Rental changes

Two new appointments at Ashtead Technology

Instrumentation specialist Ashtead Technology has announced two new appointments within their recently created Instrument Division. Alan Hasson (right in picture) has replaced James Carlyle as Manager of the company's European head office and James Carlyle has been promoted to the newly created world-wide role of Business Development Manager. The Instrument Division supplies equipment into the test and measurement market, predominantly specialising in rentals.

Alan has spent most of his career in the instrumentation sector, including three years at Ashtead Technology. James is also a long-standing instrumentation professional and has been responsible for the success of the European Instrument Division since May 2004.

Commenting on the announcement, CEO Graham Philip said, "The Instrument Division has grown considerably in recent years and these appointments represent an important component of our future growth plans.

"Both James and Alan possess high levels of technical knowledge and experience, which is an important feature of our staff. It is this expertise that enables us to offer the best available technologies, coupled with industry leading levels of service and technical support."

LEM in China

New state-of-the-art manufacturing site in China
LEM celebrates 20 years in China

LEM continued its worldwide investment programme by opening a new, state-of-the-art manufacturing site and offices in Beijing (CN).

Beijing LEM Electronics Co., Ltd, is a fully owned subsidiary of LEM. The new site covers an area of 10,000 m2 with a total production area of 6,000 m2. Incorporating the latest manufacturing technology it is heated and cooled by a geothermal 300 KWA heat pump. Air quality at the flow-through plant is controlled by the introduction of fresh air via a heat exchanger and it is fully ESD protected. “After excellent growth in both production and sales for LEM in China, we are opening this new facility to ensure our continued development in the global markets”, said Paul Van Iseghem, President and CEO of LEM Group. “The new facility strengthens our capability to manufacture the high-quality electrical components that enable our customers worldwide to leverage our components in their systems for motor controls and inverters in the industrial, traction, energy & automation and automotive markets”.

The company has been active in China for 20 years and since 1998 it has had a fully owned company in Beijing. The opening ceremony was attended by leading Chinese and European officials including Mr. Lin Xiangyang, Vice Head of Beijing's Shunyi District; Mr. Claudio Mazzucchelli, Head of Section Swiss Business Hub; Mr. Liu Jinkui, General Manager of Linhe Industrial Zone; Mr. Peter Troesch, President of SwissCham Beijing; Mr. Zhang Ming, Vice General Manager of China Environrnmental Protection Company; Mr. Liang Yongyin, Party Secretary of Steel Structure Project Company of China XinXing Construction & Development Company.

The 20th anniversary of LEM in China was also celebrated with a display of Chinese dragons and dancers.

Cybersafe training

First research project aimed at improving industrial cyber security
Training & education for automation professionals

In an announcement earlier this month Wurldtech™ Security Technologies, a leading provider of industrial cyber security testing and certification solutions for critical infrastructure industries, and steward of the newly created industrial cyber security research institute, revealed the first research project designed to help improve cyber security education and awareness amongst IT and automation professionals working in the energy industry. This will be the first in a series of online learning courses developed and approved by end-users and delivered through the centre’s information sharing exchange and online knowledge portal.

A standardized cyber security training program designed for control and automation engineers is a great need in Shell and likely a ubiquitous one with any operators of industrial control systems” said Ted Angevaare, Global Technology Leader Process Automation with Shell Global Solutions. "One of the biggest problems we encounter is that staff on site do not recognize security incidents or recognize them too late because they are not familiar with common cyber security concepts and best practices. This training program has been designed to reduce this risk across disciplines within asset-owners and Shell is pleased to contribute and will be encouraging our partners in the oil & gas sector to do so as well.”

FUNCTIONAL CYBER SECURITY TRAINING
The first project will see the development of an online training and workplace learning program designed to improve general industrial cyber security awareness about key concepts and best practices in order to bridge the divide between IT and automation professionals. With one of the most pervasive cyber security challenges today being the information / communication gap between IT and control resulting from disjointed corporate structures, cultural differences and general attrition in the energy sector, this training program will provide a standardized awareness for old and new employees alike at level accessible to a wide audience. The training program will be delivered through the centre’s online knowledge portal and has six distinct value propositions for the community:

End User Driven Content: The entire process, from subject matter content to the delivery model has been designed with large energy industry members from the electric power and oil & gas sectors. This ensures alignment to actual need and eliminates vested interests by third parties (vendors, consultants, and government agencies) which typically results in unnecessary delays and reduced overall value.

Selected, Endorsed & Supported By Leading Energy Companies: The training program has already been selected to replace the existing staff security training courses at some of the world’s largest energy stakeholders.

Functional Cyber Security Certification Alignment: The training aligns with the Achilles Cyber Security Certification Program - which provides cyber security benchmarks for company processes and products in line with emerging standards such as ISA SP99. This provides organisations with an additional level of assurance that the training their employees receive fits into a functional security paradigm consistent amongst all stakeholders (Vendors, Integrators and Operators) and share a common vernacular.

Improved Business Model: Many cyber security training programs exist but are difficult to find and even more difficult to administer, manage and track. This program is designed with rigorous course content complete with required pass/fail criteria and delivered through a web-based knowledge portal which automatically manages both individual and group progress, student statistics, and provides company wide results in easy to use executive dashboards.

Regulatory Requirements Alignment: The training program is designed to satisfy current and emerging standards and regulatory requirements such as NERC CIP 004.


Free For Centre Members: If your organization is an funding member, then the course will be offered online to your company free of charge with unlimited access.

Office thief cartoon above right by michael molenda seen on domesticatingIT blog Top 5 No-Cost Cyber Security Practices

iPhone control!

Control from your iPhone

ML Electronics has announced a new low cost 2-wire LED lighting control system design that can be managed from an iPhone as well as a PC or other computing device.

The company has completed a reference design for a low cost home LED lighting control system for ‘retro fitting’ into existing standard housing as a replacement for, or enhancement to, conventional lighting. A key feature of the system is that the same 24 VDC supply lines that power the LEDs are used for the control signals, using a unique protocol developed by them.

The system is operated using one or more master controllers which address a number of slaves, and each slave controls clusters of three RGB/white LEDs. The master can be controlled via Ethernet, Wireless LAN (Wi-Fi), Bluetooth®, DMX512, DALI or any custom control interface. As part of the development, they produced both PC and iPhone applications to address the master via Wireless LAN.

The slaves are connected to the master using a 2-wire low voltage 24 volt supply, and each slave is capable of controlling the colour and brightness of up to 50 Watts of LED illumination from data command signals superimposed on the power line. A master unit injects control data onto the low voltage supply line controlling the slaves using the MLE protocol. Each master can control two ‘strings’, each with 16 slaves. These strings can be wired in parallel, so that each slave produces the same colours, or in series, allowing slaves to produce different output colours if desired. No earth is required, and there are no separate control lines.

An unusual feature of the design is the iPhone application that can be used to control the lights – setting brightness levels and turning them on and off. Control can be zoned, with a facility to pre-programme and store complex scenarios. For example, in a kitchen installation, a user might set up a scenario with mood lighting around the worktop areas, white light above the eating area, and no light by the entrance by the doors, then implement it using only one or two clicks on the user interface. The same facilities are offered on the PC application.

Commenting, Mike Lloyd, Managing Director of ML Electronics, said, “ML Electronics is passionate about making our industry more sustainable, and we see LED lighting as a more sustainable option for ambient and effect lighting. By implementing a control system using only two wires, we’ve simplified the installation and reduced the amount of material required. Adding an iPhone app to control the lighting is a fun extra feature.” He added, “Although power line control is commonplace over mains wiring, implementing it on a low voltage DC feed is considerably more challenging.”

The reference design is available to companies seeking control solutions for LED lighting and other applications.

Wireless invitation

Information for Wireless Backhaul/Backbone Network

The ISA100.15 Working Group (WG15) is seeking technical presentations from wireless backhaul/backhaul providers that will form the basis for the Working Group’s recommended best practices and standards considerations for interoperability of wireless backhaul/backbone networks, wireless sensor networks, and wireless devices usable by the process automation industry.

The requirements for the presentations submitted in response to the RFI are provided in the ISA100.15 Working Group Request for Information (RFI). The RFI document can be downloaded from ISA at http://www.isa.org/isa100wireless/ISA100WG15RFI. Interested parties must respond with their intent to participate by October 16, 2009. Instructions for indicating intent to participate are in the RFI document.

The ISA100 committee established WG15 in June 2008. Composed of process automation users, vendors and service providers, WG15 is chartered to define recommended best practices and standards considerations to enable interoperability between backhaul/backbone wireless networks and field wireless networks and devices.

Wireless backhaul/backbone networks provide support for a variety of process control protocols which includes, but is not limited to, Fieldbus Foundation High Speed Ethernet (HSE) and ISA100.11a protocols. It is expected that other traffic such as voice and video will share the same backhaul/backbone network in a segregated manner.

Safe enclosure!

Uncompromisingly safe equipment
The new WK4 enclosure by Rittal

Optimum protection for system technology is a key requirement of enclosures that are requested for public safety digital networks, often known as TETRA. The tenders contain demands that are based on the theft protection for facility management and describe the protection of windows and doors against vandalism and burglary. The underlying standard is DIN V ENV 1630, 1999-04.

Rittal Communication Systems has addressed the market requirements and designed a WK4 enclosure that immediately overcame all hurdles in an external institute test during the first presentation.

This company has gained experience regarding vandalism protection through broadband applications, where less stringent requirements to protect against the occasional intruder are met under classification WK2. For the emergency services digital network the requirements are much more stringent. The period of time which the enclosure must resist intrusion is increased and the tool range that may be used for the “standardized” access attempts is widened to include power tools.



At the same time Rittal also took into account climate control in the WK4 enclosure. All climate control is achieved without visible louvers or air inlets/outlets in the outer cabinet, thus further reducing the effects of concerted attack.

Wireless T&M

Remote display multimeter brings wireless technology to contact electrical measurement

Fluke has introduced the industry’s first digital multimeter with a detachable wireless display. The new Fluke 233 Digital Multimeter (DMM) uses a wireless transmitter to immediately send measurements to the detached display, improving safety and increasing productivity for industrial and commercial electricians and electronic technicians.

The Fluke 233 Remote Display Multimeter gives users ultimate flexibility in difficult test situations. By simply sliding the wireless display out of the meter body, the user can place the display where it is most easily seen, up to 10 metres from the point of measurement, while putting the meter in the best position to take measurements. The low-power, 2.4 GHz-ISM Band wireless signal that transmits measurement data is resistant to electromagnetic interference. The radio transmitter automatically turns on when the display is removed from the meter and off when the display is re-attached. The removable display is magnetic and has a flat bottom, so it can be conveniently mounted or placed on a flat surface where it can easily be seen. When the display is attached, the Fluke 233 operates as a conventional multimeter.

The Fluke 233 will measure up to 1000V AC and DC and up to 10A. It offers a 10,000 microF capacitance range, measures frequencies to 50kHz and captures min/max and average readings automatically. It features a 6,000-count display and includes a built-in thermometer that enables users to take temperature readings easily without carrying a separate instrument. An auto-off feature maximises battery life. The Fluke 233 is safety rated for use in CAT IV 600V/CAT III 1000V working environments.
Designed for both convenience and safety, the Fluke 233 makes it easier to take measurements in hard-to-reach places, or make measurements in machines or panels that are physically separated from a limit or isolator switch. It is ideal in areas where the operator cannot be close to the active measurement point, like clean rooms or hazardous areas. Making measurements without holding the meter can help users improve their visual focus on their test probes and work more safely.
The detachable wireless display lets the user:

• Find a comfortable position to view and record test data, even when the test location is hard to reach or in a dirty or noisy environment.
  
• View readings when the test point is across the room, or in the next room.
  
• See test results even when the meter is hidden behind an equipment enclosure.
  
• Run tests and read results at a safe distance from shock and arc flash hazards, moving machinery and other dangers.
  
• Separate the tasks of positioning the meter and reading test results, so the user can devote full attention to each job and work more safely.