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April 2008 |
Miami is a great place to spend part of February. Especially when
you’re looking over the famed Blue Monster golf course at Doral.
“OEE is one of the most recognized KPIs (key performance indicators), if not the most recognized,” observes Craig Resnick, a research director at ARC Advisory Group Inc., in Dedham, Mass.
The proliferation of digital networks in manufacturing has resulted in a job description change for most, if not all, automation engineers.
In a nonlinear world, the challenge of advanced loop tuning is to keep continuous and batch processes, as well as discrete operations, functioning cleanly and productively without unplanned downtime.
The company adds a Service Oriented Architecture platform to its Proficy product line, then integrates Microsoft Workflow to provide a business process management solution.
The new “OPC Foundation Certified” logo will assure users that a device will interoperate out-of-the-box with other vendors’ compliance-tested products.
Engineering services firms Ranal and Esys are jointly developing software links to better meet automotive customer needs.
Wurldtech says its newly launched database can help industrial companies identify cyber-security risks and make better decisions to protect their operations.
The acquisition of the Swiss-headquartered Safety and Automation business of Cedes AG will expand Rockwell’s portfolio of machine safety solutions.
Consumer goods companies continue buying, but grow cautious about economic conditions.
The integration of the two companies’ software products will lead to a more complete solution intended to help users comply with IEC safety standards.
No doubt about it. The Web’s the thing, Microsoft tells developers at its MIX80 conference.
With product quality and regulatory issues among the top reasons that
life sciences product launches fail, Dassault Systčmes is taking aim at
the problem.
A provider of pressure and temperature measurement devices, the Brazilian unit is given more autonomy by its German parent.
Automation is unlocking high-technology business potential in India.
By developing closer links between 3D simulation tools and factory floor automation, major PLM and controls vendors are aiming to move digital manufacturing technology one step closer to the mainstream.
At automaker Ford Motor Co., Dearborn, Mich., Alan Baumgartner discusses digital manufacturing in the context of two bridges.
Last year, the Colombia-based engineering firm, Omnicon Ltd. wanted to
help a dairy customer integrate its automation production system with
its enterprise business system.
“What do we mean by automation software?” asks Nathan Massey, sales
engineer for B&R Industrial Automation Corp., Roswell, Ga. A trick
question? More of a thought starter.
Scott Fraser is the Electrical Technology Department Chair at Long Beach City College in California. Besides providing electrical training, the Department offers specialty areas in robotics and industrial automation.
Robot simulation and offline programming software is producing savings for North American Bus Industries.
Temposonics linear-position sensors can generate up to 20 simultaneous position outputs along a given sensing element, making them a cost-effective replacement for the traditional array of proximity sensors, says the vendor.
The upgraded BOD 63M time-of-flight photoelectric sensor features a shorter, 200mm dead zone, a second discrete output, and an enhanced resolution of less than 1mm.
The DS30 Distance Measurement Sensor is designed to combine simple push button set-up with superior detection performance, all in an industry standard housing.
PK pressure sensors are designed to provide an economical means for switch point detection in air and inert gas applications.
The SensaGuard family of RFID-coded, non-contact switches helps reduce machine and wiring costs and offers extended diagnostics for easier troubleshooting.
PCI and PXI Profibus interfaces are now available with the vendor’s LabView software to add compatibility and flexibility to industrial systems.
As the vendor’s most powerful embedded PC, the DIN-rail mounted CX1030 is equipped with a 1.8 GHz Intel Pentium processor.
The 750-493 3-Phase Power Measurement Module is designed to integrate comprehensive monitoring of a power supply network with the connectivity of an I/O system.
The vendor has added Profibus DP as the fourth communication option for its SMVector drive.
Nerlite LT430 backlights are designed to deliver high image processing contrast when inspecting the contours, edges or openings of a component.
The CA150 handheld calibrator is designed to be accurate within a 0.02% reading for source and measurement.
The SureCross DX70 wireless developer’s kit includes a gateway and one node transceiver to enable on-site wireless testing.
Two new modules in the vendor’s PNOZsigma range of slim line safety relays enable the number of contacts to be expanded considerably, thereby offering the potential for cost and space savings compared with traditional safety relays
Polypro Type 4X polyester enclosures are intended for housing electrical and electronic controls in harsh environments.
The LX Series of single-axis actuators is available for a variety of precision motion control applications in the packaging, machine tool, automotive, appliance, semiconductor, medical and other industries.
G-Series SCARA Robots are the next generation robots for the vendor’s Micro PowerDrive Controllers.
The ePC-Series computers were designed to offer the quality of a traditional industrial computer while providing small size at a competitive price.
The ConnectCore 9P 9215 ARM9-based Ethernet networking module features two Flexible Interface Modules (FIMs) built into an ARM9 microprocessor.
Featuring high flow rates and a compact size that enables them to be mounted directly on cylinders or on moving parts, CPE in-line solenoid valves now offer aluminum manifolds and M8 solenoid connections.
Thanks to a strategic agreement with Beijer Electronics to launch a range of high-end CE-based touch panels, the Compact Panel offering is a bundled solution that includes a runtime license for a subset of the vendor’s InTouch 10.0 software and operator panel hardware.
The IPD VA61 is the vendor’s first Gigabit-Ethernet (GigE)-ready vision appliance, offering an embedded machine vision solution for automated quality inspection applications.
Multi-purpose VOS300 Series Vision Sensors combine a camera, illumination, digital outputs, process data and five evaluation methods into a single, rugged sensor housing.
A family of Electronic Timer Relays features easy set-up and diagnostics and can monitor different time functions without the need for complicated controllers.
The J6 line of industrial joysticks is designed for heavy-duty use on all types of machinery, cranes, forklifts, construction, oil and gas, forestry, agricultural and materials handling devices.
A 32-bit CPU SCADA software module has been added to the vendor’s T-Box line of RTU SCADA system products.
High-performance plastic bearings are being used more and more in applications, because the bearings are dry running and maintenance-free.
The BlueTree BT-4000 and BT-5000 Wireless Industrial Modems are designed to provide simple and reliable communications over various cellular data networks.
Ampla V3.2 is a scalable manufacturing execution system (MES) solution designed to drive the effective planning, operation and improvement of production operations.
EPower power controllers feature a common driver module that is used across the whole product range, minimizing the need for stocking spares while simplifying set-up and training.
VisionPro 5.0 machine vision software is now hardware-independent, and can be used with any camera or image source in PC-based machine vision applications.
The 787F side-exit, low profile accelerometer with an integral cable includes a side-exit general purpose sensor with a permanent Viton boot and Teflon jacketed cable to provide protection in harsh environments.
The Fisher C1 pneumatic controller is billed as an “energy-responsible” choice for oil and gas operations because it decreases the amount of pressurized air or natural gas lost to the atmosphere with its low consumption.
The Presto MR20 robot is designed to provide a compact arm and powerful body with a wrist torque 2 times that of comparable-sized robots.
The EASY (Embedded Application SYstem) is a PC-compatible, industrial computer and machine vision implementation platform in a compact, aluminum-housed package.
In order to reach their maximum potential, manufacturing companies
must be efficient at coordinating and controlling personnel, materials
and equipment across different operations and control systems.
Somewhere between enterprise resource planning (ERP) and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) you will find the manufacturing execution systems (MES) layer.
We have not changed our outlook—the economy should avoid slipping into a broad-based recession for most, if not all, of 2008.
In order to improve your manufacturing performance, you should
put in a manufacturing execution system (MES) system and integrate to
your enterprise resource planning (ERP)—right?
Many people think that the automation industry is quickly developing a
“skills shortage,” which will occur after the current generation of
engineers retires.
indicates a sponsored article that was submitted directly to this Web site by the supplier, and was not handled by the AW editorial staff.
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