New chair for manufacturing event!

The Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA) has appointed a new Chair for its Exhibition Committee, which oversees the organisation of MACH, Britain's premier manufacturing technologies event. Chris Pockett, Head of Communications at Renishaw, who has been a committee member for eight years, was appointed Chair of the Exhibition Committee due to his extensive knowledge and experience of international trade shows and event management. The new position also sees Pockett join the Board of the MTA where he will contribute his additional knowledge of communications and international marketing.

Chris Pockett

The MTA is a trade association that represents Britain’s engineering-based manufacturing sector including companies involved in machine tools, cutting tools, metrology and CAD/CAM software. It is also the organiser of the biennial MACH exhibition which is being held from April 9th to 13th, 2018, at the NEC in Birmingham. The Exhibition Committee consists of MTA staff and industry representatives from exhibiting member companies of the association and is responsible for overseeing decisions concerning the exhibition.

He brings a wealth of experience of global exhibitions from his role as Head of Communications at Renishaw. He was involved with Renishaw’s first stand in China in 1993 and has organised and taken part in trade shows across all continents. He has been an MTA Exhibition Committee member since 2008, serving the association through a number of MACH events. As part of his new role, Pockett will be responsible for overseeing MACH 2018, the first event to be located in the NEC’s newer Atrium halls.

“We are delighted that such an experienced communicator as Chris has agreed to take up the Chairmanship of the Exhibition Committee,” explained James Selka, CEO of the MTA. “Chris has made a huge contribution during his time on the Committee and I’m looking forward to working with him to make sure that MACH builds on its position as the UK’s leading manufacturing technologies exhibition and becomes an even more important date in the manufacturing calendar.”

“MACH 2016 saw an almost ten per cent increase in visitors from 2014, giving us confidence that the exhibition and the advanced engineering sector are moving in the right direction,” explained Chris Pockett. “We aim to increase engagement in the event further in order to highlight new opportunities that are impacting the sector, including additive manufacturing and Industry 4.0.”

Pockett joins Stewart Lane, Renishaw’s Group Sales Development Director, who is also a board member of the MTA, where he is responsible for learning and development. Renishaw is committed to supporting the wider industry through active membership of trade bodies, advisory panels and professional groups.

@MACHexhibition @mta_uk #Pauto @renishawplc

Remote management rebranded.

The Netbiter Remote Management solution is now ofered by HMS Industrial Networks under the newly acquired brand name eWON®. Alongside eWON Cosy and Flexy, Netbiter will be one of the three main product lines within the eWON Remote Solutions offering.

Further to the rebranding, all the elements of Netbiter (gateways, Argos cloud service etc) get an updated eWON look but from a technical point of view, the Netbiter solution itself remains unchanged, providing users with an out-of-the-box solution for remote management of field equipment.

With Netbiter as part of eWON Remote Solutions, HMS is able to present a complete offering for remote access, data and management of industrial equipment:

• Remote Access with Cosy, an industrial VPN router providing a fast and easy way to open a remote tunnel to do remote commissioning and programming of PLCs.
• Remote Data with Flexy, a modular and flexible router which can be customized for remote access and data collection.
• Remote Management with Netbiter, an out-of-the-box solution for remote management of field equipment.

“The Netbiter Remote Management solution has been growing rapidly in the last few years with a sales increase of 57% in the first half of 2016. We see a steadily growing demand for remote solutions in the marketplace, which is also the reason why we acquired eWON earlier this year," says Staffan Dahlström, CEO of HMS Industrial Networks. "eWON is a very well-known brand within remote access and remote data, featuring Cosy and Flexy respectively, and with the addition of Netbiter Remote Management, we have a very strong and complete remote solutions offering.”

@ewonrouters #PAuto

Helping performing layout tasks fast.

Fluke has introduced Fluke Laser Levels, a new line of professional-grade, precision tools that are designed to survive a one metre drop and keep working. The Laser Levels feature a fast settling, self-levelling gimbal that quickly delivers accurate reference points, expediting electrical and HVAC layouts.

All laser level models include magnetic wall brackets for easy, stable mounting.

The Fluke Laser Level family

• Fluke-3PR (red laser) and Fluke-3PG (green laser) Point Laser Levels— self-levelling, three-point laser levels for fast, accurate layout of reference points. Accurate to 6mm at 30 metres, it includes a floor stand for fast, easy overhang and centreline measurements. The green laser (Fluke-3PG) is up to three times brighter for improved visibility in outdoor and long-range applications.

• Fluke-180LR and Fluke-180LG Line Laser Levels— self-levelling, horizontal- and vertical-cross line laser levels for rapid, accurate (3mm at 10 metres) levelling and layout.

• Fluke-LDR and Fluke-LDG Laser Line Detectors — laser line detectors for use in high ambient light settings with visual and audible indicators for ease of use. The detectors are compatible with Fluke-180LR (Fluke-LDR) or Fluke-180LG (Fluke-LDG) models and include mounting bracket for quick, steady positioning.

• Fluke-180LR System and Fluke-180LG Systems — comprehensive self-levelling, horizontal- and vertical-cross line laser level systems that include laser line detector and detector bracket for use in high ambient light settings.

Switch-on to the “Smart Factory!"

The Han-Modular® Switch US4 connector is a strategic part of Harting's Industry 4.0 portfolio. This connector is designed to save control cabinet space, reduce wiring and improve distributed networking, specifically in support of Industry 4.0 modernisation programmes.

Howard Forryan, Product Market Specialist at Harting Ltd, said; “One of the key Industry 4.0 principles is the ‘Smart Factory’ which is focused on enhanced interoperability and flexibility, cell modularisation, miniaturisation and increased decentralisation. However, many established manufacturers face barriers of physical space. This clever connector design helps save space by integrating multiple components and connections into a single unit.”

To achieve this, the company has integrated a very compact but fully functioning ‘store and forwarding’ 4-port Ethernet active switch device into its market leading Han-Modular® I/O mixed connector design concept. This means that network devices can be deployed closer to the field while reducing the effort of retrofitting when integrating new Ethernet modules. As a result, system integrators and production machinery OEMs can achieve simpler networking of typical cabinet control systems (including I/O´s, PLCs, HMIs etc.), easier extension of an existing IP based image processing vision system and more straightforward distributed cabling for interlinked production cells.

The Han-Modular® Switch US4 module makes it possible to network 4 EtherNet/IP or PROFINET nodes with transmission speeds of up to 1000 Mbit/s. Integrated LEDs provide quick and easy power and network diagnostics for individual ports, displaying both the presence of the Ethernet connection as well as ongoing data exchange and the associated speed.

The module automatically detects the send/receive lines of connected devices, and automatically finds the correct setting for the lines (Auto MDI/MDIX function).

In connection with the 10Base-T and 100Base-Tx interfaces, the module autonomously corrects polarity errors in wire pairs and reverses the polarity of data signals (Auto Polarity). It also allows two connected Ethernet nodes to Auto-Negotiation and configure the maximum data transfer rate – up to 1000 Mbit/s incrementally – as well as the type of transmission, i.e. half-duplex or full duplex.
Other features of the Han-Modular® Switch US4 include: the option for prioritisation of data packets (Quality of Service function); integrated reverse polarity and overvoltage protection; high data throughput (Jumbo Frame Support), and power supply adapter (10-30V DC).

Commenting on his company's approach to introducing Industry 4.0, Howard Forryan concluded; “Harting has provided another very effective option to support Industry 4.0. This connector supports the trend of integrating more intelligent hardware at the field connectivity level of machine modules within the production process. It does this by routing data through a Han-Modular® Switch US4 module and combining it with the other Industry 4.0 main lifelines of power and signal in a single, compact, space-saving Han-Modular® housing.”

 #PAuto @harting

Burner valves!

Emerson Automation Solutions has released the Fisher Type 119EZ and 119EZS main burner valves for burner systems used in oil and gas production. The new 119 Series can help improve oil and gas burner performance, increase reliability and reduce capital and operational expense.

The 119EZ provides an adjustable opening speed for pneumatically controlled burners while the 119EZS incorporates a solenoid valve enabling it to be used with automated burner systems. The 119EZ and 119EZS are designed with a built-in speed controller allowing the unit’s opening speed to be tuned to meet the burner design. Tuning the opening speed of the main burner valve to match the burner design, helps ensure proper ignition of the main burner. The opening speed can be adjusted from 3 seconds for smaller burners to 12 seconds for larger burners.

The units are designed to close in less than 3 seconds and provide Class VI shutoff. The integrated speed controller reduces installation cost associated with using an external speed controller. The 119EZ and 119EZS are retrofitable to existing burner systems in the field.

The Fisher Type 119EZ and 119EZS are based on the compact, field-proven, and reliable Fisher Type 119 control valve platform. The new main burner valve shares the same internals (diaphragm, disk, orifice, and springs) as the Fisher Type 119, which has been used for more than 25 years on burners in the oil and gas industry.

“The design requirements of burner systems provided a great opportunity for the engineering team to develop new technology that improves the tuning process and helps simplify customer installation,” said Thomas Weyer, director of upstream business, regulator technologies, Emerson Automation Solutions. “By integrating an adjustable orifice to our valve we allow our customers to precisely tune the valve opening speed. Utilising feedback from the field, we were able to optimise the performance to create a product that meets all of our customers’ needs.”

• White Paper: The Significance of Reliable Pressure Control in Oilfield Burner Systems (pdf)

@EmersonProcess  #PAuto #Oil #Gas @Emerson_News

Submersible level probe.

The OPTIBAR LC 1010 submersible level probe with ceramic diaphragm has been launched by Krohne. Aimed at water and wastewater, environmental engineering and OEM applications, it provides a simple and continuous hydrostatic level measurement solution for water wells, rainwater retaining / overflow basins, or tanks.

OPTIBAR LC 1010 features a robust 316L stainless steel housing and a high overload-proof ceramic diaphragm for long operating life. For safe and easy cleaning on site, the diaphragm is flush mounted. With a diameter of 22 mm / 1", OPTIBAR LC 1010 can be used also in small vessels. It comes with pre-configured measuring ranges from 100 mbar / 10 kPa / 1.5 psi to up 10 bar / 1 MPa / 150 psi, customer-specific ranges are available on request.

For versatile use from water to wastewater applications, OPTIBAR LC 1010 features ATEX and IECEx certification and a corrosion-resistant TPE cable that is also approved for use with potable water. Next to the electrical lines for the 4…20mA output, the TPE cable houses an air hose to be used for differential pressure level measurement with closed vessels. With open vessels, the air hose can be capped for absolute pressure measurement. As options, OPTIBAR LC 1010 can be provided with an integrated 3-wire Pt100 temperature sensor, alternatively with HART 7 communication for convenient configuration.

• Krohne products are marketed in Ireland through DWN Instrumentation.

 #PAuto @KROHNE_USA #Water

Spatial projection display.

Omron Electronic Components Europe is launching Aerial Imaging technology in Europe, allowing directions and other images to appear floating in the air in shopping malls, transport terminals and other locations.

Omron believes that Spatial Projection Displays are the future for signage

Commenting, Gabriele Fulco, European Product Marketing Manager Sensors of Omron said, “This is the future of signage. We believe that aerial imaging will become a commonly used feature of our cities and public spaces. For example, easy-to-understand signs can be placed floating in the air by exits making it easier for visitors to find their way. Aerial imaging can also project information in front of products on display in a showcase.”

Using Omron’s Spatial Projection Display (SPD) technology, images can be projected anywhere and appear to be floating in the air. Earlier space projection technologies have required a large number of distinct components and are relatively large systems requiring substantial space to install. Omron has used its light directivity and micro-fabrication technology developed through the LCD display and backlighting businesses to allow images to be projected into empty space with just one sheet of plate and a single LED. The sheets themselves are transparent, so are unobtrusive, thin and light for attaching to glass and other surfaces.

Omron is initially supporting 2D and 3D images with SPD technology. In future, it will introduce curved plexiglass panels that can be adapted to objects with shaped surfaces.

#PAuto @OmronEurope