Expanded gas emissions monitoring.

Next-generation fixed optical gas imaging solution combines continuous monitoring with enhanced detection, analytics, and versatile camera options.

The new capabilities for FLIR's ADGiLE™ automated gas emissions monitoring system has been introduced, extending continuous, autonomous gas detection beyond traditional oil and gas applications to new markets, including ammonia and ethylene detection. ADGiLE (Autonomous Detection of Gas Leaks and Emissions) combines optical gas imaging (OGI), advanced gas detection analytics, and an enhanced user interface to help operators quickly identify emissions and respond with greater confidence.

The new ADGiLE solution expands beyond the original methane-focused system with a broader range of camera options to address different gases, applications, and site requirements. The platform can be configured with uncooled cameras for methane detection or cooled cameras for broad hydrocarbon and VOC detection, while visual and thermal imaging can be combined for more comprehensive site surveillance. Pan-tilt functionality further extends coverage, allowing a single system to monitor multiple areas and equipment across expansive sites. An ATEX-rated housing is also available for pan-tilt configurations deployed in hazardous areas.

At the heart of the system is an advanced detection and incident management process designed to distinguish genuine emission events from potential false alarms. ADGiLE analyzes gas detection across successive image sequences while taking account of environmental factors such as wind speed, temperature differential, rain, and more. This capability helps provide more meaningful alerts, reducing the need for operators to investigate every possible indication manually.

The system also provides greater visibility of emission events through its user interface, with live system views, incident playback, historical information, graphical event data, and access via web or mobile devices. Text alerts can link directly to incidents, allowing users to assess events remotely, instigate appropriate action and distinguish between operational emissions and fugitive leaks.

“ADGiLE represents an important evolution of our automated gas emissions monitoring technology,” said Craig O’Neill, Global Director of Product and Market Strategy, Optical Gas Imaging, Teledyne FLIR. “By combining FLIR’s proven OGI technology with intelligent analytics and greater camera flexibility, we give operators continuous visibility of emissions across their facilities. We can also help them distinguish genuine problems from conditions that might otherwise generate unnecessary alarms. The result is a more systematic and scalable approach to identifying and addressing emissions before they become larger operational or environmental issues.”

Practical field applications for ADGiLE include monitoring and identifying emissions from tanks, vent links, valves, pipelines, separators, and other equipment in a wide variety of oil and gas applications including processing plants, bulk gas terminals, and well-pad environments.

Ultimately, ADGiLE provides operators with continuous monitoring across the oil and gas supply chain, helping to improve situational awareness and reduce emissions in support of safer and more efficient operations.

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@flir @mepaxIntPR  #Pauto  #Gas #Emissions

Membership of certification program announced.

Strengthens adoption of ISA/IEC 62443 Cybersecurity Standards

Abbott Risk Consulting (ARC) Ltd. has officially joined ISASecure®. 

ARC offers consultancy services across Britain and Australia including risk management; safety engineering, assurance and verification; independent safety assessment; training; functional safety; cybersecurity; and more. ARC focuses on supporting clients with the design, operation, and decommissioning of facilities, plants, and assets in high-risk industries including oil and gas, nuclear, defense, rail, mining, and clean energy.

This new partnership with ISASecure reflects ARC’s ongoing mission to strengthen their knowledge and assistance in providing additional operational technology (OT) cybersecurity consulting and assessments — including ISASecure’s Security Development Lifecycle Assurance (SDLA), Component Security Assurance (CSA), System Security Assurance (SSA), and Automation Control System Security Assurance (ACSSA) — for their clients.

“It is an honor to welcome ARC Ltd. into the ISASecure program, and we look forward to engaging with them as students in the next IC49 ACSSA for Evaluators training course,” said Mark DeAngelo, ISASecure program manager. “Today’s critical infrastructure demands comprehensive, rigorously validated cybersecurity. We look forward to collaborating with ARC Ltd. as we advance our mission of partnership, certification, and standards-based product development to help achieve a more secure world.”

Tom Abbott, who leads ARC's Cyber Security team, said: "Control system security standards are a fundamental part of the architecture of resilient systems. By joining ISASecure, we're fully committed to upholding these standards now and influencing their development in the future."

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@ISA_Automation @automation_com #ARC #Cybersecurity #PAuto #Britain #Australia

Investment for multi-core fibre testing capability.

Prepares engineers for multi-core fibre deployment with practical testing expertise and field-ready measurement capabilities.

The British installation specialist Birch Technical Services has invested in Anritsu’s Multi Channel Fibre Tester MT9100A, becoming the first installation contractor in the EMEA region to own the instrument.

With the investment in the MT9100A, Birch Technical Services is extending its in-house testing capabilities into multi-core fibre. The company brings experience across fibre network design, installation, fusion splicing, testing and certification, as the optical communications industry explores new approaches to increasing transmission capacity. Frame Communications, an Anritsu distributor in the UK and Ireland, helped facilitate the sale, providing engineering-led pre-sales and on-site support. Its involvement highlights the value of regional partners in driving local sales.

LtoR: Birch Technical ServicesRep, Andy Cole,, Sophie Barc (Anritsu), Matt Birch (Birch Technical Services), Paul Cattell (Frame Communications), Mike Field (Frame Communications)

Multi-core fibre uses multiple independent cores within a single cladding to increase transmission capacity through space division multiplexing, creating a need to measure inter-core crosstalk alongside conventional optical transmission characteristics. Anritsu’s MT9100A addresses these requirements with single-ended testing, removing the need for an operator or measurement instrument at the far end.

The MT9100A simultaneously measures attenuation loss, return loss and crosstalk across up to four connected cores, improving efficiency compared with sequential power-meter testing. Automatic pass/fail judgement supports troubleshooting, while its portable, battery-powered design enables laboratory and field use.

“Multi-core fibre has huge potential, but making it practical to deploy means giving engineers the right tools to test and troubleshoot it. That’s exactly where the MT9100A fits. We can support customers not just with the technology, but with the knowledge and training needed to use it effectively,” said Sophie Barc, UK & Ireland Director Sales at Anritsu.

“Our engineers have spent years getting fibre characterisation right on conventional networks, and multi-core is the next step. Being the first installation contractor in the EMEA region with the MT9100A puts us in a position to support customers as their multi-core requirements come through, rather than waiting for the market to arrive,” said Matt Birch, Director, Birch Technical Services. The investment provides a foundation for developing the practical skills, measurement workflows and field experience needed to support customers as multi-core fibre moves towards wider adoption.

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@Anritsu @AnritsuEMEA @NapierPR #TandM #Communications #Britain

Innovative flow cell for in-line conductivity.

A new Flow Cell for Conductivity Measurement has been introduced by Innovative Sensor Technology (iST). THi is a compact and easy-to-integrate solution designed for reliable in-line conductivity measurement of liquid media. The new flow cell enables rapid evaluation, straightforward system integration, and simplified sensor handling, making it an ideal choice for engineers and developers working in industrial laboratories, and process monitoring environments.

"With this new flow cell, we provide customers with a practical, ready-to-use evaluation platform that significantly simplifies the implementation of conductivity measurements," said Julia Schläpfer, Team leader R&D Advanced Sensing Principles, "By combining proven sensor technology with an easy-to-integrate flow cell design, users can accelerate development and validate applications more efficiently."

The flow cell incorporates iST's proven conductivity sensor 158615, optimized for conductivity ranges from 2 mS/cm to 20 mS/cm. Its compact design allows seamless integration into existing systems, while the modular construction facilitates quick sensor installation and effortless replacement when required.

A key feature of the new solution is the integrated rear-side connector, which enables simple and reliable connection to digital readout electronics. This reduces development effort and accelerates evaluation and prototyping processes, helping customers shorten time-to-market for new applications.

The flow cell combines conductivity measurement with integrated temperature monitoring through a soldered Pt1000 temperature sensor (IEC 60751 Class F0.3). Designed to operate in temperatures ranging from −30°C to +100°C, the device delivers dependable performance across a wide variety of liquid measurement applications.

The new flow cell is available in sample quantities in the iST webshop and complements iST's portfolio of chemical sensors and measurement solutions for industrial, medical, environmental, and analytical applications.

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@Endress_Hauser @Endress_UK @Endress_US #iSTAG #PAuto

Plant of the Year.

Recognising innovative approach to preserving HART investments while advancing digital connectivity.

FieldComm Group, the global industrial automation standards organisation defining open, interoperable standards for industrial communication, device management, and enterprise connectivity, has named Tianxin Pharmaceutical (Jiangxi) Co., Ltd. its 2026 Plant of the Year, recognising the company's innovative use of HART-IP over Ethernet-APL to modernise pharmaceutical manufacturing, improve operational efficiency and establish a scalable foundation for future growth.

Located in Leping, Jiangxi Province, China, Tianxin's modernisation project supports more than 40,000 signal points across 15 main production workshops, including over 12,000 Ethernet-APL intelligent instruments. By bringing HART-IP communications directly to the field over Ethernet-APL, Tianxin has created a more efficient digital infrastructure while preserving the HART knowledge, tools and workflows familiar to its operations and maintenance teams.

"Tianxin Pharmaceutical exemplifies what the FieldComm Group Plant of the Year Award is all about, turning technology innovation into meaningful operational results," said Ted Masters, President and CEO of FieldComm Group. "Their implementation demonstrates that manufacturers don't have to choose between protecting proven investments and advancing digitalisation. By bringing Ethernet-APL and HART-IP together, Tianxin is establishing a practical model for smarter, more connected industrial operations."

Driven by evolving production requirements and stringent safety regulations, Tianxin's modernisation delivers measurable results, including:

• Lower costs: Approximately 400 km less cabling and 80% less cable-tray space.
• Faster commissioning: 10 months in commissioning now, reduced 3~5 months compared with previous.
• Improved safety: Intrinsically safe instrument spur wiring for hazardous-area operations.
• Greater flexibility: Simplified plant modifications and future expansion.

The project brings together technologies from multiple industrial automation suppliers, with SUPCON serving as Tianxin's distributed control system (DCS) provider and supplying approximately 60% of the intelligent field instruments. The remaining instruments are sourced from other manufacturers, demonstrating the value of an interoperable, multivendor architecture.

"It is a great honor to be named FieldComm Group's 2026 Plant of the Year," said Mr. Tang Yong, Deputy Chief Engineer of Tianxin Pharmaceutical. "Our goal was to create a safer, more efficient and adaptable manufacturing environment. HART-IP over Ethernet-APL has helped us achieve this while building on our existing HART expertise. We are grateful to FieldComm Group, SUPCON and our industry partners for their contributions and look forward to continued collaboration and innovation."

Tianxin is applying lessons from its Jiangxi modernisation project to its greenfield manufacturing development in Qingtongxia, Ningxia. Its achievement reflects the purpose of FieldComm Group's annual Plant of the Year Award, which recognises industrial facilities demonstrating exceptional use of FieldComm Group technologies to improve plant operations, maintenance and asset performance.

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• See also Plant of the Year for communications and connectivity. (14 Nov 2025)

@FieldCommGroup  #Tianxin_Pharma  #PAuto #Standard 

Less damp saves energy.

Accurate and stable dew point sensors can deliver substantial energy savings in the measurement and management of dehumidification during battery manufacture. In the following article Vaisala's Product line Manager Antti Viitanen explains why.

Antti Viitanen

Dry rooms in battery manufacturing are among the most energy-intensive industrial environments. Maintaining dew point conditions at -40°C or below demands substantial energy for continuous dehumidification. This requirement is an unavoidable consequence of battery chemistries and a must for keeping process conditions safe, but there is a lever available to reduce energy consumption which is often overlooked: the accuracy of the dew point sensor driving dehumidification controls.

If dew point sensors are prone to drift and only serviced once a year, dehumidification controls will need to use a conservative set point to compensate for that measurement uncertainty, and the result is that a dry room is often operating many degrees in dew point drier than it needs to be. An additional 2°C of dehumidification can be worth approximately 30% more energy consumption than necessary. The good news is that same 2 degrees of excess drying can be recovered with accurate and stable dew point measurement, translating directly into 30% energy savings —without any change to target dry room conditions or product quality.

Why 2°C has such an outsized effect.
The relationship between target dew point and dehumidification energy is not linear. As the target dew point drops, the energy required to remove moisture from air increases exponentially. At -40°C dew point, even small deviations carry disproportionate energy consequences. Moving the practical operating point by just 2°C, from -42°C back to -40°C, reduces the reactivation heat load on the dehumidifier significantly enough to deliver savings. At lower set points such as -45°C or -50°C, the savings from tightening control are even greater.

This is why the dew point sensor should be at the centre of the dehumidification control loop. If the sensor reads 2°C wetter than reality, the dehumidifier works harder than necessary. If the sensor reads 2°C drier than reality, the operator risks running out of spec. In either case, inaccurate measurement represents a potential cost in energy, yield, product quality and process safety.

Battery manufacture dry room with Vaisala DRYCAP® Dew Po int and Temperature Probe DMP1

How accurate sensors close the gap.
Vaisala's DRYCAP® technology addresses drift at the sensor level through two integrated mechanisms. The first is an auto-calibration feature that applies heat to the sensor periodically and uses the resulting cooling curve to apply a correction offset, effectively restoring the sensor’s baseline automatically and before meaningful sensor drift is able to accumulate. The second is a sensor purge function that evaporates chemical contaminants before they can alter the measurement. Together, these features deliver measurement stability that allows standard calibration intervals to be extended to two years in clean applications. That level of reliability significantly reduces the uncertainty that forces designers to add safety margin to their set points.

Sensor placement reinforces this. Controls that rely primarily on a dew point probe measuring return air from the dry room, rather than supply air from the dehumidifier, provide the most direct and stable representation of actual room conditions. Return air measurement accounts for the actual moisture load inside the room, even when people and process contributions vary, and gives the dehumidifier control loop the most actionable signal. With a well-placed, stable, calibrated sensor on the return air duct the dehumidifier can be adjusted to match the real drying need rather than the worst-case assumption.

Accuracy as an energy strategy.
The energy cost of battery dry room operation is not going to decrease as the industry scales. Gigafactories run multiple large dehumidifiers continuously, 24 hours a day. The compounding effect of over-drying across that installed base is significant. A 30% reduction in dehumidification energy across a full production facility is a meaningful number in both operating cost and CO2 terms. The path to that reduction does not require new process specifications or changes to battery chemistry. It is achievable through sensors that are accurate, stable, and properly maintained. For manufacturers who have not reviewed their sensor calibration program recently, or who are unsure whether their current set points include an unnecessary safety buffer, that is the starting point.

Accurate dew point measurement is not just about quality control. In the dry room, it is one of the most direct levers for energy efficiency available.

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@VaisalaGroup @_Enviro_News #PAuto #Energy

Connectors save space.

The release of Samtec's 10 mm stack height, AcceleRate® mP (UDM6, UDF6) combination signal pin and power blade connectors have been announced. The dual functionality of digital signaling and high power eliminates the need for additional connectors, reducing overall PCB space without sacrificing functionality. As a result, AcceleRate® mP connectors suit any application requiring signal/power routing versatility in a small footprint, including datacom, 5G/6G wireless networks, industrial automation and robotics, military and aerospace, and instrumentation.

To reduce crowding in the connector and provide uniform cooling, power blades are positioned parallel to the connector body length. This blade placement is a 90° shift compared to common power systems in the industry and enables optimized heat dissipation with a high current-carrying capacity of up to 15 A per blade and a voltage rating of 200 VAC or 283 VDC.

The open-pin-field design of the high-density array side of the connector supports 64 Gbps PAM4 (32 Gbps NRZ) and encourages routing flexibility. This means a designer can simultaneously run single-ended signals, differential-pair signals, and lower-speed power using specialized pin assignments based on specific application requirements. Ground paths can be strategically placed to reduce crosstalk and control impedance.

To further design-in flexibility, a variety of pin and blade options are available at both 5 mm and 10 mm stack heights. The open-pin-field design provides 60, 120, 180, or 240 total pins on a six-row grid, while 4, 6, 8, or 10 high-power blade options are available.

Severe Environment Testing, also known as SET, is a Samtec initiative to test products beyond typical industry standards and specifications to ensure they are more than suitable for rugged, harsh environments. SET products are approved for Class D missions that require high-reliability, quick-turn, and cost-effective solutions for LEO satellites, SmallSats, CubeSats, and other space exploration applications. AcceleRate mP (UDM6, UDF6) connectors are SET certified.

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@SamtecInc  @TechWireIntl #Electronics #PAuto #Connectors