ProcessOnline Feature Articles

Alarm trips: the ups and downs – Part 1

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:11:55 +0000

Something happens - a signal peaks or falls - and you need to know. A limit alarm trip can trigger the response needed to maintain normal, and safe, operations.

Packaging automation trends: using small assembly robots in upstream packaging processes

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 03:02:53 +0000

Manufacturers have always faced the challenge of constantly needing to find new ways to reduce the cost of their packaging processes. In today’s globally connected world, however, the game is much tougher and the stakes are much higher.

Open asset management with FDT: the core of a ‘smart’ process plant

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 03:26:37 +0000

Field Device Type (FDT) technology remains one of the automation industry’s best-kept secrets. In spite of this, it is rapidly gaining market acceptance by simplifying the digital communication between a plant’s field devices and its control environment. It is at the heart of a ‘smart’ plant’s IT infrastructure and can deliver major cost savings to the plant’s operations.

Video monitoring of process control and automation systems

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 03:55:45 +0000

Video monitoring is a proven technology for security monitoring in many industries. So why not use video to monitor process control and automation systems?

Temperature measurement with single, dual and multiwavelength technologies

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 04:48:51 +0000

Temperature measurement is complicated by the fact that the amount of infrared energy emitted by a surface is proportional to the emissivity as well as the temperature of the measured target.

Building a reliable VFD system

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 03:30:35 +0000

A variable frequency drive (VFD) regulates the speed of a three-phase AC electric motor by controlling the frequency and voltage of the power it delivers to the motor.

Hitting the compressor ‘sweet-spot’

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 04:23:30 +0000

Selecting the right air compressor can be confusing. There are numerous compressor types, variants and options to consider — each of which can impact energy efficiency and operating costs. Identifying a compressor’s ‘sweet-spot’ can help determine if it is right for the application.

A recipe for success — How recipe solutions can improve a company’s bottom line

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 06:43:33 +0000

Today’s manufacturing companies face many pressures, including rising costs for raw materials, labour and distribution, not to mention customer demands for higher quality at lower prices. Yet these significant challenges can be used to spark new opportunities to improve the way businesses are run.

Improving emissions for ore grinding: Australian technology to help lower energy consumption in mining operations

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 06:11:05 +0000

The largest consumer of energy on a mine site is the technology used to break the raw ore into smaller pieces for processing or transport. Last year, Perth-based mining services company Scanalyse was awarded an AusIndustry Climate Ready grant to the value of nearly $1.8 million to support their research into improving the energy efficiency of mine-site ore grinding.

The seven habits of highly successful control engineers

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 06:37:00 +0000

Highly successful control engineers didn’t become that way by accident. The most successful engineers develop habits that improve results and the recognition of those results.

Socially interactive devices: Have you talked to your device lately?

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 06:09:18 +0000

As well as being a source of information, the internet allows people to interact on a social level. Social internet-based environments have many powerful applications that can be utilised to service equipment in the industrial sector.

Six key control applications: Is there one controller that can do it all?

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 06:24:40 +0000

What kind of controller is best for your application? Is it a PLC? Perhaps you should use a PAC? Maybe a PAD? When it comes down to it, the name is not that important. What is important is developing a clear understanding of your needs and then finding the controller that best targets them.

Determinism in industrial ethernet:
A technology overview — Part 2

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 04:56:51 +0000

In Part 1 of this article we looked generally at the types of innovations that have been used to make use of ethernet in process plants and factory automation. This month we look at some of the most well-known implementations.

Mining sustainability — through modernisation and optimisation

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 06:37:43 +0000

Every mining operation has budgets, production targets, business goals and a sustainability plan, but achieving budgets and business goals requires the efficient use of all internal resources, such as people, plant, raw materials, maintenance, reagents and procedures.

Colourblind no more — contrast and colour sensors for packaging and converting applications

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 02:08:05 +0000

In a black and white world, using photoelectric sensors would be very straightforward. In the real world, things are not so simple. In their technicolour lives, photoelectric sensors are often utilised to sort coloured products, identify coded markings and confirm the presence of an adhesive or date codes on a package.

The application of IEEE 1588 to industrial automation

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 05:13:26 +0000

One trend in discrete part manufacturing is towards faster and higher precision part production — more parts per minute and better quality. Traditional control solutions can be stretched to their limits. By replacing traditional control solutions with time-based control, higher spped and precision can be realised.

The advantages of plant-wide historians vs relational databases

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 03:58:30 +0000

In an increasingly competitive environment, companies need to gain a sustainable advantage by achieving operational excellence, a journey that begins with data that gives process visibility.

New EDDL is guiding radar: interface level made easy

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 04:25:23 +0000

Guided wave radar (GWR) level transmitters are ideal for challenging level and interface measurements on liquids, slurries and solids. A new breakthrough technology called electronic device description language (EDDL) integrates GWR level transmitters with intelligent device management software in a way not previously possible.

Determinism in industrial ethernet:
A technology overview — Part 1

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 06:03:07 +0000

The benefits of using well-established ethernet and internet technologies in industrial plants are too great to ignore, but overcoming the requirement for real-time operation has led to some innovative approaches to how this ubiquitous technology can be used in process plants and factory automation.

Using USB for test and measurement: benefits and potential dangers

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 07:36:08 +0000

Recognised for its ease of use and flexibility, USB is one of the fastest growing buses within the computer and electronics industries today.