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Control Engineering articles from April 2007
Magazine covering control and instrumentation systems.
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Control Engineering archives from April 2007
Seven rules for writing specs.
April 1, 2007... Mark Voigtmann
Although I write a column on legal issues for an engineering magazine, I don't pretend to be an engineer. In fact, you would probably be within your rights to label me a "liberal arts" control engineering lawyer. What does...
Inverse response is deceptive.(significance of feedback controllers in industrial processes)
April 1, 2007
10 Control System Security Threats.
April 1, 2007... Peter Welander, Control Engineering
Based on work done by the North American Electric Reliability Corp., these control system vulnerabilities are the place to start to prevent a security breach.
The North American Electric Reliability...
New Views for Existing Systems.(replacement of human-machine interfaces by supervisory control and data-acquisition systems)(Chapparal Steel Inc. uses HMI software from AMI Corp.)(Leciva AS uses Genesis32 software from Iconics Inc. )
April 1, 2007... Steve Scheiber for Control Engineering
Upgrades and retrofits give a fresh look to operator interfaces and reap benefits for a variety of industry applications.
The interface between people and machines has improved dramatically in the...
Get the Most from a System Integrator.
April 1, 2007... Vance J. VanDoren, Ph.D., P.E., Control Engineering
Five things to ask when interviewing integrators for your next automation project--and one extra question that can save years of aggravation afterward.
What you don't find out now can...
Make the right decisions on Ethernet I/O systems.
April 1, 2007... Vincent J. Marchant, Moore Industries
Information is power. The ability to gather time-critical data, digest it, and react upon it is the only way manufacturing companies have to stay in touch with customers' needs and demands. Without it,...
Foreign investors take on China.
April 1, 2007... Aileen Jin, Control Engineering China
Control Engineering China has monitored the rise of the Chinese manufacturing market since the magazine began in 2003. It has also seen parallel growth in the automation industry. According to Ma Xiu...
Effective automation networks.
April 1, 2007... Dennis Brandl
Designing effective automation networks is a difficult task, not because the physical network is hard to design, but because of the number of applications and services that must operate within it. The physical network is made...
Upgrade before disaster.
April 1, 2007... Mark T. Hoske, editor in chief
Don't wait for a natural disaster to upgrade your plant. Better to upgrade your plant before it becomes an unnatural disaster.
Hurricanes close plants, displace people, and inflict human suffering. So do...
Taking switch management to PLC.
April 1, 2007... Staff
EtherNet/IP Profile switch from Hirschmann responds to the increasing application of Ethernet as a plant floor network. The fully SNMP and EtherNet/IP managed switches offer a broad set of standard features and are available in all...
Modules boost network security.
April 1, 2007... Staff
Scalance S family of industrial Ethernet security modules from Siemens Energy & Automation Inc. offers the functionality and protection of a firewall and virtual private network (VPN), allowing only real-time, authenticated...
Industrial Networking.
April 1, 2007
Innovation Reigns.
April 1, 2007... Renee Robbins, Editorial Director
In the sleepy hour before breakfast, on the bus to sessions at the ABB Automation World user conference, I met the most delightful man. Tom Bassel of Graphic Equipment Corp., a maker of printing presses for...
Wireless condition monitoring.
April 1, 2007... Jim Ralston, ProSoft Technology
Advances in vibration analysis have lead to modern condition monitoring systems that can significantly improve plant production. Adding industrial wireless technologies can result in lower costs and better...
Extreme Machine: Compact Precision Robotics.
April 1, 2007... Steve Scheiber for Control Engineering
Not just a cartoner or a case packer, this complete end-of-the-line packaging system sits within 300 sq ft.
What's extreme? According to Control Engineering subscribers, a robotic packaging...
A Rainforest Growsin Cleveland.
April 1, 2007... C.G. Masi, Control Engineering
Variable-speed drives help maintain temperature, humidity of "The RainForest" at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.
Behind the scenes, a lot of control engineering goes into creating and maintaining a tropical...
Hydraulic Motion Control.
April 1, 2007... Rick Meyerhoefer, Delta Computer Systems
Adding best-in-class concepts and PC-based controls to a standard product design improved performance and simplified operation for a powder compacting press machine.
The market for powder...
Digital Cameras in Control Applications.
April 1, 2007... Petko Dinev, Imperx
Picking the right machine vision camera is a matter of matching specifications to the application.
Machine vision is an increasingly valuable technology for industrial control, with uses in automated quality...
GE Industrial buys Microwave Data Systems.
April 1, 2007... Staff
GE Industrial, a unit of General Electric, acquired the assets of Rochester, NY-based Microwave Data Systems (MDS), a subsidiary of Moseley Associates. GE called MDS "a world leader in industrial, wireless, and networking solutions,"...
Smart about HART communications? Apply for plant of the year.
April 1, 2007... Staff
HART Communication Foundation (HCF) is currently seeking nominations for the 6th annual HART Plant of the Year Award. The global award is presented each year to recognize innovative use of HART Communication in real-time industrial...
Research: Wireless Ethernet use increases in industrial networking.
April 1, 2007... Staff
Wireless Ethernet (Wi-Fi) networking is being deployed extensively in industrial applications, with greater use expected, according to research firm Venture Development Corporation (VDC) outlined in a recently completed six-volume...
Instrumentation: K-Tek expands, buys non-contact ultrasonic line.
April 1, 2007... Staff
K-Tek LLC acquired KAB Instruments and its line of non-contact ultrasonic level measurement equipment, a move that K-Tek says enhances its position as a leading manufacturer of state-of-the-art level instrumentation for process...
Fun Website: Connect kids to the world of manufacturing.
April 1, 2007... Staff
With the click of a mouse, young people can get a behind-the-scenes look into the significance and fascination of manufacturing. The Manufacturing is Cool Website was re-designed by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME)...
Podcast discusses real-life fieldbus technology use.
April 1, 2007... Staff
The use of fieldbus architecture is quietly spreading into a wider variety of industries, even nuclear power plants. In a recent podcast, a group of plant engineer/operators talks to Bill Tatum, marketing manager, Fieldbus...
Plant tour: Behind the scenes at Bosch Rexroth.(2nd Global Technology Summit of Bosch Rexroth AG)
April 1, 2007
Cars: Wireless networks; smarter, safer infrastructure.
April 1, 2007... Staff
Gather a group of engineers to consider new ways to improve automotive safety, navigation, and maintenance, and ideas speed around the room. Automation and wireless network technologies inside and outside vehicles can help with these...
ABB takes automation show on the road.(Brief article)
April 1, 2007
New power generation: Advanced control boosts performance.
April 1, 2007... Staff
Advanced systems from Emerson and ABB are providing critical monitoring and control capabilities for two power plants using new generation technologies. The installations include Emerson Process Management's Ovation control system...
Gartner names Transpara 'cool vendor'.
April 1, 2007... Staff
Operations intelligence software vendor Transpara Corp. is among the companies listed in Gartner's "Cool Vendors in Manufacturing, 2007" report, released in March. The research and consulting firm's report called Transpara "a vendor...
Pittcon 2007: Conference targets process sensors, analyzers.
April 1, 2007... Staff
More than 1,100 exhibitors and 21,000 attendees participated in the 58th Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy held at Chicago's McCormick Place, Feb. 25-March 2, 2007. Products and developments...
I/O modules cut costs, save space.(Opto 22 introduces five new Snap I/O modules)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007
Ready-made motion control.
April 1, 2007... By Staff
IndraMotion for Metal Forming roll feed system is a ready-made motion control system from Bosch Rexroth. System contains the pre-defined, user-activated functions needed for such applications as roll feed and a flying cut off....
Digital IR temperature sensor.
April 1, 2007... By Staff
Rayomatic 14 digital infrared (IR) temperature sensor from E Instruments Group LLC is intended to provide high performance and efficiency for applications where size is critical. IRtec split-configuration non-contact IR pyrometer...
Mobile video system.(Tandberg Data ASA introduces FieldView mobile video system )(Brief article)
April 1, 2007
Dual 14-bit A/D converters.
April 1, 2007... By Staff
ADSD-1420S and ADSD-1420S-EX are the latest additions to C&D Technologies range of dual sampling A/D converters. Functionally complete 14-bit resolution modules provide a 20 mega samples per second (MSPS) sampling rate with no...
Dual-beam, high-resolution microscope.
April 1, 2007... By Staff
Quanta 3D FEG is FEI Co.'s latest addition to its Quanta family. High-resolution, low vacuum SEM/FIB (scanning electron microscope/focused ion beam) was created for 3D material characterization, failure analysis, and process...
Visualization software targets small, medium enterprises.
April 1, 2007... By Staff
AutoVue 3D Pro-SME, the latest addition to Cimmetry's AutoVue family of visualization products, targets small and medium-sized enterprises. Software lets users of mid-range 3D CAD packages such as SolidWorks, Autodesk Inventor,...
Condensate drain valve assemblies.
April 1, 2007... By Staff
Condensate drain valve assemblies from Asco Valve are designed for use in compressed air systems where moisture drainage is critical. Two types are offered to meet virtually any compressor system requirements. Air-operated models...
Asset management system enhancements.
April 1, 2007... By Staff
Enhancements to Avantis.Pro enterprise asset management (EAM) software from the Avantis unit of Invensys Process Systems are designed to provide better support for reliability centered maintenance (RCM) strategies. Release 4.2...
Maintenance bearings have long life.
April 1, 2007... By Staff
Sealmaster reduced maintenance bearings from Emerson Power Transmission have efficient lubricant circulation to eliminate the need for regular service intervals. Intended for inaccessible locations, the bearings feature a surface...
Browser-based user interface for SAP.
April 1, 2007... By Staff
GuiXT Fuzion from Synactive Software Components bridges mainstream SAP GUI with the emerging SAP Portal platform. It allows the creation of customized user interfaces from existing SAP transactions and exposes the applications...
Electromechanical rod actuators.
April 1, 2007... By Staff
DNCE electromechanical rod actuator from Festo is a screw-driven linear actuator with a non-rotating round piston rod. DNCE is intended as a drop-in replacement for the Festo DNC and other pneumatic cylinders based on ISO standard...
Industrial relay is 6-mm wide.
April 1, 2007... By Staff
Industrial style G2RV slim relay from Omron Electronic Components LLC is only 6 mm wide. Core incorporates a reinforced quick connect style terminal said to avoid the tendency to bend during replacement. Larger quick connect...
IR thermometers with digital signal processing.
April 1, 2007... By Staff
Two new portable infrared (IR) thermometers from Land Instruments International offer a choice of wired or wireless communications. Cyclops 100 and 100B provide wired RS-232C serial communications, with Model 100B also featuring...
Junction boxes for fieldbus applications.(Pepperl and Fuchs Inc. introduce family of field junction boxes )(Brief article)
April 1, 2007
Fieldbus cards for industrial PCs.(Beckhoff Automation introduces Mini PCI fieldbus cards )(Brief article)
April 1, 2007
Dual-core processor for telecom applications.
April 1, 2007... By Staff
ATC6231 dual-core second generation AMD Opteron processor-based node board from Diversified Technology Inc. is designed for the next generation of telecom applications. PICMG 3.1 compliant processor blade combines low price with...
Bursting disk with non-fragmenting design.(Oseco introduces forward-acting scored bursting disk )(Brief article)
April 1, 2007
USB flash disk interface module.
April 1, 2007... By Staff
VDrive2 USB flash disk interface module from Future Technology Devices International Ltd. is based on its Vinculum integrated USB host controller integrated circuit (IC). Module is suited to adding USB flash disk connectivity to a...
Automotive sensor input IC.
April 1, 2007... By Staff
ZMD31150 integrated circuit from Servoflo is reported as a highly accurate, fast CMOS for amplification and correction of resistive bridge type sensors. It digitally compensates offset, sensitivity, temperature drift, and...
Fixed-mount barcode reader.
April 1, 2007... By Staff
DataMan 100 fixed-mount ID reader from Cognex Corp. is said to provide unmatched code-reading performance and simplicity in a package smaller than a flip-phone. Device uses the company's IDQuick software, a decoding tool for...
Control platform supports 10 ac drives per AGV.(Danaher Motion introduces NDC8 control platform)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007
PAT for Pharmaceutical Cleaning.
April 1, 2007... John M. Hyde; Peter K. Watler, Ph.D.; and Keith Bader, JM Hyde Consulting, Inc.
Control and instrumentation techniques for CIP systems consistent with process analytical technologies practices can improve product quality while reducing...
pH Sensor Improves Product, Process, and Profits.
April 1, 2007... John P. Connelly, Foxboro Measurements and Instruments
When the only thing you can count on is that the pH sensor will fail, it's time to find a new solution, especially in pharmacuetical applications.
Inconsistencies had to stop. Not...
Stand Out Technologies.(Control Engineering Engineers' Choice Awards )
April 1, 2007
CX1020 Embedded PC raises performance bar.(Beckhoff Automation introduces enhanced CX1020 heat sinks)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007
fido 32-bit hard real-time microcontroller integrates software tasks.
April 1, 2007
ETXexpress-CD uses dual core technology.
April 1, 2007
DataMan 7500 Series reads degraded markings.
April 1, 2007
Checker 101E recognizes parts visually.
April 1, 2007
Model 940 PositionServo requires no enclosure.(Lenze/AC Technology Corp. introduces Model 940 servo drives )(Brief article)
April 1, 2007
750 Series Stepper module provides intelligent control.
April 1, 2007
MSS Series gearheads improve torque handling, precision.
April 1, 2007
Managed Ethernet switch is IP67-rated.
April 1, 2007
Direct-Link industrial Ethernet switches support 802.3.
April 1, 2007
BK9105 Bus Coupler support Ethernet/IP.
April 1, 2007
Active Ethernet I/O ioLogik E2210.
April 1, 2007
Snap PAC R2 for DAQ, remote uses.(Opto 22 introduces Snap PAC R-2)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007
Wireless Solution has blanket topology.(wireless Channel Blanket topology of Belden Wireless Solution Inc. )(Brief article)
April 1, 2007
WiFi device with advanced security.
April 1, 2007
Profit Suite R300 boosts economics.
April 1, 2007
Predictive maintenance tool.
April 1, 2007