Control Engineering articles from November 2007

Control Engineering archives from November 2007

Upgrading on the fly.(Alabama Electric Cooperative Inc.)
November 1, 2007... Vance VanDoren, Ph.D., P.E., Control Engineering Producing more than 33% of an electric power system's generating capacity can be a daunting task. Located on the Tombigbee River near Leroy, AL, the Charles R. Lowman Power Plant is Alabama...

Topologies for Wireless Instrumentation.
November 1, 2007... Peter Welander, Control Engineering To set the stage for wireless instrumentation, do you know how to get the signal from instrument to control system? Here's a nuts-and-bolts guide to orchestrate your options for permanently mounted...

Not Your Grandfather's Conveyor Line!
November 1, 2007... C.G. Masi, Control Engineering Robots, automatic guided vehicles, smart conveyors...How's a body to know what motion technology to use where? As I sit, staring out of this airport window at a baggage handler unloading the belly of a...

Modular Systems Combine Performance and Flexibility.
November 1, 2007... Kevin Steele, Bosch Rexroth Corp. Ability to replace modules rather than entire machines reduces the cost of keeping system capabilities synchronized with changing needs. Driven by intense cost and competitive pressures, semiconductor...

Green Manufacturing Comes of Age.
November 1, 2007... Lisa Sutor, Control Engineering From plant-wide energy management systems to smart machine and HVAC controls, automation is helping manufacturers big and small 'go green.' The green lifestyle is about making choices based on the...

Simulation widens mechatronics.
November 1, 2007... Frank J. Bartos, P.E., Control Engineering Mechatronic design has come into its own over the past decade. Today, mechatronics means more than integrating the best of mechanical and electronic design worlds, because control and software...

Ready-to-install automation.
November 1, 2007... Michael Babb, Control Engineering Europe The market for automation technology, and specifically for assembly and handling systems, has been experiencing sustained growth for a number of years, far surpassing worldwide economic growth. That...

Effective Process Planning and Scheduling.
November 1, 2007... Elinor Price, Aspen Technology The benefits of integrated planning and scheduling developed in the olefins industry extend into many areas of process manufacturing. Integrated planning and scheduling-as opposed to spreadsheets as a...

Preventing Dust Explosions.
November 1, 2007... Joseph A. Kaulfersch, Pepperl+Fuchs, Inc. In spite of a major toll of damage, injury, and death, dust explosions and their prevention do not receive enough attention from many plant operators. Simple solutions can prevent large scale...

We live in a material world.
November 1, 2007... Dennis Brandl Manufacturing lives in a material world. It is not surprising that manufacturing systems have a requirement to identify and track materials, because the main purpose of manufacturing is to convert materials in one form into...

Auditing legal health.
November 1, 2007... Mark Voigtmann Is it possible to conduct a self-audit to determine the 'legal health' of a company in the automation industry? I would answer this question with a fairly confident-although very much qualified-yes. The reason for the...

100x faster: Gigabit Ethernet.
November 1, 2007... Mark T. Hoske, editor-in-chief Suppose I have three transportation choices. Average speed on the freeway is 10 mph, available technologies allow 100 mph travel, and one new option allows a 1,000 mph commute. Which would I choose for my...

'Tis the season!
November 1, 2007... Marc A. Moschetto, editorial director Ah, the tradeshow season. That period of time between Labor Day and Thanksgiving when we criss-cross the country and meet with solution providers, end users and the professional organizations who serve...

Service-oriented architecture, unified development in Teamcenter.
November 1, 2007... Staff Following its acquisition of simulation software company UGS in early 2007, Siemens A&D announced in June its plans to deliver on 'a true vision for PLM' that integrates automation and product lifecycle management (PLM) technologies....

Control Engineering Poland appoints new editor-in-chief.
November 1, 2007... Staff Control Engineering Poland (www.controlengpolska.com ) has a new editor in chief for the November 2007 issue. Tomasz Golebiowski (tg@controlengpolska.com ) takes over the role from Hanna Tylicka, who accepted a position with a U.S....

Standard equipment: Yaskawa introduces mechatronic control system compatible with IEC 61131-3, PLCopen.
November 1, 2007... Staff Yaskawa Electric America released MotionWorks IEC Mechatronic Control System, which is compatible with both the IEC 61131-3 and PLCopen control programming standards. 'International standards are extremely important for our OEM...

Bimba acquires Mead Fluid Dynamics Inc.
November 1, 2007... Staff Bimba Manufacturing Co. recently acquired Mead Fluid Dynamics Inc., headquartered in Chicago. Mead was founded in 1939 and has been a leader in the design and development of valves, cylinders, and pneumatic components for the...

Dassault brings PLM to controls engineers with Delmia PLM Express.
November 1, 2007... Staff Dassault Systemes, one of the leading vendors of product life cycle management (PLM) technology, made the benefits of PLM more accessible to small and medium size businesses in October with the announcement of its V5R18 Delmia PLM...

Team effort in standards collaboration: Five industrial groups establish OpenO&M.
November 1, 2007... Staff ISA, MIMOSA, the OPC Foundation, the Open Applications Group Inc., and WBF established OpenO&M, a cooperative forum in which members will work to solve automation challenges through standardization and 'harmonization' of industry...

Rockwell Automation to acquire Pavilion Technologies.
November 1, 2007... Staff Further expanding process industries capabilities, Rockwell Automation Inc. entered into a definitive agreement to buy Pavilion Technologies Inc., a privately held company based in Austin, TX, that Rockwell calls 'a recognized leader...

Tactile feedback for HMIs?
November 1, 2007... Staff Immersion Corp. reports that its new licensee, CTT-Net of Korea, is launching the first personal navigation devices (PNDs) to use Immersion's TouchSense technology with tactile feedback for touchscreen interaction. Such features, if...

Rockwell Automation adds new data historian to FactoryTalk suite.
November 1, 2007... Staff Aimed at helping companies to take a data-centric approach to production process optimization, Rockwell Automation's new FactoryTalk Historian Site Edition (SE) enables manufacturers to automatically identify, gather and configure...

New high-speed camera from Dalsa: 100 frames per second.
November 1, 2007... Staff Dalsa Corp. has released the Falcon 1.4M100, a 1.4 mega pixel area camera that delivers 100 frames per second at full resolution in a compact body. The camera uses the manufacturer's patented CMOS sensor technology to deliver high...

Roper Industries acquires Hardy Instruments.
November 1, 2007... Staff Hardy Instruments, a San Diego-based manufacturer of process weighing, vibration monitoring and tension control solutions, announces its acquisition by Roper Industries Inc. Hardy provides precision weighing, tension control and...

Steelmaker in India gets help from ABB.
November 1, 2007... Staff JSW, one of India's leading metal producers, expects to increase capacity at its steel mills, in part resulting from $127 million in project orders to ABB. ABB will supply turnkey power and automation solutions for two power plants...

Wireless networking: More Zigbee capabilities.
November 1, 2007... Staff The ZigBee Alliance announced new features for the ZigBee wireless specification giving more choices to manufacturers as they design ZigBee products. These new features significantly expand the capabilities of ZigBee, the...

NEMA reaffirms several standards for industrial control systems.
November 1, 2007... Staff National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) reaffirmed, on Oct. 15, the following industrial control and system standards for certain controllers, control systems, test procedures, and motor control centers. The NEMA...

ISA standards update.(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Staff Recent standards developments at ISA include the following. ISA99: Security for Industrial Automation & Control Systems. The ISASP99 committee has made substantial progress on several fronts in its work to develop standards and...

Kilogram weight loss.
November 1, 2007... Staff The world standard kilogram, a cylinder of platinum and iridium alloy cast in 1889, is apparently losing weight. There are reports that its weight has decreased by about 50 micrograms when compared with other copies kept around the...

By the Numbers.
November 1, 2007... Staff 1,650 lb is the maximum load for a new wheelchair, calculated with Algor finite element analysis (FEA) software for stress analysis in design of a new Aero Innovative Research Inc. Flight Ultralight Wheelchair, called 'world's...

Embedded USB 8-channel analog output module has arbitrary waveform generator.
November 1, 2007... Staff Acces I/O Products, Inc. has introduced Model USB-DA12-8A. The board features eight independent 12-bit digital-to-analog converters (DACs) and broadly configurable arbitrary waveform generation (ARB) capabilities. The module can be...

Loop powered serial I/O DPM.
November 1, 2007... Staff Otek's new LPM series, a 4½ LCD digit process meter that is powered by the current loop (4-20 or 10-50 mA), has an optional loop powered backlight (red or green) and is RS-232/485/USB compatible. Only two wires are required...

Surge protection for small panels.
November 1, 2007... Staff Designed for small distribution panels, the ZoneDefender2 from MTL Surge Technologies delivers economical, high capacity protection for single-phase applications where size is critical. The ZoneDefender2 provides ac and dc power...

1-in. diameter pressure transducers.
November 1, 2007... Staff The design of the 3100/3200 Series from Gems is all stainless-steel, 32 grams and less than 1-in. in diameter. The compact pressure transducers deliver pressure sensing ranges from 0 to 30,000 psi (2,200 bar), different outputs and...

Siemens releases universal remote displays.
November 1, 2007... Staff Sitrans RD100 and RD200 universal remote digital displays from Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc. enable users to view and access measurement data from a remote location. They can be used with all types of field instruments in varying...

Wireless connectivity line.
November 1, 2007... Staff Weidmuller offers a new line of industrial wireless products as an alternative to signal and data wiring in a line designed to provide secure, reliable wireless connectivity solutions for applications from simple input/output (I/O)...

Wireless access point, repeater.
November 1, 2007... Staff ProSoft Technology has added the 802.11abg Industrial Hotspot to its RadioLinx product line. The RLX-IHW functions as a wireless access point, repeater, or client. Designed for global installations, it offers high-speed wireless...

Right angle RJ45 connector.
November 1, 2007... Staff Turck announced that it has released the first-ever fully overmolded right angle RJ45 connector cordset for connections in tight spaces and Ethernet panel builders. It compliments the company's Ethernet cabinet adapter. The connector...

Corrosion detection monitors.
November 1, 2007... Staff Intrinsic safety versions of Pepperl+Fuchs CorrTran MV corrosion detection transmitters with multivariable outputs are now ATEX approved for use in potentially explosive atmospheres. CorrTran MV allows users to monitor online and in...

Mini PC features with PCI expansion.
November 1, 2007... Staff Stealth Computer Corp.'s new mini PC can fit the palm of a hand. The LPC-350PCI Little PC employs Intel's Pentium and Celeron M series processors, designed for top power efficiency without compromising processor performance. The...

Built-in features save installation, add-on costs for ac drive.
November 1, 2007... Staff Cost- and performance-conscious facility operators and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) will appreciate new, full-featured, easy-to-use ac drives from GE Consumer & Industrial: the AF-60 LP Micro Drive for small motor...

Smart cameras: High performance, low cost.
November 1, 2007... Staff National Instruments announces the NI 1722 and NI 1742 Smart Cameras to provide engineers and scientists with high-performance systems at a low cost. The NI Smart Cameras are embedded devices that combine an industrial controller...

New 900 MHz wireless radio penetrates walls, foliage.
November 1, 2007... Staff ProSoft Technology's new RadioLinx 900 MHz Industrial Frequency Hopping Serial and Ethernet radios (RLX-IFH9S and RLX-IFH9E, respectively) are designed to perform in demanding, hazardous, indoor or outdoor applications. For indoor...

AC Adjustable Speed Drives.
November 1, 2007... Peter Cleaveland for Control Engineering For variable frequency drives (VFDs): 89% of survey respondents use plain-vanilla open-loop volts/Hz drives. Simple setup, programmability, and ability to download or copy parameters are very...

Training: When popcorn is enough.
November 1, 2007... John Autero, Yaskawa Electric In today's business world of reduced personnel, 24 hour/365 day per year service calls, increasing productivity levels and business on the upswing, time is at a premium. It has never been more evident that...

Serial Network Security with Device Routers.
November 1, 2007... Howard Linton, GarrettCom Inc. Providing cyber security for legacy serial networks can be simpler using a new family of serial device routers. These devices bridge the gap between Ethernet and serial protocols while providing protection....

Cyber Risk Assessment.
November 1, 2007... Todd Nicholson, Industrial Defender The process of plotting an appropriate cyber security strategy must begin with an analysis of where you are now. A successful cyber security risk assessment begins with an approach that ultimately...

Biometrics Harden Passwords.
November 1, 2007... Jared Pfost, BioPassword Add two-factor strength to passwords without changing employee behavior. Polysius Corp. keeps cement and minerals manufacturers in business with its specialty equipment parts for the large-scale factory...

Taking steps to secure your process control system.
November 1, 2007... Staff Are you serious about cyber security? Have you taken measures at your facility to protect your process from deliberate-or even inadvertent-damage or harm? If not, why not? Greenfield installations today have the luxury of designing...

Security.
November 1, 2007... Staff Common industrial security myths Plant operations managers need to recognize that although they may feel isolated from security threats, in reality they are not. Three common myths must be debunked: 'Nothing has changed;...

A security primer: 8 steps to building a security infrastructure.
November 1, 2007... Staff Regardless of the age of process equipment, it is very likely connected to the enterprise and in turn to the Internet. Protecting it means establishing and applying security infrastructure throughout, including hardware and software...

Watch for program vulnerabilities.
November 1, 2007... Staff No security policy or system is ever foolproof. Here are a few vulnerabilities to watch out for: Are policies and procedures adequate and applicable? IT security methods cannot be applied without adaptions for control level and...

By the numbers….
November 1, 2007... Staff 89 percent of control networks are connected to the enterprise which in turn is interconnected to the Internet, according to Paul Dorey in 'Security Management in Process Control: The 3 Waves of Adoption,' Process Control Systems...

Improving PLC Compatibility and flexibility in aseptic blow/fill/seal machines.(Company overview)
November 1, 2007... Staff When original equipment manufacturer, Weiler Engineering, upgraded the drive systems on its aseptic blow/fill/seal machines, a problem with its existing controller compatibility limited the functionality of its equipment. A...

Really need a servo? Here's how to decide.
November 1, 2007... Dan Jones Instead of a servo, perhaps an induction motor with a feedback device can provide a better solution for specific applications. Looking at definitions and performance characteristics for servos and induction motors can help you...

Machine shipments for U.S. packaging from PMMI.
November 1, 2007... Staff Fifth consecutive year of increases; total exceeds $6 billion for first time. In 2006, U.S. shipments of packaging machinery (excluding parts and service) climbed 6 percent to an estimated $6.110 billion, extending the...

Packaging-related blog and wireless.
November 1, 2007... Staff New blog, called 'Standard profits: Make2Pack and ISA88,' aims to increase manufacturing efficiency. Separately, a flurry of wireless standards development efforts enhanced collaboration. Tighter information integration and wireless...

Opening the Process Window: Intel®'s multi-core technologies power Human Machine Interface innovation.
November 1, 2007... Staff Process Control Visualization: Evolved Before the computer and controls revolution of the 1960s and '70s, a control manager's window into their industrial process was quite literally a glass window from their office onto the...