A Practical Guide to Improving Temperature Measurement Accuracy! @MII_Worldwide #PAuto

For many temperature applications, getting a high level of accuracy is vital. A new white paper from Moore Industries highlights how plant and site engineers can ensure the most accurate temperature measurement for critical applications. 

Click image to download!

Available for download from the Moore Industries website. “A Practical Guide to Improving Temperature Measurement Accuracy” details steps that can also help end users improve the stability of their measurements and reduce calibration costs.

The paper shows how to select the best sensor for a particular application and ways to improve the accuracy of the sensor you choose. In particular, it details the reasons why 4-wire RTD sensors are almost always the best choice for high-accuracy temperature applications. Using 4-wire RTD sensors eliminates the errors caused by a copper lead wire. The paper also explains the relationship between classes of sensors (such as Standard and Premium Grade thermocouples and Class A RTDs) and their error rates.

Along with learning how to select sensors, the paper also covers how to reduce errors caused by plant noise, using bath calibration to minimize RTD measurement errors and the relationship between remote I/O and temperature accuracy. 

Rugged single board computer.

GE Energy Management’s Intelligent Platforms has announced the SBC347A rugged 3U OpenVPX single board computer (SBC). Based on the latest ‘Broadwell’ processor technology from Intel®, it delivers higher performance and greater functionality than previous generations of SBC while maintaining the same power envelope. The SBC374A is the first in a number of Broadwell-based products that GE plans to introduce.

The new SBC is designed for demanding applications in harsh, SWaP (size, weight and power) constrained military environments such as manned and unmanned vehicles, signal processing in ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance), sonar, radar, and command/control, as well as the most challenging applications in industry such as energy exploration and transportation.

The SBC374A benefits from two channels of 10Gbase-T connectivity, giving it 10x the Ethernet capability of earlier SBCs. This enables customers upgrading from previous generations of GE’s 3U OpenVPX Intel-based platforms to benefit from substantially enhanced connectivity on the Control Plane without needing to undertake disruptive, expensive infrastructure changes.

In line with GE’s commitment to maximizing long term customer value and return on investment, the SBC374A provides a simple, form/fit/function pin-compatible upgrade path.

The latest Intel Core i7 quad core processor, operating at up to 2.7GHz, can deliver as much as 15% greater CPU performance and 30% greater 3D graphics performance compared with its predecessors. The SBC374A supports up to 16GBytes of soldered ECC memory, and provides the exceptional on-board and off-board bandwidth needed by today’s sophisticated applications with its support for PCI Express® Gen3 technology and USB3.0.

“With the announcement of the SBC374A, GE is again in the forefront of responding to customer demand for rugged embedded computing solutions that deliver unprecedented performance and flexibility, yet are compact, lightweight and consume minimal power,” said Richard Kirk, Director of Core Computing at GE’s Intelligent Platforms business. “It is also yet another example of our continuing commitment to enabling our customers to take advantage of the power of the latest Intel technology.”

The SBC374A is available in five build levels, from benign environment (air cooled) to fully rugged (conduction cooled), and supports Microsoft® Windows, Open Linux® and VxWorks®. It benefits from support by both GE’s AXIS Advanced Multiprocessor Integrated Software development environment that minimizes program risk and speeds time to market, and from GE’s industry-leading Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) programs that are designed to maximize the long term value of customer investments.

Coriolis and vortex flowmeters to ASME B31.1.

Certification further extends the breadth of Micro Motion® and Rosemount® technologies for use in power applications.

Emerson’s Rosemount 8800 Vortex Flowmeters have been certified to the ASME B31.1

Emerson's Micro Motion Coriolis and Rosemount 8800 Vortex Flowmeters have been certified to the ASME B31.1 Power Piping design standards, in addition to the existing B31.3 Process Piping design standard.

Micro Motion Coriolis flowmeters

certified to ASME B31.1

“We are committed to serving the power industry and are excited to announce compliance to B31.1 Power Piping design standards,” said Andy Dudiak, president of Micro Motion at Emerson Process Management. “Micro Motion Coriolis and Rosemount Vortex meters bring accurate, reliable measurement to a wide range of applications, helping electricity generators gain better insight into their processes for improved operations.”

B31.1 Power Piping design standard certification applies to all areas of the power plant except for Boiler External Piping (BEP), and is a basic design requirement for products sold into the power industry. B31.1 Code Stamp certification applies to the BEP area of the plant.

Compliance with B31.1 Power Piping design standard is offered on several of the Micro Motion Coriolis Meters – including ELITE®, F-series and R-series meters.

Rosemount 8800 Vortex products that meet B31.1 design standards and Code Stamp certification include all carbon steel flanged, reducer and dual vortex meters with flange ratings up to and including ASME Class 1500 (PN 160) on 1-inch (DN25) through 8-inch (DN200) meter body sizes and ASME Class 600 (PN100) on 10-inch (DN250) and 12-inch (DN300) meter body sizes.

4-20mA DC clamp meter.

A Current Clamp Meter measuring 4-20mA DC that wirelessly relays measurements has been added by Fluke to the other Fluke Connect™ enabled master units or the Fluke Connect mobile App. The a3004 FC Wireless DC Clamp Meter is a fully functional current clamp meter which measures 4mA to 20mA signals without “breaking the loop”. It is ideal for use by process control technicians and for industrial technicians maintaining PLCs and controls, as well as in automotive and HVAC applications.

The Fluke a3004 FC Wireless 4-20mA DC Clamp Meter features a detachable clamp with extension cable for measurements in tight locations and can be used as a standalone meter or as part of a system. A logging function enables the recording and saving of up to 65,000 measurements. It is suitable for measurement of 4-20mA control loops, 4-20mA signal measurements, testing analog input/output signals and other low level DC current measurements.

The Fluke Connect system allows maintenance technicians to wirelessly transmit measurement data from Fluke test tools such as the a3004 FC to their smart phone for secure storage on the cloud, thus enabling access by any team member in the field. Maintenance technicians make better, faster decisions when they have field access to maintenance records and when they can review measurements in real time with team members and supervisors who may be in different locations. Fluke Connect facilitates access to records by all team members wherever they are and at the same time increases the safety of technicians working with energised equipment.

The Fluke Connect app can be downloaded free from the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. More than twenty Fluke tools connect wirelessly with the Connect app, including digital multimeters, infrared cameras, insulation testers, process meters, and specific voltage, current and temperature meters.

Flat panels and panel PCs.

19-inch widescreen Flat Panels and Panel PCs with all-round IP65 protection are the latest addition to the Siemens glass-front portfolio. Fitted with a rugged aluminum enclosure, the new devices are designed especially for use at the machine level in harsh industrial environments and can be mounted either from the top or the bottom on a stand or supporting arm system.

Simatic IFP1900 PRO Flat Panels and Simatic IPC477D PRO Panel PCs have crystal-clear, scratchproof, 100% glass fronts that are highly resistant to chemicals. Highlights include a special industrial anti-glare surface, excellent legibility even at large viewing angles thanks to the high image resolution and brightness, and the automatic detection of inadvertent touching or operation, for example, caused by catching the screen with the ball of the hand or the build-up of dirt on the panel surface. Projected-capacitive touch technology (PCT) enables single and multi-touch or gesture-based operation, even when wearing thin protective gloves, and images can be panned, zoomed, or hidden components shown both intuitively and quickly.

Longest running industry event maintains its momentum with more than 5,000 attendees.

More than 5,000 attendees flooded the Long Beach Convention Center from June 9-11 to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Sensors Expo & Conference. With a steady increase in overall Show Floor traffic, and a marked 10% increase in International attendance, the leading industry event drew thought leaders from top companies such as Airbus, Apple, Boeing, Honda, Hyundai, Lockheed Martin, Medtronic, Microsoft, Moore Industries, Northrup Grumman, Port of Los Angeles, Smith & Nephew, SpaceX St. Jude Medical, Stryker, and Tesla, eager to learn more about the sensing technologies that are driving tomorrow's solutions.

Video Showcase

Seen & Heard at Sensors 2015

New this year, the event featured a celebratory Kick-Off Party, offering attendees an opportunity to network before the start of the Show; the Engineering Excellence Awards, a complement to the annual Best of Sensors Expo awards; and a new Expo Floor Reception encouraging thought leaders to share best practices, network and uncover strategies to help drive the sensing industry forward.

With three Pre-Conference Symposia dedicated to Energy Harvesting for Wireless Sensors in the IoT, Sensor Fusion, and IoT, and more than 65 Conference Sessions spanning Wireless to Wearables, the 2015 Sensors Expo offered something for everyone engaged in the sensors industry.  

Keynote sessions featuring Dr. Mike North, the host of Discovery shows “Prototype This,” “Outrageous Acts of Science” and “In The Making,” and Gadi Amit, the Technology Designer behind projects such as Google Project Ara, Fitbit Fitness Trackers and the Lytro camera, were delivered to a standing room only audience and offered valuable insights on the hot trends impacting the sensors market today.  

"The ROHM Group has been a long time sponsor of Sensors Expo & Conference, and we are impressed with the caliber of speakers, content and attendees the show continues to attract.  This year’s event was the best experience we have had thus far, leaving us with renewed enthusiasm for opportunities of growth in sensing technologies, especially in the rapidly growing Internet of Everything era.  We look forward to 2016, and the continued success of  Sensors Expo & Conference, which has proven to be an invaluable forum for the sensor community," said Nader Sadrzadeh, President & CEO, Kionix Inc., Sr. Vice President, ROHM Semiconductor. 

The 2015 Sensors Expo & Conference featured Diamond Sponsor Mouser Electronics, Platinum Sponsors Arrow, B+B Smartworx and B-Scada and more than 25 industry sponsors.

• Next years Sensors Expo 2016 is scheduled for 21-23 June 2016 in San José (CA USA)

Tiny wireless switches!

The outstanding feature of .steute's new RF 13 wireless switchgear series is immediately obvious: they are extremely compact in their design. In figures: with housing dimensions of just 49 x 40 x 21 mm, they are the smallest self-sufficient wireless switches for industrial applications currently on the market.

And – what cannot be seen – they are also characterised by a switching performance to match that of any microswitch.

They can be integrated just as easily and flexibly into steute Wireless systems as our larger series. Like them, the RF 13 is also equipped with an electrodynamic energy generator. This miniaturised generator converts the kinetic energy produced by actuating the switch into electrical energy, which is then used to transmit the signal. This means that the switch is able to work self-sufficiently. It needs neither batteries nor an external power supply, i.e. no cables.

Another thing which makes it so flexible to incorporate is the fact that it is compatible with all actuators in the .steute range. Finally, its miniaturised design makes the RF 13 perfectly suited to applications for wireless switches in places where they really make sense because space is so tight – e.g. for position monitoring in or on moving systems such as tools, feeders and handling systems.