Connected manufacturing and IIot examined.

PI UK will be present on stand E33 in the Connected Manufacturing zone and their  Deputy Chairman, Derek Lane will be presenting a paper in the technical sessions on the subject of PROFINET on IIoT/IND4.0 including an update on TSN and APL (Time Sensitive Networking and Advanced Physical Layer).

Connected Manufacturing is one of the key zones of the Advanced Engineering exhibition and conference. This exhibition, on of Britain's bestt attended engineering events, is scheduled for the end of October 2019 and if everything we read is to be believed, the last days of Britain as a member of the European Union after over 45 years.

“Now more than ever,” say the organisers, “industrial production is a key driver for innovation, productivity, growth and job creation. As we embark on this new revolution where disruptive technologies connect information technology and operational technology, Connected Manufacturing will catalyse the business and technology opportunities that exist between innovators, customers and suppliers – including those within IIoT, big data, automation and more …”

 #PAuto #AEUK18 @ProfibusUK @advancedenguk

Advanced manufacturing technology facility open for business.

Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) has opened a new £7.5 million (€8.6 millian) state-of-the-art advanced manufacturing technology facility, supporting its mission to enable more competitive supply chains with increased productivity.

L2R: Claire McAlinden, Director of Operations for the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences; Professor Adrian Murphy; Professor Seán McLoone; Colm Higgins, Head of the Northern Ireland Technology Centre.

Details on the facility were announced at the university’s ‘Manufacturing Beyond the Horizon’ conference. The collaborative investment is one of the biggest in manufacturing by Queen’s, the British Government and Northern Ireland industry partners. It has been supported by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Innovate UK and the Aerospace Technology Institute.
The new facility will have an open door to industry partners, currently including RLC Global Point, Moyola Precision Engineering, JW Kane Precision Engineering Ltd., Travan Precision Engineering and Retec Engineering Solutions.

Based at the distinguished Northern Ireland Technology Centre at Queen’s, the facility is part of the Centre for Intelligent Autonomous Manufacturing Systems (i-AMS), a pioneer research programme at Queen’s which is leading innovation in new technologies for advanced manufacturing. This was also officially launched at the conference.

Through i-AMS, interdisciplinary researchers, spanning the disciplines of Engineering, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics and Psychology, are working together to
tackle challenges within industry and helping to make Industry 4.0, the new industrial revolution, a reality.

Professor Mark Price, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences at Queen’s, comments: “I am delighted to announce the opening of our £7.5million advanced manufacturing technology facility, based at the Northern Ireland Technology Centre (NITC) at Queen’s.

“The facility will provide key support to our new pioneer research programme i-AMS. Both i-AMS and the new facility are open for business and are already making a difference to the advanced manufacturing community in Northern Ireland and the UK. This is a great example of industry, government and academia working in partnership to move Northern Ireland forward.”

Professor Seán McLoone, Director of i-AMS at Queen’s, says: “Addressing the challenges of Industry 4.0, the centre and facility are spearheading the computerisation of manufacturing. This includes the use of advanced data analytics, machine learning, intelligent system and autonomous robotics concepts, digital manufacturing and human-robot interaction.

“Through this exciting initiative, we are able to translate advanced research and new ideas in i-AMS quickly through to application in industry through the NITC. This streamlined innovation chain is key to enabling competitiveness in Northern Ireland manufacturing.

“With rapid developments in the Internet of Things (IoT) and it coming together with manufacturing Cyber Physical Systems (CPS), we are very aware of the potential impact of embedding this technology in factories of the future. It is game-changing work.”

Explaining the benefits of the new facility, Head of the NITC Colm Higgins said: “For the last 50 years we have worked closely with industry partners through the NITC to provide support and tackle challenges head on. The demands for industry are ever-changing and as a key partner to Northern Ireland companies, we are delighted to open this new state-of-the-art facility at Queen’s, which will drive forward advanced manufacturing and meet short term and future requirements."

The facility also provides Northern Ireland with an important regional link to the well-established British High Value Manufacturing Catapult and Research Technology Organisations, as well as the emerging Irish Manufacturing Research Centre. All of these help to bridge the gap in technology concept and commercialisation.

Professor Mark Price adds: “The advanced manufacturing technology facility at Queen’s will enable the local industry to be more competitive through the optimisation and digitisation of manufacturing processes, including automation. It also paves the way for more productive, flexible, resilient, responsive and energy efficient manufacturing systems and associated supply chains. This means we can drive down costs, improve product quality, minimise waste and ultimately increase productivity and competitiveness.

“Ultimately, the facility allows us to address the challenges that the industry is currently facing and plan ahead to meet future needs. It also provides an opportunity to train up the next generation of experts in manufacturing. From a very early stage, our students at Queen’s will have had the chance to use state-of-the-art industrial machines, which will be beneficial when they begin their careers in industry.

“We are delighted to be open for business and look forward to the journey ahead.”

#PAuto #Manufacturing @ManufacturingNI @QUBelfast

Stemmer Imaging at Advanced Manufacturing UK

Contact image sensor technology for web inspection

Contact Image Sensors (CIS) offer an interesting alternative approach to conventional linescan cameras for industrial web applications such as the inspection of paper, textiles, glass or plastics. The technology offers significant advantages in terms of space requirements, ease of alignment, and resolution. With line rates up to 100 kHz, scanning widths up to 4 metres, very high resolutions and integral light sources, the CIS can be a very cost-effective choice in certain applications.

The CIS head consists of a lens array using graded rod lenses, with each individual lens capturing an image of a very small section of the target object. There are a wide range of resolution options available, from 25 dpi up to 3600 dpi with pixels sizes of 1mm down to 7µm. A clear, sharp image is produced along the narrow line of the sensor ‘head’, which is made up of silicon photodiodes using either CCD or CMOS technology.

Contact Image Sensors benefit from a flat construction, so that they fit into narrow spaces. They come as a system complete with optics, illumination and encoder logic and can be joined together to suit the resolution and width of the web with no reduction of line rate as the width increases. This provides a consistent viewing angle, sharpness and brightness across the width.

Integral LED line lights are pulsed to offer long operating lifetimes and maximise image quality. Built-in timer control includes encoder inputs for triggering and light control and is configured via RS232 or Ethernet. Signal processing allows for high data rates independent of the scanning width. Interface to the image processing system is via industry standard CameraLink or Gigabit Ethernet.

Contact Image Sensors operate with a fixed working distance (typically around 10 mm) and a depth of field of around 2-3 mm so are best suited for inspecting very flat objects where there is no vertical movement of the object at the point of inspection. Conventional linescan cameras, however, remain the preferred option for many applications, so it is important to get independent advice to make the best choice. STEMMER IMAGING is Europe’s largest independent supplier of vision technology and services to industrial and scientific OEMs, system integrators and reseller markets. In addition to a range of Contact Image Sensors, the company also offers cameras from the world leader in linescan technology and so can provide clear, independent advice as to what is the best solution for any particular web inspection application.

Watlow at Advanced Manufacturing

Watlow designs and manufactures industrial heaters, temperature sensors, controllers, system assemblies and software – a complete thermal system. The company has 12 manufacturing facilities in the US, Mexico, Europe and Asia and sales offices in 17 countries worldwide.

They are introducing the EZ-ZONE® RM – a configurable multi-loop temperature/process controller. The EZ-ZONE RM is the first industrial controller to integrate an entire assembly of control loop functionality in one space-saving, DIN-rail mounted package.

EZ-ZONE RM can be used as a PID temperature/process controller, an over/under limit controller or these functions can be combined into an integrated controller. Other control functions can be integrated as well, such as high amperage power controller output, creating a complete and integrated thermal loop controller all in one package.

EZ-ZONE RM can be configured with between 1 to 16 modules controlling from 1 to 64 loops. Because the controller is single-loop scalable, customers pay only for what they need – exact loop count.

Utilizing an integrated controller solution reduces wiring time and termination complexity, improves overall system reliability, reduces termination and installation costs and eliminates compatibility issues encountered when using many different components and brands. In addition, integrated controllers reduce troubleshooting time and downtime costs since the system can specifically identify to the operator if there are any problems with a sensor, controller, solid state relay (SSR) power output or heater load.

EZ-ZONE RM allows for many optional integrated controller functions to be combined together or ordered in different quantities, including:

• PID temperature/process controller;
• Over/under temperature limit control loops;
• 10 or 15 ampere power output/heater driver options;
• On-board data logging;
• Current measurement input;
• Sequencer start up and control function;
• Programmable timer and counter functions;
• Programmable math and logic options;
• Multiple communication protocol options;
• Mobile configuration with removable secure digital flash card
• SPLIT-RAIL™ configuration to isolate low voltage input modules from high voltage output modules.

EZ-ZONE RM offers current monitoring for the entire system, on-board data logging, sensor back-up capability and TRU-TUNE®+ adaptive control, which provides tighter control for demanding applications. Its communications capabilities feature a range of protocol choices including USB (Universal Serial Bus) device port, EtherNet/IP™, Modbus® RTU, Modbus® TCP, DeviceNet™ and PROFIBUS making integration to a larger PLC based system architecture seamless.

As part of the EZ-ZONE family of integrated PID controllers there is no need to learn a new menu flow or wiring and connection scheme because the EZ-ZONE RM shares a common user interface, menu structure, wiring and connector labeling and user manual support documentation with its other family members (EZ-ZONE PM and EZ-ZONE ST).

This new rail mount integrated multi-loop controller is ideal for semiconductor processing, photovoltaic, packaging, plastics processing and a variety of other applications that require multi-loop control.

Practical Vacuum at Advanced Manufacturing UK

We mostly visit the mtec and Machine Building at the Advanced Manufacturing show in Birmingham (GB) but there are aspects of the other co-exhibitions there which may be of interest the automation professional.

The level of technology available at this year’s Practical Vacuum exhibition is a case in point, the principal event for all aspects of vacuum technology demonstrates how vacuum professionals can benefit today – and tomorrow – from modern advances.

For example:

Bronkhorst will focus on its new Cori-Fill technology for compact, single point responsibility, dosage/filling liquid delivery systems. This is an extension of the company’s range of small compact mass flow meters and controllers based on the Coriolis principle. Visit the stand to learn about the considerable features and benefits. They will also display the new release Mass Stream mass flow meter/controller based on thermal principles, and the new releases of Gas-View and Liqui-View flow-meters utilizing vortex technology.

Edwards-Precision Plus Vacuum Parts, one of the world’s largest independent manufacturers of vacuum pump replacement parts, can supply vacuum filters, replacement parts, repair kits, KF fittings, oils (FDA approved), rotors, stators, plates and shafts, for example, for anything from a minor repair to a complete pump rebuild, and they stock ready-to-ship parts for virtually all major OEM pump models.

Kurt J. Lesker Co is a full service manufacturer and distributor of deposition and vacuum systems, components and materials including vacuum systems, deposition sources, sub assemblies, materials, hardware, feedthroughs, pumps and fluids. On show, for example, will be the PVD 75 deposition tool for the budget-conscious researcher; and the new Spectros family systems which, along with the firm’s PVD applications laboratory, is available for continued customer support and demonstrations.

At the Trumpf stand, there will be a focus on the company’s prowess in the field of DC, MF and RF power supply technology.

The Read-out Signpost will be visiting the show on the first day 27th April 2010. Watch out for us!

Kistler at Advanced Manufacturing

Kistler Instruments will be showing a new low cost, contactless torque sensors plus its wide range of acceleration, force, pressure and torque sensors and associated electronics and software at this years mtec.

From acceleration to torque via pressure and force, Kistler is a world leader in the design and manufacture of high quality, high reliability sensors for research and development applications.

Now, Kistler is moving into the manufacturing sector with a new range of contactless, low maintenance torque sensors costing no more than slip-ring types, typically around £1,500 (ca €1700).

Using non-contact signal transmission eliminates wear making the new sensor exceptionally robust and maintenance free, even in continuous use.

The Type 4520A is available with rated torque from 1 to 1,000 Nm with accuracy class of 0.5 at speeds up to 10,000 rpm. Output is the standard ±10 V plus a speed signal of 60 pulses/rev and remotely switchable 100% test function.

More on Advanced Manufacturing UK

Newport Spectra-Physics at Advanced Manufacturing

Leveraging decades of experience in motion control technology, Newport, exhibiting at Machine Building & Automation(MB&A) co-exhibition, has developed its high performance Hexapod 6-axis micropositioning system. Driven by six industry-proven, high performance DC servo motor driven LTA actuators that have been enhanced to specifically match requirements, the Hexapod features an innovative design of anti-friction coated spherical joints to provide more than five-times higher rigidity and twice the load capacity of other hexapods of a similar size.

The Hexapod’s electronic controller is a special version of the Newport XPS advanced multi-axis controller which accurately masters the synchronised transformations from cartesian input co-ordinates to the motion of the Hexapod legs. In addition, the XPS also provides advanced features including instrument grade I/Os, hardware-based input triggers, event triggers, high-speed on-the-fly data acquisition, fast TCP/IP communication, and integrated TCL programming language for on-board processes. All these features improve accuracy and throughput, making the programmer’s life much easier.

The powerful controller also provides a freely definable virtual pivot point as a standard feature and offers much more in relocating not only the pivot point, but the entire co-ordinate system. In addition, two user-definable co-ordinate systems are provided, called tool (moves with the Hexapod) and work (stationary co-ordinate systems). Incremental displacements are possible in either one of these systems in user-friendly cartesian co-ordinates, and positions can be easily calculated from one system to the other by a function call. Such functionality provides a new way of mastering Hexapod motions without the need for complex external co-ordinate transformations.

More exhibits at Advanced Manufacturing UK.

HEPCOMotion at Advanced Manufacturing

The notion that any type of linear actuator can be chosen for any axis in an X-Y-Z system will be challenged by HepcoMotion at this year’s show (MBA). The demands on each of the axes vary considerably so a ‘one-type-fits-all’ approach will ultimately compromise performance, reliability and service life of the overall system.

On a specially developed demonstration unit, HepcoMotion will show that with the correct choice of linear actuator, each axis will operate optimally. The company has developed a family of actuators to address the different characteristics in each axis. If required, these elements can then be incorporated into a chassis made from its comprehensive MCS machine construction system and given intelligent control through HepcoMotion’s partnership with Smart Drive.

The demonstrator will show the HepcoMotion PDU2 linear actuator operating as the X-axis foundation of the system. This popular product features the ultra-high performance Herculane wheel technology in a compact and cost-effective belt driven unit.

As a Y-axis typically requires high load capacity and stiffness against twisting loads, the PDU2M with high moment load capacity will feature. And the needs of the Z-axis are different again, with enhanced linear force and higher gearing a common requirement.

The new PSD80 is the ideal choice for the task, with drive from a super-smooth stainless steel lead screw operating with a bearing polymer nut. It, too, uses Herculane wheel technology in a unit that is perfectly matched to the other axes in terms of performance, size and cost.

HepcoMotion supplies it X-Y-Z systems as individual parts, in kit form or as fully assembled units.

More exhibits at Advanced Manufacturing UK 27-28 April 2010

Delta Line at Advanced Manufacturing

Delta Line offers a wide variety of products, intended as either single motion products within an application or as a complete system. (MBA Exhibition)

Products include DC and BLDC motors, disc magnet, hybrid or tin can stepper motors, spur gear, planetary and customised gearboxes, encoders and intelligent drives for DC, BLDC or stepper motors.

Included in the line up are Portescap’s new Athlonix brush DC motors; compact, high-efficiency endurance motors that deliver unrivaled speed-to-torque performance in a compact lighter weight package with output power up to 9 W. They are available in 12, 16 and 22 mm frame sizes.

A typical 22 mm coreless motor operating at high load of 15mNm for 5,000 hours can see performance degrade due to the thermal heat it has generated, while at the same time having less power and less energy efficiency due to higher motor regulation factor. Athlonix motors have motor regulation factors that are lower by 5-20% than most comparative motors available, resulting in consistent power density over the motor life-time. As a result, they are ideally suited for use in automation applications such as medical analysers and electronic assembly that require constant pick-and-place operations during machining, assembly and scanning.

Also on show, the Portescap nuvoDisc flat brushless DC miniature motors with an incomparably small footprint (32 mm diameter and 11.7 mm long), nuvoDisc offers superior continuous speed, quick design integration and mechanical installation, and high reliability due to no mechanical wear because it’s a brushless motor and the ball bearings provide excellent life. And as a result of this slotless no cogging design, nuvoDisc benefits from minimal vibration.


Then there’s the new DPM high torque brushless 42 mm motor with integrated Hall sensors. The high energy permanent magnets used in the BLDC motors produce very high efficiency and acceleration with peak torque that can reach 1.44 Nm. The configuration of the stator (10 poles) increases the torque constant value up to 0.054 Nm/A. The DPM brushless range includes motors from 22 mm diameter up to 86 mm with a rated torque range from 8 mNm to 2.1 Nm and in lengths of 40 mm, 60 mm, 80 mm and 100 mm.

More exhibits at Advanced Manufacturing UK 27-28 April 2010

Weldlogic at Advanced Manufacturing

Weldlogic displays a computer-controlled arc-welding package developed to carry out precision automatic welding operations simply and accurately, while offering the flexibility to adapt to a wide range of weld configurations.

The dual process AWS-6100 system combines a set of proven components to provide a complete ‘ready-to-go’ package offering advanced levels of weld process control and automation.

Circumferential, longitudinal and spot welds can be made simply and with a minimum of operator training, says the company. Standard features include a choice of current from 0.1A to 200A for tungsten inert gas (TIG) or plasma welding, arc gap setting and distance control, arc start, multiple current levels, shield gas and back-up control and wire feed controls. All welding functions are synchronised from a single enclosure, putting everything at the operator’s fingertips.

Manufacturers dealing with heat-sensitive components can additionally benefit from AWS-6100’s ability to use the micro-TIG method rather than the traditional electron beam method. For example, automated computer-controlled production of medical devices such as surgical baskets, heart valves and biopsy needles can be carried out using low-level assembly heat to minimise mechanical distortion to the finished product. The manufacture of metal bellows used for conducting gas or liquid between two members that may be susceptible to vibration or sifting is another application for which significant benefits are claimed.

More exhibits at Advanced Manufacturing UK 27-28 April 2010

Hamamatsu at Advanced Manufacturing

Hamamatsu Photonics offers a wide range of CMOS linear image sensors for use in analytical instruments such as spectrophotometers and industrial process monitoring equipment. A new range of CMOS linear image sensors (dual inline and surface mount types) has recently been developed offering very high-speed response while maintaining high resolution.

The new S11105 series has 512 pixels with a 12.5 µm pitch giving an aspect ratio of 20:1, thus allowing 20 times the light collection area compared to conventional linear CCDs.

The CMOS arrays incorporate 512 individual photodiode elements with buffer amplifier, digital shift register (multi-plexor) and signal processing circuit (i.e. a correlated double sampling noise reduction circuit) all on the same “monolithic” silicon chip. The S11105 series has a high-speed readout of up to 50 MHz and an electronic shutter function to facilitate high speed imaging. Also both are provided with all the necessary clock generation functions on chip, making system design and implementation easier than ever!

The S11105 series are ideal for applications such as in-line product inspection, portable spectrometers, industrial process control, colour monitoring, medical diagnostics, distance measurement, optical encoders, blood analysers, optical scanners and water pollution analysers.

New this year is a 12-bit digital output colour sensor Photo IC. The S9706 device consists of a matrix photodiode array, coupled to a RGB (red, green and blue) filter matrix to give colour response. The device is combined with ‘in house’ CMOS processing electronics, all contained within a monolithic silicon chip. The output of the S9706 is in 12-bit digital format with the colour intensity of red, green and blue read out sequentially at potentially high speed.

The S9706 is easily operated with a standard 3.3V CMOS power supply and has higher speed and is much lower in cost than three colour image sensors. It is also highly accurate and is easier to implement than current discrete three colour photodiodes.

Hamamatsu has also recently introduced a new range of high power laser diode products. The single bar modules are capable of emission powers from 50 W to 200 W. Depending on the packaging option chosen, up to 75 bars can be stacked in one module, offering a maximum output power of over 11 kW. Various cooling methods are available, from water and Funryu active cooling to open heat sink types. Emission wavelengths including 792 nm, 915 nm and 980 nm, with many more in between easily achievable.

Also on show will be the new LC-L2 range of UV curing systems featuring new higher power UV LEDs (compared to those in the well-established LC-L1) that ensure a high stability light output is easily maintained over the 20,000 hour LED lifetime.

More exhibits at Advanced Manufacturing UK 27-28 April 2010

National Instruments at Advanced Manufacturing

mtec Stand 320
National Instruments measurement and automation hardware and software products work seamlessly together to meet the application requirements of scientists and engineers, irrespective of business or industry sector. With a proven track record and over 30 years of experience and a large and knowledgeable UK based support team, National Instruments has brought the concept of virtual instrumentation and graphical system design to reality.

National Instruments is transforming the way engineers and scientists design, prototype and deploy systems for measurement, automation and embedded applications. Over the past 30 years, NI have pioneered the concept of virtual instrumentation; the idea of combining open, intuitive graphical programming software with powerful modular hardware to give unparalleled flexibility in the design and implementation of user-defined systems. By adopting this approach, engineers and scientists at more than 30,000 companies annually simplify development, increase productivity and dramatically reduce timescales. From testing next-generation gaming systems to creating breakthrough medical devices, NI customers continuously develop innovative technologies that impact millions of people.

Visit stand 1320 in the MTEC hall to experience the latest NI product innovations in virtual instrumentation and graphical system design through modular hardware, powerful software, and advanced COTS (custom off-the-shelf) platforms.

Do More with LabVIEW 2009: Parallel Programming, Wireless Technologies, and Real-Time Math

Now, more than ever, the tools you use must be flexible and evolve quickly to changing environments.

NI LabVIEW 2009 is a platform-wide software update with new features for taking advantage of parallel multicore and FPGA (field-programmable gate array) based architectures as well as new capabilities for programming wireless sensors and mathematical algorithms in real-time hardware. The latest version of LabVIEW 2009 adds programming and productivity features to drive more efficiency and performance into your applications, helping you do more with evolving PC and embedded technology platforms.

New and Advanced Technologies Products and Technologies to be Showcased at MTEC by National Instruments:
New WSN Platform Delivers Reliable, Low-Power Wireless Measurements
The NI wireless sensor network (WSN) platform provides a complete remote monitoring solution that consists of NI LabVIEW graphical programming software and new reliable, low-power wireless nodes for remote measurements.

Based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard, the NI WSN protocol supports mesh routing, which means a WSN router can relay measurements from end nodes to a central gateway. If a primary router is unavailable and an alternate router exists, the protocol automatically routes measurements through the alternate path. Operating for up to three years on just four AA batteries the NI WSN platform offers reliable connectivity from a gateway to end nodes at a distance of up to 300m line of sight or further using mesh networking,

Generic 4 channel 16 bit analogue input nodes are available alongside more specialist nodes such as the 24-bit thermocouple node and all closely integrate with LabVIEW to simplify and accelerate system configuration and deployment by delivering a drag-and-drop programming environment. LabVIEW also facilitates the ability to deploy code directly onto the nodes creating standalone embedded data-loggers with user defined decision making capabilities.

The combination of LabVIEW and NI WSN measurements provides a reliable, low-power system for remote monitoring, environmental monitoring and resource monitoring applications.

Flexible Technologies for Data Acquisition, Test, Measurement and Automation

NI's position holds the position as world leader in DAQ, new enhancements in counters, advanced timing, and parallel software execution are enabling cutting-edge applications across the globe and cementing this position for years to come. Data acquisition applications frequently involve multiple types of analogue, digital, and counter measurements and can consume hundreds of megabytes per second. Featuring NI-STC3 timing and synchronization technology, X Series DAQ devices for PCI Express and PXI Express are the most advanced DAQ devices ever designed by NI.

Leveraging this advanced technology NI has also released for MTEC this year a new generation of CompactDAQ for USB applications in every industry. With over 60 different modules the popular C Series platform gives the CompactDAQ unimpeded I/O versatility while with four 32-bit counter timers, external triggers and the ability to run modules at different rates, CompactDAQ elevates USB DAQ to new heights in power, versatility and affordability.

PXI, the open, rugged PC-based platform for test, measurement and control, is the perfect system for high performance measurement, parallel test and advanced automation systems. Through modular instrumentation, engineers can choose from a wide variety of measurement, signal generation, RF, power, and switch modules, and then configure the instruments in software to meet their specific needs. Based on Compact PCI, PXI supports measurements from high resolution DC to 6.6GHz RF, making it an ideal platform for high performance applications. See the latest modular hardware on display including the new NI FlexRIO product family which provides flexible, customisable I/O for NI LabVIEW FPGA.

NI Programmable Automation Controllers (PAC) and Machine Vision
On display at this year’s event is the NI CompactRIO PAC which combines real-time and FPGA technologies to deliver high-performance in a small, rugged industrial control and acquisition platform. This architecture combines:

• Reconfigurable I/O to provide the reliability of dedicated hardware circuitry and the performance of true parallel execution
• Real-time embedded processors for stand-alone and distributed deterministic operation with a built-in web-based human-machine interface
• Industrial hot-swappable analogue and digital I/O modules for direct connection to industrial sensors and actuators.

For the first time, you can add imaging capabilities to your CompactRIO system! With NI Vision Development Module 2009, you can now deploy imaging libraries to both deployment targets, as well as acquire compressed images from IP cameras with the latest NI-IMAQdx image acquisition driver. The vision capabilities on CompactRIO are ideal for autonomous robotics, industrial monitoring, and embedded medical device applications.

Also on display at Advanced Manufacturing 2010 will be the latest additions to the NI Smart Camera family. The NI Smart Camera is a high performance, low cost embedded device that combines an industrial controller with an image sensor. It integrates seamlessly with NI vision software to offer image processing directly on the camera, making it ideal for applications such as locating parts, inspecting packaging, verifying assembly and reading 1-D and 2-D codes.

See more on exhibits at Advanced Manufacturing 2010 covered by Read-out for the last ten years!

VTX: Vision and imaging products

Stemmer Imaging is showing an impressive range of brand new products at the VTX exhibition (see note below). New products will be found on each of the company’s exhibition displays, which cover machine vision, general cameras, high dynamic range imaging, high speed imaging, illumination and thermal imaging.

The machine vision display will highlight the BOA range of smart cameras from DALSA with its small 44 mm cube form factor and IP67 rated housing. New for VTX will be a colour version of BOA, even further extending the range of end-user applications. All versions of BOA feature a full suite of vision tools based on the popular iNspect software, which can be configured using a standard web browser.

New cameras on show will include three new families from AVT, together with the AVT Prosilica GX which doubles the speed of GigE vision using link aggregation technology. Other new cameras include new models in the DALSA Genie series and the tiny (22 x 24 x 24 mm) IDS uEye XS which features an autofocus lens and 8 Mpixel resolution. New linescan cameras include the JAI LT-400CL - 3CMOS RGB linescan camera and the DALSA Spyder3 Colour with dual linescan technology.

High dynamic range cameras are growing in popularity and Stemmer will be showing the IDS uEye family of HDR industrial cameras offering a dynamic range of over 120 dB along with the 2 CCD JAI AD-081GE which offers independent control of shutter speed and/or gain for each channel. A dedicated display of high speed cameras will include new additions to DALSA’s Falcon range along with Optronis cameras with frame rates up to 10, 000 fps.

Also new for VTX will be the Xenics Bobcat compact uncooled infrared camera. With an InGaAs detector for high sensitivity in the near infrared, the Bobcat also features a unique embedded digital signal processor for intelligent real-time image processing. The company's impressive line-up for VTX is completed with a new range of laser diode light sources from Z-Laser.

VTX is one of the constituent exhibitions at Advanced Manufacturing UK in Birmingham (GB) 27/28 April 2010.