Friday 29 November 2013

Keyance static eliminators!

Keyence's  comprehensive range of static eliminators offers significant benefits. Featuring a differential method that eliminates the need for adjustments, they produce oppositely charged ions and create a high-precision ion balance. They are twice as fast as the best standard system on the market and eliminate clogging, a typical problem that can slow down production.

Static electricity is eliminated by delivering a stream of oppositely charged ions to the surface to be treated. The charge to be delivered depends on the manufacturing parameters, the humidity level, the temperature and other conditions. The SJ Series features a built-in differential system - known as the I.C.C. method - that continuously calculates the optimal amount of ions to be supplied. No operator adjustments are necessary, even in high-static environments.

The SJ Series eliminates static charges quickly and more completely, even at high speeds. It is extremely easy to install. Simply connect it to a reference potential and it's ready to go. Only Keyence offers such capability. Competing brands offer sensor-based control, which results in higher costs and complexity.

The SJ Series has adopted the pulse AC method, which applies alternating positive and negative high voltage to an electrode probe to make it produce ions of both polarities. Compared to the conventional AC method, the amount of ions generated is higher and the oscillating frequency can be changed. The pulse AC method can therefore be used to eliminate static electricity in any situation, such as fast-moving targets or work areas.

By combining these two functions, the SJ Series is the fastest in its class. It boasts a cycle frequency of 66 Hz - twice that of competing brands.


A common problem with static eliminators is that their electrode probes become clogged and must be cleaned three to four times a month. With SJ Series, the electrode probes need to be cleaned only once every three or six months. This difference stems from the materials used for the electrode probes (silicone or tungsten) and the laminar flow of air that guides charges more directly. Due to the considerably longer maintenance intervals, the SJ Series features alarm outputs that provide information on the system's operation or the drift of the electrostatic potential zero so that preventive maintenance may be performed to optimise productivity. The broad SJ Series range features the right model for any application. There are three main types of eliminators: bar-type units for large surfaces, blower-type units for medium-sized surfaces and spot-type units for small surfaces. They all operate using the same principles and offer the same benefits.

Hygrometer exceeds the specifications!

Chilled mirror hygrometer exceeds the specifications set out in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) for Engine Testing


Recent tests carried out on Michell’s Optidew Chilled Mirror Hygrometer confirm that it meets the Code of Federal Regulations for Engine Testing: an essential requirement for any instrument used for emissions testing in the US and many other regions. The code (CFR Title 40, Part 1065, Engine Testing Procedures) sets out a number of criteria that humidity measurement instruments must meet, and Michell’s Optidew Hygrometer exceeds each of these:
• the Optidew has an accuracy of ±0.2°C – twice better than the required dew-point accuracy of ±0.5°C
• the Optidew has a repeatability of 0.1°C – five times better than the required repeatability of 0.5°C
• the Optidew updates its digital outputs every 5 seconds, or 0.2Hz twice as frequent as the required data update frequency of 0.1Hz, or once every 10 seconds
• the Optidew consistently has less than 0.008°C noise on its outputs. The maximum output noise level is 0.02°C
• the complete system rise and fall time, which is the time taken for the sensor to heat or cool from 10% to 90% of its range, should be no more than 50 seconds – the Optidew has a total rise/fall time of less than 45 seconds.

The industrial chilled mirror hygrometer combines the accuracy and integrity of a laboratory hygrometer with an instrument which is robust enough to survive in a tough industrial environment. The rugged 316 stainless steel NEMA 4 / IP66 wall mount enclosure is suitable for installation in an engine test room, while the remote sensor can be mounted directly into the engine air-intake ducting.

The Optidew gives reliable results every time because it measures a primary characteristic of moisture – the temperature at which condensation forms on a surface. With no calculated variables that can shift over time, the Optidew is ideal for monitoring engine test cell inlet air where consistency of measurements and long-term reliability are vital.

All vehicles with petrol or diesel engines require emissions testing – this includes cars, motorcycles, locomotive engines and many others – but even powered tools, for example lawnmowers and chain saws, need to undergo the same kinds of tests. Engine tests ensure that their emissions meet the current standards to protect the environment and prevent pollution. While the exhaust gases are typically checked for concentrations of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, formaldehyde and particulate matter, precise measurements of the humidity and temperature of the air in the engine intake is vital for the accuracy of the tests. This is particularly important for applying a correction factor to the measured concentration of nitrogen oxides which is influenced by the inlet humidity and temperature.

• Michell products are marketed in Ireland by Instrument Technology.


Too much stock for maintenance, repair and operations?

Lean Engineering and Training Consultancy MCP reports that its spare parts and materials’ management audits show average scores of around 55% when compared to world the class benchmark of at least 75%!

‘You can think of your MRO (maintenance, repair and operations) stores as a goldmine waiting to be tapped. A large company could save an investment of say, £10,000 one hundred times over in just two years. That’s around £1 million for a store issuing £200,000 (of parts) per year’, reports MCP’s MD, Peter Gagg.

‘Typically stock turns are around three to five times per year, when they should be nearer one. On completion of a parts and stores audit a company is likely to see savings of 10% per annum on the above figure, plus a one-off windfall of around 10-15% of total stock value, as we nearly always find that stock levels are almost always too high!’

A full audit will cover 4 days on-site with a one day strategy and briefing workshop with managers and personnel and is designed to assess the gap between current status and best practice. Amongst the benefits accruing from the spare parts and materials’ audit will be improved cost performance, reduction in inventory-replenishment purchase by up to 60% and lower storeroom inventories of at least 30%.

Thursday 28 November 2013

Design elements content package!

New "PAS-X MBR Design Elements" Content Packages based on industry best practice / process-specific and fast MBR creation for pharmaceutical production

In order for pharma and biotech customers to implement PAS-X MES projects even faster and more easily, Werum Software & Systems expands its PAS-X Content Packages offering further: New on the market are the "PAS-X MBR Design Elements" Content Packages.

The "PAS-X MBR Design Elements" Content Packages are based on the best practice of the industry and directed by the PAS-X User Community PFU. They accelerate the creation of MBRs (Master Batch Records) and help to assure higher quality MBR design in the configured system.

The MBR Design Elements are templates for the fast and simple creation of MBRs for specific processes in the pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals production such as granulation, IPC testing or reconciliation. They focus on the most efficient use of PAS-X functionality, and are designed to operate together. The MBR Design Elements are part of specific libraries available for all major manufacturing types, such as solids, liquids and packaging. In addition, Universal Elements are also on offer covering general processes that are not related to specific manufacturing types.


The "PAS-X MBR Design Elements" Content Packages provide a comprehensive framework for harmonizing and standardizing processes within or between different plants, and drive efficiency in global organizations. Customers can and will expand and modify these elements to meet their own specific process and equipment requirements.

Power modules utilise split output topology for superior dynamic behavior!

The body diode reverse recovery charge of a SiC MOSFET  from Vincotech, is lower than that of an Si MOSFET, but still not as beneficial as with SiC Schottky diodes. As the switching performance demands for new wide band-gap components increases, so do the requirements for the commutation process. The split output topology provides an additional tool to reduce turn-on losses and boost cross-conduction suppression. Installed at the module level it negates the limitations of the SiC MOSFET.
Efficiency per phase of a three-level flowMNPC 0 SiC module with 53 mΩ SiC BUCK MOSFETs
The module behaves in inverter applications in the same way as in a boost circuit. This makes it possible to achieve better performance and efficiency than with a SiC JFET or SiC BJT – and enjoy the added advantage of MOSFET technology’s simple gate drive circuit.

Wednesday 27 November 2013

New member for security alliance!

Japan’s Control System Security Centre (CSSC, President Dr. Seiichi Shin) has joined the ISA Security Compliance Institute (ISCI) as an Associate member. As an Associate ISCI member, CSSC will participate in the ongoing development and promotion of ISASecure® industrial controls cybersecurity certification programs.

Dr. Seiichi Shin
President CSSC
CSSC is the hub of Japan’s critical infrastructure protection initiatives, providing research and development and cybersecurity testing of industrial control components and systems comprising Japan’s critical infrastructure. CSSC’s mission is to enhance ICS (industrial control system) security of critical infrastructure. CSSC functions are organized into operational areas that address R&D, international standardization, certification, human resource development, promotion and security verification of individual control systems.

CSSC has adopted the ISASecure industrial controls certification scheme as part of Japan’s critical infrastructure protection program, addressing the cybersecurity of industrial control systems. CSSC is slated to commence ISASecure EDSA certifications in early 2014, and commence subsequent ISASecure certifications as they become available.

"CSSC will soon receive independent accreditation by the Japan Accreditation Board as an ISCI-chartered lab in accordance with the ISASecure Guide 65 conformance scheme. We look forward to working with CSSC as an ISASecure certification body (CB) and as an ISCI member," said Andre Ristaino, ISCI Managing Director.

Air cushion plates for fast and reliable transport

Festo has launched its new ATBT air cushion plates, which are the first choice for fast and gentle transporting of flat panel displays and photovoltaic substrates, as well as cell packs for electro-mobility. They make contactless handling of substrates easy, regardless of their size and weight.

The ATBT air cushion plates generate a thin air cushion on the fine surface, which enables the glass panels and delicate films used in the solar and electronics industries to glide evenly. The air cushion plate uses an air-permeable material with a microporous texture. This ensures an even, constant air flow with low compressed air consumption and allows thin-film modules, coated on both sides, to travel through the manufacturing process on an air cushion without contact.

Electric drives control the modules during the process, while suction cups made of special material don’t leave any residue behind on the thin-film cells. A diagnostic module measures the exact distance between the glass and the air cushion plate and uses this to control the air consumption in an energy-efficient manner.

Whether for loading and unloading, intermediate buffers, lifting and centring, holding and clamping items using a vacuum or for use in inspection and test devices, precise X-Y-movement systems or photolithography devices – air cushion plates are the transport system of choice.

For the easiest selection of ATBT air cushion plates, Festo has created an engineering software tool. It allows the design engineer to enter the design parameters and therefore select the correct air cushion plate for their application.

Inline systems for programming & test!


New features in the RAPIDO™ multi-site inline production system family for high-speed in-system programming and board test based on the latest Embedded System Access (ESA) technologies have been made available by Goebel. One of the essential innovations is an option to utilise planar downholders in sandwich construction. Now ultra-thin, rigid-flexible boards with contact gaps of up to 50 mil can be safely handled in multiple-up production. Utilising this technology, RAPIDO has become one of only a few systems that meet the challenges of safe inline contacting for such sensitive applications.

As a second innovation, all fixtures are equipped with an intelligent module for identification and data storage. The compatibility between fixture and target board can be ensured by means of this so called FID module (Fixture Identification and Data). Additionally, there is the opportunity to automatically configure the entire system incl. band width, UUT, test program, etc. This approach avoids manual faults and provides a simple and efficient UUT change. Furthermore, the FID module determines fixture state, stores the entire life cycle, and signals required maintenance work, such as probe changing.

Other amendments include an increase in adjustable band width for standard systems to 250 mm. Moreover, new functions at the MES interface (Manufacturing Enterprise System) are implemented.

“The extension of our RAPIDO system family gives us the opportunity to meet the demands of high-volume production particularly in the automotive and consumer industries even better”, said Alexander Beck, Team Manager Integration in Goepel electronic’s JTAG/Boundary Scan Division. “All developments are derived from customer concerns and the growing range of installations and applications. In association with our extensive worldwide service, we are able to deliver individually configured standard solutions with highest productivity.”

Alarm Suite helps plant operators identify & address important automation alarms!

Process plants and pipelines generate thousands of alarms from their automation systems every day — many of which are not serious. Control room operators must then quickly distinguish between routine process alarms and critical alarms that warn of operating problems or safety issues.

Honeywell has just unveiled its new DynAMo™ Alarm Suite, an advanced alarm management software that reduces the overall number of alarms while helping operators focus and respond to those most critical.

At issue is the sheer number of alarms, which range from day-to-day activities (known as nuisance alarms) such as the opening of an electrical switch room door, to notification of a critical equipment failure. According to the Abnormal Situation Management® (ASM®) Consortium, ineffective management of nuisance alarms can lead to incidents that cost the process industry billions of dollars, and pose an increased risk of fatigue and stress for operators who must constantly make instant decisions on how to respond when an alarm sounds.

DynAMo Alarm Suite leverages more than 20 years of alarm management experience in the process industries, and can help users reduce overall alarm count by as much as 80 percent, identify maintenance issues, and increase visibility of critical alarms that require urgent attention. Its customizable, role-based dashboard enables operators, engineers and managers to view the health of their alarm system at a glance. A key feature of the new software is that it is compatible with many mobile devices, enabling personnel to view alarm metrics at any time, from almost any location. This ease of access enables more frequent monitoring and faster corrective action, which helps alleviate a major fatigue factor of operators.

“When operators are forced to deal with hundreds of alarms at any given point in time, there is increased risk to safety not to mention process efficiency,” said Vimal Kapur, vice president and general manager of Honeywell Process Solutions Advanced Solutions business. “The DynAMo Alarm Suite is an effective tool for optimizing alarm management programs to prevent alarm floods and ‘chatter,’ and reduce operator stress. The software offers a layer of protection to minimize unplanned outages, safety incidents and environmental releases.”


DynAMo Alarm Suite can be integrated with Honeywell’s industry-leading Experion® Process Knowledge System (PKS), as well as any other control system. Honeywell also offers alarm management consulting, services and support, with worldwide coverage.

Tuesday 26 November 2013

Scada software expanded for plant-specific analysis of individual KPIs

Siemens Industry Automation division has expanded the Simatic WinCC V7.2 Scada software with the optional WinCC/PerformanceMonitor package for calculating and analyzing plant-specific key performance indicators (KPIs). The user can derive optimisation potential for production and measures for increasing productivity. Combining the results and accompanying values reveals correlations, such as product quality in relation to suppliers.

The Simatic WinCC V7.2 Scada software supports the acquisition, visualization, and analysis of production data. Analysis with the new WinCC/PerformanceMonitor software package is based on the process data acquired by WinCC, which are associated with each other during runtime. The user quickly and simply sets up the calculation formulas to be used in WinCC, without any additional knowledge.

Several visualisations are possible for evaluation: a Gantt chart with the time sequence of states, a bar chart for analysing the key performance indicators and a table for states and accompanying values. The visualizations are also available via the web in the WinCC WebNavigatorClient. The calculated key performance indicators can be further processed in a WinCC display, for example line-dashboard, or in a trend display. In conjunction with the Simatic information server, the key performance indicators can be grouped together online to form target-group-oriented reports and can be queried at any time.

Automation in India!


Automation 2014 is the largest solutions-based showcase of automation technologies in India. It is the 9th annual International exhibition and conference on "Factory Automation, Instrumentation & Controls, Instrumentation, Process Automation, Robotics, Sensors, Hydraulics & Pneumatics, Wireless Technology, Information Technology & Software Solutions, Building Automation, Safety & Environment, Electrical & Energy Conservation, Security Electronics, and Telecommunications." It is scheduled for Mumbai (IND) from the 15th to the 18th October 2014.

This show will present a face-to-face environment with top automation experts and game-changing education geared toward maximizing your productivity and profitability in any industry. This event showcases a wide and comprehensive range of manufacturing and automation equipments and products which are used by almost all types of industrial sectors. 

AUTOMATION 2014 is the perfect meeting place for the professionals who are mainly part of the manufacturing department as they get to exhibit the best and advanced technology aided equipments. Renowned and well established companies will participate in this show to display their exclusive range of automation equipments. Companies that provide integration of automation, robotics and machine vision will show actual demonstrations of systems. 

Visitors come in contact with the experts and discuss about various business related issues. The exhibitors get to interact with potential partners and collaborate with them into new business contracts. The participants come across several benefits which will enhance the productivity of each firm. Discussions are conducted where the representatives of the participating companies get to come across various effective means of executing business. At AUTOMATION 2014 visitors can attend industry forums, user group meetings, hands-on labs, technical sessions and demonstrations to expand knowledge and use of the latest control, power and information technologies. This will allow attendees to see live demos solving challenges they face in their industry, and also to learn from solutions used in other industries that may be beneficial to them. 

The rest of the show features the latest automation, robotic, vision and motion control technologies and systems on display from leading global suppliers. 

A comprehensive educational conference accompanies the Automation 2014 exhibition and conference.

Dream partner in productivity!

Ocean Data Systems was recently presented the Invensys 2013 Productivity Partner Product of the Year Award.

A valuable partner of Invensys, Ocean Data Systems has provided reporting tools to Invensys and its affiliates since 2007.

"Ocean Data Systems received this award for several reasons," explained Dan Fitzpatrick, Invensys Business Development Manager, "including the fact that license sales have tripled in recent quarters. As a progressive member of Invensys' ecosystem, Ocean Data Systems has partnered with other Invensys affiliates to make their third party solutions even better. From their responsiveness to their exceptionally high quality products, Ocean Data Systems is truly deserving of this award."

"This is a great honour," said Alex Mazal, President and CEO of Ocean Data Systems, "We pride ourselves on customer support and we work closely with our OEMs to assure we are delivering the integration and product enhancements to make them successful. It was an honour to receive this trophy at the Invensys Software Users Conference in October."

USB to CAN

HMS brings a reworked version of the extremely successful 
USB-to-CAN interface to market under the IXXAT brand.

The new IXXAT USB-to-CAN V2 interface offers significant advantages for users thanks to a combination of existing and new features. For example, the USB-to-CAN V2 uses powerful hardware and connects over USB 2.0 at 480 MBit/sec. This enables very high data throughput with minimum latency and lower power consumption, which makes the interface suitable for very demanding applications at maximum bus load and CAN bit rates up to 1 Mbit/second, for example simulation applications.

The virtues of the existing USB-to-CAN are still there: outstanding robustness for long-term use in harsh environments, very easy operation at a cost-effective price.

The existing versions of the proven IXXAT VCI and IXXAT ECI drivers support the new USB-to-CAN V2, also permitting drop-in use in existing applications without changes to software – even when changing between different interface types. The IXXAT APIs for CANopen and SAE J1939 also support the new USB-to-CAN V2 device family.

The USB-to-CAN V2 is available in different variants with either one or two CAN interfaces based on ISO 11898-2. In the USB-to-CAN V2 compact, the CAN connection is implemented as a sub-D9 plug or alternatively as an RJ45 connector. The versions that carry two CAN interfaces are connected via RJ45 connectors. Adapter cables to sub-D9 plugs are included with the devices. Additional options include galvanically isolated CAN interfaces, bulk variants, and support for ISO 11898-3 low-speed CAN and LIN.

The new housing design supports creation of customer-specific variants branded with the customer logo.

Another newly introduced variant is the IXXAT USB-to-CAN V2 for embedded use, which is designed without housing but with a slot board and adapted USB cable for installation into a computer.

In-line vial measurement at Capitol Europe!


To provide high-speed, high-accuracy inspection facilities for production of a new range of vials, Capitol Europe has opted for Keyence optical micrometers in the TM-3000 series.

Capitol Europe specialises in the manufacturing of packages and packaging products for the pharmaceutical industry and medical testing applications. Its strength lies in the specific technological characteristics of its polypropylene tubes and vials that set them apart in several ways. For instance, they are made in one piece directly with their caps.

Example of a plastic vial made by Capitol Europe
Furthermore, Capitol Europe has been involved in innovative and patented technologies that guarantees their sterility and efficient sealing. Their active coating also ensures absorption of gases and humidity.

This type of manufacturing entails implementation of a high-precision production process, such as the new production line designed by the Sandmann Company to make plastic vials using an injection process. These parts are 26 mm in diameter, with a bevel that is used to pierce the membrane seal. The in-line inspection system required for the application had to show the necessary levels of accuracy while being able to keep up with high production rates. Four sides of each of the 32 parts made have to be measured every 10 seconds (2 for height measurements and 2 more to check the bevels).

"We knew that it would be difficult to find a solution that could rise to the challenge; being fast enough while complying with our requirements in terms of precision", says Eric Daniel, Maintenance Manager at Capitol Europe's plant in Niederbronn-Les-Bains.

Capitol Europe opted for an innovative solution enabling high-speed, two-dimensional in-line measurement with an accuracy level of the order of a micron: the Keyence TM-3000 sensor. This system does away with expensive off-line inspections that rely too heavily on the operator's skills. The 2D optical micrometer features a high-speed central processing unit and two DSP circuits dedicated to image processing. It can operate at up to 1,800 images per minute, thanks to its four processors that operate in parallel.

Its double telecentric optical system transmits a uniform beam of collimated light. This avoids variation in the image projected on the CMOS sensor depending on the target's position. The two-dimensional CMOS sensor detects transition between dark and light areas and measures the target's dimensions. The process, which is also impervious to reflecting surfaces, ensures accuracy levels of 0.5 µm to 3 µm depending on the models, with repeatability levels of +/- 0.06 µm to +/- 0.2 µm. The measurement range reaches 65 mm at a maximum distance of 270 mm between the emitter and the receiver.

The micrometers in the TM-3000 series are able to measure up to 16 points on parts to be inspected, and they provide more than 15 measurement modes: diameter, centre distance, intersection point coordinates, angle, height, step, distance to a perpendicular, radius, circularity, etc.

Moreover, the position correction system automatically makes up for any target alignment or tilt faults. This ensures high precision even when positioning is difficult or when the objects are moving randomly. The adjustment system is simplified and it does away with the necessity of a mechanical repositioning device for the parts to be inspected. Furthermore, the LED source technology used shows exceptional stability and has a very long service life. Eric Daniel confirms the fact: "We have made 11,000,000 parts since the TM-3000 was installed. We have not had any measurement problems at all, and the level of accuracy remains stable at 0.03 mm.

We have obtained the result with several repeat measurements of a given production batch. The result shows a remarkable degree of precision, because our parts are irregularly shaped."

In spite of the unique performance levels shown by the TM-3000 series micrometers, they are easy to install and operate. "My colleague in charge of the system mastered it in 10 minutes and the installation took hardly any time at all", concludes Eric Daniel; the performance levels of the TM-3000 series have given him ideas for other inspection uses.

Monday 25 November 2013

Vortex flowmeter simplifies maintenance, reducing installation costs & increasing availability in utility apps!

The Rosemount 8600 Utility Vortex flowmeter is an expansion of Emerson's vortex flowmeter family. Optimised for clean fluid and steam in utility applications, the new flowmeter is available in standard and multivariable versions. Its application specific design simplifies maintenance, reduces installation costs and increases availability.

The unique design of the Rosemount 8600 Utility Vortex flowmeter provides a cost effective solution for a wide range of utility applications. For example, when compared with traditional DP flowmeters, the Rosemount 8600 Utility typically provides a 46 per cent saving on the installed cost (based on a 2” line size installation).

The cast construction of the unit minimises potential leak points and eliminates the need for impulse lines – improving reliability and reducing installed cost. There are no moving parts to wear or stick, and no impulse lines to plug or freeze. The signal filtering (Adaptive Digital Signal Processing-ADSP) and a mass-balanced sensor design, maximise measurement reliability and eliminate the impact of vibrations on measurement accuracy.

For saturated steam applications, a multivariable measurement option on the Rosemount 8600 Utility Vortex provides a temperature compensated mass flow output directly from the meter. Unlike traditional multivariable vortex designs, the Rosemount MultiVariable™ 8600 Utility Vortex has an isolated temperature sensor. This allows the temperature sensor to be verified or replaced without breaking the process seals. Operator safety is enhanced by limiting personnel exposure to process conditions and throughput maximised by eliminating the need to shut down the process to maintain the temperature sensor.

Internal flow simulation diagnostics simplify maintenance, enabling easy field verification of the electronics without the need for additional equipment. With a turndown ratio of 30:1, the vortex linear technology provides accurate measurement over a broader range of flow rates.

This ange comprises seven line sizes from DN25 to DN200 (1 to 8 inches). Each unit is leak tested and factory configured to speed installation and there is no field calibration or zeroing required. Accuracy is ±0.75% of volumetric flow rate in liquid, ±1.0% of volumetric flow rate in gas and steam, ±2.0% of mass flow rate in saturated steam with ±0.2% repeatability. Suitable for process temperatures in the range -50°C to +250ºC, the transmitter can map independent variables to provide an analogue output, pulse output, or HART® burst variables.

It forms part of a broad range of Rosemount Vortex flowmeters for a variety of process and utility applications. The unique features of their Vortex flowmeter simplify installation, maintenance, and meter verification, while improving overall process availability and reducing the total cost of ownership.

Instrumentation distribution across Europe

Mantracourt appoints additional distributors to support demand for instrumentation across Europe

Mantracourt has announced that it has appointed several new overseas technical partners in order to advance the sales and support of its range of wired, wireless, digital and analogue instrumentation products.

With the appointment of new expert distributors in Spain, France, Turkey, Norway, Finland and Switzerland, Mantracourt is fulfilling its plan to expand its sales operation whilst maintaining its commitment to a high level of customer relations and excellent technical support.

Mantracourt is a world leader in the design and manufacture of electronics for measurement technologies, including strain gauge, temperature, resistance, pressure, voltage, current, potentiometer, rate, flow, LVDT and displacement in either analogue, digital or wireless form. Mantracourt has also recently become a leading developer in the field of remote data logging software.

Mantracourt’s new technical partners for Europe include Elkome in Finland, Ascell in Spain, Wallace in France, Geotrade in Switzerland, Teknik Destek Grubu in Turkey and Sensors AS in Norway.

"We are delighted with these appointments,” said Louise Stubbs, Marketing Coordinator. "Much of Mantracourt’s success has been built on working closely with users, helping us to understand their requirements and to assist them in using our products. These companies are a very good match for this approach, each having a high level of technical expertise and offering excellent customer service."

Mantracourt has recently announced its latest version of its T24LOG100 software, a data-logging package that can handle up to 100 channels of wireless instrumentation data simultaneously whilst also offering a range of sophisticated features. T24LOG100 enables users to optimise system monitoring and control and also offers remote access via the web on mobile devices.

"The new webserver facility of T24LOG100 enables users to view the data online, wherever they have access to the Internet," said Louise Stubbs. “Users will now have the freedom to monitor sensors and installations when on the move and onsite.”

Autoscribe publishes ‘Thornton & Ross’ case study


Autoscribe has published a new case study that shows how Thornton & Ross has improved its QC laboratory efficiency using the Matrix Gemini Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS). Thornton & Ross Ltd is the largest independent pharmaceutical manufacturer in Britain. Its QC laboratory has an important function in both raw material evaluation and in production and this can significantly impact overall manufacturing performance.

Thornton and Ross identified the need for a LIMS capable of controlling, managing, organising, documenting, analysing and reporting information, since increasing volumes of laboratory test data were overwhelming existing practices. Matrix Gemini was installed to manage data for a wide range of analytical techniques for both the raw materials and finished products teams.

The case study is available for download here. It looks at the challenges faced by the company, the solution employed and the resultant benefits for the laboratory, including satisfying all of the regulatory requirements.

Simplicity reaches new Peak!

Join forces to provide integrated test solutions

The Peak Group and Simplicity AI have formed a collaborative partnership to provide integrated test solutions based on National Instruments industry-standard platforms along with Peak’s test hardware and fixturing technology and Simplicity AI’s advanced test & measurement software.
Pictured following the signing of the agreement between The Peak Group, Simplicity AI and National Instruments are left to right: Simon Smith, Systems Architect, Simplicity AI Ltd., Robert Morton, Managing Director, National Instruments UK & Ireland and Karl Miles, Technical Sales Manager, The Peak Group.
Both companies are NI Alliance Partners. Peak Production Equipment, based in Letchworth,  (GB)  is a proven provider of automated test and measurement solutions, supporting every stage of the assembly process from component testing to highly complex functional solutions. Peak is also the exclusive British agent for the mass interconnect systems made by Virginia Panel Corporation, which are extensively used as interfaces within the automatic test sector.

Simplicity AI, based in Hampshire (GB)., provides a range of advanced technical products and engineering services for test, measurement, control and automation, with a particular emphasis on developing automatic test and measurement software built around industry-standard platforms.

“The combination of our hardware expertise and the specialist software from Simplicity AI allows us to offer an integrated package of test solutions that is second to none”, comments Peak’s Technical Sales Manager Karl Miles: “We look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with each other and with National Instruments.”

“This announcement builds on our established track record of working together to deliver high quality test and measurement solutions across a range of industries”, says Simon Smith, Systems Architect, Simplicity AI Ltd.: “The new formal collaboration is a demonstration of our long term commitment to maintaining a close working relationship, enabling us to deliver maximum value to our customers.” 

Rental solution for old landfill gas analysers!


As rental partner for Geotech, a leading gas analyser manufacturer, Ashtead Technology has an effective, low-cost solution for customers dealing with gas analyser obsolescence. For example, Geotech landfill gas analysers first manufactured in 1999 have now been replaced and updated to incorporate the latest technology, such as GPS and Bluetooth. For users of these much older analysers, the facility to rent instruments from Ashtead Technology’s fleet of the latest models, provides a smooth transition from redundant instruments to the latest technology.

The analysers manufactured before February 2007 include the GA2000, GEM2000, GA2000 Plus and GEM2000 Plus analysers with serial numbers from GA4999 to GA09149. Geotech’s aim is to service these analysers for as long as possible after the last analyser is manufactured (typically, the life of an analyser is 10 years), but this series of analysers was first manufactured 14 years ago, and the cost of replacement parts for the original design has now become preclusive. Customers with these instruments now have the option to rent the latest models, a viable long-term option for some Ashtead Technology customers.

Ashtead Technology’s Jay Neermul believes that renting provides a good opportunity to upgrade to the latest technology: “The new GA5000 landfill gas analyser is now the most popular in our hire fleet; partly because it is Ex approved, but also because it provides highly accurate readings (+/- 0.5% for CH4 and CO2) in half the time of its predecessor.”

The GA5000 is also smaller and lighter with a new colour screen that works in all light conditions and features new intuitive menus, with a choice of languages, which guide users through the measurement process.

Harting connectors with monoblock inserts incorporating tool-free installation

Harting has expanded its Han-Eco® series of robust lightweight industrial connectors with a range of monoblock inserts offering higher contact densities and a snap-in function that provides tool-free installation.

The Han-Eco® series comprises robust connector housings made of glass-fibre reinforced high-performance plastics. The series has established itself on the market since its launch in 2012 thanks to its ability to offer advantages such as lighter weight and savings in time during assembly and installation.

The new monoblock E units, which have been developed primarily for use in housings from the Han-Eco® series, retain the proven Han-Eco® “click and mate” snap-in function, offering simple tool-free mounting.

A special feature of the new Han-Eco® monoblock E inserts is that they achieve up to 67% higher contact density than Han E standard screw inserts of the same size. The inserts feature a pre-leading protective earth contact and a six-fold coding system resulting in contact numbers of 10+PE, 14+PE, 20+PE and 28+PE for the four sizes.

It is also possible to combine a monoblock E insert with modules from the Han-Modular® series in a housing from the Han-Eco® series or in the Han-Modular® docking frame.

The new contacts are based on the proven Han® E contacts with screw termination. The monoblock E inserts have a rated voltage of 500 V and a rated current of 16 A. The cable connection cross-section is 0.75 mm2 (AWG 18) minimum and 2.5 mm2 (AWG 14) maximum.

Celebrating innovation and engineering excellence in Britain and Ireland!

The annual National Instruments UK & Ireland Graphical System Design Achievement Awards celebrated engineering applications that have demonstrated groundbreaking solutions to some of the world’s most demanding engineering challenges, including a desktop Tokamak and an assistive control system for attendant-propelled wheelchairs. 

Held at The Royal Academy of Engineering in the presence of Jeff Kodosky, National Instruments Co-founder and “Father of LabVIEW”, NI’s awards celebrated innovation and engineering excellence in the UK and Ireland. 

Jeff Kodosky
The Application of the Year Award was won by the winner of the Advanced Control Systems category, author Pawel Majecki, from Industrial Systems and Control (ISC) for his case study entitled Controlling 70- Ton Gripper Arms for Offshore Wind Turbine Construction Using LabVIEW and CompactRIO 

The construction of offshore wind farms requires steel monopiles measuring 75 meters long, 7 meters in diameter and weighing up to 700 tons, to be driven into the seabed, forming the foundations of wind turbine towers. Powerful waves and sea currents make it extremely difficult to keep monopiles vertical in deep water and inaccurate monopole installation is proving costly to the offshore industry.  Majecki describes how ISC used NI CompactRIO and NI LabVIEW to develop an intuitive, reliable way to deploy, position and stow giant gripper arms in the sea to improve the accuracy of monopole installation.  Because the system is software defined, ISC were able to rapidly iterate their control designs, moving from a blank sheet of paper to a fully deployed and tested system in just a few months. The 70-ton hydraulic, robotic, gripper arms that accurately install the monopiles are partially controlled by a joystick and touch panel interface, on a chest pack, worn by an operator.  In addition to improved installation, the system’s advanced fault detection prevents operator injury and vessel or monopile damage. 

The following winning applications were also recognised for their engineering expertise using graphical system design: 


Life Science: Testing and Validating Powered Attendant-Propelled Wheelchairs by University College London



Transport: Aston Martin Race Engine Vibration Analysis by Computer Controlled Solutions 

Special Recognition: Graphical System Design in the Classroom: Leeds University 

Student Design: Artemis, Autonomous Robotic Technology Enabling Minimally Invasive Surgery by The University of Manchester and The University of Leeds 

Friday 22 November 2013

South Korea’s largest refining and petrochemicals company optimises performance!

Invensys has rendered a multi-year, multi-million dollar corporate license to SK innovation.

Under the terms of the agreement, SK innovation, including its subsidiaries, will use Invensys’ SimSci® ROMeo® software to optimise and improve the performance of its refining and petrochemical operations in real time. SK Energy, one of SK Innovation’s subsidiaries, is Korea's largest oil refiner with a capacity for 1.1 million barrels-per-day of crude distillation and operating approximately 4,200 service stations across the country. Additionally, SK Global Chemical, another of SK Innovation’s subsidiaries, produces 5.5 million tons of petrochemical and polyolefin products each year and is capable of producing 860,000 tons of ethylene per year. 

“Invensys provides the true partnership we need as we execute our operational excellence program,” said Mr. Cheon, real-time optimization project manager at SK innovation. “This relationship and their SimSci solutions will allow us to apply new, consistent modeling techniques that should improve the real-time performance of our assets across the lifecycle of our refining and petrochemical operations.”

An integrated online and offline optimization solution for the refining, petrochemical and gas processing industries, SimSci ROMeo optimisation software handles equipment monitoring, utilities optimisation and material balance in open- or closed-loop mode.

“ROMeo software allows our customers to build upon and unite existing automation and IT systems with technology applications from Invensys, our ecosystem partners and other third-party providers so they function as one, holistic, real-time business optimization solution,” said Ravi Gopinath, president of Invensys’ software business. “This agreement allows us to help SK innovation achieve real-time operational excellence, as well as create more value and contribute to the wellbeing of their customers and other stakeholders.”


Multifunctional stream switching system simplifies gas & liquid control in analytical application!

A new multifunctional stream switching system for process analytical instrumentation that is capable of integrating stream selection and filtering functions into one compact, modular assembly is now available from the Instrumentation Products Division of Parker Hannifin.

Parker’s new Gen II R-max system for gas and liquid analytical applications is based on the proven technology of its popular R-max stream switching system and incorporates numerous enhancements to further improve application flexibility, process integrity and serviceability. Backward compatibility allows the features of the Gen II R-max to be installed on existing R-max units very easily and quickly.

Modules feature an enhanced position
indicator to provide easy recognition of
valve actuation
.
The original R-max, the predecessor to the Gen II system, has been widely adopted by the process analytical community since its introduction in 2001. The system is popular because it offers the flexibility of delivering multiple sample streams to an analytical system with a single, small footprint assembly. Other important advantages include the system’s modular design, which simplifies configuration and maintenance, and the availability of normally-closed, normally-open and single 3-way configurations. During development of the Gen II R-max Parker took the opportunity to add a number of features requested by customers, which differentiate the system from similar commercially available products. These enhancements include a captured vent that prevents cross contamination, an improved position indicator for quick recognition of valve actuation, easier removal of cartridges for maintenance, and an atmospheric reference vent module.

Designed to control both gases and liquids in analytical systems ranging from vacuum to 500 PSIG (34 bar), the Gen II R-max only requires 65 PSIG (5 bar) actuating air pressure. The new system was engineered with a focus on improved product reliability and reduced cost-of-ownership. It is designed for use in the analytical, oil and gas, petrochemical, and chemical industries.

The Gen II R-max utilises state-of-the-art surface mount technology to reduce leak paths, internal volume and dead volume. With surface mounting, system components can be easily removed and replaced without breaking process connections. In addition, the Gen II R-max system features an internal self-purging outlet header that eliminates the need for an additional outlet loop.

New features of Parker's Gen II R-max stream switching system include a captured vent that provides a low pressure header to separate the sample stream from the actuation air, thus preventing cross contamination of the sample stream. An enhanced position indicator also displays a yellow band against a black background, to provide easier recognition of valve actuation. 

The Gen II R-max stream switching system retains all the advantages of its R-max predecessor, such as the use of surface mount technology that enables users to add additional streams or functions very easily, and the modular valve design that helps to simplify field maintenance and reduce system downtime. Overall system efficiency is maximised by the system’s low internal volume and low dead volume, which reduces purge time.


The Gen II R-max, like the R-max, is also available on the Parker IntraFlow ISA/ANSI–SP-76 compliant (NeSSI) modular surface mount system. IntraFlow substrate fittings have been developed specifically for analytical, laboratory and other complex general-purpose instrumentation flow control systems. IntraFlow fittings provide maximum flexibility with minimum space requirements. All flow paths, regardless of direction, are maintained on a single plane within the system, as no lower level manifold blocks are required. Every feature of the Gen II R-max system is available within the IntraFlow product line.

Code reading systems expanded with object recognition

With the Pat-Genius license software, Siemens expands the functionality of its Simatic MV440 code readers with object recognition. After the software has been installed, the code reader can detect and verify objects with up to 2,500 checks per minute. During these checks, the edge structure of a specific object is compared with the specifications of a previously learned reference object. The software is designed for applications such as pick-and-place in robotics, quality control in production, and position detection or quantity monitoring in the feeding technology and in manufacturing. The fields of use are primarily in the automotive, pharmaceutical and semiconductor industries, as well as in medical technology and electronics.

Pat-Genius follows the uniform operating concept of the Simatic MV440, which guarantees simple installation and operation for all function packages. In addition, the license can be transferred when the code reader is replaced, regardless of the resolution capability of the new device. The tasks of Pat-Genius include object recognition, also known as classification, and position detection. The angle of rotation and scaling of the objects are also checked. Moreover, the software can detect whether certain objects are present as specified. A third area of application of Pat-Genius is character recognition using the contours of the character or symbol.

Pat-Genius can be installed on all Simatic MV440 devices as of firmware V6.0. Without the license, Pat-Genius is only available in demo mode. The license is supplied on a USB stick and can be copied to the Simatic MV440 using the Automation License Manager. After installation on the code reader, Pat-Genius can be easily integrated in the automation environment with various function blocks for a large number of Simatic and Simotion systems, and also Sinumerik systems via a configuration file. The new software can also be combined with all other function packages for the Simatic MV440 code reader, such as Text-Genius and Veri-Genius.

Simatic MV440 is an optical code reading system that has been specially designed for detecting and evaluating a variety of machine-readable codes in industrial production. The advantages of the Simatic MV440 device family are maximum read reliability, fast reading speed and flexible process connection. Furthermore, the products are robust, easy to use and have a high degree of protection.

Thursday 21 November 2013

Educational scholarships in Automation for 2014

The International Society of Automation (ISA) is accepting applications for its wide range of 2014 educational scholarships, which will be awarded to college and university students who demonstrate outstanding potential for long-range contributions in the fields of automation, instrumentation and control.

ISA educational scholarships, which fund tuition, related expenses and research initiatives, are distributed annually to undergraduate students in two-year and four-year colleges and universities, and to graduate students.

here.

Interested students are encouraged to apply as soon as possible by submitting a completed application form or by calling ISA at +1 919-549-8411. The application deadline is 15 February 2014.

ISA awards scholarships from the ISA Educational Foundation Scholarship fund; through the ISA Executive Board; through ISA technical divisions, sections and districts; and through endowments of generous gifts from supporters. More details on these various scholarships are included below.
More than $65,000 in scholarships funds are expected to be distributed in 2014. The two top undergraduate winners will receive $5,000 each. Other award amounts will vary. For answers to frequently asked questions regarding ISA educational scholarships, click

Educational Foundation Scholarship
Recipients of awards are full-time college or university students in either a graduate, undergraduate, or two-year degree program with at least an overall GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale. Students should be enrolled in a program in automation and control or a closely related field.

These funds are provided by past and present members of ISA's Executive Board. Preference is given to applicants with demonstrated leadership capabilities. Award amount varies.

Named Awards
Funds are provided by families or groups in honor of specific people.

ISA Technical Division Scholarships
Funds are provided by specific ISA divisions. Scholarships are given to outstanding students pursuing careers in the area pertinent to the Division’s activity. All ISA divisions, except the Chemical and Petroleum Industry Division (ChemPID) and the Food and Pharmaceutical Industries Division request that completed applications be sent to a specific person (identified on the ISA Technical Division Scholarships page).

ISA Section and District Scholarships
Funds are provided by specific ISA sections and districts.

Railway bearing quality control!


Olmec has designed a turnkey laser height system for inspecting bearings used in the railway industry. Using an LMI Gocator 3D smart camera, which includes an integrated laser source and optics and provides on-board processing of 3D data, the system measures the height of various bearings used in bogies in the rail industry. The bearing consists of a number of different components and if any part is missing the height of the bearing will differ from that which is expected.

The Gocator 2050 sensor is mounted over the existing conveyor on the OE Line and offers a field of view of 158 – 365mm and a measurement depth range of 400 mm. Bearings with a height range of 125 mm to 285 mm are measured to a tolerance of +/- 1 mm. The system provides a simple recipe selection and sensor management interface based on Olmec’s versatile, modular VP3 touch screen user interface, complete with multi-layer security so that only authorized personnel can allow adjustment of the sensor or measurement parameters.

The Gocator records profile images and measures the height of the finished product. If the height of the component is not within the expected tolerances then the conveyor belt is stopped and an audible alarm raised as well as an alarm displayed on the touch screen. Statistics such as the number of parts processed, and pass and fail criteria may be displayed on the touch screen as well as any other dimension/statistical data output from the camera.


An integrated industrial PC is connected to the Gocator for management of the overall system. Error handling and interfacing to the existing process is handled using a Programmable Logic Controller. Should an error occur, the conveyor is halted to ensure no faulty product can pass through for packing. A remote access capability allows Olmec to support the system quickly and easily.

Safe IR measurement!

More than 99 percent of all arc flash incidents occur when a panel door is open, exposing workers to potentially lethal amounts of energy. The new Fluke® ClirVu CV Series IR Windows eliminate the need to open the panel door to take infrared camera readings, and with an installation time of five minutes or less, there’s no excuse not to protect workers’ safety.

The ClirVu CV Series offers the ultimate protection for the electricians, engineers, and inspectors who work around high-energy equipment. They are Torture Tested™ to the highest arc blast test ratings and, when properly installed, maintain a panel arc test rating of up to 63 kA.

Once installed, there's no need to power down or remove panels — inspections can be conducted quickly, easily, and, most importantly, safely, often with little, if any, personal protective equipment.

Installation takes one technician five minutes or less. Simply lockout-tag out, punch one hole with a standard conduit punch without removing the panel door, attach, and secure the cover. The AutoGround™ feature instantly grounds the IR window to the metal enclosure, eliminating the need to separately ground each metal component of the window.

The hinged cover is easily opened with a quarter-turn latch or key to perform infrared inspections. It also protects the window from accidental exterior impact.

Automation contractor appointed!

Yokogawa has been selected as the Main Automation Contractor for Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP’s (Chevron Phillips Chemical) USGC Petrochemicals Project. The project was first announced in March 2011 and will include a 1.5 million metric tons/year (3.3 billion pounds/year) ethane cracker and two new polyethylene facilities, each with an annual capacity of 500,000 metric tons (1.1 billion pounds).

The ethane cracker will be built at Chevron Phillips Chemical’s Cedar Bayou plant in Baytown (TX USA), and two polyethylene units will be built at a site in Old Ocean, TX near Chevron Phillips Chemical’s Sweeny plant. The USGC Petrochemicals Project is expected to commence construction in early 2014 and create approximately 400 long-term direct jobs and 10,000 engineering and construction jobs.

“We are proud to be part of one of the first grass roots ethylene and polyethylene plants to be built in the U.S. in a very long time,” says Chet Mroz, President and CEO of Yokogawa Corporation of America.

As the Main Automation Contractor for the project, Yokogawa will supply the control systems, safety systems, remote instrument enclosures, and the analyzer shelters and analytical systems. The control system platform will be based on Yokogawa’s highly reliable CENTUM® VP integrated production control system. While CENTUM VP is classified as a distributed control system (DCS), it goes beyond a traditional DCS by offering a more intuitive human machine interface and a large-capacity field control station to process data faster while maintaining exceedingly high reliability. The dual-redundant configuration of processor cards combined with pairing each processor card with two CPUs (pair & spare configuration) ensures uninterrupted operations and high availability.

Remote management of industrial equipment

The Netbiter EC350, from HMS Industrial Networks is a new communication gateway which makes it easier to monitor and control industrial equipment remotely. The gateway comes with enhanced performance and connectivity making it ideal for remote management and configuration of power generators, cooling systems, UPSs, wind turbines or other industrial machinery.

Enhanced connectivity.
The Netbiter EC350 is the first in a new generation of Netbiter gateways. It connects to industrial machinery via Modbus (serial or Ethernet), SNMP, EtherNet/IP or I/O and sends data to the cloud-based Netbiter Argos server via Ethernet or cellular communications.
3G Communication
While previous generations of Netbiter gateways have been able to communicate via GSM/GPRS, the new Netbiter EC350 is enhanced to also communicate over 3G networks. The 3G communication provides increased performance compared to GPRS and also increases the geographical cellular coverage as it is possible to install the gateway where 3G is the only available network. With support for 5 different 3G bands, the Netbiter EC350 is a product suitable for the global market.

Enabling Remote Access
The Netbiter EC350 will support “Remote Access” functionality. This means that users can open up a secure connection to remote machinery and configure or operate it from any location using standard software applications. Remote access provides a secure data tunnel to the remotely located equipment. For example, with a Netbiter connected to a PLC, it is possible to perform remote debugging or programming of the PLC from any location, using the same PLC configuration software as usual. Remote access functionality will be available as of Q1, 2014.

“Netbiter is one of the pioneering solutions on the remote management market and we have taken advantage of our long experience when developing the EC350,” says Henrik Arleving, Product Line Manager, Remote Management at HMS. “With more connectivity options and increased performance, Netbiter definitely takes the lead as one of the most versatile and powerful remote management solutions on the market.”

Technical enhancements
From a technical point-of-view, the new gateway has about 20 times more processing power than the previous gateways and an extended memory capacity supporting up to 512 MB Flash and 1024 MB RAM. Two fully separated Ethernet Interfaces (WAN and LAN) makes it possible to provide secure communication to the field installation. A built-in GPS receiver makes it suitable for mobile fleet management applications and the increased number of analog and digital I/Os allow signals and sensors to be directly connected to the Netbiter gateway. Six status LEDs also provide detailed diagnostics.

Large display strain gauge (LDSG) for more accurate weight measurement!

Red Lion Controls has launched new Large Display Strain Gauge (LDSG). The LDSG is the latest addition to their popular Large Display portfolio for advanced control and communication of weight measurement in environments such as food processing, truck and crane scales, cement mixing and transport, and other weight monitoring scenarios. Its advanced functionality and larger display screen gives plant engineers and maintenance staff the reliability and ease of use required to improve efficiency and reduce costs by increasing weight measurement accuracy.

Available in both a 2-1/4-inch and 4-inch display size, Red Lion’s LDSG accepts most load cell and strain gauge inputs and communicates real-time weight information to a database or management system for accurate monitoring, storage and reporting. This type of information is important for applications such as food processing, where weight monitoring and controlling of each ingredient is essential to accurately following recipes in batch production. By using alarming setpoints and a display that is readable from distances up to 180 feet away, operators are automatically alerted and can easily see when weight limits are being approached or exceeded.

“The larger display size and flexible input design of our new LDSG provide the features industrial customers need to enhance the safety of process control,” said Jeff Thornton, director of product management for Red Lion Controls. “By reliably communicating and saving weight values to a connected database, LDSG helps customers address various regulations.”

With easy, push-button setup and NEMA4X/IP64 sealed enclosure design, LDSG implementation is simple. Once installed, weight values can be collected in real time and used later via its RS232/RS485 serial communication ports. This is especially significant for the crane industry, where insurance mandates are starting to require operators to verify that cranes are not picking up more weight than designed to hold.

The LDSG is supported by Red Lion’s award-winning Crimson® 2.0 software. Crimson makes it fast and easy to configure the display, enable setpoints and more.

• Red Lion products are marketed in Ireland by Instrument Technology Ltd.

Interactive on water!

To further support customers involved in the water sector, VEGA have launched an application based, interactive website about their innovative solutions for the water industry.
Aimed at both experienced and inexperienced water instrumentation users alike, it covers aspects of sewage system monitoring, main treatment plant processes and open water gauging. It features their latest innovation: VEGAPULS WL61 non contact water radar level transmitter.

The applications shown across the site are a perfect demonstration of the versatility of the radar level technology, along with other innovative techniques for process control solutions. Process animations feature alongside their written descriptions, application challenges, user benefits and click-through access to detailed product information, application data sheets and all related manuals and certificates.

Partnership dramatically to improve energy-efficient indoor wireless comms capacity!


National Instruments and the University of Edinburgh have partnered to develop a test bed to dramatically improve indoor wireless communications capacity. Professor Harald Haas, lead researcher at Edinburgh and featured NIDays speaker, has pioneered a next-generation massive multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) technique, referred to asspatial modulation, to power a highly energy efficient capacity increase in another step on the path toward fifth-generation (5G) wireless communications.
Professor Haas at NIDays Ireland & UK in London 20th November 2013 (pic shared on twitter!)
Haas and Professor Cheng-Xiang Wang, head of the Advanced Wireless Technologies Lab at Heriot-Watt University, recently used NI PXI Express hardware and NI LabVIEW system design software to create the first working prototype showing spatial modulation techniques over a wireless RF channel. In a live TED Talk in 2011, Haas demonstrated a concept, nicknamed LiFi, using visible light communication over a single-channel, point-to-point link. He now plans to combine these technologies to create even higher density optical wireless networks—called optical attocell networks—that will harness massive MIMO gains in both the optical and RF domains for energy-efficient indoor wireless communications.

“We’ve known for a long time that decreasing cell size can significantly increase cellular capacity and user data rates, but it’s not been clear how we could facilitate that given current spectrum, energy and interference limitations,” said Haas. “RF wireless and optical wireless networks that work together using spatial modulation and massive MIMO approaches could allow us to effectively mitigate interference and significantly increase energy efficiency, coverage and capacity using existing infrastructure.”

The Edinburgh team is extending its research capabilities with the LabVIEW reconfigurable I/O (RIO) architecture for rapid prototyping. Using the NI FlexRIO Software Defined Radio Bundle with reconfigurable FPGAs and interchangeable I/O adapter modules, the team is building prototypes that operate beyond the rates of a commercial RF wireless system. The team recently achieved 3.5 Gbit/s from a single colour LED, allowing them to create an ultra-realistic test bed.

“We are excited to collaborate with Professor Haas, who has been pioneering visible light communications and spatial modulation for nearly a decade,” said Erik Luther, Wireless Communications Group Manager at NI. “Through the LabVIEW RIO architecture, Haas can rapidly prototype a first-of-its-kind wireless test bed.”

Wide range of EMC Filters available from Stadium Power Online!

Stadium Power has increased the range of products available for customers to purchase from stock online to include a wide range of EMC Filters. They are rated from 6A to 60A and including 3 Phase and DIN Rail types.

Two models are available for 3-phase applications. The Stadium Power TNS series offers a 1-stage filter design housed in a plastic case/safety cover and has an optional DIN-Rail mounting kit and the TMS filter series is a 2-stage unit with a steel enclosure. Both models have a current range from 6 to 60A at up to 500V max.

Two families of DIN-Rail mounted EMC filters are also available from Stadium Power. Designed for single phase applications and rated at 6 to 30A at up to 250V the RNS series of EMC Filters are a 1-stage design and the RMS series meet 2-stage filter requirements. Both models are low leakage current designs and are supplied complete with a safety cover

All Stadium Power EMC Filters offer high attenuation characteristics over the range 150KHz to 1MHz, are supplied with easy push-down terminal blocks to provide simple and fast connection and operate over the temperature range -25 to +85ᵒC and have full international safety agency approvals.

Typical applications include industrial equipment, computer and IT systems, and digitally controlled systems

All online orders will be available for fast delivery from stocks held in Britain and discounts of up to 50% are possible on high volume orders placed for online stock.

Other products available via the Stadium Power online include; plug-top and open frame medical power supplies for portable and system use, DC-DC converters, AC-DC power supplies from 5-1500W, battery chargers, LED drivers from 10-300W and EN54 Fire and Security power supplies offering the industry standard 13.8Vdc and 27.6Vdc outputs.

Stadium Power has over 30 years of experience in the manufacture of custom, standard and medical switch mode power supplies, programmable power supplies and converters, LED drivers and EMC Filters to international standards including EN, IEC, CSA and UL.

The company can offer a complete design and build custom power supply service including in-house Design, Engineering, NPI, PCB assembly and box build services. Offshore manufacturing for high volume products can be provided through their wholly owned facility in Asia.