Control Engineering articles from February 2002

Control Engineering archives from February 2002

Rockwell's FactoryTalk supports collaboration via data integration. (Up Front).(Rockwell Automation)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Milwaukee, Wis.--To improve interoperability among shop-floor solutions and ease data sharing among enterprise applications, Rockwell Automation introduced on Jan. 23 its FactoryTalk common infrastructure solution, which offers flexible data...

Newport to acquire Micro Robotics Systems. (Up Front).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Irvine, Calif.--Newport Corp. announced Jan. 23 that it plans to acquire MICRO ROBOTICS SYSTEMS Inc. (MRSI, North Billerica, Mass.) for an estimated $55-65 million, which includes a combination of cash, Newport stock and the assumption and...

Moore Industries buys Powers Process Controls' Instrument Division. (Up Front).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... North Hills, Calif.--MOORE INDUSTRIES announced Jan. 15 that is has bought the INSTRUMENT DIVISION of Powers Process Controls (Skokie, Ill.). This transaction follows the October 2001 purchase of Powers PROCESS CONTROLS' other divisions by...

Ravisent and eMation become Axeda Systems. (Up Front).(Ravisent technologies Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Mansfield, Mass.--RAVISENT Technologies Inc. and its subsidiary, EMATION Inc., announced Jan. 14, 2002, that they've changed their names to become AXEDA SYSTEMS Inc. The reaming follows Ravisent's completion of its acquisition of eMation last...

NewMonics' releases enhanced PERC. (Up Front).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Lisle, Ill. --NEWMONICS Inc. recently launched version 3.2.1 of its PERC solution to reportedly become the first embedded JVM to provide enterprise-class profiling. The release also extends support of leading RTOSs, introduces new support for...

Ametek acquires analytic instrumentation developer. (Up Front).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Paoli, Pa.--To expand its position in analytic instrumentation, AMETEK Inc. announced Jan. 2 that it has acquired Instruments for Research and Applied Science (IRAS, Oak Ridge, Tenn.) from PerkinElmer Inc. (Boston, Mass.) for about $63 million...

Uticor's OI terminal offers free software, 'hot' downloads. (Exclusive).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Uticor's (Bettendorf, Ia.) Q Square Power-Panel operator interface terminal, based on the recently introduced G Square Series, includes free screen-development software that allows online downloads without data interruption. Slightly smaller...

Use Microsoft Excel as a report writer. (Technology Update).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Despite the many integration investments, a significant number of production reporting still occurs using spreadsheets printed on paper. Why? People will cite lots of reasons, but they all boil down to trust. Spreadsheets have been around...

Networked sensors aid robots building keyless entry units. (Integrator Update).(GSMA Systems works with automotive supplier)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Fitting keys and other accessories onto key rings has never been easy. Spreading the fight-fitting spring often takes people a couple of attempts, and it's no easier if you happen to be a robot assembling automotive keyless entry units. That's...

Solid-state simplifies multiple pressure point measuring, control. (Application Update).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Measurement and control of multiple pressure points is a common application. Typically, four pressure points require as many as 12 different pieces of hardware. This same goal can be accomplished with one solid-state pressure switch, which can...

DAP's multitasking RTOS allows in-place valve diagnoses. (Application Update).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Despite the advent of direct control via plant-wide PC-based networks, critical process flows are still controlled by valves little changed from 50 or even 75 years ago. Traditional valves persist because they're simple, inexpensive and...

Pneumatic, electronic controls production aided by software. (Application Update).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... To help designers create control systems that mate electronics and pneumatics, Robitech Inc. (Wilmington, Mass.) introduced a modular method in 1981 that simplified electronic/pneumatic control interfaces, made them more flexible, cut downtime,...

Tyco plans split into four companies; will sell plastics division. (News).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Pembroke, Bermuda -- To increase shareholder value and pay off about $11 billion in debt, Tyco International Ltd. announced Jan. 22 a plan to divide itself into four independent, publicly traded companies. Each would focus on one of Tyco's four...

Projected R&D Funding for 2002.(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... Projected R&D Funding for 2002 Industry $194.69 billion Federal government $75.5 billion Universities and $15.36 billion other non-profits Source: Control Engineering with data from the Battelle-R&D magazine...

The National Institute of Standards and Technology. (In Business).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... * The National Institute of Standards and Technology (Nist, Gaithersburg, Md.) launched on Jan. 23 plans for its new National Combinatorial Methods Center (NCMC), a collaborative research center devoted to advancing high-throughput methods that...

Invensys plc. (In Business).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... * Invensys plc (London, U.K.) announced Jan. 7 that it is selling its Energy Storage Group (ESG) to EnerSys Inc. (Reading, Pa.) for $505 million in cash. Invensys will use these funds to reduce existing debt, much of which has occurred in its...

District of Columbia's Water and Sewer Authority (WASA). (In Business).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... * To replace its many aging, inaccurate water meters, the District of Columbia's Water and Sewer Authority (WASA) recently awarded what will reportedly be North America's largest fixed radio frequency (RF) network for a water utility to the...

The Fieldbus Foundation. (In Business).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... * The Fieldbus Foundation (Austin, Tex.) recently conducted a survey of its members that indicates an accelerating adoption rate of FOUNDATION fieldbus throughout Japan, primarily among firms in its oil and gas, chemical, pulp and paper, power...

IEEE survey: experienced women in high-tech jobs earn more than men. (Industry View).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Washington, D. C.--Professional women with 20-29 years of experience in electronic technology and information technology fields have higher median incomes than men with similar levels of experience, according to the IEEE-USA's "Salary & Fringe...

New contactors, overload relays developed by Siemens. (New in Control).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Alpharetta, Ga.--Siemens Energy & Automation Inc. introduced on Jan. 4 three sizes of large-frame contactors and overload relays with ratings in the 115-500 A range for both ac or dc motor control. These new contactors feature "Universal...

Safety systems growth expected despite process automation slowdown. (Industry View).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... Dedham, Mass.--The worldwide market for safety systems is expected to grow more than 4.5% per year from $675 million in 2001 to $847.4 million in 2006, according to a new study, "Safety and Critical Control System Worldwide Outlook--Market...

Embedded conference to focus on education. (Events Calendar).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... San Francisco, Calif.--The first of this years three Embedded Systems Conferences (ESCs) will be held on Mar. 12-16 in the north and south halls of the city's Moscone Center. The event is expected to attract more than 14,000 members of the...

National Instruments unveils LabView 6.1. (New in Control).(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2002... Austin, Tex.--To help users instantly enable web-based measurements, National Instruments (NI) launched LabView 6.1 on Jan. 15. This is the latest release of NI's widely used graphical development environment for test, monitoring and control...

Fieldbus, field learning, and field information. (Editorial).(Brief Article)(Editorial)
February 1, 2002... Control Engineering readers don't like feeling lost in left field. In fact, keeping current with technologies ranks among your top priorities. Here's a chance to take advantage of multiple opportunities, here and now, with a fieldbus wehcast,...

Information at Internet Speed. (Cover Story).
February 1, 2002... Suppliers are leveraging Internet and web technologies at a rapid pace to enable real-time information flow. Manufacturers will benefit by drawing manufacturing into real supply chain and enterPrise collaboration. A healthy manufacturing...

Old and in the way? Despite the non-revolutionary advance of contact temperature sensing, control engineers have leveraged its evolutionary progress.
February 1, 2002... The process variable temperature is often touted as the most measured variable in process control applications. If this is true (and it most likely is; see accompanying sidebar), it stands to reason that temperature measurement could easily be...

One (or more) Controller for every application: Technology convergence and enhanced software capability combine to provide a broad spectrum of controllers that handle a variety of applications, with a variety of form factors. (Controllers: Part 2).
February 1, 2002... Engineering conferences and publications thrive on controversy. There's nothing like a good religious debate to get one's blood flowing, and some engineering debates assume a religious air. There are the "fieldbus wars" and the "PLC vs. DCS vs....

Use derivative action responsibly: in loop tuning, too much or not enough derivative action delivers unwanted consequences. Here's what you need to know to get it right. (Loop tuning).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Derivative action can give you the fastest response in loop tuning, but only if you use it responsibly. Too much derivative will make the loop unstable. Too little deviative will not benefit response, and could result in, for instance, a...

Spec-Soft closes-in on developing a CASE tool. (Exclusive).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... SOFTWARE REVIEW For years, process design engineers have dreamed of the ultimate control system development toolset. One that uses the same toolset to develop specifications and test plans, design and develop piping and instrument diagrams...

Inner workings of Industrial Automation: A new Innovation Arena, Career Fair, and 30-workshops will highlight the National Industrial Automation Show during NMW 2002, Mar. 18-21, in Chicago. (National Manufacturing Week 2002).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... It's great to be in the right place at the right time. However, getting in position can be difficult, especially in uncertain and tumultuous times. To help engineers and other technical professionals maintain or regain optimum equilibrium,...

Users expect DAQ to also include analysis and control. (Product Focus: Trends in Data Acquisition).(data acquisition)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... First-generation data acquisition (DAQ) simply meant acquiring data, often using chart recorders and data loggers. One of the earliest industrial uses of personal computers (PCs) was to replace panel-boards of circular and strip chart...

Critical application monitoring. (Product Focus: Trends in Data Acquisition).(Rockwell Automation)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Milwaukee, Wis.--Entek Entrx data acquisition system from Rockwell Automation provides predictive maintenance tools to ensure a high level of availability from high-speed or application-critical machinery, such as steam and gas turbines,...

Advanced audio and vibration analysis. (Product Focus: Data Acquisition).(National Instruments Corp.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Austin, Tex.--When combined, National Instruments NI 4472 for PCI and LabView 6i software provide high-precision audio and vibration measurement and analysis capabilities. Engineers interested in examining sound, vibration, and dynamic signals...

DAQ solution integrates control. (Product Focus: Data Acquisition).(data acquisition)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Charlottesville, Va.--GE Fanuc's Machine Edition of Cimplicity provides an open, integrated development environment for machine-level control programming, monitoring, data acquisition, and troubleshooting. Employing an object-oriented, ActiveX...

WinCC supports Step 7 configuration. (Product Focus: Data Acquisition).(Siemens)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Alpharetta, Ga.-Simatic WinCC version 5.0 software from Siemens features integrated web-browser functionality, multi-client and multi-server architecture, and a Step 7 configuration tag browser, said to increase system performance and...

iFix leverages terminal services. (Product Focus: Data Acquisition).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Foxborough, Mass.--Intellution's iFix uses a thin-client version of Microsoft Windows 2000 Terminal Server functionality to make application data, scripts, and alarm and security features accessible from remote locations. To maximize...

Enhanced LookoutDirect. (Product Focus: Data Acquisition).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Cumming, Ga.--AutomationDirect.com's LookoutDirect version 4.5 includes distributed network viewing and alarm acknowledgement, archival and retrieval of data, and browse-and-select techniques for connecting multiple LookoutDirect nodes. New...

Paperless recorder connects to fieldbus. (Product Focus: Data Acquisition).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Newnan, Ga.-- Yokogawa's DX Series DAQStation's can send and receive analog data to/from FOUNDATION fieldbus instruments and host devices. Fieldbus data are treated the same as hard-wired data and can be trended, used as a calculation variable,...

Drag-and-drop test measurement development. (Product Focus: Data Acquisition).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Marlboro, Mass.--Data Translation's DT Measure Foundry provides the ease of drag-and-drop to arrange instrument-test functions on a personal-computer screen. Functions automatically activate when the function's hardware measurement source is...

Servo actuators for precise positioning. (Products & Software).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Peabody, Mass.--PS Series Flange Output (PSF) and Shaft Output (PSS) actuators feature harmonic drive gearing for zero-backlash and high torque, 50-160:1 gearhead reduction ratios, and a design that integrates well with a variety of servo and...

'System' drive has SERCOS interface. (Products & Software).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Hoffman Estates, Ill.--System 200 REFUdrive with output ratings of 1.5-600 kW, suits Bosch Rexroth's system solutions, while its SERCOS interface allows distributed control structures including servo drives. The SERCOS interface expands...

Ready-to-install temperature assemblies. (Products & Software).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... North Hills, Ca Calif.--Skin kin temperature assemblies can be directly mounted to tanks, pipes, motors, compressors, reactors, and any other application where surface temperature is needed. The assemblies include the company's Worm Flexible...

Metering flow switches. (Products & Software).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Mountain View, Calif.--The 500 Series metering flow switch combines flow switching and metering in a single compact unit. Unlike thermal-sensing devices, the 500 Series is said to provide accurate measurement of flow over a wide temperature...

Four-channel thermometer. (Products & Software).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Stamford, Conn.--The HH501DK is a rugged, easy to use thermometer with four standard miniature connector outputs. It accepts K-type thermocouple probes and covers ranges from -58 to 1,999 [degrees]F. It also provides differential temperature...

Versatile vortex flowmeters. (Product & Software).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Cedar Rapids, Ia.--A family of liquid vortex flowmeters has been added to an exiting line of air, gas, and steam flowmeters. The new liquid flowmeters include an inline version (VL600), a wafer-style version (VL650), and a liquid insertion...

Ultrasonic sensors. (Product & Software).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Rockaway, N.J.--USDS Series ultrasonic sensors are intended for industrial process and production line applications. The devices can measure distance ranges from 0.40 in. to 33 ft and can be configured using a proprietary software tool and...

Addressable gas alarm system. (Products & Software).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The Woodlands, Tex.--Model 812FB gas alarm system consists of a single sensor and redundant gas detection control modules packaged in a NEMA 4X control enclosure. System capability is up to eight channels of monitoring for any combination of...

Keyboard has wipeable keys. (Products & Software).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Costa Mesa, Calif--MET QWERTY is an 88-key enclosed keyboard intended for use in severe industrial environments. The rugged-duty keyboard is specifically designed for easy cleaning by preventing places for impurities to accumulate. The mini...

Electromechanical oxygen sensor. (Products & Software).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Pittsburgh, Pa.--DraegerSensor XS-R-[O.sub.2] is an electromechanical sensor used for measuring [O.sub.2] in chemical, petrochemical, and utilities industries applications, and in any confined space entry applications. The sensor is said to...

ProcessLogix expands fieldbus connectivity. (Products & Software).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Milwaukee, Wis.--Rockwell Automation's recent announcement of ProcessLogix Release 400 includes OPC 2.0 compliance, HTML display development, and Profibus and FOUNDATION fieldbus interface modules. Profibus and FOUNDATION fieldbus modules join...

Software for cross-directional closed-loop control. (Products & Software).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Phoenix, Ariz.--IntelliMap v. 3 software allows top-to-bottom tuning of cross directional (CD) paper machine control parameters using Da Vinci Quality Control Systems. IntelliMap uses neural network technology to determine the shape of the...

Electromagnetic flowmeter. (Products & Software).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Greenwood, Ind.--Endress+Hauser introduced Promag 23 two-wire electromagnetic flowmeter. Promag 23's performance is said to be nearly equal to similar four-wire electromagnetic flowmeters, but the two-wire design simplifies installation,...

Detect four toxic gases. (Products & Software).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Lake Forest, Calif.--G20 and G40 portable gas detectors are designed for personal safety monitoring of up to four toxic gases in confined spaces. Using a rugged, compact design and featuring full-sized electro-chemical cells, the G-series...

Intelligent corrosion monitoring instruments. (Products & Software).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Houston, Tex.-InterCorr's SmartCET intelligent corrosion monitoring products permit plant operators to monitor corrosion rates alongside other real-time vital process variables, such as pressure, temperature and flow. SmartCET's ability to...

Predict key performance metrics. (Products & Software).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Redmond, Wa.-BioComp Systems recently released Process Intellect version 2.0, a process intelligence system that provides on-line analytic desktop tools to access, clean, and filter manufacturing data; build forward-looking predictive models;...

Dispatch Optimizer joins SmartProcess suite. (Products & Software).(Emerson Process Management)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2002... Pittsburgh, Pa.-Emerson Process Management's Westinghouse division recently added Economic Dispatch Optimizer (EDO) to the SmartProcess suite of modules targeted at providing advanced control solutions to steam generation applications. Using a...

10-in, deep enclosures. (Products & Software).(Hoffman)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Anoka, Minn.--10-in. deep Concept wall-mount enclosures are available in 20 sizes eliminating the need to specify extra-wide or extra-tall enclosures when equipment requires more than 8-in, depth. The enclosures feature flush latching and...

Expandable micro PLC. (Products & Software).(MicroSmart family of micro Programmable Logic Controllers)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Sunnyvale, Calif.--MicroSmart family of micro PLCs welcomes the addition of expandable, modular siblings. "Slim" style units are available with 20 or 40 I/O points with varying types of outputs. Each CPU module includes four high-speed...

Insulation displacement yields cost benefits. (Back to Basics).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Insulation Displacement Connection (IDC) is a highly reliable connection technology. It has been used for many years in the telecommunications/electronics industry and has been making its way into industrial control and automation applications....

Converter handles temperature extremes. (Products).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Tucson, Ariz.-WPN20R Series 20-watt dc/dc converter can withstand an operating temperature range of -40 to 221[degrees]F with no output power derating, making it ideal for use in extreme environments. The device is available in three wide-range...

Light-powered digital thermometer. (Products).(Dresser Instruments)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Stamford, Conn.--A light-powered industrial thermometer that offers an environmentally friendly alternative to mercury-filled, industrial devices, Weksler's device is switchable between [degrees]F and [degrees]C. It is available in a variety of...

Flexible transmitter family. (Products).(Dataforth Corp.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Tuscon, Ariz.-The DSCT Series of loop-powered, two-wire transmitters are available in seven family groups that provide 49 models, which interface to a variety of voltage, current, temperature and position measuring devices. DSCT conditions and...

Oscillating piston flowmeter. (Products).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Greenwood, S. C.--Type MP oscillating piston flowmeter is suited for measurement of nonpolar liquid chemicals and solvents, such as heptane/toluene, xylene, mineral spirits, pine oil, paints, resins and fatty acids. Type MP's accuracy is [+ or...

Compact totalizer. (Products).(Aalborg Instruments and Controls Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Orangeburg, N. Y.--Aalborg's latest compact totalizer is designed primarily for flowmeters and mass flow controllers. It is also usable in conjunction with other instrumentation with 0-5 V dc or 0-10 V dc analog output signals. The totalizer...

Environmental interconnects. (Products).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Sidney, N.Y.--The Star-Lok Series of connectors are said to provide rapid, one-handed, consistent mating of industrial plugs and receptacles for power, signal or mixed applications. They are intended for use in automation, process control,...