Shockproof

Rugged transducers offer 20,000g shock survivability and minimum 2X burst pressure

Endevco Corporation has announced the debut of the 8511A series, a family of high sensitivity, rugged piezoresistive gauge pressure transducers, expressly designed for maximum reliability in extreme measurement environments.

Available in ranges of 5,000; 10,000; and 20,000 psig, with a 3/8 mounting thread, Endevco® 8511A series pressure sensors feature a four-arm piezoresistive strain gage bridge, diffused into a sculpted silicon diaphragm, for maximum sensitivity and wideband frequency response. The transducers also feature self-contained full hybrid temperature compensation, providing stable performance over a wide temperature range of 0°F to +200°F (-18°C to +93°C). In addition, these rugged transducers are designed to survive 20,000g shock and minimum 2X burst pressure.

The 8511A series also offers excellent linearity, high shock resistance, and high stability during thermal transients, making them ideal for use in studies of structural loading by shock waves resulting from explosive blasts; hydraulic or combustion system pulsation measurements; and automotive airbag testing. For harsh environments where particle impingement is a concern, an optional protective screen and black silicone grease coating is available. This further reduces photoflash sensitivity and provides an effective thermal barrier for short duration high temperature service.

Recommended accessories for use with the Endevco® 8511A series include model 136 three-channel system, model 4430A signal conditioner, or model 4990A (Oasis), as signal conditioner and power supply.

Air quality

Need for high air quality to drive oil-free compressors market
By Katarzyna Owczarczyk, Research Analyst, Industrial Automation & Process Control, Frost & Sullivan

Katarzyna Owczarczyk is a Research Analyst with the Frost & Sullivan European Industrial Automation and Process Control Practice. She focuses on monitoring and analyzing emerging trends, technologies and market behavior in the Industrial Automation and Process Control industry in Europe.

Compressed air has become vital for day-to-day operations in most industries. Currently, the most commonly used compressors are oil-injected rotary screw. As the name suggests, it requires oil to operate. However, contamination of the oil by even the smallest quantities in purity-critical compressed-air applications can result in damaged products or product batches, high rejection rates and returns and costly production downtime and cleanup. In order to overcome these issues, end users are increasingly turning towards oil-free compressors.

Frost & Sullivan is of the view that the European oil-free compressors market is likely to witness tremendous growth in future. The market registered revenues of $540.0 million in 2008, and is estimated to reach $668.0 million in 2015.

Chart 1 provides the revenue comparison of oil-free compressors and industrial compressors for the European oil-free compressors market in 2008.

Chart 1 Oil-free Compressors Market: Revenue Comparison of Oil-free Compressors and Industrial Compressors (Europe), 2008Source: Frost & Sullivan

Benefits of Using Oil-free Compressors
Special thrust is given to oil-free compressors, as unlike oil-injected or technical oil-free that emit some levels of contaminated air, oil-free compressors deliver 100% oil-free air. Thus, there is no risk of oil-contaminated compressed air.

Besides, the running costs of oil-injected compressors are higher than oil-free compressors. Oil-injected compressors require regular oil filling and frequent filter changes to prevent air contamination and serious shutdown conditions. Moreover, cost is involved in consuming oil and the disposal of oil residue is an additional cost. These costs, although not apparent at the time of purchase, are very high and contribute substantially to the total cost of ownership. In comparison, the maintenance costs of oil-free compressors are very low. Oil-free compressors eliminate the need to periodically check the oil level, the need to refill oil and the need to change oil and cartridges. Consequently, the need to treat the exhausts is also nil. Moreover, oil-free compressors tend to be more energy efficient, cutting down energy costs even up to 30.0 per cent. As energy forms 70.0 per cent of the total life cycle cost of a compressor, the savings can be substantial.

Finally, oil-free compressors solve the existing problems of pollution and oil waste management caused by lubricated types of compressors. By using oil-free compressors, there is no risk to the environment due to pollution by oil leakages, there is no need to dispose exhaust oil and filter cartridges and there is no risk of desiccant contamination due to the presence of oil. In result, oil-free compressors enable compressed air users to operate with maximum environmental efficiency.

Growing Need for the Highest Air Quality
Avoiding even the slightest oil contamination is a very critical need among various end users. This is more so in critical applications, where air comes into contact with the process, such as food and beverage processing, pharmaceutical manufacturing and packaging, chemical and petrochemical processing, semiconductor and electronics manufacturing, the medical sector, automotive paint spraying and textile manufacturing.

The performance of air compressors has a direct impact on product quality and production costs and end users in all these critical applications cannot afford for any shortcomings otherwise, they stand to lose market position and reputation. Consequently, much more end users, be it big, small or medium-sized, are investing in oil-free air compressors, which guarantee premium air quality, eliminating any concerns of product safety.

Food and beverage, life sciences and others, including automotive, chemicals, oil and gas, pulp and paper and other niche applications, held the largest share in the European oil-free compressors market in 2008. Shares of these end users are expected to rise from 2008 to 2015, except others which have been affected by the economic recession. The power generation industry is also expected to grow during the forecast period. However, due to the impact of the economic recession, the electronics industry is expected to be severely affected until 2010. The textile market is expected to decline in terms of revenue share, because of the growing trend of moving textile production to low-cost labour countries in the Middle East and Asia.

Conclusion
The European oil-free compressors market is expected to grow steadily from 2010 onwards, driven by the demand from food and beverage, life science and electronics industries, where high air quality is very important. Most of these critical applications have already implemented oil-free compressors on taking into account the benefits of using such compressors. Moreover, given the current economic situation, it is not profitable to use unreliable and costly lubricated compressors in most of these applications. In future, other applications are expected to follow suit. The European oil-free compressors market is estimated to generate $668.0 million by 2015, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.0–4.0 per cent from 2008 to 2015.

Tuning loops

Tune 50 control loops per day

With ExperTune's PlantTriage software, an engineer or technician can now tune over 50 control loops a day. PlantTriage identifies loops to be tuned and gives the best PID values. Before-and-after simulations quickly confirm the settings. The browser-based tools accelerate tuning time to mere minutes.

See How to Tune a Loop in 60 Seconds

PlantTriage is control loop performance monitoring software. It monitors the performance of all plant control loops and instruments in real-time, providing prioritized, focused advice. Prioritized tuning recommendations are shown in a standard web browser or via automated email. From here, users can perform simulations, fine-tune the controller, select robustness, and generate loop documentation. Live links to detailed dashboards can be used to inspect all aspects of control loop performance. Only Microsoft Internet Explorer software is required on the client computer.

George Buckbee, Vice President of Product Development at ExperTune says: "I've been tuning control loops myself for over 20 years. Loop tuning has always been a time-consuming process, with a lot of waiting. This new approach takes all the waiting out of the process. Now, engineers and technicians can confidently tune dozens of control loops a single day."

The new features link directly to PlantTriage's Active Model Capture Technology, or AMCT. AMCT scans the plant 24 hours a day, looking for operator setpoint changes or output changes. From this normal operating data, the software models the process, finds new tuning, and shows the improvement. The PlantTriage server maintains a history of these process models, and tuning values, as well as other control performance metrics.

John Gerry, President of ExperTune says "ExperTune's expertise has been recognized through multiple industry awards. We pride ourselves on putting this expertise into easy-to-use tools. The new browser-based tools make our knowledge and experience even more accessible and easy to use."

Browser-based tuning tools are available as a standard feature in PlantTriage version 9, which starts shipping this year.

An eight channel oven temperature profiler


MadgeTech has just released the OctThermoVault, an eight channel thermocouple based oven temperature profiler.

The OctThermoVault can be placed directly in an oven to provide a complete temperature profile of the entire process.

With up to eight channels, both product and environmental temperatures can be captured. Each thermocouple has its own cold junction compensation reference point, providing increased accuracy and response time.

The OctThermoVault can withstand temperatures up to 350ºC (662ºF) for 25 minutes and has programmable reading rates as fast as 4Hz. Each channel can store up to 500,000 readings. Channels can be enabled or disabled to maximize memory capacity. For identification, each channel can be named with a ten character title. If a probe is removed or severed during logging, the device detects this change and the software will automatically annotate the data to indicate an open thermocouple.

The OctThermoVault is ideal for use in oven temperature profiling for the food processing industry and other heat treating applications. Simply start the logger and place it within the monitoring area. Data from all channels is simultaneously logged. After the monitoring cycle is complete data can be downloaded to a PC for further analysis.

Head of Europe

Bob Sharp named as president, Emerson Process Management, Europe

Emerson Process Management has just appointed Robert (Bob) T. Sharp as president, Europe. Sharp will be based at Emerson’s European head office in Baar, Switzerland. He will relocate from Gothenburg, Sweden, where he served as president of Emerson’s Rosemount Level & Marine division.

“I am pleased to announce the appointment of Bob Sharp to this key position,” said Steve Sonnenberg, president of Emerson Process Management. “Bob brings strong leadership skills and a breadth of experience that will be key to meeting the demands of this important and diverse marketplace.”

Sharp has a wealth of process industry experience. He joined Emerson in 1996 and has held several senior management roles within the process business. These have included global vice president of the Rosemount temperature business, and before that vice president, global marketing within the Rosemount division. Sharp holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Michigan Technological University and a master of business administration from Harvard Business School.

“I am delighted to be taking on this role” said Sharp. “This is a challenging time for the process industries, both because of the global economic conditions as well as the changes at our customer’s sites in terms of workforce demographic shifts and technology trends. I am looking forward to leading the team that will provide technologies and expertise to enable our customers to face these challenges head on.”

Wireless level

Emerson adds Rosemount® vibrating fork liquid level switch to Smart Wireless product portfolio
New WirelessHART™ switch provides access to difficult to reach measurement points in the chemical, power generation and oil and gas industries

Emerson Process Management has introduced the industry’s first WirelessHART point level switch, which enables level detection to be made in locations previously inaccessible or too costly for wired devices.

The Rosemount® 2160 vibrating fork liquid level switch combines Emerson’s wireless expertise with the Rosemount vibrating short fork technology. It has all the same features as the wired level switches in the Rosemount 2100 series, but without the complication and cost of wiring.

Suitable for almost all liquid applications, the 2160 liquid level switch is virtually unaffected by flow, bubbles, turbulence, foam, vibration, solids content, coating, liquid properties and product variations. It is designed for use in extreme temperatures and performs in harsh process conditions that are unsuitable for other switches. Typical applications include overfill protection, high and low level alarms, pump control (limit detection) and pump protection or empty pipe detection.

The Rosemount 2160 is a component of PlantWeb® digital architecture, wirelessly communicating switch output state, diagnostics, and PlantWeb alerts. The wireless switches operate in the WirelessHART self-organising mesh network which enables the switches to automatically find the best communication path, with greater than 99% data reliability, to the Smart Wireless Gateway.

“We believe the introduction of wireless technology to process level measurement and detection will add value for the industry’s end users,” said Kevin Cullen, product manager at Emerson’s Mobrey Measurement division. “By combining Emerson’s expertise in wireless with Rosemount’s process level products, we offer process industries a cost-effective means of taking measurements at currently undetected alarm points, helping them to further optimise plant performance and reduce risk.”

The unique ‘Fast Drip’ fork design of the Rosemount 2160 and other products in the 2100 series means that any remaining liquid is drawn away from the fork tips, enabling quicker and more reliable detection, especially in high density liquids. Two models are available, covering the temperature range -94° to 500°F (-68° to 260°C),

The wireless point level switch uses an intrinsically safe power module that utilises Emerson’s SmartPower™ technology to provide a long battery life.

An integral LCD display showing switch output states and diagnostics provides real time, accurate verification of process conditions. The product is suitable for horizontal or vertical installation via a flange or threaded process connection. The omnidirectional aerial and rotatable housing enable the mounting to be adjusted for optimum signal and best viewing of the display.

The product is easy to install and maintain as there are no moving parts. Any build-up, fork blockage or excessive corrosion is shown immediately by a change in fork sensor frequency, indicating that maintenance may be required.

Intrinsically safe options are available for hazardous area installations, as the Rosemount 2160 has ATEX (Europe), IECEx (Asia), FM (US) and CSA (Canada) certification. It can also be supplied with a hand-polished wet side suitable for food and beverage applications.

In addition to the wireless point level switch, Emerson offers a wide range of wireless field instrumentation and plant operations equipment, including Fisher® position monitors, Rosemount transmitters, Rosemount Analytical and Machinery Health™ Management devices and native wireless interfaces to AMS™ Suite predictive maintenance software, DeltaV™ or Ovation® digital automation systems, and wireless SmartStart™ services. Smart Wireless is an extension of Emerson’s PlantWeb digital plant architecture.

Data loggers

On-line selection guide

Finding best-match technology for monitoring temperature, humidity, pressure, or electronic signal events can now use The Dickson Data Logger Selection Guide, an online step-by-step resource guide available from Dickson Company, which offers the widest selection of data loggers and chart recorders for these monitoring purposes.

Multiple selection factors are provided including instrument displays, remote probe availability, alarm options, wireless/Ethernet/battery-operated or outlet-powered, operating ranges and cost. Users are able to drill down and mix and match various features until they identify the range of instruments that match their specifications.

Chris Sorensen, Dickson VP Sales and Marketing, comments, “We know that the data logger or chart recorder that is the best fit for one user’s application may not work well for another, and we maintain the world’s widest selection of top-quality instruments to ensure you’ll never have to make do with a less than optimal instrument match to your application.”