Effective OT Cybersecurity Management - Because you only see a part of the problem but not the whole thing, cybersecurity threats are akin to an iceberg, said Charles Lim, Industrial Cybersecurity Evangelist, Yokogawa Engineering Asia, at the start of his presentation, OT Cybersecurity Management, at the ARC Asia Forum 2021 (July 2021).

SIL tool for intelligent servo drives. - Elmo Motion Control’s Platinum series advanced servo drives feature EtherCAT™ networking for ultra-fast machine synchronised single and multi-axis motion, and industry leading levels of functional safety. These impressive drives are now available with Elmo’s free-to-use Motion Composer2 tool allowing machine designers to easily develop, test and implement user-specific motion and machine control algorithms as drive level SIL (Software in the Loop) commands.

Actuator wins. - The Thomson Industries' Electrak LL electric actuator has won the Bronze Award in the 2021 Industrial Design, Engineering & Automation (IDEA)! Awards Contest. The readers of the US magazines Machine Design and Hydraulics & Pneumatics voted the actuator as one of the most exceptional product innovations they believe will help them improve safety, productivity and operational efficiency.

Lewis Taylor (top) will support old and new OTT Hydromat customers in the south of Britain, and Wendy Strain will cover the north.

Parliamentary committee requests info on remote continuous water quality monitoring. - The Westminster Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) has requested written evidence from Meteor Communications as part of the committee’s ongoing inquiry into water quality in the rivers of Britain. The submission was timely because it was made while sewage spills were the subject of intense media attention, and after the Environment Act 2021 placed a new responsibility on sewerage undertakers to progressively reduce the impact of discharges from storm overflows.

Service contracts expanded. - Signal Group has announced the launch of a new flexible range of service contracts, which enable customers to determine the level of service required. “No two companies are the same,” explains Signal Group Service Manager Roy Kinslow, “so it makes sense for us to offer a tiered-package approach to service contracts.

PSU's offer superior performance and reliability. - SL Power Electronics (SLPE) has announced the launch of the NGB SERIES of high power density convection rated AC-DC power supplies. Intended for applications including medical, industrial, audio broadcast and LED lighting the NGB series offers a wealth of application relevant features and is available in multiple formats and power levels including 250W, 425W, 660W and 1200W (with 150W & 800W being released soon), all with a single output from 12 – 56 Vdc.

Visualising sound. - The FLIR Si124 industrial acoustic imaging camera produces a precise acoustic image that is overlaid in real time on top of a digital camera picture. The blended visual and sound image is presented live on screen, visually displaying ultrasonic information and allowing the user to accurately pinpoint the source of the sound.

Flexible power, signal or Ethernet connections in tight spaces. - The Harting Han® 1A connector is designed for power, signal or data transmission via a single compact design format housing. The range comes with angled or straight bulkhead mounting, as well as a panel surface mounted fixing frame for cable-to-cable mating. All achieved through its snap-in latch/lever locking mated plastic IP20/IP65 housings.

Curtain up for new brand identity. - The Austrian sensor manufacturer, E+E Elektronik, has presented itself with a new corporate design. But the company is remaining true to its brand promise "your partner in sensor technology". Innovative products, cooperative relationships and sustainable action – this is what E+E Elektronik has embodied for more than 40 years.

Industrial footswitch! - Herga Technology’s 6256 series heavy-duty footswitch range is aimed at manual control tasks on industrial machinery where durability and consistent reliability are essential. The modular footswitch is available in single- or multi-pedal versions where a comprehensive selection of electrical power and switching options and a broad range of accessories ensure maximum working flexibility.

Major international show pronounced success. - productronica was held in Munich (D) last week following strict hygienic rules: Exhibitors were required to be recovered from a COVID-19 infection, be vaccinated or have a negative PCR test result. Visitors had to be either recovered or vaccinated. A total of 894 exhibitors from 36 countries and about 20,000 visitors from nearly 70 countries attended this year’s edition of the world’s leading trade fair for electronics development and production. The share of international visitors among all visitors was around 60 percent in spite of all the restrictions.

Industry experts discuss the sustainability future for energy and chemicals. -= Sustainability has three main pillars: economic, environmental, and social. These three pillars are informally referred to as people, planet, and profits, said ARC’s Peter Reynolds, Principal Analyst and moderator, at the virtual ARC Industry Forum 2021 session on the sustainability future for energy and chemicals.

Dr. Lisa J. Graham PE, (top) is Seeq's newly appointed chief executive officer, effective immediately. Ashley Kramer is on the board of directors.

Gas meter modules for a sustainable future. - The Sensirion SGM64xx is the first gas metering module on the market able to measure any gas mixtures, including pure hydrogen, blends of hydrogen, biomethane and natural gas types H, L, and E. Therefore, no meter replacement nor any firmware update will be required for meters that feature the SGM64xx product line when natural gas is gradually or fully substituted with hydrogen.

5g Over-The-Air technology vehicular test. - The world’s first 5G OTA RF test system has been developed by Anritsu in partnership with Toyota‘s and their investment in MVG OTA test environment using Anritsu 's Radio Communication Test Station MT8000A.

Welcome goodies! - Schneider Electric is giving away a free welcome goodie pack to all electricians who sign up or log into mySchneider on the web and complete their profile information. This ongoing offer has already seen 2,000 welcome packs sent out, with approximately 500 of those being given to electricians in the last couple of months.

Showcasing the value of measurement. - The Sempre Group, is attending the National Manufacturing & Supply Chain Conference and Exhibition taking place in Dublin, on November 23 and 24, 2021(Stand K06). They will exhibit a range of metrology equipment and consult the Irish market on how integrating metrology into production can improve productivity and ensure compliance.

Industrial weighing catalogue. - The new Mettler-Toledo 2021-22 Industrial Weighing Catalog will help quickly envision an efficient, cost-effective solution that meets all weighing and processing needs. Their complete product family combines the broadest range of globally approved and supported industrial weighing and processing solutions to help meet the toughest manufacturing challenges.

Pushbutton module ensures efficient and economic switching. - Big topics of discussion within the lighting sector include sustainability, energy efficiency, low cost systems, connectivity and convenience through flexibility. One solution to address these issues, is the wireless and battery-free ZF RF pushbutton module.

Trends in the LV Drives Market. - The variable speed drive market is back on track, with 7.7% growth predicted for 2021. Interact Analysis' latest market research offers insight into three important trends influencing the drives market: functional safety, predictive maintenance and efficiency regulations.

NevadaNano has announced that Naren Prasad will serve as Chief Product Architect and Delivery Officer for Hardware enabled SaaS products.

Rugged, compact and safe US system. - Reliable protection is required wherever people and machines interact. The Pepperl+Fuchs USi®-safety system guarantees protection based on the design-related robustness of the ultrasonic sensors. The separation of the actual sensor component from the control interface allows for an extremely compact design. The devices can be easily installed in very confined spaces.

Signals from generator pure and stable. - The Rubidium™ signal generator family from Anritsu delivers outstanding signal purity and frequency stability, even at high output power levels, across a broad frequency range of 9 kHz to 43.5 GHz. Coupled with built-in, easy-to-use, at-location frequency and power calibration capability, Rubidium offers exceptional overall utility and long-term value in a broad range of aerospace measurement applications.

Scope recorder enhanced. - New features to Yokogawa's latest DL950 ScopeCorder, improve its data acquisition capabilities and adding firmware updatable features. Using the new Flash Acquisition function, data can be captured over a long time with a high-speed sample rate of 20 MS/s (8CH) and 10 MS/s (16CH), which is 100 times faster than the previous model.

Display with exceptional optical performance. - Review Display Systems (RDS) has announced the availability of an 11.6-inch Tianma TFT display module. The TM116VDSP02 features Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) resolution, a 16:9 wide aspect ratio, a high brightness rating and exceptional optical performance characteristics.

The winners have been chosen. - This marks the fourth time that Messe München has presented the productronica Innovation Award in cooperation with Hüthig Verlag. Now, as is tradition on the first day of the world’s leading trade fair for electronics development and production, the winners – previously selected by the independent jury from 60 entries in six categories – have been announced.

Accelerating Industrial Digital Transformation and Sustainability. - ARC Advisory Group, the leading technology research and advisory firm for industry, announces that it will host its virtual European Industry Forum on May 17-18, 2022 under the theme: Accelerating Industrial Digital Transformation and Sustainability.

Nicholas P. Sands, an ISA Fellow and long-time leader within ISA’s Standards & Practices Department, has been awarded the IEC 1906 Award by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) in recognition of his leadership and technical expertise as the lead editor of an IEC team in the development of IEC 62682, Management of Alarm Systems in the Process Industries.

Time of flight and stereo. - Vision sensors are usually designed for individual, specific tasks. The new Pepperl+Fuchs SmartRunner Explorer 3-D product family however, offers high-precision solutions that can be used in a wide variety of areas. The two versions of this product—Stereo Vision and Time of Flight (ToF)—are based on the same platform with the same housing, standardized user software, and data output. The integration costs are considerably reduced.

Thirtyfive thousand miles across US in an EV. - The Harting Technology Group actively supported the VWID4USATour Challenge, underlining its commitment to sustainability and the reduction of CO₂ emissions and their impact on climate change. As a Tier 1 supplier of electric cables to VW, Harting supports the transition to e-mobility with its robust, reliable and user-friendly charging solutions and connectors for e-vehicles.

High and low operating temp. accelerometers. - Two new low profile, voltage mode, triaxial accelerometers from Kistler are now available with extended operating temperature ranges; up to +165°C for high temperature and down to –195°C for cryogenic applications both with a measuring range of ±500g.

Sailing Through an Installation. - Admittedly, the creation of installation guidelines seems tedious and dry at first glance, but it’s rewarded in day-to-day practice. Users benefit from clear specifications on the installation of PI technologies.

Products for machine builders, industrial control and safety. - Foremost Electronics is continuing to grow its product offering into the industrial and automation markets with increased cooperation with IDEC. IDEC are putting greater focus on machine building, industrial control and safety which are markets already served by Foremost with a wide range complementary products such as enclosures and cable glands.

Five levels of cybersecurity in an automated network. - As manufacturers continue to adopt Industry 4.0 and IIoT technology, cybersecurity is becoming more and more critical with each passing day. Successfully protecting a network requires not only constant vigilance but strategies for securing an organization at every level. However, even with the best preparation, there is always a chance of attack. (Control Engineering)

RIP
The death has been announced of F. Greg Shinskey. Author and "the control leader of industry." May he rest in peace.

One-stop-shop access for electrical community. - Schneider Electric has announced the relaunch of mySchneider for electricians in Britain and Ireland. mySchneider provides the electrical community with one-stop-shop access to products, tools and business advice to help set up, finance, promote and grow an electrical business.

Drives for biological purification plant. - Significant energy and cost savings have been made in the biological purification process at an Italian water plant following the introduction of variable frequency drives into the process. Introducing Invertek’s Optidrive P2 VFD technology means the pump speed can be accurately controlled depending on the conditions and to ensure an even spread throughout the activated sludge process.

Testing automated and streamlined. - FDT Group™ has announced that all FDT Accredited Test Sites are equipped with the new FDT 3.0 dtmINSPECTOR5 test tool and are ready to accept new FDT 3.0 device DTMs for testing and certification.

Chad Chesney has been appointed as president of Moxa Americas.

A first switch for Ethernet-APL. - First switch with Ethernet Advanced Physical Layer has been announced by Pepperl+Fuchs. Ethernet-APL will look familiar to users in process industries. It combines two well-known technologies: Ethernet for seamless, parallel communication - and robust two-wire technology combined with explosion protection for the field within the process plant. Ethernet-APL thus enables the digitization of the instrumentation.

Infrared gas detector. - Teledyne Gas & Flame Detection has provided its GD10P infrared gas detector with a full firmware revision and upgrade, enhancing the product’s performance in high demand mode SIL2 approved applications.

Small torque! - The growing demand for high speed miniature and micro machines has prompted Sensor Technology to develop a torque monitor that can accurately measure down to 10mNm (ten milliNewton-metres). This capability is combined with a 50kHz bandwidth so that even the most fleeting of transient torques can be recorded with accuracy.

Reducing Waste by reducing defects. - AMETEK Surface Vision has helped a major Japanese paper product manufacturer improve the quality of its papermaking, as part of an upgrade to its production facility.

A new dawn in the automation industry! - Industrial leaders and pioneers have joined together to form UniversalAutomation.org (UAO) and advance the world of industrial automation. Vendors, end users, OEMs and academics will share a common automation software layer across their automation technology regardless of brand. This technological collaboration will drive the development of an ecosystem of portable, interoperable, "plug and produce" solutions, creating an entirely new category of industrial automation.

Keeping frontline manufacturing talent. - As companies around the world grapple with the “Great Resignation,” new international research from Parsable reveals there is more that urgently needs to be done in order to attract and retain frontline manufacturing talent. Of note, 45% of frontline manufacturing workers surveyed across five countries say that the opportunity to work in a more modern, digital environment would be part of their decision to leave their current employer. The report also reveals 52% of respondents feel more valued as a frontline worker since the COVID-19 pandemic began. (Automation.com)

Embedded vision system focus on user-friendliness and AI transparency. - Image processing with artificial intelligence does not just mean that AI runs directly on cameras and users also have enormous design options through vision apps according to IDS. Rather, with the IDS NXT ocean embedded vision platform, customers receive all the necessary, coordinated tools and workflows to realise their own AI vision applications without prior knowledge and to run them directly on the IDS NXT industrial cameras.

Embedded industrial PC. - A new Aaeon fanless embedded mini-PC has been introduced by Review Display Systems (RDS). The high-performance, standalone BOXER-6642-CML is powered by 10th Generation Intel Core i3, i5, i7, i9 and Intel Celeron processors up to 35W TDP (Thermal Design Power) and features an extensive peripheral and I/O capability.

Grating Selection for Raman Spectroscopy - A diffraction grating is used to separate polychromatic light into its constituent wavelengths. In a Raman spectrometer diffraction gratings are used to separate the constituent wavelengths of the collected Raman scatter onto different pixels of the CCD camera for detection. All Raman spectrometers will require at least one diffraction grating and will frequently be configured to contain more than one to allow the user optimum grating selection for their samples and excitation wavelength(s). (Edinburgh Instruments).

Graphical panel meter upgraded. - The graphical panel meter, PM-50, expands Red Lion's existing award-winning panel meter portfolio. The PM-50 is available as a 3.5-inch or 4.3-inch graphical touchscreen display. Using simple "swipe" technology, users can easily switch between relevant screens and receive comprehensive operational data for monitoring equipment and production.

A million dollars for automation! - The future of industry is in the hands of the next generation of industrial engineers and operators. Schneider Electric has made a one million euros donation to the Aalto Factory of the Future education and innovation program. Their donation includes 200 licenses for IEC61499-based technology and the EcoStruxure™ Automation Expert industrial automation system, including remote working licenses, access to online training libraries, automation control hardware, and programming support for the students working on laboratory-scale EnAS production demonstrators.

RF, Microwave & Cryogenic environment connectors. - CryoCoax, an Intelliconnect division, has been appointed as a franchised stocking distributor by XMA Corporation-Omni Spectra® focusing on cryogenic connectivity products as well as standard attenuators and high frequency microwave components.