26/2/2021

Programmable DC PSU. - The ADG-P Programmable DC Power Supply range has been added to Intepro Systems' power supply offerings. The ADG-P provides high power density and output power, up to 100kW, in units that can be used as a standalone system or can be extended by parallel connections.

Four SCADA considerations for manufacturers. - Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and human-machine interface (HMI) systems have great potential for manufacturers. However, there are many details that might be missed that could cause major headaches and reduce their overall effectiveness. Consider these four key elements when using them. (Control Engineering)

Which measurements ensure safety and purity of hydrogen gas in storage and transport? - Over 70 million tonnes of hydrogen are produced each year to meet the demand from the manufacturing, chemical, power generation and automotive industries. That’s a lot of hydrogen (at atmospheric pressure, it would fill Wembley Stadium 2,000,000 times over) - so storing and transporting this highly flammable gas safely is a key concern.

Air Velocity Sensor. - The EE680 air velocity sensor by E+E Elektronik is used to monitor the laminar flow in cleanrooms or on safety workbenches. The sensor precisely measures the air velocity up to 2 m/s (400 ft/min) and simultaneously also the temperature. It meets the requirements of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and is therefore ideally suited for the pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and microelectronics industries.

When all you need is PM, NO2 and real-world data - The Praxis/OPCube from South Coast Science, just launched clearly meets market demand as the first production batch has already sold. It has proven popular with customers looking for monitoring of ONLY airborne particles (PM1, PM2.5 & PM10) and NO, where raw as well as corrected sensor data is available to customers for validation purposes.


Shea Quinn has joined the Teledyne Webb Research Glider as the new Product Line Manager. Cordielyn Goodrich joins as a Customer Support Applications Engineer.

Measurement Data Analysis for automotive. - There is little doubt that the automotive industry leads the world in innovation. Crash tests, road tests, NVH analyses and engine test benches are all applications that create large amounts of data. The Kistler jBEAM software is designed specifically to provide an efficient and easy to use system for the analysis, visualization and report generation of large amounts of data.

The next step in industrial automation - The 1960s animated sitcom character George Jetson had an essential job at Spacely Space Sprockets, Inc. His job was to ‘push the button.’ The automation system did the rest. What does this all mean for industrial automation? To embrace the future, we must evaluate and invest in various automation approaches that initially seem costly and challenging but eventually pay back handsomely as an investment in reducing long-term cost of ownership. (Maverick blog on State-Based Control)

Thermal imagers for easier proactive maintenance. - Rugged, reliable and accurate TiS55+ and TiS75+ thermal imagers from Fluke, feature voice annotation, IR-PhotoNotes, asset tagging and other key features to support an effective proactive maintenance programme.

Flexible training ensures efficient operation and maintenance of critical systems. - A new global training programme aimed at supporting those responsible for operating and maintaining industrial data communications networks has been launched by Westermo. Offering flexible online and in-person training, the Westermo Academy will provide certified courses to network engineers wherever they are located around the world, ensuring they have the expertise needed to maximise the performance and reliability of industrial networks.

Keeping cool. - P&N Europe develops and produces high efficiency cooling assemblies, based on peltier technology. These assemblies can be developed in accordance to customers’ requirements to efficiency, performance and durability.

Changing of the guard (pic right). -
The founding generation (Therese Havemann, Klaus Havemann, Dr. Axel Hunsche) of German testing machine manufacturer TesT have passed the baton to the succeeding generation (Jan Havemann, Arne Havemann, Julia Kiewitter (neé Hunsche).

IT-OT Convergence - Seamless connectivity between IT and OT networks has become a fundamental business need, but it requires a fresh look to balance confidentiality, integrity and availability.(Connectivity & Cybersecurity: Part 1 of 3 from Automation.com)

Battery with long service life. - The new Li-Ion battery pack BP-LIO-1525 from Bicker Elektronik offers five times more charge / discharge cycles than conventional lead-acid batteries and thus guarantees a particularly long service life. The high-quality battery pack impresses both in industrial use and in medical technology applications with its approvals according to IEC / EN 62133-2: 2017 and UL 62133: 2017 Ed.2.

Multi rotary switch. - The new Elma MR50 multi rotary switch is now available from Foremost Electronics. Rugged rotary switches have a wide number of industrial applications and are indispensable in the agricultural vehicle sector where they are subjected to very harsh conditions.

Performance in aerospace, security and space recognised. - Intelliconnect (Europe) Ltd has been re-approved to the SC21 Silver Performance Standard Award for a third consecutive year by the SC21 Board of ADS, the Trade Organisation for the Aerospace, Security and Space Industry Supply Chain Programme. The SC21 Board recognises this as a significant achievement which is nationally recognised and has offered their congratulations to the entire team at Intelliconnect for obtaining this important recognition award as part of their supply chain excellence journey.

PLM provides technology and science for pharma & biomed. - Today’s life sciences industry faces many challenges, including those related to product development. Increasing operational costs coupled with often high drug development failure rates can limit the number of viable candidates entering clinical trials. This increases the pressure to deliver better results, faster. Product lifecycle management (PLM) software suppliers are offering robust portfolio solutions for life sciences companies, including both biomed and pharmaceutical product manufacturers.

Ethernet fieldbus controller acquires info. - Burster's new generation 9251 series fieldbus controller (available through Ixthus Instrumentation in Britain), supports PROFINET, EtherCAT and ETherNet/IP - and in combination with the well proven 9250 series universal instrumentation amplifiers make light work of sensor data acquisition for the Industry 4.0 age.

Neuer Termin für verschobene Konferenz. - Ursprünglich war die iCC als zweitägige Konferenz in Baden-Baden (D) im März 2020 geplant. Aufgrund der Covid-19-Pandemie wurde sie verschoben. Die 17. internationale CAN-Konferenz (iCC) findet vom 14. bis 17. Juni statt. Die Veranstaltung ist an vier Halbtagen geplant, so dass Teilnehmer aus Asien, Europa und Amerika sich zu akzeptablen Tageszeiten einwählen könne. (This story in English)

Automated optical inspection enhanced. - Mycronic is to offer Aegis Software’s FactoryLogix®: software solution with their K-Series 3D AOI (Automated Optical Inspection) equipment platform through an extended agreement between the two companies.

Explosion-Proof/Flameproof field-mount enclosure. - The Moore Industries' BH Explosion-Proof/Flameproof Field-Mount Enclosure for Hockey-Puck Instruments provides excellent protection for field-mounted units, and meets standards for enclosing indoor and outdoor electronic instruments.

Holding steady through 2021. - Endress+Hauser has weathered the crisis year 2020 in good shape. However, the Group’s consolidated sales fell – strongly influenced by exchange rate effects – by almost 3 percent to just under €2.6 billion. Even a strong laboratory business could only partially offset the shortfalls in process automation, which was hit harder by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

Miniature stepper-gearmotors and drive. - The new range of Micro Motors miniature stepper-gearmotors and a simple dipswitch-configured single-axis stepper drive are the latest new products from Mclennan. The four stepper gearmotors each offer a wide choice of spur-gear reduction ratios for maximum application flexibility and combine with the user programmable drive to provide a competitively priced and compelling solution for basic motion control tasks.

Integrating flow, process control improves operations - Integrated flow and process control can significantly improve oil and gas operations. For instance, at a well pad, there may be the need to perform between 25 and 75 simultaneous measurement calculations along with the execution of wellhead and facility controls. A typical well pad might have one or more separators, Lease Automatic Custody Transfer (LACT) units, a facility programmable logic controller (PLC) and a central radio for supervisory control and data acquisition. (Control Engineering)

Enhanced Plant Operations and Safely - In today’s rapidly changing environment, safety is always at top of mind, but do you have the flexibility and visibility to quickly adjust to meet the next challenge? The AADvance®: Control System from Rockwell Automation offers a distributed, scalable architecture, which allows you to specify the level of safety integrity and availability you need throughout your facility to meet a wide range of operational needs.

New 5G RF regulatory test system. - The RF Regulatory Test System ME7803NR from Anritsu is a solution for regulatory compliance testing of 5G communications systems.

Steel adaptor range expanded. - Eaton has relaunched and expanded its steel adapter portfolio in the EMEA areas, with more than 2,000 part numbers to be offered starting in the first quarter of 2021.

A Team Approach to resolving process upsets - In spite of advanced technology, process upsets unfortunately do occur, and thus they need to be anticipated and quickly controlled to ensure smooth and continuing operations. An upset is the disruption of one or more process-related issues that drive the intended operations of a chemical process. Upsets can be minor, for example incremental temperature increase over time, which can lead to an out-of-spec formulation. The upset could also be major, such as an out of control reaction, which could significantly compromise the plant environment and worker safety if not quickly identified and corrected. (Automation.com)

Vibration testing of bolt connections. - TesT has launched the next generation of Junker testing machines with transverse displacement amplitude control. This new technology allows simulation of the conditions in the field even more realistically.

The journey of a global leader in connector & cable solutions. - Founded in Switzerland in 1946 in Morges along the Geneva lake shore, LEMO®: took its name from the company's founder, the current CEO’s grandfather, engineer Léon Mouttet. Originally a manufacturer of contacts in noble and rare metals, the company took a major step forward in 1957 with the invention of the Push-Pull self-latching connector.

Red, hot and humid? Finding out! - NASA's Perseverance rover, launched in July 2020, is scheduled to land on Mars on the 18th February 2021. The Perseverance is carrying several scientific instruments on board, including Finnish-made humidity and pressure instrumentation. The Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) instrumentation on board will be used to provide accurate and reliable pressure and humidity measurements in the extreme conditions of Mars.

Ethernet connections. - The ODU MINI-SNAP®: for Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) enables Ethernet connections via copper cables with a single twisted wire pair, while allowing for the voltage supply of terminal devices via PoDL – Power over Data Line. The simpler design of the new generation of connectors and the associated weight and space reduction are good for designers and developers in various areas.

Smart temperature. - The iTEMP TMT142B, a new generation smart temperature transmitter with Bluetooth has been launched by Endress+Hauser. The transmitter delivers highly accurate and reliable measurements, wireless communication via Bluetooth, and user-friendly operation—all packaged in a robust single-chamber field housing. The technology offers significant improvements in process efficiency and plant availability while reducing costs.

Sustainable and intelligent maritime logistics - The Finnish start-up Awake.AI is accelerating its platform development by introducing a 'marketplace' solution to orchestrate complex shipping and port transactions. In November 2020, the European Space Agency (ESA) awarded Awake.AI funding to conduct the project Commander which will develop and pilot the Awake platform and introduce 'Awake marketplace'.

Ag ceann an chomhairimh! - Chuir Údarás na Gaeltachta fáilte roimh chinneadh an chomhlachta clúiteach taighde margaíochta IPSOS/MRBI láithreacht a bhunú iin Iarthair Mhaigh Eo agus i ngréasán gteic ach go háirithe. Beidh dhá phost bhuana á gcruthú i gteic@Béal an Mhuirthead mar thús agus tá sé fógartha ag IPSOS go bhfuil 30 duine, idir oibrithe páirt agus lánaimseartha, á gcuardach acu faoi láthair ó cheantar Iorrais agus iarthar Mhaigh Eo trí chéile. (This Story in English!)

Tools plus free products. - Fluke is offering a free product to customers who purchase Fluke products between today (15th February 2021) and 30th June 2021. Customers who purchase Fluke products through authorized Fluke distributors have the opportunity to claim a free product. Claim the free product through the Fluke website with the original proof of purchase, invoice, or receipt.

Electric linear actuator. - Thomson Industries has launched the Electrak LL electric linear actuator, a long-life, high-duty-cycle component designed to work in the harshest conditions and offer superior environmental protection. In addition to having improved functionality dedicated to high duty cycle applications, the Electrak LL comes standard with all the performance, reliability and durability features that have made Thomson an industry leader in linear actuators.

Application programming interface launched. - Anglia Components customers can now integrate information and functionality offered by Anglia Live into their own Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) environment following the launch of a new API (Application Programming Interface).

A geeky watch! - Crowd Supply, the product development platform connecting hardware creators with early adopters and enthusiastic backers, has announced the launch of Watchy, a minimalistic E-Ink watch with a variety of cases to choose from, including bare-bones PCB, injection-molded plastic case, and anodized aluminum.

Innovation spotlighted. - Control Engineering has announced the best automation, control and instrumentation products in the 21 categories of their annual Engineers' Choice Awards program.

Powering precision digital circuits. - A new eBook in collaboration with KEMET has been published by Mouser Electronics, highlighting new technologies and strategies to design power distribution networks. In 7 Experts on New Approaches for Power Distribution Network Design, leading engineers from companies such as KEMET, Analog Devices, and Samtec offer valuable insights into tackling the complexities of powering precision digital circuits.


Markus Asch (49) has been appointed as CEO of Rittal International Stiftung & Co. KG and Chairman of the Management Board of Rittal GmbH & Co.

Position sensing in standard-duty and extreme-duty operation. - Emerson has released its TopWorxTM Magnetic Target Switch™ (MTS) to provide ready-to-install, universally-certified position sensing for explosion proof and intrinsically safe applications. The hazardous locations-approved TopWorx MTS joins the TopWorx GOTM Switch in the Emerson portfolio of position-sensing products, providing a single source for both standard and heavy-duty position sensors.

Programming PCBs. - Digitaltest has been successfully using the FlashRunner series from SMH Technologies for its in-circuit test applications for many years. The FlashRunner 2.0 from SMH is the result of decades of experience and the most advanced technology in the field of in-system programming (ISP), which makes it possible to program up to 16 different components simultaneously.

Replacing seven SCADA systems with one. - The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) has launched its ambitious, $1.5 billion Baggage 2025 program. GTAA operates Toronto Pearson International Airport, and it had a strong vision for improving Toronto Pearson's baggage handling system. The first step was replacing existing systems with a single upper level/supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system that would serve as the new heart of Toronto Pearson's baggage operation. (Control Engineering)

Using Flowmeter Measurements to Improve Quality - Food plants make extensive lab-based quality measurements to ensure product quality. Adam Booth from Endress+Hauser describes how Coriolis flowmeters can make some of these measurements in real time, saving time and money in an article from the latest InTech Focus ebook covering fundamentals of flow and level measurement.

CAD Envelope Geometry for Performance and IP Protection. - CoreTechnologie has added new functions to its 3D_Evolution simplifier software specifically for virtual reality, augmented reality and digital factory applications.

Safety relay module. - The HR6S safety relay module from IDEC Corporation is a microcomputer-based device supporting a wide variety of connections, input devices, and operating modes - and adds convenient diagnostic and status monitoring important for the growing number of manufacturing sites relying on important internet of things (IoT) data.

Safe, user friendly control applications. - Sensor-Technik Wiedemann (STW) has issued a new safety release for their ESX.3xm and ESX.3xl electronic control units. This new software package enables customers to create functional safety applications on these control units using CODESYS V3.5 with the IEC61131 PLC programming languages. Additionally, these ESX-3 control units have now been integrated in the openSYDE Lifecycle suite.

Difficult conversations: Open ports, business data needs, and cybersecurity risk. - In this article from Automation.com shares with readers in the OT space the terminology, concepts and IT perspectives learned to help them have collaborative discussions with IT, to weigh risks together, evaluate options to address risks, and accomplish movement of data for operational & business needs.

Innovative sensor solutions. - Anglia Components has expanded its sensor portfolio with the exciting addition of environmental and flow sensors from Sensirion, a leading manufacturer of digital microsensors and systems. These sensors will enhance Anglia customer designs across a wide range of industrial and new emerging markets, such as IoT sensing applications.

Focus on enabling smarter, safer, more sustainable operations. - Emerson Users Exchange Live 2021 Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) will highlight practical innovations and solutions to help industrial manufacturers achieve performance improvements by running their operations smarter, safer and more sustainably. The 2021 event is being held virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thousands of delegates will be able to attend more than 120 online presentations taking place live over three days, from March 29 to 31.

Real-time measurement of FEC Symbol errors. - Expanded Forward Error Correction (FEC) analysis capability has been added by Anritsu in its 116 Gbit/s PAM4 Error Detector (ED) MU196040B module for the Signal Quality Analyzer-R MP1900A series bit error rate testers (BERTs). With the new ED module, the MP1900A is the first BERT to support real-time measurement of FEC symbol errors, providing design engineers a single-instrument solution to more efficiently evaluate next-generation 400 GbE and 800 GbE high-speed devices and transceivers.

How Digital Transformation Impacts the Role of Process Control - That "process control" role certainly isn't going away, but the digital transformation technologies and associated skillsets required by those technologies are changing, requiring more information technology (IT)-related skills. (Mark Sen Gupta - ARC Advisory).

Six things to Look for in an acoustic imaging camera. - Compressed air leaks, vacuum system leaks, electrical partial discharge—these are all expensive system issues that consume power, causing companies to deal with unforeseen costs and potential production/uptime issues. Ultrasound imaging with an acoustic camera is an effective way to detect these equipment issues as part of a complete asset management plan. What should be looked for when selecting an acoustic imaging camera? Here FLIR points to six must-haves that could help makefinal purchasing decision.

LIMS in flour. - A new LIMS case study has been published by Autoscribe Informatics in conjunction with North America's leading flour supplier and grain innovator, Ardent Mills. The Matrix Gemini Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) took just 6 months to implement and is now being used across the three laboratories in its Denver-based Innovation Center (CO USA).

Industrial data communication technology smooths travel. - Mobility as a service (MaaS) is a concept that aims to provide alternatives to private-owned transport that are just as convenient, but more sustainable and cost-efficient for travellers. The RATP Group, the French public transport operator is at the forefront of the MaaS movement. This puts users at the core of transport services, offering them tailor-made mobility solutions based on their individual needs. Westermo provides the industrial data communication technology for this project.


Neil Sandhu (Product Manager for Imaging, Measurement, Ranging & Systems at Sick (GB) has formally been appointed chairman of UKIVA

PLC users can use cloud services without programming. - Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), machine builders and others can access a no-code Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) cloud platform, providing easy-to-use data analysis tools, other functionality for bottom-line improvements. (Control Engineering)

Knife production at the cutting edge. - Festo automation sits at the heart of a new rotary assembly cell designed and supplied by PCE Automation Ltd. Their technology is being used to help STANLEY®: Tools in Britain to meet continued demand for its renowned safety knives, while continuing to maintain the highest standards of safety and quality.

Possibilities of data integration. - The new version V5.10 of Softing's dataFEED OPC Suite Extended offers MQTT subscriber functionality and extensive options for data preprocessing. With the help of the new MQTT Subscriber, data can be received from an MQTT Broker and transmitted to other applications via OPC UA or written to a controller.

Automation and digitalisation of Oil and Gas flow. - Emerson has introduced a new software to boost process automation and the application of the Roxar™ 2600 Multiphase Flow Meter (MPFM) for the oil and gas industry. The Rapid Adaptive Measurement™ software architecture enables the Roxar 2600 MPFM to do parallel computations at 10 Hz and autonomously select the optimal configuration for a particular time period.

Speed and proximity. - Following Variohm Holding's recent acquisition of Phoenix America, several new component lines have been added to Variohm EuroSensor's product range. This product expansion includes magnetically actuated speed and proximity measurement sensors comprising separate solid-state sensor housings and high density magnetic target components.

Air Quality Monitoring for Local Authorities. - As air quality monitoring equipment becomes more sophisticated yet more affordable, local air quality management faces more choices on how to deploy monitoring networks. With public money at stake, decisions about data quality, value for money and ongoing budgets can become contentious. South Coast Science adopts an open and pragmatic approach, which also turns out to be cost-efficient in the long term.


Alphasense has announced the appointment of three new senior sales positions. Andy Dickinson (left) joins as Regional Sales Director (Rest of World), Will Parrett (right) joins as European Sales Manager, and Nate Thompson (centre) will be North American Sales Manage

Certified. 5G RF mmWave Demodulation/CSI Conformance Test. - Anritsu Corporation in collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies has announced that it's 5G RF Conformance Test System ME7873NR has achieved the world's first approval from GCF for the mmWave (FR2) 3GPP TS38.521-4 Demodulation/CSI Conformance Testing (Performance test hereafter), required for 5G NR RF Conformance tests.

Bring Your Running Shoes! - Whether you're a production department supervisor at an automotive manufacturer, machine tool builder, contract manufacturer or job shop, the question is always the same, though the answers are distinctly different. The question is, of course: How do we begin the journey towards the digital factory, which is surely on the horizon for all of us? (Automation.com)

Lal Karsanbhai is to be the new CEO of Emerson and join the board of directors from 5th Feb 2021
Portable Gas Detectors and staff protection during COVID-19. - There are many ways that portable gas detectors for personal use can deliver individual protection for key staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kevin O´Donnell, EMEA Business Development Manager at Teledyne Gas and Flame Detection, uses his expertise to answer a number of pertinent questions.

Temperature control without refrigerant. - Ultra-compact, easy to handle and versatile - Huber Kältemaschinenbau's new Piccolo chiller convinces entirely with state-of-the-art thermoelectric Peltier technology. This technology enables accurate and rapid heating or cooling, entirely without refrigerant, which is a clear benefit for the environment. Furthermore this model is maintenance-free.

Saving in steam boiler operation. - There is great potential for savings in terms of costs and resources with heavily fluctuating load and condensate modes in steam boiler operation. This operating style is characterized by a rigid metering operation with constantly open vapors. OFS Online Fluid Sensoric offers the possibility to enter several important parameters on their website in order to determine possible savings potential.

Simulation software addresses intralogistics challenges. - The end of the year is notorious for causing sudden onsets of panic as the weight of the holidays hits, and the realization of purchasing gifts sinks in. Every pressure experienced by the general public around this time of year, however, is multiplied by an order of magnitude for distribution and fulfillment center managers. (Control Engineering)

VoNR conformamce test approved. - Industry's first VoNR (Voice over New Radio) Protocol Conformance tests on Anritsu Corporation's 5G NR Mobile Device Test Platform ME7834NR was approved for the GCF CAG at their CAG#65 meeting held in January 2021.

Easing compilation of Bills of Materials. - Anglia Components customers can now upload a Bill of Materials (BOM) and get a volume quote in under two minutes following the launch of BOM+, an exciting new free feature exclusive to registered Anglia Live users.

Fieldbus vs 4-20mA. - The 4–20 mA convention was born in the 1950s as electronics became cheaper, and the reliability met the automation industry's requirements. 4-20 mA provided a low-cost, easy to use solution, not subject to major signal line losses. In the 1980s and 1090s, several organizations and device manufacturers started engineering the first fieldbuses like ProfiBus for instance.

Elements of Successful Digital Transformation - Digital change agents in leading companies now have a mandate, supported by investment, to accelerate a Successful Digital Transformation of their businesses. (ARC ADvisory)

Motion detector with distance information. - InnoSenT GmbH is adding a new motion detector to its portfolio. The IMD-2000 is ideally suited for simple contactless control applications in the areas of building technology, automation, and safety equipment. The sensor's technical characteristics and design optimize the functionality of conventional motion detectors and facilitate their use.