Control Engineering articles from February 2006

Control Engineering archives from February 2006

Engineering revisited.(EDITORIAL)(Editorial)
February 1, 2006... Not long after I came onboard as editorial director of Control Engineering, I wrote a column titled "Change engineers," which dealt with the increasing influence of corporate directives and information technologies on the engineering profession...

I/O modules with pluggable wiring.(product EXCLUSIVE)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... KS Series bus-terminal I/O system from Beckhoff Automation now includes pluggable connections. Equipped with the same wiring procedure as the KL line, the KS Series gives end-users, system integrators, and OEMs a choice of a one-piece I/O...

I/O system for cold environments.(product EXCLUSIVE)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... 750 Series Wago-I/O-System from Wago Corp. now has an extended temperature range of -20 to 60 [degrees]C (-4 to 140 [degrees]F). Line is designed to support an expanded array of applications, including those that typically reside outdoors, such...

How to apply thermocouples.(application UPDATE)
February 1, 2006... Although many sensors can measure temperature, the three most common are resistance temperature detectors (RTD), thermocouples, and thermistors. The thermocouple (TC) is the most common of those, and is made up of two dissimilar metals joined...

Well, you shouldn't be doing that!(IT & engineering INSIGHT)
February 1, 2006... Many manufacturers outsource IT infrastructure support, including management of networks, servers, email, and desktop help. Valid economic reasons exist for outsourcing these standard services. In a business environment, not much added...

OAC offers much to manufacturers.(open-architecture controls )
February 1, 2006... What are the trade-offs between open- and closed-architecture controllers? Advantages of open-architecture controls (OACs) include controlling parameters other than position and speed. For example, process parameters, such as power and force...

Data acquisition critical to booster-stage debris reentry.(NEWS)
February 1, 2006... Longmont, CO -- European Space Agency's heavy space-launcher, Ariane 5, is designed with two solid-fuel boosters, a main cryogenic stage, called EPC, and a storable propellant upper-stage. EPC is left on a controlled reentering-orbit after its...

90% of the world's engineers Asian residents by 2010?(NEWS)
February 1, 2006... San Jose, CA -- U.S. has a diminishing capability to maintain competitive manufacturing leadership and parity, said James W. Bagley, chairman of Lam Research Corp., in a speech to San Jose State University's College of Engineering.. He...

Chinese alumina plant digitally automated.(NEWS)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Foxboro, MA -- Luoyang Xiangjiang Wanji Aluminum Ltd. (LXWA) has contracted with Invensys Process Systems China for its greenfield alumina plant in Luoyang Xinan County, Henan Province, China. Invensys will furnish Foxboro's I/A-Series digital...

More efficient batch-process control.(NEWS)
February 1, 2006... Zurich, Switzerland -- Dynea UK Ltd. (Mold, Flintshire), a leading producer of industrial adhesives, has purchased ABB's System 800xA Extended Automation to update its existing system for its urea-formaldehyde (UF) resins and adhesives process....

Ethernet tutorial for network performance, reliability.(NEWS)
February 1, 2006... Downers Grove, IL -- An online, interactive introductory tutorial helps industry professionals acquire the fundamentals of nine management features: IGMP snooping, rate limiting, virtual local area networks (VLANs), quality of service (QoS),...

TFT LCD manufacturer sites second China plant.(NEWS)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Hsinchu, Taiwan -- AU Optronics Corp. (AUO) has selected Xiamen in Southern China as the site of its second Chinese manufacturing plant. The move, says the company, is in-line with its "on-going belief in treating its customers as partners in...

Automotive production barometer.(NEWS)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Historically automobiles have been the engine of the U.S. economy. On the automotive side, according to CSM Worldwide, the future is small. Automotive companies are shifting funding and engineering resources to small vehicles because there is a...

Nuclear-plant turbine-control goes digital.(NEWS)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Foxboro, MA -- Both units of American Electric Power's Cook nuclear-plant, in Bridgman, MI, get upgrades with Triconex electronic control systems, from Invensys Process Systems, for the main turbines and feed-water pump turbines. New digital...

Network gateway leads product trio debut.(NEWS)
February 1, 2006... Northbrook, IL -- Woodhead Industries Inc.'s Gateway reportedly facilitates EtherNet/IP and DF1 messaging from industrial devices from manufacturers, such as Rockwell Automation. Gateway performs all communication tasks to exchange data among...

New robot 'market incubator' program.(NEWS)
February 1, 2006... Ann Arbor, MI -- Robotic Industries Association (RIA), billed as North America's only trade association dedicated solely to industrial robotics, just announced its "Robot Market Incubator Program." RIA refers to this program as a comprehensive...

AMC's millionth servo drive.(NEWS)(Company Profile)
February 1, 2006... Camarillo, CA -- Near yearend 2005, Advanced Motion Controls (AMC) announced shipment of its millionth servo drive. It was a significant milestone in the company's history, considering that AMC was founded in 1988 as a two-person start-up. ...

Rautaruukki adds production without interruption.(NEWS)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Varkaus, Finland -- Rautaruukki's Raahe Steel Works will install and implement Honeywell automation systems to improve operations over the next three years, without breaks in production. First stage of the implementation is scheduled to take...

By the numbers.
February 1, 2006... 304 was the net gain in jobs, July 2004-June 2005, in the digital and robotics sectors for members of the Technology Collaborative (TTC), a Pennsylvania economic development organization that supports the state's growth of robotics,...

Top 10 articles of '05.(Editorial)
February 1, 2006... Most popular articles of 2005 follow--measured by number of "hits" (page opened) during each calendar month at Control Engineering's Web site. Results reflect readers' desire for trends, technologies, and tutorials to more efficiently design...

Enterprise integration and the engineer series Part 1: business technologies boost engineering.(Cover Story)
February 1, 2006... Plant floor-to-front office integration efforts of the 1990s are being rekindled with new technologies, a host of concrete business reasons, and a different area of focus. A Control Engineering subscriber poll tells what's really happening. ...

Virtual instruments: advances in computer hardware and software empower engineers to custom-build their own devices and apply them more easily, efficiently, and creatively.(INSTRUMENTATION)
February 1, 2006... A number of years ago, a professor was researching the impact of drugs on human tissue. A presentation he gave one day included a slide of a computer-generated strip-chart recorder illustrating data from a biological monitoring system. "I can't...

Brushless PM motors: 'big' on power, efficiency; Large permanent magnet (PM) ac motors are becoming more visible in demanding industrial and defense applications, albeit limited in numbers by market forces rather than technology. High power density and efficiency are main attractions.(LARGE SERVOS)
February 1, 2006... Better known in relatively small physical sizes and lower power applications, brushless permanent magnet (PM) motors can be made in virtually any size, with no real technological constraints. Large brushless PM motors are not particularly new....

Sensorless washer motors simplify design: variable-speed operation could reduce wasted energy by 60% in appliance motor applications, compared to 'on' or 'off.' Function-block libraries accelerate set up.(INSIDE MACHINES)
February 1, 2006... Motors in fans, pumps, air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, elevators, conveyors, and other rotating applications consume over half of the world's electricity, according to the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). Most use...

Extend engineering information: XML can improve collaboration among suppliers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).(INSIDE MACHINES)
February 1, 2006... As indispensable as computers are in engineering, they often fail to fully support longer-term business objectives. To date, little effort has been made to electronically capture and reuse engineering calculations' content--data, formulas, or...

Linear positioners drive ink jets: brushless linear motors drive precision ink-jet development system's axes with speed and accuracy; related applications create LCDs and biological tissues.(INSIDE MACHINES)
February 1, 2006... When most people hear the term "ink jet" they think of an inexpensive color printer. Yet ink-jet technology has a wider range of uses. As a branch of digital fabrication, it is used in producing passive and active electronics, in...

Non-contact drug table monitoring: because variation in tablet hardness and density can indicate process problems, non-destructive, non-contact testing for inspecting the hardness and density of drug tablets is of increasing interest.(INSIDE PHARMA)
February 1, 2006... Various methods of drug tablet monitoring have been introduced over the years for process monitoring purposes. Non-invasive techniques, such as acoustic emission (AE), have been widely used in the pharmaceutical industry for monitoring granular...

BASF automates bulk pharmaceuticals production: beginning with a SCADA system to improve purine production at its Minden, Germany, pharmaceuticals plant, BASF has expanded use of batch software to respond to daily market demands and unexpected plant-floor events.(INSIDE PHARMA)
February 1, 2006... Demand for bulk pharmaceutical products, such as caffeine, theophylline, ephedrine, and pseudoephedrine, has grown so consistently that BASF's Minden, Germany, pharmaceutical plant existed in a near-continual state of expansion to meet...

9 Points to safe steam piping: steam piping is common to most pharmaceutical manufacturing operations. Knowledgeable design, repair, and replacement of piping is key to ensuring safe operation.(INSIDE PHARMA)
February 1, 2006... To ensure that an accident is not waiting to happen the next time someone opens a valve or puts a steam line into service, there are nine methods for screening high-pressure (below 300 psig) piping systems typically encountered in industrial...

Vaisala Humidity measurement for pharmaceutical applications.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... The Vaisala HUMICAP[R] Humidity and Temperature Transmitter Series HMT330 developed for demanding industrial applications is ideal for tablet coaters, cleanrooms, incubators and air handlers. It features a large, numerical and graphical display...

Bacteria-reducing inductive sensor.(inside pharma: PRODUCTS)
February 1, 2006... Inductive proximity sensor with an anti-bacterial housing is designed to help food and pharmaceutical processors reduce contamination risks. Housing was developed in cooperation with performance plastics specialist Ensinger. Number of bacteria...

Workstation for extreme environments.(inside pharma: PRODUCTS)
February 1, 2006... Industrial NEMA 4X (IP66) workstation, equipped with a flat panel LCD and sealed keyboard and pointing devices, is designed to withstand extreme conditions that require wash-down. Optional panel PCs, installed embedded computer systems, or...

Pressure transmitters for pharma industry.(inside pharma: PRODUCTS)
February 1, 2006... Sitrans 300 pressure transmitter for pharmaceutical and food/beverage industry applications has a stainless-steel housing and measuring cell flush with the front panel making it easy to clean and sterilize. It is suitable for process...

Pressure gauges for process measurement.(inside pharma: PRODUCTS)
February 1, 2006... Minigauge and Merigauge pressure gauges are designed to meet the demands of process measurement. Merigauge offers accuracy of [+ or -]0.25% of full scale, includes a rugged stainless-steel housing, and meets NEMA 4 UL standards. Units can be...

Smart metering pumps.(inside pharma: PRODUCTS)
February 1, 2006... PziG Series electronic diaphragm pumps extend the capacity of the company's PZ Series "smart" pumps, which are designed for injection of a wide variety of liquids, including moderate viscosity and highly corrosive substances. Pumps come in four...

I/O modules: input/output systems find more use with PLCs; Ethernet and wireless are among top 5 means of communications. Respondents expect to buy more than in 2004.(PRODUCT RESEARCH)
February 1, 2006... I/O modules are applied most often as a slot in a PLC system or as distributed I/O systems; slot PLC connections saw the largest growth. Top five connecting communications are Ethernet, 4-20 mA, Modbus RS-485, DeviceNet, and wireless protocols....

OPC remote communication.(PRODUCTS & software)
February 1, 2006... ONB, Integration Objects OPCNet Broker, is said to ensure fast, reliable, and secure OPC remote communication by overcoming DCOM bottlenecks. Easy-to-deploy, maintainable software tracks client/server communications and limits the number of...

ZigBee-compliant system-on-chip.(PRODUCTS & software)
February 1, 2006... CC2430ZDK-Pro development platform is now ZigBee compliant. Two hardware platforms are offered; both use CC2430 system-on-chip (SoC) and the Chipcon Z-stack. Kit is said to enable development of low-cost, low-power ZigBee certified products....

Linux for industrial applications.(PRODUCTS & software)
February 1, 2006... Blue Collar Linux is now available in Win-System's -40-85 [degrees]C EPIC, PC/104, PC/104-Plus, and EBX single board computers (SBCs). Implementation of GNU/Linux provides a way to embed Linux for industrial applications. Integrated with the...

Long-distance laser sensors.(PRODUCTS & software)
February 1, 2006... OHDM-12 and OHDM-20 long-distance laser diffuse sensors with background suppression detect very small or thin objects and depressions at distances up to 1.5 m, regardless of background color or reflectivity. They provide an on/off signal and...

DC motion-control drive.(PRODUCTS & software)
February 1, 2006... ION DC Brush Drive provides network connectivity, power amplification, and advanced motion control features in a rugged, easy-to-use package. Based on the company's Magellan motion processor, the drive is available for dc brush, brushless dc,...

Voltage-controlled SAW oscillator.(PRODUCTS & software)
February 1, 2006... Model CVCSO-914-1000 1GHz voltage-controlled SAW (surface acoustic wave) oscillator (VCSO) uses FR5 PCB and SAW crystal technology to provide a low-noise, low-jitter product with true sine wave output. Features include 135 dBc/Hz phase noise at...

Software for vision applications.(PRODUCTS & software)
February 1, 2006... Piati_PGP is the latest addition to the Piati family of ECC200 data-matrix decoding solutions. Developed for those seeking an automatic identification component for data-matrix decoding software applications, PGP is suited for comprehensive...

Neural-net IR flame detector.(PRODUCTS & software)
February 1, 2006... FL4000 intelligent multi-spectral IR (MSIR) flame-detection system is designed to protect people, equipment, and facilities from dangerous hydrocarbon flame sources. Next-generation device combines neural network technology (NNT) with an...

Low-power LCD panel computer.(PRODUCTS & software)
February 1, 2006... ARP-2606AP panel computer is intended for factory automation, facility monitoring, machine automation, and environmental monitoring. Equipped with a 6.4-in. LCD and 3.5-in. embedded board, the device incorporates a VIA-Eden 667 MHz processor...

Enhanced flowsheet design.(PRODUCTS & software)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... PRO/II version 7.1 is a steady-state flowsheeting and optimization simulation tool intended for oil, gas, and hydrocarbon processing industries. Program features enhanced lifecycle modeling, improved productivity and support for open standards,...

High-performance vision cameras.(PRODUCTS & software)
February 1, 2006... Three Linescan GigE-Vision cameras are based on Kodak CCD (charge-coupled device) trilinear and quadrilinear technology. Models TAG2 LCD 2049@9000, TAG2 LCD 4080@7000, and TAG2 LBD 8160@14000 include two color units--with 2,048 and 4,080...

Corrosion-resistant fiberglass enclosures.(PRODUCT & LITERATURE SHOWCASE)
February 1, 2006... Our non-corrosive, maintenance-free fiberglass enclosures protect your equipment against the toughest elements-rain, snow, ice, cold, heat, fire, wind, dust, oil, grease and salt-in the harshest environments. Whatever the equipment or...

Precision encoders.(PRODUCT & LITERATURE SHOWCASE)
February 1, 2006... EPC's 76-page full color catalog features the full line of Accu-Coder[TM] Brand incremental and absolute encoders, designed to meet a wide variety of industrial positioning, counting, motion and motor control needs. Expert cross reference...

Heat exchangers.(PRODUCT & LITERATURE SHOWCASE)
February 1, 2006... Air-to-air and air-to-water heat exchangers remove heat from sealed electronic enclosures, panels, and cabinets for indoor and outdoor applications. Ten times more efficient than air conditioning, with no maintenance. Nema 12 units are stock...

AutomationDirect[R] 2005 catalog.(PRODUCT & LITERATURE SHOWCASE)
February 1, 2006... AutomationDirect's 2005 free catalog offers 5500 industrial automation products for incredible prices. The expanded 1800-page volume features product descriptions, photos, technical information and price lists for PLCs, AC drives/motors,...

AC Power Distribution & Control System.(PRODUCT & LITERATURE SHOWCASE)
February 1, 2006... AC Power Distribution & Control Systems domestic/int'l configuration systems; OEM's & system integrators. Product is rack mounted & provides: circuit breaker protection, EMI/RFI filtering, spike/surge protection, remote power on/off,...

Free 2006 NI Measurement and Automation Catalog.(PRODUCT & LITERATURE SHOWCASE)
February 1, 2006... Featuring new product information, comparison charts, key specifications, and information on: [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * NI LabVIEW 8 Distributed Intelligence * PCI Express M Series * PXI Flexible-Resolution Digitizer * USB...

Full-line signal conditioning catalog.(PRODUCT & LITERATURE SHOWCASE)
February 1, 2006... 240 page catalog of Instrument Class[R] industrial signal conditioning, data acquisition and data communication products that protect and condition critical signals from RTDs, Thermocouples, Load Cells and other sensor devices. Includes DIN...

New 2006 B & R catalog.(PRODUCT & LITERATURE SHOWCASE)
February 1, 2006... Looking for a new integrated automation solution? B & R's new catalog provides the comprehensive product information you need! Whether you are looking for Visualization, Motion, Controls or a single software Package--you can find it all in our...

Obsolescence is no defense.(back to BASICS)
February 1, 2006... As with all technology, industrial automation products eventually become obsolete. However, with careful planning and proper maintenance, end-users can continue to realize a return from their automation investments for years, even decades. Here...