Plant Engineering articles from November 2008

Plant Engineering archives from November 2008

Programmable controllers: How it all began.
November 1, 2008... By Dick Morley This is the 40th anniversary of the beginning of the programmable logic controller (PLC). It started in 1968 and is a real-time device that acts as the modem to your process. It is not part of the computer. My work from...

Drivex creates win-win with visualization software.
November 1, 2008... By Harold Muma, Siemens Energy & Automation Systems integrator simplifies customer operations and upfront programming Leo Willis and the small three-man engineering team at Drivex Inc. are heading back to the future, where his...

Using a system integrator vs. doing it yourself.(Column)
November 1, 2008... Ray Bachelor, PE, Bachelor Controls Inc. At our house, carpentry projects are better left to the professionals. I often joke that for plumbing projects, I have a rule that the hardware store must remain open for four hours after beginning...

Tips for understanding 'IT-speak'.
November 1, 2008... By Neal Allen, Fluke Networks Communication between the plant floor and IT requires speaking the same language In most plants, there has traditionally been a communications gulf between maintenance and IT. That's largely been fine,...

Fieldbus health test instrument.
November 1, 2008... Staff The ScopeMeter models 225C and 215C include the features of the 199C Color ScopeMeter, and are designed for maintenance specialists who keep automation equipment operational. The instruments feature signal validation of critical...

HART gateway.
November 1, 2008... Staff HART Analog Input gateways provide a clean way to integrate HART instruments with existing controller platforms over Modbus TCP/IP, EtherNet/IP and DF1 networks. The gateways are available in four- and eight-channel options, where...

Wireless condition monitoring.
November 1, 2008... Staff The ProSmart wireless monitoring system has been improved with advanced data acquisition and analysis capabilities, and a more robust data monitor construction. The digital signal processor is capable of analyzing 22 channels of data...

Oracle connectivity.
November 1, 2008... Staff The Plant Floor Connectivity Suite for Oracle provides device connectivity from plant floor equipment to Oracle's manufacturing applications including Oracle Manufacturing Operations Center, and Oracle Discrete Manufacturing...

Micro-brick PLC line.
November 1, 2008... Staff The CLICK PLC is the first in a new generation of inexpensive PLC components designed to offer practical features in an easy-to-use, compact yet expandable design. This line of micro-brick PLCs with stackable I/O modules is suitable...

Industrial PC series.
November 1, 2008... Staff The APL3000 series of high performance industrial PCs features a 2-GHz Intel Core Duo CPU and expanded memory up to 4 GB. A built-in factory alert system monitors PC health and generates instant notifications about excessive heat...

I/O modules added to micro PLC line.
November 1, 2008... Staff New I/O modules have been added to the SIMATIC S7-200 micro PLC product line. The EM231 series eight-channel analog input module supports industry standard unipolar 0-10 Vdc; 0-5 Vdc; 0-20 mA and bipolar +/- 5 Vdc; and +/-2.5 Vdc...

Precision RTD temperature data logger.
November 1, 2008... Staff The OM-CP-RTDTEMP2000 is a precision RTD temperature recorder with backlit LCD display. The unit is powered by a 9-V battery with a typical life of one year at a one-minute reading rate with the display off. An optional ac adapter is...

Compact Ethernet expansion chassis.
November 1, 2008... Staff The NI 9144 expansion chassis adds deterministic Ethernet I/O to NI CompactRIO or NI PAC system. The eight-slot chassis for NI C series modules communicates over EtherCAT. The expansion chassis features real-time distributed I/O over...

Addition to vision sensor family.
November 1, 2008... Staff The Checker 252 model has been added to the Checker vision sensor product line. The 252 includes the inspection capabilities of the Checker vision sensor family, plus additional software sensors that verify height, width and diameter...

Enhanced variable frequency drive.
November 1, 2008... Staff The MOVITRAC LTE B frequency inverter is designed to simplify control of asynchronous motors. The drive features dynamic braking, better low-speed motor control and embedded communications. Its power range has been extended to 15 hp...

Software supports PAT.
November 1, 2008... Staff Proficy RX 2.0 is a component of the Proficy software suite for production management. The software is designed to help life sciences companies gain a better understanding of their processes. The software integrates many types of...

OPC Foundation, Kepware partner.
November 1, 2008... Staff Automation partnerships, integration move forward The OPC Foundation and Kepware Technologies have partnered to manage the next generation of OPC technology, OPC-UA. This approach is intended to foster rapid adoption through the...

Now it's your turn.(Editorial)
November 1, 2008... Jack Smith, Editor It's hard to believe that AppliedAutomation is well into its third year. The encouragement and support have been inspiring, to say the least. Because of its growth, AppliedAutomation will move from being published...

Asset management leverages smart wireless devices.
November 1, 2008... By Laura Briggs and Joseph Citrano III, Emerson Process Management Smart wireless devices generate diagnostics that extend the value of asset management systems With the proliferation of wireless devices for obtaining control-related...

2008 Finalists Product of the Year.
November 1, 2008... Staff Select the best new products to improve manufacturing It's time again to put the vote in the hands of the people. The 2008 PLANT ENGINEERING Product of the Year voting begins this week when electronic ballots are emailed to all...

Automation & Control.
November 1, 2008... Staff Safety I/O module Staff CompactBlock Guard I/O is a safety I/O module with EtherNet/IP connectivity. The I/O module allows companies to use the EtherNet/IP protocol in conjunction with Allen-Bradley GuardLogix controllers or...

Electrical Power.
November 1, 2008... Staff Fuse-type panelboard Staff The selective coordination panel is a UL67-listed panelboard that uses class CC UltraSafe fuse holders with blown fuse indicators. The panel meets the requirements of the 2008 NEC, providing a...

Instrumentation.
November 1, 2008... Staff Two-wire Coriolis flowmeter Staff The Micro Motion 2200S two-wire Coriolis meter measures liquid flow with [+ or -]0.10% accuracy and liquid density with [+ or -]0.0005 g/cm3 accuracy in continuous process and mass balance...

Motors, Drives & Controls.
November 1, 2008... Staff Adjustable-speed drive Staff The Q9 Series of adjustable-speed drives are designed with oversized transistors and heavy-duty dc bus capacitors. The electronic operator interface has an LCD and simple keypad layout....

Maintenance Products.
November 1, 2008... Staff Shaft sealing system Staff The Water Mizer bearing isolator uses water to create a positive purge for control of liquid products in paper stock, slurries and other applications. A non-contact seal, it is engineered to avoid...

Maintenance Software.
November 1, 2008... Staff Asset sustainability software Staff EAM Asset Sustainability Edition enterprise software allows users to integrate energy consumption and emissions management into their asset management practices. The software factors...

Maintenance Tools & Equipment.
November 1, 2008... Staff Drum lid Staff The hinged and lockable PIG latching drum lid is designed to facilitate access to and security of 5-, 8-, 10- and 16-gallon open-head steel drums. Suitable for applications where the drum is frequently opened...

Environmental, Safety & Health.
November 1, 2008... Staff Ergonomic manipulator Staff The zeroG4 Arm is an ergonomic manipulator for holding tools, parts and materials. The manipulator allows objects to be maneuvered as if in zero gravity with full range of motion. The unit uses a...

HVAC.
November 1, 2008... Staff Evaporative cooler Staff The KUBE low-profile evaporative cooler is 48 inches tall and employs the patented FreshWater slinger wheel technology, which distributes evaporative, atomized water across all air inlets to provide...

Productivity & Training Software.
November 1, 2008... Staff Enhanced design software Staff LabVIEW 8.6 graphical design software offers engineers the ability to design advanced control systems using field-programmable gate array-based programmable automation controllers. The software...

Compressed Air.
November 1, 2008... Staff Variable-speed air compressor Staff The Quantima variable-speed centrifugal air compressor features oil-free operation and magnetic bearings. The motor and direct-drive compression assembly incorporate the magnetic bearings...

Construction, Buildings & Grounds.
November 1, 2008... Staff Barrier system Staff The Spanguard safety barrier can stop up to 200 pounds of force with minimal deflection. Designed to separate and define work areas, the system features a 36-inch-tall curtain that stands 48 inches off...

Fluid Handling.
November 1, 2008... Staff Push-to-connect valves Staff Push-to-connect COPRO ULTRA 50 mini valves are removable and reusable. Suitable for use on copper, PEX, CPVC and stainless-steel tubing, the valves do not require glue, soldering, paste or...

Lighting.
November 1, 2008... Staff Luminaire Staff The McGraw-Edison Talon universally adaptable luminaire is UL-listed and CSA-certified for use in wet locations; it also meets IP65 requirements. It has a one-piece, heavy-wall, die-cast aluminum...

Manual Material Handling.
November 1, 2008... Staff Portable lift Staff The LiftPod is a personal and portable lift platform designed to provide the stability of a work platform and the portability of a ladder. It features an enclosed platform to accommodate a 360-degree...

Material Handling Systems.
November 1, 2008... Staff Tow tractors Staff The AC electric tow tractors, available with 3,300 and 4,000-pound drawbar pull capacities, feature an ac drive system and controller area network communication technology. MOSFET controller technology...

Power Transmission.
November 1, 2008... Staff Mounted roller bearing Staff Dodge large-bore ISAF pillow blocks feature integral, hydraulically assisted, adapter-mounted installation and removal systems. Factory assembled, sealed and lubricated, the blocks offer...

Index of Finalists.
November 1, 2008... Staff [TABLE OMITTED]

SCADA security system for Modbus TCP announced at ISA Expo.
November 1, 2008... Staff During an ISA Expo press conference and demonstration about government security concerns for SCADA, Eric Byres, chief technical officer at Byres Security Inc. presented a live example of a USB worm attacking PLCs to emphasize why the...

End of Boeing strike puts machinists back on the job.
November 1, 2008... Staff The Associated Press reported on Nov. 3 that Boeing Co. production workers returned Sunday night to jetliner factories after ratifying a new contract to end an eight-week strike that halted Boeing deliveries. Members of the...

USB 3.0 is coming.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Staff The recently released Universal Serial Bus (USB) 3.0 standard won't be available until 2009, initially in interface ICs and consumer products, with widespread deployment in 2010. However, when it arrives, expect speeds 10-times that...

Using photoelectric sensors on the production line.
November 1, 2008... By Greg Knutson, Banner Engineering Photoelectric sensors can keep your manufacturing in check Like humans, automated machinery isn't perfect - and little mistakes can add up to a whole lot of cost and headache. Keeping a close eye on...

A global economics lesson: We're all in this together.
November 1, 2008... Bob Vavra, Editor Two weeks in Europe last month taught me two things. One is that while British newspapers the rough equivalent of American cable news channels - personality-driven, pointless and mind-numbing - European TV news is...

SEW launches next-generation ac motors.
November 1, 2008... Staff It was energy efficiency that drove SEW-Eurodrive to engineer a new line of ac motors with modular components that an be configured to comply with any nation's energy efficiency standards. In 2009, SEW will replace all the ac motors...

A new name for ISA keeps tradition, initially.(International Society of Automation)
November 1, 2008... Staff The initials "ISA" remain the same, but what they stand for has changed. ISA's Council of Society Delegates voted in their annual meeting in Houston in Oct. to change the organization's name to "International Society of Automation"...

ABB has cautious optimism after 3Q growth.(Financial report)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Staff ABB reported double-digit increases in revenues, earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT), net income and cash flow in the third quarter of 2008 as the company continued to improve its operational performance. EBIT grew 25% to...

ICONICS launches next generation of GENESIS64.
November 1, 2008... Staff ICONICS announced its Version 10.5 of the GENESIS64 64-bit-optimized, Web-enabled, OPC-integrated HMI/SCADA suite at ISA Expo in Houston. Designed using OPC Unified Architecture (OPC-UA) and 64-bit multi-core hardware platforms,...

Invensys launches new transmitters at ISA Expo.
November 1, 2008... Staff At the ISA Expo in Houston, Invensys Process Systems (IPS) announced new process safety solutions, including a line of SIL 2-certified pressure transmitters and the achievement of dual seal certification required by the Canadian...

Siemens, USDA/ARS partner in biofuel project.
November 1, 2008... Staff The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Siemens Energy & Automation Inc. have entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) that is intended to improve the...

GE Energy launches wireless condition monitoring at ISA Expo.(International Standard Association)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Staff GE Energy announced the launch of its Bently Nevada wireless condition monitoring system at the ISA Expo in Houston. The system - Essential Insight .mesh - is designed to improve plant reliability, productivity and efficiency for...

Carter named president of Rockwell Software.
November 1, 2008... Staff Rockwell Automation named Ralph Carter, former president and CEO of Pavilion Technologies, as president of Rockwell Software. Carter will be responsible for executing the company's vision to accelerate growth and development of its...

AHR comes to Chicago.
November 1, 2008... Staff The latest trends, technologies and techniques impacting all segments of the HVAC/R industry will be addressed as part of the extensive educational programming offered at the 2009 AHR EXPO, Jan. 26-28, 2009 at Chicago's McCormick...

Corrections.(Correction notice)
November 1, 2008... Staff On page 52 of the October issue of Plant Engineering, a portion of the text was duplicated. No copy was omitted. For the full version of the article "Mixing safety with productivity," go to PlantEngineering.com . The Website...

DuPont acquires Coastal Training Technologies Corp.
November 1, 2008... Staff DuPont acquired Coastal Training Technologies Corp, a producer and marketer of training programs. The transaction will help grow DuPont Safety Resources and the acquisition includes transfer of all customer agreements, patents,...

Worldwide battery demand on the rise.(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Staff Worldwide primary and secondary battery demand will increase 4.8% annually to almost $90 billion in 2012. China will record the largest gains of any national market and will account for more than half of the total global increase in...

Oregon solar manufacturing plants power up.
November 1, 2008... Staff The state of Oregon continues to produce manufacturing jobs and solar manufacturing facilities. According to a New York Times report, German solar maker SolarWorld opened its 480,000-square foot semiconductor plant in Hillsboro, OR....

Fan repair blows replacement away.
November 1, 2008... By Thomas J. Kuli and Tim Rape, Robinson Industries Inc. Repairing or rebuilding existing process fans can often lead to better efficiencies and cost savings Traditionally, as fans and blowers in process equipment would break down,...

Using condensing and modulating boilers to increase operating efficiency.
November 1, 2008... By Mark Croce, AERCO International According to the U.S. Department of Energy, almost 60% of boilers in the United States are more than 25 years old. Furthermore, it is widely accepted that these older-style, conventional boilers typically...

Being green and saving green both require better information.
November 1, 2008... Staff From our earliest years, we are taught that there is a straight choice between merit and money - that you can't be righteous and rich. Most of us muddle along somehow - but when someone offers you the chance to do both at once, to do...

Growing your own workforce.
November 1, 2008... By Bill Wilder, Life Cycle Engineering The demand for qualified people is estimated to be twice the supply over the next 20 years. In the state of South Carolina, the Chamber of Commerce projects that between 2010 and 2030, total employment...

What we're talking about online:.
November 1, 2008... Staff A new name for ISA keeps tradition, initially Manufacturing joins the economic slowdown MESA European Conference goes to Prague European legislators back emissions rules GM to produce efficient engines at new plant...

What you're talking about online:.(Quotation)
November 1, 2008... Staff On Honda's $138 million plant expansion: "That's great for such a tough time in the economy. I just wonder about the future of that plant. The U.S. is pushing for zero emission vehicles, and Honda loves to push the frontier....

Thermal imaging 'game' lets users diagnose problems.
November 1, 2008... Staff Fluke Corporation, a global provider of handheld electronic test and measurement technology, has taken a big step to turn work into fun. The company has unveiled the Fluke Challenge, an interactive video game set in an imaginary...

Keeping jaw grips from leaving a mark on parts.
November 1, 2008... Staff In this Tip from 2002, the problem is that vice jaws can leave marks, especially on soft parts. To avoid that problem, Jerry Miller of The Hammerblow Company suggested using flexible magnetic strips cut in the vice jaw's shape and...

Leveraging plant resources to maximize the benefits of sustainability.
November 1, 2008... By Blake Moret and Marcia Walker, Rockwell Automation Kurt Vonnegut once wrote that a "flaw in the human character is that everybody wants to build and nobody wants to do maintenance." Many companies are drawn toward "building"...