Friday 28 April 2017

Sales Manager for Ireland appointed!

Adrian Gubbins
Adrian Gubbins has been promoted to National Sales Manager for Mitsubishi Electric Ireland- Industrial/Factory Automation Division. Adrian has been with Mitsubishi Electric for many years and has contributed greatly to the success of their business during that time.


@MEIrishbranch #PAuto

Touchless technology angle sensor.

Novotechnik’s recently launched RFX-6900 series touchless technology angle sensor is ideal for precision rotary position feedback for mechanically-extreme applications in automotive, agricultural and construction equipment is now available from Variohm EuroSensor. Offering maximum durability, the ECE E1 approved Hall Effect device features a two-part mechanically decoupled design with the sensor electronics housed in a fully sealed aluminium housing and a separate magnetic position marker available in a range of styles.

The RFX6900 series has continuous rotation with six standard measuring ranges in 60 degree increments up to its 0 to 360 degree full range. Single and part- or full-redundant dual-channel versions are available with current output of 4…20 mA at 12-bit resolution. A wide choice of output characteristic options include rising cw & ccw, staggered, trapeze and parabolic as well as custom gradients. Independent linearity is 0.5% F.S. and supply voltage is 12…24 VDC with an optional 9…34 VDC which suits battery operation.

The sensor is suitable for use in safety-related applications according to ISO 13849 up to PLd and has E1 approval from the German Federal Motor Transport Authority. Installation for the sensor housing (69 mm diameter x 20 mm wide) is made easy with screw mounting from either face and an optional mounting plate provides further mounting orientation possibilities. Electrical connection flexibility is also offered with a choice of cable and M12 connectorised versions. The anodised aluminium housing includes salt-spray corrosion protection with protection class options of IP67 for connector versions and IP6K9K for cable connection. Magnetic marker alternatives include shaft mounted and threaded screw versions, and with a radial offset tolerance of up to +/- 3 mm between marker and sensor electronics straightforward installation is made easy.

The sensor’s mechanical specification includes excellent vibration and shock ratings that combine with an operational temperature range of -40…+85°C to ensure exceptional durability for applications on heavy-duty mobile machinery. The two-part design - with no contact between sensor and magnet - means completely wear free use with a virtually limitless operational life.

@Variohm  #PAuto 

Partnership for industrial artificial intelligence solutions.

ABB and IBM have announced a strategic collaboration that brings together ABB’s industry leading digital offering, ABB Ability, with IBM Watson Internet of Things cognitive capabilities to unlock new value for customers in utilities, industry and transport & infrastructure.

Customers will benefit from ABB’s domain knowledge and extensive portfolio of digital solutions combined with IBM’s expertise in artificial intelligence and machine learning as well as different industry verticals. The first two joint industry solutions powered by ABB Ability and Watson will bring real-time cognitive insights to the factory floor and smart grids.

“This powerful combination marks truly the next level of industrial technology, moving beyond current connected systems that simply gather data, to industrial operations and machines that use data to sense, analyze, optimize and take actions that drive greater uptime, speed and yield for industrial customers,” said ABB CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer. “With an installed base of 70 million connected devices, 70,000 digital control systems and 6,000 enterprise software solutions, ABB is a trusted leader in the industrial space, and has a four decade long history of creating digital solutions for customers. IBM is a leader in artificial intelligence and cognitive computing. Together, IBM and ABB will create powerful solutions for customers to benefit from the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”

New suite of breakthrough solutions
The new suite of breakthrough solutions developed by ABB and IBM will help companies address in a completely new way some of their biggest industrial challenges, such as improving quality control, reducing downtime and increasing speed and yield of industrial processes. These solutions will move beyond current connected systems that simply gather data, to cognitive industrial machines that use data to understand, sense, reason and take actions supporting industrial workers to help eliminate inefficient processes and redundant tasks.

“This important collaboration with ABB will take Watson even deeper into industrial applications – from manufacturing, to utilities, to transportation and more,” said Ginni Rometty, IBM Chairman, president and CEO. “The data generated from industrial companies' products, facilities and systems holds the promise of exponential advances in innovation, efficiency and safety. Only with Watson's broad cognitive capabilities and our platform's unique support for industries can this vast new resource be turned into value, with trust. We are eager to work in partnership with ABB on this new industrial era.”

Bringing real-time cognitive insights to the factory floor
For example, ABB and IBM will leverage Watson’s artificial intelligence to help find defects via real-time production images that are captured through an ABB system, and then analyzed using IBM Watson IoT for Manufacturing. Previously, these inspections were done manually, which was often a slow and error-prone process. By bringing the power of Watson's real time cognitive insights directly to the shop floor in combination with ABB’s industrial automation technology, companies will be better equipped to increase the volume flowing through their production lines while improving accuracy and consistency. As parts flow through the manufacturing process, the solution will alert the manufacturer to critical faults – not visible to the human eye – in the quality of assembly. This enables fast intervention from quality control experts. Easier identification of defects impacts all goods on the production line, and helps improve a company’s competitiveness while helping avoid costly recalls and reputational damage.

Bringing real-time cognitive insights to smart grids
In another example, ABB and IBM will apply Watson’s capabilities to predict supply patterns in electricity generation and demand from historical and weather data, to help utilities optimize the operation and maintenance of today’s smart grids, which are facing the increased complexity created by the new balance of conventional as well as renewable power sources. Forecasts of temperature, sunshine and wind speed will be used to predict consumption demand, which will help utilities determine optimal load management as well as real-time pricing.

@ABBgroupnews #PAuto #IoT @IBMIoT

Network-based Control System enhanced!

Yokogawa Electric Corporation has developed and just released an enhanced version of the STARDOM™* network-based control system.

This latest version supports Windows 10, and the STARDOM high-speed CPU module comes with a new function that enables Java applications to run on a STARDOM controller. In addition, an oil flow rate calculation function has been added to meet the needs of oil and gas well operations.

With the addition of Windows 10 support and other new functionality, Yokogawa is demonstrating its ongoing commitment to enhancing the STARDOM system to meet the latest needs at its customers’ sites.
Development Background
STARDOM is a network-based control system whose principal components are the FCN autonomous controller, the VDS web-based HMI, and the FAST/TOOLSTM SCADA package. Since first releasing STARDOM to the market in 2001, Yokogawa has continued to improve the functions of this system to satisfy its customers’ changing needs. Based on the concept of “Faster, Stronger, Smarter,” Yokogawa most recently released a new CPU module in March 2016.

With this latest release, STARDOM has been enhanced as part of Yokogawa’s continuing effort to meet the evolving needs of its customers, including oil and gas well and pipeline operations. This release includes functionality for the on-site management of data that reduces the amount of communications traffic between central monitoring rooms and facilities distributed over a wide area.

Enhancements
1. Windows 10 support
Support of Windows 10, the latest version of Microsoft’s operating system, has been added with this release, ensuring that STARDOM continues to meet Yokogawa customers’ latest needs.

2. Simplified system configuration
A Duolet function that enables Java applications to run on the FCN controller is now embedded in the high-speed CPU module. Thanks to this function, the controller can be used to manage files and transmit data. This simplifies the overall system configuration by eliminating the need for a PC.

3. Function for calculating oil flow rate
In addition to an existing function for calculating the gas flow rate, a function for calculating the oil flow rate, based on American Petroleum Institute (API) guidelines, has been added. This new function makes it possible to quantify the amount of produced water from an oil or gas well, which serves as a KPI for monitoring age-related degradation in performance and assists in efforts to improve recovery efficiency.

*About STARDOM
STARDOM is an open network control system consisting of components for control, operation, and monitoring functionality, and its ideal combination of the reliability of a DCS and the versatility and economy of a PLC is highly acclaimed. The FCN autonomous controller, the core of STARDOM, is robust and can be easily implemented in a dual redundant configuration. The controller is widely used as an intelligent remote terminal unit (RTU) not only in applications that require high reliability and versatility/economy, such as small- to medium-size plants, but also in oil and gas well (upstream) and pipeline applications.
Major Target Markets
- Widely distributed facilities such as oil and gas wells, pipelines, and water and wastewater facilities
- Small- to medium-size oil, chemical, iron and steel, pulp and paper, food, and pharmaceutical process facilities
- Small- to medium-size wind turbines, steam turbines, and hydropower generation facilities
Applications
Monitoring, operation, control, data collection, and data storage for small- to medium-size manufacturing facilities


 @YokogawaIA  #PAuto 

Phenomenal growth in MES sales!

A global life science technology firm has surpassed the €20 million milestone for sales of its manufacturing execution system (MES) services.

Zenith Technologies, which is headquartered in Ireland,  provides MES and data historian deployment and support services to pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers globally. The company has seen sales for this part of the business grow significantly over the last five years, with an average of over 35% year on year growth.

Commenting on the growth trend, James O’Brien (right), global MES business unit lead at Zenith Technologies, said: “MES has been the fastest growing segment of our offering and now represents almost a third of our business. Factors such as a greater regulatory focus on data integrity and customer demand for improved production performance have led to growing use of MES solutions within the pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device industries, which have traditionally been slow to adopt new technologies.

“The UK in particular is quickly becoming an MES centre of excellence, with MES sales representing 70% of our business in this market. Similarly, the US & Asia markets offer huge growth potential as the adoption of MES within the life science industry continues to grow across the globe.”

Zenith Technologies now works with nine of the top ten pharmaceutical companies globally and during 2016 its team of engineers grew by almost 40% to over 700 employees.

To strengthen its ability to support customers in Europe, the US and Asia and accelerate further growth, the company has recently formed a number of strategic partnerships with MES technology providers, including Werum IT Solutions , AspenTech and LZ Lifescience. This will enable Zenith to support customers worldwide with on-site implementations of MES solutions designed to improve productivity, meet regulatory requirements during life science manufacturing and ultimately deliver vital medicines to patients as efficiently as possible.

@ZenithIre #PAuto @ramarketingpr #MES

Non-intrusive temperature instrumentation.

Rosemount™ X-well™ Technology measurement is now available in a conventional wired transmitter simplifying the design, installation, and maintenance of temperature measurement points in wired applications.

A new platform for its Emerson's Rosemount™ X-well™ Technology surface sensing temperature measurement solution has been introduced. The X-well Technology with a Rosemount 3144P transmitter takes its place alongside the original WirelessHART® X-well Technology to extend this non-intrusive temperature sensing technology for users in conventional wired I/O environments.
This new product expands potential application possibilities for X-well Technology in plants and facilities where wired networks are already installed, or where WirelessHART has not yet been deployed. Other users have found X-well to be a useful replacement for difficult thermowell installations, which often have a wired connection already available and can be reused with the wired version of X-well.

X-well Technology works by measuring the pipe surface temperature and ambient temperature, and combining this information with an understanding of the thermal conductivity properties of the installation and process piping to produce an accurate process temperature measurement.

A major advantage of this technology is accurate process temperature measurement without requiring any intrusions or penetrations into the process, allowing for quicker and easier installation along with simplified long-term maintenance. Users do not have to design, size or maintain thermowells. Wake frequency calculations are eliminated, as well as time spent determining material compatibility, the right insertion length and the necessary profile.

Applications that can benefit from X-well Technology include pipelines, small line sizes, high velocity flows, slurries, heavy particulate fluids, wellheads, clean-in-place processes, high viscosity fluids and harsh processes in the oil & gas, chemical, refining, food and beverage, metals and mining, pulp and paper, and other industries.

“Rosemount X-well Technology is the best of both worlds as it provides an accurate process temperature like a thermowell installation while maintaining the benefits of a non-intrusive surface measurement,” says Jason Rud, senior principal design engineer at Emerson Automation Solutions. “The original wireless version has been very successful, but our customers have asked for a traditional wired version as well. Users now have both versions available to suit any application.”

With X-well Technology, users can also add temperature measurement points without having to shut down a process. X-well Technology instruments can be installed with a standard pipe clamp procedure and ordinary hand tools, without the need for a skilled contractor.

Pairing an X-well Technology pipe clamp sensor with the industry-standard 3144P transmitter combines the new and highly versatile sensing technology with one of the world’s most widely used temperature transmitters. Users can now quickly add temperature measuring points wherever they can provide the greatest benefit, and choose either a conventional wired or a WirelessHART connection.

@EMR_Automation #PAuto @Emerson_News @HHC_Lewis 

Thursday 27 April 2017

Piezoelectric and strain gauge technology.

When it comes to deciding which force sensor is the right one for your application, HBM assures us it will have the answer in its free Piezoelectric or Strain Gauge Technology webinar, which takes place on June 30th at 9 a.m (G.M.T)

Thomas Kleckers
When using strain gauges any elastic deformation of the measuring body is first converted to a change in strain gauge resistance, so that a Wheatstone bridge circuit electrical output signal can then be generated. By contrast, the basis of the piezoelectric effect is that crystals under compressive loading generate an electric charge that is directly proportional to the force applied. This charge is then converted to a proportional output voltage with the aid of an amplifier.

With many different sensing technologies and the endless variety of products available in the market, finding the right sensor for your application can often be a daunting task. With piezoelectric and strain gauge technology being two of the measuring principles most commonly used in force measurement technology, this webinar will explain the functional principle of both types of sensors and advise on what technology is more suitable to the task at hand.

Looking at how force sensors and load cells actually work, this exciting new webinar weighs up some of the advantages associated with both technologies.

This webinar will also look at the rise of piezoelectric sensor technology, successfully used in a variety of applications, such as medical, aerospace, nuclear instrumentation, and as a tilt sensor in consumer electronics, and discuss the inherent advantages which have resulted in the rise of this technology.

Presented by Thomas Kleckers, Product Manager of HBM Force Measurement Technology, this informative seminar has been designed to fit in with challenging time constraints, which can often make attending relevant training courses difficult.

This webinar will take a maximum of one hour and can be easily accessed at a later date or simply used as a refresher course. As an added benefit, all registered participants will receive a link to the webinar, via email, after the presentation. All HBM webinars are free of charge. However, spaces are limited and are available n a first come, first served basis.

@HBMmeasurement #PAuto

Push-Pull connector.

Harting has added a PushPull interface to its M12 PCB angled D-coded connector, not only enabling direct Ethernet transmission from the cable to the printed circuit board but also leading to considerable savings in assembly time.

The new M12 PushPull PCB connection comes in an angled D-coded female variant which facilitates the use of space-saving switches with Fast Ethernet communication at up to 100 Mbit/s. The direct M12 PushPull connection to the PCB minimises the need for additional wiring and saves assembly space as well as time.

The new connector typifies the growing trend towards miniaturisation in industry – not just in the development of smaller components but in the fact that these devices in turn can be used in ever-smaller installation spaces.

@harting #PAuto

Reliable moisture measurement in UHP conditions.

Ultra-high pressure (UHP) air is a specialised form of compressed air. Rather than being compressed to the standard 7 barg, UHP air is often supplied at 450 barg, which makes drying the air a critical consideration – both for energy-saving and for safety. Given the high pressures, even a small amount of water vapour would condense at ambient temperatures.

Supplying air at high pressure makes it a good source of power. Because of the extra force it provides, it’s often used in marine and military applications such as clearing submarine ballast tanks for ascent to the surface. The high pressure of the air allows the tanks to be cleared quickly, and gives the crew a greater level of control and responsiveness.

Due to the cold temperatures below sea, as well as the cooling effect of reducing the pressure of a gas, it is vitally important to avoid excess moisture in the UHP air. If ice formed it could block or damage the equipment and completely disable the submarine.

One of Michell’s long-standing customers, S.A. Marine Pty. Ltd from Australia specialise in evaluating and testing UHP air systems. Due to the high pressures involved, it’s vitally important that the air is pure and free from contaminants such as compressor oil particulates or water.

S.A. Marine uses a desiccant dryer to remove vapour from the air and use an on-line hygrometer from Michell to measure the water dew point at delivery, as part of their portable test set. The Michell ceramic impedance sensor is able to measure the dew-point temperature at line pressure which gives S.A. Marine complete confidence in their measurements.

They also provide an inspection service for breathing air cylinder-filling apparatus for both naval and commercial customers. In this case, too much moisture would lead to the potential bacteria to grow and pose health problems for the users. Back at their company facilities, S.A. Marine use a Michell chilled mirror hygrometer as a high-precision calibration reference on a test rig.

Greg Fahill, the managing director of S.A. Marine said: ‘Michell offer the only hygrometers we have found to be reliable at UHP conditions.’

• Michell Instruments are marketed in Ireland through Instrument Technology.


 @Michell_Inst #PAuto 

Connector aids incorporation of automation software.

Maplesoft and Phoenix Integration have a new plugin that enables engineers to easily incorporate Maplesoft software products Maple and MapleSim into the ModelCenter workflow integration and automation platform from Phoenix Integration.  The plugin* allows engineers to take advantage of the reduced risk, improved designs, and shorter development times resulting from using Maplesoft’s engineering tools, along with the efficiencies that come from a process integration platform.

MapleSim, an advanced system-level modeling and simulation tool, enables engineers to take advantage of modern techniques in modeling and simulation. Maple is a powerful math software tool for mathematical computations and explorations. ModelCenter is a vendor-neutral software framework for creating and automating multi-tool workflows, optimizing product designs, and sharing engineering data and knowledge. It is used by leading organizations worldwide to reduce development costs, improve engineering efficiency, stimulate innovation, and design more competitive products. The new connector makes it easy to bring Maple and MapleSim into ModelCenter so they can be seamlessly incorporated into the ModelCenter-based engineering workflow.

A powerful application of this connector is functional verification of a system design by automatically testing MapleSim models against design requirements from Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) software tools, such as IBM® Rational® Rhapsody® or No Magic™ MagicDraw®. Engineers can directly connect the parametric design constraints, which are derived by the MBSE tool, to multi-disciplinary system simulations in MapleSim. When a change is made to the system parameters, ModelCenter calls MapleSim to run a simulation using the new parameter set. ModelCenter then checks the simulated results against the design constraints, and generates a report of the compliance test results. Any constraint failures are flagged, allowing the design team to make the necessary design changes very early in the process.

Other applications include using MapleSim and Maple for design space explorations, optimization, and development projects based on executable requirements, all inside ModelCenter.

“By incorporating Maple and MapleSim in ModelCenter using this new plugin, our customers will be able to reduce manual effort and increase the efficiency of many aspects of their development workflow,” said Paul Goossens, Vice President, Engineering Solutions at Maplesoft.

“Maple and MapleSim make great additions to the collection of engineering tools that can be integrated into ModelCenter,” said Scott Ragon, Director, Technical Business Development, Phoenix Integration. “They offer valuable benefits for modeling, simulation, analysis, and calculation management that customers can now take advantage of inside their standard ModelCenter workflow.”

* This connector can be freely downloaded from the Maplesoft website. Their products can also be integrated with other process integration platforms, such as Optimus® from Noesis Solutions. Contact Maplesoft for details.


@maplesoft #PAuto @phxmastermind

Magnetics components development manager.

ETAL Group has added Craig Ardrey to their team as Business Development Manager for ETAL magnetic components in Britain and Ireland.

Craig Ardrey
Dan Phelan, President of ETAL, said, “Craig Ardrey brings ETAL a wealth of experience in power products. His expertise and market knowledge will be extremely valuable to us in further strengthening our position in the UK market. The solutions we provide are often custom to specific projects, and our customers will appreciate his understanding of transformer and power supply specification based on a lifetime of experience.

Craig Ardrey added, “ETAL is an exciting company with a great deal of potential. Many customers are looking for new and different solutions to address the challenges that they see in power design. With its reputation for quality, strong design capabilities and in-house manufacturing, ETAL Group is very well placed to provide this.  ETAL’s logistical service, which includes holding stock and shipping to a schedule, is also very attractive to the UK market.”

Craig Ardrey joins ETAL from Diamond Power Components, where he spent 18 months establishing and developing its power products division. Prior to this, he spent 21 years working with power products at Richardson Electronics, joining as Field Sales Engineer and rising to the position of European Marine and Avionics Manager.

#ETAL #PAuto #Britain #Ireland

Innovative data transmission photoelectric sensor.

The world’s first data transmission photoelectric sensor, Leuze electronic's DDLS 500 makes location-independent remote diagnostics possible thanks to an integrated web server and sets new standards in terms of performance and transparency.

Their innovative data transmission photoelectric sensor ensures all relevant data of the DDLS 500 can be called up using remote diagnostics. The data transmission photoelectric sensor links Ethernet networks using optical data transmission with a bandwidth of 100Mbits/s and is thus part of the central network component. The devices transmit all common Ethernet protocols such as PROFINET, Ethernet IP, EtherCAT, Ethernet TCP/IP or Ethernet UDP in real time up to a distance of 200 m. For quick and simple on-site diagnostics, the DDLS 500 has a status LED visible from afar for displaying warnings and errors. This makes simple maintenance and diagnostics possible.

Through the modular basic design, the devices can be arranged flexibly and depending on needs regarding operating range, remote diagnostics options, heating as well as an integrated laser alignment aid. An integrated level and the pre-mounted mounting plate with spring-loaded wobble elements make alignment simple and only require one person. Leuze electronic holds the patent for this single-hand adjustment process.

All warning messages which may signal an interruption of the transfer are displayed in real-time and in the DDLS 548i version, actively transferred to the control using process data as a Profinet participant.

@Leuzeelectronic #PAuto @leuzeeire

Co-operation to create new portfolio.

Yokogawa and Dover Energy Automation are to join forces to create the “Well Managed™” product portfolio. This collection delivers an optimized business operations solution to customers, allowing both companies to solve key challenges across the oil and gas industry.

The strategic collaboration will increase performance from a single well to an entire field. More specifically, it will help operators monitor, control and enhance well-site performance in order to improve productivity and return on investment.

“We are excited to combine Dover Energy Automation’s production optimization solutions with Yokogawa’s broader platform to provide the oil and gas industry with a one-stop automation solution,” said Ali Raza, President of Dover Energy Automation Production Optimization. “This solution brings the well site to our customers’ fingertips, providing optimized production safely, securely, and with environmental responsibility.”

Yokogawa delivers patented innovations in liquid and gas metering, specializing in process automation and optimization, highly reliable field instruments, information creation and secure cloud platforms, as well as a proven history of delivering integrated, Six Sigma-compatible systems. Dover Energy Automation has deep domain knowledge in artificial lift optimization and control, oil field services and chemical injection systems, along with condition monitoring and asset optimization. The combined set of powerful offerings will empower customers to experience a Well Managed™ field – achieving production and efficiency goals that are impossible to reach without co-innovation. Yokogawa and Dover are committed to continually improving customer results by enhancing field management, multi-well control, and providing predictive analytics to augment their existing solution offerings to customers.

“Our goal is to provide critical operational infrastructure that applies domain, knowledge-based analytics to deliver information, which allows our customers to optimize safety and operations,” said Kevin McMillen, Director, Sales and Sales Operations for Yokogawa Corporation of America.

The knowledge and technology of these two companies will merge to create an industry-leading platform to collect and transform well site and field data into actionable intelligence that can be used to boost an oil and gas producer’s strategic position.

 @YokogawaIA  #PAuto @yokogawa #Dover

Vibration sensor performance.

Two new Hardy Portable Shakers from Metrix Instrument Co. are available from Ixthus Instrumentation. They offer significant enhancements for self-contained vibration condition monitoring and sensor validation.

The new HI-903 and HI-913 series vibration reference sources cover two service levels. Both are rechargeable battery powered for field use with the HI-913 designed for convenient validation of the entire channel of transducers such as accelerometers, velocity transducers and proximity probes through measurement, monitoring or recording systems. The unit is designed to provide NIST traceable transducer verification and features USB data transfer for a calibration test.

The more advanced HI-903 model is a complete turnkey system for calibration and certification of individual sensors, vibration switches and data collectors, as well as validation the entire measurement channel. Straightforward certificate of calibration preparation is available through a supplied Excel template. An ICP® or voltage test sensor input allows direct connection and readout of the most common types of accelerometers and velocity transducers with the test sensor sensitivity calculated and displayed on the screen in real time. Other additional features include an internal USB flash drive memory that can store up to 500 calibration records with data transfer to a computer.

Both models offer a maximum payload of 800 grams, with a wide frequency range of 7 Hz to 10 kHz (420 to 600000 CPM). The bandwidth for acceleration, velocity and displacement measurement is more than adequately covered and a comprehensive variety of readout units ensures straightforward use for all types of sensor measurement. Rugged shaker element design includes carbon fiber composite armature flexures. The new models are designed for complete portability and are housed in sturdy but lightweight Pelican® Storm cases for maximum durability.

@IxthusInst  #PAuto  #Metrix

RFID identification of tools.

Tool identification using Balluff Industrial RFID increases production efficiency, as it makes incorrect tool allocation or missing tools a thing of the past. This enables optimizing the service time utilization of the tools. In addition, scrap and rework due to excessive use of tools are virtually eliminated. With Easy Tool-ID Balluff now offers an economical entry into tool management. It is simple to retrofit and stands out with easy installation and configuration.

All this is required is a USB port (keyboard expander) on the machine tool and a presetter. The data are written via RFID technology from the presetter to the tool and then passed on through the Easy Tool-ID system to the machine tool. Manual entry is eliminated. Setup times and the risk of incorrect entries are significantly reduced. The system consists of a tool stand with integrated read/write head, a processor unit, a microcontroller and the power supply.

The solution's handling and functional principle could not be easier: At the tool presetter, each tool is measured and its data, such as diameter and radius, are written on the data carrier on the tool shank. The user simply brings the tool to the machine, places it in the tool holder and presses a key. The system then emulates the key input and automatically reads the data with the Balluff Tool-ID through the keyboard interface to the machine controller. Manual, error-prone entry is thus eliminated. This means that even existing machines can be modernized and upgraded with a cost-effective tool ID solution.

@Balluff #PAuto @BalluffSensors

Everything you should know about Aircraft Structural Testing!

As airframe structures must be thoroughly tested to ensure top performance through its operational life, ‘Everything you should know about Aircraft Structural Testing’, a webinar from HBM, is suitable for structural engineers who are working on the development of modern aircraft.


Webinar scheduled for June 27th 2017 at 9am (GMT)

When it comes to aircraft design, extensive stress, quality and safety testing are all necessary to make sure the design will work, as even the tiniest defect can cost lives.

Split into four comprehensive categories, this webinar will start with looking at some of the reasons and common drivers behind aircraft structural testing and will move on to high-channel count testing. The webinar will then look at typical requirements of the testing engineers and a sketch of the workflow. Following this, it will conclude with a short introduction of CP52, the communications processor and participants will be shown a live demonstration with Catman Enterprise software suite, MGCplus data acquisition system and a wing model.

The MGCPlus from HBM supports a wide spectrum of sensors, transducers, fieldbus connections and standard PC interfaces, making it a suitable choice for aircraft structural testing. In addition, its modular design ensures that it can be easily expanded or modified should requirements change.

Structural tests, even on a prototype design, can often require the monitoring of many thousands of measuring points and this is where reliable, secure and flexible software is important.

Catman software, which can be used for configuring, visualizing and analyzing measurement, is specifically developed for high-channel count measurements using the MGCPlus DAQ. Secure, flexible and reliable, Catman software is suitable for projects ranging from as few as 30 measuring points to large scale tests demanding up to 20,000.

Each webinar, which normally takes a maximum of one hour, can be easily accessed at a later date or simply used as a refresher course. As an added benefit, all registered participants will receive a link to the webinar, via email, after the presentation. All HBM webinars are free of charge. However, spaces are limited and are available on a first come, first served basis.


New member for Linux Foundation!

Opto 22 has joined The Linux Foundation as a Silver Level member. As a Linux Foundation member, Opto 22 will help support the greatest shared technology resources in history, while also accelerating the company’s technology and innovation through open-source leadership and participation. In joining The Linux Foundation, the company hopes to spearhead the adoption of open-source technology in the industrial automation and process control industries, and accelerate the rollout of Industrial Internet of Things applications.

“It’s exciting to see a vendor from a traditionally proprietary technology space such as industrial automation and process control join The Linux Foundation. It is a testament to the power of open- source technology and the community that supports it and allows it to thrive,” said Mike Woster, COO of The Linux Foundation.

New technologies from the open-source community are beginning to enter the traditionally proprietary technology space of industrial applications. As open-source adoption grows, commerce and society will come to depend on the software code developed to support that adoption. The future of these critical technologies can’t be left to chance. They require a neutral, independent organization like The Linux Foundation to manage the infrastructure and sustain their code and communities over the long term.

Opto 22 has long been a proponent of using open standards and technology as well as commercially available off-the-shelf products in industrial applications and internal product development. One of the first manufacturers in the industrial automation industry to design products on open standards, it was one of the first control and I/O system manufacturers to add Ethernet connectivity and the TCP/IP protocol to an industrial controller.

Since then the company has followed up its commitment to open-source technology and the accelerated adoption of industry standards by releasing an industry-first RESTful API (application program interface) to an industrial automation controller. With this RESTful API, developers can use their software language of choice to build applications that collect data from and control real- world electrical devices like sensors, motors, and pumps. Shortly after releasing the RESTful API, Opto 22 released Node-RED nodes for its SNAP PAC system controllers, to accelerate the rapid development of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) applications. Most recently, Opto 22 added the Node-RED development environment to its IIoT application platform, the groov Box.

With the addition of the Node-RED development environment, groov is the ideal toolset for IIoT application developers. groov fuses together an industrially rugged hardware platform, data visualization for mobile and web clients, robust industrial automation protocol support including Modbus/TCP and OPC UA, and advanced data flow processing. Add these to its ability to connect multiple data sources including devices, databases, and third-party APIs, and groov becomes a single, cohesive, cost-effective, and powerful platform for nearly any IIoT or edge computing application.

“When businesses choose to leverage open-source software, they are in effect choosing to free themselves of the painful pitfall of vendor lock-in. Customers who choose to adopt a product built around a proprietary technology stack are at the mercy of their vendor,” says Benson Hougland, VP of Marketing and Product Strategy for Opto 22. “It’s time to start driving our products toward a development strategy that liberates customers from vendor lock-in and gives them a choice of vendors to work with.”


@opto22 #PAuto @linuxfoundation

Keeping Lavender smelling like roses!

As a global provider of Non-destructive Testing (NDT) training, examination and consultancy services, Lavender International* utilises a large number of test and inspection instruments. This equipment is frequently transported to overseas locations to support the company’s work in every region of the world, but on this occasion, equipment returning from Australia was held up in customs.

Lavender’s Andrew Waller called Ashtead Technology, seeking urgent assistance. “It came as a shock to discover that our equipment had been detained for reasons unspecified, so we were faced with an emergency. We were delighted when, in response to our phone call, they promised to deliver the eddy current set on the Monday morning – in time for the training course.

“Happily, Ashtead delivered on their promise, and the required equipment arrived on time and in perfect condition, so the course was able to proceed as planned. We were extremely grateful for Ashtead’s fast and efficient service, and will look to use their rental equipment on future courses.”

Following his emergency Friday afternoon call, an Olympus Nortec 600 Eddy Current Flaw Detector from Ashtead Technology was rushed to Sheffield (GB) to support a Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) training course that was due to take place the following week. The equipment arrived just in time, and the two week course – Level 2 Eddy Current Testing of Welds - was able to proceed for the 13 registered trainees.

Most of the course participants passed Lavender’s NDT training course and the results will be passed to BINDT so that those with the appropriate industrial experience can be awarded NDT certification.

Steve Drake, Ashtead Technology’s NDT Market Manager says: “This is a good example of the benefits of renting NDT equipment, because we are able to deliver the latest technology, ready for work and often at very short notice. This means that our customers do not need to over-stock with equipment, because they are able to call upon our services during periods of high or urgent demand.”

*Details of Lavender's NDT courses in Britain. 

 @ashteadtech #PAuto #TandM @LavenderNDT

Wednesday 26 April 2017

"Expertese is a whole company thing!" - new Global Director.

Servomex has appointed Andrew Thompson to the role of Director, VP, Global Marketing & Business Development, based at their Technical Centre in Crowborough (GB).

Andrew Thompson
Andrew joins Servomex from Honeywell, where he served as Vice President and General Manager for the EMEAI Honeywell Analytics Business, and was Global Head of Honeywell Industrial Safety, High Growth Regions, and Projects.

Reporting to and working closely with Servomex President Chuck Hurley, Andrew will be instrumental in driving Servomex’s marketing operations, ensuring these continue to develop and improve in line with the company’s business strategy.

Speaking about his new role, Andrew said: “Our customers should expect to see us building on the values that Servomex has represented for many years – customer focus, technical expertise and long-term support and partnership.

“We hope also to extend our offerings in technical solutions to more applications, as well as adding value to the customer business process. We have years of knowledge and experience to offer to the marketplace and will be looking at tools and forums that allow us to not only share that, but also apply that knowledge in the wider context of the customer’s commercial business.”

Andrew brings a ‘whole organisation’ ethos that will ensure Servomex continues to maintain its’ reputation as the expert leader in gas analysis.

“Being expert doesn’t just mean technology – it’s a whole company thing”, says Andrew.

"The exciting part of this role will be to seeing our business, and the people in it, grow and develop, while delighting our customers; that is our aim.”


@Servomex  #PAuto

Tuesday 25 April 2017

Post BREXIT buoyancy to be highlighted at Vision show.

A new Machine Vision Conference and Exhibition for UKIVA is to be opened by on 27th April 2017 at Arena MK by Iain Stewart M.P. ,  the local Member of Parliament. His opening address will take place at 9.45 AM and will be followed by the first keynote presentation at 10.00 AM.

Iain Stewart M.P. 
Iain has represented his constituency since 2010. Following the appointment of the new Prime Minister, Theresa May, Iain was moved to the newly formed Department for International Trade as the PPS to Rt. Hon Dr Liam Fox MP. The UKIVA Machine Vision Conference and Exhibition will provide an excellent vehicle for international trade and will highlight the buoyancy in the British vision market less than a year after the uncertainty that accompanied the ‘Brexit’ vote.

With keynote addresses from leading household brands Dyson Ltd and Ocado Technology, and a main program featuring 56 seminars across 7 different presentation theatres, the Conference will provide visitors with plenty of opportunity to explore the multitude of ways that vision technology has relevance to everyday life. The program has something for everyone with themes including ‘Understanding vision basics’ through to ‘Systems and applications’ and ‘Vision innovations’.

This comprehensive program is supported by an exhibition of the latest vision technology and services by 57 of the leading companies from the world of vision, co-located with the presentation theatre area. This convenient layout makes it easy for visitors to switch between the seminar sessions and exhibition according to their own personal schedule. This format also provides excellent opportunities for networking between presenters, exhibitors and other visitors.

@UKIVAconfex #PAuto #Vision #Brexit

Friday 21 April 2017

UV disinfection in industry.

Hanovia* is to host a webinar aimed at helping manufacturers optimise the removal of chlorine within their water treatment operations. The 60-minute interactive presentation by Tim McDougle, Hanovia’s Sales & Marketing Director and James Hadley Hanovia’s Western European Sales Manager, takes place on the 23rd May 2017 and will outline how UV dechlorination can reduce water treatment maintenance and lifecycle costs while providing enhanced protection against bio-contamination.

Hygienic applications such as pharmaceutical and food and beverage manufacturing desire clean water treatment technologies with minimal bacteria build-up and downtime. Combining pre-treatment with Reverse Osmosis is common practice for removing a broad range of inorganic and organic impurities and the addition of Electro-deionisation (EDI) in Pharmaceutical Purified Water systems guarantees sub-ppm levels of salts.

Although these stable technologies require minimal maintenance, they must be protected from oxidising species that affect performance and lifespan. Removal of free and total chlorine in process lines prior to RO and EDI is essential. To achieve this, two traditional methods exist: Activated Carbon Filtration (ACF) and Sodium Meta-Bisulphite dosing (SMB). Although well proven, these methods demonstrate certain limitations, principally that they are prone to microbial contamination that increases the bio-burden on EDI and RO membranes, leads to increased cleaning frequency and creates higher operating costs.

To help explain how to overcome these issues, the webinar will outline how UV light can be used as a dechlorination technology, replacing the need for ACF and SMB. This helps to deliver optimum dechlorination performance without the problems associated with these traditional technologies. Tim McDougle will begin by looking at the need to remove chlorine, the current technologies used and the issues surrounding them. James Hadley will then provide an overview of UV light, how it dechlorinates, and the advantages it provides over alternative methods.

The webinar will begins at 3pm BST 23rd May 2017. Register here to learn how UV dechlorination can optimise your water treatment process.

*Hanovia, part of Halma plc, is a world leader in ultra violet (UV) disinfection and chemical reduction technology for water treatment processes. Hanovia designs, develops and manufactures advanced UV systems for a wide range of industrial, aquatic and leisure applications. Since it was founded in 1924, the company has been at the forefront of UV innovation, delivering over 50,000 UV systems worldwide and providing unrivalled customer care through its UVCare™ service. Hanovia has its headquarters in the UK, with regional offices in Germany, USA, Singapore and China.

@Hanovia_UV #PAuto @HHC_Lewis.

Profile painted & powder-coated surfaces.

The newest generation DATAPAQ® EasyTrack®3 system makes profiling oven cure of painted and powder-coated products as easy as never before.

Fluke® Process Instruments has equipped the data logger with a rugged and light polycarbonate casing that withstands harsh treatment and heat up to 100 °C without distortion and without harm to the electronics. Versions with four or six thermocouple channels are available. Data is stored in a non-volatile memory – the capacity has been tripled to up to 18,000 readings per channel.

The loggers use replaceable 9 V batteries. An intelligent power management ensures a long battery life for 50 and more profiling runs. Calibration certificates stored aboard the logger can be printed anytime. When the logger is connected to a PC (via USB), the software now starts automatically. Reviewing and analyzing the data, users can dynamically change the language. Logger diagnostics is much facilitated by a quick reference guide and animated tutorials. For remote diagnostics, status data can be emailed to the manufacturer’s tech support. Fluke Process Instruments supplies a versatile range of profiling systems with probes and thermal barriers to suit a variety of applications.

The new pro version logger carries out up to three consecutive profiling runs before data download to a PC. It features a traffic light indicator that instantly shows whether process criteria have been met. The DATAPAQ EasyTrack Insight™ Professional software includes advanced analysis functions such as rise/fall, peak difference, area under curve calculation, marking of up to six oven zones in the temperature graph, a probe map for high repeatability, saved zooms for even more comfortable reviewing and sharing of data, and customized profile reports.

 @FlukeCorp  #PAuto

"Ten years empowering the world!"

Alison, the free online learning pioneer has launched a new mobile-friendly, personalised platform design, enhancing user experience and strengthening learner engagement. Founded 10 years ago today, Irish-based Alison is one of the world’s largest free education and skills training platforms, recently registering its ten millionth learner. It boasts over one million graduates of its courses with learners and graduates in every country.
Speaking at the website launch, Mike Feerick, Founder & CEO of Alison said: “This is our biggest ever platform change. The new site is built with mobile learning in mind. As mobile device-led learning begins to dominate globally, we are moving to a more personalised, engaging and gamified platform. Our new site focuses on creating a unique individual learning experience, tailored to each user’s learning history and preferences. The new site includes avatars for users that represent their level of achievement. Learners can earn points by completing modules, which in turn acts as a method of positive reinforcement. For the first time, learners can rank themselves against other learners, based on what country they are in, or what subjects they are studying. Relevant notifications will appear on the student’s dashboard, as the platform becomes more interactive. And much more.”

The launch also marks the adoption of a brand re-fresh. Feerick explained “We are excited to be combining the new website launch with a refresh of our brand. Free access to education and skills training through Alison has enabled our Learners and Graduates to make positive change in their lives. “Empower Yourself” is our invitation to our members – who of course can sign up and study with Alison for free. By striving daily to give everyone the freedom to learn and the tools to succeed, our mission to improve the world through the power of education can be achieved”.

Around 14% of Alison graduates state that free learning with Alison has led to new employment, promotion and college opportunities, while 88% said graduating with Alison improved their personal confidence and 90% said it encouraged them to learn further.

Alison provides more than 800 free courses on a broad range of subjects including project managementIT skillslearning languages and business management skills.


@AlisonCourses #PAuto #Training

Early Warning of Condensation Danger.

The compact EE046 from E+E Elektronik monitors reliably the condensation danger on chilled beams and other critical cold spots, in air conditioning systems or switching cabinets. It can be installed on plane surfaces and on pipes up to 50 mm (2”) diameter. For preventing condensation, the switch output can trigger actuators like valves or heaters.

The EE046 measures accurately the relative humidity at the surface temperature. Thanks to the special E+E proprietary coating, the humidity sensor is optimally protected against contamination. This improves the lifetime and long-term stability of the EE046 in dirty, dusty environments. Another advantage of the condensation monitor is the fast response time to humidity or surface temperature change.

The potential-free relay (max. 24 V AC/DC, 1 A) switches when the relative humidity at the surface reaches 90% RH, or in case of a supply failure such as a broken cable. A LED indicates the status of the EE046: normal operation, risk of condensation or fault/failure.

Due to the compact design, the condensation monitor requires little space and the installation is remarkably simple. On plane surfaces, the EE046 is fixed with two screws, for mounting on pipes up to 50 mm in diameter a mounting strap is included in the scope of supply.

• E+E Elektronik are marketed in Ireland through Instrument Technology.


 #EPulse #PAuto

Thursday 20 April 2017

Industrial innovation as a driver!

A new book  from ISA, encourages both manufacturers and automation suppliers to better capitalize on fast-emerging innovations in industrial technology, such as process automation systems, to drive transformative improvements in manufacturing.

“The emerging frontier for industrial innovation points at exciting ways to revolutionize the business of manufacturing—better managing operating risks and costs, reducing consumption of raw materials and energy, creating more recession-proof revenue streams, and improving safety and security,” says Augustine Tibazarwa, the author of Driving Business Value in Industrial Innovation: Disciplined Agility for Manufacturing Automation and a noted expert in R&D management and industrial technology development. “Whether it’s digitizing the physical state of a world-scale plant in real time, manipulating digital models of that plant and its manufacturing process to optimize economic value, and then changing the state of the plant for economic benefit, the potential of today’s process automation systems is profound.”

Realizing the potential, Tibazarwa emphasizes, and delivering on expected ROI requires a greater commitment among leaders in manufacturing and the automation profession to unlock new ways of driving business value and adopting proven frameworks from other industry sectors achieving transformative innovation.

His book, he says, “uniquely connects the business perspectives of manufacturers to those of automation suppliers, and the innovation perspectives of automation executives to those of automation technologists. After reading it, automation executives should be equipped to expect more from their technologists, while automation technologists should be emboldened to point out missed business opportunities and demand deeper executive commitment and sponsorship.”

Tibazarwa says the book also segue ways to the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), identifying new business value opportunities for manufacturing automation.

“For manufacturers, there are business value opportunities in the extended supply chain. For automation professionals, the fundamental capabilities for successful industrial innovation are also foundational enablers for IIoT innovation,” he points out.

@ISA_Interchange #PAuto @irelandISA

High Power CG2409 RF Switch for Wirelass.

The CEL CG2409 family of high power RF switches has been announced recently by CEL.

RF switches are microwave devices that route high frequency signals through transmission paths and can be used for diverse range of applications including WLAN, Mobile Communications, Wireless Security, Wireless Home Automation, Digital TV and many other RF products. The CG2409 is available in two packages X3 and M2. The CG2409X3 and CG2409M2 are manufactured using state of the art pHEMT technology and are packaged and tested in Japan to guarantee high quality and reliability.

These RF switch components can be used within an application to switch between Transmit / Receive modes, as Diversity Switches, switching between two different antennas, and also switching between RF Frequency Bands.

The CG2409X3 is a wideband, high-power single-pole, double-throw (SPDT) GaAs MMIC RF switch, specified for the frequency range of 0.05 to 6GHz, and can operate at a control voltage from 1.8V to 5V. The P0.1dB compression point of the switch is 37.5dBm at 3V. The second and third harmonic specs are -80dBc and -85dBc respectively at input power of 26dBm. The insertion loss ranges from 0.3dB to 0.6dB while the isolation ranges from 32dB to 28dB over the frequency range. The device is in a compact 6-pin XSON package (1.5mmx1.5mmx0.37mm).

The CG2409M2 is also a high-power single-pole, double-throw (SPDT) GaAs MMIC RF switch but is specified for the frequency range of 0.05 to 3.8 GHz and operates at a control voltage from 1.8V to 5V. The P0.1dB compression point of the switch is 36.5dBm. The second and third harmonic specs are -80dBc and -85dBc respectively at input power of 26dBm. The insertion loss ranges from 0.35dB to 0.6dB while the isolation ranges from 35dB to 21dB over the frequency range. This device is in a small 6-pin surface mount package (2.0mmx1.25mmx0.9mm).

Why use a High Power SPDT RF Switch?
There are two trends that dominate recent Wi-Fi systems development. One is the increase of RF transmission power for improved coverage range and better signal quality, and the other is the increasing use complex modulation schemes to boost the data throughput.

Both trends put more stringent requirements on power handling capability as well as linearity of the RF components used in the transmission path in order to meet regulatory and signal integrity specifications. As a result, these RF switches at the antenna ports are now one of the most critical components. While more integrated front-end-modules (FEM) are finding increasing usage, particularly for space constrained applications, discrete MMIC switches still offer the most flexibility in terms of system configuration and performance selection.

These new CEL Switches are drop-in compatible to at least one RF Switch model from Renesas (Renesas switches also offered through CEL). CEL’s RF Switches have lower prices than their equivalent drop-in Renesas RF Switches.

@CELWireless #PAuto

Wednesday 19 April 2017

Irish instrument company acquired!

Global instrumentation leaders Scientific Measurements Pte Ltd has acquired Ireland-based Eurolec Instrumentation Ltd for an undisclosed sum.

Scientific Measurements – parent company to Cirrus Research and Acoustic Instruments International – has more than 40 years’ experience in the sector and counts product ranges Optimus, Revo, doseBadge, Trojan and Invictus among its industry-leading brands.

Eurolec as a brand and trading name will continue within the Scientific Measurement fold, with the existing head office remaining in Dundalk (IRL). Its chain of distributors will also be unaffected.

Coinciding with the handover, Eurolec founder and Managing Director Tom Mears will be retiring after a five-decade career in the sector and 19 years since establishing the company. Chris Mears has been appointed the new MD, formerly heading up the company’s sales & marketing. The rest of the Eurolec team will remain unchanged by the buy-out.

Moving forwarding, product enhancement and development are a key priority for the new owners and its experienced marketing team will begin work on an updated website for its newest subsidiary.

“This is a new chapter for the company but we have inherited a strong legacy from Tom and a great platform to build upon,” said Daren Wallis, Scientific Measurements Director.

“Scientific Measurements as a company has an unrivalled track record of innovation and product development and we want to put that experience into play with Eurolec’s temperature and pressure gauge products. The ranges are an ideal fit for our current product portfolio and the Eurolec team will be able to enjoy the added benefits of our R&D and global sales & marketing team behind them.”


@Eurolec #PAuto #TandM

Seismic sensors.

Omron Electronic Components Europe has announced the availability of what it believes is the world’s smallest class size seismic sensor, specifically designed to trigger the shutdown of potentially hazardous or easily damaged systems in the event of an earthquake.

Specifically designed for the growing number of autonomous IoT systems, the Omron D7S provides high precision measurement of spectral intensity, allowing it to reject impulse vibration noise and only respond to genuine seismic activity. Despite its compact size, D7S features its own internal memory and I2C interface, allowing it to be readily integrated into IoT devices. Potential applications include smart electricity and gas meters, wireless sensors, industrial control panels, electricity distribution panels, fire-prevention systems, home appliances such as heaters and gas stoves, chemical plants, expressways, bridges, tunnels, roads and many more.

Commenting, Fabrizio Petris, Senior Business Development Manager of Omron Electronic Components Europe said, “Earthquakes are extremely common around the world. On average, 50 earthquakes strike each day, or about 20,000 a year. Many are weak enough to go unnoticed but some are catastrophic. We can’t always predict when a catastrophe will strike. Using the new sensor from Omron, designers can make systems safer and minimise the risk of secondary damage after earthquakes by safely shutting off and stopping hazardous devices. The sensor can also help determine damage by mapping seismic intensity and providing building collapse information.”

A key feature of the sensor is its ability to distinguish between genuine seismic activity from an earthquake or from some other source. When an earthquake strikes, the D7S uses Omron’s unique spectral intensity (SI) value calculation algorithms to distinguish between seismic activity and other movement. The sensor includes a 3-axis accelerometer, and on the basis of the resulting measurements, calculates the SI value to assess the magnitude of the earthquake.

D7S is a highly compact, surface mountable module with overall dimensions of just 9.8 x 10.9mm, allowing it to be easily added to any system. The low power consumption of just 90 microAmps standby and 300 microAmps when processing, allows the D7S to be readily integrated into battery powered systems.

 @OmronEurope  #Pauto

Tuesday 18 April 2017

Managing terminals!

Emerson Automation Solutions has released TerminalManager™, the next-generation software for managing all terminal operational and commercial activity. TerminalManager provides a single software platform to manage the entire terminal business process, helping operators streamline the loading processes, achieve greater connectivity to customer needs, and close the books faster.

“With the release of TerminalManager, we continue to offer new ways for our customers to improve the efficiency of their operations, not just for loading and unloading operations but for the terminal business management process as well. TerminalManager is built not only to move products but to efficiently move information which optimises the order to cash cycle for the terminal and helps streamline the customer’s supply chain logistics activities,” said Pedro D’Ascola, general manager for Emerson’s Remote Automation Solutions business.

Today’s terminal operator is faced with a variety of challenges to remain profitable in an increasingly complex market environment. For terminal operators in the oil & gas, chemical and refining industries, efficiently maximising the throughput of the terminal is critical to remain as key suppliers to their customers and to be financially successful. TerminalManager helps terminal operators manage the entire terminal business process by managing customer contracts and orders through a web-based portal, efficiently planning and executing the loading operations, managing book and physical inventory, charging for services, and billing activity back to the customer.

 @EMR_Automation  #PAuto #Oil #Gas @HHC_Lewis 

Powerful sensor solutions worldwide!

A global distribution agreement with MEMSIC  has been announced by Mouser Electronics. MEMSIC is a world leader for the consumer electronics, communications, automotive, medical and industrial sensing sectors. Through the new agreement, Mouser will distribute MEMSIC micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors to customers worldwide.

The MEMSIC product line enables mobility and the Internet of Things (IOT) by combining all the essential elements for engineers’ application needs, including solutions for drones, mobile, wearable, industrial, medical and smart parking applications. The MEMSIC product line at Mouser Electronics features a variety of sensor products, including magnetic and e-compass products, accelerometers, 6-degree-of-freedom (DOF) and 9-DOF inertial measurement units (IMUs) and orientation sensors, and gas flow modules.

The MEMSIC MMC5883MA Anisotropic Magneto Resistive (AMR)-based three-axis magnetic sensor provides the industry’s highest accuracy, lowest noise, and lowest power consumption. The sensor provides 16-bit operation over a wide ± 8 Gauss operating range, and features linearity of ± 0.2 percent full scale range (FSR), hysteresis of 0.2 percent FSR, and repeatability of 0.2 percent FSR on each of its three axes. It exhibits extremely low current consumption of only 20µA at a data rate of seven samples per second and extremely low noise level of only 0.4 mGauss total RMS noise. Combining this performance in an industry-standard small LGA package the sensor addresses the ever-increasing demands of industrial and drone applications.

The ultra-low-cost  MXC6255XC/U DTOS accelerometers are two-axis motion and orientation sensors, based on MEMSICs proven MEMS thermal technology. The DTOS accelerometers allow designers to integrate key user interfaces, such as programmable “shake to change” menu navigation, TV/music channel selection, and vertical/horizontal picture orientation. The devices can also provide some basic game play control, fall-over detection in irons and other appliances, and other applications in mobile devices, toys, and consumer electronics.

The MFC2000 bi-directional digital MEMS gas flow sensors are more durable and provide high levels of measurement repeatability when compared to existing diaphragm or turbine-based gas flow meters. The silicon-based devices offer great power consumption characteristics, such as sleep-mode currents as low as 1 µA and typical operating currents of 3 mA. Other benefits include low 2.7 V–5.5 V supply operation, wide dynamic range with 3-percent or better accuracy, and the ability to provide the necessary performance over a 100:1 flow range. The architecture of the mass flow sensor modules is highly customizable for different flow rates and form factors optimized to application requirements. The gas flow sensors reduce the need for specialized machines in care centers, and enable gas flow-related medical equipment to be economically introduced into the home medical market.

#PAuto @MouserElec @MouserElecEU @MEMSsensortech