Control Engineering articles from October 2005

Control Engineering archives from October 2005

Engineers and the law.(Editorial)
October 1, 2005... It's always been editorial policy at Control Engineering to keep a close eye on topics that have the potential to impact our readership and adjust content appropriately to keep up with relevant trends. Based on a number of key issues ranging...

Simplifying alarm management.(deltav a nalyze software)(www.emersonprocess.com)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... DeltaV Analyze software now identifies nuisance alarms, trends in plant alarms, and control modules responsible for those alarms, and delivers information on structured Web pages for rapid, easy access. It examines alarms, events, and operator...

PACs for machine, process control.(programmable automation controllers)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Programmable automation controllers (PACs) fill an increasing need for devices that can perform continuous machine or process control while offering data acquisition capabilities, multiple communication options, and integration with enterprise...

Safety at Work system from ifm efector offers seamless integration of safety components.(ifm efector inc.,)(Safety networking controller)
October 1, 2005... Safety networking for industrial automation ifm efector's Safety at Work system connects safety-related components directly to the AS-i network to provide seamless integration into standard programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and...

When you blend canola oil, outside help improves workflow.(AN ADVERTISEMENT)(Advertisement)
October 1, 2005... How a canola oil products maker refined production with Rockwell Automation. Canbra Foods knows how to spin seed into golden oil. Canbra is Canada's largest, fully integrated oilseed crushing, refining, processing, and packaging company....

Networked design benefits conveyor OEM.(Shuttle-worth Inc)(original equipment manufacturer )
October 1, 2005... Hard-wired connections for controls and I/O devices take more time to design, install, modify, and troubleshoot compared to using a device network. Switching to a networked design saved Shuttle-worth Inc., an international conveyor and product...

Control Engineering welcomes new senior editor.(appointment of Richard W. Phelps )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Oak Brook, IL -- Control Engineering welcomes Richard W. Phelps to its editorial staff. In his role as senior editor, Phelps will be responsible for covering industrial networks, system integration, and process and advanced control for Control...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
October 1, 2005... "Blend viscosity into the control loop," Control Engineering "Technology Update," September 2005, p. 14, gave a temperature range using Centigrade for viscosity measurement in the last paragraph. The hot/cool pattern was over temperature range...

Three messages about M2M/the embedded Internet.(machine-to-machine communications)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... M2M (machine-to-machine communications, also called embedded or pervasive Internet) will change the world more than people understand, say some analysts. This can be the booster rocket that moves businesses past the service alignment challenges...

By the numbers.
October 1, 2005... 0 is a number that saved many lives in WWII. Planes riddled with bullet holes that made it back to bases were studied for the locations of where bullet holes (data points) were not, telling engineers where to reinforce designs. Zero also holds...

'World's smallest' check valve.(PRODUCTS & software)
October 1, 2005... Series 120 solenoid valve, said to be the "world's smallest," is an ultra-miniature, magnetically latched solenoid valve featuring high performance flow switching characteristics. Weighing just 300 mg, it needs only a 1 ms pulse to switch the...

Linear actuator offers high force rating.(cost effective compressor)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... ServoTube moving rod linear actuators develop continuous force from 35-66 lb and peak force from 167-418 lb. Nine stroke lengths from 33-318 mm are available. The actuators provide 20 microns repeatability, velocity up to 4.6 m/s, and...

Software for life sciences.(enterprise production management software)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Propack Data PMX MES 4.1 enterprise production management software for the life sciences industry supports cost-effective, risk-based manufacturing approaches through fast electronic batch record reviews, flexible and controlled operator work...

Small footprint for dc/dc converter.(high performance converters )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... THD-15 Series isolated, high-performance dc/dc converters with 15-W output power are fully encapsulated with dimensions of 1.0 X 1.0 X 0.4-in. (25.4 X 25.4 X 10.0 mm) and conform to industry standard pin assignments of the common 1 X 2 in....

High-speed process controller.(digital communication high speed controller )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... HA Series high-speed controller is designed for applications requiring high accuracy and versatile functions. It offers embedded Profibus or DeviceNet communications and features a sampling rate of 0.025 s or 40 times per second, making it...

Half-inch modem for small devices.(footprint device)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Half-inch modem for small footprint devices communicates data with low power consumption. Self-contained TTL interface voice/data/fax modem module lets embedded systems designers include modem functionality in system products with minimal...

Paddlewheel flow system.(indicating meter or control instrumentation)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... FP7002 Series paddlewheel flow sensor/transmitter flow system is said to provide a low-cost, factory-calibrated, and easy-to-install solution for applications requiring a long distance flow and temperature sensor remote from the main indicating...

Optical-fiber XMC cards.(intra platform networks)(curtiss wright controls embedded computing)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... RazorBlade III-SX and RazorBlade IV-LX optical-fiber XMC modules, when used with SVME/DMV-680 Switch-Blade Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) switch, deliver 24-ports of wire speed GbE performance over copper and optical fiber to provide what is reported...

Operator terminals in five sizes.(remote access tool terminal)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Compact PMIvisu diagnostic and operator terminals come in five screen sizes: 5.7, 6.5, 10.4, 12.0, and 15.0 in. Terminals are designed for simple integration into existing networks. All have common interfaces and allow several controllers to be...

Resistivity/resistance meter.(Static Solutions Inc. )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Ohm-Stat RT-500 resistivity/resistance meter reportedly offers many benefits of a high-end device such as the Ohm-Stat RT-1000 but at lower cost. Pocket-sized meter has built-in parallel electrodes on the bottom of the case to measure...

AutomationDirect[R] 2005 catalog.(PRODUCT & LITERATURE SHOWCASE)
October 1, 2005... 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,...

Heat exchangers.(electronic enclosure heat exchanger)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... 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...

AC Power Distribution & Control System.(alternating current)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... 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,...

CoolPoint[TM] vortex shedding flowmeter.(monitoring higher water )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Universal Flow Monitors, Inc., exhibiting in Booth 1554 at ISA Expo 2005, will introduce larger sizes of its CoolPoint[TM] vortex shedding flowmeter. The CoolPoint[TM] meter will be offered in two new pipe sizes for measuring and monitoring...

Thermocouples, make your own.(PRODUCT & LITERATURE SHOWCASE)
October 1, 2005... DCC's HotSpot welding unit allows thermocouple wire to be formed into freestanding beads or welded to metal surfaces. The HotSpot provides a quick, simple, accurate, low cost means of fabricating thermocouples on a "when needed and where...

A.C. Current Sensors loop-powered.(current sensors and transducer)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... The 420 Series A.C. Current Sensors combine CT and Transducer functions in one compact unit. These sensors are metal cased to resist RFI and generate a 4-20 mA signal proportional to the amperage input. Units rated to 5000 volts A.C. and never...

Current Transformers, Transducers & Accessories.(PRODUCT & LITERATURE SHOWCASE)
October 1, 2005... 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,...

New Vaisala Humidity Transmitter.(PRODUCT & LITERATURE SHOWCASE)
October 1, 2005... The new Vaisala HUMICAP[R] Humidity and Temperature Transmitter Series HMT330 is optimized for HVAC and demanding industrial applications. The series offers a unique graphical trend display with one year of historical data. It continues the...

FREE NI Measurement and Control Designer resource CD.(PRODUCT & LITERATURE SHOWCASE)
October 1, 2005... Up to two-thirds of your data acquisition and control application costs are spent on configuration and development time. The Measurement and Control Designer helps you step-by-step to quickly and easily select your measurement and control...

2004 full-line signal conditioning catalog.(PRODUCT & LITERATURE SHOWCASE)
October 1, 2005... New 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...

TURCK connectivity catalog B2004.(PRODUCT & LITERATURE SHOWCASE)
October 1, 2005... With over 780 pages of industrial connectivity products including-molded cordsets, receptacles, splitters, junction boxes, raw cable options and technical specifications-this is the most complete offering of connectivity products ever. And with...

The digital I/O handbook.(PRODUCT & LITERATURE SHOWCASE)
October 1, 2005... Renowned technical author Jon Titus and the President and CEO of Sealevel Systems, Tom O'Hanlan, clearly explain digital input/output implementation from both a hardware and software perspective. This resource covers a wide range of devices...

Precision Encoders ...(PRODUCT & LITERATURE SHOWCASE)
October 1, 2005... 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...

GE introduces IFS EtherNav[TM] Gigabit managed Ethernet switch series.(PRODUCT & LITERATURE SHOWCASE)
October 1, 2005... GE Industrial, the manufacturer of IFS fiber optic transmission equipment, has announced the introduction has of its EtherNav[TM] D7800 Series of Gigabit managed layer 2 Ethernet switches. By utilizing Gigabit Ethernet, a network can...

Advances in fieldbus technology.(Fieldbus)
October 1, 2005... Advances in modern fieldbus technology allow it to satisfy virtually any process automation application requirement. As a result, this technology is on the rise in production plants, and is steadily gaining acceptance in process automation...

New redundant fieldbus system--really!(Fieldbus)
October 1, 2005... MooreHawke, the company formed from a recent acquisition by Moore Industries of Hawke International's fieldbus products, has announced the world's only truly redundant FOUNDATION fieldbus H1 interface system. Called TRUNKSAFE[TM], the system...

More than just instruments.(Fieldbus)(new facilities for petrochemical industries)
October 1, 2005... The CNOOC and Shell Petrochemicals Company Limited (CSPC) are building a new integrated petrochemicals complex in South China's Guangdong province. This is one of the largest capital investments for a Sino-foreign joint venture project to date...

Engineering fieldbus systems: fieldbus impacts deliverables scheduling.(Fieldbus)
October 1, 2005... During the research phase of their curriculum development project, SAIT interviewed many engineers and technologists to learn of their experiences particular to fieldbus systems design and engineering. It came as no surprise to learn that...

ISP Chemicals implements open, interoperable architecture with Smar's SYSTEM302.(Fieldbus)
October 1, 2005... At a recent technology gathering conducted at the ISP Chemicals (formerly BP) plant in Lima, Ohio, industry leaders gathered to see a complete, integrated FOUNDATION fieldbus architecture implementation. This included H1, High Speed Ethernet...

Include discrete valves to maximize benefits of FOUNDATION fieldbus.(Fieldbus)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... FOUNDATION fieldbus can add long-term value to manufacturing systems by simplifying maintenance, reducing downtime, and enabling better diagnostics for easier troubleshooting and predictive maintenance. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] However,...

Yokogawa and Shell revive North Sea platform with fieldbus technology.(Fieldbus)
October 1, 2005... Shell Exploration and Production reduced their operating costs using Yokogawa and Fieldbus technology with an extremely cost effective, high reliability solution. A major re-development of the Brent Alpha North Sea platform has been...