Control Engineering articles from August 2006

Control Engineering archives from August 2006

Coalescing Networks.
August 1, 2006... Hank Hogan for Control Engineering Thanks to new standards and software, automation networks are being tied together as never before. Real-world implementations deliver real benefits: faster implementation, cost savings, and more. ...

Sensor Placement Tips & Tricks.
August 1, 2006... Vance VanDoren, Ph.D., P.E., Control Engineering The performance of a sensor often depends on where and how it is installed. Placing a thermocouple inside a furnace seems like an obvious way to measure the temperature of the product...

Worlds in Collision -- or Cooperation?
August 1, 2006... Frank O. Smith for Control Engineering IT and plant floor people are from different worlds, so no matter who's driving integration projects, success requires effective communication. The major barrier to integrating automation with...

Electro-hydraulic motion controller adds quality to pultrusion machine.
August 1, 2006... Staff Unlike extrusion, which squeezes material through a mold, a pultrusion machine takes fiber material like carbon or glass, impregnates it with resin, and pulls it through a die that shapes it as desired. A chemical reaction occurs as...

Micro-machines: worth the cost?
August 1, 2006... Thomas R. Kurfess, International Center for Automotive Research at Clemson University Micro-machine tools that are either under development or are fairly new to the marketplace are quite pricey, often costing as much as $1 million or more....

LEDs: Rugged, versatile light sources.(Light Emitting Diode )
August 1, 2006... Jordon Papanier, LEDtronics Inc. Once used only as simple status indicators, LEDs, or light emitting diodes, now play prominent roles in many applications, including back lighting, panel indication, decorative illumination, emergency...

Much more than controls.
August 1, 2006... Mark T. Hoske, Editor-in-Chief Unique controls and advanced materials--these contributed to setting seven world records in less than a year. Unwilling to tout technologies, the plant manager instead praises his team's abilities to...

Open to change.(Editorial)
August 1, 2006... Renee Robbins, Editorial Director "A person needs at intervals to separate from family and companions and go to new places. One must go without familiars in order to be open to influences, to change," said writer Katharine Butler Hathaway....

Shielded Cables Tame Servo System EMI.(Electromagnetic interference)
August 1, 2006... By Lee Stephens Selecting the proper shielded cables for a servo motor application is one of the most critical steps in building an accurate and reliable motion system. Electromagnetic interference (EMI) in motion control system...

Network Backbone Speeds Printing.(C.C. Linck Inc.)
August 1, 2006... Chuck Lukasik CC-Link provides high-speed web press infrastructure for remote interface, device integration, data collection, information handling, and control signal exchange. Intense printing industry competition requires operators...

GM Sets Global Standard for Conveyor Control.
August 1, 2006... Staff Technology leap integrated into SEW-Eurodrive's highly modular drive system simplifies production line changes, reduces wiring costs, solves safety issues. When General Motors set out to establish a global conveyor platform in...

Proximity switches for tight spaces.(Canfield Connector)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Staff Series 9F universal ultra small sensors from Canfield Connector fit into any 4 mm "T" slot to meet the most stringent space requirements. Available in solid state electronic and reed styles, the 9F electronic version reportedly...

Linear encoders for machine tools.(Heidenhain Corp.)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Staff LC Series absolute linear encoders from Heidenhain Corp. have reportedly been redesigned to meet today's measurement requirements in machine tools better, and also now include two interfaces: EnDat 2.2 and Fanuc 02. LC 183 and 483...

Articulating tool position arm.(Titan Tool Co.)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Staff TitanMate articulating tool position arm from Titan Tool Co. is said to increase productivity and safety with infinite adjustability that minimizes repetitive motion injuries and saves time. Device is said to reduce operator fatigue...

Single-camera frame grabbers.(Matrox Electronic Systems Ltd.)
August 1, 2006... Staff New configurations of Matrox' Solios frame grabber family include the Solios XCL-B, which supports a single Base Camera Link camera, and Solios XCL-F, which supports up to a single Full Camera Link camera. SCL-F is also available for...

Robots feature user-friendly controls.(Kuka Robotics Corp.)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Staff Kuka KR5 Scara robot family from Kuka Robotics is designed for high-speed applications that entail long-reach tasks. New 4-axis robots, when combined with Kuka Robotics' PC-based control platform, provide an easy-to-learn and...

RFID data cleaning tips.(Radio frequency identification equipment)
August 1, 2006... Dennis Brandl, BR&L Consulting RFID (Radio Frequency ID tags) are again in the news. The FDA has recently scolded the pharmaceutical industry for delays in implementing RFID track-and-trace technologies. Pressure is also growing for using...

Beware the dirty dozen.
August 1, 2006... Mark Voigtmann, Baker & Daniels LLP Want a good starting place for figuring out whether to accept another company's terms and conditions? Try looking for these "dirty dozen" contract flaws. If you are an integrator or outside engineer and...

Increasing U.S. energy production at the plant level.
August 1, 2006... Peter Welander Debate over the current U.S. energy situation and government policy rages in all political forums and news media. These discussions generally examine the problem on a large scale but do not consider what's going on locally....

For sale: mechanical, motor businesses.(Rockwell Automation Inc.)
August 1, 2006... Staff Rockwell Automation Inc. put the "for sale" sign on its Dodge mechanical and Reliance Electric motors and motor repair services businesses. These producers of power transmission products and motors are part of the company's Power...

Control Engineering names Welander as process industries editor.
August 1, 2006... Staff Peter Welander has been named Control Engineering 's process industries editor. This new classification is designed to increase the publication's already strong coverage of this key automation industry segment. Welander comes to this...

Sensor modifications made.(Schneider Electric S.A.)
August 1, 2006... Staff Schneider Electric expanded its North American Adaptation Center in Dayton, OH, to handle Type "A" modifications (any cable or labeling alterations to the external housing of the sensor). Customers can specify a reduced cable length,...

C.G. Masi joins Control Engineering.
August 1, 2006... Staff Charles G. (Charlie) Masi has joined Control Engineering 's editorial staff as senior editor covering discrete controls. Masi succeeds retiring executive editor, Frank Bartos. (See related "Editorial," p.2) Masi's strong background...

Siemens, Emerson add standards.(Siemens Automation & Drives )(Emerson Process Management )
August 1, 2006... Staff Emerson Process Management and Siemens Automation & Drives will expand system interfaces to enable greater support of global fieldbus standards. They plan to exchange technology and engineering support that will extend their systems...

Frank Bartos retires from Control Engineering.
August 1, 2006... Staff After researching and writing about motors, drives, motion control, embedded systems, PC-based control, and artificial intelligence topics for the past 20 years, Frank J. Bartos, P.E., is retiring as executive editor of Control...

Various suppliers announce mergers.(Company overview)
August 1, 2006... Staff Recent mergers activities include the following. Ametek Inc. expands its analytical instrument platform with its acquisition of Land Instruments International Ltd., a global supplier of high-end analytical instrumentation....

Application: Fast, accurate 5-axis machining.
August 1, 2006... Staff From the start, in 1985, the need for five-axis machining was apparent, says Rob Bujeaud, vice-president of manufacturing for Turbocam and its recently created high-production division, TAPS (Turbocam Automated Production Systems)....

By the Numbers.
August 1, 2006... Staff 3 ways not to become extinct in manufacturing are to develop a clear vision that focuses on your customers' success; drive the waste out of all of your processes; and grow your people. So says David Hogg of the Association for...

Machine Vision.
August 1, 2006... Mark T. Hoske, Control Engineering Investments are expected to increase 64% in coming year. Setup and configuration is significantly easier; lighting can challenge. Hey, buddy. Here's a tip: Machine vision is a hot automation...

Drive system for multi-axis machines.(B&R Industrial Automation Corp.)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Staff AcoposMulti drive system from B&R Industrial Automation offers high efficiency for multi-axis machines in the plastics, packaging, print, and textile industries. It integrates a 24-V supply for drives and PLC, PC, or peripherals...

Vision software supports color.(Dalsa Digital Imaging)
August 1, 2006... Staff Sherlock 7 next-generation machine vision software from ipd, a group of Dalsa Digital Imaging, offers enhanced tools and flexibility to address automated inspection needs. New version adds support for color image processing,...

Flywheel-based energy storage system.
August 1, 2006... Staff Second-generation flywheel-based clean energy storage system from Pentadyne Power delivers 50% more power than the previous version with the same footprint (5 sq ft) and cost. VSS+DC delivers up to 190 kW of power and 2,700 kW/s of...

Wireless analog, switch DAQ.(Wilkerson Instrument Co. Inc.)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Staff Wireless analog and switch data acquisition products from Wilkerson Instrument offer Modbus RTU-protocol with 1 to 247 remote units and line-of-sight ranges to 20 miles. DR9050 control unit interfaces to a standard Modbus RTU RS485...

Water plant analyzer, controller.(Beckhoff Automation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Staff Water analysis and control system uses AquaSensors DataStick sensors networked over DeviceNet to a Beckhoff CX1000 DIN rail mounted industrial PC to provide a complete control system for any water industry application from full plant...

Rack mount enclosures.(Buckeye ShapeForm)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Staff Buckeye ShapeForm VersaFlex Series line of desktop/rack mount enclosures features rounded edges and two-tone colors with a durable finish. Design allows the mounting of heavy components and easy field replacement of trims and...

Dual-channel temperature controllers.(Lake Shore Cryotronics Inc.)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Staff Model 325 dual-channel temperature controller from Lake Shore Cryotronics supports nearly any diode, RTD, or thermocouple temperature sensor to measure and control temperatures from 1.4 to more than 1,500 K. Sensor inputs are factory...

Miniature brushless motors.(Danaher Motion)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Staff Portescap N Series slotted brushless dc motors from Danaher Motion are available in sizes 5, 6, 9, and 11 for medical and electronic assembly applications that require high speed and sizes 12, 14, and 15 for industrial applications...

Inductive, capacitive proximity sensors.
August 1, 2006... Staff The c3controls line of inductive and capacitive proximity sensors for non-contact presence sensing of metallic and non-metallic objects feature nickel-plated, stainless steel, and non-metallic cylindrical, and rectangular housings...

Linear encoders.
August 1, 2006... Staff LN series linear encoders from BEI Industrial Encoder Div. are said to provide rapid, accurate, and repeatable position feedback in a rugged design. They feature a stainless steel scale, sealed read head, and IP67 environmental...

Dual-axis servo amplifier.
August 1, 2006... Staff Copley Controls' Model 800-1514 dual-axis servo amplifier for current (torque) control of brushless servo motors accepts encoder and Hall-effect feedback data from a wide range of servo motor types. It operates on a 20-55-V isolated...

PLC supports complex controls.
August 1, 2006... Staff FPSV3 PLC, newest addition to the Panasonic Electric Works FPS ultra-compact programmable logic controller series, offers advanced features to support more complex controls. Compact in size (30 mm wide x 90 mm high x 60 mm deep; 1.81...

Enclosure cooling system.
August 1, 2006... Staff The Vortec/ITW Air Management Vortex A/C cooling system for electrical enclosures is a quiet (62 dBA) alternative to air-conditioning. Three models deliver 900, 1,500, or 2,500 Btuh of refrigeration reportedly at a fraction of the...

Ground monitoring system.
August 1, 2006... Staff GMMS ground monitoring system is a solid-state device that continuously monitors the integrity of an electrical grounding system and automatically reacts if a problem occurs. The Rabun Labs unit senses moisture in soil. If moisture...

Dissolved ozone analyzer.
August 1, 2006... Staff Q45H/64 dissolved ozone analyzer is suitable for a wide range of applications--from the standard 0-2 ppm display range required by water bottling systems or municipal water treatment to high range ones of 0-20 or 0-200 ppm. The...

Industrial PCs with HMI software.
August 1, 2006... Staff Wonderware, a business unit of Invensys, bundles thin client computer and Box PC industrial systems with HMI software to be plug-and-play ready for a variety of manufacturing and industrial settings. Fanless, dust- protected Box PC...

Non-contact IR thermometer.
August 1, 2006... Staff Heat Spy DHS215XEL line of compact, handheld, non-contact infrared thermometers from Wahl Instruments is reported to be easy-to-use, cost-effective, and accurate. Portable instruments measure surface temperatures in a wide variety of...

Reducing Costs with a Model Predictive Control.
August 1, 2006... Ric Snyder Ethanol plants today are more efficient than their predecessors, but more can be done. Model predictive control taps into real-time production and analyzer data to drive energy consumption down. In today's marketplace of...

AEP to pilot new KPI software.(American Electric Power)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Staff Columbus, Ohio--American Electric Power (AEP) has chosen Visual KPI software for a pilot test of a new key performance indicator (KPI) program. Running from May through fall 2006, the program is designed to deliver critical...

Mileage contest source of new technologies.
August 1, 2006... Staff Nogaro, France--While the new results were off the record pace of last year, a bio-fuel powered car took home the gold for the best fuel efficiency at the European Shell Eco-marathon on May 20-21. The ethanol-powered winning entry,...

Wind farm gets touchscreens.(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Staff Relay Application Innovation Inc. (RAI) for a wind farm electric power protection and integration project chose graphic operator interface terminals from QSI. RAI provides electric power system protection and is based in Pullman, WA....

Online supplier search casts wide net, narrows search.
August 1, 2006... Mark T. Hoske Sourcing the right components for a project and finding the right suppliers can be a major challenge in any project. Years of Control Engineering printed Buyer's Guides have helped subscribers accomplish that. This year,...

Onboard the 'Unified Architecture' train.(Editorial)
August 1, 2006... Frank O. Smith The OPC Foundation and four of its member companies officially announced the new Unified Architecture (OPC-UA) for data and information sharing between the plant floor and the enterprise at the ARC Advisory Group's annual...