for applications at food industries. With their shockproof structure and the high tightness they are also suitable for negative and over pressure. All B+B screw in probes are spilled vapour proof and made of high quality stainless steel whose surcface satisfies the strict regulations of food industries.

4/3/2020
    PRODUCT Enabling rugged, optimized connectivity & automation at the edge. - Red Lion Controls has launched the FlexEdge™ Intelligent Edge Automation Platform today. This revolutionary system brings a new degree of versatility to edge computing, while its ease of use makes productivity and efficiency gains from digital transformation initiatives accessible with point-and-click simplicity.

    APPLICATION Thumbs down on the digital revolution! - Is society collectively overdosing on the digital revolution? The lunacy in our industry, industrial automation, is ... maddening. We're collecting data by the bucketful (big, terabit bucketfuls). And mostly, it's going to waste. It's not normalized or scaled and the units are unknown – cloud companies are making fortunes managing these digital garbage dumps. Some 60-70% of IoT projects fail, but we're still being told that our choice is digital transformation or bankruptcy. (John S. Rinaldi - Real Time Automation).

    PRODUCT Multi laser engine for biophotonics & microscopy. - Toptica's iChrome CLE is a compact laser engine that combines four laser lines in one box. All integrated colors are provided via one polarization-maintaining single-mode fiber. It is available with 405, 488, 561 and 640 nm and more than 50 mW guaranteed output power after the fiber each.

    PRODUCT Electronic components live! - Anglia has made a significant upgrade to Anglia Live making it one of the fastest, most flexible e-commerce sites in the electronics industry. The new site offers a host of new and enhanced features including a completely configurable parametric search, allowing customers to compare devices and guiding them towards the best solution for their design.

    PRODUCT Intelligent process valve. - Bürkert has advanced the intelligent control of process valves with the introduction of the Type 8694, the first valve positioner on the market that offers an IO-Link digital communication interface.

3/3/2020
    PRODUCT Continuous positioning for demanding industrial applications. - Septentrio has introduced AsteRx SB ProDirect, a new compact and robust integrated heading GPS/GNSS* receiver. It delivers accurate heading and pitch or heading and roll information in addition to the reliable high-accuracy positioning that Septentrio receivers are known for.

    PRODUCT Electrical tester. - Until 30th May 2020, Fluke is offering its Fluke T6-600 Electrical Tester at an approx. 18% reduction on the recommended retail price when purchased at one of its authorised distributors. The T6-600 features FieldSense Technology, which makes troubleshooting safer and more efficient by allowing electricians to take voltage and current measurements, not just detection, without test leads.

2/3/2020
    PRODUCT Monoblock for sampling and injection processes. - Two new monoblocks with probes from WIKA, support the control and regulation of media properties within pipelines. The model IBS3 has been developed for sampling, the model IBJ4 for injection procedures.

    PRODUCT Passive harmonic filters - Schaffner has announced the extension of their well-known and best-in-class ecosine evo line passive harmonic filter series. The product continues to evolve, combining superior technology to reliably mitigate excessive harmonics with an innovative modular concept, to meet customer requirements.

    APPLICATION The Industrial Cybersecurity Imperative - Executive Summary Industrial cybersecurity has always been and remains a moving target. Awareness of the challenge that cyber-attacks represent for industry, infrastructure, and the public sector has increased significantly over the last several years, along with associated investments. However, both the sophistication of the attacks and the number of possible attack vectors have also increased. Certainly, the large number of legacy systems designed and installed before the term, "secure by design," entered the popular lexicon remain particularly vulnerable. (Paul Miller - ARC Advisory)

Feabhra 2020 February

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.