Control and Instrumentation articles from June 2000

Control and Instrumentation archives from June 2000

ERP vendors left out in the cold.
June 1, 2000... It appears from the financial pages of our national press that the traditional ERP vendors are feeling the pinch. Headlines during May, from the Financial Times, declared: 'Troubled Baan sees share price plummet' and 'SAP ready for acquisitions...

National Instruments recruits.
June 1, 2000... National Instruments plans to recruit some 700 new people around the world in the next year or so. The measurement and automation company expects to employ about 500 of these in the US with 330 at its Austin Headquarters. Around 50% of those...

Inventory management.
June 1, 2000... The long-established Whessoe Varec tank gauging instrumentation business in the UK has been restructured by its parent Endress+Hauser, to create a new inventory management solutions organisation. Endress+Hauser Systems & Gauging is the new...

British businesses could miss the plot.
June 1, 2000... CEOs REMAIN FIRM in the belief that e-commerce will not alter the way companies work despite the radical changes in buying behaviour introduced by the internet, according to the latest Business Barometer survey published by Cranfield School of...

Druid founder is new chairman at MIS.
June 1, 2000... DAVE THOMPSON IS joining the board of Sunderland-based Motherwell Information Systems Group (UK) as non-executive chairman, Thompson who was co-founder of Druid and also owns Newcastle Falcons rugby club is expected to strengthen MIS's position...

Acronyms and jargon explained by Chris Haines -- software business manager at Rockwell Automation.
June 1, 2000... A DATA WAREHOUSE is a central repository or all, or significant parts of the data that an enterprise's various business systems collect. Typically, a data warehouse is housed on an enterprise mainframe server. Data from various online...

Four in one automation package.
June 1, 2000... MUNICH-BASED, SOFTING has entered the UK market with a four in one automation package. The system, which is based on Windows NT combines engineering, control, monitoring and vertical data integration using TCP/IP for ethernet and Internet...

New approach to enterprise management.
June 1, 2000... A STRATEGIC initiative to improve the flow of information through the manufacturing enterprise has been instigated by Rockwell Automation with the roll out of Manufacturing BusinessWare, which combines value added services and software tools...

Citect.
June 1, 2000... Citect has launches a series of new programs designed to develop and strengthen these capabilities in its integration partners. It is introducing a new Citect Integration Partners program globally to provide integration skills in its channels...

Siemens Industrial Projects & Systems.
June 1, 2000... Siemens Industrial Projects & Systems has won a multi-site contract to refurbish, within three months, 14 sites across the Ribble Valley and Cheshire for North West Water Project Services. Typical work will include the replacement of pumps,...

eMation.
June 1, 2000... eMation's version 7.6 of Wizcon for Windows and Internet is one of the first to incorporate the IEC-61131 programming languages for scripting and macros and includes web publishing of animated graphics, trends and alarms. Wizcon can connect to...

Neles Automation.
June 1, 2000... Neles Automation plans to integrate AspenTech's process historian database, process explorer, and related layering applications into its information management module. Neles hopes to provide information management solutions to the pulp and...

Computer Associates and Opto 22.
June 1, 2000... Computer Associates and Opto 22 have got together to integrate, a web-enabled; network-ready solution, with CA's management solution for e-business. Opto 22's SNAP-IT family provides a plug-and-play e-business solutions that lets Unicenter TNG...

ABB.
June 1, 2000... ABB has announced that it will in future be branding its instrumentation operations under the 'ABB Automation' banner joining the existing intelligent instrumentation range. According to ABB, the move reflects the growing demand for total...

Software and comms companies cooperate.
June 1, 2000... COMTROLF, THE US company which invented the multiport serial controller for personal computers, has joined forces with lntellution, to 'provide solutions for the industrial automation marketplace'. Comtrol has become one of Intellution's...

Knowledge based business decision pays dividends.
June 1, 2000... ABB HAS REPORTED a strong increase in earnings, margins and orders in the first three months of 2000 which, according to president and CEO G[ddot{o}]ran Lindahl, confirms that ABB's decision to move into businesses based on knowledge,...

Minerva.
June 1, 2000... Minerva Industrial systems has added newly-formed Sifam Instruments to its fast growing customer base. Sifam Instruments has three separate product ranges in a portfolio which is expected to turnover [pounds]8 million in its first full trading...

Roxboro.
June 1, 2000... Chairman of the Roxboro Group, Sir Alan Cockshaw says that the group has enjoyed a strong first quarter's trading, with profits ahead of budget. Orders are up 28% on the same period last year, and up 53% if Mobrey is included (acquired in...

Schlumberger.
June 1, 2000... Schlumberger Integrated Water Solutions has entered the groundwater resources management domain by acquiring Westbay Instruments, the Canadian manufacturer of multi-level instrumentation systems for investigating and monitoring groundwater...

Automation markets showing maturity.
June 1, 2000... A RECENT SURVEY by Datamonitor of the European automation market shows maturity, especially in Germany, Italy and the UK. However, the increasing role played by advanced software has extended the use and life of PLC and DCS systems. ...

More flexible engineering.
June 1, 2000... PTC has released the latest Pro/ENGINEER 200012 version of Its flexible engineering solution with over 440 enhancements. These include Windows 2000 certification, improvements making the software easier to learn and use, the ability to delegate...

FactorySuite 2000 update.
June 1, 2000... Pantek has announced the release of Wonder ware FactorySuite 2000 version 7.1 which supports Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 and is fully Internet enabled so users can view plant floor automation applications and manufacturing information across the...

Made2Manage in Europe.
June 1, 2000... Made2Manage Systems has established a UK presence and signed a European distribution agreement with IT solutions provider 4Front technologies. Made2Manage is a fully integrated enterprise wide business system integrating all aspects of the...

Integrated building control.
June 1, 2000... Honeywell has introduced Enterprise Building Integrator (EBI), an integrated facility management solution to improve efficiency and productivity. EBI can control all of a building's core systems including services, security and fire as well as...

Easy software for relays.
June 1, 2000... MOELLER ELECTRIC has introduced the Easysoft software package to configure the company's range of Easy control relays. Easysoft v2.O runs under Windows NT, 95 and 98 and is claimed to allow quick and simple configuration of complex control...

Preactor's APS integrated into ERP.
June 1, 2000... PREACTOR IS TO INTEGRATE its advanced planning and scheduling (APS) software with Expandable Software's enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. "The use of Preactor's software will allow customer,s to increase throughput and reduce work in...

Arcom introduces embedded development system for Windows NT.
June 1, 2000... ARCOM HAS ANNOUNCED the introduction of a new Pentium performance Windows NT Embedded development kit for embedded system designers, based on the Arcom SBC-MediaGX processor board. The kit contains components to enable the rapid development...

Process optimisation and monitoring in real time.
June 1, 2000... MDC TECHNOLOGY HAS announced the latest version of its real time process optimisation and performance monitoring system, RTO+ v.2.4, which forms the core of the company's integrated suite of real time applications combining plant modelling,...

Drive programming software is on the Windows menu.
June 1, 2000... CONTROL TECHNIQUES has launched Commander SESoft Windows based software for programming small inverter drives. The software has been developed for the Control Techniques Commander SE drive to control and display all drive parameters and...

Pilot high, sell it cheap.
June 1, 2000... COGSYS, THE INTELLIGENT software systems developers, has launched Cogsys Pilot for industrial applications. The software was originally developed for Corus Group (which resulted from the merger of British Steel and Koninklijke Hoogovens) to...

Control vendors move on ERP market.
June 1, 2000... The control system vendors are making inroads into the manufacturing software market by offering solutions that use existing plant data and integrate the enterprise from the outside in. INITIATIVES BY CONTROL system vendors are changing the...

Driving around the bend.
June 1, 2000... Tube bending equipment installed in the mid-1970s at Timax, Cheadle had become increasingly unreliable. New controls solved the problem There are only a handful of vector pipeline tube bending machines in the world capable of creating a...

ENGINE CONTROL GETS REAL.
June 1, 2000... Real time extension provides operating benefits to Windows The Woodward Company, designer and manufacturer of engine fuel delivery and engine control systems for over 125 years, is considered a world leader in controls and accessories. And...

A founder's vision for INTEGRATION.
June 1, 2000... Steve Rubin, the straight talking founder, president and CEO of Intellution, discussed his views on automation and integrated control strategies with Stephen E Rubin is President, CEO and founder of Intellution and, quite naturally, has...

Information rich future for NZ butter giant.
June 1, 2000... Targeting plant-floor data access as the key to optimal production, Anchor Products is moving into the future with open communication control architecture Although small, New Zealand is home to a surprising number of Worlds biggest,...

Load systems get INTELLIGENT.
June 1, 2000... Colin Carter considers recent developments in load cells for integrated control systems Most developments in the area of load cell systems have tended to be primarily in the area of producing solutions that meet end user demands for...

Ply bond and paper formation.
June 1, 2000... PROBLEMS SOLVED DOWN UNDER Dramatic improvements in stock consistency combined with quality payback have been achieved in 12-months on energy savings alone using a basis weight measurement system Installation of a 104TC system from NDC...

Sensors with knowledge.
June 1, 2000... Self validating sensors can assess the uncertainty in a measured variable and help keep critical Operations running. Stuart Nathan discusses the use of such intelligent devices in process control The most advanced control system is only as...

NET WORKS FOR DATA.
June 1, 2000... Yiannis Pavlou of National Instruments describes three categories for data acquisition for applications across internal and Internet networks With high-speed networks, low-cost ethernet-based hardware and software, and standard...

BOXING CLEVER.
June 1, 2000... Despite their humdrum nature, enclosures play a vital role in the electrotechnical industries. Where would electrical and electronic equipment be if it were not for enclosures? Humdrum and unsexy though these housings are often perceived,...

Web application controls CAMERA MONITORING.
June 1, 2000... SLS Engineering has implemented the first Lan/Wan based remote control camera systems using Scada SLS ENGINEERING was asked to satisfy a requirement to provide monitoring and surveillance of a remote site, some 200 miles from company base...

I/O wiring reduced.
June 1, 2000... THE TELEFAST 2 multi channel interface system from Telemecanique saves PC users time and money on I/O wiring by eliminating the need for conventional terminals and terminal rails in control panels. This Interface comes with a wide choice of...

Single board PLC for use in automation.
June 1, 2000... The latest version of the AutoLog AL14 low cost PLC from PBE Systems will replace devices such as relays and timers in small control tasks. As it is assembled on a single PCB it is particularly suited to machine automation applications. Three...

Low cost terminal.
June 1, 2000... THE 24V DC PanelView 300 from Rockwell Automation claims all the expected user features in a smaller terminal. Features include: screen security; extensive alarm capabilities; universal language support to create object text in 46 different...

USB hub connects all.
June 1, 2000... THE ROCKETPORT USB SERIAL HUB from Comtrol lets PC users connect four RS232 or RS422 serial peripherals using one USB connection. The plug and play solution claims compatibility, modem and hardware/software flow control, and fast connection to...

Module Can interface with industrial I/O.
June 1, 2000... HM COMPUTING'S new PC/104 module combines a 386 controller with ethernet and dual Can interfaces to link them with industrial I/O. The module is also capable of running the new real-time Linux operating system. The CPU-1211 can provide a...

Profibus slave module.
June 1, 2000... MATSUCHITA ELECTRIC has brough out a compact FPO Profibus DP Slave module to enable its inverters, distributed I/O and other field devices be integrated within a Profibus network. Data transmission rates of up to 12Mbaud can be realised on the...

OPC server for discrete upgrades.
June 1, 2000... Waterside Solutions' OPC server allows real time data, flowing between several PLCs, control systems and distributed I/O modules from different suppliers, to communicate with a number of HMI/SCADA systems over an Ethernet LAN using TCP/IP. The...

Everyone can benefit from accredited training schemes.
June 1, 2000... SOCIETY'S DEMAND FOR higher qualifications shows no sign of abating, and this applies to the engineering profession as much as any other. But the three-fold increase in the number of people going to university over the last 20 years has meant...

People on the move...
June 1, 2000... Adam Pryke has joined Pantek's North West sales team with responsibility for Lancashire, Merseyside and N. Wales. Pryke was previously with Yokogawa. Leuze Mayser has appointed Terry Boughen as Manaqing Director. His appointment follows...

COMPANY PROFILE.
June 1, 2000... CITECT (UIC) LTD 9, Orton Enterprise Centre, Bakewell Road, Peterborough, Cambs. Tel:01733 40484 Website: www.citect.co.uk WHAT DOES (THE COMPANY) DO? Citect (UK) is sole distributor in the UK and Ireland for the the Citect Scada...

Taking control of your ENERGY CONSUMPTION.
June 1, 2000... Control Engineers have often told me that it's the plant that makes the product but it's good control that makes the difference between profit and loss. Few mention the fact that good control can also cut energy costs by as much as 10%. Yet...