Control and Instrumentation articles from January 2000

Control and Instrumentation archives from January 2000

Good time for savings.
January 1, 2000... Perhaps the first impact of the new year is that European industry is now obliged to save energy. Savings are compulsory throughout the EU with a target of a 10% reduction by 2001. In addition, the UK has pledged to reduce its energy...

Rotork in the North sea.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Rotork has won the contract to supply a total package of electric, pneumatic and hydraulic valve actuation and control systems for one of the largest oil platform projects in the North Sea. The order is valued in the region of [pounds]2.25...

Pressure at the Dome.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Druck has launched a precision pressure controller in time to be granted Millennium product status by the Design Council. The controller will form part of the Spiral of Innovation display at the Millennium Dome. The controller enables automated...

Abu Dhabi safe platform.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Safety control systems are being delivered to the Bab Gas field by ICS Triplex. The systems integration order, worth [pounds]1 million, was placed following completion of a similar project for Asab, the biggest gas platform in Abu Dhabi. The...

OIML certificate for loadcells.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... The recently launched SCC Smart loadcell, available from Varionhm Components, has been awarded a new OILML IR60 approval for 'sale by weight' applications. The weights and measures authority in Germany has evaluated the product and concluded...

ISA Tech comes to the UK.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... THE ISA TECH conference, the world's leading technical forum in the control engineering sector, will be in the UK in 2001. Centaur Publishing and the ISA have come to an agreement which places ISA Tech alongside the C&I Show next year. This...

Dell - National supply deal gets confirmation.
January 1, 2000... NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS and Dell Computers, both based in Austin Texas, have announced the availability of workstations preloaded with instrumentation software. Initially available for engineers and scientists in the USA, the equipment will be...

Roxboro acquires Mobrey Group.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... THE ROXBORO GROUP, which includes Solartron, has acquired the entire issued ordinary share capital of each company in the Mobrey Group. The Mobrey Group is being acquired from Meqgitt plc for a consideration of [pounds]22.25 million. Mobrey...

Headline: TLAS - Three more acronyms for the collection. Chris Haines explains.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... ERP - Enterprise resource planning is an industry term for the broad set of activities supported by multi-module application software that help a manufacturer or other business, manage the important parts of its operation. This includes...

Global cleanup.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... SHELL IS CLEANING UP its image by improving the quality of produced water from its gas platforms. As part of a global scheme, the Gannet platform in the North Sea has installed a water quality improvement system using triple offset rotary...

IT sector must try harder.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... THE FIRST JOINT Cranfield and Microsoft quarterly survey, examining the thinking of 320 British CEOs and directors, showed a lack of emphasis on technology as a strategic business driver. But perhaps the greatest cause for concern for Britain's...

Traditional sensors face price pressure.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... THE EUROPEAN TEMPERATURE sensors and instruments market has reached a critical point in its existence. The highly competitive nature of the market has forced prices downward, which is currently hindering revenue growth in leading companies. ...

Alstom Drives & Controls.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Alstom Drives & Controls has been awarded a technical support contract by the Engineering Steels Business of Corus plc at Rotherham, formerly known as British Steel. The support contract includes services such as spares management, repairs and...

Yamatake.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Yamatake, a Japanese manufacturer of control valves has acquired the Cornerstone division of Hunt valve. Anticipating growth in the ball valve market worldwide, Yamatake hopes to expand its overseas market supported by its relationship with...

The Cadcentre Group.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... The Cadcentre Group, which aids the engineering of process and power plants, has acquired a set of advanced engineering database and data management software systems from a technical alliance group consisting of Kvaerner ASA and E.I. DuPont de...

Churchill Controls.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... The department of the Environment, Water Service of Northern Ireland has awarded contracts to Churchill Controls, via their local agents, D D Butler and Joyce Loebi for the supply of low capacity telemetry outstations. Churchill Controls has...

Dutch company Rembrandt Packaging.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Festo's PC-based control cabinets comprising a front end controller and valve terminal block are to be supplied to the Dutch company Rembrandt Packaging. The system will allow rapid installation of its automatic carton erecting system which is...

SPSS.
January 1, 2000... SPSS and Honeywell have formed a partnership to supply customers with real-time shop-floor information. SPSS will integrate its real-time, enterprise-wide statistical process control (SPC) software, Q1 Analyst Enterprise, with Honeywell Hi-Spec...

Quiller Electronics.
January 1, 2000... Quiller Electronics has been appointed as the major UKdistributor for Anderson Power Products. APP is a division of Anderson Interconnect and a subsidiary of High Voltage Engineering. Quiller plan to form a strong partnership with APP to bring...

Internet is not the panacea.
January 1, 2000... E-commerce is here to stay but it will not be the answer to all of industry purchasing requirements. A leading drives supplier explains that many customers need the personal touch and technical support. IN A RECENT report, the Government...

Knowledge goes a long way.
January 1, 2000... Chris O'Brien, Director of Measurement & Control Products with Moore Process Automation Solutions in the US talks to Colin Carter about his predictions to the future of control FROM MOORE'S PERSPECTIVE as a worldwide company, according to...

Play it Sam.(Simple Automation Modules)
January 1, 2000... The simple automation module is establishing itself as the next innovation in control engineering. Hyde introduces the concept and explains why it is neither a mini-micro programmable logic controller nor a direct replacement for a relay ...

Speed of SOUND.
January 1, 2000... Simple fibre optic solutions for machine control reduce wiring, are easy to implement, have no electrical noise and outperform anything else around. Whatever the merits and shortcomings of the multiplicity of fieldbus systems currently...

Essex & Suffolk Water Authority makes an INTELLIGENT CHOICE.
January 1, 2000... A waterworks refurbishment relies on digital control of the valve system which communicates over an actuator sensor interface Essex and Suffolk Water has chosen an ASi package to provide digital control of a valve system at its newly...

MONEY BACK in just a year.
January 1, 2000... Investment in energy saving measures at British Steel's Scunthorpe complex has achieved payback and provided maintenance and longevity as added benefits The variable speed AC drives installed at British Steel's Scunthorpe site to control...

Integrate below the ERP level.
January 1, 2000... The manufacturers who recognise the value of streamlined operations will implement software to integrate control systems and their own ERP systems. Manufacturers are faced with a market of software vendors offering an endless choice of IT...

Increasing the levels of automation.
January 1, 2000... The trend for product variety in the chemicals industry and the resulting move from continuous to batch production is providing a new challenge for automation suppliers The pharmaceutical and fine chemical industries in the UK and Europe...

PARTNERSHIP yields control solutions.
January 1, 2000... The success of strategic partnership in generating cost-effective control solutions is demonstrated by Southern Water's waste water recycling facility in Hampshire Work is already well advanced at Havant, near Portsmouth, on the latest...

Continuing professional development takes hold.
January 1, 2000... SUCCESS AS AN ENGINEER depends on achieving professional competence and ensuring this is developed throughout working life. This competence is defined initially by our professional body and we need to provide evidence of achievement to attain...

People on the move.
January 1, 2000... Pantek, the software tools specialist, has appointed Roy Smith as sales engineer for Scotland. Roy was previously employed by BP Exploration as an instrument technician. MMI Solutions has appointed Dennis Price director for sales and...

WHAT DOES EVALUATION INTERNATIONAL DO?(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... El is an instrument user group, its primary activities are the sponsorship of independent third party instrument evaluations on behalf of its members.

WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF El?
January 1, 2000... Evaluation International is a not for profit organisation run by directors and, a chairman who are appointed by the members. El was started in 1961 as the Sira Evaluation Panel, known as SIREP. 1998 saw the name change to Evaluation...

HOW IS El STRUCTURED?(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... A Consultant Executive (Charles Excell) manages El and is responsible for all administrative activities, project management, development and liaison with WIB and EXERA.

DESCRIBE EI'S CORE VALUES.
January 1, 2000... El provides its members with services that allow the economic and reliable selection of instruments for process control, monitoring and measurement. El also acts as the users' representative in standards, regulation and certification. There is...

Time to wake up to the Alarm system.
January 1, 2000... Peter Vincent of Onix Measurement discusses the importance of good alarm system design along with networking and communications issues arising from the use of smart devices An 'alarm system' can be defined as the means by which a deviation...

Chart recorders no longer WASTE PAPER.
January 1, 2000... David Jones of Yokogawa discusses industrial data recorder evolution and outlines the advantages of the move towards paperless recorders in terms of cost and ease of use Since the 1950s the humble industrial recorder has evolved to become...

INTEGRATION with open architecture.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Colin Bravington of Omron Electronics explains how open systems allow the end user to select the control elements required at all levels and integrate them Process control and automation technology is experiencing its most rapid...

Data acquisition beyond 2000 NEEDS SPEED.
January 1, 2000... Yiannis Pavlou of National Instruments looks into his crystal ball and sees the future of data acquisition and control hardware and software systems into the next Millennium. As we look beyond year 2000, we need to look at the technology...

INNOVATION display systems and the future.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Dedicated human machine interfaces or graphic displays are now sweeping away old style control panels. Mitsubishi Electric outlines new developments appearing soon The user friendliness of automation systems has increased rapidly in recent...

Technology developments give the user MORE FROM LESS.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... describes how innovations in electronics technology are satisfying the demands of industrial users by reducing the drive footprint and simplifying maintenance routines Drive users in the process and manufacturing industries are demanding...

Boxing clever using NEW PLASTICS.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... of Fibox talks about the trend towards the use of plastics for enclosures and their advantages in terms of flexibility and cost over traditional metallic materials In recent years, trends in the enclosures industry have been focusing on...

THICK FILMS cover multiple analyses.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Recent advances in gas analysis technologies using thick film transducers can lead to benefits in terms of reduced waste, improved efficiency and versatility. Gas analysis has moved on from being the technology which was always a cost and...

FIELDBUS Driving towards a goal.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Whilst the giants have been battling it out in the standards committees, the poor old users have been left bemused regarding the benefits of the technology. Fieldbus technology is going to permeate everything we control; avionics,...

Field calibrators are improving EFFEICIENCY.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Intrinsically Safe (IS) approved field calibrators reduce process breakdown and maintenance costs, improve efficiency and safety. In many process industry sectors, the safe and efficient handling of potentially hazardous liquids and gases...

Today's flowmeter is a far cry from POOH STICKS.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Stuart Clevett of Roxspur Measurement and Control takes a look at some of the key developments since the early flow meters and a glimpse at what the future could hold. It was over 70 years ago that Pooh Bear inadvertently dropped a fir...

Developments in gas detection and monitoring.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Roger Frampton of ABB Analytical outlines advances in multi-component sensors and how such analysis tools are being integrated into plantwide control systems and networks Historically the gas detection and monitoring market has been served...

Level transmitters for the new MILLENNIUM.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Liz Moakes of Vega Controls outlines some of the options for measuring levels in liquids and solids and discusses measuring levels using pulsed radar signals in harsh environments As the year 2000 dawns, users of process transmitters are...

WEIGH TO GO in speaking the same language.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Peter Zecchin of Nobel Systems discusses pitfalls in the specification of process weighing systems and looks at how to improve the precision of specifications and hence performance The components of both static and dynamic process weighing...

Enhancing food flow measurements with a SINGLE TUBE.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... The latest microprocessor technology has led to the introduction of sensors with high reliability and sensitivity, obviating the need for the loop in Coriolis meter technology Flow metering is a vital part of the food processing industry,...

Going on line for the best processing results.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Market research predicts a speeding up of the integration of on line analysis in processing plant as instruments become more reliable. With the increasing economic pressures on manufacturers to reduce processing costs and maintain strict...

PC or not PC? that is the question...(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Developments in the personal computer and in automation software have extended the possibility of access to raw data and management of information. It is just over 10 years since PCs entered into common use, probably something like a 286...

Even when the lights go you keep your head.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Gauges and regulators for pressure and temperature need to be self powered and require careful specification for the best results. Mechanical action is sometimes more reliable. Engineers today seem to concentrate on the Internet and...

Sensing element enhances the TRANSMITTER.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Pressure transducers rely, to a great extent, on the quality of the sensing element. Manufacturing techniques used in the electronics industry provide a viable solution The trend for higher performance with cost reduction, which is...

Ethernet protocol gains recognition in the OPEN FACTORY.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Peter Reeve of Schneider Electric describes how ethernet will change the way control equipment is supplied and operated with the service contract a valuable product in itself Control equipment suppliers are beginning to recognise...

Position clear in proximity sensor advances.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Cost and quality have become important issues as the market is flooded with imports. Geoff Roberts, product manager at Pepperl + Fuchs, reviews the proximity sensors available. Standard proximity sensors include inductive, capacitive,...

Telemetry opens up the age of communication.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Guy Fitzpatrick product manager, telemetry group, Rochester Instrument systems analyses the future of telemetry systems and their appropriate communication pathways. Why keep a dog and bark yourself? A very good question. After all, a...

The technology has standardised SCADA SYSTEMS.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Scada vendors have been quick to incorporate ActiveX, SQL etc to enable Scada systems to be developed into full MES solutions, explains Gert Rohrmann of Siemens Automation & Drives. Although there is nothing new about the concept of Scada...

Multi loop control meets the INTERNET.
January 1, 2000... Simon Davidoff of Moore Process Automation Solutions looks ahead to automated plant service life when multi loop controller technology extends to the Internet It is widely accepted that technology is advancing more rapidly than any other...

Smart enough to prevent device failure?
January 1, 2000... Mark Dutton of Fisher-Rosemount talks about the uptake of use of smart transmitters by the process industries and the tangible benefits that going smart can produce. As recently as four years ago, 50% of all transmitters sold were...

Controllers will not be met by a CHILLI DECLINE.
January 1, 2000... Hamish McNaughton of Eurotherm reviews industrial temperature controllers but the question is how to package them in order to embrace all aspects of continuous and sequential control Packaging of PID instrumentation for the industrial...

The heat is on when measuring TEMPERATURE.
January 1, 2000... Endress and Hauser's Russell Hobbs discusses the state of the temperature measurement market in the UK and outlines the benefits of new technologies in the market place. Over the past two years, the temperature measurement market has seen...

Look at the terms and CONDITIONS.
January 1, 2000... Lindsay Norris of the Jumo Instrument Company highlights a number of factors worth taking into consideration when specifying transmitters and signal conditioning equipment. The market is buzzing with talk of "virtual" instrumentation. What...

Is product standardisation THE SOLUTIONS.
January 1, 2000... Paul Normyle of Norgren argues that although standardisation can bring benefits, the time it takes to implement a standard can mean the technology has moved onto another level. We frequently read that ISO standardisation of manufacturing...