Read-out Instrumentation Signpost

New cost-effective TDR level meter

2012-02-02T13:39:00.002Z

Krohne have introduced the new OPTIFLEX 1100 C level meter for liquids and solids in non-explosive environments. The meter offers a cost-effective and higher performing replacement for traditional level meters such as RF capacitance, conductive and pressure level meters.

It is 2-wire, loop-powered and available with a standard 20 m cable or segmented coaxial probe for liquids and a 10 m cable probe for solids. All probes can be shortened on site and commissioning is completed via an intuitive 5-step ”Quick Setup” procedure. The unit is available with an integrated display and keypad in the cover so that it is not necessary to open the housing cover for configuration. A blind version is also available. Multiple blind versions can be configured on site, using a single HMI (Human-Machine Interface) service tool.

The OPTIFLEX 1100 C uses TDR (Time Domain Reflectometry) technology. This state-of-the-art technology measures level independent from physical property variations such as dielectric constants, pressure or density. Unlike traditional meters, it does not need any wet calibration, is immune to linearity problems in irregular tank shapes and has neither fragile nor moving parts.

This is the latest addition to the popular OPTIFLEX product family next to the existing high-precision OPTIFLEX 1300 C TDR level meter, which is used in hazardous environments such as the chemical, oil & gas, and mining industries.

New technical trainer!

2012-02-02T13:26:00.002Z

Anthony Suddes has joined MCP as a technical trainer covering mechanical, electrical and maintenance disciplines.

Anthony’s 22 year’ service with the RAF has set him in good stead to work with MCP’s impressive list of training clients. His service career involved work as an avionic mechanic specialising in communications, radar and flight systems and latterly in a training and management role.

Initially he worked as a flight line mechanic responsible for the day to day servicing of various helicopter types operating throughout the world, with special responsibility for the high profile Search and Rescue Squadron.

A spell as Instructor/Trainer followed with involvement in the delivery of theory and practical work on live aircraft to new recruits, including international students from the
UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Latterly he became responsible for designing and amending Instructional Specifications and Syllabi for the instructional staff at Defence College of Aeronautical Engineering (DCAE), Cosford covering traditional and e-learning courseware.

He was selected from an impressive line up of candidates. What sets Tony apart is his professional friendly manner, broad experience and e-learning expertise.

Anthony is a member of the British Computer Society the Chartered Management Institute and the Institute for Learning.

New technical trainer!

2012-02-02T13:25:00.003Z

Anthony Suddes has joined MCP as a technical trainer covering mechanical, electrical and maintenance disciplines.

Acquisition expands RF power amplifier capabilities

2012-02-02T11:45:00.001Z

Combined technologies enhance development of innovative instrumentation platforms

Teseq Holding has acquired MILMEGA, Ltd., a leading specialist in the design and manufacture of solid state, high-power microwave and RF amplifiers. This acquisition strengthens their capabilities in commercial, industrial, automotive, military and communications applications, further positioning the company as a global leader in immunity testing.

Johannes Schmid, President of Teseq, said, “When we began Teseq a mere five years ago, after a management buyout from leading developer and provider of instrumentation and test systems for EMC emission and immunity, Schaffner, our vision was to provide the best in testing solutions. Our acquisition of MILMEGA is a testament to that forward thinking strategy and builds upon the half-century of EMC experience with which we were founded.

RF amplifier power, linearity and harmonic performance is critical to achieving accurate immunity testing results. Adding MILMEGA’s high quality amplifiers to Teseq’s extensive range of EMC testing products extends our product offering to include both EMC and non-EMC applications, strengthening our position as the supplier of choice for innovative, high quality test instrumentation to an increasingly wide range of customers.”

Established in 1987, MILMEGA expertly designs and manufactures high power amplifiers for commercial and government applications. The company’s core strength lies in the development of broadband RF power amplifiers operating in a frequency range from 80 MHz to 8 GHz with power levels to 1 kW.

Pat Moore, Managing Director of MILMEGA Ltd., said, “Becoming part of the Teseq group allows us to offer the very best in global sales and support as well as EMC system expertise in software design and installation services, positioning us as a leader in the field. Our customers now have access to an extensive RF product range as well as engineering expertise that will facilitate the development of innovative system solutions to meet their needs today and in the future. Combining our individual strengths ensures our market focused approach to new developments and enables us to more accurately define new amplifier requirements for years to come.”

The MILMEGA brand and all aspects of the company’s product range, including its industry unique five year warranty, will be retained. Their factory will become a competence center for RF amplifiers within the Teseq organization, which is currently comprised of eight subsidiaries and seven accredited labs worldwide.

2012-02-02T11:41:00.000Z

Teseq Holding has acquired MILMEGA, Ltd., a leading specialist in the design and manufacture of solid state, high-power microwave and RF amplifiers. This acquisition strengthens their capabilities in commercial, industrial, automotive, military and communications applications, further positioning the company as a global leader in immunity testing.

Johannes Schmid, President of Teseq, said, “When we began Teseq a mere five years ago, after a management buyout from leading developer and provider of instrumentation and test systems for EMC emission and immunity, Schaffner, our vision was to provide the best in testing solutions. Our acquisition of MILMEGA is a testament to that forward thinking strategy and builds upon the half-century of EMC experience with which we were founded.

RF amplifier power, linearity and harmonic performance is critical to achieving accurate immunity testing results. Adding MILMEGA’s high quality amplifiers to Teseq’s extensive range of EMC testing products extends our product offering to include both EMC and non-EMC applications, strengthening our position as the supplier of choice for innovative, high quality test instrumentation to an increasingly wide range of customers.”

Established in 1987, MILMEGA expertly designs and manufactures high power amplifiers for commercial and government applications. The company’s core strength lies in the development of broadband RF power amplifiers operating in a frequency range from 80 MHz to 8 GHz with power levels to 1 kW.

Pat Moore, Managing Director of MILMEGA Ltd., said, “Becoming part of the Teseq group allows us to offer the very best in global sales and support as well as EMC system expertise in software design and installation services, positioning us as a leader in the field. Our customers now have access to an extensive RF product range as well as engineering expertise that will facilitate the development of innovative system solutions to meet their needs today and in the future. Combining our individual strengths ensures our market focused approach to new developments and enables us to more accurately define new amplifier requirements for years to come.”

The MILMEGA brand and all aspects of the company’s product range, including its industry unique five year warranty, will be retained. Their factory will become a competence center for RF amplifiers within the Teseq organization, which is currently comprised of eight subsidiaries and seven accredited labs worldwide.

Chinese website launched!

2012-02-02T08:34:00.000Z

Aegis has launched a new Chinese-language website as the latest move in its strategic commitment to the region and to meeting its increasing demand for Aegis Manufacturing Operations Software (MOS) products. The strategy also includes Aegis’ expansion of its local staffing levels in both its sales and engineering departments.

The new website has already proven to be a valuable resource for the market by supporting both existing and potential customers in their own language. It gives them access to the data essential to making informed decisions when purchasing software for their business needs.

As investment continues to flow into China’s electronics and IT sector, Aegis MOS can make a critical contribution to containing rising manufacturing costs. With MOS, electronics manufacturers of any size can cost-effectively enjoy the benefits of factory-wide monitoring, traceability, reporting, quality management and materials control. MOS delivers world-class visibility and control, without expensive and time consuming software customization and report development.

“China is a key market for Aegis Asia’s expansion and we continue to see a very strong interest from potential customers in our products.” commented Paul Price, Director of Aegis Asia. “We have bolstered our commitment to the market in Asia with the launch of this completely new local-language website, as well as through the expansion of our local sales and technical support teams.”

Design automation software for rotating requirements

2012-02-01T16:30:00.000Z

Optimal design solutions to rotating electrical machine requirements can now be created in hours, by non specialists, using a new version of design automation software from Cobham Technical Services.

Optimal design solutions to rotating
electrical machine requirements can
now be created in hours, by non specialists,
using the Machines Environment design
automation software from Cobham.

Cobham's Machines Environment introduced a new level of user friendliness when it was launched by providing a design entry system that allows precision finite-element analysis (FEA) models of motors and generators to be created and solved in minutes. The two-dimensional (2D) version of the software has now been integrated with Cobham's unique optimization tool which automatically finds the optimal solution within a design space - even for multiple or competing design objectives.

Cobham's Machines Environment is an application-specific extension to the well known Opera electromagnetic simulation package. It provides a front-end to the simulator that speeds design entry by means of Wizard-style dialog boxes. Users select the style of motor or generator they want to design from a library of all common types, including induction, brushless permanent magnet and switched reluctance motors, and synchronous motors or generators. Then, dialog boxes allow the user to enter parameters to define mechanical geometry, material properties and electrical data, and the FEA model is automatically created.

The use of parameterized models and the ability to quickly load and modify previous designs has always made it possible for users to perform 'what-if?' design investigations. Now, to extend these possibilities to the maximum, Cobham has integrated a unique optimization tool that makes it simple for users to find the best solution across the design space. While auto-optimization tools are not new, they usually require manual intervention if the globally optimal solution is to be found, and the simulation times involved often make this impractical. Cobham's uniquely powerful tool - Optimizer - 'intelligently' selects and manages multiple goal-seeking algorithms including stochastic, descent, particle swarm and Kriging to eliminate the need for manual intervention.

Setting up an Optimizer run from the Machines Environment has now been made as easy as the design entry process. Because most FEA simulations can take as little as a few seconds, the integrated software makes it feasible to thoroughly explore the design space. Thousands of simulations can typically be executed within hours, making the 'perfect solution' achievable for all users - without expert assistance.

"This software makes the high accuracy of finite element analysis available to all engineers, not just the expert with years of experience," says Cobham's Jeremy Howard-Knight. "Even a novice engineer can now create a precision finite element model and find the best solution in a design space, without needing to know much more than what he or she wants to achieve."

The 2D Machines Environment is now in its fourth generation, and Cobham has developed an extensive library of rotating machine design styles, and design components. However, if there are still any unusual features that need to be incorporated in designs, users also have open access to the scripts that generate the models, and can modify them at will to automate proprietary motor and generator design concepts. A library of common material properties is also included in the design software. Again, if users employ any special materials, such as an unusual grade of steel for laminations, then a new menu item can be created within minutes. Cobham will also generate custom scripts for users on request.

Cobham's Machines Environment is expected to appeal to the many users of analytic motor design programs, giving a means of performing much more accurate analysis rapidly and without the engineering overhead usually required for accurate FEA. The tool can deliver significant advantages in today's market environment. Currently, there's enormous pressure to improve energy-efficiency for instance. The combination of highly accurate simulation and sophisticated optimization provides the means to identify the design characteristics of the perfect machine in very short timescales.

A three-dimensional version of the Machines Environment is optionally available.

Moisture & humidity on your phone!

2012-02-01T11:43:00.001Z

Michell’s moisture and humidity calculator app for iPhone and Android

Michell Instruments has launched a mobile app version of its humidity calculator to enable fast calculations of trace moisture, moisture in liquids and relative humidity to be made easily and conveniently. Based on Michell’s popular moisture and humidity slide rule, the calculator is a valuable tool for anyone working with processes involving moisture control or analysis.

Visit iTunes or Android Market to download for free.

The moisture calculator app includes the following parameters:
• Relative humidity
• Absolute humidity, g/m3
• Mixing ratio, g/Kg
• Moisture content, ppmV, in gases
• Moisture content, ppmW, in liquids
• Dew point, °C, and vapour pressure

The application allows for easy calculations and conversions between units of moisture content in parts per million (ppm), dew point, relative humidity and moisture in liquid.

The humidity calculator offers a comprehensive selection of humidity units, with high and low humidity ranges are covered. It facilitates calculations with extremely dry gases containing only parts per billion (ppb) moisture content - which is, of most relevance to sectors such as semiconductor industry. At the other end of the scale, it is capable of calculations involving very high concentrations of water vapour - such as in paper production and certain metallurgical processes.

Pressure and temperature compensation is incorporated, where relevant, for each unit conversion. To complete the comprehensive coverage of the calculator, metric to imperial conversions are provided for temperature and pressure.

• Michell are represented in Ireland by Instrument Technology

Monitoring bridges in all weathers

2012-01-31T09:40:00.001Z

RDP products are frequently used to measure movements in the structure of bridges caused by the weight of traffic, environmental conditions and other factors.

Higher traffic loads and corrosion can lead to increased strain in bridge components, such as suspension cable fixing points. It is important for engineers to understand movements and loads imposed on the structure in order to predict potential problems and to maximise the safe working life of the bridge. Ageing bridge structures may be reaching overload due to the effects of increased weights and traffic volumes on steel structures that may be also weakened by corrosion or suffering early metal fatigue.

Very often the transducers used to monitor movements are installed on structures in coastal regions where the rain water must be considered saline and transducers are also exposed to chemical pollutants created by road vehicles. RDP Electronics Ltd offers many different types of products with a very high water ingress protection rating. Transducers can be supplied that are moisture resistant or fully welded for submersible applications. Thanks to a stainless steel construction these transducers are suited to operation in marine environments and also resist the corrosive effects due to winter road treatments for ice.

The LVDT monitoring approach is relatively inexpensive particularly when several points on a bridge need to be monitored, calling for long cable runs. By using a 4-20mA 2 wire loop, the wiring installation cost can be considerably reduced, as well as this offering the best interface to use with long cables for temperature drift reasons.

Outdoor Cabinet Installations made easy

2012-01-31T09:02:00.000Z

Rittal's pre-cast concrete base/plinths for their range of outdoor free-standing enclosures have been developed to simplify installation and eliminate the need to pour concrete on site.
Manufactured from a specially developed light, untreated concrete, the units are 1M high when assembled and ideally fit a 700mm deep excavation. The front and rear plinths are screw fastened from inside and can be quickly and easily fitted together in situ.

For installations in remote locations, where delivery or mixing of fresh concrete is difficult, the pre-cast units, supplied in sections, can be installed in a trench or hole, around the cable ducts, and then back-filled with the soil from the hole and tamped firm. Outdoor enclosures, from Rittal’s stock or custom ranges can then be lowered either directly onto the concrete plinth, or attached via an additional plinth, depending on the model and application.

Even in less remote locations, Rittals pre-cast concrete base/plinths can save time, reduce material and delivery costs and provide an extremely practical solution, requiring a minimum of material to finish or restore the surface around the enclosure on completion of the installation.

Outdoor Cabinet Installations made easy

2012-01-31T08:59:00.002Z

Custom control panel solutions

2012-01-31T08:07:00.000Z

IGT Industries offers its customers a time and cost saving single source for complete in house control panel design and manufacture. IGT-Industries HMI products are suitable for use in Marine, Aviation, Railway, Medical, MIL, Industrial, Fire, Security, Telecom and most other electronics applications.

As experienced manufactures of complex and innovative switching products IGT Industries can use their expertise to benefit control system designers with multi-technology integration into a complex sub-assembly or fully assembled and tested control unit. IGT Industries offer a complete design, prototype and production manufacturing service incorporating keyboards or other interface switching technologies, various display and illumination technology and electro-mechanical devices.

“Outsourcing a complete designed and manufactured sub-assembly or control panel for manufacture by IGT Industries greatly simplifies our customer’s procurement and logistics management by reducing their supplier base and delivery times.” Comments Terry Moss, Sales & Marketing Manager of IGT Industries. “Installing a completed assembly also removes the need for further integration, complex testing and multi-vendor liaison in the event of any functional problems.”

IGT Industries HMI assemblies may be specified for use in environmentally hostile conditions in military and industrial control applications. One such application is for Dynamic Positioning Systems for use on ships and oil rigs. These back-lit control panels are used for data positioning of vessels and offer complex switching, control and display integration, adjustable control panel illumination, PS/2 USB compatibility, are waterproof to IP67, RFI/EMC compliant and specified to meet approvals of Lloyds Register for Equipment used in shipping and American Bureau of Shipping. IGT Industries is also a signatory to 21st Century Supply Chains (SC-21).

Box aids

2012-01-31T07:54:00.001Z

Robust box aids mounting of data cabling in industrial or building networks

The new Ha-VIS preLink® AP box from Harting is a robust housing unit that aids the installation of data networks by allowing cabling to be mounted on walls or pillars in industrial or business premises.

The box provides protection to the IP 20/30 standard for mounting on walls and pillars, and can also be mounted on DIN EN 60715 "top hat" rails. It consists simply of two housing sections and two preLink RJ45 HIFF modules.

The AP Box is pre-assembled and is quick and easy to install. Cables can be fed in from above or below. Both RJ45 ports have angled outlets and can be labelled.

Harting Ha-VIS preLink® is an installation concept for data network cabling based on the ISO/IEC 11801 standard. The system combines pre-fabricated preLink(R) cabling links with a wide range of preLink(R) connectors.

Free membership upgrade on offer!

2012-01-31T07:31:00.000Z

For a limited time, users, vendors, OEMs and systems integrators who want to reach the motion control market can join MMA for free.

The Mechatrolink Members Association (MMA) recently announced a membership drive with significant benefits for prospective members. Any end user, machine builder, robot builder, systems integrator or supplier of motion control systems and equipment can join the MMA as a Regular Member for free. Membership confers a number of benefits, chief among them preferred access to the fast-growing motion control markets of China and other parts of Asia.

Entry Level membership has always been free, but this drive allows companies to join at a higher grade of membership—as a Regular Member—with added benefits. An annual Regular Membership in MMA normally costs $1,500 (€1140.00), but until March 31, 2012, it’s free. The free membership is good until March 31, 2013, at which point it can renewed on an annual basis.

A Regular membership allows members to purchase Mechatrolink ASIC chips and sample kits, submit their products for certification test, and introduce and advertise their product on the Mechatrolink website. Regular members can also participate in subcommittees and general meetings, make technical inquiries by email and telephone, and receive product development support.

Mechatrolink is the most widely used motion control network in Asia, and is steadily gaining ground in the U.S. Mechatrolink connects devices such as servo motors, servo amps and I/O to each other and to motion controllers such as PLCs, PACs and motion controllers. Mechatrolink is available in both RS-485 and Ethernet versions, operates at speeds up to 100 Mbps, and can support up to 62 simultaneous devices.

For any company who wants to participate in the Asian motion control market, membership in MMA can be very beneficial.

Intelligent universal stator

2012-01-30T07:19:00.000Z

The new Kistler KiTorq torque measuring flange system operates without an antenna ring and has standard flange geometry conforming to ISO7646 for easy installation. The open stator design allows faster installation whilst minimising the risk of damage and easier visual inspection during testing. The universal, intelligent stator may be used with any KiTorq rotor of the same speed rating for greater operational flexibility. A choice of 500, 1,000, 2,000 or 3,000 Nm measuring ranges is available each with an accuracy class of 0.05% of range. The system has an excellent torque signal bandwidth of up to 10 kHz and a 60 pulses per revolution speed output.

A single, intelligent stator can be used with any KiTorq rotor of the same speed rating and will automatically recognise the rotor measuring range. This minimises hardware investment as one stator may be used with rotors of differing ranges for different applications. Installation is simplified by the contactless, digital telemetry that does not require an antenna ring. The lack of an antenna ring has not reduced the precision of the sensor which has an excellent signal bandwidth of 10 kHz and accuracy of better than 0.05%.

The stator supplies frequency, analogue and digital signals outputs that are fully scalable via an RS-232 or USB interface. When needed, the rotor's original measuring range may be overridden to allow the full output signal to be available over a defined range. A second, freely selectable measuring range may also be defined at each output.

The solid measuring flange is extremely robust and has been tested to EN 60068-2-27 for mechanical shock, EN 60068-2-6 for triaxial vibration loading and EN 61326-1 for interference immunity. The KiTorq system is supplied as standard with SensorTool configuration and diagnostic software and calibration certificates. Several calibration options are available for the configurable output signals of the KiTorq system and when replacing an individual rotor or stator, the notional calibration values can be calculated to avoid the need to have the unit recalibrated by the manufacturer.

The KiTorq measuring flange is ideal for use in test rigs for electric motors, internal combustion engines, transmissions, pumps and compressors.

Forum sponsorship

2012-01-27T12:13:00.001Z

Siemens is a sponsor of the ARC World Industry Forum due to be held in Orlando, Florida, from February 6th to 9th. The theme of the event is: “Transforming Industry through New Processes and Technologies”.

Keynoting the event will be Dr. Helmuth Ludwig (CEO, Siemens Industry Sector North America), discussing how manufacturers are achieving sustainable levels of productivity and efficiency through the use of industry-specific intelligent technologies. Siemens will have an exhibit at the event manned by several spokespeople, offering customers the opportunity to discuss a range of topics including manufacturing operations management, PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) and MES (Manufacturing Execution System) integration, drives technology, digital manufacturing, plant engineering and the integration of PLM and Motion Control.

In addition, Siemens will host event attendees for a special performance on “The Importance of Sustainability” at SeaWorld Orlando Resort

Advice for Irish students!

2012-01-27T11:07:00.001Z

IDA Ireland CEO Barry O’Leary has advised those students who will complete their CAO applications in the coming days, on where the greatest job opportunities will lie in FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) companies in the future. Ireland’s availability of skilled labour is one of the primary reasons cited by IDA clients for establishing their operations in Ireland. The recently published IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2011 ranks Ireland 1st in the world for the availability of skilled labour and 3rd in the world for availability of financial skills.

The MSD Pharma plant in the Suir Valley!

The Irish Management Institute/National Irish Bank Survey of Multinational Companies in Ireland 2011 recently revealed that nearly half of all multinationals based in Ireland expect to grow employment in the next 12 months.

Mr O'Leary said, ‘‘There is a strong trend for FDI companies in Ireland winning new mandates which will require an increase in their employment levels in the future. Students planning now for their future careers need to take this growth into account and consider in which sectors the greatest FDI job opportunities will be in the coming years.’’

In the last 12 months there has been a strong performance in job creation by multinational companies with export-led growth creating in excess of 13,000 new foreign direct investment jobs. A large number of FDI companies seek graduates with backgrounds in science, technology, engineering and maths. In addition many FDI jobs also require multi-lingual skills.

Ireland’s academic institutions provide a wide variety of courses which qualify graduates to meet industry needs to match with employment opportunities. These include technology programmes in computer science, software engineering and computer applications and support. Universities and Institutes of Technology in Ireland offer, for example, computer science courses with a foreign language, accounting, finance and international business courses with languages, supply chain/logistics programmes, science qualifications and chemical, electronic and mechanical engineering degree courses.

IDA works closely with industry and academia, facilitating collaboration between both to ensure the skills requirements of multinational companies are met. By looking at the future skills requirements of these FDI companies, which continue to locate and expand in Ireland, students making their CEO applications can advance their career prospects while maximizing their opportunities for diversity within innovative global corporations.

3-phase power quality analysers

2012-01-27T09:55:00.000Z

Fluke has introduced the new 430 Series II three-phase Power Quality Analysers, the first tools to use a patented algorithm to measure energy waste and quantify its cost. The 430 Series II helps facilities reduce electrical power consumption and improve the performance and lifespan of electro-mechanical equipment by providing the ROI justification to mitigate power quality distortion. Long the most popular three-phase power quality analysers on the market because of their simultaneous display-and-record capabilities, the updated 430 Series II models feature three new measurement functions as well as hardware, software and firmware improvements.

Previously, only experts could calculate how much energy was being wasted due to power quality issues. With the new, patented Unified Power function of the handheld Fluke 430 Series II, electricians, utility technicians, electrical engineers, field service technicians, and energy consultants can automatically determine how much power is being wasted and calculate exactly what the extra consumption costs.

In particular, the Fluke 430 Series II power quality analysers allow facilities to assess the impact of new energy-efficient, electronically-driven systems from lighting to motor controls to HVAC. While these new systems consume less energy as individual installations, they increase the level of power quality disturbance in the overall electrical system, increasing waste energy due to harmonics and reducing the total potential energy savings. The Fluke 430 Series II calculates the monetary cost of that waste energy.

Most popular power quality analyzer made better
The Fluke 430 Series II offer up to 32GB (8GB standard) memory, a swappable SD memory card and USB connectivity for longer power and energy logging and faster data download. Screen quality and battery life are both improved and the accompanying software has been redesigned to give users more options to analyse both power quality and power consumption. Both new models, the Fluke 434 and Fluke 435, are fully compliant with the stringent international IEC 61000-4-30 Class-A standard. Each one can monitor systems with up to ten power quality parameters on one screen and can record up to 150 parameters on 4 phases simultaneously, in accordance with the EN50160 standard, and are safety rated 600V CAT IV/ 1000V CAT III.

NEW, patented, Unified Power measurement function
From an algorithm first developed by Vincente Leon and Joaquín Montañana of the University of Valencia Polytechnic as an extension to the IEEE standard 1459, the patented Unified Power function on the 430 Series II was developed in cooperation between Fluke Corporation engineers and University of Valencia scientists. Unified Power marks the first time that any test tool has provided the ability to automatically quantify the energy wasted by harmonics and imbalance, and, by inputting the utility rate structure, the user can even calculate the monetary cost of the wasted energy.

NEW Inverter Efficiency measurement function
The 430 Series II Inverter Efficiency function simultaneously measures the input and output power of inverters in solar systems, wind turbines and uninterruptible power supplies, allowing the operator to see how much electricity the inverter itself is consuming and whether it is operating efficiently. The measurements enable operators to adjust settings or make a case for a replacement unit.

NEW Power Wave measurement function
The 435 model includes PowerWave, a “fast capture” system that displays waveforms and half cycle RMS voltage and current values in full detail so motor and generator operators can measure the interaction during switching operations. This allows facility and utility service electricians, electrical contractors, and generator suppliers to easily gather measurements with one tool for load profiling, to prevent motor/drive/load mismatches, and for motor and generator commissioning and start-up testing.

Precision power supplies offer wider programmability

2012-01-27T08:42:00.000Z

Aim-TTi has revised their QL series high precision laboratory power supplies to add new features and extra models. The QL Series II incorporates new functions, higher output power, and enhanced bus interfacing.

The new PSUs retain the true linear regulation of their predecessors and offer extremely low noise of less than 350 microvolts. Output power is up to 112 watts per output and includes a dual range capability which provides higher current capability at lower voltages.

Setting memories have been extended enabling quicker recall of stored sequences, and operating security has been enhanced by adding keypad locking. All QL-P models now incorporate a LAN (Ethernet) interface in addition to USB, RS232 and GPIB. The interface is fully conformant with LXI (LAN eXtensions for Instrumentation).

Triple output models now have fully variable voltage on the auxiliary output with an increased current capability of 3 amps. Voltage can be set between 1V and 6V with a resolution of 0.01V and voltage and current can be viewed at the touch of a button. QL-TP models have extended bus control of the auxiliary output including programmable voltage and read-back of voltage and current.

The QL Series II incorporates eight models with one or three outputs and power ranging from 105 watts up to 242 watts.

Testing WLAN

2012-01-27T08:01:00.000Z

National Instruments has announced early access support for testing next-generation 802.11ac WLAN chipsets and devices. This announcement exemplifies how NI’s modular, software-defined wireless test platform continually expands to address the latest cellular and wireless connectivity standards including 802.11ac.

NI’s 802.11ac WLAN test solution provides flexibility in testing 802.11ac devices in addition to testing 802.11a/b/g/n devices. It works with a wide range of signal bandwidths including 20, 40, 80 and 80+80 160 MHz for both Tx and Rx for up to 4x4 MIMO configurations.

“By supporting the latest WLAN standard, 802.11ac, we are demonstrating the power of NI’s software-defined, modular test systems,” said Dr. James Truchard, President, CEO and Cofounder of National Instruments. “Our modular test platform delivers faster test times and lower total cost of ownership, and by combining it with LabVIEW, we help engineers address the latest emerging wireless standards.

802.11ac Solution Features

• Modulation formats up to 256 QAM

• 4x4 MIMO for both Tx and Rx

• Signal bandwidths including 20, 40, 80 and advanced 80+80 160 MHz

• Optional MAC features such as LDPC, STBC and AMPDU

• Automated test system development using NI LabVIEW, C or Microsoft Visual Studio

NI is working with several early access partners, including silicon suppliers, OEMs and electronic manufacturing services (EMS) providers, to test the latest 802.11ac devices.

NI will be exhibiting the new 802.11ac test solution at Mobile World Congress (hall 2.0, booth 2B93) in Barcelona, Spain, from Feb. 27 through March 3.

Power-quality testing

2012-01-27T07:09:00.000Z

A Yokogawa DL850 ScopeCorder is playing a key part in tests on synchronised switching devices in power systems being carried out by Harmonizer Power Quality AB: a Swedish company that provides power-quality services for industrial and utility customers.

Among the services provided by Harmonizer are measurements of active and reactive power, power factor, current and voltage variations, harmonics and transients. Typical applications include analysing the best location for reactive power compensation in a network, calculating regulation cycles for optimum harmonic- and power-flow control, sizing capacitor banks for shunt or series compensation, calculating and designing harmonic filters for the suppression of harmonic distortion, and sizing surge arresters for transient overvoltage limitation.

The application for which the Yokogawa DL850 ScopeCorder is used relates to the synchronised switching of high-voltage filter banks: in particular, programming and checking the functioning of the synchronising device and the circuit breaker. Unsynchronised switching of capacitor and filter banks often results in high-voltage and high-current transients that can have adverse effects on power systems performance and reliability. In order to eliminate these high switching transients and the resultant power-quality problems, the closing and opening operations of the circuit breaker have to be synchronised, which requires accurate monitoring of the relevant electrical parameters.

In the ideal scenario, the circuit breaker should be closed when the voltage across the load is close to zero and opened in such a way as to avoid short arcing times which can lead to re-ignitions or re-strikes. To check that these requirements are met, it is necessary to carry out measurements on the circuit-breaker closing and opening times while recording the network voltage and filter current during opening and closing operations.

These criteria impose stringent requirements on the measuring instrument involved. A typical test might require measurements on five voltage channels and three current channels in an environment where voltages can be several hundred volts. More significantly, the operating times that need to be measured mean that the instrument has to have a resolution as low as 1 µs.

Previously, the Harmonizer engineers had used test instruments such as conventional network analysers and digital storage oscilloscopes (DSOs), but found that these were not adequate for this particular application because of their limitations in terms of time resolution, accuracy and numbers of channels.

"What we needed was an instrument combining multi-channel capability with high measurement accuracy, high sample rate and time resolution along with good display quality and the ability to zoom in on the fine detail of measured waveforms", comments Natan Gothelf, Managing Director of Harmonizer: "After evaluating the available products on the market, we decided that the Yokogawa DL850 ScopeCorder was the one that best met our requirements."

A further benefit of the ScopeCorder is that it has isolated inputs that enable it to be used for high-voltage measurements using standard probes with no additional signal conditioning hardware. In addition, the instrument's powerful display and zoom capabilities make it very easy for the user to examine very short events in recordings taken over a longer period of time.

Harmonizer's tests are typically carried out in the field on a number of different sites, so that the instrument's portability is a further benefit. After field testing, measurement data can be downloaded via the ScopeCorder's various communications interfaces - including a USB connection to a PC - and analysed using evaluation software also supplied by Yokogawa.

The Yokogawa DL850 ScopeCorder is a versatile measuring tool that combines the benefits of a high-speed oscilloscope and a traditional data acquisition recorder in a single, portable instrument. The DL850 incorporates high vertical resolution, channel count, isolation, filtering, and abundant acquisition memory compared to general-purpose oscilloscopes. This makes it ideal for viewing small changes, even across large dynamic ranges, while monitoring more signals simultaneously

Energy management system for LPG powered ferry

2012-01-26T08:09:00.000Z

An energy management system for one of the world’s most environmentally-friendly cruise ferries is being supplied by ABB. It is due to be delivered to Viking Line in 2013. The ship is being built in the STX Yard in Turku (FI).

The new cruise ferry, a 218 meter vessel with a top speed of 22 knots, will have the capacity to carry 2,800 passengers and will serve the route connecting Turku and Stockholm (S). In line with Viking Line’s environmental commitments, the new generation ferry will use liquefied natural gas as its fuel, which will be a first for a passenger vessel of this size. Through efficient use of this fuel, the ship will have extremely low emissions and virtually zero marine emissions.

Viking Line chose ABB’s energy management system for marine applications software - EMMA, which is a part of ABB’s marine automation and control offering, to help manage energy-related processes, practices and decisions on the new ferry, to use fuel efficiently from the very first day of operation.

“One of the top priorities at Viking Line is to lower the emissions and fuel consumption on our fleet . We were looking for a good monitoring tool that automatically regulated power consumption and was as easy to operate as a traffic light as a result ABB’s EMMA became our first choice,” said Kari Granberg, Project Manager at Viking Line Abp.

EMMA is based on ABB’s field-proven process automation software for energy management, which has been deployed to more than 60 process industry customers.

“We are committed to the development of cutting-edge technology for our marine customers so that they can meet their operational efficiency and environmental goals,” said Veli-Matti Reinikkala, head of ABB’s Process Automation division. “EMMA is a tool that draws on the successes of energy management systems in the process industries and applies them to the specific challenges faced by ship operators.”

ABB’s scope of supply to Viking Line includes EMMA software, which compares and analyzes the historical and current operational data of the vessel, then calculates and advises on areas for improvement with easy-to-understand displays. It also includes an extended energy management tool that models energy consumption and calculates optimal operating conditions, so that ships can perform at the highest possible fuel and energy efficiency.

ABB’s Process Automation division delivers industry specific solutions and services for industrial automation and plant electrification. These solutions help customers meet their critical business needs in the areas of energy efficiency, operational profitability, capital productivity, risk management, and global responsibility. Available industry specific solutions include process control, instrumentation, analytics, safety, plant optimization, telecommunications, energy management and power distribution.

Things going well in loadcells provider

2012-01-25T15:49:00.000Z

Load cell manufacturer LCM Systems has announced an increase in output, bucking the trend as recent figures announce a slowdown in output from the manufacturing sector. The company finished its 2011 financial year 15% up on 2010 figures. Managing Director, Steve Sargeant says the company’s key to success is being able to convert orders that need a quick turnaround, while managing customer expectations.

“With budgets tight, many companies are waiting until the last minute to order their load cells, so they can hold on to their cash for longer. This means we are often presented with very short deadlines. Handling the manufacturing here in the UK enables us to keep a close track on all throughput, at the same time being able to monitor and ensure the best possible quality of build and performance. Managing customer expectation is also important as although our load cells can be a small part of a larger system, they are often ‘mission critical’. This means that misleading customers on delivery dates can cause them serious problems.”

Steve says that although enquiry levels have been even more unpredictable than in the past, there has been a general increase, especially for custom, specialist products. “We have also taken an aggressive marketing approach to ensure that the message gets out to anyone looking for load cells and complementary instrumentation."

A combination of PR and an internet strategy that makes it easy for all customers in Britain and overseas to get clear and precise information from the website, with a straightforward response mechanism, has seen the level of enquiries grow.

“We also have a dedicated and knowledgeable design team that can answer customers queries and help them chose the best load cell for their particular application. We are trying to make it as easy as possible for customers to deal with us.”

Following a factory extension in 2011, 2012 will see LCM Systems’ most popular load cells will be offered from stock, so customers enjoy lower prices and faster delivery.

Greater support for reliability/high power device test

2012-01-25T15:18:00.000Z

Keithley Instruments has upgraded the capabilities of its Automated Characterization Suite (ACS) Test Environment. ACS Version 4.4 is designed for use with a number of the company’s instrument and system configurations used mainly for automated device characterization and reliability analysis. It supports a newly enhanced reliability test option (Model ACS-2600-RTM), as well as expanded ultra-fast bias temperature instability (BTI) testing capabilities, high current testing of power components, and new project libraries designed for high voltage reliability, charge pumping, pulse-stress reliability, and stress migration testing applications. The latest revision also adds support for Windows® 7 operating systems, which simplifies staying current with a facility’s PC/system OS requirements.

New Reliability Test Option
ACS V4.4 supports an updated optional reliability test module (Model ACS-2600-RTM) that simplifies creating and executing complex stress-measure-analyze test sequences used in device reliability tests, such as HCI, TDDB, NBTI, J-Ramp, and more. This updated software module gives semiconductor test engineers doing device reliability testing and analysis in R&D or production test environments the tools they need to test more productively, whether they’re characterizing single devices or managing high device count test applications. ACS helps users manage complex system instrumentation configurations, quickly define test parameters common to large groups of devices or many sub-groups, execute tests with run-time results feedback, and begin analyzing large datasets of measurement results sooner.

In order to respond to the high-speed behaviors associated with semiconductor device failure mechanisms and produce the masses of data associated with reliability testing of multiple devices in parallel, each source measurement unit http://www.keithley.com/products/dcac/currentvoltage (SMU) instrument in a test configuration must not only be fast, but all SMU channels working as a group or several sub-groups must be fast as well. For reliability test applications of this type, the Model ACS-2600-RTM is designed to maximize the performance of Keithley’s Series 2600A System SourceMeter® instruments, which combine powerful embedded scripting capability (through the use of on-board Test Script Processors) with multi-unit integration via the TSP-Link® high-speed inter-unit communication bus. ACS leverages the inherent speed of Series 2600A instruments, accelerating the system reconfiguration process, uploading test conditions and scripts to the embedded processors in individual instruments, and beginning execution quickly. Test engineers have the flexibility of using ACS and the optional Model ACS-2600-RTM with individual Series 2600A units or with Keithley’s S500 Integrated Test Systems.

The updated reliability test module also provides other important advantages for device reliability testing. For example, dynamic limit current protects devices under test from severe damage by reducing the maximum breakdown current possible during the progress of the test sequence. In addition, device reliability test sequences can require hours, days, or even weeks to complete, producing enormous amounts of measurement data. The Model ACS-2600-RTM reliability test module provides compression techniques that allow the test system to capture the most important measurement results while continuing to make measurements over these extended periods.

Support for Additional Pulse-Measure Units for Ultra-Fast BTI Testing
Owners of Keithley’s Model 4200-SCS parameter analyzer can now make use of all six of the pulse-measure units (Model 4225-PMU) that system supports for ultra-fast bias temperature instability (BTI) testing. Previously, ACS supported operating a maximum of four units at once. The ACS V4.4 update allows testing more devices in parallel for higher system utilization and faster acquisition of BTI data.

Support for Keithley’s Newest SMU, Optimized for High Power Testing
The ACS V4.4 upgrade provides support for the Model 2651A High Power System SourceMeter instrument, the latest addition to the Series 2600A line. This instrument’s high current capability (up to 50A at 40V) is critical to labs and fabs involved in the development and production of vertical structure power components like insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs http://www.keithley.com/data?asset=55786 ) and double-diffused metal-oxide semiconductors (DMOSs).

New Projects for Emerging Device Technologies
ACS V4.4 includes several turnkey test projects designed to address high voltage reliability, charge pumping, Wafer Level Reliability (WLR) with specified pulse/AC stress, and stress migration (reliability) testing. Many users will be able to employ these projects as provided; for others, they offer a starting point that can help them develop their own custom test projects more quickly.

ACS Test Environment Background
ACS combines multiple instruments used for semiconductor device characterization and parametric measurements into a unified test environment optimized for flexibility, speed, and productivity in testing and analysis. Its intuitive GUI helps novice users test devices productively almost immediately, regardless of their level of test programming experience. The GUI simplifies configuring test instrumentation, setting measurement parameters, making I‑V measurements, and displaying results. Even infrequent users can go from creating a new test setup to characterizing new devices in a fraction of the time older test development approaches require. Just as important, ACS provides all the tools needed to set up tests, analyze data, and export results—without ever leaving the ACS environment. ACS also simplifies integrating a variety of popular semiautomatic and fully automatic wafer probe stations into a test setup.

Transducers in space!

2012-01-25T14:03:00.000Z

With the growing importance of Britain's expanding space and satellite industry, demand for specially manufactured transducers from RDP Electronics is increasing.

The completely sealed transducers use low outgassing materials to standards specified by NASA for applications in space. In particular avoiding the potential for contamination of other components on a space vehicle for example optical devices such as mirrors or cameras, due to expelled gases from transducers.

RDP’s manufacturing process mimimises the risk of damage to the transducer by means of slow pressure changes and also by modifications to ensure that there are no sealed cavities in which a pressure differential could cause damage. Out-gassing into the vacuum of vapour escaping from internal adhesives and varnishes is reduced by controlled ‘baking’ of the transducer to thoroughly dry out such materials.Transducers for the space industry are also fully welded ensuring any residual vapours are sealed inside the unit.

According to a report by the British Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, “UK companies have developed significant competitive advantages in different segments of the space value chain which enable it to successfully compete in global markets. Like other technology intensive sectors, the space sector exhibits above- average innovation, skills and productivity levels.”

Brazil to host world fieldbus function

2012-01-25T10:57:00.000Z

The Fieldbus Foundation (FF) is to hold its 2012 General Assembly from March 6-8 in São Paulo, Brazil. This key automation industry event attracts the world's leading suppliers and end users of FOUNDATION™ fieldbus.

Host hotel: Sheraton São Paulo

The 2012 General Assembly, themed, "In a World of Choices, FOUNDATION™ Brings it all Together," will include a comprehensive, end user-oriented agenda consisting of fieldbus project case studies and tabletop exhibitions from leading automation vendors across the globe, as well as a demonstration of the new FOUNDATION for Remote Operations Management technology.

The FF End User Advisory Council (EUAC) will meet Tuesday, March 6, to discuss and offer direction for FOUNDATION technology. Wednesday, March 7, will feature a keynote address by a prominent executive from the Brazilian industrial sector, FOUNDATION technology updates, and presentations by key process end users, followed by a networking reception. On Thursday, March 8, the Fieldbus Foundation will conduct its annual business meeting for members.

According to Fieldbus Foundation President and CEO Rich Timoney, São Paulo was selected as the site of this year's General Assembly due to its status as one of the world's fastest growing industrial regions, and the overwhelming demand for FOUNDATION technology within the area. He said, "Brazil has been experiencing rapid growth in automation projects utilizing FOUNDATION technology and is arguably the central hub of the process automation industry in all of Latin America. Petrobras, Brazil's largest oil producer, has been integrating FOUNDATION fieldbus into their plants for some time, and is in the midst of a large expansion project utilizing the technology."

Timoney added, "The 2012 General Assembly program will highlight the advantages of FOUNDATION fieldbus as a world-class solution for improving plant asset management, reliability and economic performance. FOUNDATION technology is advancing to meet the needs of the process industries, including developments such as FOUNDATION for Remote Operations Management, FOUNDATION for Safety Instrumented Functions (FF-SIF), control in the field, field diagnostics and wireless."

PLC+HMI = HMC

2012-01-25T10:46:00.000Z

Maple Systems has introduced a revolutionary new product called the HMC (Human Machine Controller). The HMC is cost effective, efficient, and compact, combining an HMI and PLC into one unit. Simply put, HMC=HMI+PLC.

With customizable I/O, the HMC accepts up to five plug-in I/O modules with varying configurations of digital and analog inputs and outputs. Choose a 3.5-inch or a 5.7-inch touchscreen display, each equipped with six function keys adjacent to the screen.

One software application is used to program both the graphic interface and the ladder logic resulting in improved performance and efficiency. Besides offering a stand-alone solution, the HMC can integrate with an existing system serially and supports many popular communication protocols.

The HMC’s durability and performance are backed up with a Class I Division 2 rating as well as cULus, NEMA 4, CE, and RoHS certifications.

Peri metering pump

2012-01-25T10:26:00.001Z

The A2 is an all new addition to ProSeries® Flex-Pro® Peristaltic Metering Pump line from Blue-White Industries. Compact and with lower feed capability than Flex-Pro A3 and A4 units, the A2 is well suited to smaller capacity municipal and industrial water and wastewater treatment applications. An excellent alternative to Solenoid pumps.

A2 features and benefits Include:

Blue-White are regular advertisers
with Read-out and on the signpost!

Peristaltic technology at an affordable price; self- priming, no valves to clog;
One button prime mode; gentle and efficient smooth pumping action;
de-gassing design eliminates gas and air accumulation in the pump head; Maximum feed of 33.3 gph/126 lph, maximum pressure 125 psi/8.6 bar; Automated PPM dosing;
dual 4-20mA input (primary speed control / secondary trim), pulse inputs, and remote start / stop;
No maintenance, brushless, variable speed motor; gentle and efficient smooth pumping action;
Built-in, patented, Tube Failure Detection; NEMA 4X/IP66 Wash down;
no costly rebuild kits required; generous two year warranty.

Control in Chilean copper facility

2012-01-25T10:20:00.000Z

ABB has supplied a vast array of power and automation solutions for Antofagasta’s new flagship Esperanza copper mine in Chile. The solutions include three of the world’s largest gearless mill drives, process and electrical control systems, power quality systems, a substation and a System 800xA integrated operations center that controls the entire production process, including onshore facilities at a purpose-built port 145 km from the mine.

The mine’s conveyor belt system is dynamically
controlled by ABB medium-voltage variable
speed drives.

Image courtesy of Antofagasta.

Officially opened in April 2011, Esperanza is renowned for its deployment of cutting-edge technology.

It is, among other things, the first large-scale mine to use raw seawater in its metal-producing processes - the water is pumped from the coast through a 145-kilometer pipeline to the mine, 2,300 meters above sea level.

Helping the mine perform at the peak of productivity and efficiency is a vast array of ABB products and systems, which drive the huge grinding mills, control the mine and power the purpose-built port and seawater pumping station on the coast.

Esperanza has a daily throughput capacity of 97,000 tons of ore. After extraction in the open-pit mine, the ore is crushed in a huge 40-foot semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) mill and two 27-foot ball mills, all three of which are driven and controlled by ABB gearless mill drive systems with a massive power output of 22.4 and 18.6 megawatts respectively.

When the contract for the mine’s gearless mill drive systems was awarded to ABB in 2007, Esperanza was only the second mine in the world to install a SAG mill - and the first to install ball mills – with these capacities and power ratings. These records have subsequently been superseded by ABB at other mines, but at the time they were at the technological limit of what SAG and ball mills were mechanically capable of achieving.

The gearless mill drive systems enable the grinding mills to achieve the best possible grinding results and process efficiency by adjusting the speed or direction of the mega-sized mills and ensuring a constant particle size, regardless of changes in the size or hardness of the ore.

The ore is transported to and from the grinding mills by long heavy-duty conveyor belts. The belt motors are driven by powerful ABB medium-voltage variable speed drives, which provide dynamic control of the motors and enable soft starting and stopping of the belts, thereby saving energy and minimizing mechanical wear and tear.

After processing, the concentrate is transported through the pipeline to the port where it is thickened and stockpiled, ready for loading onto ships. An ABB 110/23 kV substation connects the site and its onshore and offshore facilities to the power grid.

A mine and ore processing plant like Esperanza consumes huge amounts of electric power, and requires power quality equipment to maintain voltage stability and a high power factor. The site’s power distribution network is controlled by an ABB supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system and is protected from destabilizing voltage spikes and harmonics-induced power losses by an ABB filter system.

One of the most impressive ABB solutions for Esperanza is the System 800xA distributed control system, which integrates all the automation systems - process, power distribution, gearless mill drive, motor and conveyor, pipeline, and port – into a common control environment and provides interfaces with the plant management and maintenance systems.

Full visualization and control of the whole process (crusher area, processing plant, pipelines and port) is provided by ABB’s EOW-x (Extended Operator Workplace) Integrated Operations Center - a unified and ergonomic control room environment that is designed to maximize operator efficiency

Rugged TFT display

2012-01-25T07:32:00.000Z

High brightness and high contrast for harsh environments

Hitachi Display Products Group (DPG) have announced the latest addition to its growing range of Rugged+ TFT display modules. The new 7.0” TX18D35VM0AAB is designed and manufactured to function in challenging and harsh environmental conditions. IPS (in-plane-switching) TFT technology provides exceptional colour saturation, colour stability, contrast and black levels with a 170° wide vertical and horizontal viewing angle.

The 15:9 wide aspect ratio TX18D35VM0AAB features WVGA resolution (800 x 480 pixels). The display implements a LED backlight which provides a brightness of 800cd/m² and a half brightness lifetime of 70K hours. A contrast ratio of 600:1 ensures display images are clear, concise and easily viewed.

Mark Stephenson, Product Marketing Manager, Hitachi DPG commented, " Reliable and consistent operation under extreme temperature, mechanical shock and vibration are a necessity in many harsh environments. All of Hitachi's Rugged+ industrial displays are designed to operate under the severe and rigorous conditions found in some industrial applications and still provide exceptional optical performance.”

The ruggedized 7.0” TFT features an industry standard 40-pin, 6-bit RGB, CMOS interface which enables a colour palette of up to 262K colours. The display module has dimensions of 165.0mm (w) x 104.0mm (h) x 12.8mm (d) and an operating temperature range of -30°C and +80°C.

Hitachi recently announced the new line-up of Rugged+ TFT LCD display modules which are specifically intended for use in extreme environment applications. The entire range of Rugged+ displays feature industrial environment operating specifications with high brightness, long-life LED backlights and will provide dependable operation between -30°C and +80°C. Hitachi's Rugged+ TFT displays are designed for high reliability medical, marine, aerospace, automotive and industrial applications.

Smallest switch!

2012-01-24T11:54:00.000Z

Omron Electronic Components is supplying the world’s smallest sealed snap action switch which features an extra-long stroke, with an over-travel of 1.4mm, implemented without any additional internal mechanism, to ensure reliable and consistent on/off operation.

The D2HW ultra sub-miniature micro-switch has outer case dimensions that are just 78% of existing conventional models. The IP67 rated switch features compact dimensions of just 13.3mm (w) x 11.2mm (h) x 5.3mm (d).The basic sub-miniature switch is available with straight or angled terminal types and a choice of different actuator mechanisms including pin plunger, hinge lever and leaf lever. A maximum operating force of 0.75N is supported.

Andries de Bruin, Omron European Product Marketing Manager, Switches commented, “The availability and development of the D2HW emphasises Omron’s commitment to develop and produce high quality precision switches suitable for many electronics systems and applications.”

Supporting maximum voltage ratings of 125VAC at 0.1A or 42VDC at 0.5A and maximum operating current of 2A with an insulation resistance of 100Mohms, the D2HW will support up to 30 operations per minute and has an operating temperature range of -40°C to +85°C.

A proven product in the automotive industry, the D2HW is manufactured using environmentally friendly materials; all models are RoHS compliant and lead-free including moulded wire lead modules.

Wireless protection for industrial doors

2012-01-24T11:47:00.000Z

System replaces cumbersome and easily-damaged spiral cables between controller and door in both internal and external locations

Carlo Gavazzi has launched the WSM wireless safety system for use with safety edges on large industrial doors, eliminating easily-damaged spiral cables between the door controller and door. Using an operating frequency of 2.4Ghz to prevent common radio interference, the system is compatible with a wide range of safety edges and delivers enhanced battery efficiency for a reliable and safe solution in applications such as high speed doors with frequent traffic, tall doors, megadoors and doors in public areas.

Delivering a 10 metre range for use in doors with opening heights up to 20 metres, each system comprises a main controller that connects to the door control panel and up to four wireless sub controllers that connect to the safety edge on the door. The IP66 rated system is suited for internal and external locations and will work with the Carlo Gavazzi photoelectric safety edge and many mechanical and conductive rubber safety edges.

The WSM2BA2D24 main controller with built in antenna features three SPST relay outputs; one normally closed (NC), one normally open (NO) 8.2kohms, and one normally closed for low battery alarm. A test input ensures verification of the sensor safety function and is also used for activating sub modules from battery save mode. Any loss of communication between the main and sub controller modules will immediately activate the safety output. 16 channels are available to eliminate cross talk and the sub controller’s active time can be set from 10 to 80 seconds.

The WSS2BA2BAT sub controller unit is able to handle two safety edges and one door-in-door limit switch, which allows for eight safety edges per system. It can control inputs from all standard NO 8.2kohms safety edges and all standard NC safety edges. Designed for exceptional battery performance, the sub controller is powered by a choice of one to four lithium AA batteries, with a minimum of one year life for one set of sensors.

The Carlo Gavazzi photoelectric safety edge consists of an emitter and receiver housed in 11mm rubber profiles. Providing a range of 15 metres and powered by the sub controller, the photoelectric beam is adjusted at each wake up signal from the main controller to ensure optimal detection performance.

NPI process optimised

2012-01-24T11:37:00.000Z

São Paulo-based Sigma Technologies specialises in advanced technology services for Brazil’s leading OEM and EMS electronics manufacturing companies. Sigma recently purchased iLaunch software from Aegis after identifying that their NPI process would greatly benefit from improved speed, accuracy and control. Their review of offerings from Aegis Software and competing suppliers had indicated that only Aegis could deliver the speed of conversion and control of processes that they sought.

Sigma was looking for comprehensive CAD/BOM import with error corrections, rapid conversion to intelligent data, and revision control for documentation and programming. Accordingly, they found that Aegis’ iLaunch software allows rapid and accurate conversion of CAD/BOM data to revenue producing products with secure revision control.

iLaunch’s Juki IS interface and accurate Juki IS programming capabilities were major influences in Sigma’s decision. Juki IS is itself an intelligent manufacturing software package designed to optimize and streamline production on the shopfloor. The interface with iLaunch allows the Juki manufacturing environment to be closely integrated into Sigma’s NPI strategies.

iLaunch’s features optimize the assembly definition process, while generating quality information and manufacturing instructions from CAD/BOM data. Its single environment supports instruction sequences for system and mechanical assemblies as well as graphical visual aids for circuit card assembly. Product and version control is maintained, data integrity is verified and discrepancies are corrected before reaching production. Operators benefit from rapid, flexible generation of paper-based and paperless documentation and visual aids, and receive change notices, process deviations and quality alerts in real time.

Sigma’s key commercial and personal electronics customers include Ericsson, Positivo and LG. The Company’s core business includes high-tech electronics assembly, and is now moving towards chip manufacturing to be used on memory products, such as smart cards, NAND flashes for mobile phones and flash memories for memory modules.

“Ultimately, our business growth depends on our speed and efficiency in converting design data into deliverable revenue-generating products” commented Wilcar Junho, President of Sigma Technologies. “Accordingly, we chose Aegis and their iLaunch software as the best available route to achieving these objectives”.

Irish & British support strengthened!

2012-01-24T10:09:00.000Z

Lloyd Instruments, part of Ametek, has further strengthened its service and support team in Britain and Ireland with the addition of two further regional Service Engineers. As part of a financially sound, leading global manufacturer of electronic instruments and electromechanical devices that enjoys annual sales of $3 billion and a 1200-strong workforce, Lloyd Instruments’ customer support structure has never been stronger.

The new Service Engineers bring over 20 years combined experience in electronics engineering support to the Lloyd Instruments regional Service team. Fast service response across the two territories is backed by an in-house technical support team which includes Jason Pearce, an engineer with more than 25 years service at Lloyd Instruments. All service engineers are UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) accredited.

Lloyd Instruments’ in-house calibration laboratory has also been UKAS accredited for more than 20 years, offering UKAS approved verification and calibration of force measuring systems in tension and compression, including verification of machines from other manufacturers. The laboratory has issued more than 25,000 UKAS accredited (or their equivalent) calibration certificates to British customers alone. The calibration laboratory is also accredited to ISO 17025-2005.

Customers are fully covered with traceable UKAS certificates from installation of the machine through the length of its life. Installation and training is carried out at the customer's premises and a UKAS certificate issued. At the end of the warranty period customers are contacted concerning machine recalibration and the type of service contract required.

New member to Wireless Institute

2012-01-23T16:50:00.000Z

Perpetuum has joined ISA100 WCI as a supplier member.

“The benefits of wireless monitoring are rapidly becoming fully appreciated by users. The return on investment from the combination of improved monitoring of assets and processes with the low installation costs and flexibility of wireless, is causing a major rethink in how to improve plant reliability, safety and profitability,” said Roy Freeland, President, Perpetuum. “The key remaining issue is the right power source for wireless sensing to ensure reliability without costly repeated battery changes. As an innovator in vibration energy harvesting, Perpetuum supplies a practical ‘fit and forget’ solution certified for hazardous areas which is being chosen by major manufacturers globally. We have long been a supporter of the ISA100 standard and look forward to the growth of the market for vibration energy harvesting power solutions for wireless automation.”

Perpetuum designs and manufactures the world's leading vibration energy harvesters delivering life-long power for wireless technology. A vibration energy harvester is one critical component of a sophisticated system of components that are used to create a reliable maintenance free wireless solution.

“Perpetuum is helping propel the wireless automation industry forward by providing key enabling technology. The vibration harvesting solution converts otherwise lost energy into usable electrical energy for powering industrial wireless sensor nodes,” according to Andre Ristaino, managing director of ISA100 Wireless Compliance Institute. “We look forward to working with them and helping the industry take advantage of the benefits the ISA100.11a wireless standard has to offer.”

LED Divisional Marketing Manager appointed

2012-01-23T12:42:00.001Z

Anglia Lighting has promoted Mark Pinkney to Divisional Marketing Manager, to lead the business into its next phase of growth. Anglia Lighting, the British distributor for Cree, specialises in energy efficient LED lighting for commercial and domestic buildings, including hotels, retail premises, restaurants and vehicles.

He sees significant opportunities to grow Anglia Lighting in a sector that has been relatively unaffected by the downturn. “Anglia Lighting will double its turnover this year, and I expect to see it double again next. LED lighting is extremely attractive, as it saves cost and carbon emissions, but is also quite complex. Anglia Lighting offers customers a 'wall-to-light' solution backed by an exceptional level of expert support. Working with us, customers can implement a lighting system that maximises light out, minimises energy in and provides the longest possible life from the LED itself.”

According to Steve Rawlins, CEO at Anglia, “Mark Pinkney has demonstrated outstanding business development skills during his eleven years with Anglia, and also has a background in the lighting industry. He is the ideal person to take this successful and strategic Anglia business forward to a new level.”

Unique test rig for mobile drilling platforms!

2012-01-23T12:13:00.000Z

Froude Hofmann and its wholly owned subsidiary Go Power Systems, well known for its engine testing systems have developed a unique drilling test rig for Boart Longyear, an organisation providing mineral exploration services and drilling products for the global mining industry. This new test system is designed to test motors prior to final assembly as well as complete mobile drilling rigs including self propelled, stationary and truck mounted and is currently operational from Boart Longyear’s Adelaide facility.

Pit installation

Two Brakes form the basis of the torque measuring system, which are linked via a right angle drive 1:1 ratio gearbox and innovative alignment device to the drill rod of the drilling rig. The whole system is installed in a pit to allow the drilling platform truck to be positioned directly over the test rig, and the drilling rod connected vertically via a coupling & cardan drive shaft. The rig was conceptualised by Froude Hofmann’s Australian office, designed and built at the Go Power facilities in Detroit, before being shipped to Australia, where a team from USA and Australia completed the installation and commissioning.

“This project demonstrates the depth of engineering skill and knowledge within our organization.” explains John Harris, Froude Hofmann’s Chairman and Operational Director. “Not only were we able to understand the complex technical and safety requirements of the project but we delivered on time and on budget. Also pivotal to the success of the project was the collaboration between our North American and Australian companies. All manufacturing was carried out at our Detroit factory, so we could guarantee optimum quality of work and ensure we met all deadlines”

Acquisition of this system allows customer rigs to be carefully load tested in the refurbishment process. Given the remote locations in which rigs operate, the ability to load test at the shop greatly reduces the risk of unwanted downtime when the rigs return to service. With the new dynamometer system, sub-assemblies can be full load tested prior to final assembly which improves the build process. Load testing and data acquisition can be carried out on the complete rig, collecting information such as bearing temperature, oil pressures and load charts, which the test system can provide in an automated and repeatable manner.

Boart Longyear Vice President of Global Engineering commented, “In addition, the system is used in the New Product Development process to thoroughly test prototype rigs before sending them to field test – allowing a more comprehensive evaluation of the prototype in the controlled engineering environment. This capability is part of our accelerated New Product Development process – accelerating time to market for our next generation drilling systems”.

As pioneers in the drilling industry, Boart Longyear, once again, lead the field and provide their customers with an even better service for optimising and guaranteeing the performance of their rigs.

Energy efficient cooling using ambient air

2012-01-23T11:57:00.001Z

Energy efficiency of the these an and filter units fitted with single-phase AC motors may be improved in operation by the addition of either a simple thermostat or more sophisticated fan speed control. Rittal’s speed controller adjusts the speed of the fan in accordance with the demand for cooling, reducing noise and energy consumption when cooling is not required. It also incorporates a fault alarm activated in the event of the temperature of the air inside the enclosure rising above a predetermined level, an interruption in the supply to the fan, a sensor short-circuit, or a failure in the supply to the controller itself. Not only does this device increase maintenance intervals and reduce energy consumption, it also alerts users to potential problems.

Most of the existing range of TopTherm fan and filter units are available with 24V DC motors, which exhibit a significant reduction in power consumption over the 230V AC and 115V AC motor variants.

Energy efficient cooling using ambient air

2012-01-23T11:54:00.000Z

Rittal continue to expand their range of TopTherm fan and filter units with a 230V AC 900m3/h variant. The entire range of fan and filter units utilise a diagonal fan to provide improved performance against increased static pressure difference. In turn, this offers greater energy efficiency and a more constant air throughput, effectively minimising the occurrence of hot spots. The new product is also fitted with an electronically commutated (EC) motor to further reduce power consumption.

Energy efficiency of the these an and filter units fitted with single-phase AC motors may be improved in operation by the addition of either a simple thermostat or more sophisticated fan speed control. Rittal’s speed controller adjusts the speed of the fan in accordance with the demand for cooling, reducing noise and energy consumption when cooling is not required. It also incorporates a fault alarm activated in the event of the temperature of the air inside the enclosure rising above a predetermined level, an interruption in the supply to the fan, a sensor short-circuit, or a failure in the supply to the controller itself. Not only does this device increase maintenance intervals and reduce energy consumption, it also alerts users to potential problems.

Most of the existing range of TopTherm fan and filter units are available with 24V DC motors, which exhibit a significant reduction in power consumption over the 230V AC and 115V AC motor variants.

Europe most mature market for SGs

2012-01-23T11:07:00.000Z

The market for signal generators (SGs) and arbitrary waveform generators (AWGs) in Europe is more developed and mature than elsewhere in the world, with the region ranking second globally in terms of revenue.

Arbitrary Waveform (pic NI)

This is mainly due to the aerospace and defence (A&D) as well as communications industries in the region, which are expected to generate moderate growth for the market going forward.

According to new analysis from Frost & Sullivan, (Analysis of the Signal Generator and Arbitrary Waveform Generator Market), the European market generated €126.8 million in 2010 and estimates this to reach €153.9 million in 2017. The research covers radio frequency (RF) signal generators, microwave signal generators and arbitrary waveform generators.

Significant R&D and design activity, paralleled by the continued development of wireless standards, will promote uptake of SGs and AWGs.

“In the current scenario, the European market is tending to focus heavily on R&D,” explains Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Mariano Kimbara. “There are a number of lucrative market opportunities emerging for high-end and high-performance test systems.”

The continuous development of wireless standards has also contributed to the growth of the SG and AWG market in Europe. The next 10 years will be a ‘wireless decade’, marked by the launch of different types of wireless devices.

“The rapid development of standards such as wireless interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), third-generation (3G) wireless, fourth-generation (4G) wireless, and wideband code-division multiple access (WCDMA) will support steady growth in the SG segment. The development of the 60GHz market and new wireless technologies in the A&D segment will provide impetus to market expansion.”

Even though SG and AWG technology is mature, efforts at product enhancement and new product introductions bode well for the future. Several leading players in the European market are engaged in R&D activity on high-speed bandwidth, which is boosting user confidence and creating growth potential.

However, the ongoing uncertainty in the European market is impacting capital expenditures of end users. Volatile economic conditions have led end users to reconsider acquiring new test equipment.

“Promisingly, however, the communications and A&D segments are set to augment growth opportunities not only in terms of revenues but also in terms of innovation and product capacities,” concludes Kimbara. “Projects in the A&D domain requiring high-end signal generators that were previously suspended are being reconsidered, signalling continued optimism about market prospects.”

Plant of the year announced

2012-01-21T14:17:00.002Z

The HART^® Communication Foundation has selected the Shell Scotford Upgrader located in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Canada, as recipient of the 2011 HART Plant of the Year Award. The award showcases end users who have demonstrated creativity in the application of HART Communication.

The HART Plant of the Year award is given annually to recognize the people, companies and plant sites around the world using the advanced capabilities of HART Communication in real-time applications to improve operations, lower costs and increase availability. Previous recipients are MOL (Hungary); Mitsubishi Chemical (Japan); Petropiar PVSDA (Venezuela); StatoilHydro (Norway); BP Canada Energy (Canada); Sasol Solvents (South Africa); BP Cooper River (USA) and Clariant (Germany); Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (USA); and Dupont (USA)

Shell engineers utilized the full capabilities and advantages of HART Communication to facilitate device configuration, loop testing, startup checks, valve tuning, safety device SIL ratings, and real-time centralized device status and diagnostics in a 100,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) expansion to the existing 155,000 bpd capacity Scotford facility. The result was a safe and efficient start-up, continued safe and reliable plant operation, real-time daily instrument troubleshooting, and not only preventable but also predictive ongoing maintenance.

“Our decision to broaden the application of HART technology beyond the use of handheld device configuration saved us time and money in all phases of this project,” says Andy Bahniuk, Shell Instrumentation Technologist. “With all the HART data available in one centralized control room, staff in operations, maintenance and instrumentation had ready access to this valuable information which ensured total confidence for both the operators and engineers that all devices were functioning properly.”

According to Bahniuk, HART Communication helped them realize benefits and savings throughout the project and the plant’s ongoing operation:

fast and safe device configuration, programming and commissioning of 1,200 HART devices from 26 vendors;
loop function testing and process variable simulation performed in 30% of the time normally required without potential for human error;
simulation of critical and complex safety narratives involving more than 15 inputs and multiple outputs for more than 50% in overall time saving;
eliminated the need to add external hardware to more than 700 smart valve positioners saving approximately $2,000 per valve;
monitoring secondary transmitter temperature variables remotely to improve efficiency in preventative maintenance on heated instrument boxes saving more than $200,000 per year; and
re-calibration, parameter checks and device diagnostics performed from central control room rather than at each individual transmitter location provides saving of $100,000 annually.

Bahiuk says one of the biggest benefits was that they did not have to do any special device testing for interoperability. “All our HART devices were plug-and-play, connected through an asset management system,. We are using the ability to open a virtual window and unlock all the power of HART Communication for any type of measurement device supplied by all of our manufacturers.”

Shell Scotford is home to three distinct operating facilities: Upgrader with 255,000 bpd total capacity (since 2011 expansion); Chemicals which manufactures 530kt/yr of styrene monomer and 604 kt/yr of ethylene glycol; and Refinery with a 100,000 bpd capacity. Total staff on site is more than 1,300 (plus contractors).

An intermittant need for gas analysis equipment?

2012-01-20T15:50:00.000Z

The MCERTS approved Gasmet DX4000 transportable FTIR gas Continuous Emissions Monitoring System is available for hire from Quantitech.

Able to monitor multiple gases simultaneously even in emissions that are hot, corrosive and high in moisture, the DX4000 is ideal for a wide variety of gas analysis applications. Quantitech's Dr Andrew Hobson says "The DX4000 is popular for renting because of its portability and flexibility; it has the same capability as a rack mounted CEMS, but provides users with the ability to measure almost any gas at multiple sites, so it can be used to verify fixed CEMS, and for research and investigative work. It is also often hired as customers 'try before they buy'."

The DX4000 is typically set up to measure H2O, CO2, CO, NO, NO2, N2O, SO2, NH3, CH4, HCl, HF and a variety of different VOC´s, but additional gases can be added without any hardware changes. Easy-to-use Calcmet™ software is supplied with the analyser and results can be displayed in ppm, mg/Nm3 or Vol-%. All measurement data and spectra can be stored for later analysis.

Learning ISA95

2012-01-20T15:16:00.000Z

ISA is planning an international ISA95 training course in a few weeks

The location will be in Eindhoven (NL) There are very good connection from all over Europe to Eindhoven Airport

The Holiday Inn-Eindhoven is recommended and it is in the neighborhood of the training center.

Participants will be from Sogeti (S), Danfoss (DK), Actemium and Mars (NL) etc..

Training course will run on Monday 30th and Tuesday 31th of January. Time from 9.00 h until 16.30 h.

You can register on line with the REGISTER link (Bottom af page!)

Temperature transmitter for safety applications

2012-01-20T11:21:00.001Z

The new OPTITEMP TT 51 temperature transmitter, from Krohne, is developed with measurement accuracy, reliability, safety and user efficiency in mind according to a release from the company.

Constant measuring accuracy over a long period of time is crucial when it comes to monitoring process temperatures. The unit features a newly developed electronic system that boasts a long-term measuring error of ±0.1 °C (for Pt 100) or ±0.05 % of span. Over a period of five years, the long-term error is just a quarter of the drift of comparable temperature transmitters. By using the Sensor Matching feature, the total sensor/transmitter accuracy can be further increased.

The superior reliability of a measuring station equipped with this temperature transmitter can be attributed to more than one principle as the transmitter has double inputs for e.g. Pt 100 or Thermocouple sensors. The transmitter features SmartSense insulation monitoring to detect moisture in the measuring insert. If the measuring insert (and the sensor element) absorbs moisture, the electrical isolation resistance immediately decreases, resulting in a measurement error.

A second, redundant sensor can be connected to the OPTITEMP TT 51 transmitter by way of a dual input. The Sensor Backup function will reduce the risk of losing important measurements by automatically switching over to the back-up sensor in the unlikely event that the primary sensor fails.

For use in safety-related applications, it features SIL2 approval as per IEC 61508. The error monitoring and information meet the NAMUR NE 43, NE 89 and NE 107 recommendations. The transmitters are available with Ex-approvals according to ATEX. The EMC immunity meets Criteria A performance, based on EN 61326-1 and NAMUR NE 21.

The OPTITEMP TT 51 transmitter is programmable either directly from a PC via a USB interface or by means of any HART communication tool available on the market. It may be mounted either directly inside a standard DIN B sensor head (head-mounted transmitter) or it is installed separately in a control cabinet as a space-efficient DIN- rail-mounted transmitter with a width of only 17,5 mm.

Instrumentation blog!

2012-01-19T15:22:00.000Z

Instrumentation equipment manufacturer Mantracourt has announced the launch of a 'Blog' about specialist electronic measurement devices for sensors, to assist engineers working in the field of measurement and instrumentation.

The Blog is to provide engineers with informative articles about using Mantracourt's technologies, as well as giving engineers access to discussions hosted by several of its specialist engineers.
The most recent entry discusses special features about Mantracourt's 'Strain Gauge Amplifier', a device that is used in conjunction with strain gauges and load cells in such environments as construction and process control. The entry is entitled "7 Things You Need To Know About The SGA".

Mantracourt is a leading manufacturer of industrial measurement technologies and a world leader in the design and manufacture of electronics for measurement technologies, including strain gauge, temperature, pressure, voltage, current, potentiometer, rate, flow, LVDT and displacement in either analogue, digital or wireless form.

"The Mantracourt Blog is a productive way for us to discuss the less obvious aspects of our technology," said Kelly Voysey, Sales and Marketing Manager at Mantracourt. "It enables us to present detailed technical descriptions, applications and special features in a blog discussion. In this respect, it is proving to be interesting and useful to a broad range of engineers working in this field."

Other topics include the Mantracourt T24 wireless telemetry range, a flexible low power radio system designed to enable the transmission of high accuracy measurement data from load cells, inclinometers, accelerometers, displacement and pressure sensors. With a combination of transmitter and receiver technologies, engineers are able to remotely monitor instrumentation readings. The Blog entry discusses the use of this system for the remote switching and monitoring of mains appliances.

"Many of our technologies are best understood in terms of real world applications, rather than basic data sheets. The electronic measuring instruments blog is giving us an ideal forum to explain how we are working with engineers to overcome measurement challenges and introduce new technologies. Followers of the blog are able to subscribe to our blog feed, so that they can receive our updates automatically."

Mantracourt have recently announced the release of their Wireless Active Repeater, a module that allows wireless instrumentation transmission to span around obstacles such as buildings or walls as well as increasing range.

The repeater acts as a transparent link between Mantracourt’s T24 Acquisition modules and a base station or a handheld display. The Active Repeater was originally developed to achieve greater coverage for wireless load cell technology in the construction sector.

Digital sensors & sensor systems: practical design

2012-01-19T09:29:00.000Z

Professor Sergey Y. Yurish has published his first book with the IFSA Publishing. It's titled "Digital Sensors and Sensor Systems: Practical Design" and is about how quickly to design high performance, low cost digital sensors and sensor systems (including smart sensors and intelligent sensor systems) for different physical and chemical, electrical and non-electrical quantities.

Semiconductor and integrated sensor design are heavily driven by technology scaling. Rapid advances in microelectronics and nano-technologies have brought new challenges to the digital, smart, intelligent sensors and sensor systems design.

Because such design approach based on the frequency (time)-to-digital conversion has not been adequately covered in the literature before, this unique book aims to fill a significant gap and presents new knowledge in this emerging area of modern sensors.

The goal of this book is to help the practicians achieve the best metrological and technical performances of digital sensors and sensor systems at low cost, and significantly to reduce time-to-market. It should be also useful for students, lectures and professors to provide a solid background of the novel concepts and design approach because of till now such topics have been covered adequately only in a few European and American universities.

Controller for seismic applications!

2012-01-18T11:04:00.000Z

Yokogawa's Single Loop Controller, the YS1700, is now qualified for non-safety seismic and safety seismic applications.

For years the YS series of controllers have provided reliable and accurate control for many industries such as power, petrochemical, water, pulp / paper, marine and municipal boilers. Now customers in the nuclear industry can have world class control with Yokogawa’s latest SLC product. The YS1700 was released for sale in 2007 and is expected to have many years of reliable service like its predecessors the YS100 and YS80 Series. Unlike its predecessors, the YS1700 has improved features such as dual CPUs with automatic fail over which provides display and manual control capability if an abnormality occurs in one of the CPUs. Other features include a hard manual backup, battery free memory backup and backwards compatibility with all previous YS control products.

The YS1700 is fully qualified for nuclear safety and seismic applications. Qualification was based on EPRI TR-107330 under and audited quality management program meeting the requirement of 10CFR50 Appendix B, NQA-1, and 10CFR21.

Control applications in nuclear facilities are numerous and the YS1700 is applicable to many of them including; feed water control, feed water heater, heater drain control, heat exchanger temperature control and many other flow, level and pressure applications.

B2B ecommerce on steroids from Honeywell!

2012-01-18T10:22:00.000Z

New Sensing and Control Website Includes Powerful Product Finder and Distributor Inventory Search Features.

Honeywell Sensing and Control (S&C) has launched a new easy-to-use, full-featured website that makes it easy for developers and OEMs to find, order and purchase the right sensing and control components for their industrial, medical, transportation, test and measurement, or aerospace solutions.

The newly upgraded sensing.honeywell.com web environment encompasses a variety of microsites, portals, customer resources and web-based applications. These include a new distributor inventory stock check tool, sales rep/authorized distributor (Rep/AD) portal and product sample portal for channel partners, a supplier microsite, and the unique TruStability® product configurator.

“The Sensing and Control website was redesigned to better meet our customers’ needs,” said Tony Sugalski, president, Honeywell Sensing and Control. “Customer feedback was very clear; they wanted the same experience and simplicity of functionality they are accustomed to in popular consumer websites. And that’s what we did. We updated our website to be more intuitive, efficient and easier to use.”

The new site offers four key improvements:
• Faster and more intuitive search capability. The new enhanced search engine is now more efficient and comprehensive with drop-down navigation functionality.
• Spotlight on new products. All the information for new products, including downloadable data sheets, is now directly available from the home page.
• New Distributor Inventory Stock-Check application. After selecting a product, a list immediately displays which Honeywell channel partners have the product in stock and for what price. The customer can click on a link that automatically populates the distributor’s shopping cart without leaving the Honeywell S&C site. The customer can easily compare and choose from multiple distributor shopping carts simultaneously.
• Smart phone enabled. Mobile version of the website with the core functionality our users asked for.

Smart phone enabled

“The reconstructed site now includes speedy, highly intuitive site search and navigational tools that put the information customers need at their fingertips – quickly and easily,” said Kim Anderberg, Director of Marketing Communications and e-business. “I like to call it B2B eCommerce on steroids – an easy, seamless way to transact with our web-based channel partners’ shopping carts without leaving the Honeywell environment.”

Rep/AD and Product Sample Portal
For Honeywell sales representatives and authorized distributors, the password-protected Rep/AD Portal is now directly accessible from the My Links section of the website, providing a single source for all Honeywell Sensing and Control communications including sales tools, product announcements, order management tools, policies and more. Also available exclusively to Honeywell channel partners, the new Sample Portal is accessible through the Rep/AD Portal and offers suppliers a simplified and automated process for product sample ordering.

TruStability® Product Configurator (available February 2012)
Also available for Honeywell sales representatives and authorized distributors is the TruStability® Configurator, a web-based application that helps customers narrow their search within Honeywell’s TruStability® platform of pressure sensors. The platform includes more than 250 product options and variables that translate into more than one million permutations. This new tool also provides a customized data sheet that is user-friendly and dynamic, offering ‘like product’ options to customer-input application and time to delivery parameters.

Sample Request
New customers can also request samples on the new site. Found under the My Links section on the Home Page, the sample request link provides a request form that a customer can fill out and submit for follow-up by a Honeywell sales representative.

Smart Device Friendly
Honeywell Sensing and Control’s new website is also available in a mobile version. It can be accessed with any smartphone or mobile tablet device. Once bookmarked to the device’s home page, an icon appears which enables the site to perform like an app.

Supplier Microsite
The new supplier microsite provides information including policies, code of business conduct, self assessment, shipping information and more for our suppliers.

The new home page

Benchmark in grippers!

2012-01-18T10:01:00.000Z

A range of pneumatically-operated grippers has been launched by Festo, that is set to establish a new performance benchmark for the industry. They are high performance replacements for the company's current generation HGx series of standard grippers. The new DHxS range includes parallel, three-point, radial and angular models, each offering a wide choice of sizes and stroke lengths, to ensure that the right function and capacity are available to meet the demands of diverse applications. All the new grippers are characterised by compact dimensions, optimised gripping retention force and high reliability. They are ideal for handling and assembly systems that demand cost-effective, lightweight end-effectors.

Pneumatic-mechanical grippers have a simple task to perform - reliable operation with fast cycle times. However, to create products that achieve this, manufacturers have to balance conflicting criteria such as the need for low weight, high gripping forces, minimal dimensions and improved performance, while at the same time striving to lower production costs. Festo has successfully met all these challenges with the DHxS series of grippers.

The four different styles of gripper in the new range share a number of novel design attributes, aimed specifically at maximising performance and minimising cost. All the grippers are available with double-acting piston drives, as well as an optional spring-assisted safety mechanism that ensures the gripper jaws will continue to hold their position in the event of pneumatic pressure loss. This option obviates the need for complex and costly additional safety circuits. The grippers are also effectively overload-proof. An integrated fixed flow restrictor acts as a safety buffer, protecting the unit against overloading during high-speed motion of the gripper jaws and preventing damage due to excessively high speeds.

Festo's designers have increased the gripping force of the parallel grippers while retaining the same external dimensions of the older series, by utilising an oval piston instead of the twin smaller pistons employed by the older series and by most competitive products on the market. This new design produces considerably more gripping force - on average, as much as 40% higher - enabling machine builders to use a smaller, lighter gripper for the same task, with a commensurate reduction in the size and weight of the axis carrying the gripper. This has a significant cost benefit for multi-axis handling systems, where the size of each axis depends upon the load it has to move.

For maximum applications flexibility, the DHPS parallel grippers are available in six sizes, spanning piston diameters from 6 to 35 mm with individual jaw strokes from 2 to 12.5 mm. The largest model can produce a total gripping force of up to 970 N.

The new parallel and three-point grippers employ an innovative T-slot guidance system and cam mechanism that enables the jaws to accommodate much higher torque moments, leading to improved reliability and a much-reduced risk of jaw breakage under extreme load. For example, the parallel grippers can on average accommodate 130% more torque than previous-generation models, and for the three-point grippers this figure rises to 280% more than previous models.

Festo has modified the lever mechanism that transfers the force generated by the linear motion of the piston rod to the low-backlash gripper jaws radically, resulting in much higher levels of repeatability. Typically, the repeatability of the new grippers' jaw positioning accuracy is 100 percent better, at only 20 microns, compared to the 40 micron figure previously. Furthermore, because the levers are directly in mesh with the gripper jaws, there is no need for additional synchronisation.

The significant improvements to gripper performance and accuracy are reinforced by enhancements to the standard of mounting interface. All four types of gripper are fitted with mounting hole centering sleeves to facilitate fast and accurate location, and the parallel and three-finger models are also equipped with centering sleeves in the gripper jaws.

All the new DHxs grippers are equipped with an integral magnet on their pistons, and their bodies have T-slots for easy mounting of sensors. Festo offers two types of proximity sensors: one detects the presence of the internal magnet; the other mounts inside the same slot but features an 'outward-looking' sensor, which can detect a flag on the fingers of radial and angular grippers, to provide confirmation of jaw movements.

For more demanding applications, Festo offers the SMAT-8M position transmitter. This also mounts in the gripper's sensor slot and detects the internal magnet. However, it produces a 0 to 10 V analogue output which is directly proportional to piston movement over a 0 to 40 mm range, and provides exceptionally precise feedback, with a repetition accuracy of plus or minus 25 microns. Weighing just 10 g, the transmitter is ideal for applications where the total weight of the gripper module needs to be kept as low as possible. The analogue output can be fed direct to a PLC without need for signal conditioning circuits, and can be used to determine the size of object being gripped or the quality of grip, as well as indicating gripper movement.

Festo's new DHxS grippers are ideal for mid-performance handling tasks. The company produces an extensive range of gripper products, including models optimised for light weight, harsh environments and heavy-duty applications. Choosing the optimum gripper for a particular application is a demanding task, so Festo has developed a powerful software selector tool to aid users in the decision-making process. The free online software takes into account the size, weight and forces acting on the gripper, as well as the environmental conditions, and incorporates Festo's extensive gripper technology knowledge-base to help users achieve 'right first time' results easily and quickly.

New member for wireless body!

2012-01-18T08:00:00.000Z

TLV, a world leader in steam engineering products and services, has joined the ISA100 Wireless Compliance Institute (ISA100 WCI) as a supplier member.

“Our company name TLV CO., LTD, comes from the word ‘Trouble Less Valve’ and our founding mission was to develop a world class steam trap that guarantees a long life with no troubles. We are forging ahead to become the ‘world’s No.1 steam specialist’ and have grown our company into a leading steam solution focused on energy savings and environmental countermeasures,” said Yoshiyasu Fujiwara, president, TLV. “We look forward to integrating the benefits of the ISA100.11a wireless into our products and helping in the global adoption of ISA100.”

“We are thrilled to add a world authority in steam engineering to the ISA100 WCI team,” said Andre Ristaino, managing director of ISA100 WCI. “TLV understands the benefits that wireless technology brings to its customers and we look forward to TLV’s support in promoting interoperable products based on the ISA100.11a technology.”

Autosport award for flowmeter

2012-01-17T16:30:00.000Z

Gill Sensors has won the Autosport Engineering Best Technical Innovation 2012 and the Graham Jones Innovation of the Year Award, which were both presented during the Autosport International show in Birmingham (GB) in 13th January 2012. The prestigious awards go to the new Ultrasonic Fuel Flow Meter, which has recently been launched in Europe and America and marks a major step forward for fuel flow monitoring in race car applications.

“As focus within top level Motorsport moves towards fuel efficiency, accurate monitoring of fuel usage is rapidly becoming an essential element of most telemetry systems”, says Mike Rees, Head of Marketing at Gill Sensors. “The Gill Fuel Flow Meter has been designed specifically to address these requirements, providing governing bodies, race teams and engine developers alike with a means of accurately monitoring fuel flow and usage in real time”.

The Ultrasonic Fuel Flow Meter uses Gill’s proven ultrasonic measurement technology to detect bi-directional fuel flow rate to 0.3% accuracy in real time. This technology has a number of major advantages over impeller flow meters, the most significant of which is the removal of mechanical parts from the flow path. This ensures minimal pressure drop across the meter, providing true flow rate data with little impact on the flow itself. The removal of mechanical moving parts and bearings also eliminates mechanical damping and allows much higher temporal resolution and accuracy for the capture and measurement of high frequency pulsating flows.

The detail provided within the flow data allows engineers to fully analyse fuel flow characteristics, with the meter’s high level of sensitivity allowing even the pulses of individual fuel injectors to be identified at low RPM limits.

The Ultrasonic Fuel Flow Meter has been designed for use with all race fuels, including aggressive ethanol blends, and is capable of accurately recording flow rate from 0.5ml/min to 6500ml/min. With no moving parts to jam, break or wear out, the meter provides extremely reliable operation even in the harshest of operating environments.

The meter features a newly-developed electronic platform, which integrates the latest FPGA technology capable of measuring flow rate up to 4000 times a second. In addition to a digital output, a 0-5V analogue output is provided across the calibrated flow range.

The Gill Ultrasonic Fuel Flow Meter has undergone a series of dyno and car tests to date, including a day’s testing on a Core Autosport LMPC race car at Palm Beach International Raceway in December 2011. Another series of high profile car and dyno tests are scheduled in Europe and America throughout January and February 2012.

Saving phone bills in Ireland!

2012-01-17T16:04:00.001Z

Yes I know it's not automation as we know it (but where does automation stop?) However for our myriad of visitors from Ireland this will be interesting and who knows maybe there is an application further afield!

NetWork ID's Colm Murphy

Galway based IT developer Colm Murphy has released application notes for ‘Forget1850’, a new cost saving directory App which allows users to access cheaper (and sometimes free) landline numbers as an alternative to using numbers beginning with 1850 / 1890 / 0818, numbers which are often promoted as customer service contact numbers by large organisations and companies in Ireland.

Network ID Ltd is based in the Galway Mayo Institute of Technology's (GMIT) Innovation Centre in Galway. Colm told Read-out that inspiration for the new App came after he was charged €13 for a call to one particular organisation’s ‘customer services’ 1850 number. (We all know the feeling!)

“The vast majority of household service providers, including telecoms, Revenue, Government Agencies, as well as most banks and energy suppliers, use 1850/1890 as their customer service contact numbers. Irish consumers such as myself are becomingly increasingly irritated at the high costs associated with calling 1850/1890 numbers.

The Forget1850 directory App was developed to provide Irish consumers with a choice on what costs they would incur when contacting these organisations or companies” he said.

In some cases, consumers may be unwittingly paying as much as €10 in phone charges to simply communicate with a company – especially when reporting a fault in a product or service, where the wait time to speak with a company representative may be excessive. Invariably, an 1890 number is the only contact number advertised.

"‘Forget 1850’ users could save up to €52.50 per year by using alternative landline numbers rather than the typical 1850/ 1890 numbers advertised by companies” according to Colm Murphy. “For example, if an O2 bill pay customer calls an 1890 (35c per minute) number for 10 minutes they will be charged €3.50 per call. Based on a rough average of making 15 such calls per year that’s a saving of €52.50”

Non-geographical numbers such as those beginning with 1850/1890 and more recently 0818 became popular before bundled minutes became an integral part of both landline and mobile contracts. However, not only are 1850/1890 and in some cases 0818 numbers not included in a monthly contracts ‘Free Minutes Bundle’, they also cannot be called from overseas or through Skype.

New partnership enables fast reliable communication!

2012-01-17T15:43:00.000Z

HMS Industrial Networks has recently joined Mitsubishi Electric Europe’s e-F@ctory Alliance as a new partner. HMS is able to provide a fast low-cost solution for interconnecting Mitsubishi automation devices via a wide range of standardised industrial networks, while ensuring the secure exchange of data between those devices, in the form of its “Anybus” gateways, protocol converters and wireless solutions.

The cloud-based “Netbiter” remote management solution provides a future-oriented system which can be quite easily implemented in existing structures and, when used in conjunction with Mitsubishi PLCs, frequency inverters and control devices, offers an optimum solution for collecting operating data and monitoring automation systems.

As part of this collaboration, “Anybus” gateways and protocol converters offer solutions for expanding the possibilities for integrating Mitsubishi automation systems in a wide variety of industrial networks. The “Netbiter” complete remote maintenance solution addresses the M2M segment. Systems are available via a mobile radio or Ethernet connection.

The central element is the Netbiter Argos data portal with innovative cloud technology for capturing and displaying operating data. This enables data registers as well as process values, such as temperature and frequency inverter data, inputs and outputs and alarms for example, to be conveniently recorded to the Argos server and displayed using plant mimic diagrams. Reports and trend graphs can be produced automatically on a daily/weekly basis etc. and sent by e-mail if required.

The integrated user and project management system is designed for the centralised management of multiple devices in different locations as well as for defining the authority level for users. The alarm management system sends reports by e-mail/SMS or SNMP. The modular user management system is specially designed to enable machine manufacturers to offer their customers individual remote management solutions as an additional service.

As the worldwide market leader for industrial communication solutions, HMS has produced more than 250 different varieties of gateways, protocol converters and wireless products to date. There is a wide range available especially for the CC-Link favoured by Mitsubishi. The “Netbiter” remote management solution has been adapted to Mitsubishi automation devices and offers a high-performance solution for displaying data and monitoring systems and plants that is also easy to integrate. The user benefits are there for all to see and include simple database and web programming as well as modem integration, for example. In addition, there is no need for costly firewall or VPN configuration either.

Temperature calibration sources

2012-01-17T15:30:00.000Z

Eurolec Instrumentation have introduced a new range of compact, cost effective temperature calibration sources.

Accompanying the existing CS173, 174 & 175 calibration sources, the CSEC1 and CSEC2 offer users a low cost option for in-house probe thermometer accuracy checks. With a combined range of approx. -20 to +200C, the CSEC1 & CSEC2 still provide the same freely adjustable temperature ranges, choice of probe holes and user friendliness but for those applications that don’t require the infrared “black body” feature or RS232/USB output options.

Compact and weighing 3Kg or less, the CSEC1/CSEC2 represent a very competitively priced introduction to in house thermometer accuracy verification and when used in conjunction with e.g. the Eurolec RT162 precision reference thermometer, a very accurate, easy to use and cost saving alternative to external calibration certification is provided – an ideal system to comply with quality standards such as ISO9001 & HACCP.

The CSEC1 and CSEC2 “Economy” temperature calibration sources complement the existing Eurolec range of portable thermometers, probes, infrared thermometers and manometers.

Chim chim cheroo...!

2012-01-17T08:16:00.001Z

New isokinetic sampler is automatic

Sorry about the main headline (but only just!) On the face of it, this might not sound like the most exciting story you've read, but for those poor souls that have to climb chimney stacks in order to monitor process emissions, this is really great news; less equipment has to go up there and what you do take is now quicker and easier to use, and it helps you produce better monitoring data.

Quantitech has announced the launch of a new generation of automatic isokinetic samplers that bring new levels of speed, accuracy and reliability to the sampling of particulates and gases from chimneys, stacks and ducts.

The new Tecora Isostack G4 (4th Generation) automatically records measurement values in addition to equipment configuration data, in order to improve the reliability and traceability of monitoring results. Compliant with international standards and compatible with existing probes and sample trains, the G4 offers stack testers the opportunity to automate their sampling procedures and generate .xml reports quickly and simply.

The Isostack G4 is available in 2 versions (both with 4 or 8 m3/h pump): as a single complete unit (G4-1) with built-in display and keyboard, or as two (G4-2) separate units; a small lightweight intelligent controller, and a larger heavier sample pump, which means that the controller can be used at the measuring point, whilst the pump unit can be located at a more convenient location.

With built-in self-test capability and intuitive set up and operation procedures, the Isostack G4 has been designed for ease of use. Quantitech's Dominic Duggan says "The simplicity of the G4's operation is a major advantage because, coupled with the automatic reporting capability, it will reduce the time spent setting up the system and improve reliability.

"We also believe that the G4-2 will be particularly popular because it limits the size and weight of equipment that has to be carried safely to the monitoring location."

Remote management capabilities helps efficiency

2012-01-17T07:19:00.000Z

ADLINK Technology has introduced the PICMG 2.0 compliant cPCI-6210 Series, a 6U CompactPCI processor blade based on the latest quad- and dual-core 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i7 and Intel® Core™ i5 processors and up to 16 GB DDR3-1600 memory support. The cPCI-6210 is a performance computing solution with enhanced management features such as PICMG 2.9 compliant IPMI, remote management based on Intel® vPro™ technology and optional Trusted Platform Module (TPM) for security management, and is suitable for applications in Communication and Industrial Control segments.

Their cPCI-6210 Series offers oustanding processing and graphics performance for applications requiring reliable, scalable CompactPCI® products with the latest quad-core CPU, 2D/3D graphics engine with multiple displays. Dual independent display functionality is provided via dual-mode DisplayPort and DVI-I graphics interfaces. The DisplayPort interface supports single-link DVI or HDMI with a passive adapter cable and analog VGA output via an active adapter cable. When coupled with a ADLINK XMC-G460 graphics module installed in the XMC site or an ADLINK cPCI-R6700 Rear Transition Module, the cPCI-6210 Series supports up to four independent displays.

The cPCI-6210 Series is ADLINK's first CompactPCI offering to support hardware based remote management capability using Intel® vPro™ technology. "To address the needs of our customers who have requested remote management capabilities to save on costs and improve efficiency of both operation and maintenance, ADLINK’s cPCI-6210 Series implements remote management functionality that allows administrators to troubleshoot, query, upgrade and protect the device via a network connection.” states Eric Kao, Director of ADLINK's Embedded Computing Product Segment.

“The 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ processors and the Intel® QM67 PCH enable smart multi-tasking capabilities, remote manageability, and high-end performance for embedded applications,” said Matt Langman, director of product marketing, Intel Personal Solutions Division. “The integrated Intel® HD Graphics 3000 supports DirectX 10.1 and OpenGL 3.1 which means visually stunning experiences are easier to deploy in embedded applications.”

Storage interfaces supported by the cPCI-6210 Series include one SATA 6Gb/s direct connector for a 2.5” HDD/SSD, one 7-pin SATA port for external storage, an optional CompactFlash socket, a built-in CFast socket and three SATA ports routed to the RTM with RAID 0/1/5/10 support. Up to eight SAS/SATA interfaces with hardware RAID are supported by the cPCI-R6200 RTM.

The cPCI-6210 Series can operate in a system slot as a master or in a peripheral slot as a standalone blade for high density computing applications. In addition, the cPCI-6210 Series is compliant with the PICMG 2.9 specification and supports system management functions based on the Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) as well as hardware monitoring of physical characteristics such as CPU and system temperature, DC voltages and power status. TPM 1.2 is also supported on selected models to provide efficient hardware-based data protection. Through careful component selection, the cPCI-6210 optionally supports an extended operating temperature range of -40°C to +70°C

The ADLINK cPCI-6210 Series supports operating systems including: Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft Windows 7, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 and VxWorks.

RH hand meter

2012-01-16T12:59:00.001Z

A simple reference for the calibration and validation of humidity probes

Michell Instruments’ new RH hand meter, the MDM25, is an ideal reference instrument for use with humidity generators when calibrating or validating RH probes.

Large users of RH probes – such as laboratories, pharmaceutical companies, semiconductor manufacturers – find that in-house calibration of probes is highly cost-effective when compared to sending out sensors to an external laboratory for calibration and/or adjustment. The MDM25 provides a useful secondary reference for use when performing calibrations with a humidity generator, such as Michell’s S503, and is a cost-efficient alternative to a chilled mirror reference, such as the Optidew Vision.

The display orientation of the MDM25 can be inverted so it can be read easily when the fixed probe is inserted into the S503. With a wide range of probes the MDM25 can be used easily and comfortably in many situations.

The MDM25’s highly stable polymer-based sensor responds rapidly to changes in humidity and is coupled with a thermistor for accurate temperature measurement. Other measurement parameters which can be derived from temperature and humidity are available on the handheld: absolute humidity, wet bulb temperature and dew point.

• Michell products are marketed in Ireland by Instrument Technology

Stainless steel control valves for food & drink!

2012-01-16T11:19:00.001Z

Rust, corrosion, dirt, flaking paint, water ingress and external integrity impaired by aggressive products, would all be high up on any process engineer’s list of typical application problems for valves in the food and beverage industries. Many would say that these industries have, for too long, been plagued by these problems, to the extent that companies have learned to live with them.

Buerkert’s ELEMENT System

The new ELEMENT control valves are part of Buerkert’s ELEMENT system, which has set a higher benchmark in process measurement and control. ELEMENT provides a complete systems approach, linking clean line valves, sensors, positioners and valve actuators in a simple architecture to solve total control loop processes. With unlimited modularity, ELEMENT saves processing time by offering total control solutions for media from slurries to steam, and from de-ionised water to hydrochloric acid.

Now, however, the limitations of conventional control valve solutions in the control of steam, fluids, gases and aggressive media that play a central role in the processing of food and beverages, have been thoroughly and systematically analysed by Bürkert. The result of this evaluation is the ELEMENT series of control valves. The innovative features of these attractive, clean line, stainless steel valves meet the challenges of process industries – including hygienic processing sectors - and offer solutions to problems that many users have hitherto accepted as system-intrinsic.

In addition, as an added benefit, the valves also satisfy the pressing industry need to reduce energy use. Thanks to intelligent internal design, the air consumption to actuate ELEMENT valves is up to 40% lower in comparison with conventional process valve systems.

The bodies of these control valves are manufactured exclusively from high-quality stainless steel, a material that not only saves on weight, but also considerably enhances the aesthetics of the valves. In comparison with other materials, stainless steel is a convincing choice, as its cast integrity is high. This means that the valve walls can be optimised, reducing their overall weight and size envelope. Moreover, the impact resistance of stainless steel can be up to 25 times higher than other materials. What all this means for the valve user is more lightweight, compact and robust valve bodies.

The use of stainless steel offers longer term advantages, too. When the finish on most conventional valves has been damaged by exposure to harsh process environments, they still retain their original attractive appearance.

Designed to IP 65/67 protection class, the ELEMENT control valves, with their heat and chemical resistant design, easily withstand the rinsing and cleaning processes required in food and beverage plants. The clean, sleek external lines ensure the valves are easy to clean and also stay cleaner for longer.

The interior of the control valves proves that outer appearance and inner values are not mutually exclusive. There are a number of innovative key operating areas. Firstly, high-gloss polished valve stems minimise friction and maximise the service life of the automatic self-adjusting seals. Secondly, the valve stroke position feedback transducer is not only integrated within the valve, but is also contact-less. Consequently, it never blocks or wears out, and always remains accurate because it measures the linear stroke motion directly without conversion. Thirdly, because the feedback transducer is fully protected inside the valve, the requirement for external linkages, nuts, bolts and connections is eliminated. This innovation dramatically reduces the areas where product can accumulate and cause contamination. Fourthly, the control air is also routed internally, without the need for awkward external hoses.

A further innovation on these units is valve actuator control, which is achieved by means of the integrated pilot valves that can also be actuated manually for easy local operation. For each operation, clean and dry control air is deliberately flushed into all areas of the actuator. This ensures that, unlike traditional solutions, ambient air is never drawn into the spring chambers and surrounding voids, extending the valve’s reliability and life, at the same time maximising process availability for the valve user. In addition, as no impurities or moisture are drawn into the actuator, there can be no corrosion of the springs inside the actuator. The same feature also prevents the risk of biological growth, which could result in contamination of the process environment as a whole.

Burkert has also deployed new design thinking to provide protection against moisture ingress into the electronics of the control heads on the ELEMENT valves. Protection is required because small but naturally occurring changes in the control head pressure can lead to the penetration of moisture, particularly after a wash down cleaning process. …

Defence against this ingress is provided by diverting a small amount of clean control air into the control head, maintaining a slight positive pressure, thus achieving a simple, innovative and class-leading solution.

In addition to their many operational benefits, the ELEMENT valves offer optimised interactiveness with the user. The valves integrate a modern operator concept that is intuitive and user-friendly, despite the extensive range of relevant functions provided. To prevent data overload, additional functions are displayed only as required, and the configuration of positioners and process controllers is seamless and automatic. Local communication is achieved at a glance via a high-performance and highly visible, multicoloured LED display that illuminates the surrounding area, passing on immediate user information regarding the valve status. Finally, all important data logging information is displayed on a backlit graphic display.

The integrated intelligence in the ELEMENT units also means that communication outside of the local sphere is easy to achieve. With the ELEMENT control valves series, Bürkert offers a complete automation concept for integration into most commonly used control systems. Employing options, such as Profibus DPV1, ASI and Device NET, possible applications range from monitoring simple control tasks and the integration into complex field bus solutions, through to the complete decentralisation of a plant-wide automation system.

Software to envisage panel/enclosure layout

2012-01-16T10:43:00.000Z

Rittal’s RiCAD-3D software version 3 supports the creation of models to provide a complete 3D picture of Rittal products with the visualisation, layout and spacing of single components. Its database includes both 2D and 3D drawings for virtually all Rittal products, together with an extensive range of system accessories.

Many projects require a 3D internal and external view of objects such as wall and freestanding enclosure systems. 3D views of the accessories within an enclosure allow positioning and spacing of rail or mounted equipment, cable trunking runs and the cable entry space required.

RiCAD 3D offers the following benefits: Precisely detailed CAD product data; export in all standard CAD formats (DWG, ProE 2001, ProE Wildfire, Solidworks and STEP.formats); simple integration into the most varied CAD systems; considerable reduction of engineering and design work; detailed error-free Rittal data; generic original data in 3D and 2D format and no conversion of neutral formats.

Regardless of which CAD system used, RiCAD 3D effectively supports the efficiency and productivity of plant design work

Automation in Cairo!

2012-01-16T09:55:00.000Z

The Automation Technology Egypt 2012 show is s scheduled to be held at the Cairo Int'l Conferences Center, Nasr City, Cairo (EG). The dates for your calander are 6-8 May 2012. This is the only automation, control and Instrumentation show being held in Egypt this year.

Exhibits including will cover factory Automation, home automation, power management, building management systems (BMS) and SCADA Applications in Power, Water, waste water, building automation and process.

Visitors well see products and services including information technology & automation software solutions, security electronics, telecommunications, robotics and automation, electrical and electronics, hydraulics and pneumatics, industrial control, test and measurement instruments, process control, level control system and automation in construction technology.

The associated conference will be mainly aimed at demonstration of advanced developments in the domain of automation and information technologies in industry and new opportunities for business development.

Embedded PC for machine vision applications

2012-01-16T07:31:00.000Z

Stemmer Imaging can now offer the powerful fanless Adlink Matrix MXC-6000 Embedded-PC. The Intel® Core i7 2.0 GHz processor and Intel® QM57 chipset deliver a level of performance ideal for image and vision measurement and automation applications in areas as diverse as intelligent transport systems, factory control, test instrumentation, safety surveillance and building automation.

A rich I/O functionality includes two PCI slots or one PCI and one PCIe x4 slots, two Gigabit Ethernet ports and four external USB ports allowing the selection of the best possible camera for the application. Other I/O capabilities include one port for DVI-I (VGA + DVI-D), allowing the control of two independent displays and two RS232 ports plus two software-selectable RS232/422/485 ports.

All ports are mounted on the front panel for ease of use. An additional internal USB 2.0 port allows the deployment of license keys (dongles). 16 isolated I/Os support industrial controls. An eSATA port supports storage expansion or hot-swapping of SATA drives.

The fanless and innovative cable-free design provides excellent dependability in harsh environments, where severe temperature variation and vibration may exist. In addition, an optional hot-pluggable fan module is available to dissipate heat generated within the system should high power consumption PCI/PCIe cards be installed.

New international president for ISA

2012-01-13T16:47:00.000Z

Robert E. Lindeman is the 2012 President of the International Society of Automation. Lindeman will work with ISA leaders to continue moving the Society toward meeting its strategic goals.

Bob Lindeman 2012 President ISA

Robert Lindeman is an ISA Fellow who has helped organize multiple International Instrumentation Symposia over the last 20 years. He has served in numerous Society leadership positions including director and facilitator of a technical interest division and vice president on the ISA Executive Board. He is a Certified Automation Professional® (CAP®), Project Management Professional (PMP) and a member of the Tullahoma, Tennessee Utility Board, his hometown’s provider of electricity, water, wastewater and fiber service.

He has worked in the instrumentation field since 1971. He is currently a System Engineer for Aerospace Testing Alliance working at a space environmental test facility under development at Arnold Engineering Development Center. He is also the Aerospace Testing Alliance (ATA) Center Technical Fellow for the Instrumentation, Control, Data, and Automation Center of Technical Excellence.

“As President, my main focus will be to help the Society to continue providing tangible benefits for ISA members and to be instrumental in the continued advancement of the practice of automation,” said Lindeman His focus aligns with the Society’s 2012-2015 strategic goals, which are to:

• serve students, professionals and industry by delivering knowledge resources via publications, conferences and exhibits, training and other programs
• develop globally recognized standards, publications and certifications for the automation community
attract and retain automation professionals as members and customers worldwide

“To make our goals a reality, ISA must continue to provide current, technical content to support ISA’s technical conferences and events, actively support divisions, strengthen sections and offer exceptional programs to automation professionals,” Lindeman concludes.

SI & Automation synergies in India

2012-01-13T14:45:00.001Z

Driven by India’s economic growth, the demand for a wide range of industrial goods, such as automotive, consumer durables, food and beverage, drugs and pharmaceuticals, and others, is on the increase. The mismatch between supply and demand provides the impetus for greenfield projects to come up alongside projects associated with plant upgrades and expansions. This provides the right framework for the growth of the automation market, which in turn spurs the expansion of the system integrators’ (SI) business.

Manufacturing companies in India are increasingly turning to system integrators to implement automation projects and seamlessly integrate disparate systems. System integrators technically bridge the gap between end users and automation suppliers. Often, a good automation system implementation involves integration of subsystems from various suppliers, and SIs work as implementation partners. From an end user perspective, real-time performance management, which involves collaboration among automation systems and enterprise solutions, is important. Therefore, end users turn to SIs, having the necessary skill-set, to integrate various technology solutions. Resulting from these developments, India has emerged as the home of good SI firms.
According to ARC Advisory Group’s research, the country has around 250 system integrator firms whose revenues would exceed $180 million by 2015. ARC’s latest study, “Service Capabilities and Profiles of System Integrators in India” provides an in-depth analysis of the system integrator companies and their businesses in India. In addition to market analysis and forecasts, the study also covers details relating to the skill-set and domain knowledge possessed by SIs, the industries they serve, and the human resources they have. Additionally, the report highlights the factors that influence the system integrator’s market in India and its dynamics.
System Integrators in India Can Emerge as Global Service Providers
According to Rajabahadur V. Arcot, Vice President and GM, ARC Advisory Group India, and co-author of this study, “India’s industrial sector gains from the country’s economic growth, which in turn spurs the demand for state-of-the-art automation and the emergence of system integrators with good engineering capabilities and technical skills.”

Commenting on the market opportunity for system integrators he says that globally there is a demand for system integrators with good engineering and project management capabilities and technical skills. SIs in India also have opportunities to act as global service providers, and expand beyond the country’s shores. Becoming financially sound and creating necessary awareness about their capabilities are prerequisites to succeed both within the country and outside. < Bonding with System Integrators Would Benefit Automation Suppliers
The country’s robust automation market outlook propels the emergence of SIs. Sharada Prahladrao, editor and co-author of this study says, “System Integrators are playing an important role in the growth of the automation market in India. On one hand, the growing application of automation by industries expands system integrators’ base, end users’ demand for implementation partners on the other bodes well for all stakeholders – automation suppliers, SIs, and end users.” SIs in India have excellent understanding of end user requirements, industry domain knowledge, and automation skill set. Automation companies entering the market in India will find it beneficial to forge relationships with the country’s SIs.

ARC’s “Service Capabilities and Profiles of System Integrators in India” study, with ample market intelligence, identifies leading SIs in various industries, market trends and challenges, and strategic recommendations. Quantitative information and assessment apart, this study provides an insightful analysis of issues that will affect the business in the future and suggests well-researched strategies for suppliers.

Enlarged connector housing for high-current applications

2012-01-13T08:18:00.000Z

The Han® HPR range of industrial connector housings from Harting now includes a enlarged version which makes it possible to assemble the 4-pole version of the Han® HC Modular 250 high-current contact system to the Han® HPR size 16 B as well as the previous size 24B.

This configuration, which involves new contact holding frames and a new Han® 16 HPR enlarged hood and bulkhead mounting housing, allows high-current applications with a rated current of 250 A and a rated voltage of 2000 V with up to four contacts to be realised in a compact design. In spite of its compact size, the "enlarged" housing version provides plenty of room for cabling.

The new Han® 16 HPR enlarged housings have the same features as the established and reliable Han® HPR housing series. The hood has four M25 cable entries. The new housings are fitted with the usual screw locking system and fulfil the IP 68 protection requirements of the IEC 60529 standard in the locked position.

No. one in HMI!

2012-01-13T08:11:00.001Z

Invensys has achieved the #1 market share position as a global provider of human machine interface (HMI) software and services in a recent ARC Advisory Group market study. The report affirms the market share-leading position of the company’s Wonderware® InTouch® and ArchestrA® System Platform software products for use in HMI, supervisory and SCADA applications.

WonderWare InTouch!

As the first major HMI software offering to begin running on Microsoft Windows more than 20 years ago, the company’s Wonderware brand has been synonymous with continuous innovation and ease of use. Over this long history, the ARC Advisory Group’s HMI software and services study has consistently listed the Wonderware brand as one of the top market share leaders. In the 2011 ARC report, which covers the 2010 calendar year, Invensys Operations Management outpaced market growth to gain the #1 position in market share, increasing its percentage lead over its nearest competitor.

“We are thrilled to see the results of our accelerated focus on the HMI market, and we sincerely appreciate the recognition we have received from the ARC report. As a primary source of market data and analysis, their findings greatly validate the customer acceptance we are gaining,” said Rashesh Mody, senior vice president of software and advanced applications for Invensys Operations Management. “It should be noted, as well, that unlike other vendors, this is all organic growth as Invensys has not acquired any other HMI companies in recent history. In all, we remain committed to the HMI and supervisory control market, and our customers tell us that we provide the most scalable, open and extensible platform for HMI, ranging from offerings that fit OEM / machine builders all the way to full enterprise control visualisation. Our active installed base for HMI is approaching 700,000 licenses, and for more than two decades, many of our customers have upgraded and migrated their applications to take advantage of new capabilities with just a few simple mouse clicks. We are proud that our offerings continue to address three key efficiencies—engineering, IT and operations—that help our customers empower their people and achieve real-time operational excellence.”

The ARC report said in part that to further its real-time enterprise control strategy, Invensys has released several extensible HMI components for supervisory and SCADA users, as well as a number of industry-focused solutions, including ArchestrA Workflow, that enable systems designers to implement prototypes and real-world applications. These and a number of other key aspects of the ArchestrA technology architecture differentiate Invensys Operations Management. The ability to configure a complete level-2 (control visualisation) and level-3 (production visualisation) solution with a single namespace means that intercommunication is intrinsic and integration with higher-level systems is simplified. And because they are open and extensible, the company’s external systems can be rapidly integrated into practically any other application.

According to Craig Resnick, research director for ARC Advisory Group and author of the recent study, “Invensys Operations Management has a multi-faceted strategy to enhance its market position, as well as to further its InFusion® enterprise control system concept. The company continues to update its Wonderware InTouch and ArchestrA System Platform product lines and is placing strategic emphasis on the SCADA and geo-SCADA arena, which is reflected in the functionality delivered by the latest release of its software products.”

“By being object–oriented, ArchestrA System Platform enables end users to pilot applications, and due to the scalability of its architecture, they can grow these pilots into large-scale implementations with minimal re-engineering. Managing standards and change is also inherent to the architecture, so an HMI software application, or even just an element of the application, can be changed once and rolled out to multiple end users, helping end users achieve real-time business optimisation,” Resnick said.

Intelligence by phone!

2012-01-13T07:53:00.000Z

ARC Industry News and Intelligence Now Available from Mobile Devices – Smart Phones and Tablets

The ARC Advisory Group website, which delivers news and market intelligence, is now optimised for iPhone, iPad, and other smart mobile devices.

ARC specialises in news, analysis, best practices, custom research, reports, and market studies. With over 60 employees in client support and analyst roles, they deliver a dynamic and wide range of market intelligence through its website and client portals. Now a subset of this information, formatted specifically for mobile devices is available. Current information includes:

• Market intelligence in English, Japanese, and Chinese
• Upcoming events
• Research report listings
• Market study listings
• Social media

“We have been a proponent and early adopter of leading edge technologies for many years. Our website, customer portals, and collaboration tools are all based on Microsoft SharePoint. This has enabled us to quickly adopt new technologies such as Mobile Entrée to deliver existing content in new formats,” stated Andy Chatha, President of ARC Advisory Group.

Mr Chatha received a significent honour in the Automation ft=raternity when he was made an Honoury Member of the International Society of Automation. This the highest honour bestowed by the Society is reserved to recognize special individuals for support of, and/or contributions to the advancement of the arts and sciences of instrumentation, systems, and automation.

Modular, configurable and safe

2012-01-13T07:39:00.000Z

The new modular and configurable SAFEMASTER PRO safety system from DOLD monitors all safety circuits of your machines and equipment. The number of inputs and outputs of the main control unit can be expanded at any time using expansion modules. This allows the system to be adapted optimally to individual applications. SAFEMASTER PRO fulfils all safety requirements up to PL e / Cat 4 or SIL CL3 and is TÜV certified.

The main control unit, with an installed width of just 22.5 mm, has 8 safe inputs, 2 safe two-channel outputs and 4 test outputs and can be used as a stand-alone module. Up to seven expansion modules can be connected to the main control unit, giving the SAFEMASTER PRO a total of 72 safe inputs and 8 safety-oriented two-channel semiconductor outputs in the maximum configuration.

The safety system monitors safety functions such as emergency stop, guard doors, light barriers, two-hand controls and much more. The TÜV-certified system is configured using the free SAFEMASTER PRO Designer software. This software features an intuitive user interface and enables easy, low-cost module configuration using drag & drop. Memory card support simplifies transferring configuration data to other systems. This allows users to implement a wide variety of automation tasks with a single safety system, ranging from very simple machines to networked equipment and highly complex systems.

SIL approval!

2012-01-12T15:02:00.000Z

To what extend can a process be expected to perform safely? And in the event of a failure, to what extend can the process be expected to fail safely? These questions are answered through the assignment of a target Safety Integrity Level. SIL ratings measure the safety risk of a given process.

The higher the SIL level, the greater the impact of a failure and the lower the failure rate that is acceptable. Assigning a SIL level is thus based on the amount of risk reduction that is necessary and/or requested to maintain risk at an acceptable level.

To determine SIL in the process industry, one needs to consider the entire control loop. In order to be able to do so each device in this loop needs to have a safe failure fraction, one of the important device factors that needs to be calculated. It will be the total of all these different values that determines the obtained SIL level.

More than thirteen years ago, Magnetrol® was the first to introduce the two-wire guided wave radar to the marketplace. Now Eclipse®705 has received the exida certificate for a “SIL 3 Capable” device according to the IEC61508 : 2000 Parts 1-7. This means in practice that combining two devices in a 1oo2 set-up is in line with SIL 3 loop requirements. We like to put emphasis on” loop requirements” since it has to do with an entire installation, not only one device.

In addition to this SIL rating Magnetrol also have several agency approvals (e.g. ATEX, Lloyds, TÜV, FM/CSA,…) for Magnetrol’s Eclipse®705.

IS electronic marshalling

2012-01-12T14:48:00.000Z

Electronic Marshalling technology now available for cost-saving, flexible automation in hazardous locations

IS CHARMs extends DeltaV
Electronic Marshalling
to hazardous areas

Building on its innovative Electronic Marshalling and single-channel characterisation module (CHARM) technology, Emerson Process Management's latest offering is intrinsically safe (IS) CHARMs. Electronic Marshalling with CHARMs is a key component of Emerson’s "I/O on Demand" strategy, which provides solutions for all types of I/O interconnection: point-to-point, bussed and wireless.

DeltaV™ Electronic Marshalling delivers a new level of control system I/O performance with unprecedented flexibility and ease of use. The addition of IS CHARMs provides significant savings in system design, installation cost and ease of maintenance expected with Electronic Marshalling, with the added intrinsically safe circuitry for field wiring into hazardous areas, including Zone 1, Zone 0 or Class 1 Div1.

I/O in hazardous areas traditionally requires explosion-proof mounting or isolation barriers. These approaches are costly, require space for additional barrier and termination cabinets, and need on-going maintenance to ensure safety requirements continue to be met. IS CHARMs deliver a reduced footprint and eliminate the need for separate barriers and the associated inter-cabinet wiring. A smaller footprint and fewer connections improves the reliability of the installation and delivers significant cost savings.

The DeltaV CHARM I/O Card (CIOC) supports both conventional and IS CHARMs, providing unprecedented flexibility in control system I/O topology. I/O can be added anywhere it is needed using standard Ethernet infrastructure hardware. Each I/O channel has a dedicated CHARM that provides both signal characterisation and galvanic isolation for intrinsically safe applications. IS barriers are integrated inside the CHARM to provide single channel fault isolation as well as electrical isolation and energy limiting circuitry that meets IEC Ex ia ratings. IS CHARMs signal types include: IS AI 4-20 mA HART®, IS AO 4-20 mA HART, IS DI Namur, and IS DO 24 VDC.

"Electronic Marshalling allows process manufacturers to shorten project schedules, accommodate late project changes, eliminate equipment and cabinets, and dramatically simplify the I/O and marshalling design process," said Peter Zornio, Emerson Process Management’s chief strategic officer. "With the addition of IS CHARMs, we bring that flexibility and savings to some of the most challenging process environments where, arguably, flexibility and reliability are needed most."
Electronic Marshalling can eliminate two-thirds of the wiring and connections needed in conventional marshalling cabinets. Single channel integrity improves plant uptime and makes projects simpler and easier to engineer and implement. The CHARMs technology greatly increases flexibility in assigning I/O types, whether for late project changes, or during start-up, operation or temporary installations. Similarly, it adds flexibility in deciding the best location for I/O– whether in a rack room, remote locations, hazardous areas, or harsh environments.

Sensing to be highlighted at show!

2012-01-12T12:46:00.000Z

WWEM 2012, the Water Wastewater & Environmental Monitoring event (Telford, GB, 7/8th November 2012) has announced a partnership with SWIG to help accelerate the sharing of knowledge between academia and industry at this year's event.

SWIG (Sensors for Water Interest Group) is a not for profit information exchange and networking group with a diverse UK-wide membership drawn from the water and process industries, sensor manufacturers and their distributors, academic institutions involved in sensor research, regulatory bodies and consultants working in the field of water management.

The group focuses on the use of sensor and associated technologies for measurement and control in water and wastewater treatment processes and infrastructure, as well as in natural environments and waters.

Their Programme Manager Linda Smith says: "WWEM 2012 will be a great opportunity for everyone involved with water quality and flow to come together and exchange ideas during an event that will be entirely focused on testing and monitoring. We therefore welcome this opportunity to encourage collaboration between parties interested in research, development and sensor deployment, and we anticipate strong participation from our members."

WWEM 2012 organiser Marcus Pattison says he is "delighted with SWIG's involvement because partnerships will be a central theme for this year's event."

Technology award

2012-01-12T10:09:00.000Z

Excelsys Technologies Ltd achieves Deloitte FAST 50 Technology Award

(L to R) Seamus Devitt, Director of Excelsys Technologies Ltd, Dermot Flynn, Director of Sales at Excelsys Technologies Ltd, David O'Flanagan, Partner in Deloitte Corporate Finance and Gary Duffy, CEO of Excelsys Technologies

Excelsys Technologies has been recognised by Deloitte as one of the top Irish Technology companies in Ireland today.

The Deloitte Technology Fast 50, now in its twelfth year in Ireland, is an awards programme honouring business growth, technological innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. The programme ranks the 50 fastest-growing technology companies in Ireland based on percentage revenue growth over a five-year period. Announcing the winners of the Technology Fast 50 programme, David O’Flanagan, Partner with Deloitte, Dublin said: “Looking at the list of Deloitte Fast 50 winners in 2011, it becomes clear that we are witnessing the second wave of Irish technology companies starting to mature.”

After receiving the award at the Dublin Convention Centre, Dermot Flynn, Director of Sales at Excelsys Technologies Ltd commented: “This award provides a great opportunity for us to gain recognition for our successes and achievements to date. We are honoured to be awarded the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 award.
• Excelsys Technologies design and manufacture electronic power solutions for the leading global manufacturers of Medical, Industrial, Military, Communications and Lighting equipment. Excelsys products are available from an extensive network of the world’s leading Electronic Distribution companies.

Seeking tantalising particles!

2012-01-12T09:27:00.000Z

Neutrinos, the tiny particles unrecognized by man until the past century, are tantalising in their elusiveness and promise. Scientists are constructing huge, elaborate traps in the race to observe the sub-atomic particles that may unlock secrets of our universe. (Neutrinos are the particles that were observed travelling faster than the speed of light at the European CERN facility, and announced in September 2011 - see Wikipedia article "Faster-than-light neutrino anomaly!")

Tiger Optics is contributing its expertise to the effort. Electrically neutral, a tiny neutrino can travel great distances, and at great speed, through ordinary matter. Scientists are keen to use neutrinos to explore environments - such as the Sun’s core, to name one - that cannot be probed by light or radio waves. Indeed, scientists hope to use neutrinos to deepen understanding of the fundamental laws of physics. Several particle physics laboratories, including the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Illinois (USA), are using Tiger Optics’ LaserTrace and Halo instruments to monitor the level of oxygen and moisture in the detector medium that such labs employ to study the ghost-like neutrino particles.

One detection method involves the use of a huge vessel containing a network of detector wires surrounded by an electric field, submerged in vast quantities of liquid argon. These liquid argon timeprojection chambers (LArTPC) may be located deep beneath the earth’s surface, with the intention of reducing interference from cosmic rays and background radiation. If - as a neutrino passes through the liquid argon—an interaction with an argon nucleus occurs, the interaction produces charged particles. Those particles spawn electrons that drift with the electric field until they are received by the wire network, whereupon the signals they produce can be used to produce an image and detailed 3D reconstruction of the interaction. In that process, the unwelcome presence of trace electronegative impurities - such as water and oxygen in the liquid argon, even at extremely low concentrations - has an adverse effect by intercepting the electrons before they reach the detector wires. For this reason, Tiger’s instruments are being pressed into service.

Fermilab uses the company’s Halo and LaserTrace instruments to monitor the gaseous release of water from detector elements in the vapor space above the liquid argon. LaserTrace instruments are also used to monitor the oxygen level in both the argon vapour and liquid. “We have always taken pride in blazing the frontiers of science,” said Lisa Bergson, Tiger Optics’ founder and chief executive. “The neutrino chase exemplifies that mission.”

New position to focus on security business

2012-01-11T17:42:00.002Z

Byres Security, now part of of Belden, has strengthened its organisation with the appointment of Frank Williams as Senior Product Manager. Williams has 30 years of senior management experience in bringing new technologies to market in the process automation industries. In his new role, Williams will focus on strategy, platforms and sales channels for growing the Byres’ Tofino Security line of business.

During his career, Williams has been a key player in taking new technologies like industrial computers, industrial-grade human machine interface (HMI), fieldbus devices and industrial wireless from early to mainstream adoption in the automation industries. His most recent positions were chief executive officer of ELPRO Technologies Pty Ltd., a world leader in industrial wireless products (ELPRO is now part of Cooper Bussmann Wireless) and president and chief executive officer of Action Instruments, a global supplier of single conditioners, measurement and data acquisition solutions for industrial and process businesses (Action Instruments is now part of Eurotherm, a division of Invensys). Williams also brings his extensive industry network to Byres Security.

“Industrial cyber security is the next major impactful technology to hit the automation and process control industries,” he said. “Realising this, I reviewed and searched the security landscape and decided to put my energy behind the Tofino Security suite of solutions. I believe it has the best technology available for protecting industrial networks from the rapidly growing threat of industrially-focused malware.”

“We are very excited to have Frank join our team,” commented Joann Byres, vice president and general manager of Byres Security. “He adds a wealth of automation industry business and management experience into our group, and he will be invaluable as we ramp up development and sales channels as part of Belden.”

• See Frank Williams first contribution on the Tofino Blog Site: Industrial Data Compromise – the New Business Risk (11/1/2012)

A first in MES in India!

2012-01-11T13:14:00.000Z

The pharmaceutical major Dr. Reddy’s is the first Indian company to improve its manufacturing processes by installing an electronic PAS-X Manufacturing Execution System (MES). Dr. Reddy’s opted for Werum’s MES PAS-X to help enhance the quality and compliance and to optimize the efficiency and productivity of its pharmaceutical shop floor processes.

Dr Reddy's dosage facility
Bachupally, Hyderabad

Implementing PAS-X forms part of Dr. Reddy’s expansion strategy. The first step, now successfully completed, involved installing PAS-X at one of the company's FDA and MHRA approved production facilities at Bachupally in Hyderabad.

In its first step, the PAS-X handles and controls the Warehouse Management System, such as receiving, sampling and storing of materials. It also carries out Weighing & Dispensing and Equipment Management operations.

Using mobile terminals, PAS-X coordinates the barcode-controlled process for material tracking and tracing of containers as they travel from the warehouse to the dispensing area. An automated interface allows PAS-X to communicate directly with Dr. Reddy’s ERP (SAP).

The project is being carried out by a team of experienced experts at Werum’s Asia Support Centre with Dr. Reddy’s Internal Core Team.

New president takes office

2012-01-11T12:39:00.000Z

Described as a ‘true Earth scientist’, Lord Ernest Ronald Oxburgh, Fellow of The Royal Society and former Chairman of the House of Lords (British Upper House of Parliament) Science and Technology Select Committee, is the new President of the Institute of Measurement and Control from January 2012.

Lord Oxburgh, President InstMC (Pic Guardian)

Lord Oxburgh, or ‘Ron’ as he likes to be called, is widely recognised as being one of the Britain’s most influential scientists. He was knighted (KBE) in 1992 for services to science and was made a life peer (crossbench = non-party) as Baron Oxburgh of Liverpool in the Queen’s birthday honours of 1999. He served for four years as Chairman of the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology until retiring in 2005 but remains involved as a co-opted member. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and a Foreign Member of the US and Australian Academies of Science. He was President of Queens’ College, Cambridge from 1982 to 1989, Chief Scientific Adviser to the Ministry of Defence from 1987 to 1993 and Rector of Imperial College, London, from 1993 to 2001.

Born in Liverpool in 1934, Ron attended a school which was devoted to the Classics which, under pressure, he pursued for a while. However, he always held a passionate interest in how things worked and followed his desire to become a scientist by switching to geology in which he graduated at the University of Oxford in 1957 before heading for Princeton University in the US to research for his PhD. He has since become an eminent geologist and geophysicist who has taught at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge and has been a visiting professor at Stanford University, the California Institute of Technology and Cornell University.

Public advocate
His main laboratory is undoubtedly ‘the great outdoors.’ His passion for the environment, climate change and energy resources has earned him widespread recognition as a public advocate in both academia and the business world in addressing the need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and develop alternative energy sources. When he was Professor of Mineralogy and Petrology at Cambridge he was famous for uniting the previously warring factions of mineralogists, geophysicists and geologists to create and head up what was to become one of the most powerful Earth Sciences departments in the world. During conferment of his honorary degree of Doctor of Science at the University of Leeds in 2009, Ron was described as being “a true Earth scientist” citing his championing the need for multi-national companies to recognise their social responsibilities. His focus on the impact of science on society and his active engagement in debates on climate change, radioactive waste disposal, water resources, global development and green energy were of particular note.

Business Acumen
Outside the debating chamber, Lord Oxburgh has always strived to put his declarations on the environment into practice. While Chairman of Shell Transport and Trading Company plc his ‘fears for the planet’ and his call on the global community to reduce carbon dioxide emissions reflected his chairmanship of the organisation’s ‘Social Responsibilities Committee.’ As well as his prowess as a scientist, Ron’s business acumen is also much in demand, his biggest large-scale challenge being the unification of Shell Transport and Trading with Royal Dutch Petroleum. He retired from Shell in 2005 and went on in 2007 to win the prestigious Platts Global Life Time Achievement Award for outstanding achievement and vision in the global energy industry. He has worked as an adviser for several major national and multi-national business enterprises which currently include Deutsche Bank and the global management consulting firm, McKinsey & Company. He has for many years advised the Government of Singapore on energy, environment, water, science policy and higher education.

Although enjoying his ‘sequential retirement’ (“I have retired many times,” he says), Ron’s involvement in environmental issues continues apace. In the House of Lords he is involved in energy and environment legislation; he is Honorary President of Carbon Capture and Storage Association; Chairman of 2OC – a leading new generation greentech startup – and an adviser to Climate Change Capital.

Importance of measurement
As President of The InstMC, Ron intends to promote the standing of the Institute and to enhance recognition of the importance of measurement in almost every aspect of modern life. “Science depends on the ability to conduct accurate measurements, as does running a business enterprise. With modern technologies providing high-accuracy monitoring of environmental phenomena the importance of the role of measurement in environmental situations has increased enormously,” he declares.

When he is not engrossed in science Ron likes to keep fit through cycling and the outdoor sport of orienteering. Mountains and their formation continue to evoke a passionate interest and there are many tales from Ron’s field trips being shared among colleagues. For example, it is said that he danced a ‘mean polka’ with Austrian lasses in the Alps and is apparently a dab-hand at cooking spaghetti bolognese in the back of a Land Rover. Truly, a President of many talents.

Byan Richardson, InstMC Consultant

2012-01-11T11:43:00.000Z

Control Systems Engineer Technical Reference Handbook, by Chuck Cornell, PE, CAP®, PMP, has been published by the International Society of Automation (ISA).

This is a technical reference guide for the control systems professional, as well as a study aid for the Control Systems Engineering (CSE) Professional Engineer (PE) Exam. It provides a detailed, insightful view into the fields of:

measurement
final control elements
signals, transmission and networking
automation and control systems
relief devices
codes and standards such as NEC (National Electrical Code), NFPA (National Fire Protection Agency 70E)
hazardous areas
safety instrumented systems
basic electrical (motors and uninterruptible power supply [UPS] topologies)

It additionally includes sample problems and solutions for use in preparation for the CSE PE Exam.

Sample problems presented in this book are not meant to influence the reader on specific problems that may be on the exam, but rather to reinforce the technical material that has been presented to the reader.

Chuck Cornell is a senior process control systems engineering manager with more than 30 years of engineering experience in automation, instrumentation and electrical. He is a licensed professional engineer in the state of North Carolina in both control systems and electrical power. He is also an ISA Certified Automation Professional® (CAP®), as well as a Project Management Institute® (PMI) certified Project Management Professional® (PMP)

Divisional marketing appointment!

2012-01-11T10:54:00.000Z

Anglia Embedded has expanded its team with the appointment of Paul Senior as Divisional Marketing Manager - M2M & Embedded. He takes responsibility for key franchises represented by the distributor in Britain and Ireland including Cinterion, Hitachi, connectBlue and Fastrax.

According to Steve Rawlins, CEO at Anglia, “Anglia Embedded is going from strength to strength on the back of a strong portfolio of market leading suppliers. Paul Senior brings ten years sales and marketing experience to the business, and will be able to add a new dimension to our relationship with these suppliers and our M2M and embedded customers.”

Paul Senior: "An irresistible opportunity!"

Paul Senior responded saying, “Anglia offered me an irresistible opportunity to take up an exciting role at a company on the up. The Embedded market is growing rapidly, Anglia is in the right place and looks set to do exceptionally well. I look forward to the new challenges that my new position will present.”

He rejoins Anglia from EPCOS, where he spent nearly 8 years as Account Manager and took responsibility for EPCOS’ global relationship with a blue-chip automotive company. Prior to EPCOS, he spent over two years at Anglia as Account Manager. He started his career at Inline Electronics as Production Engineer, where he was part of the team establishing the production facility when the company was formed in 1995.

Anglia Embedded brings together the product portfolios and support available from Anglia Displays and Anglia M2M together with Avalue, a world leading supplier of single board computers (SBCs).

Scheduler improves efficiency!

2012-01-11T10:41:00.001Z

Reduces lead time by 30%, planning time by 50%; improves efficiency by 20%

GE Intelligent Platforms has announced the availability of Proficy® Scheduler Release 4.1 for Finite Capacity Scheduling. Proficy Scheduler provides planners with a standardized tool to develop production viable schedules using commercial off-the-shelf software rather than homemade spreadsheets. It also complements existing Advanced Planning Systems (APS), where it delivers the additional real-time granularity needed to produce shop-floor- executable schedules from the APS master plan, easily adaptable to dynamic manufacturing needs. Proficy Scheduler links plant data in real-time providing the ability to run multiple what-if scenarios and to quickly accommodate changing situations in production execution.

Production planners need a visual interactive way to plan production orders for production equipment. Proficy Finite Capacity Scheduling takes the APS plan (usually based on an infinite capacity assumption) and considers the impact on the schedule based on instantaneous material availability, asset capability, labor, and delivery time. Proficy Scheduler enables greater confidence to make delivery promises to customers and their customers and reduces the cost to do this at the same time.

“Manufacturers are increasingly required to produce products faster, better and at a lower cost,” said Rich Breuning, Product General Manager, Manufacturing Software for GE Intelligent Platforms. “Missing delivery targets can mean that they may lose customers. It’s much better to negotiate a realistic delivery date than to make an unrealistic one that may be missed.”

Proficy Scheduler simplifies and makes visible very complex tasks with many parts to allow the planner to balance the resources and simulate what-if scenarios. It has already shown great results for customers: lead time reduced 30%, efficiency improved 20%, time spent on planning reduced 50%, response time from days to minutes, bottlenecks and material shortages detected in advance and avoided / not caused. In addition, they have been able to achieve greater than 99 adherences to plan consistently and with 50% less effort.

“EKA Chemicals use Proficy Scheduler every day to schedule production for customers across the world,” said Stefan Malmsten, Global IT Leader for AkzoNobel Eka, the world’s largest paint and coatings provider and a world-leading chemicals producer headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden. “This solution allows us to make informed decisions from a single consolidated view of our business updated minute by minute. This way we can provide the best possible service to our customers locally across 19 countries in Europe, Americas and Asia Pacific.”

Proficy Scheduler offers customers valid schedules checked against finite capacity and material availability, schedule down to minutes to facilitate a leaner manufacturing operation, and reliable delivery dates across multiple sites, allowing companies to improve productivity, work-in-progress, inventory and due date performance. In addition, Proficy Scheduler can add significant value to ERP, MES and T&A (time and attendance) solutions.

New features in Proficy Scheduler 4.1 include Tool Operations, Alternate Routes and Sequencer.

Tool Operations: Proficy Scheduler includes a new feature for tool operations which is particularly relevant for manufacturers who need specific tools to run specific products. An example of this would be in the manufacture of plastic components (plastic injection molding) where different shaped moldings need different tools to manufacture the end product.
Alternate Routes: The new Alternate Routes facility in Proficy Scheduler V4.1 gives manufacturers greater control and accuracy when using different equipment or plant to make the same product. One example of alternate routes is when a company has two different production facilities, e.g. one facility in Denmark and another facility in Poland. The routes between Denmark and Poland are completely different with different setup and cycle times to produce the same product.
Sequencer: This feature provides better operational and fiscal control of the plant. It enables advanced control of the calculation of individual work time steps of an operation (setup, workload, switchover, etc.) and how to calculate the operation capacity (production rate). In short the above values can depend either on the resource they run on or they can depend on previous or next product planned on the same resource.

Proficy Scheduler is the latest example of how GE’s $2.5 billion-a-year software and solutions services businesses are helping customers improve productivity.

Ergnomatic and for harsh conditions.

2012-01-11T10:22:00.000Z

Small footprint wireless USB keyboard offers improved functionality

Sometimes we include stuff not strictly automation on to our sites. This is one such animal and we include it because we liked the look of it! It may also have an application for us because it is designed for harsh areas!

Bytec Embedded has launched the next generation of its small footprint, wireless, USB keyboard designed for harsh environments. The second generation Indi-KeyTM keyboard offers wipe clean surfaces, improved key response and feel, a wider touchpad and an optional numeric keypad.

Designed for use where space and reliability is critical, the wipe-clean IP65-rated Indi-Key has been constructed with a Silver Ion antibacterial agent acting as a secondary defence to address increasing awareness of the spread of infection and cross contamination.

The addition of a PC based application enables the keyboard to be reprogrammed for easy on-site upgrades without the need of special programming equipment, ideal for changing keycodes or adding hidden functionality for example – enabling application specific customisation of the Indi-Key.

The ergonomic keyboard has a lighter feel with a more tactile response, and the option of an integrated numeric pad for faster data input. The addition of a 29% larger touchpad provides a familiar interface that is easy to use and clean, with no grooves or dirt traps.

With a typical operating life of 6 hours, battery life is further preserved with a 15 minute sleep mode. 3 levels of red backlit illumination enable the keys to be visible in all light conditions.

Configuration & dignostics for Coriolis flow & density

2012-01-11T10:12:00.000Z

Improved, easy-to-use device intelligence and diagnostics for a range of products and protocols

The Micro Motion® ProLink III®, a Microsoft® Windows-based configuration and service tool for Micro Motion Coriolis flow and density transmitters has just been releases by Emerson Process Management. ProLink III is an intuitive configuration, data-logging, and troubleshooting tool for the range of Micro Motion Coriolis flow and density products.

The Micro Motion ProLink III Configuration Tool utilises Emerson’s Human Centered Design approach for an intuitive interface that improves overall functionality and ease of use. Customers looking to streamline work practices, improve process control, trend and remotely troubleshoot meters in the field will benefit from this latest version of ProLink. Once connected, process variables and alerts are immediately seen through a single, user-friendly, full diagnostics display. To better interrogate field issues, ProLink III identifies fault conditions that are then separated by severity, allowing the user to prioritise alerts. Additionally, the guided connection wizard, the simulated device feature and the offline configuration tool, all help to decrease commissioning time and reduce start-up costs by limiting the opportunity for mistakes. The response time of this software tool is unmatched by anything else previously offered.

Designed with servicing in mind, additional Micro Motion ProLink III benefits include the ability to simultaneously connect to multiple devices and monitor system performance through trending and data logging, allowing the user to easily view and improve process conditions across more than one transmitter at a time. When considering changing a transmitter, device simulation and offline configuration offers configuration confirmation prior to actually implementing a change. This capability provides less room for error and can eliminate expensive downtime having to troubleshoot transmitter behaviour. Advanced transmitter functionality such as Smart Meter Verification, concentration measurement, petroleum measurement, Net Oil Computer (NOTC), discrete batching, or filling and dosing application software can all be easily configured using ProLink III.

ProLink III is available in two editions, Basic and Professional. The Basic edition covers basic configuration and alarm functionality, while the Professional edition also includes simultaneous multi-transmitter connectivity, trending and data logging, device simulation, offline configuration management, Modbus communications over Ethernet and Smart Meter Verification reports.

ProLink III connects to all Micro Motion Coriolis transmitters and supports HART® Modbus RS-485, and Modbus/TCP communications.

Video distribution

2012-01-11T10:00:00.000Z

VDS enables users to distribute high-definition video across structured cabling systems

TE Connectivity has introduced a new Video Distribution System (VDS) that enables network managers to deliver true high-definition RF and IP video over an existing Category 6 or 7 cabling infrastructure without the need for coaxial cabling or any RF tuning.

VDS enables the delivery of video signals such as cable television, satellite, in-house video, digital signage, electronic bulletin boards or any other service normally delivered over coaxial systems - but over a Category 6 or Category 7 twisted-pair infrastructure. The VDS eliminates the need for a separate coaxial infrastructure or the need for an RF technician to install it.

"We all want more - more often!" commented Luca Rozzoni, business line manager for LAN solutions at TE Enterprise Networks. "High speed broadband has raised our expectations for the delivery of content and now, wherever we are, we expect easy access to richer content"

Delivering rich content in the form of high-definition video has been a challenge for network managers as it typically means overlaying their twisted-pair infrastructure with an additional, coaxial infrastructure.

Rozzoni continued: "Now, with TE's Video Distribution System, we have removed these challenges, and whether you are the network manager at a hotel, a bank, a hospital or a university, you can easily inject true high-definition RF or IP video into your structured cabling system and display it wherever you have a network outlet."

VDS is a TIA-568/ISO 11801 compliant solution for delivering broadband RF signals over an existing structured cabling infrastructure. It supports full-spectrum video (862 MHz) for up to 90 metres or 550 MHz for up to 100 metres. TE's VDS is a true "plug & play" system with automatic gain control. Using self-adjusting baluns to provide amplification and equalisation, output and input levels are adjusted to provide perfect HD video at the TV set. The system automatically adjusts the head-end signal for proper system operation and thereby eliminates the need for manual tuning by solving the issues of equalisation and balancing traditionally associated with coaxial systems.

Rozzoni continued: "This is a significant addition to TE Connectivity's Enterprise Networks solutions. It solves one of the biggest headaches for network managers who are trying to integrate video distribution across an existing twisted pair infrastructure - and it provides a future-proofed solution for the longer-term migration to IPTV".

Empowering energy solutions for Russia!

2012-01-11T09:34:00.000Z

Boiler plant of Yamburgskoye gas field.
West Siberia

Russia relies a great deal on localised heat and power generation. For Impuls Industrial Boiler Plants, the opportunities for building or rebuilding large boiler houses that provide heat and power to communities, including remote industrial installations, represents a major growth market. Founded in 2002, the company has pioneered development of modular, fully automated industrial boiler houses that don’t require a human operator. A key reason for choosing EPLAN as the new design tool was the ability of the software to support electrical, process control and enclosure design on a shared platform. As a result, projects that typically took three months or more are now being completed in 5-6 weeks.

Design plays a crucial role at Impuls; over half the 100 staff are engineers. The company recognised that its old software tools were too constraining. Engineers were using AutoCAD to design power equipment, automated heating systems and instrument and control (I&C) systems, and using MS Excel to draw up bills of materials and other lists and tables. Engineers had to connect assemblies and control devices manually. There was no way for the different engineering disciplines to share content or work collaboratively and no way to archive commonly used content. “With so much manual processing, it wasn’t unusual for major errors to creep into projects that were a challenge to fix, especially when projects were to deadline” says Alexey Soloviev, head of the engineering department at Impuls

Designed by Impuls

Attracted by the concept
“Seeking to optimise design productivity, Impuls selected EPLAN for its vast automation features, and because its database-driven suite of products was unique – it being the only computer aided engineering product that supported electrical, process control and enclosure design on a shared platform. That meant data generated by one discipline could be shared by all” comments Soloviev.

Major time-savings
“This was a capability the company wanted. Before we decided to use EPLAN for our engineering, working in AutoCAD and MS Office meant all product stages were executed by the same engineer, because functions like cross-discipline designing and multiple users sharing data were lacking. Now, with EPLAN, the electrical and process control engineers have the chance to collaborate together on projects."

With the switch to the EPLAN Platform – Impuls acquired EPLAN Electric P8, EPLAN PPE and the 3D mounting panel layout module. Projects that typically took three months or more are now being completed in 5-6 weeks, and that was achieved within six months of switching to EPLAN. “Engineers are making the maximum use of EPLAN’s vast automation functionality, like automated error-checking and cross-referencing. Error rates are down, and it’s not unusual to have projects that are completely error-free” remarks Soloviev. An archive was created in EPLAN and now contains over 1,500 component macros and 2,000 function macros shared by all disciplines. Impuls expects that over time it can accelerate projects further by increasing the number of archived macros and recognising more ways to take advantage of EPLAN functionality during project development.

Customers benefit from results
“With EPLAN, there should be a maintenance benefit over time for both Impuls and customers since the documentation generated by EPLAN for each installation is a high quality. We have noticed that our customers now have far fewer questions with regard to completed projects and tend to grade the ones done in EPLAN very well.”

New data logger for humidity, temperature, CO2 and air pressure

2012-01-11T08:49:00.000Z

The new HUMLOG20 data logger from E+E Elektronik does not need to hide in any application. The state-of-the-art, elegant housing and the large display make the data logger a real attention-grabber. The current measurement values can be read off easily thanks to the large display, even from a distance of several metres.

The excellent price-performance ratio and the corresponding optics make the HUMLOG20 the optimal choice for numerous applications. Typical fields of application include the monitoring and recording of humidity, temperature, CO2 and air pressure in museums, conference rooms or classrooms as well as climate monitoring in clean rooms, greenhouses, storage rooms or calibration laboratories.

The HUMLOG20 data logger offers multiple customer benefits.
Seamless data logging over a period of more than a year is possible thanks to the long battery life and a memory capacity of 3.2 million measurement values.
The current measurement data are always available in the network, as the data logger is compliant with the network thanks to the integrated Ethernet interface. The data can be queried, displayed and saved on a PC in real time.
A simple analysis and visualisation of the measurement data is possible with the SmartGraph3 software included in the scope of delivery.
A fast response to possible deviations is supported by a visual and acoustic alarm function.

The unit is marketed in Ireland by Instrument Technology and Peter Keane there is waiting for your order!

Interior installation made easy

2012-01-11T08:37:00.000Z

Mounting equipment to the inside of an enclosure, without using the mounting plate or drilling holes into the wall of the enclosure, is not an easy task.

Light & door switch from Rittal

Rittal’s Interior rails have been designed to fit within a range of enclosures, with various depths, to eliminate the need for drilling holes in the sides, base or top of the enclosure, which could affect water ingress or corrosion resistance. Rails are simply fitted by locating them between the rear wall and the door jamb of the enclosure and friction screws are then tightened to create a strong mechanical fixing point for a number of accessories.

Rails are punched with the standard hole pattern to accept a wide range of available products. These range from lights, door switches and door stays, through to mounting fails in various lengths together with cable conduit holders to make fit-out of the enclosures easier and more professional without the need to drill holes.

Hall-effect sensor IC

2012-01-11T08:31:00.000Z

Customer-programmable linear Hall-effect sensor IC with pulse-width-modulated two-wire output

The new A1357 from Allegro MicroSystems is a high-precision, customer-programmable, linear Hall-effect sensor IC with a pulse-width-modulated current-sourced two-wire output.

Featuring a wide ambient temperature range of -40°C to +150°C, the A1357 device is targeted at the automotive and industrial sectors, particularly in applications where signals have to travel over relatively long distances in noisy environments.

The A1357 converts an analogue signal from its internal Hall sensor element to a digitally encoded PWM output signal with a frequency of 1 kHz and a duty cycle that is proportional to an applied magnetic field. The coupled noise immunity of the digitally encoded PWM output is far superior to the noise immunity of an analogue output signal.

The monolithic BiCMOS circuit in the A1357 integrates a Hall element, precision temperature-compensating circuitry to reduce the intrinsic sensitivity and offset drift of the Hall element, a small-signal high-gain amplifier, proprietary dynamic offset cancellation circuits, and PWM conversion circuitry. The dynamic offset cancellation circuits reduce the residual offset voltage of the Hall element, which is normally caused by device overmoulding, temperature dependencies, and thermal stress.

The high-frequency offset cancellation (chopping) clock allows for a greater sampling rate, which increases the accuracy of the output signal and results in faster signal processing capability.

The A1357 sensor IC is supplied in a lead (Pb) free 3-pin single inline package (KB suffix), with 100% matt tin lead-frame plating.

Unlimited overvoltage protection

2012-01-11T07:02:00.000Z

Linear Technology Corporation has introduced the LTC4366, an overvoltage protection controller for electronic systems. Operating from 9V to greater than 500V, the LTC4366 floating surge stopper utilizes an adjustable floating topology to enable very high voltage operation independent of the voltage rating of the LTC4366’s internal circuitry. Two internal shunt regulators coupled with the external voltage-dropping resistors generate the LTC4366’s internal supply rails. The maximum operating voltage is set by the breakdown of the external resistors and MOSFETS. The LTC4366 is the first product of its kind to protect, for example, a 12V circuit from a 500V transient without the need for additional protection components.

The LTC4366 monitors the voltage at its output and reacts quickly to input supply overvoltage by controlling the gate of an N-channel MOSFET. The LTC4366 regulates the output to a user-defined voltage during an overvoltage transient allowing the load to remain operational while the overvoltage is dropped across a MOSFET. An adjustable fault timer ensures safe shutdown if the fault persists.

It is ideal for harsh industrial, automotive and avionic applications where systems must continue operating reliably through severe overvoltage events. High voltage applications include protecting from motor transients, coupled overvoltage, incorrect input supplies or power supply failures. While traditional protection circuitry relies on bulky inductors, capacitors, fuses and transient voltage suppressors to clamp the transient, the LTC4366 protects by series regulating the transient. It is packaged in a tiny 8-lead TSOT-23 and 3mm x 2mm DFN packages. During operation, the entire circuit consumes only a few milliamperes, and the device may be shut down to less than 20µA.

The LTC4366 is available in two options; the LTC4366-1 latches off after a fault, while the LTC4366-2 will retry after a 9-second cool down period.

Plastic joining machines

2012-01-10T17:00:00.000Z

Servo-motion control accelerates throughput of plastic joining machines

Phasa has enhanced the performance of its specialist plastic component joining machines with high performance new versions employing a key servo-based motion control system in place of a pneumatic actuator. The servo enables several seconds to be shaved off the assembly time of complex car door panels, increasing productivity significantly. The slight additional cost of a machine fitted with servo technology will typically repay its investment after just a couple of months.

A typical assembly task on a Phasa 40/80 machine - a complex car door panel comprises various components which are welded into position.

The main assembly nest platen on Phasa's 40/80 machine is moved by a Festo servomotor and toothed belt axis.

Festo pneumatic drives are used extensively on all of Phasa's joining machines.

Phasa takes its name from the process it has pioneered – Plastic Hot Air Stake Assembly. Essentially, the process involves selectively heating parts of thermoplastic mouldings using super-hot air, and then using cold tools to form, clamp and chill the parts into their required shapes. The fixings often take the form of rivets or ‘roll overs’, and the non-contact heating method ensures that the process is clean – without marking the ‘A’ face surface – and fast, and the resultant assemblies are strong, tight and stable. Applications for these fixings are diverse and include the automotive, electrical/electronics and white goods industries.

Phasa manufactures standard and custom machines to automate the entire assembly process – from inserting the thermoplastic mouldings into the components being joined, to selectively heating, forming and cooling them. Until relatively recently, all of Phasa’s standard machines used only pneumatically-powered motion control, with all control valves and actuators supplied by various suppliers. However, when the company started to experience supplier product changes for the machines’ rodless cylinders, it approached Festo for help. After investigating the application, Festo recommended using its DGC pneumatic cylinders to provide the machines’ main platen movement. These rodless linear actuators feature a unique sealing mechanism which ensures efficient operation by virtually eliminating air leakage, and have proved a very reliable replacement. Since then, Phasa has progressively re-designed its range of standard machines to incorporate Festo pneumatic automation components for many of their motion axes.

The company recently expanded its standard machine range to include models that use a servo system in place of a pneumatic cylinder to provide the main movement of assembly nests. The principal advantage of the servo approach is that by using closed-loop control it is capable of fully programmable multi-stop positioning, compared to the end-to-end positioning of standard pneumatic cylinders. This results in faster and more accurate placement of the assembly nest, reducing the overall processing time.

In this particular case, Phasa chose a complete Festo assembly comprising of a toothed belt axis, servomotor, gearbox and servo motor controller to provide the horizontal movement of the assembly nest platen on its large 40/80 machine. This combination, together with the power supply and mechanical connecting kit, is supplied by Festo as a turnkey solution. The servo controller is networked to the 40/80 machine’s host PLC. Compared to the all-pneumatic version of the machine, the electric servo based model accomplishes the same assembly operation in 33 seconds, improving throughput by nearly 6 percent.

During the development of the servo system, Phasa found Festo’s positioning drives software particularly helpful. This PC-based software tool assists machine designers with the task of selecting the optimum components for a complete, high-efficiency positioning system. After entering a few application details, designers are presented with the ideal combination of electric linear axes, motors, gear units, controllers and software, together with the load characteristics of their selected drive. The software enables designers to evaluate the performance of a system very quickly, turning what can often be a highly iterative procedure into a quick and simple process.

In addition to providing excellent programming flexibility, the CMM-AS servo controller offers a particular benefit for this application, as Terry Elvidge, Phasa’s Operations Director, points out: “A further advantage of using Festo servo drives is that they facilitate the capture of timed process parameters for every part made. This is vital to our customers’ quality management procedures, enabling the data to be networked to a central server system and logged against the bar code for that particular part, providing a complete manufacturing record. This is especially important in the automotive sector, where products need to be traceable throughout their lifecycle.”

Phasa is now looking at incorporating electric servos in a number of its smaller machines. The technology is especially suitable for applications involving fast, highly repeatable movement, and Terry Elvidge is keen to capitalise on its potential, “Although we make extensive use of Festo pneumatic cylinders primarily because of their suitability and function, they have also proved to be cost-efficient for us as we are continually seeking ways of improving the performance of our machines. We are also very customer-driven and aware of market needs – consequently we are currently investigating the use of Festo electric servos in a number of application areas, including automated loading and unloading systems.”

In a typical application involving the Phasa 40/80, the parts for a car door panel comprise about six components, such as a map pocket, switch panel and various clasps. These are fitted into the carcass of the panel and then loaded into a preformed nest on the machine by the operator. All subsequent operations are completely automated, with full light guard protection to ensure operator safety. The machine progressively moves the nest through the various process stages, bringing the heater, forming and cooling tools down into close proximity or contact with the plastic stakes. Typically, each plastic stake is heated to 260 degrees Celsius for 6 seconds before the part is moved to the forming stage. The entire process, from loading to unloading, normally takes 35 seconds on the all-pneumatic version of the machine. As soon as the door panel assembly is complete, the nest is returned to the front of the machine and raised at an angle by a small pneumatic cylinder, so that it is easily accessible to the operator.

According to Terry Elvidge, “We export over 80 percent of our machines – many of our customers are first tier suppliers to the automotive industry in central Europe and Asia – which means that worldwide support is a critical factor to our success. The global nature of Festo's operations assists us in this area by providing highly responsive technical support and spares services wherever we do business. We have also found that moving to a single source of supply for our principal automation components has made ordering and parts tracking much easier.”

Environmental monitor family!

2012-01-10T16:41:00.001Z

Wireless Sensors has introduced its Rack Sentry family of environmental monitors.

This all new family from Wireless Sensors, expands the SensiNet product line with features developed specifically for the needs of Data Center operations and includes multi-point nodes for determination of rack temperature gradients. These new designs allow for granular measurements within racks, under floor grates, in return plenums and other strategic locations without the complexity of wiring. The ease of installation and reliability of the field proven SensiNet wireless network allows users to quickly deploy sensors with minimal IT footprint and no security exposure. The SensiNet wireless strategy also allows rapid redeployment to explore hot spots and qualify adds, moves and changes and is especially useful in determining compliance with ASHRAE TC9.9 2011 Thermal Guidelines for Data Processing Environments.

The Rack Sentry line consists of 3 new sensor configurations for measurement of temperature and humidity and complements the range of SensiNet products with existing capability for AC and DC current, DC voltage, contact closures and 4-20mA inputs from third party sensor systems. The SensiNet system also includes a powerful gateway providing a rich suite of communication protocols such as Modbus TCP, OPC, SNMP and ODBC for integration with legacy systems or the system can be operated stand-alone with access to its on board database available through a standard browser. The system will also post data to any URL selected by the user in .CSV format compatible with Excel and other programs.

The products employ a custom designed housing and mounting system to ease installation with the flexibility to mix and match sensors to suit any need. The new designs include the TEHU-2120 integrated temperature transmitter, the TEHU-2121 Integral Temperature and Humidity Transmitter, and the TEHU 2123 Tethered Temperature Transmitter featuring 3 sensors for rack level gradient measurements.

We are delighted to introduce this all new family of products whose design is based on years of experience and customer feedback" says Paul Richards, Wireless Sensors' CEO. "Our customers told us they needed flexible systems, easy to own, deploy and operate in order to optimize operations, prevent downtime, plan for capacity expansions and validate compliance with the latest ASHRAE guidelines. SensiNet was the perfect platform to build upon and the Rack Sentry line continues our commitment to supply cutting edge products for critical environmental monitoring".

Impact safety!

2012-01-10T16:21:00.000Z

Magnetostrictive displacement transducers prove popular for impact testing

Impact testing of safety products such as crash helmets, calls for accurate measurement of displacement which is achieved by using transducers such as LVDTs and magnetostrictive devices.

An impact test determines the energy absorbed in fracturing a test piece at high velocity and this usually involves a large range of displacement. Sometimes LVDT's are used, but more usually MTS Temposonics transducers are recommended because of their much larger measurement range. MTS Temposonics are the original developers of the magnetostrictive technology and recognised world leaders for quality and service for this very rugged type of sensor. Based on the magnetostrictive principle displacement sensors are extremely accurate, highly reliable, offer absolute position measurement, can easily be installed and enjoy long trouble-free performance.

Window frame deflection!

2012-01-10T16:15:00.000Z

LVDTs and load cells used to check window frame deflections

A combination of Linear Variable Displacement Transducers (LVDTs) and load cells can be employed to measure deflection in various components of window frames.

RDP Electronics Ltd offers a comprehensive range of both LVDTs and load cells that are used to obtain force versus displacement data for various parts of the frame structure. Analysis of this data provides information enabling the window manufacturer to be sure that both during the installation of the frame, as well as when it is in application, does not cause the aperture to change shape significantly. This is important to avoid exerting pressure on the glazing, which could result in the glass shattering.

Call for papers for #ISAutoWK 2012

2012-01-10T16:05:00.000Z

The Program Committee of ISA Automation Week 2012: Technology and Solutions Event (#ISAutowk) has issued a Call for Papers inviting authors, experts, innovators, thought leaders and automation professionals to submit abstracts for presentation consideration at the conference, to be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, USA, 24–27 September 2012.

The Call for Papers for the event solicits abstracts that cover topics for the following tracks, as they relate to automation:

Operational Excellence:
Control Performance
Asset Performance
Human Performance
Safety/Environmental Performance

Technology Excellence:
Security
Wireless

Abstracts may be submitted for various presentation opportunities, including:
Paper Session
Panel Session
Tutorial Session
Poster Session

"Take this opportunity to present your findings, work, success stories or research at one of industry’s most highly regarded technical conferences. In addition to its traditional technical program, the business side of operations—how to optimize and increase the efficiency and profitability of operations—will also be covered,” said Peter Martin of Invensys and ISA Automation Week 2012 program committee chair.

“In a downturn or recovering economy, looking at optimizing operations should be at the top of every executive’s list. Knowing that a loop-tuning process can reduce operational cost, or maximize up-time can be the difference between profit and closing down. From a hands-on perspective, it’s equally important to understand ‘why’ it’s important to calibrate a certain way,” Martin continued.

The ISA Automation Week 2012 technical program is building upon its initial success and will continue to be a knowledge-focused event that will bring top professionals in automation and control together for an intensive technical conference and networking opportunity with key industry suppliers. Sessions will be educational and applications-based, rich in content, and delivered by subject-matter experts in each field. Returning in 2012 is Technician Day, a program that offers content relevant to technicians and that ranges from basic to advanced topics.

An integrated solutions provider showcase floor and increased supplier participation will complement the technical program. Two 400-square-foot Technology Solutions Theaters on the showcase floor will integrate technical content via standards briefings, solutions provider technical presentations, and more.

The ISA Automation Week 2012 Program Committee represents ISA members, industry experts, academia and published authors, across industry.

General Chair
Ken Baker, former ISA president

Program Chair
Peter Martin, Invensys

Vice Program Chair
Alison Smith, Aspen Technologies

Program Committee Members
Jeff Arbogast, Air Liquide
Gerald Cockrell, Indiana State University
Barry Young, ARC Advisory Group
Dean Ford, Glenmount Global Solutions

International marketing manager

2012-01-10T15:38:00.000Z

The Froude Hofmann Group, a global manufacturer and supplier of engine testing systems is pleased to announce the appointment of Simon Drain as International Marketing Manager. Based at the company’s HQ in Worcester, (GB), Simon will be responsible for worldwide marketing activities for the Group. Simon has a PhD in Chemical Engineering and his experience in both product development and technical marketing makes him a valuable addition to the Froude Hofmann team.

Commenting on his appointment, John Harris, Chairman of the Froude Hofmann Group said, “We are delighted to have Simon on board. Now is an important time in Froude Hofmann’s future development and we need an experienced pair of hands to help drive our initiatives forward and generate a higher profile for Froude Hofmann worldwide. We warmly welcome Simon to the team.”