IS down under!

Intrinsically safe sensors are awarded ANZEx for use in mining applications in Australia and New Zealand.

All of Monitran's Group 1 intrinsically safe accelerometers and velocity transducers have been approved by certification body Simtars to ANZEx for use in mining applications throughout Australia and New Zealand. This certification is in addition to the (EU) ATEX and (International) IECEx approvals Monitran's Group I sensors already possess.

Andy Anthony, Monitran's Operations Director, comments: "Many countries, whilst acknowledging international standards like IECEx, still impose their own standards for certain applications. We sought ANZEx in response to requests from end-users based in Australia and New Zealand, and companies based elsewhere wishing to supply machinery into these countries."

Eight products have been certified to ANZEx. Of these, four are from the MTN/1100 family of general purpose accelerometers with isolated AC outputs, which are ideal for vibration analysis. Included within the family, and certified to ANZEx, are the MTN/M1100I and MTN/M1100IC which are top-entry devices with integral cables and connectors respectively. Both have a temperature range of -55 to 140 degrees Centigrade and are sealed to IP67. Also included are the side-entry equivalent devices, the MTN/M1100IS and MTN/M1100ISC.

Two ANZEx-certified sensors come from Monitran's MTN/1185 family of general purpose accelerometers with DC outputs, which are ideal for machine protection. These are the MTN/M1185IC and its waterproof variant, the MTN/M1185IWC, which are both top-entry devices with integral cables and which have an operating temperature range of -25 to 90 degrees Centigrade.

The remaining two sensors come from Monitran's MTN/1187 family. Again, the sensors have DC outputs but this time proportional to RMS acceleration. The ANZEx-certified devices are the MTN/M1187IC and its waterproof variant the MTN/M1187IWC.

Anthony concludes: "Our ANZEx-approved sensors can be used for vibration analysis with intrinsically safe data loggers or integrated directly in machine control circuitry (such as PLCs) to afford machine protection - and therefore mine safety."

Smart buildings

Environmental sensors make smart buildings more comfortable

Carlo Gavazzi has introduced a range of sensors to measure environmental variables including CO2 levels, humidity, temperature and airflow. The new CGES sensors complement the company’s existing offerings to provide complete solutions for energy management, HVAC and smart building applications.

When carbon dioxide levels rise to an unacceptable level it creates poor air quality and stuffy rooms. CO2 and airflow sensors can control extra ventilation to increase the fresh air supply and improve the indoor air quality. Similarly these new devices can be used to control humidity level in wet climates: improving comfort and discouraging the growth of mildew.

Standards introduced by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) define a maximum CO2 level of 1000ppm; and the ASHRAE 62-1989 norm has been widely adopted in countries including Sweden, France and Japan as well as the USA. CGESCO2 sensors use non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) technology to provide measurement ranges 0-2000 or 0-5000ppm. Using a patented auto-calibration procedure to compensate for drift caused by ageing, the sensors ensure traceable high accuracy and outstanding long-term stability. Operation in a closed-loop airstream avoids pollution of the CO2 sensor.

Humidity measurements are based on a thin-film polymer, which releases or absorbs water vapour according to the ambient humidity, varying its dielectric properties accordingly. The instruments’ electronics measure the resulting change in capacitance, with excellent reproducibility that delivers accuracy of ±3% from 10% to 90% RH. High quality HC101 sensors guarantee excellent long-term stability and resistance to chemical pollutants.

The air velocity sensors utilise the principles of thin-film anemometry, in which a heated resistive mesh is maintained at a constant temperature above that of the medium. Air flowing over the resistor cools it and the power required to maintain the offset is used to determine air speed. Carlo Gavazzi’s cutting-edge thin film technology guarantees excellent accuracy over working ranges up to 20m/s. Moreover, the sensor is insensitive to dust and dirt, and has low angular dependence. Measuring range and response time are selectable by jumpers.

Temperature measurement is available using Pt100, Pt1000, PTC or NTC resistance elements, ensuring typical accuracy of ±0.3degC at 20°C.

The sensors are available in duct or wall mounting formats, and a switching output offers an alternative to the standard 0-10V DC voltage or 2-40mA current analogue outputs. Environmental sensors can be combined in either wall or duct-mounted units. For example, the CGESHTPD duct-mounted model features HC101 humidity sensors combined with passive Pt100/Pt1000 temperature measurement; whilst the CGESCO2TW provides CO2, temperature and humidity functions in a simple-to-install room transmitter on the wall.

All the CGES family benefit from traceability through international standards such as NIST, PTB and BEV: the sensors carry CE marks and are RoHS-compliant.

Machine vision

Raising the bar for machine vision software
Multi-threaded for better performance with 24-bit colour processing throughout

Industrial Vision Systems Ltd (IVS) has launched NeuroCheck 6.0, the most capable machine vision software suite available today. Reengineered from the ground up on the Microsoft .NET framework by sister company NeuroCheck GmbH, NeuroCheck 6.0 offers dramatic improvements in inspection processing and manufacturing integration as well as support for the latest high-resolution colour digital cameras and multi-core CPUs.

NeuroCheck is an integrated software application used for inspection, guidance, identification, metrology, tracking and counting in mission-critical inspection systems – and boasts a diverse global blue chip client list that includes Daimler, GlaxoSmithKline, Wrigleys, PepsiCo and Robert Bosch. NeuroCheck 6.0 represents the culmination of 5 years of development and incorporates over 2,000 suggestions from customers and business partners.

With the release of NeuroCheck 6.0, the best just got better,² states Christian Demant, Director of IVS. ³The user interface has been completely revised and made touchscreen ready, internal algorithms are multi-core, multi-threaded to support 24-bit colour image processing, and the all-new data communications centre significantly extends factory integration capabilities for end-users and systems integrators alike.²

New image processing algorithms allow faster solution creation and more precise evaluations. All functions process colour data, updated check functions incorporate numerous new geometric characteristics and calculation rules, and barcode processing supports a wider range of 2D and 1D formats, allowing engineers to build solutions quicker and more accurately. 24-bit colour processing is carried through template matching, supported with a new template definition wizard. Modern multi-core processor support further improves performance, particularly for fast cameras connected via GigE and FireWire B (IEEE 1394b) interfaces.

The user interface has been completely revised and optimised for working with large images from today¹s high-resolution cameras. In manual mode, parameter dialogues are resizable, all image displays allow arbitrary zoom with an overview window for easy navigation. Radical development of the automatic mode has introduced separate control panel and process view windows. Touchscreen ready, the control panel is the operating centre, providing a compact overview of the inspection process, whilst the process view allows more detailed information to be displayed, such as evaluation results, intermediate images or accumulated statistical values. Multi-threading ensures rapid updating of output windows and better hardware resource utilization.

A cornerstone of NeuroCheck¹s philosophy from day one has been to remove any need for the applications engineer to understand traditional programming when building solutions. This is carried through NeuroCheck 6.0¹s new designer toolkit that allows engineers to completely redesign both user interface views. Using simple drag-and-drop actions, the engineer can fine-tune the standard user interface or fully realise his company¹s corporate design – even minimise operator training by recreating a user interface already in use.

Support for Fieldbus and Industrial Ethernet as standard simplifies integration with PLC controllers used in production line automation. The new data communication centre extends this further by allowing dynamic target measurement values to be provided across these networks as well as from files. Equally, these networks can be used for output of actual and target values in XML, CSV, text and user-defined formats for integration into quality control and SPC systems, and the event log viewer provides continuous activities documentation according to FDA 21 CFR Part 11.

NeuroCheck 6.0 can run under Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 and is available now in three licence levels: Professional, Premium and Run-time. NeuroCheck 6.0 demo discs are available from the company

Radar Transmitter

First rate, fully friendly,… less costly


The new Model R82, 26 GHz Two-wire non contact Radar Transmitter from Magnetrol is a high performance, yet low-cost level transmitter based on the concept of Pulse Burst Radar. Short bursts of 26GHz microwave energy are emitted and subsequently reflected from the liquid level surface. Liquid level is then calculated by applying the user's tank height and sensor Offset values.

The new economical design features advancements that now make radar cost-competitive with its loop-powered, ultrasonic competition. The company is thus rendered able to compete with any instrument manufacturer in a wide variety of level and volume applications.

The Model R82 can be used in thousands of generic, storage applications. The design lends itself to measuring within inches of the tank top. The encapsulated horn in Polypropylene or Tefzel® allows it to be used in the most corrosive media.
The Model R82 can handle process temperatures from -40°C to +93°C and from full vacuum up to 13.8 bar within a measuring range up to 12.2m.
Its internal launcher adjustment allows beam orientation without removing the Model R82 from the vessel.

Another feature of the Model R82 is the standard 4-20 mA output with HART® which can be used for data transmission, configuration and diagnostics. The PACTware™ program provides extensive diagnostic capabilities including capture of echo waveforms, viewing of trend data and all transmitter configuration parameters.

The unit is capable of measuring the tougher applications of turbulence, foam, heavy vapors and buildup on the antenna and/or applications, it measures effectively in ranges up to 20m.

ISA 100-11 tour

Newly approved standard works!

ISA 100-11 won approval a few weeks before ISAExpo 2009 and on the day before the show a tour of the Arkema chemical plant near Houston (TX US) showed a multi vendor application which was installed just days after the approval and is fully ISA100 compliant.

See also ISA100 Wireless Compliance Institute Reports Successful User Deployment of Tested and Approved ISA100.11a Standard Devices at Arkema

Companies like Gastronics, Honeywell, Nivis, Wilson Mohr, Wireless Access Solutions (formally Gooch Engineering) and Yokogawa were represented in the hardware and others apparently are to be added shortly.

Parameters covered included temperature, pressure, contact closure, valve positioning, gas detection, corrosion detection, and others. The vision is of a single coherent architecture that is scalable to cover all of these applications, plus many more, with high reliability across the site. The entire site is currently covered by two backbone connections and sensor meshing.

This approval gives the go ahead to companies to proceed now with equipment now that the standard is approved and available. Companies like, say, Gastronics, which pioneered the first all-in-one wireless gas monitor in 1999 where the radio is an integral part of the gas monitor. Their True Wireless gas detection system offers the most economical solution for monitoring gases from remote locations. Now they can say to their customers "This is fully complient with the standard!"

Indeed Bud Dungan, Gastronics' President said “The concept of an industrial wireless communication standard with true interoperability and mesh networking capabilities is compelling.... we have high expectations for market uptake of these products.” (Gastronics joined ISA Complience Institute as we reported 28th August on our News Page.)

The best and most succinct comment came from one of the participants in the tour. Gary Mintchel from Automation World tweeted "...ISA100.11a wireless sensor network technology. Guess what? It works."

What else can one say!

Here are some more details of this plant and the participation of other of the companies in pdf format:

Arkema‐Crosby Wireless Fact Sheet

Honeywell Arkema Backgrounder

Nivis role at Arkema

Wilson Mohr and Arkema

Yokogawa and Arkema

isaexpo09exida

Combined certification for functional safety, security and availability
Functional Integrity Certification™ Benefits Automation Vendors and Customers

exida claims to be the first company to offer a holistic evaluation of the most important attributes of an automation product – functional safety, functional security and availability.

Introduced today at ISA Expo 2009 in Houston, exida’s Functional Integrity Certification™ is the only independent, third party assessment that examines functional safety, security and availability attributes of an automation product through assessment of its design, testing and manufacturing. The program also scrutinizes how a product performs under stress, in the field and over time.

“This is a win-win for everyone,” says Dr. William Goble, exida principal partner. “Functional Integrity Certification helps automation suppliers demonstrate the safety, security and reliability of their products. This also saves engineering time and money through a streamlined, single source assessment process. In turn, prospective buyers are provided with objective information to help guide their purchasing decisions.”

“This program follows our open assessment policy,” says Rainer Faller, exida principal partner and CEO of exida GmbH. “Technical assessment reports are openly available on the exida web site.”

For functional safety, a product and its development process are evaluated per the international standard IEC 61508 to determine its Safety Integrity Level (SIL). The SIL level is a measure of the probability that a product will perform its intended protection function when needed.

Functional security assesses a product’s resiliency to intentional or accidental manipulation that could cause it to behave differently than was intended. A combination of network robustness testing, security feature assessment and software development process assessment helps detect and avoid vulnerabilities and systematic design faults. The certification is based on the ISA Security Compliance Institute (ISCI) Embedded Controller Security Assurance (ECSA) test specification.

Finally, an availability assessment ensures the dependability of automation products in critical applications. exida uses modeling and probabilistic methods, combined with empirical data, to help predict product reliability.

Themal Imager

High Definition Thermal Imagers deliver 320x240 resolution
Optional lenses and field-changeable batteries add versatility

Fluke has introduced the Fluke Ti32 and TiR32 Thermal Imagers, the first industrial grade, high-performance imagers on the market to incorporate a powerful 320x240 sensor to provide high-definition, strikingly crisp, detailed images for under £7,200 (approx €7900). Their superior image quality helps to identify even the smallest temperature differences that could indicate problems. With their patented IR-Fusion® technology, users can marry high-precision thermal images with visual (visible light) images in full screen, picture-in-picture or blended views for enhanced problem detection and analysis. IR-Fusion is the only solution available with physical parallax correction, which enables perfect alignment, pixel by pixel, of both infrared and visible images. Fluke products are the only thermal imagers on the market to incorporate IR-Fusion in both camera and software.

The Ti32 Industrial Thermal Imager is designed and priced to deliver unprecedented performance for troubleshooting and preventive maintenance of electrical installations, electro-mechanical equipment, process equipment, HVAC/R equipment and more. The Fluke TiR32 Thermal Imager for Building Diagnostics is designed and priced to deliver unprecedented performance for building envelope, energy audit, restoration and remediation, inspection and roofing professionals.

Users can record voice comments of up to 60 seconds with every image taken by the these units. They feature a three-button menu designed for intuitive operation and navigation with a push of the thumb, on-screen emissivity correction, transmission correction and high temperature alarm (dew point temperature alarm on the TiR32). Each unit comes with two field-swappable, rechargeable batteries that enable virtually continuous imager use. Optional telephoto and wide-angle lenses are available to bring distant and wide views into sharp focus.

Fluke SmartView® Software (with free software upgrades for the life of the product) is included with each thermal imager. SmartView software is a modular suite of tools for viewing, annotating, editing and analysing infrared images that fully supports Fluke IR Fusion technology. It enables users to edit images in five viewing modes and generate customised professional reports in a few steps. Fluke 3D-IR™ three-dimensional viewing makes hot or cold spots “pop out” of the background for easy viewing and analysis.

These rugged Thermal Imagers are tested to withstand a drop of 2 meters, and are IP54 rated to withstand water and dust. They have a widescreen, full colour LCD display, increased thermal sensitivity (≤0.05°C at 30°C target temperature) and a temperature measurement range of -20°C to +600°C for the Ti32, -20°C to +150°C for the TiR32.

The Fluke Ti32 and TiR32 include a 2GB SD memory card that will store at least 3,000 basic infrared images or 1,200 fully radiometric infrared and linked visual images, each with 60 seconds of voice annotation, as well as a multi-function memory card reader (USB) for downloading images to a computer. Each imager comes with a rugged hard carry case and a soft transport bag, an adjustable hand strap for right- or left-handed use, two rechargeable lithium ion smart batteries, a two-bay external charger, an AC power supply, and an interactive training DVD.