Control Engineering articles from June 2004

Control Engineering archives from June 2004

On top of trends.(Editorial)
June 1, 2004... To say that current industry trends affect the trajectory of your business or career is a "sky is blue" statement--an obvious or apparent claim. Though many trends are obvious once well under way, catching them on the upswing can increase your...

Computing practices of new engineers.(Academic Viewpoint)
June 1, 2004... Software tools such as LabView and Matlab, which are heavily used in many engineering colleges, offer considerable potential for enhancing productivity in manufacturing, Tom Kurfess pointed out in this column in February 2004. ...

50, 25, 10 years ago.(History)
June 1, 2004... This page offers a look back on a variety of interesting items from Control Engineering's past issues, highlighting content from 50, 25, and 10 years ago. February 1955 Chicago to install new traffic control Motorists who swarm...

'Relaunched' Hannover Fair promotes business optimism, innovation.(News)
June 1, 2004... Hannover, Germany -- This year's Hannover Industrial Fair on April 19-24 added the process automation show Interkama to its format of eight "fairs within a fair," attracting 180,000 visitors to products and technologies from 5,040 exhibitors...

ERP market projected to gain from European Union expansion.(News)(Enterprise Resource Planning solutions)(Business management software)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Dedham, MA -- Besides opening markets in Eastern Europe, this year's 10-nation, 40-billion expansion of the European Union (EU) is expected to result in more manufacturers in these countries needing enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions...

Phoenix Contact offers explosion-proof, wireless I/O system.(News)(Product information)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Harrisburg, PA -- Phoenix Contact reports that wireless I/O systems can now be safely installed in Division 1 areas by using its new XANT explosion-proof system. This patent-pending wireless I/O transmitter/receiver system features an Adalet...

North American robotics orders jump 17% in 1Q04.(News)(Industry sales and revenue)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Ann Arbor, MI -- North American-based robotics manufacturers saw orders for their robots jump 17% in the first quarter of 2004 (1Q04) compared to 1Q03, according to recent research by the Robotic Industries Association (RIA). This was best new...

Danaher Motion buys Motion Engineering, Neff Antriebstechnik.(News)(Motion Engineering Inc.)(Neff Antriebstechnik Automation GmbH)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Wood Dale, IL; Santa Barbara, CA -- To strengthen its multi-axis control solutions, Danaher Motion reports that it has purchased Motion Engineering Inc. (MEI), which develops networked motion control products. MEI is a global supplier to...

Siemens buying US Filter for $993 million.(News)(Mergers, acquisitions and divestments)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Munich, Germany -- To expand in the rapidly growing water treatment and supply market, Siemens AG's Industrial Solutions and Services (I & S) Group is buying US Filter Corp. for $993 million from its parent company, Paris-based Veolia...

National Manufacturing Week 2005 seeks speakers.(News)
June 1, 2004... Chicago, IL -- Organizers of National Manufacturing Week (NMW) 2005 are seeking speakers for the event's conference program, which will be held in conjunction with NMW on March 7-10 at Chicago's McCormick Place. Ideal candidates are discrete...

Open and secure controls.(Editorial)(control systems)(Usage,Instructions)
June 1, 2004... Making control systems more open and interoperable also have made them more vulnerable to malicious acts, internal and external. A control system can be open, interoperable, and secure but that requires stringent attention to system design and...

Fellowship of the fieldbuses? Driven by end-users seeking more interoperability and responding to Ethernet's accelerating emergence, the major fieldbus protocols and their trade organizations are cooperating--at least on the surface--to meet those demands.
June 1, 2004... The customer is always right, especially when they find out that their needs aren't being met. End-users' demands, fueled more recently by Ethernet's apparent openness, are forcing changes by suppliers and vendors of industrial networks and by...

Role of controls in product lifecycle management: digital manufacturing enables control and automation engineers to more fully participate in the overall product definition process. The payoff includes time savings of up to 40% by shortening the manufacturing planning process.(Product Design)
June 1, 2004... Those with responsibility for control engineering have a lot to gain by collaborating with design engineers, saving considerable resources through product lifecycle management (PLM). Don't think you don't have something to contribute to the...

Choosing HMI data entry tools: there are many ways to get data into an Automation or control system. Here's a look at major mechanisms and how to pick the best for your application.(HMI Data Entry)(Human Machine Interface)
June 1, 2004... Imagine, if you will, an operator on a plant floor monitoring a process... any process. The person is wearing a headset that includes a tiny display. An alarm sounds. The operator glances around, then speaks into the mouthpiece attached to the...

Machine vision investment increases.(Focus Machine Vision)(finance)
June 1, 2004... The next 12 months will see larger investments in machine vision technologies that are easier to set up and use, lower in cost, and diverse in application. These were among findings in an e-mail/Web survey of a group of Control Engineering...

Machine vision products.(Focus Machine Vision)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... For more manufacturers, visit www.controleng.com/buyersguide. For system integrators go to www.controleng.com/integrators. Also visit company Web sites.

Industrial vision sensors.(Focus Machine Vision)(Product information)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Cognex Corp. has expanded its family of In-Sight vision sensors, adding In-Sight 5100 and the In-Sight 5400. These products deliver "the best price/performance available today and set a new industry standard for machine vision," with four times...

Code reader features DSP.(Focus Machine Vision)(Product information)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... DVT Intelligent Scanner XS with DSP technology is three to eight times faster than previously available readers, enhanced with the simultaneous release of version 2.7 of DVT's free FrameWork software, the company said. The combination resulted...

Smallest digital camera.(Focus Machine Vision)(Product information)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Keyence CV-2100 is the latest in high-speed digital machine vision technology; a unique self-contained vision system combines the industry's smallest digital camera with unmatched performance and flexibility, the company says. On-screen...

Simplify lighting for vision.(Focus Machine Vision)(Product information)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Omron and CCS America partnered to provide the CCS Intelligent Lighting Adapter (ILA), lighting, power supplies, and wide range of controllable LED lighting for Omron's F-series Vision Sensors. Setup and changeover are simplified. Save time by...

Smarter than a 'smart camera'.(Focus Machine Vision)(Product information)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... National Instruments high-performance compact vision system CVS-1455, optimized for any inspection task, delivers three times the functionality of a smart camera, the company says. It has nearly twice the processing power and four times the...

Ethernet-based control for drives.(Products & Software)(Product information)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Allen-Bradley 1203-EN1 module allows SCANport-enabled drives to use EtherNet/IP, an open, Ethernet-based network for industrial applications. New and legacy systems can be controlled, configured, and have data collected over EtherNet/IP. Module...

Hannover Fair: machine-level PC.(Products & Software)(Product information)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Simatic Microbox PC 420 industrial PC is compact, robust, and adaptable. It can reliably handle measuring as well as open- and closed-loop control tasks in an industrial environment. Designed to withstand high temperatures, vibrations, and...

Code reading software.(Products & Software)(Product information)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... IDMax code reading software is designed for Direct Part Mark Identification (DPMI), a segment of the industrial ID market that involves directly marking parts with permanent two-dimensional Data Matrix codes, then reading those codes quickly...

Temperature controller for Modbus, BACnet.(Products & Software)(Product information)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Adam-4022T temperature PID controller supports both BACnet and Modbus protocols and features built-in 10K thermistor input. Two control loops can be changed through the software to function as PID controllers or simple I/O interfaces. Bundled...

Hannover Fair: soft logic with motion control functions.(Products & Software)(Product information)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Soft PLC PC Worx Softcontrol MC software gives machines powerful sequential control and integrated motion control. Motion functions such as electronic gearing and camming, and flying saws can be coordinated and implemented in the same PLC...

Hannover Fair: modular, compact industrial PCs.(Products & Software)(Product information)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... APC620 and APC630 industrial PC generation features space-saving modular construction, varying number of slots, durable materials, and a main system separated from the display interfaces to handle the most varied industrial applications. One,...

IR scanners designed for accuracy.(Products & Software)(Product information)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... OS950 Series infrared scanner is designed for accuracy. Certified with NIST-traceable accuracy on real surfaces of unknown emissivity, it is free of the contact and heat errors of contact devices. It is suitable as a reference point for...

Terminal-block style I/O module.(Products & Software)(Product information)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... SmartStix I/O terminal-block style I/O for Operator Control Station can be used to expand the I/O capacity of an OCS and is cost-effective as a remote digital I/O module. Product connects to any OCS CsCAN network port and is extremely compact,...

Precision Encoders ...(Product & Literature Showcase)(product information)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... EPC's new 104-page catalog features in depth descriptions of Accu-Coder[TM] Brand Encoders from Encoder Products Company. The catalog features a full line of incremental encoders, as well as EPC's new absolute encoder series, to meet a wide...

Electrical design software demo CD.(Product & Literature Showcase)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Multi-media demo CD-ROM illustrates the functions of Promis-e electrical control system design software. Trial version also included. Powerful AutoCAD add-on has schematic design functions including auto ID assignment, auto cross referencing...

General purpose relays.(Product & Literature Showcase)(Kuhnke Automation, Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Kuhnke's relay catalog summarizes general purpose relays and introduces some of the latest innovations in the relay field. Highlighted is Kuhnke's Modular Family of relays which include Universal 10A, tube type, Ice Cube and PCB Interface...

AC Power Distribution & Control System.(Product & Literature Showcase)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... ACPower 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,...

The right Encoders!(Product & Literature Showcase)(Koyo Encoder, Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Koyo offers incredible features and super-low prices! New 44 pages catalog indicates Reliable, Durable and Cost Effective Encoders. Incremental and Absolute encoders for Servo Motors, Motion Control Feed Back or Machine Tools or any Industrial...

Current Transformers, Transducers & Accessories.(Product & Literature Showcase)(catalog from Flex-core)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Current Transformers, Transducers & Accessories Catalog 2011-170 page catalog featuring split-core and solid-core current transformers, potential transformers, electrical transducers for AC and DC applications, signal conditioners,...

Design guide for optical encoders.(Product & Literature Showcase)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... This Design and Specifying guide provides a comprehensive summary of optical encoders and their accessories. The guide includes detailed design examples with special attention to operation in extreme environments. It includes absolute and...

New isolated analog signal conditioning catalog.(Product & Literature Showcase)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... New 230 page catalog of high quality isolated analog and digital I/O modules to protect and condition critical industrial data acquisition and control signal from RTDs, Thermocouples, and other sensor devices. Includes Instrument Class[TM] DIN...

DASYLab v8--no programming required.(Product & Literature Showcase)(DASYLab)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The latest release of this easy-to-use software package for Windows-based data acquisition continues to provide powerful data acquisition, analysis and control features without programming. DASYLab Lite, Basic, Full and Pro editions include...

Skorpion Ethernet switch.(Product & Literature Showcase)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Contemporary Controls announces the Skorpion switch that provides Ethernet connectivity for Industrial Automation Systems. The compact and rugged EISK5-100T offers convenient DIN-rail mounting, low-voltage input power, troubleshooting LEDS-all...

Platinum series process oxygen analyzers.(Product & Literature Showcase)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Microprocessor controlled with as low as 3 ppb sensitivity. Exclusive Non-depleting Sensor with NIST Traceable Factory Calibration and 5-year warranty eliminates frequent recalibration and periodic sensor replacement. Enclosures for Class 1,...

Operator interface terminals.(Product & Literature Showcase)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... QSI Corporation manufactures rugged handheld and panel-mount operator interface terminals for OEMs, for vehicle and industrial applications. Products include character and graphics terminals that are program-mable, customizable, CE certified,...

AutomationDirect[R].(Product & Literature Showcase)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... AutomationDirect[R] offers 5,000 industrial automation products through a 1,600-page catalog and online store. The catalog features product descriptions, technical information and price lists for PLC and PC-based control products, operator...

Focus on development 2004.(Product & Literature Showcase)(B & R Automation)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... B & R's Innovations 2004 brochure presents the latest Industrial PC's, Power Panels[TM], Remote I/O Modules X67, ACOPOSTM Servo Drives as well as ETHERNET Powerlink[TM] the first real-time system available on the market. B & R generally aims...

Washdown motor anatomy.(Back to Basics)
June 1, 2004... Industrial electric motors have inherently rugged designs, but still require extra protective features to handle pressurized washdowns and cleaning agents used in food and beverage processing, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and related packaging...