IIoT smart valve technology. - Trillium Flow Technologies (Trillium) has launched its Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) Smart Valve Technology. The key benefit of this approach is a significant reduction in system downtime. This advanced IIoT solution facilitates more efficient operations, leading to a marked increase in productivity. Trillium is setting a new standard in proactive system management in the industrial sector by transforming raw data into actionable intelligence.

Near field communication replacing cables & boxes. - During the development of a machine, there comes a time when the individual sensors need to be fine-tuned. Uncertainty often arises about the number of pulses required for optimum application. Effort and frustration are therefore inevitable. Choosing the right adaptors, tools and parameterization boxes for sensor adjustment usually doesn't go as smoothly as expected. The problems continue when the required cable is unavailable. Without the right cable, the set configuration can't be changed or adapted. To facilitate this development phase, Wachendorff Automation has developed an intelligent and simple solution. Instead of relying on the usual adapter cables and parameterization boxes, the company decided to use NFC - Near Field Communication - as the configuration interface when developing the new incremental encoder. 

Acoustic Imager cuts costs, reduces waste and improves pipeline. - Air Liquide, the multi-national company supplying industrial gases and services to the health and industrial sectors has cut costs, reduced waste and boosted the efficiency of pipelines in Italy through the use of advanced ultrasonic measurement devices from Fluke. The company has benefited from the ii910 Precision Acoustic Imager, designed by Fluke to make it easier, faster and safer to carry out high-sensitivity detection of gas, corona and partial discharge (PD).

Microswitch with big-switch attributions. - New D2LS miniature surface-mount micro switches from Omron combine tiny dimensions with a positive mechanical action comparable to larger switches, while ensuring outstanding long-term durability.

Gas leak detection. - The new Panther gas leak detector just launched by ION Science, features a host of new features and twice the sensitivity of its predecessor, the GasCheck G.

Water project target exceeded. - Endress+Hauser employees around the world are celebrating the Group’s 70th anniversary this year during a wide range of events – and at the same time committing to a good cause in a special way. As part of the Endress+Hauser Water Challenge, employees collected donations for a water project in Vietnam through running and other physical activities. The campaign is now heading into a second round.

Complete robot training to prepare students for the future of work. - The ABB Robotics Education Package has been created to ensure educational establishments can provide highly skilled young people for companies looking to benefit from robotic automation. Although some 80 percent of global educators see automation shaping employment in the next 10 years, only one in four education institutes incorporate robotics into their curriculum. Barriers include the lack of teachers trained in robotics and automation and the difficulty in incorporating robotics training into the curriculum seamlessly.

AI-powered industrial digitalization and automated inspection. - As one of the world’s prominent industrial manufacturers with extensive experience in AIoT solutions, Innodisk is uniquely positioned to collaborate with NVIDIA on factory digitalization and automation. Innodisk is deploying both platforms, from NVIDIA and Aetina, for vision AI to enhance the steps of factory workflows. It provides an efficient re-inspection process within production line AOI systems to automate the inspection and optimize the operation.

Evaluating industrial wireless strategies. - Mission-critical industrial applications are increasingly reliant on wireless communications. This is particularly true in discrete operations in both manufacturing and transportation, where use of wireline infrastructure is precluded by harsh operating environments and the need to connect mobile and, increasingly, autonomous assets. (ARC Advisory)

Infrared multimeter and clamp meters. - The DM286 Infrared Guided Measurement (IGM™) Multimeter, and two new clamp meters, the CM57-2 and the CM85-2 have been announced by Teledyne FLIR. The reimagined multimeter and clamp meters replace the predecessor DM285, CM57, and CM85, respectively, providing technicians with upgraded tools to perform safe and accurate electrical inspections and to identify hazards before contact is made.

Major application areas driving the solid oxide fuel cell market. - The new IDTechEx report, "Solid Oxide Fuel Cells 2023-2033: Technology, Applications and Market Forecasts", provides a comprehensive overview of the solid oxide fuel cell market, including an assessment of the key technology trends, major players and also includes granular 10-year market forecasts for solid oxide fuel cell demand (MW) and market value (US$), segmented by application areas. IDTechEx projects the market value to reach US$6.8 billion by 2033.

Technical automationcontent all in one convenient location! - ISA has introduced their Pub Hub, a one-stop shop where members can access a wealth of automation knowledge. Search our library of technical information that includes industry standards, InTech magazine archives, white papers, e-books, and more! With a user-friendly format, available on desktop and mobile, members can read, highlight, and even save files for offline use.
"Stay informed on the latest in automation news and insights with this amazing, new member benefit."

"Sensors, the senses of digitalisation!" - With “Smart in sensing” the WIKA Group underlines its corporate strategy for the coming years. This takes in the megatrends of digitalisation, decarbonisation and demographic change, which pose major challenges for many industry sectors, but at the same time offer promising growth potential such as the networking of systems and processes, the expansion of renewable energies, sustainable mobility solutions and a secure supply of food and medicine.

Drone Inspection Services. - Demand for drone inspection services in companies operating in asset-intensive process industries will be robust as the desire to keep employees safe from working in inaccessible areas or completing dangerous tasks remains paramount. (Arc Advisory)

Precise distance measurement. - The highest efficiency and accuracy in distance measurement may be guaranteed with integrated micro-optics, pulsed laser diodes (PLDs) from Laser Components. So-called fast axis collimation (FAC) lenses compensate for the astigmatism that occurs with edge-emitting PLDs and thus ensures that as many photons as possible reach the target. The optics and laser diode are precisely fitted into a hermetically sealed TO package, and the window is only slightly higher. The overall beam quality is improved without additional optical or mechanical components, which can result in lower operating costs.

AI Is Driving Smart Manufacturing. - Today's Smart Manufacturing environment is predicated on factories that use intelligent, connected production equipment and devices that allow for data-driven decision making to enable efficiency and productivity across the product lifecycle. Initially, manufacturers introduced the use of advanced analytics powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine learning (ML) that allowed production systems to progress from condition monitoring to predictive and prescriptive analytics. Moreover, this would create a pathway from connected and intelligent to self-aware machines and production equipment and ultimately lead to autonomous self-healing systems. AI/ML has already become an integral component of Smart Manufacturing overall in today's factories and production lines. (ARC Advisory)

Using sensors to enable smart factories and more efficient manufacturing.(Report) - IDTechEx believes that digital manufacturing can be deconstructed into two main themes: safe human-robot interaction (HRI) to achieve higher productivity and an increased level of autonomous mobility for material and goods transportation. These themes are ultimately enabled by cutting-edge sensor technologies.

€80 million investment by medical devices leader. - Boston Scientific Corporation has announced a €80 million investment in its Clonmel operations at an event celebrating the site’s 25th anniversary with Taoiseach (head of Government) Leo Varadkar. The funding, supported by the Irish government through IDA Ireland, will go towards the continued expansion of the company’s medical technology manufacturing and research and development (R&D) capabilities and is expected to enable 400+ jobs in the coming years.

Career and Salary Survey 2023. - Leading-edge automation technologies are helping solve workforce shortages and economic challenges by adding efficiency. Automation salaries increased more than bonuses fell. Worker shortages were cited as a threat by nearly half of respondents in 2023.(Control Engineering)

Demonstrating robotic and machine automation capabilities. - ABB is to showcase its ability to offer a one-stop-shop for complete automated solutions for multiple industrial applications at Automation UK (Coventry GB, 20-21 June 2023). Their stand will include a demonstration featuring ABB's GoFa collaborative robot and B&R's ACOPOS 6D revolutionary new handling system.

Torque sensors for airline safety. - SGN Electrical has recently built two test rigs, one for testing the landing gear, the other for the flaps on the tail plane, that are helping ensure transoceanic-scale airliners capable of carrying hundreds of passengers can land safely and reliably every flight. Both test rigs use a TorqSense transducer from Sensor Technology as their main element. TorqSense is much-favoured by test rig builders as it is a non-contact technology that uses reflected radio waves to measure the torque in a rotating shaft.

Next generation semiconductor R&D and manufacturing facility. - Analog Devices has announced a new €630 million investment at its European regional headquarters in the Raheen Business Park in Limerick (IRL). The investment enables the construction of a new, state-of-the-art, 45,000 sq-ft Research & Development and manufacturing facility. The Facility is intended to help accelerate advances in cutting-edge applications, including digital biology, electric vehicles, and robotics.

Support for R&D in combustion engineering. - Ametek Land is increasing its support for research and development in combustion engineering and technology by joining the British Flame Research Council (BFRC).

Built-in display features aid and assist system integration. - Review Display Systems (RDS) has announced the availability of a new fully integrated 4.1-inch TFT display module. The DWIN DMG72720T041-06WTC features an IPS (in-plane switching) TFT display with a built-in dual-core microcontroller-based ASIC, a touch controller and a fully integrated InCell capacitive touch panel.

Laboratory information system distributorship. - Labtec Egypt Group (LEG) has been appointed by Autoscribe Informatics as distributor for the Matrix Gemini Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) in Egypt.

New converters boost low power from panels. - Two DIN Rail mounted DC-DC converters have been launched by Antaira Technologies. These are able to boost the 9-36VDC input power typical of control cabinets to a maximum adjustable output of 53VDC and either up to 480 watts (DTD-480-0953-T) or 360 watts (DTD-360-0953-T).

Picking the right thing! - ABB Robotics has enhanced its industry-leading logistics automation portfolio with the launch of the Robotic Item Picker – a new AI and vision-based solution that can accurately detect and pick items in unstructured environments in warehouses and fulfilment centers.

Automation specialist 'hit by Black Basta ransomware attack." - Global automation giant ABB has reportedly suffered a cyberattack at the hands of notorious ransomware gang Black Basta. Hundreds of devices at the automation specialist are said to be out of action as it battles the effects of the breach. (Techmonitor)

Twenty years connecting. - April 2023 marked the 20th year of trading for Intelliconnect (Europe), a specialist manufacturer of RF, Microwave, Waterproof and Cryogenic connectors and cable harnesses. The last few months have seen many changes to the way the company operates and is engaging with the future.Report includes potted history of the company's journey over the period.

Products for electronic system design, production, maintenance and repair on show. - Farnell will be joined by Brainboxes on Stand Stand G06 to launch two new products when exhibiting at the National Manufacturing Supply Chain Exhibition & Conference 2023, RDS Simmonscourt, Dublin (IRL) from May 23rd to 24th.

High performance 5GigE Camera. - The Teledyne DALSA Linea™2 4k Multispectral 5GigE line scan camera is now in production. This new camera takes vision systems to the next level with its performance and value, offering a 5GigE interface with five times the bandwidth of the Linea GigE camera.

Offshore power generation projects awarded. - Údarás na Gaeltachta welcomes offshore electricity supply contract awarded to Sceirde project, off Galway coast and states it will work with local communities to ensure any developments will benefit the area.

Simplified oxygen analysis. - The SERVOPRO MonoExact DF150E,from Servomex, has an improved digital touchscreen and icon-driven guided user interface for easier operation, combining the reliability of Servomex's tried and tested Coulometric oxygen sensor with a more user-friendly package.

Award for connecting Automation Professionals. - ISA Connect, its member community and discussion platform, has won the prestigious Best Community Design Award from platform vendor Higher Logic. ISA Connect is a members-only platform for professionals of the automation community allowing members to connect, share, engage in technical discussions, and build professional networks all within an exclusive and easy-to-navigate community.

Slim Panel Mount PSU. - Delta's panel mount power supply PMR series has been expanded by the release of the new 240 W model, which is applicable to industrial, commercial, and household applications. The new 240 W model provides an output power of up to 240 W and nominal output voltages of 12 V, 24 V, 36 V, and 48 V.

Servo motor that delivers durability, cleanability and versatility. - The AKMA servo motor built specifically for durability, cleanability, and versatility has been announced by Kollmorgen. The motor employs a hardened anodized aluminum surface to offer machine designers a cost-effective hygienic option to stainless steel in medium- to heavy-washdown applications.

Open Process Automation and the Future of Automation. -
This is a presentation given by Walt Boyes to the Seattle Section of the International Society of Automation (ISA) - 23 Apl 2023.

Monitoring laser power. - Laser Components has succeeded in further optimizing the tolerances of polarization-independent beam splitters with an improved optical design and the broadband monitoring of production processes. These optics are used for the real-time measurement of laser power in applications in which the polarization of the laser beam can change. For example, |Rs-Rp|>0.2% applies to the reflectance values, thus the ratio of s and p polarization does not change during beam splitting.

Camera with continuous zoom lens. - Teledyne FLIR has announced the first Boson+ thermal camera module with its factory-integrated, high-performance 14 mm to 75 mm continuous zoom (CZ) lens. With seamless optomechanical integration, the new Boson+ CZ 14-75 reduces development and operational risk and costs, all with an industry-first warranty that is not available when using multiple suppliers. The reliable Boson+ CZ 14-75 is ideal for unmanned aerial vehicles, perimeter surveillance etc.

Integrating Safety and Security Strengthens Cybersecurity. - Most conversations about the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), safety, and security revolve around two separate topics: "smart" machinery or process safety to protect people and equipment, or industrial control system (ICS) security. These conversations are important and valid. However, too many industrial companies are not focused on the inherent safety implications of common security risks. (Automation.com)

Fast touch display. - Inelco Hunter has announced the Powertip STM32 range of touch display modules incorporating a powerful STMicroelectronics MCU chip with an Arm Cortex-M7 480MHz core. The Powertip STM32 modules are aimed at applications where rapid response times and smooth graphics are needed.

Young European innovators are gathering. - From now (10th May 2023) until Saturday, Gaoth Dobhair (IRL) is hosting young innovators from all over Europe who will be taking part in the MIT Europe Innovators Under 35 festival. There will be a variety of events held over the three days, including debates, panel discussions, lectures, tours and networking events, with these young innovators giving an insight into their areas of interest and demonstrating the ways in which their work is helping to improve society, through the use of cutting-edge technology.

Sponsoring student racing. - Analog Devices is supporting the first roll-out of Team wob-racing's latest Formula Student race car, the WR17. As a platinum sponsor of the student team, ADI continues to support the future of engineering talent in the automotive industry. The race car utilises a wide range of ADI's technology within the electric vehicle powertrain, including within the inverter assembly and battery management system. With ADI's broad portfolio of cutting-edge technology, it was a natural progression for Team wob-racing to approach ADI for sponsorship of the team for their 2023 season.

Smart buildings, smart tracking and smart metering. - Wirepas has announced its Wirepas Mesh 2.4 GHz connectivity suite will soon be available on Silicon Labs EFR32MG24 and that their Sub Ghz connectivity is now available on EFR32FG23 SoCs. The MG24 features high security, large memory and low power which makes it particularly interesting for smart building applications.

Recover valuable metals from minewater. - Two technology providers in Finland are developing a water treatment solution that will be able to selectively recover metals from mining-impacted waters. The companies Weeefiner and Sensmet are collaborating to tackle the water treatment challenges posed by end-of-life mining sites, whilst also salvaging some of the valuable materials that mine waters frequently contain. The development project has received funding from Rio Tinto Group's sustainable water treatment challenge program.

One of Europe's largest renewable hydrogen projects. - Large-scale integration of production of offshore wind renewable hydrogen into the energy system in the SoutH2Port project. A new hydrogen production plant, operated by Lhyfe and Skyborn, is to be located in the municipality of Söderhamn (S), and connected to Skyborn's 1 GW offshore wind farm in nearby Storgrundet. When fully operational, it is expected to produce about 240 tons of hydrogen per day, with an installed capacity of 600 MW, making it one of the largest suppliers of renewable hydrogen in Europe. ABB is collaborating with them to jointly realize and optimize this, one of Europe's most ambitious renewable hydrogen projects ever, SoutH2Port.

Successful tests at technology day! - The 3rd CAN XL plugfest organized by the CiA (CAN in Automation) international users' and manufacturers' group took place in Troy,(MI USA) last month (Aprill 2023). CAN XL is the 3rd CAN (Controller Area Network) protocol generation. On the plugfest, IP (intellectual property) core implementations from Bosch, Kvaser, and Vector were tested on interoperability. On the 2nd CAN XL plugfest in 2022, a micro-controller prototype from NXP and an IP core from Fraunhofer/Cast have been already successfully tested.

Energy Systems of the Future. - The energy transition's drive toward industrial sustainability goes beyond energy infrastructure itself, and includes cloud-based IT infrastructure and services as it embraces Energy Systems of the Future. (ARC Advisory)

Inline refractometers to star! - Vaisala has announced the launch of Polaris™ - the latest generation of inline refractometers. This follows a long period of consultation with customers and after a meticulous engineering review of the refractometer range. The new Polaris™ instruments offer outstanding levels of performance, as well as compatibility with Vaisala's family of high-quality Indigo industrial transmitters for data logging and display, prism wash control, instrument configuration, security, etc.

Automation components get their digital representations. - Designing and programming efficient handling systems using the virtual model: That is how errors can be detected and corrected at an early stage, which significantly contributes to efficient and stable operation later. Faster time-to-market, more efficient engineering, more functionality, and higher quality – these are the benefits of a digital twin for machine and system builders. Festo is working to equip its automation components with a digital twin – a digital representation in the form of administration shells. The company has joined forces with other international automation partners and the Industrial Digital Twin Association because standardisation is what machine and system builders expect.

An efficient and economical solution for heavy loads. - NORD have recently released a white paper: "Drive technology in end-of-line packaging: Advantages of decentralised drive solutions with controlled frequency inverters." Heavy loads, high forces, long travel distances and lower requirements for precision and dynamics are characteristic for end-of-line packaging. The use of decentralised drive solutions with controlled frequency inverters can achieve cost benefits of up to 50 % depending on the type of system and application.

Evaluation kits simplify and shorten the design process. - Evaluation kits for the high-resolution 18-bit digital pressure sensors in the AMS 5935 series have been announced by Analog Microeletronics GmbH. With the new USB Starter-Kit/Data-Logger AMS 5935 and the Arduino Uno Kit AMS 5935, two evaluation platforms are now available that simplify and shorten the design-in process significantly.

Rental services in Nordic and Baltic regions. - Electro Rent and CN Rood are partnering in a new co-operative agreement that will offer companies in the Nordic and Baltic regions better access to rental service options and localised support for test and measurement (T&M) equipment.

What About Your Industrial Network Infrastructure? - Recent global events have made digitalization an urgent and compelling goal. Most companies, regardless of industry, are beginning to realize that digital transformation is imperative to avoid falling behind and becoming uncompetitive. We are seeing more and more industries speeding up innovation. Yet, many businesses are unable to successfully transform and futureproof their operations. One of the most common reasons is the misconception that digital transformation is just a matter of deploying new technologies or buying newer equipment. (Ethan Chen, Moxa)

Chip verified for WiFi. - Anritsu Corporation and MediaTek have successfully verified the performance and functions of MediaTek's Filogic chip for IEEE802.11be wireless LAN (WLAN) by testing RF characteristics with the network mode.

Intelligent navigation for robots. - ABB Robotics has transformed its Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) with the addition of Visual Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping (Visual SLAM) technology, enabling its AMRs to make intelligent navigation decisions based on their surroundings. Using AI-enabled 3D vision to perform location and mapping functions, ABB's Visual SLAM AMRs make production faster, more flexible, efficient and resilient while taking on dull, dirty and dangerous tasks so people can focus on more rewarding work.

AMETEK Land has appointed David Primhak as Division Vice President Business Manager.

The latest trends and innovations in advanced analytics. - Seeq Corporation, a leader in manufacturing and industrial internet of things advanced analytics software, kicks off Conneqt 2023, the company's global industry conference, in San Diego today. Themed "Catalyze," Conneqt 2023 will bring together Seeq customers, partners and experts for interactive sessions examining how process organizations can accelerate their digital transformation initiatives and achieve faster business outcomes with advanced analytics. (Automation.com)

Q4 automation supplier financials quarterly analysis 2022. - In this Insight, ARC Advisory Group includes the most recent quarterly results for major automation suppliers that publicly report their results.

Consultancy transfer compliments risk, safety & integrity management. - ABB has today completed the divestment of its British technical engineering consultancy business, part of its Energy Industries division, to TÜV Rheinland, following a strategic portfolio review. The financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.

In depth analysis of power train performance. - To meet the demands of its testing regime, Intertek needs measurement solutions that can achieve three requirements. The solution needs to be able to measure motors rotating at very high speeds; be easy to use and so ensure maximum productivity for testing staff; and allow rapid integration with Intertek's LabVIEW test platform. The solution chosen by Intertek is the Yokogawa WT5000 Precision Power Analyzer.

Rugged and reliable touch solutions for transport. - Trains, buses, electric vehicles, construction plant, commercial aircraft, utility vehicles and marine craft. The availability and support for a wide range of PCap touch solutions for in-vehicle and transportation applications from leading global touch solution supplier AMT has been announced by Review Display Systems (RDS).