Control Engineering articles from September 2004

Control Engineering archives from September 2004

Why we're here.
September 1, 2004... This issue marks our Golden Anniversary--the first issue appeared in September 1954--and honestly, we couldn't be more proud. Not just because we've endured this long as a publication, but because we continue to be the preferred magazine for...

50th Anniversary.(50 * 25 * 10 years ago history)
September 1, 2004... November 1954 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. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] March 1955 Stop coining words!...

Open source enterprise connection.(IT & Engineering Insight)(open source software for manufacturing systems)
September 1, 2004... I received some comments about my column on free software (April 2004), and I believe some clarification is needed. Although the term "free software" may be legally correct when defining software that can be freely modified but may have fees,...

Phoenix Contact buys Entivity.(News)(Phoenix Contact Inc,Entivity Inc.)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Harrisburg, PA; Ann Arbor, MI -- Phoenix Contact Inc. reports that it has acquired Entivity Inc. to give Phoenix a U.S.-based software resource, products, and know-how to serve control software applications founded on PC-based technologies....

Turck buys other half of InterlinkBT from Banner.(News)(Turck Inc.,InterlinkBT L.L.C.,Banner Engineering Inc.)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Minneapolis, MN -- Turck Inc. has acquired 100% of the shares of InterlinkBT, which it reports is one of North America's most successful industrial networking companies. InterlinkBT was originally established six years ago as a joint venture...

Embedded Linux puts pressure on Windows CE, VxWorks.(News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Natick, MA -- Worldwide shipments of embedded Linux operating systems, add-on components, and related services are expected to grow at a 22% compound annual growth rate from $65.2 million in 2003 to $118.5 million in 2006, according to "2004...

NI Week 2004: 20 multi-function DAQ devices introduced.(News)(National Instruments Corp,data acquisition)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Austin, TX -- National Instruments (NI) released its next generation of multifunction data acquisition (DAQ) products on the first day of its annual NI Week event, Aug. 17. Based on the newly designed NI-STC 2 system controller chip and NI-PGIA...

RFID systems in the manufacturing supply chain.(News)(Radio Frequency Identification Equipment)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Pharmaceutical applications are likely to help fuel skyrocketing growth in the use of radio frequency identification (RFID) systems in manufacturing supply chain from $65.8 million in 2003 to almost $3.8 billion in 2008, according to new...

Packaging machinery fueling automation growth in Europe.(News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Wellingborough, U.K.; Austin, TX -- Packaging machinery is one of the highest growth markets for automation products in Europe, according to new research by IMS Research. The firm recently analyzed 11 major machinery markets, and found that...

Coriolis flowmeter verification.(News)(Emerson Process Management introduced coriolis flowmeter verification procedure)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Boulder, CO -- Emerson Process Management's Micro-Motion division recently introduced a patented "in-service" Coriolis flowmeter verification procedure that uses density measurement to confirm that the flowmeter's flow-tube structure remains...

Axeda files patent infringement lawsuit against Questra.(News)
September 1, 2004... Mansfield, MA -- Axeda Systems Inc. recently filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Questra Corp., a manufacturer of software for intelligent device management (IDM). Filed in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, the litigation...

High Voltage Engineering, ASIRobicon emerge from bankruptcy.(News)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Wakefield, MA -- High Voltage Engineering (HVE) Corp. reports that it and all of its U.S. subsidiaries emerged from Chapter 11 reorganization 163 days after initiating its bankruptcy filing. HVE says its Third Amended Joint Chapter 11 Plan...

DVT introduces OPC server for machine vision.(News)
September 1, 2004... Duluth, GA -- To eliminate the need for costly custom interfaces, DVT Corp. has introduced a PC-based OPC server designed to work with the company's Legend series of smart camera-based machine vision systems. DVT's OPC Server was developed by...

UL combines three standards for certifying measurement, control, lab equipment.(News)
September 1, 2004... Northbrook, IL -- In a move that could streamline certifications, Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) has published a new second-edition standard that combines three existing UL standards--UL 61010A for laboratory equipment, UL 61010B for test...

SERCOS vendors launch packaging profile.(News)(SERCOS North America)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Lake in the Hills, IL -- SERCOS N.A. reports that the SERCOS vendor organizations have developed a Pack Profile in response to a request by the OMAC Packaging Machinery Working Group. The Pack Profile defines a subset of the SERCOS interface...

Schneider's PLC function block code aids RFID compliance.(News)(Schneider Electric (Palatine, Illinois), new products)(programmable logic controller)(Radio Frequency Identification Equipment)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Palatine, IL -- Schneider Electric recently introduced Telemecanique TCP Open, a derived function block code that enables a programmable logic controller (PLC) to communicate easily with any third-party TCP device, including radio frequency...

Webcast on CE survey will explore toughest challenges.(News)
September 1, 2004... Oak Brook, IL -- Analysts, vendors, and publications regularly promote one issue or another as the most important for manufacturers to deal with immediately. But what do you think about these claims? What are your most significant challenges?...

Plant Engineering to present arc flash ii Webcast.(News)
September 1, 2004... Oak Brook, IL -- Protecting people and equipment from "arc flash" will be the theme of Plant Engineering magazine's latest Webcast on Sept. 30, 2004. This online event will address: electrical documentation accuracy; protection devices...

Birth and rebirth.(control engineer's role in control engineering)(Editorial)
September 1, 2004... One of my favorite sayings is that if we learn from history, we can build on success, rather than take the same lumps over again. Control Engineering's reflections at inception and at our 25th anniversary offer wisdom for today. ...

Ac drives stay vital for the 21st century: the heritage of smaller, smarter, more efficient, and cost-effective variable-frequency drives (VFDs) spans more than 50 years. Coupled with ever-higher drive performance, the evolution is still going strong.(VFD Evolution)
September 1, 2004... Physical size and weight provide the most visible evidence of the remarkable evolution of ac variable-frequency drives (VFDs) in the past 50 years. However, what's under the skin is even more dramatic for the performance, efficiency, and...

Past, present, and future of Control Engineering.
September 1, 2004... In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Control Engineering, the editors wanted to look back at control, automation, and instrumentation advances over the past 50 years, and assess where we are now in consideration of what's to come in the...

50th anniversary: we never could have dreamed.
September 1, 2004... Control Engineering begins its 51st year of publication with this issue. How much has changed in those first 50 years is hard to believe. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Since most industrial controllers, whether for machine control, process...

Technology and people connections: keys to the future; intelligent devices, integrated systems, distributed architectures ... Dow engineers cite past advances and call on the controls field to be ready for further change.(Dow Chemical Co. (Midland, Michigan))(Interview)
September 1, 2004... Participating in this Control Engineering 50th anniversary interview were Jerry Gipson (jgipson@dow.com), director of Engineering Technology, and Eric C. Cosman (eccosman@dow.com), automation architect, from The Dow Chemical Co., Midland, MI....

Down-to-earth engineering in space: Chet Vaughan, Boeing's acting chief engineer for the International Space Station, says basic control and automation principles help the U.S. space program cope with challenges from galloping technical evolution to integration and standardization issues.(Boeing)
September 1, 2004... Chet Vaughan, acting chief engineer for the International Space Station (ISS) at Boeing Co., has been working on the ISS since 1996. He worked for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for 40 years on every major human space...

Advances beyond imagination: sporting more than 50 years in the automation and control industry, Dr. Irving Lefkowitz has seen it all when it comes to the modern advancement of industrial technologies. His perspective offers valuable insight for those pondering the future of the engineering profession.(Case Western Reserve University)
September 1, 2004... Dr. Irving Lefkowitz is professor emeritus of systems engineering at Case Western Reserve University and vice president and cofounder of ControlSoft Inc.--a company that develops and markets software solutions for advanced industrial control...

The path forward: link technology and business: an interview with Andrew McDonald--Unilever HPC-NA's global automation and control technology manager--reveals insights about bringing the communities of engineering and management closer together at your facility.(Unilever)(Interview)
September 1, 2004... Andrew McDonald is responsible for the management of Unilever's strategic program relating to process control and automation. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A degreed electrical and electronic engineer, he is a Chartered Engineer and a member...

Broaden expertise; apply proven technologies more quickly: Jerry Yen, of General Motors Powertrain and OMAC Users Group, addresses PLC, PC-based, and wireless controls; the Web; legacy integration; business of manufacturing; and interoperability via standards.(GM Powertrain)
September 1, 2004... Jerry Yen received his M.S. Physics in 1976 and M.S.E.E. in 1980 from Ohio State University. He later received a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He worked for Westinghouse Electric Co. for...

Dataforth Corporation.
September 1, 2004... Dataforth Corporation, a privately held corporation, was formed as a joint venture with Burr-Brown Corporation (now Texas Instruments), a maker of analog electronic products. Dataforth was the idea of Lee Payne, who had been a product design...

Recognizing excellence in product innovation.
September 1, 2004... Control Engineering editors have been overseeing awards for product excellence for nearly two decades. Reviewing the leaderboard illustrates the major advances made in automation, control, and instrumentation over the years. Thomas...

Process data historian improves business: DAK Americas uses historian software to help 'Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control,' leveraging intelligence at the engineering level to impact business decisions.(Information Control)
September 1, 2004... Historian software helps collect and analyze data to improve manufacturing processes and decision-making. That capability can help rewrite the future history of any business, but is especially useful in the competitive market of supplying...

Good integrator help isn't hard to find: but choosing the best candidate for a system integration job can be a challenge.(System Integration)
September 1, 2004... Hiring the right system integrator for an automation project can greatly improve the chances of completing the job on time and under budget. And once that first project has been successfully concluded, re-hiring the same integrator for the next...

Regulations, quality boost batch software.(Focus Batch Software)
September 1, 2004... The old family recipe: Sometimes it is carefully copied onto an index card and stashed away in a wooden box; sometimes it is scribbled in the margins of an old cookbook; and sometimes it is just part of someone's culinary experience committed...

Why record paperless?(Technology Update)
September 1, 2004... Traditional paper recorders are a wide-spread, core engineering tool, but there are major advantages to going paperless--principally because of electronic data storage. Electronic information allows for faster, more comprehensive analysis of...

Ethernet, legacy network, coexist.(Exclusive)
September 1, 2004... Vnet/IP network offers multiplexed band communication with a reliable, real-time, flexible protocol on high-speed Ethernet media. This upgrade is an innovative control protocol on an open network that provides communication band partitioning,...

Safety curtains, modules, mats.(Exclusive)
September 1, 2004... New families of light curtains, safety modules, and safety mats are designed to promote productivity and safety. Type 2 and type 4 safety light curtains are available in finger, hand, and body resolutions for guarding dangerous work areas....

Conduction-cooled PMCs.(Exclusive)
September 1, 2004... Two conduction-cooled asynchronous serial PMC modules are designed for industrial, process control, and other embedded/OEM systems that operate in a harsh environment. TPMC371 and TPMC372 are each available with RS-232, RS-422, or mixed...

Compact Coriolis meters.(Exclusive)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... MicroMotion F-Series Coriolis meters are compact in size (3 in.). Features include a temperature rating to 356 [degrees]F (180 [degrees]C) and secondary containment. With a maximum flow rate of 10,000 lb/min, devices are suitable for chemical,...

USB device turns PC to digital scale.(Exclusive)(Massload Technologies )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... USB device turns laptop computer into a high-resolution, low-cost digital indicator capable of reading 2000 samples per second. Software lets users connect to any load cell, plug into the USB port of a computer, and instantly have access to a...

Brushless motor with integrated drive.(Exclusive)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... NEMA size 23 brushless dc motor features an integrated drive for simplified motor control. Internal drive reduces overall costs by providing all necessary control and interface functions needed for motor speed and direction control. Integrated...

Compact package diode array.(Exclusive)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... GCDA15C-1 diode array provides cost-effective ESD (electrostatic discharge) protection in ADSL, RS-232, RS-422, and V.90 interfaces; high-speed data lines; WAN/LAN equipment; and wireless systems. Aimed at high-volume mainstream applications,...

User-friendly HMI.(Exclusive)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Exter configurable, scalable HMI uses the manufacturer's Intelligent Design concept to stress product user-friendliness, ergonomics, functionality, and performance. Series combines Microsoft Windows CE .Net version 4.2 platform with Intel...

Custody transfer: getting what you pay for.(Back to Basics)
September 1, 2004... When purchasing gasoline for your automobile, do you ever wonder if you are getting what you pay for? Have you ever stopped the pump at exactly 10 gallons to see if the price is correct? Verifying that an agreed-upon price per unit is being...