Smaller current sensor for high-power apps. - LEM and Semikron Danfoss introduce a 60% smaller current sensor for high-power automotive applications, integrated into the DCM platform. The sensor achieves optimal performance without compromising efficiency, allowing complete integration into the power module, minimizing footprint, simplifying assembly, and reducing costs. Ideal for EV traction inverters, it fits into unused space, ensuring no additional footprint in the inverter. Mounted on the DCMTM power module, it meets insulation coordination requirements for 800V batteries, offering mechanical robustness, high-temperature stability, and protection against humidity and vibrations.
Appointments at Ametek Land
James Cross has been promoted to Head of Industry Management.
Manfred Hayk has taken on the role of Head of Product Management.

Self-calibrating drive actuator. - The Fisher™ easy-Drive™ 200R Electric Actuator just introduced by Emerson is for use on Fisher butterfly and ball valves. When paired with these valves, the new actuator performs accurately and reliably under the extreme conditions found in many heavy industries, particularly oil and gas installations in cold remote locations. These actuator/valve assemblies increase uptime, improve performance, and reduce the risk of emissions posed by gas-operated systems locations.

Wi-Fi I/O module. - The WISE-4250 dual band industrial WiFi I/O module, from Advantech, features interchangeable I/O and sensors integrated with IoT data acquisition, processing and publishing. Data can be sent directly from Edge to Cloud with higher security and no loss functions. All Wi-Fi channels can be flexibly connected with a smart roaming function. Users can directly configure products with devices via a HTML5 based web page user interface. Products support RESTful API in JSON format for any IoT integration.

Component supplier of the year. - Anglia Components has announced Bulgin as the recipient of its prestigious Supplier of the Year award. Bulgin specialises in the design and manufacture of environmentally sealed waterproof connectors and electronic components.

25/1/2024

ARM64 industrial computer. - Moxa has introduced its first embedded industrial computers to feature 64-bit ARM architecture to help asset owners address increased processing demands from new technologies. Built around an Arm Cortex-A53 dual-core 1 GHz processor, Moxa's UC-2200A is an economical, reliable gateway for embedded data acquisition boasting a wide range of interface options, a compact footprint, and compliance with IEC 62443-4-2 cybersecurity requirements for host devices.

Reliable, versatile and user-friendly compact switches. - A new range of compact, easy-to-use unmanaged industrial Ethernet switches has been launched by Westermo. Their SandCat five port fast Ethernet switch series offers a cost-effective, plug and play solution for industrial applications that complements Westermo’s range of managed switches. Supporting 100 Mbit/s, these versatile devices have been designed to meet the increasing network complexity, reliability and bandwidth demands of utilities, marine, manufacturing and energy industries.

Virtual reality health and safety training. - Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) and BioPharmaChem Skillnet, one of 70 Skillnet Business Networks nationwide, have launched an exciting new Virtual Reality (VR) programme designed specifically for workplace health and safety training.

Multiband cellular antenna. - Customer sampling and availability of their AC97002 multiband cellular antenna has been announced by The Antenna Company. The AC97002is designed for ease of installation with indoor smart meter gateways and other IOT applications.
Jan-Henrik Dieckert has been promoted to the position of Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Software Business Unit within Körber Business Area Pharma.

Bespoke Rack PCs for rigorous industrial conditions. - Impulse Embedded’s workshop team builds powerful bespoke computers to customer’s exacting specifications to create fully robust computers that can easily integrate into any pre-existing system. Their Senior Production Technician, Andy Shaw, recently built a VELA Rack PC that was designed to meet the rigorous demands of industrial environments.

Application note on temperature monitoring in steel. - With the steel industry responsible for approximately 7% of global man-made CO2 emissions, finding a way to meet the ongoing demand for steel while reducing and eventually eliminating carbon emissions, is a major challenge. Ametek Land offers steelmakers several temperature monitoring solutions, and the technology, to meet their challenges when transitioning to more sustainable methods of steelmaking, supporting decarbonisation in several ways.

Machine vision range. - Teledyne FLIR IIS (formerly Point Grey Research) has introduced the new Dragonfly® S USB3 camera series to its machine vision portfolio. The new series is a result of Teledyne's constant commitment to set and enhance vision industry standards for customer success. It addresses the market's essential need for a modular, compact, and lightweight camera for at-scale manufacturing, volume-based applications, and multi-camera systems.

How Industrial Ethernet Is Reshaping Industries. - Wired networks are "legacy" solutions that provide a solid foundation for mission-critical applications. Industrial Ethernet has emerged as the backbone of industrial connectivity, enabling seamless communications, enhancing efficiencies, and paving the way for advances. (InTEch - ISA Publication)

Enhanced environmental protection for push-buttons. - Details of the latest additions to EAO's rugged Series 82 family of push-button HMIs have been released. The series now includes device featuring vibration-resistant cable connections and rear sealing.

New APAC component centre opened. - Mouser Electronics has opened a new Customer Service Centre in Melbourne to support its growing number of customers across Australia and New Zealand. The new Centre will have a team of members onsite to personally assist with orders and respond to customer calls, all in local language, time zone, and currency.

Reliable and energy-efficient drive units. - Nord Drivesystems has developed the DuoDrive gear unit/motor combination specifically for intralogistics. A highly efficient IE5+ synchronous motor from Nord is integrated into a helical gear unit, achieving an extremely high efficiency. DuoDrive achieves a constant torque over a wide speed range and thus allows for a significant reduction of drive variants in a system. This results in minimised administrative costs and streamlined service processes.

Emergency stop switches. - IDEC Corporation has expanded their line of emergency stop (E-stop) switches with new XA/XW series short body models has been expanded by IDEC Corporation. These industrial-grade and outdoor-rated models are designed in the space-saving size essential for robotic and industrial equipment applications, with innovative features to meet the increased requirements of international safety standards.

Energy harvesting high lights. - Enabling a new era in energy-efficient lighting control, EnOcean has introduced the 2nd generation Bluetooth® switch module PTM 216B. This revolutionary energy harvesting module builds upon the success of its predecessor, the groundbreaking PTM 215B—the world's first energy harvesting Bluetooth® switch module. Setting industry standards for mesh network lighting control solutions, the new PTM 216B signifies a leap forward in technological innovation.

How Leaders Are Embracing Industrial AI. - In the usually conservative and slow-moving landscape of industrial manufacturing, recent breakthroughs in (generative) artificial intelligence (AI) have hit like a tsunami, causing companies to take a fresh look at industrial AI and its potential for reshaping operational paradigms. (ARC Advisory)

NTN testing to ensure constant coverage. - Anritsu Corporation is to enable OEMs and third party test houses to conduct Skylo defined testing of non-terrestrial network (NTN) devices using Anritsu test platforms according to an announcement from Skylo Technologies. This collaboration will enable device, module, and chipset manufacturers to use a trusted third party to ensure their products are compatible with Skylo's network, delivering the highest standards of performance, reliability, and connectivity for their customers.

Cobots in applications including sample transportation, testing and quality control. - Collaborative robots automate laboratory workstations, accelerating R&D in the chemical and life sciences sectors. ABB Robotics and XtalPi have entered a strategic partnership to produce a range of automated laboratory workstations in China. The new, automated laboratories will boost the productivity of R&D processes in biopharmaceuticals, chemical engineering and chemistry, and new energy materials.

Improving the rework process for welders. - JOSY is SmartRay's cutting-edge inline weld inspection system. It combines first-class sensors with highly flexible, scalable software in a complete turnkey solution. Developed primarily for use in the automotive industry, JOSY is increasingly proving valuable to other applications where reliable weld inspection is essential.

Ammonia as a solution for the Global Hydrogen Infrastructure of the future. - Alongside the increase in electrification, hydrogen will play a crucial role as the key to the energy transition. This will involve everything from the long-term storage of energy up to the molecular replacement of all fossil fuels.Because ammonia is a toxic and explosive substance, appropriate safety measures must be taken. From landing and additional transport over land to further processing steps, Pepperl+Fuchs products—such as the K-System series switch amplifiers that safely separate field devices from controllers—can be found in the systems used.

Centreon has appointed Vincent Untz as Chief Technology Officer (CTO).

Relay range expanded. - Omron Electronic Components Europe has further expanded its MOSFET relay line-up to offer higher operating temperature and enhanced capacity in a high-current six-pin DIP format. Omron's new G3VM-63BR and G3VM-63ER extend the company's 60V DIP6 MOSFET relay range up to 0.7A continuous load current, whilst providing high operating temperatures to 110degC.

Versatile, high-performance gas detection with easy deployment. - There are many prerequisites when it comes to gas detection, not least maximum flexibility, increased performance and minimal installation costs. Add in modern expectations such as smart features and the ability to detect explosive, toxic or asphyxiant gases, and the list of potential solutions soon becomes short. Prominent among the choices, however, is the proven and popular iTrans 2 fixed gas detector from Teledyne Gas & Flame Detection.

Helping protect from solar radiation. - High-energy radiation from the sun's surface can cause radio and magnetic disturbances on Earth, potentially disrupting power supplies and damaging transformers. Several of Vaisala's online transformer monitoring solutions have been installed by Elimpus Ltd., on behalf of Scottish Power to provide real-time condition updates.

New deployment options for edgeConnector products. - Customer demand for compact devices for edge applications powered by ARM processors is experiencing a significant increase. By integrating ARM 32-bit compatibility into its edgeConnector products, Softing Industrial is responding to the increasing demand for edge applications using ARM processors.

Cameras as the reliable eyes of refuse collection vehicles. - Contaminants in biowaste, especially plastics, cause high costs and make recycling time-consuming or even impossible. The c-detect computer vision system combines the system house's intelligent software with extremely robust and powerful IDS uEye FA industrial cameras from IDS to view the contents of the organic waste bin using either "TopView" or "InsideView".

Smart antenna for machine automation. - A new smart antenna, ideal for machine automation and control in construction, precision agriculture and logistics has been announced by Septentrio. The AntaRx smart antenna is robust inside and out. Enclosed in a ruggedized housing, it can handle high levels of shocks and vibrations and is ready for operation in harsh industrial environments.

Winning fine particulate sensor! - Airly's particulate sensor has been announced as winner of the AIRPARIF AIRLAB Microsensors Challenge 2023 for the measurement of fine particulates (PM2.5) outdoors. This is a particularly important award because fine particulates (PM2.5) are a major health concern. This is because they occur indoors and outdoors and when inhaled, they travel deep into the lungs, causing numerous serious health effects. In addition, many areas are finding it difficult to lower PM2.5 levels, so awareness is particularly important in helping to implement behavioural change, and monitoring is essential for measuring the effectiveness of mitigation measures.

Automation supplier financials year-over-year analysis (Q3) - ARC Advisory Group includes the most recent quarterly results for major automation suppliers that publicly report their results. To convert the revenues of non-US suppliers to US dollars, we average exchange rates for foreign currencies used for the entire quarter.

Industrial IoT company of the year. - Emerson has been named IoT Breakthrough 'Industrial IoT Company of the Year' for the sixth time*. The 2024 award recognises Emerson's advances in sustainability-enabling technologies and software, efforts to accelerate the development and delivery of life-saving drugs, and the company's industry-leading Boundless Automation™ vision of a next-generation, software-defined industrial automation architecture.

Service and calibration assistance. - A service solution to ensure customers benefit from peak product performance and maximum return on investment over the life of their equipment is now being provided by AMETEK Land. All thermometers, regardless of manufacturer, are subject to damage and deterioration over time. However, this can be limited proactively through their service and calibration support, providing ongoing confidence in the measurement accuracy of the instruments.

Partners in advanced analytics and AI recognised. - Seeq has announced its 2023 Partners of the Year. These partners have been recognized for their excellence in providing value to customers, their continued investments in technical expertise with Seeq-certified employees and training professionals, and for creating awareness for Seeq through collaboration in marketing activities and events.

Cast valve introduced. - The Red Point valve brand's new cast offering for industrial valves has been unveiled by Trillium Flow Technologies. Historically recognized for its forged products, the Red Point brand is leveraging decades of global experience across their international team to venture into cast valves.

Autonomous mobile robots. - ABB has acquired Swiss start-up Sevensense, a leading provider of AI-enabled 3D vision navigation technology for autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). Sevensense was founded in 2018 as a spin-off from Swiss technical University, ETH Zurich.

Tiny, ultra-low power devices. - In an era where technology races towards miniaturization with increased integration and minimum power consumption, the demand for more compact, energy-efficient devices with no compromise on performance has never been higher. Responding to these market needs, EM Microelectronic raises the bar again by introducing its new em|bleu Bluetooth 5.4 chip. "A proud product of Swiss engineering," em|bleu is the smallest and lowest power product of its kind in the market, with premium quality and service.

Industrial companies move toward open automation technologies. - ExxonMobil, Intel, and Wood PLC share their experiences with UniversalAutomation.org's shared source runtime execution engine for interoperable, plug-and-produce automation. (Automation World)

Vibration sensor. - The WISE-2460 is an innovative vibration sensing solution from Advantech. This advanced device supports RS-485 serial communication through Modbus/RTU protocols and boasts Z-axis sensitivity spanning from 5 to 10000Hz. ISO 10816-1 compliant and capable of operating in a wide temperature range of -20°C to 105°C, WISE-2460 sets a new standard in vibration sensing technology.

Stepper motor linear actuators with encoding for positional feedback. - The availability of a rotating-nut stepper motor linear actuator (SMLA) with a rotary encoder as a standard option has been announced by Thomson Industries. Machine designers with applications requiring positional feedback can now specify the full line of SMLAs integrated with this enhancement.

Can a Primary Loop Manipulate a Secondary Loop Valve? - This discussion is part of an occasional series, "Ask the Automation Pros," authored by Greg McMillan, industry consultant, author of numerous process control books, and 2010 ISA Life Achievement Award recipient. Program administrators will collect submitted questions and solicits responses from automation professionals. (ISA Blog).

Facilitating breakthrough generative AI capabilities. - Analog Devices (ADI) and SambaNova Systems, makers of the only purpose-built, full-stack AI platform, announced that ADI is deploying SambaNova Suite to spearhead its global AI transformation, making AI pervasive enterprise-wide.

Enhanced Storage Tank Reliability and Protection. - The Fisher™ 63EGLP-16 Pilot Operated Relief Valve for installation on pressurised bullet tanks used to store liquid propane and anhydrous ammonia has been released by Emerson. This type of pressure relief valve (PRV) is typically installed on tanks fabricated by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), who provide them to end users, engineering firms or contractor customers. The new valve is certified under UL132 and American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Section VIII.

Early fire detection. - Eye on Cloud (EOC), a Korea-based video security and thermal imaging IP camera company, will leverage the Teledyne FLIR Lepton® radiometric thermal camera module in its early fire detection (EFD) series of IP cameras. EOC is introducing the series of EFD cameras as part of its Thermal by FLIR collaboration.

Innovation beginning with Building Automation - Honeywell and Analog Devices have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to explore the digitization of commercial buildings by upgrading to digital connectivity technologies without replacing existing wiring, which will help reduce cost, waste, and downtime. The strategic alliance would bring this new technology to building management systems for the first time.

Current monitors. - LEM has launched a new product in its CDSR series of Residual Current Monitors. Now available with three output types - fault output, SPI bus, and analog output - the new product brings an increased level of safety and reliability to AC wall boxes and charging cables.

Pre-built application supports. - The Contemporary Controls' BASpi-Edge controller (with 6UI/4 relay/2 analogue out) can now, with the development a new pre-built application, FCU3, be made into a configurable controller for 2-pipe or 4-pipe fan coil applications. The BASPI-E6U4R2A is a hardened, cloud connected BACnet controller that is powered by Raspberry Pi, with enhanced features and data processing at the Edge.

Novel servo motors range. - A new line of cost-effective servo motors from Applied Motion Products is aimed at high-throughput precision motion tasks from 100 W to 3 kW with rated torque to 11 Nm and speeds to 6000 rpm. Available with comprehensive technical support in Britain and Europe from Mclennan, the M5 series' novel magnetic design yields high-power density and low cogging torque and is available in choice of low-, medium-, and high-inertia options that facilitate motion profile matching for optimised performance.

Dr Peter Selders has taken over as CEO of Endress+Hauser, the Swiss specialist for measurement technology and automation solutions.
Revolutionizing machine vision in factory automation applications. - Advancements in industrial automation require machine vision technologies to work in extreme environments while ensuring the production capabilities are highly efficient. Teledyne FLIR IIS is bringing together Teledyne's long-standing imaging expertise, deep factory automation knowledge, and a focus on innovation and customer success, to alter the factory automation market landscape and transform how machine vision is used.

Gateways enable digital transformation of smart grids. - Digital transformation is converting outdated utility infrastructure into smart grids as the race to achieve net zero carbon emissions picks up speed says Kuru Kuruvilla, Industry Marketing Manager, Moxa . This model aims to improve energy management by collecting and analyzing data in real-time. However, maintaining a smart grid's smooth operation is no easy feat, which has engineers scrambling for ways to enable timely notifications, data analysis, and acquisition among complex subsystems.

A thousand times brighter. - A perovskite LED stack, emitting light thousand times brighter than state-of-the-art OLEDs has been presented by Imec. This result, published in this month's Nature Photonics, is a pivotal milestone towards a perovskite injection laser, promising exciting applications in image projection, environmental sensing, medical diagnostics, and beyond.
Centreon has appointed François Michel as Chief Financial Officer and to their Executive Committee.

The key role of variable area flowmeters in offshore drilling. - Offshore oil platforms face some of the most demanding environmental and operating conditions out there. There is constant exposure to extreme temperature ranges, saltwater, severe storms and corrosive spray. These rigs typically operate around-the-clock, reaching thousands of feet down into the water and then drilling through multiple geologic layers for well exploration and production. The metal tube VA flowmeter provides rugged, proven performance, as well as simplicity and ease of installation, to help ensure that drilling fluid systems operate with maximum efficiency and accuracy. (Process Instrumentation).

Acquisition aids expansion into flow chemistry market. - The AGI Group has acquired Chemtrix B.V. effective from 29th December 2023. Chemtrix, based in the Netherlands, designs and manufactures a scalable portfolio of flow reactors that enables industry and academia to harness the advantages of flow chemistry and process intensification. This strategic acquisition will bring flow chemistry scale-up capabilities into the AGI Group, supporting both pilot and manufacturing solutions.

AI to lead the way in combating manufacturing challenges. - The end of one year and beginning of another is always a good time to assess the state of the industry. In some ways, nothing has changed. Skilled labor shortages are still plaguing the manufacturing sector, but we've seen an uptick in some areas that can help to change this, particularly related to technology like AI. Industrial expansion is driving an increased demand for efficiency, and when you pair that with an aging workforce, expertise-constrained teams are struggling to keep up. As organizations look to overcome these challenges, expect to see growth in the adoption of technological solutions, we'll explain some of the key areas we anticipate this adoption to occur below. (Automation.com)

Ultra-low power AI Microcontrollers. - Mouser Electronics has announced a new global distribution agreement with Ambiq, the leading supplier of low-powered, AI-enabled microcontrollers for wearables, hearables, IoT, edge devices and mobile edge computing applications.

The death has been announced of Bob Squirrell, former and founding chairman of The Profibus Group (PI-UK). RIP
The Read-out top twenty! - It is always difficult to understand or indeed predict which of the items published on the Read-out Instrumentation Signpost or why they attract attention. Having said that it would not have required much intelligence - real or artificial - to predict and item on AI would head the list in 2023 and though this article is from August 2021 it is easy to understand why it features so high on the list.

Virtualized controllers in industrial automation. - Industrial automation suppliers are now extending virtualized products into their PLCs and DCS controllers, which represent the most mission-critical parts of their automation product portfolio. The future industrial automation market is likely to follow a path toward virtualization like that which transformed the IT data center 15 years ago to the cloud native and software-defined data centers of today. (ARC Advisory)

Passive PoE Injector for installations in harsh conditions. - Balancing device power requirements with budget limitations is a challenge for industrial networks, one that Antaira is answering with its new INJ-C200G-PASS-T, an industrial-rated Gigabit Passive Power over Ethernet (PoE) injector. By deploying the INJ-C200G-PASS-T, a network administrator can reliably supply up to 90 Watts of power to Passive PoE devices, such as cameras, IP phones, and WiFi access points, in a wide temperature range.