DCS

Weidmuller: Temperature Input Modules

Peter Cleaveland — Mon, 12 May 2014 20:53:35 +0000

The modules are just 6 mm wide and provide access to hundreds of temperature range combinations per model, selection of outputs (voltage/mA), response time and wire-break failure mode, with measure

New ACT20M signal isolation and conversion models provide thermocouple and RTD signal conversions, where either auxiliary power or output-loop power is available, and where range setting by DIP-switch is required.

Product

Who's On Your Alarm Management Team?

George Shurtleff — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 21:05:44 +0000

At one time, alarm management programs were developed and handed down to operators. At the Husky PG Oil Refinery in Prince George, B.C., for example, alarm management came from the engineering side

To ensure success with your alarm management upgrade, make sure operators are at least on, if not leading, your team.

Feature Article

Acromag: Frequency/Pulse Input Transmitter

Peter Cleaveland — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 05:01:00 +0000

The transmitter converts the rate of pulsed, sinusoidal and other periodic waveform input signals to a proportional 0-20 mA, 0-10 V, or ±10 VDC output.

The TT339 frequency transmitter uses software configuration to accurately set input/output options.

Product

New Pump Profiles Enhance Wastewater Treatment Plant Controls Upgrade

George Shurtleff — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 18:23:03 +0000

The Glenelg Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) is one of three large wastewater plants in metropolitan Adelaide, South Australia, a city ranked in the top 10 of The Economist’s “World’s Most Livabl

The challenge: replace the entire control system without shutting down some critical parts of the treatment plant for longer than four hours. The plan: Perform the commissioning process in 14 separate stages over a six-month period.

Column

Integrator View

Dataforth: New Software for Data Acquisition & Control System

Peter Cleaveland — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 05:01:00 +0000

The software comes in seven languages, is designed specifically for industrial and R&D applications and provides synchronized data acquisition.

The MAQ20 is now available with IPEmotion data acquisition/test and measurement software.

Product

Turck: Block I/O for Industrial Ethernet

Adam Madison — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 06:01:00 +0000

The BL compact on-machine, flexible block I/O for Industrial Ethernet makes it possible to collect a variety of signals in a single, rugged node on a network.

Product

OMAC Committees Focus On Streamlining Standard

Dave Greenfield — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 16:53:17 +0000

Last week I was invited by John Kowal, director of business development at B&R Industrial Automation and an OMAC board member, to sit in during a portion of the

A recent meeting of the OMAC Packaging Working Group’s PackML and PackSpec committees concentrated on clarifying and simplifying its standard to bolster increased acceptance and use of the standard by OEMs and end users.

News

Mining Site Upgrades to DCS with Integrated Safety

Dave Greenfield — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 14:01:23 +0000

Areva Resources Canada is involved in uranium exploration, mining and milling.

Expansion plans at Areva's remote uranium mining site in Saskatchewan, Canada, calls for an upgrade of the facility's distributed control system (DCS) to one with integrated, intrinsically safe I/O.

News

New Virtualization Features for DeltaV Coming in 2013

GrantGerke — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 19:51:50 +0000

Available in April 2013, the new DeltaV virtualization capabilities via the DeltaV Virtual Studio lets users create and manage virtual DeltaV systems.

At this point in the 2012 Emerson Exchange, attendees are bound to have heard quite a bit about the newest version of DeltaV (v12), including Electronic Marshalling with Integrated Safety and Batch Analytics, here are three other key features you should also be aware of.

News

Beckhoff Automation: EtherCAT Box for Incremental Encoder Connection

Lara Krieger — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 16:32:25 +0000

In order to support I/O connectivity to a wider range of devices outside electrical cabinets, the company has released the new EP5101 EtherCAT Box.

I/O module synchronously reads encoder values via high-precision EtherCAT Distributed Clocks

Product

Opto22: SNAP I/O Module with CAN Connectivity

Renee Robbins Bassett — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 18:28:45 +0000

CAN and CAN-ready devices are popular for use in industrial applications such as factory automation and building control due to the simplicity and low cost of CAN wiring.

The SNAP-SCM-CAN2B is a high-speed serial communication module for acquiring data from generators, motors, sensors, actuators and other industrial devices connected to a Controller Area Network (CAN).

Product

Saelig: Fault Tracker Detects Problems in Complicated Electrical Control Systems

Peter Cleaveland — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 19:40:36 +0000

The input on/off status of each line is displayed by bright LED indicators and on an LCD display.

The FTR-Birdie is a self-contained electrical test and fault-finding logger that records and displays all on/off voltage changes at its 16 inputs.

Product

Wago Launches YouTube Channel

MaryAnn Coyle — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 20:09:30 +0000

Topics range from basic terminal block marking via WAGO ProServe Software to advanced CoDeSys programming for WAGO’s 750-670 Stepper Controller RS-422 module (pulse/direction).

Wago Corporation’s new YouTube channel features 30+ videos, providing customers with additional training and product support. Produced by WAGO application engineers and product and training managers, the step-by-step videos deliver a wide range of content for both new and experienced viewers.

News

Control System Security: Are Users Missing the Point?

George Shurtleff — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 15:47:45 +0000

Joel Langill, who may be better known as the SCADAhacker (scadahacker.com), is recognized throughout the manufacturing and processing industries for his work evaluating and securing industrial control systems.

Perspective

Automation Suppliers Announcements At ARC Forum

Gary Mintchell — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:44:31 +0000

The annual Manufacturing Forum sponsored by the ARC Advisory Group, perhaps the industry’s largest gathering of automation suppliers, was held from Feb. 6-9 in Orlando. Where ever more than 600 industry people are gathered, rumors abound. I spent much time finding facts among the rumors and learning much about the state of the industry.

News

Automation Innovation Paradigms

jpinto — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:33:44 +0000

Everyone recognizes that innovation generates growth, but few can deliver anything beyond incremental product extensions.

Column

Pinto's Prose

Automation: Overdue for a Revolution

jpinto — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 22:22:51 +0000

But these are mostly extensions of old stuff, reincarnations of tired concepts th

The large automation companies are all spending modest amounts of research and development money to develop good products.

Column

Pinto's Prose

Continuous Process Challenges Controls Retrofit Team

admin8675309 — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0000

Rendering is the process of recycling waste animal tissue into stable materials that are used as ingredients in making livestock and pet rations and other products. Upgrades to a rendering plant are particularly challenging because the plant receives a continuous stream of waste tissue from processing plants that has nowhere else to go.

Column

Safer Panelboard Gets U.S. Patent

admin8675309 — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0000

The

ProLine Panelboard from ABB was designed for applications where increased uptime, power reliability and safety are critical.

News

Mitsubishi Electric Makes Equity Investment in Iconics

admin8675309 — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0000

Tokyo-based Mitsubishi Electric Corporation announced that Mitsubishi Electric Automation, Inc., its subsidiary selling industrial automation equipment in the U.S., has made a 19.9% equity investment in SCADA software company Iconics.

News

ABB Opens New Solar Inverter Production Center

admin8675309 — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 12:54:31 +0000

Center will feature a 400 megawatt per year capacity as well as an engineering center to support inverter production and nearby motors and drives factories.

News

Security: Belden Acquires Canadian-Based Byres Security

admin8675309 — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 05:00:00 +0000

According to Joann and Eric Byres, the company will continue to operate
independently as a business unit under Belden. The Tofino Security brand

Belden Inc. has acquired Byres Security Inc. today. Belden is one of several companies that has been filling out its portfolio by making smaller, strategic acquisitions.

News

Powering the World Trade Center Site

admin8675309 — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 19:12:12 +0000

The new World Trade Center site is one of the most complex projects ever undertaken and involves the resurrection of America’s tallest building, the creation of a Memorial Museum featuring the two

Siemens Industry Inc. is providing more than $12 million in building technology, power distribution and automation solutions to the rebuilt World Trade Center site and memorial museum.

News

Automation Solutions for the World Trade Center Site: Museum Reflecting Pools

admin8675309 — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 19:03:35 +0000

Ten years of work have gone into reclaiming the World Trade Center site in New York City where hundreds of people lost their lives on Sept.

The 9/11 Museum and Memorial site covers eight acres and includes two massive reflecting pools with waterfalls. Delta Fountains and Siemens Industry Inc. is providing engineering, automation and pump flow control for these water features.

News

Hurricane Season and Manufacturing Best Practices

admin8675309 — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 13:05:12 +0000

Below are some best practices on how to approach equipment that has met with some or considerabler water damage.

With certain areas of the United States still devastated by flooding and more tropical storms coming, Schneider Electric, (www.schneider-electric.com/us), is urging businesses to take every precaution with electrical equipment in preparation for the hurricane season.

News