Perhaps I was premature in my whining about being shut out of the conference sessions at last February’s ARC Advisory Group Forum in Orlando.

  When justifying automation investments, “if you look at justification methodologies that you have to take to upper management, ultimately you have only a few economic buckets in which you can claim benefits,” observes Pete Sharpe, principal consultant with the Advanced Applied Technology Group for process controls vendor Emerson Process Management (www.emersonprocess.com), in Austin, Texas.

  Snowed under by volumes of ever-multiplying Web-posted information? It’s challenging enough just to regularly find and grab data helpful data.

  Born on May 25, 2007, the Center for Operator Performance (COP, www.operatorperformance.org), in Dayton, Ohio, provides a unique setting for operating companies and vendors to hold open discussions and focus on mutually beneficial research, states Duane Toavs, director of the Ease of Use Center of Excellence at process controls vendor Emerson Process Management (www.emersonprocess.com), in Austin, Texas.

  Discussions of industrial wireless products and applications filled the air at the Houston event—not to mention lots of radio frequency waves.

  As concerns mount over prospects for cyber terrorism or hacker attacks, showgoers at ISA Expo heard about some of the latest industrial technologies developed to ward off those threats.

  AirMagnet Inc. (www.AirMagnet.com), Sunnyvale, Calif., has announced a major new release of its AirMagnet Enterprise, a solution for continuous wireless local area network (LAN) security and management.

  The deal is the latest move by Rockwell Automation to expand its capabilities in the process automation business.

  Safety product vendor Pilz recently exhibited a camera-based robot safety system that is said to save space and reduce downtime.

  New product entries include a proportional piezo gripping tool that conserves space while saving energy.

  Growth Engine brings the agency model to the discipline of innovation for companies looking for dramatic revenue growth.

  Local ethanol plants see automation as a path to increased production and productivity.

  Hart-compliant flowmeters manufactured by Chongqing Sichuan Instrument Co. could be the first of many Chinese-made Hart devices.

  Monitoring equipment, components and processes from afar is developing into a substantial benefit for manufacturers…and suppliers.

 (Sidebar to "Someone's Watching From Afar" from the November issue of Automation World)

  Mistakes in software just can’t happen at NEC’s semiconductor fabrication facility in Roseville, Calif. They are simply too costly and dangerous.

  Plants are using predictive maintenance and condition-based monitoring to increase availability, enhance process quality and improve safety.

 (Sidebar to "Technology-based Maintenance Gains Traction" from the November issue of Automation World)

  A newsprint producer is saving $150,000 annually, thanks to wireless links from its remote scale house to its mill.

 Angela E. Summers, Ph.D. and P.E., has more than15 years of process, environmental and safety instrumented system (SIS) design experience. She is principal author of “Guidelines for Safe and Reliable Instrumented Protective Systems,” published by Wiley-Interscience. She is a recipient of the Intrumentation, Systems and Automation Society's 2005 Albert F. Sperry Award, for her outstanding contributions and leadership in the specification, development and implementation of safety instrumented systems for the process automation industry. She is also president and chief executive officer of safety instrumented systems consultancy SIS-Tech Solutions, in Houston. Summers sat down recently for an interview with Automation World Editor in Chief Gary Mintchell.

  The SiteConnex VSA-2215 Vibration Spectrum Analyzer and Collaboration system combines a handheld vibration analyzer/collector with an Internet-enabled smart phone in a single instrument, enabling immediate connectivity between inspection site and decision site for fast collaboration, says the vendor.

  As the latest addition to the vendor’s DataTaker DT8x data logger family, the DT85 features dual-channel technology that allows up to 32 isolated or 48 common referenced analog inputs.

  Wireless capability is the newest addition to the vendor’s family of data acquisition solutions. The W-series is completely compatible with industry standards, communicating over 802.11b/g wireless networks using WEP, WPA-TKIP and WPA2-AES encryption standards.

 Billed as the next generation of Safety and Critical Control Systems (SCCS), AADvance is a cost-effective, distributed, and intuitive, centrally managed control solution that offers a number of significant benefits, says the vendor.

  Controlling up to eight axes of motion, the Allen-Bradley CompactLogix L45 is well-suited for OEMs and end-users with small to mid-range applications.

  The IronHorse general purpose AC motor line includes rolled steel and cast iron styles.

  The CSI 9420 Machinery Health Transmitter is a wireless vibration transmitter that provides monitoring of mechanical equipment to deliver predictive diagnostics for improved reliability and plant safety.

  The 35000 series (Size 14) double stack hybrid linear actuators are available in three designs—captive, non-captive and external linear versions.

  Due to a rugged design, the SSG Series Industrial-Grade UPS Plus models can withstand elevated temperatures of up to 55º Celsius (131º F). “The SSG Series’ ability to withstand extreme temperatures typically found in factory and industrial environments give users more flexibility in deploying power protection devices for these applications,” says Michael Stout, vice president of engineering at the vendor.

  Alternative mechanical size industrial flat panel monitors are available as drop-in mechanical replacements for competitive legacy monitors.

  Three series of MAE brand hybrid stepper motors in various standard NEMA frame sizes are engineered to deliver accurate open loop control for a wide range of high-performance positioning applications.

  A robust, process industries level sensor is designed to resist contamination while fully meeting the high demands of level monitoring by using the optical principle.

  The vendor has expanded its Laser Delivery express shipping option for Square D brand factory-modified NEMA combination motor starters to include a three-day delivery option, in addition to the existing five-day service.

  Two additions offer more installation flexibility to the vendor’s IP67-rated Duplicon stackable plug-connector system, designed for energy distribution in large-scale machinery and systems. The T-Box is intended as a cost-effective and compact alternative to the stackable power distributor sets.

  Field applications exposed to severe conditions can benefit from the latest addition to vendor’s RadioLinx wireless product family: the 802.11abg Industrial Hotspot with IP65-rated water resistant, dust-proof enclosure (RLX-IH65W).

 The vendor has launched a version of its Historian specifically for value-added resellers (VARs) and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

  The PGC1000 is an economically priced field mounted gas chromatograph (no shelter required) using two analytical trains per analyzer that enable measurements of C1 through C9+, inerts and H2S in various hydrocarbon processing industry (HPI) streams.

  The Kingfisher and T-Box product lines are said to be the first IP-based telemetry solutions that enable complete integration of SCADA, control and communications functionality in one rugged package.

  Fifth generation ∑-V servo motors and amplifiers are billed as “a massive leap forward in technology.” The most impressive feature of the ∑-V series is its improved positioning accuracy by one thousand times the industry standard, says the vendor.

 The OPC Server for Allen-Bradley PLCs provides superior connectivity to all Allen-Bradley Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), Ethernet/IP and ControlLogix devices and routing; including the Allen-Bradley Data Highway Plus (DH+), Allen-Bradley DF1 (DF1), Allen-Bradley Data Highway 485 (DH485) and Ethernet/IP, says the vendor.

  The cATM module is designed to help users of Allen-Bradley SLC 500, PLC-5, MicroLogix and CompactLogix controllers connect to ControlLogix PACs (Programmable Automation Controllers) without the need for time-consuming and expensive programming.

  The USB Serial Port Adapter with Bluetooth and Wireless LAN (WLAN) functionality is designed to make configuration and testing easier for the industrial application programmer, as it eliminates the need for cables for connection and power supply.

  As the latest in the vendor’s line of harsh duty sensors, durable stainless steel front face sensors are designed to withstand physical abuse, making them well suited for automotive and many additional industrial applications.

  The EtherNet/IP-to-Profibus X-gateway is the latest member of the vendor’s Anybus X gateway family.

  The SensorView 350 is a compact, industrial, panel-mount display for the vendor’s Checker 200 Series inspection sensors. SensorView 350 allows operators to view production images of the parts that Checker is inspecting without a PC.

  PresencePlus sealed linear array lights for vision sensing applications provide high-intensity lighting of large areas or objects at long distances with vivid, maintenance-free LED illumination.

  The UNO-2172 embedded automation computer features two powerful fanless CPU options—Pentium M 1.6 GHz or Celeron M 1.5 GHz—along with one GB of DDR2 SDRAM.

  InstantPCL is billed as a complete IEC 61131-3 controller on an IC chip with integrated industrial networking.

 Leading organizations on the path to high performance are accelerating their global sourcing strategies, driving more aggressive cost reductions, and looking to contract manufacturing to leverage and expand the value of their brands.

  Companies may gain significant tax benefits through a deduction aimed at U.S. manufacturers enacted in the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004.

  The automation services market is the fastest growing segment of the automation business. ARC Advisory Group’s recently published study, “Automation Supplier Provided Services,” shows that the total services market served by the automation suppliers approached $14 billion in 2006, and will grow at an average annual rate of more than 12 percent through 2011.

 Although strongly supported by the ISA executive board, the proposed name change from “Instrumentation, Systems and Automation Society” to “International Society of Automation” was not approved during the October  ’07 meeting of Society delegates.