Automation.com - Automation News for February 2006

Automation.com Real-time Information for the Automation Professional Nov. 21, 2008

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Find all the latest information on these topics:
	Automatic Identification
	Building Automation
	Control Panels, Cables & Terminations
	Design, Simulation & Programming Software
	Digital Factory
	Embedded Automation
	Fieldbus Networks
	Fluid Power, Valves & Pumps
	HMI & Operator Interfaces
	Industrial Communications
	Industrial Computers
	Industrial I/O
	Machine Control
	Machine Safety
	Machine Tools, CNC & DNC
	Manufacturing Intelligence
	Material Handling
	Motion Control, Motors & Drives
	OPC
	PLCopen
	Packaging
	Power & Energy
	Programmable Automation Controller (PAC)
	Programmable Logic Controller (PLC)
	Process Control
	Process Safety
	Robots & Robot Controllers
	SCADA & RTU
	Security
	Sensors & Instruments
	Test, Measurement & LIMS
	Vision
	Wireless Connectivity

Read about the latest news, products, mergers, and acquisitions in the automation, process control, and instrumentation industries for February 2006.

Choose and click on a headline below to read the entire article:

		PAS Launches Real-Time Application Platform for Optimization of Process Operations - 02/28/06 PlantState Suite 5.0 has been enhanced to include a number of embedded capabilities, which until now have only been available as separate products from various vendors. These include an historian, OPC server, development system, and real-time I/O.

		Comtrol’s Edge Controller Integrates RFID Readers, PLCs and SAP® - 02/28/06 The EdgeWare controller extends the reach of enterprise applications such as SAP to a variety of plant floor devices within industrial and building automation, retail, and transportation environments. The controller bridges the device-to-enterprise gap by making devices “speak-up” to enterprise applications.

		National Instruments Fellow Delivers National Manufacturing Week Keynote Address - 02/28/06 National Instruments Business and Technology Fellow Mike Santori will deliver the industrial automation keynote address to an audience of industry experts at National Manufacturing Week on March 21 in Chicago. In his keynote address, “Automation: How to Compete in a Global Economy,” Santori examines the critical technologies and architectures that create improved efficiency in next-generation production facilities.

		NI Extends Low-Level PXI Measurement Capability for Multimeters and DAQ Devices - 02/28/06 NI PXI-4022 guard and current amplifier enhances the resistance, capacitance and current measurement capabilities of the NI PXI-4071 7½-digit digital multimeter (DMM) and NI M Series data acquisition modules. The high-speed, high-precision amplifier is ideal for in-circuit testers and manufacturing defect analyzers in automated test equipment and consumer electronics applications.

		Azure Wireless Announces Orders for Universal Wireless Gateway - 02/28/06 Azure has received orders from five automation and materials handling OEMs and control systems integrators for its Universal Wireless Gateway. Under the contracts, the Gateway will be used to provide communications over Wi-Fi wireless networks for flexible manufacturing control systems and automated guided vehicles.

		Avantis to Demonstrate Comprehensive Asset Management Suite at Maintenance Conference - 02/28/06 The Avantis unit of Invensys Process Systems will demonstrate its comprehensive suite of enterprise asset management, condition monitoring, and decision support solutions at the 2006 Enterprise Asset Management Summit (EAM-2006), March 8-10, in Las Vegas, NV.

		Green Hills Announces Development Tools and Operating System for TI DaVinci™ - 02/28/06 MULTI integrated development environment (IDE) and INTEGRITY real-time operating system (RTOS) provides a comprehensive suite of development tools and an operating system for TI’s multicore TMS320DM644x processors based on DaVinci technology.

		B&R Automation Introduces Bus Controller for DeviceNet and other Fieldbuses - 02/28/06 The X20 and X67 bus controllers can be used as standard I/O components on DeviceNet, Profibus DP, CANopen and ETHERNET Powerlink. The master can be any PLC system from any manufacturer.

		ISA Presents 6th Annual Fugitive Emissions-Leak Detection and Repair Training and Symposium - 02/28/06 The 6th Annual Fugitive Emissions - LDAR Symposium will be held 13-15 June 2006 in Houston, Texas. The symposium covers leak detection and repair (LDAR) methods and fugitive emissions management systems. The event is designed to create a forum in which paper presentations, tutorials, and speaker panels transfer information from the world's leading experts on fugitive emissions and LDAR to industry professionals.

		Schneider Electric Takes a Major Step into the Emergency Lighting Market - 02/28/06 Schneider Electric has signed an agreement to acquire 100% of the Italian Group OVA G. Bargellini SpA. OVA operates in the emergency lighting market, with leading positions in Italy and a strong presence across the rest of Europe. The company is also active in the wiring devices business, through electrical components such as portable socket-outlets, plugs and adapters.

		Cisco, RedPrairie, Intermec and Cascade Create RFID Forklift of the Future - 02/28/06 Cisco Systems and RedPrairie have joined Intermec Inc. and Cascade Corp to create a concept for a forklift that will build RFID and real-time location capabilities into the equipment of the future.

		Emerson Introduces Wireless Remote Monitoring System for Inventory Management - 02/28/06 The monitoring system includes intelligent Rosemount 753R indicators that provide reliable wireless communication of measurement data, alerts, and device health status through established cellular networks. The data is accessed via the secure iTraX web interface.

		Siemens Adds Components to RFID System - 02/27/06 Three new components have been added to the SIMATIC® RF600 RFID line: the SIMATIC RF610 mobile UHF reader, SIMATIC RF620L Smartlabels, and SIMATIC IT Production Modeler.

		Emerson to Digitally Automate Peru's Largest Copper Mining Company - 02/27/06 Southern Peru Copper Corp. (SPCC) has selected PlantWeb® digital plant architecture with FOUNDATION™ fieldbus (FF) technology for digital automation of its Ilo Smelter, Peru facility.

		B&R Automation Introduces IP20 Compact Distributed I/O Modules - 02/27/06 IP20 Compact I/O modules offer outstanding solutions when it comes to applications that handle distributed I/O signals, ranging from simple digital inputs to SSI encoders. In addition to being able to mount this system directly on the machine or on a Din rail, its optimal performance and compact size of 6.7 x 3.2 x 1.2 inches (H x W x D) translates into nearly unlimited possibilities.

		Pacific Northwest National Laboratory installs Clarity Display Wall - 02/27/06 Puma rear-projection Advanced Performance Liquid Crystal Displays (AP/LCD™) have been selected by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to provide a large-scale visualization capability in its Integrated Energy Operations Center (IEOC) at Richland, Wash.

		Lower Colorado River Authority Selects Invensys for Ash Handling Systems Automation - 02/27/06 LCRA will employ I/A Series digital automation from Foxboro in a control system modernization at the Fayette Power Project, a 1,641-megawatt, three-unit, coal-fired generating facility near La Grange, Texas. The new controls implementation will replace existing ash handling PLC systems controls in Units 1 and 2, each with a capacity of 598 megawatts.

		ICS Triplex Celebrates 40 Years of Incorporation - 02/27/06 From a small workshop in Maldon, UK, ICS Triplex has grown into a world-wide organisation and one of the few remaining independent manufacturing and engineering companies in the automation industry today. With its Headquarters still located in Maldon, UK, ICS Triplex maintains the technology driven, customer led ethos that has been the force behind 40 years of successfully protecting people, investments and the environment.

		Schneider Electric Sells Mafelec Subsidiary to GET As Part of a Management Buyout - 02/27/06 Mafelec is a specialty manufacturer of onboard push-button switches for railway, overland and maritime transportation applications. The sale, which is part of the company’s acquisition by its management (Gilles Heinrich and Eric Heitz), demonstrates Schneider Electric’s commitment to supporting the entrepreneurial spirit of its employees.

		Datalogic PDA Compatible With WINDEV Mobile Computer Development Environment - 02/27/06 Datalogic Jet™ PDA works with WINDEV mobile 10, an integrated development environment to easily and quickly develop applications for mobile computers. With WINDEV mobile it is possible to better utilise the specific functions of Windows CE. Net and use the bar code reader and RFID tag reader.

		Woodhead Industries adds Profibus Discrete I/O - 02/27/06 The BradControl Classic 60mm wide I/O modules for PROFIBUS come in an 8-port 16-channel format with the availability of four I/O configurations supporting both PNP and NPN input devices. For a smaller I/O count, BradControl PROFIBUS Compact 30mm wide discrete I/O products provide an 8-channel format.

		New Intermec RFID Purchase Programs Increase Accessibility to Gen 2 Technology - 02/27/06 Intermec Inc. today launched two ambitious RFID purchase programs designed to help companies worldwide obtain the superior business benefits of Gen 2 RFID equipment and technology, while maximizing previous investments in earlier-generation RFID. The programs are designed to aid both companies that purchased RFID equipment and tags to meet early compliance deadlines, and companies now considering initial RFID implementations.

		Invensys’ Hesh Kagan to Serve Second Term as President of Wireless Industrial Networking Alliance - 02/24/06 Kagan is technology marketing director at Foxboro, Mass.-based Invensys Process Systems. He has worked in the automation and controls industry for more than 25 years. He headed Foxboro’s systems engineering group for a number of years and was part of the original team that developed the ground-breaking, standards-based I/A Series automation system.

		PMD's New Motion Control Software Provides Support for Entire Development Team - 02/24/06 Pro-Motion® 3.0 is an easy to use Windows-based application designed to accelerate motion system development by providing ready-to-go capabilities that can be shared by the entire development team. The latest version of Pro-Motion supports PMD’s family of ION® Digital Drives, making it easy to graph and analyze system performance.

		Intermec and Intelli-Check Provide Secure ID Credentialing for Compliance with Federal Standards - 02/24/06 This identification and verification system meets the credentialing requirements of Federal Information Processing Standards 201 (FIPS 201), which requires identity verification of federal employees and contractors.

		AW Company Introduces Fuel Usage Monitor Software for its Flow Meters & Monitors - 02/24/06 Fuel usage monitoring software is used with the Company's positive displacement flow meters and single channel or dual channel flow monitors. This software/metering package generates a direct reading of net fuel consumption.

		Invensys’ Avantis Achieves Microsoft Gold Certified Partner Status - 02/24/06 The certification recognizes a Microsoft Competency in ISV/Software Solutions and in Networking Infrastructure Solutions. Microsoft Gold Certified Partners represent the top tier of organizations within the Microsoft Partner Program and membership is only awarded to those who have demonstrated the highest level of expertise in creating and implementing solutions based on Microsoft technologies.

		OMRON Corporation Begins Full-scale Entry into Indian Market - 02/23/06 OMRON has established OMRON Automation PVT Ltd., a new, wholly-owned subsidiary in New Delhi, India. The move marks the beginning of a full-scale entry to the rapidly growing Indian factory automation (FA) market by OMRON's Industrial Automation Business (IAB). The new company will handle the sales and servicing of IAB's control equipment and is scheduled to start operations in April 2006.

		Major Petroleum Company Standardizes on Matrikon - 02/23/06 A major international petroleum company has standardized on ProcessDoctor for auditing, monitoring and optimizing the assets that control plants for all 16 of their refineries and gas plants. The roll-out of the technology has already begun with one refinery being fully commissioned and two more with plans for immediate deployment.

		ABB Posts $735 Million Net Profit for 2005 - 02/23/06 ABB's 2005 net income reached $735 million compared to a $35-million loss in 2004, with strong increases in orders, revenues and EBIT. Continuing market strength and further operational improvements in the fourth quarter of 2005 contributed to the strong result.

		MTS Sensors Now Offers Field Service Surveys, Training, Installation - 02/23/06 MTS has expanded the services offered to existing and potential new customers to assist them in specifying, installing and maintaining level sensors in a wide variety of applications. For a reasonable fee, MTS will offer a site survey and pre-sale specification; evaluation and recommendations for the upgrade path; on-site training and hands-on training at the factory; installation and commissioning; scheduled periodic maintenance; and factory-authorized repair service.

		PAS Launches Third-Generation Process Alarm Management Software - 02/23/06 AMO-Rt alarm management solution integrates data collection, archive, analysis, real-time dynamic alarm management, alarm shelving, operator interface and more in a single application framework.

		Prosilica Begins Shipping Gigabit Ethernet Cameras - 02/23/06 GE-Series machine vision cameras conform to the draft AIA “GigE Vision” standard. The GE-Series gigabit Ethernet cameras offer high-performance digital imaging for applications in machine vision, industrial inspection, traffic monitoring, and public security.

		Fieldbus Foundation Announces 2006 Recipients Of James O. Gray - Fieldbus Foundation Educational Scholarship - 02/23/06 The program honors the memory of James (Jim) O. Gray, a long-time leader in the Fieldbus Foundation who passed away in 2002. It establishes a perpetual $250,000 endowment fund providing awards to eligible students studying industrial automation.

		Datastick Systems Announces First Shipment of PDA-based Vibration Spectrum Analyzer - 02/23/06 The system includes the new Datastick® VSA-1212 Vibration Spectrum Analyzer module that attaches securely to select PDAs running Palm OS; new Datastick Spectrum handheld software that collects and stores vibration measurements while displaying them in time waveforms and FFT spectra complete with alarm levels; and Datastick Reporting System(TM) (DRS) software for PCs, which is based on Microsoft Excel.

		Emerson Adds Laser Shaft Alignment Capability to Its Machinery Health™ Analyzer - 02/23/06 Addition of laser shaft alignment rounds out the CSI 2130, offering users a complete set of capabilities for fast, accurate assessment of rotating machinery condition.

		Beckhoff, Bosch Rexroth and Siemens Announce PackAL Software Library for Packaging Machines - 02/23/06 Designed for their respective control platforms, this new packaging application library for PackAL is available for download from the companies’ websites. PackAL is an application library developed by PackSoft, the OMAC technical subcommittee working toward the standardization of software for the packaging industry.

		OMRON Announces Increased Dividend Forecast for Fiscal Year ending March 31, 2006 - 02/23/06 As announced on January 30, 2006, OMRON Corporation expects to achieve highest ever consolidated profits in FY2005, making this the company's fourth consecutive year of record consolidated revenues and income. We are fully aware that this success is due in large part to the support of our shareholders and other stakeholders.

		Advantech Launches Dedicated USB Thermocouple Module - 02/23/06 The USB-4718 supports seven different types of thermocouples (J, K, T, E, R, S, B), six voltage input ranges, 0-20mA or 4-20mA current input to support variety of sensors, and 16 isolated digital I/O channels. The USB- 4718 supports either USB 2.0 or USB 1.1 buses.

		Colin Powell to Keynote Intergraph 2006 - 02/23/06 General Colin Powell, USA (Ret.), will serve as the featured keynote speaker for Intergraph 2006, the company’s international users conference to be held June 12-15, 2006 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort.

		Rockwell Automation Enhances Allen-Bradley SLC 500 - 02/23/06 Enhancements to SLC 500-Series controllers that help improve messaging performance over CIP-based networks and support higher levels of security in control system programming. These features are available in SLC 5/03, 5/04, and 5/05 controllers with Series C, Version FRN-10 firmware, and require Rockwell Software RSLogix 500 software (version 7.10 or higher) for programming and configuration.

		KUKA Robotics Signs Automation Engineering as System Partner - 02/23/06 AEC, a supplier of automated machinery and control systems, will integrate KUKA industrial robots into their new family of foundry automation cells. These customized cells are designed for casting, grinding, polishing, and material handling applications in the foundry industry.

		Adept Technology Introduces PC-Based Productivity Tools - 02/23/06 DeskTop 4.0 is a new generation of PC-based productivity tools for the development of material handling and assembly automation applications. It provides a consolidated user environment on a commercial Microsoft Windows PC product for the set up and application configuration of Adept Smart SERVO intelligent robotic systems.

		Students Use Igus Linear Bearings to Turn Design Project Into Real-world Solution - 02/22/06 Students from the University of Minnesota in the Igus Y.E.S. (Young Engineers Support) Program developed a chainsaw variation of an Alaskan Mill for cutting large blocks of ice for the commercial use of Ice Occasions, one of the largest manufacturers of ice statue making equipment.

		Azure Wireless Announces Contracts for Wireless IP Manufacturing Control Systems - 02/22/06 The contracts include design engineering, implementation, system integration, testing and support. The systems will enable the companies to implement flexible, reconfigurable manufacturing operations, streamline plant-floor communications system requirements, reduce costs and complexity, eliminate legacy serial communications and leverage IP network investment.

		igus Announces Farm Equipment Manufacturer Uses System E2 Energy Chain® - 02/22/06 Case IH, a worldwide leader in the farm equipment industry, has been using System E2 Energy Chain® to house and protect hydraulic cables on its line of 1200 ASM Series Planters. The 1200 Series is a top-of-the-line precision planter that delivers accurate population and precise in-row seed placement. Energy Chain plays an important role for each machine both on and off the field.

		Canary Labs Releases Version 6.1 Trending Software - 02/22/06 Features included in the v.6.1 release are the data replication session configuration of historians, status of client activity and performance monitoring, and the ability to combine multiple data files for easier data management.

		Matrox Graphics Introduces Remote Graphics Unit - 02/22/06 With the Extio(TM) F1400 solution, the user interface of the computer -- the keyboard, mouse, monitors, audio peripherals, and graphics hardware -- are separated from the rest of the computer by up to 250 meters (820 feet) of fiber-optic cable.

		Nachi Robotics Systems Inc. Announces Quality Upgrade - 02/22/06 Nachi Robotic Systems recently upgraded its Quality Management System from QS9000/Tooling & Equipment Supplement: 1998 to ISO 9001:2000. This certification reflects Nachi’s commitment to continuously improve its quality management system to provide customer satisfaction by incorporating a process-oriented system.

		Ethernet Motion Control Technology Helps Tube Bending Productivity - 02/22/06 Ethernet-compatible servo motor drives are catalyzing a breakthrough in the performance of tube bending machinery - allowing multi-stage bending operations to take place in parallel, while also reducing the electrical bill of materials and machine footprint.

		ABB Packs Simple Set-up and OEM-friendly Features into New Micro Drives - 02/22/06 ABB's new-generation of low voltage AC drives have been designed to cut machine building and assembly times significantly. The drives, model ACS150 and ACS350, are designed specifically for global OEMs and system integrators -- and can operate in motor control modes tailored to the desired level of performance.

		Intermec and ADC automate Mobile Warehouse Operations - 02/22/06 The combination of Intermec's CK60 rugged mobile computer and ADC's QuickStart Warehouse Mobility Kit brings every aspect of warehouse operations--sales order processes, purchase orders, and inventory control card and transaction screens--directly to the mobile user.

		AXIOMTEK Launches Network Application Board - 02/22/06 Thr SBC86804 board comes with a mainstream LGA775 package for Intel® Pentium® 4 and Celeron® D processors with a 533/800MHz front side bus (FSB) and integrated Intel® 915GV Express chipset and built-in PCI-express Fast/Gigabit Ethernet interfaces.

		Yokogawa Launches VigilantPlant Asset Excellence Initiative - 02/22/06 Yokogawa Electric Corporation and its group companies announce the launch of a VigilantPlant Asset Excellence Initiative that aims to apply the Yokogawa VigilantPlant vision to plant asset management in order to achieve operational excellence and create an environment where plant personnel can “See Clearly, Know in Advance, and Act with Agility.”

		Yokogawa Announces Cooperative Efforts with GE Energy for Integrated Asset Management - 02/22/06 Yokogawa's Plant Resource Management (PRM) System provides a framework for monitoring and diagnosing the health of field devices, such as process sensors and valves. GE Energy's System 1(r) platform provides similar functionality for the mechanical and thermodynamic health of rotating, reciprocating, and fixed machinery. The two platforms can exchange a variety of status and diagnostic data, allowing users to monitor and manage the condition of a broader cross-section of plant assets than by using either system individually.

		Yokogawa Launches Vigilant Integration Partners (VIP) Initiative - 02/22/06 Yokogawa Electric Corporation and its group companies have launched the Vigilant Integration Partners (VIP) Initiative, an open, non-exclusive, standard-based, and interoperability-driven partnership that enables Yokogawa customers to integrate best-in-class field devices supplied by VIP member companies with the industry-leading CENTUM series production control system and the PRM asset management system.

		ISA Announces Plans for 6th Annual NOx Emissions and Source Monitoring Training and Technical Conference - 02/22/06 ISA recently announced plans for its 6th annual NOx Emissions and Source Monitoring Technical Conference and Training event. This year's event will be held 7-8 June 2006 in Anaheim, California. Co-located with POWID/EPRI Conference, the event will feature presentations from industry experts on the latest NOx emissions and source monitoring technology.

		GE Fanuc Automation Enhances Machining Point Control with Vibration Detection - 02/22/06 Machining Point Control’s Acceleration Rate Sensor Unit simultaneously detects the acceleration rate at the machine of three axes. The servo system software then uses the detected acceleration rate to control the motor’s motion to reduce vibration, stabilizing the machine at the tool tip and enabling precision machining and quick positioning.

		Invensys' Wonderware Achieves 'Powered by SAP NetWeaver' Certification - 02/22/06 The status was attained through successful certification of two new plant-to-business integration solutions. The first is Wonderware's Business Package for Process Performance Analysis 60.1 integrated with the SAP NetWeaver Portal. The second is the combination of the SAP NetWeaver Exchange Infrastructure (SAP NetWeaver XI)-based Content Package for Order Processing 30.1 integrated with SAP® ECC 5.0 and Wonderware Enterprise Integrator 2.0.

		Will Industrial Ethernet Render Field Bus Systems Obsolete? - 02/22/06 Numerous exhibitors taking part in INTERKAMA+, one of the leading international trade shows that make up HANNOVER MESSE (Hannover Fair) April 24-28, 2006, are staging an information-packed event that examines the possibilities and limitations of Ethernet in industrial applications.

		HEIDENHAIN Introduces Explosion-Proof Rotary Encoders - 02/21/06 An explosion-proof version of the ROD 420 rotary encoder has a standard housing diameter of 58 mm, overall length of 83 mm, and complies with the requirements of the directive 94/9 EG (ATAX 100a). The encoder is available with line counts of 250 to 5000. The maximum surface temperature is 120 degrees Celsius (284 degrees Fahrenheit).

		EDN Names NI LabVIEW 8, PXI-5922 Flexible-Resolution Digitizer as Award Finalists - 02/21/06 EDN magazine editors selected NI LabVIEW 8 and the NI PXI-5922 flexible-resolution digitizer as finalists for the magazine’s annual Innovation of the Year award. It also recently honored the NI LabVIEW Embedded Development Module and the NI PXI-5922 digitizer as two of the magazine’s Hot 100 Products of 2005.

		NI Flexible-Resolution Digitizer Named Test Product of the Year - 02/21/06 The readers of Test & Measurement World have voted the National Instruments PXI-5922 flexible-resolution digitizer the 2006 Test Product of the Year. This is the second Test & Measurement World honor for the digitizer, after it was named a Best in Test winner in December. Released in March 2005, the digitizer extends the industry-standard PXI platform with measurement capabilities that exceed the performance of high-end traditional instruments.

		Tendril Supports EmberZNet 2.0 ZigBee-Compliant Protocol for Wireless Sensor and Control Networks - 02/21/06 Tendril Service Broker v1.0 on a low-power wireless network platform supports the EmberZNet 2.0 ZigBee-compliant network stack. The Tendril Service Broker is also compliant with the EmberNet proprietary network platform and will support numerous additional network platforms in the coming months.

		ASI Announces New Guided Wave Radar Level Transmitter for Tough Bulk Solids Applications - 02/21/06 A state-of-the-art, two-wire, loop powered device, the WT5200 is designed for challenging bulk solids measurement applications. The transmitter is unaffected by dust or feed flow, accurately measuring the level of materials with dielectric constants as low as 1.3, such as plastic pellets, or fly ash.

		Honeywell Sensing and Control Introduces Limit Switches - 02/21/06 The new GLL limit switch comes in a compact and lightweight RoHS compliant package at a price that is up to 40% lower than comparable products. Potential OEM applications include elevators, escalators, aerial platform lifts, packaging equipment and industrial doors.

		Danaher Motion Launches Integrated Motion Control Website - 02/21/06 The site combines the complete motion control solutions portfolio across all Danaher Motion brands, including Kollmorgen, Thomson, Dover and Portescap, among others, into a single presence.

		WAGO Hires Application Engineer to Support Growth of WAGO-I/O-SYSTEM - 02/21/06 Joe Remisiewicz has joined WAGO as a Senior Field Sales Application Engineer. Working out of his home office, in the Detroit, Michigan area, Remisiewicz will be providing application support for the WAGO-I/O-SYSTEM for customers in Michigan, Northern Ohio, Upstate New York, and the Province of Ontario.

		Keithley Receives Test of Time Award From Test & Measurement World Magazine - 02/21/06 Series 2400 SourceMeter® Instruments have received the Test of Time Award from Test & Measurement World Magazine. The Test of Time Award, which was created to recognize product lines that provide state-of-the-art performance for at least five years after their introduction, was announced at the magazine’s awards ceremony on February 9, 2006, during the APEX Show in Anaheim, California.

		Online Development’s Module Provides Communications Between ControlLogix PLCs and IBM WebSphere MQ - 02/21/06 Version 1.2 of xCoupler enterprise transaction module provides a bi-directional interface between Allen-Bradley ControlLogix PLCs and IBM WebSphere MQ systems for simple two-tier communications. This ets users exchange data from plant floor devices connected to ControlLogix, such as sensors, robots, RFID controllers, etc., with WebSphere MQ enterprise messaging systems.

		Rockwell Software's Kevin Roach elected to the OPC Foundation Board of Directors. - 02/21/06 Roach is one of seven elected board members directing the technical, marketing and financial responsibilities for the OPC Foundation, a non-profit international standards organization dedicated to providing standards for interoperability in industrial automation.

		Green Hills Software Joins Texas Instruments Third Party Developer Network - 02/21/06 Green Hills Software has joined Texas Instruments Incorporated's (TI) TMS320™ Third Party Network as a software and embedded services provider.

		Intelligent Instrumentation Introduces Time and Attendance Terminals - 02/20/06 LANpoint® TIME series of time and attendance terminals provide real-time data collection for tracking and reporting employee productivity. Configurations are ready for any time and attendance, work-in-process, production reporting, access control, machine monitoring and control, and labor reporting and scheduling project no matter how straightforward or complex.

		ASI Introduces Industrial Foot Switches for Machinery Control - 02/20/06 KG thermoplastic and KR metal foot switches can be ordered with or without pedal protection cover. Options include pedal actuator lock, two-stage safety lever, two-pedal with left pedal free actuation, and right pedal with safety lever.

		Silicon Valley Microprocessor Veterans Join Imsys - 02/20/06 Microprocessor veterans Rich Belgard, Gary Hoffman, Dr Nick Tredennick and Jim Turley have all accepted the role as advisors to Imsys Technologies. Each of them has a long and outstanding experience in the semiconductor industry, all the way from processor designs to marketing and sales.

		Factory Automation Keeps German Companies Competitive - 02/20/06 Many companies have been attracted by low wage and production costs to leave their traditional base in Germany and transfer production to low-wage economies. However, other companies decided to stay in Germany, focusing instead on the introduction of automation technology to improve productivity. "Factory Automation" and "Digital Factory" are among the leading international trade shows within HANNOVER MESSE 2006.

		WAGO I/O Module Eliminates Motion Controller - 02/20/06 The 750-670 module provides stepper motor and servo drive control in a compact 12mm wide package. The 750-670 supports two pulse output patterns, step/direction or incremental encoder, which are configured via a function block in WAGO's IEC 61131-3 programming tool - WAGO-I/O-PRO CAA.

		Siemens Introduces New Line of Energy-efficient Industrial Motors - 02/20/06 Offered in aluminum and cast iron frame configurations, these motors include high efficiency and industry-leading NEMA PremiumR efficient designs to help motor users lower energy costs and extend service life. A unique die cast copper rotor and special stator designs provide the added efficiency of these motors.

		Suncor Energy Selects Emerson for Automation Solutions for North American Refineries and Oil Sands Facilities - 02/20/06 Suncor Energy Inc. and Emerson Process Management announced a 7-year agreement that names Emerson as Suncor’s supplier for automation products, solutions, and services for capital projects at new and existing North American facilities.

		Weidmuller Introduces Copper/Fiber Managed Industrial Ethernet Switches - 02/20/06 Equipped with a full range of standard features, these 8-, 16- and 24-port copper/fiber Managed Ethernet switches provide Ethernet network management, and visibility into industrial Ethernet networks by generating statistics such as data rate, throughput, and the number of error frames being received. This status information is available through a web browser.

		ISA Releases Updated Foundation Fieldbus Resource - 02/20/06 "Foundation Fieldbus" by Ian Verhappen and Augusto Pereira provides quick reference information on the FOUNDATION(tm) Fieldbus H1 protocol and installation tips. The resource also provides other useful information that design engineers, control system engineers, and instrumentation technicians need to know about FOUNDATION Fieldbus.

		PROFIBUS Trade Organization Announces New Certification Training Courses - 02/20/06 The PROFIBUS Trade Organization (PTO) and the PROFI Interface Center (PIC) announced two new courses as part of the PROFItech Certification Training Course program for 2006. The two new classes added to the program include a PROFIBUS Installer’s Class and a PROFINET Certified Network Engineering Class.

		Hannover Fair Offers Brain Food for Building Automation - 02/20/06 The international "Industrial Building Automation" specialist trade fair during HANNOVER MESSE (Hannover Fair) 2006 is the ideal place to find out about the latest innovative solutions in the international building automation market and the expected trends for the years ahead.

		Kevin Roach and Grant Wilson appointed to the OPC Foundation Board of Directors - 02/20/06 Kevin Roach is the Vice President of Rockwell Software where he is responsible globally for all automation and information software. Grant Wilson is Vice President of Technology for Emerson Process Management where he leads the DeltaV System Development team.

		ACCES I/O Announces 16-Channel Wireless I/O Module and Serial Modem - 02/17/06 The unit features 8 Form C (SPDT) electromechanical relays and 8 optically isolated digital inputs with change-of-state interrupt generation. The WM-IIRO-8 is an intelligent 8-bit parallel digital I/O unit that communicates with an ACCES Wireless Serial Modem (sold separately) via a 900MHz wireless connection.

		Measurement Computing Announces 14-bit Analog Input USB Module - 02/17/06 The USB-1408FS provides 8 single-ended or 4 differential analog inputs, 14-bit resolution in differential mode, 13-bit resolution in single-ended mode, 8 software selectable input ranges, with sample rates up to 48 kilosamples per second. The unit provides two channels of 12-bit analog output, a 32-bit counter, and 16 bits of digital I/O. It is fully compatible with USB 1.1 and USB 2.0, and is supported by the Windows 2000 and XP operating systems.

		Haydon Switch & Instrument Adds Leadscrew Assemblies - 02/17/06 Leadscrew Assemblies includes a broad offering of acme leadscrews, advanced coatings and the most technically advanced anti-backlash nuts available in the market. These products provide designers with improved axial system stiffness.

		Advantech Launches 12-Bit Multifunctional I/O Module with Programmable Gain - 02/17/06 The PCM-3718HO is a multifunctional I/O card with PC/104 interface, 16 analog inputs, one analog output, 16 digital I/O channels, and counter functions. Using the compact PC/104 form factor, the card enables better integration and can be fitted into smaller systems.

		AutomationDirect Introduces New Ultrasonic and Photoelectric Sensors - 02/17/06 The new lines of UHZ miniature ultrasonic and FARS, MQ and HEE/HER series sensors start at $45.

		Bosch Rexroth Introduces Ultrasonic and Current/Voltage welding Monitoring System - 02/17/06 he PSQ 6000 monitoring system from Rexroth provides non-destructive testing for medium-frequency applications in automotive welding and assembly lines. The system guarantees absolute process reliability and consistency of weld quality — even with the most demanding material combinations.

		Schneider Electric Releases Full Year 2005 Results, Announces Excellent Performance - 02/16/06 The acquisitions made in 2005 (PMI, Elau, ABS EMEA, Juno Lighting and BEI Technologies) and the full-year impact of the acquisitions made in 2004 (Andover Controls and Kavlico) contributed a significant €433 million, or +4.2%. The currency effect became slightly positive, increasing sales by €74 million, or +0.7%.

		McObject’s Embedded Database Adds NVRAM Support, - 02/16/06 eXtremeDB 3.0 is a major upgrade of the in-memory embedded database for intelligent devices, including NVRAM support. NVRAM is memory that is backed up by a battery so even if a device is turned off or loses its power source, the content of the memory remains.

		Cognex to Host Pharmaceutical Vision Seminars - 02/16/06 Cognex announced a new series of free machine vision seminars exclusively for pharmaceutical industry professionals involved with packaging operations. This brand new series of seminars called, "Applying Machine Vision to Pharmaceutical Packaging," are half-day events that show how easy it is to integrate, validate, maintain and use the latest generation of machine vision systems to ensure label accuracy, package integrity and product traceability.

		Scientific Technologies, Inc. Introduces Safety Limit Interlock Switch - 02/16/06 The SL Series offers a large selection of actuator configurations with either plastic or die-cast housings to satisfy most application requirements. A rotatable head provides four actuator mounting positions for versatile installation. A NEMA 4 enclosure allows these switches to withstand water washdown cleaning.

		Emerson Wins Contract for Digital Automation of Power Generation Units in China - 02/16/06 Emerson Process Management has received a contract to install its PlantWeb digital plant architecture with the Ovation® expert control system and Foundation™ fieldbus technology in Units 7 and 8 of the Zouxian Power Plant. The project, Zouxian Phase IV, was awarded by China Huadian Group Corp. It represents the first installation of Foundation fieldbus device technology for monitoring and controlling processes at a power generation facility in China.

		AXIOMTEK Introduces New Low Power Embedded SBC - 02/16/06 The EP820 EPIC (Embedded Platform for Industrial Control) form factor single board computer features an Intel® 915GM with ICH*6M chipset and supports both Intel® Pentium® M and Celeron® M processors).

		Korenix announces Serial Device Server with 460.8kbps speed - 02/16/06 JetPort 5201 single port RS232 serial device server provides serial to Ethernet performance of 460.8kbps in full duplex. It provides a transparent data gateway from serial to Ethernet and vice versa. Users can use TCP / UDP sockets or Windows COM / Linux tty driver to transmit data without modifying original controlling programs.

		Rockwell Automation Receives Frost & Sullivan 2005 Leadership in Customer Service Award - 02/16/06 Rockwell Automation has received the Frost & Sullivan 2005 Customer Service Leadership Award for its demonstrated excellence and outstanding contributions to the worldwide medium voltage drives market. The award recognizes the commitment Rockwell Automation has shown toward understanding customer requirements and providing high-quality products and services for its customers around the world.