Automation Portals

Building Automation Portal

Articles

		Wireless Sensor Networks, Energy Harvesting and Standardization - 05/10/12 Automation.com, May 2012 By Dr Harry Zervos, IDTechEx EnOcean Equipment Profiles (EEPs) lays the foundation for fully interoperable, open wireless technology comparable to standards such as Bluetooth and WiFi.

		New Building Technology: How Facility Managers Can Insulate Their Organizations From Risks - 04/21/12 Building Operating Management, April 2012 By Rita Tatum There are several ways that facility managers can help insulate their organizations from risk if technology doesn't work as well as expected.

		Building automation bus design - 04/21/12 Industrial Ethernet Book, April 2012 By Heinz Lux, KNX Association There are a number of building automation buses, but probably the most important is the manufacturer and application domains-independent KNX Bus, which is administered by the KNX Association.

		Building automation migrates towards Ethernet and wireless - 04/21/12 Industrial Ethernet Book, April 2012 By James Hunt Earlier building automation systems were built upon fieldbus-based systems, but the accent now is on increasing use of Ethernet.

		Cleanroom Variable Airflow Design - 04/21/12 Engineered Systems, March 2012 By Vincent A. Sakraida, P.E. A good variable airflow design accommodates and refines a number of design variables. Particle monitoring strategies, minimum supply air calculation, HVAC sequencing, and space pressurization are just a few stops on the way to spotless performance.


		Back to BASics - 04/21/12 Engineered Systems, March 2012 By Paul Ehrlich, P.E. We are going to go “back to basics” and discuss some of the fundamental concepts involved with the design, maintenance, and upgrades for BAS.

		Evaluating New Technology: Business Analysis, Third-Party Tests Can Prevent Problems - 04/21/12 Building Operating Management, April 2012 By Rita Tatum Experts stress that assessment of the business and operations of the new technology provider is extremely important. The company has to be able to stand the test of time, so that replacement parts will be available when needed. Unfortunately, not all companies are equipped to do that.

		Sensing The Future - 04/21/12 Automated Buildings, April 2012 By Trevor Palmer, Sontay Right from their original introduction as the eyes and ears of the BMS, misconceptions have persisted in terms of how accurate these devices really need to be, how fast they should react and what precisely constitutes a high quality room and / or duct sensor.

		Continuous Optimization - Getting the Most out of Your Building Automation System - 04/21/12 Automated Buildings, April 2012 By Brad White, SES Consulting Inc. The opportunities to automate and improve building operations will continue to grow and evolve. Continuous optimization, whether you have a 15 year-old BAS or a fully integrated modern system, will allow you to take full advantage of these systems.

		The Future of Enterprise Energy Management - 04/21/12 Automated Buildings, April 2012 By Mike Putich, Climatec Today building owners, managers and operators are being asked to improve the performance of their assets by lowering operating costs, improving tenant satisfaction and implementing sustainability efforts in an economic climate that offers limited, or no access to capital for improvements, and with limited staff and systems capabilities.

		ADR, Green Button and Plug-In - 04/21/12 Automated Buildings, April 2012 By Anto Budiardjo, Clasma Events Building Automation started life as Energy Management a few decades ago. So what does the term Energy Information (EIT) technology mean, and why should anyone care?

		Remaining vigilant to cyber attack - 04/07/12 Control Engineering Europe, March 2012 By Dr. Peter Fröhlich, Belden The newest malware is called Duqu, which installs a backdoor on the infected computer that can be used to load and execute other programs on the system. Duqu is more of a spy than a saboteur.

		Fundamental Analysis Methods For Heating & Cooling - 03/17/12 HPAC Engineering, March 2012 Modern networked controls, smart interval meters, and systems integration make data available that can be used to improve a building’s operational efficiency. Tools and methods for analyzing that data are readily available. With so many options, building managers and operators often are left wondering where to start.

		Take Control Of Your System With Differential Pressure Control - 03/14/12 Engineered Systems, February 2012 By Bjarne Andreasen Often, heating and cooling controllers are not being allowed to do their job. The controllers can only do their job as specified if the three key conditions for hydronic control are fulfilled.

		Smart Grid's Information Capabilities Help Control Energy Use - 03/14/12 Building Operating Management, March 2012 By Karen Kroll Smart grid devices and systems that can transmit information about a facility's energy use enhance a facility manager's ability to measure and manage building power use.

		Smart Grid: What Facility Managers Need to Know - 03/14/12 Building Operating Management, March 2012 By Karen Kroll By understanding energy usage patterns, facility managers can better adjust their use and reduce costs. As a result, the application of smart grid technology likely will change how facility managers operate their buildings.

		Wireless BAS: Factors Facility Managers Should Consider - 03/14/12 Building Operating Management, March 2012 By Josh Thompson The Pros and Cons(iderations) of Wireless.

		Wireless Building Automation: EnOcean and Zigbee - 03/14/12 Building Operating Management, March 2012 By Josh Thompson When considering the construction costs of a hard-wired solution, the argument in favor of wireless integration is compelling. That said, all things come at a cost; before making any decision it is always best to be well informed.

		Deploying a High-Performance Wireless Monitoring and Control Network - 03/14/12 Automated Buildings, March 2012 By Harry Ostaffe, Powercast Corporation A reliable wireless system should be able to transmit data through various types of building materials, tolerate interference from other devices, and recover from disruption to the network.

		Maintaining High Performance Control Systems - 03/14/12 Automated Buildings, March 2012 By Jim Sinopoli, Smart Buildings The performance level of a building is directly related to the performance level of its control systems. You cannot manage a high performance building without high performing control systems.

		BACnet-EnOcean Gateway - 03/14/12 Automated Buildings, March 2012 By Steve Jones, the S4 Group Both environments are open; both have very strong industry organizations behind them; both have a very loyal following of developers. With all this going for them, they still cannot talk to each other.

		Death by Dashboards - 03/14/12 Automated Buildings, March 2012 By Jack Mc Gowan, Energy Control One dashboard may not be able to fulfill all expectations, but it is important to clearly formulate what is expected and to evaluate the market based on “Building Knowledge” rather than Data Visualization.

		Wireless Sensor Networks - 03/14/12 Automated Buildings, March 2012 By David Laurence, Adaptive Wireless Solutions Guidelines for the use of wireless sensor networks in building applications.

		Picking the Low-Hanging Wireless Fruit - 03/14/12 Automated Buildings, March 2012 By Ben H Dorsey III, KMC Controls If we can eliminate the wiring from space sensor to space controller, we save both material and labor costs as well as valuable project time.

		Smart Grid in Smart Buildings - 03/14/12 Automated Buildings, March 2012 By Allan McHale, Memoori Memoori’s report, The Smart Grid Business 2011 to 2016, shows that 40% of the world's annual spending on electrical transmission and distribution equipment goes to industrial and commercial markets. Are Virtual Power Plants in your future?

		Energy Harvesting - A New Frontier - 03/14/12 Automated Buildings, March 2012 By Paul Balazovjech, Spartan Peripheral Devices Using “energy harvesting,” wireless thermo sensor technology, a sensor can collect and save even the tiniest amounts of energy from the environment to provide enough power to send a radio signal or be amplified and stored to be used to move a control valve actuator.

		Inside the Killer App for Buildings & Energy Management - 03/14/12 Automated Buildings, March 2012 By Jim Sinopoli, Smart Buildings The software application with the best verified results and cost effectiveness is fault detection and diagnostics. It’s the killer app of the building automation and building energy management industry.

		Precise timekeeping for 'Smart Grid' - 03/12/12 South Africa Instrumentation & Control, March 2012 By Justin Wu and Bruce Chen, Moxa Article explores limitations that industrial systems, especially power substations, face in synchronising their networks. It also reviews commonly used timekeeping technologies, such as NTP and GPS, and shows how IEEE 1588 v2 precision time protocol (PTP) can transform how an industrial network is run.

		Terminations for the Apocalypse - 03/12/12 Industrial Networking, February 2012 By John Rezabek What if our workplaces are battered by plagues of locusts, floods, hurricanes and/or earthquakes? What's the likelihood your terminations will stay under the screws?

		Network Security To-Do List - 03/12/12 Industrial Networking, February 2012 By Symnantec Minimize existing threats and keep ahead of new ones with this list of basic tasks.

		Demystifying the Pressure Gauge Spec Sheet - 03/12/12 Flow Control, February 2012 By Tom Halaczkiewicz and Patrick Klima This article outlines how to cut through the confusion and read a specification sheet to determine the real-world accuracy of a pressure measurement device.

		Let Your Pumps Talk - 03/12/12 Flow Control, February 2012 By Larry Bachus Locate and study the performance curves of your pumps. You’ll see the best efficiency head is approximately 85 percent of the shutoff head. Then, learn to operate your pumps at the head and flow of best efficiency.

		Mobile Industrial Worker - 03/10/12 Control Engineering, March 2012 By Peter Granger, Cisco Technologies have enabled industrial workers to get mobile, and there’s no going back.

		Industrial mobility: Information where needed - 03/10/12 Control Engineering, March 2012 By Mark T. Hoske Industrial-strength mobility is happening with the manufacturing and IT workforce today. Embrace it, guide it, make it secure, or it may dictate how your business will change.

		Using intelligent motor management to improve efficiency and reduce energy cost - 02/25/12 Embedded Computing Design, February 2012 By Mark Buckley and Greg Dixson, Phoenix Contact By using intelligent motor management modules, plant managers can ensure that electric motors operate reliably and efficiently. These devices not only prevent costly downtime, but can also monitor energy usage and help lower utility bills.

		Wireless building energy management systems - 02/17/12 South Africa Instrumentation & Control, February 2012 By Ivan McKeever, WEMSinternational. The future for those looking to protect their business’ bottom line looks like an uphill struggle, but retro-fitting a wireless building energy management system (WEMS) is the ideal solution.

		Is Lick-'n-Stick Wireless the Future? - 02/17/12 Control, February 2012 By John Rezabek Enter the "lick-n-stick" sensor. These are sensors that are cheap and easy to deploy, requiring minimal effort and labor. Wireless begins to be more compelling for measurements for which we'd rarely buy a permanent instrument.

		Digital Factory Superstructure Emerging with OPC UA - 02/17/12 Automation.com, February 2012 By Bill Lydon, Editor OPC UA is emerging as a fundamental technology for implementing Digital Factory concepts to increase production efficiency. The concept was reinforced at the ARC Forum in a session titled, Transforming Manufacturing with OPC UA: From Embedded to the Enterprise.

		Proactive maintenance reduces the risk of safety incidents - 02/12/12 PlantServices.com, February 2012 By Brian Anulies, GE Energy Industrial Solutions Research shows that industrial facilities are 28% more likely to have a safety incident when maintenance work on a motor is reactive versus planned.

		Energy Monitoring And You: What Every Maintenance Pro Needs To Know - 02/12/12 Maintenance Technology, January 2012 By Benjamin Orchard, Opto 22 Well intentioned as they may be, energy-management initiatives are sometimes hastily conceived and then handed down to maintenance personnel with vaguely stated objectives like, “Cut our energy costs by 15%.”

		Let Technology Improve Your Maintenance Efficiency - 02/12/12 IMPO, February 2012 By Ed Smigo, Proconex While automation has greatly increased operating efficiency in the process industries over the past 30 years, resulting in greater productivity, higher quality, and safer plants, the same level of efficiency has not rippled down to the maintenance function.

		Motors For Use With VFDs - 02/12/12 Engineered Systems, February 2012 By Steven G. Liescheidt The questions can pile up quickly when it’s time to specify a motor to pair with a variable drive. Site registration required to read article.

		Controls Upgrades: Step 1: Survey the Existing Controls - 02/12/12 Building Operating Management, January 2012 By Rita Tatum Four areas are crucial to the success of a controls upgrade: surveying existing controls, deciding what sort of controls you want, justifying the project and managing the actual controls upgrade.

		Quality Management and ISO Certification in the Automated Building Industry - 02/12/12 Automated Buildings, February 2012 By Paul Guarracino, J.M. Electrical Company ISO 9001 was designed to apply to virtually any product or service, made by any process anywhere in the world. This is a natural fit for building automation, where we take specialization seriously.

		Making the Invisible Visible - 02/12/12 Automated Buildings, February 2012 By Dave Eidson, Johnson Controls Technology provides the opportunity to collect large quantities of raw data. What we cannot see, what remains invisible, is the wealth of information this technology provides to us through the raw data that it regularly collects.

		Cyber Espionage comes to SCADA Security - 02/06/12 Automation.com, February 2012 By Eric Byres, Tofino Security Today’s attacks show a different focus – attempts to steal valuable information that can be used to make a counterfeit product, out-bid a rival, or coordinate a short selling campaign against a company’s stock.

		Open Systems and the Programmable Controller - 02/04/12 Automation.com, February 2012 By Adam VanOort, DataNab ModBus and BACnet are the best protocol options to support on open I/O and control devices. Both protocols use RS485 as the communications backbone, i.e., the physical network that supports the data traffic. But what about IP?

		Considering Variable-Area Flowmeters - 02/04/12 Flow Control, January 2012 When users are looking for a simple, low-cost solution, VA meters are a particularly good fit. While they can measure flowrate, they are well suited for applications where a flow/no-flow determination is desired.

		Is Stuxnet Dead? - 02/04/12 Flow Control, January 2012 By Amy W. Richardson 40 percent of critical infrastructures that did a security audit found Stuxnet in their systems. Experts say Stuxnet is no longer itself a threat as much as the legacy it has left behind — a roadmap for cyber war.

		Change needed in pinch-valve standard definitions - 02/04/12 InTech, February 2012 By Gerald Liu There is a discrepancy between definitions in ANSI/ISA-75.05.01, Control Valve Terminology, and the draft standard ISA-75.10.03. Here’s an explanation of the need for change.

		Uninterruptible power supplies and cybersecurity - 02/04/12 InTech, February 2012 By Michael A. Stout Every network connected device in a data or SCADA network is a potential backdoor—even a UPS connected to the company’s Ethernet network for remote monitoring and management could be compromised by a hacker.

		Industrial energy conservation: Where does the reasoning begin? - 02/04/12 InTech, February 2012 By Bill Lydon Most industrial plants today have “low hanging fruit” energy conservation opportunities that can readily be identified and will deliver quick payback with small investments.

		Optimising the cost of steam generation - 01/29/12 South Africa Instrumentation & Control, January 2012 By Johan van der Westhuizen, Yokogawa Efficient and accurate metering is vital to ensure that excessive consumption can be detected, along with an accurate picture of where the steam is being used to enable cross-departmental energy charging to be applied.

		Using ANSI/ISA-99 standards to improve control system security - 01/29/12 Industrial Ethernet Book, February 2012 By Eric Byres, Tofino Security Product ANSI/ISA-99 Standards provide a framework for companies to achieve and maintain security improvements through a life cycle that integrates design, implementation, monitoring and continuous improvement.

		Remote maintenance through networked security appliances - 01/29/12 Industrial Ethernet Book, February 2012 By Ingo Hilgenkamp, Phoenix Contact To save time and money, operating companies therefore frequently link their applications to the service network of the manufacturer via the web. But you may need a security appliance to protect yourself.

		Overcoming real and imagined barriers to wireless adoption - 01/29/12 Industrial Ethernet Book, February 2012 By Adrienne Lutovsky Is wireless better or worse than a wired network? The answer is no: it's different. A plethora of wireless technologies exists to suit a variety of users. Is it for every application? No.

		Getting serious about lubrication: Why many tracking methods fall short - 01/22/12 Energy-Tech, January 2012 Despite millions of dollars spent to improve machine condition and reliability, improper lubrication is still cited as the primary cause of premature equipment failure today.

		Electromagnetic interference evaluation of plant assets - 01/22/12 Energy-Tech, January 2012 By James E. Timperley Knowing what components do not need maintenance is just as important as knowing where resources should be focused. EMI diagnostics can be used to prioritize condition-based maintenance activities for motors, generators, transformers and other plant assets.

		Four HVAC Gains With No Budget Pains - 01/22/12 Building Operating Management, January 2012 By James Newman The thermal energy plant and HVAC systems can go from "green" to "gray" in a very short time after they have been installed or retro-commissioned. Nevertheless, implementing HVAC upgrades is far from easy in many organizations.

		Commissioning HVAC Equipment - 01/22/12 HPAC Engineering, December 2011 By Donald E. Ross, FASHRAE Stack effect can cause a tall building to act as a chimney in cold weather, often presenting major problems.

		Cutting Stack Effect Down to Size - 01/22/12 HPAC Engineering, December 2011 By Donald E. Ross, FASHRAE Stack effect can cause a tall building to act as a chimney in cold weather, often presenting major problems.

		Green HVAC: Flattening The Learning Curve - 01/22/12 HPAC Engineering, December 2011 By Clyde Ford and Shane Stanfield, Leed Bd+C The HVAC industry is evolving as the demand for green HVAC changes the way mechanical engineers conduct business. As building owners and operators seek opportunities to reduce energy costs and their buildings’ emissions, green presents a very strong growth opportunity for the industry.

		With long paybacks, vertical turbines still a tough sell - 01/22/12 Midwest Energy News, January 2012 By Tom Vandyck Proponents say small wind turbines are ready to be an indispensable part of any home or small business’s energy mix, while critics say they’re inherently expensive and inefficient.

		Increasing Heat Transfer Efficiencies - 01/22/12 Process Heating, January 2012 By Ken Kaye, Super Radiator Coils Adding economizers to existing boilers can help heat processing operators get the most out of every BTU they buy. Is it time to look at improving energy efficiency at your facility?

		A Whole New Boiler Ballgame - 01/22/12 Process Heating, January 2012 By Paul Welch Goggins, Cleaver-Brooks Compliance requirements for the Area Source Rule — many of which take effect in 2012 — vary depending upon the type of fuel burned, the size of the boiler and its age.

		How Energy dashboards are evolving - 01/19/12 Automation.com, January 2012 By Sarah Erdman How energy dashboards have evolved over the past several years, mostly for key performance indicators, but now also for educating building occupants to encourage energy efficient practices.

		Control systems just got more maintenance-friendly - 01/15/12 PlantServices.com, January 2012 By Mike Bacidore, chief editor While many plants have begun utilizing the control-system network more often for monitoring assets, each of the devices might be running on a different system, so managing physical assets in a coordinated fashion still requires a bit of patchwork integration.

		In-House BAS Expertise - 01/15/12 Engineered Systems, January 2012 By Paul Ehrlich and Norman Goldschmidt Many believe that there is a minimal level of BAS expertise that every owner needs on staff; however, we would take this further and say that the majority of the facility management staff should have some amount of BAS expertise, depending on their job description.

		Motors For Use With VFDs - 01/15/12 Engineered Systems, January 2012 By Steven G. Liescheidt, CCPR Should you specify an “inverter duty,” “inverter ready,” “inverter rated,” or a “VFD compatible” motor for your fans and pumps in HVAC applications? Is there a difference in these terms? Don’t answer too quickly without doing a little research.

		The Importance of Doing BAS Right - 01/15/12 Automated Buildings, January 2012 Paul Ehrlich, et al, Building Intelligence Group Controls and BAS are rarely this straight forward, and in many cases there is a good, better and best way to control a system.

		Collaborating Services - The Challenges of Interoperability - 01/15/12 Automated Buildings, January 2012 By David Webber, Oracle Corporation The European Community has established a Global Interoperability Test Bed (GITB) initiative with a view to fostering better information exchanges between systems using XML.

		Visualization - The Key to Improving Building Performance - 01/15/12 Automated Buildings, January 2012 By John Petze, SkyFoundry Analytics software is a key part of the revolution in data visualization that is enabling us to truly understand how our systems.

		Energy Dashboards Are Evolving - 01/15/12 Automated Buildings, January 2012 By Sarah Erdman, QA Graphics Energy dashboards have evolved significantly during the past few years; originally for the purpose of reviewing complex building information, now it’s commonplace to share this information with the building occupants.

		Building Intelligence Becomes Mobile - 01/15/12 Automated Buildings, January 2012 By Korey Warzala, DGLogik Virtual monitoring has building intelligence professionals strongly agreeing that performance dashboards and custom visualization are top priority to enable better analysis, well informed decisions, and quicker action.

		Balancing Security, Compliance and Operational Management - 01/11/12 Automation World, December 2011 By Gary Mintchell Disappearing air gaps and growing network connectivity increase the burden of managing security, compliance and operations, according to Industrial Defender’s global survey of critical infrastructure operators regarding cyber security.

		Power of the Cloud - 01/11/12 Control Engineering, December 2011 By Jeanine Katzel Cloud computing is everywhere, including manufacturing! This latest computing craze may seem like just another buzzword, but “the cloud” and its advanced computing technologies are here to stay.

		Energy Management: Brave New World - 01/11/12 Control Engineering, December 2011 By Kevin Parker Major global automation vendors have quickened the pace at which they are introducing products and services for better industrial energy management.

		Security in the Spotlight in 2012? - 12/28/11 Automation World, December 2011 By Grant Gerke It seems like 2012 could be a bad year for manufacturers and utilities if security investments were not made in 2011.

		Automation: Overdue for a Revolution - 12/28/11 Automation World, December 2011 By Jim Pinto Automation companies are all spending modest amounts of research and development money to develop products. But these are mostly extensions of old stuff, reincarnations of tired concepts that can’t generate real growth and just won’t cut it much longer.

		Workstations: Going Mobile - 12/28/11 Assembly, November 2011 By Christine Wheeler Workstations tend to stay in the same place. But wireless technology has created a new class of devices that easily move about the plant floor. Mobile powered workstations (MPWs) improve efficiency, eliminate waste and boost productivity.

		Making a sensible sensor selection - 12/27/11 Automation, November 2011 By Phil Dyas, SICK (UK) The wide range of industrial sensors increases every week to meet the growing number of application needs. This growing capability makes it ever more important to select the right sensor for the individual project requirements.

		One way wireless - 12/27/11 South Africa Instrumentation & Control, December 2011 By Andrew Ashton Various commentators have likened the battle of the three industrial wireless standards to that between VHS and Betamax in the dim and distant past. So should you wait to adopt wireless or should you make an informed decision now and live with that?

		Infrared to detect energy wastage - 12/27/11 South Africa Instrumentation & Control, December 2011 By Val Verwer, Comtest Hot or cold air leaks from buildings, systems and equipment result in energy wastage. A thermal imager to spot the abnormal temperatures which lead to energy waste. Thermal imagers have come down so far in price that most facilities can recoup the cost in terms of energy savings within six months.

		Top tips for pump specification - 12/27/11 Process and Control, December 2011 By Andy Cruse, ERIKS There are several techniques you can employ to ensure that you are getting maximum efficiency and performance from your pumps. Here’s how to specify and maintain pumps to make significant savings in long term operating costs.

		A century of thermal imaging - 12/27/11 Instrumentation, November 2011 By Flir Thermal imaging has taken a long time to evolve and become commercially viable, but today it is a must for carrying out effective predictive maintenance and energy management.

		Modular network technology brings flexibility through configurable switches - 12/18/11 Industrial Ethernet Book, November 2011 By Sven Gottwald, Siemens Industrial network technology today must be fast, flexible and customisable. For such requirements to be realised, manufacturers have developed modular switches, which give customers the option of assembling devices tailormade to suit their own application

		What Is PAS 55? - 12/18/11 Flow Control, November 2011 By Amy W. Richardson The British Standards Institution’s Publically Available Specification known as BSI PAS 55:2008 is being adopted by organizations around the world and, as a result, is on its way to becoming an internationally recognized standard for asset management.

		Operations Drives Reliability - 12/18/11 Control, December 2011 By John Rezabek When operators are trained and take ownership of the assets they use, they can achieve as much or more than any measure of preventive, proactive or predictive maintenance.

		Cyber Warfare and the Control Systems Community - 12/18/11 Control, December 2011 By Robert M. Lee, USAF What must the control systems community do to adapt to the threat of cyber warfare? The community must get back to the basics of security, take part in creating better regulations, and band together to face the threat as a community instead of as individuals.

		Behind wireless technology and industrial automation systems - 12/18/11 Process & Control Engineering, December 2011 By Ray Rogowski Due in part to security concerns, the adoption of wireless networks has been gradual. The threat of cyber attacks, coupled with open enterprise wireless architectures, have had the biggest impact on electronic security fears.

		Understanding the automation knowledge crises - 12/18/11 Process & Control Engineering, December 2011 By Chris Lydent, PAS The size, complexity, and interoperability of modern automation systems has increased much more quickly than human ability to document and understand them.

		Cutting the Cord: Wireless Controls Bring Flexibility - 12/17/11 Building Operating Management, December 2011 By Casey Laughman, BOM By taking advantage of what wireless can do, facility managers can not only save money, but greatly expand what they can ask their building to do.

		Innovative Fluid Solutions - 12/17/11 IEN, November 2011 By Rachel Leisemann Immel Pumps need to be able to handle everything from clear liquids to abrasive slurries. Pumps use approximately 20 percent of the world’s energy, so efficiency ranks high on the priority list.

		The Importance Of Doing BAS Right - 12/17/11 Engineered Systems, December 2011 By Paul Ehrlich and Norman Goldschmidt, Engineered Systems Controls and BAS are rarely straightforward, and in many cases there is a good, better, and best way to control a system. Understanding options, costs and benefits is not well understood by owners and their design teams.

		Wireless Energy Management Systems - 12/17/11 Automated Buildings, December 2011 By Billal Vindhani, Greenologic By installing a wireless mesh control network over a wide area, many buildings can reduce consumption of their heating and lighting, as well as create more efficiencies from circuits and appliances which consume energy.

		Conservation of Merging Technologies - 12/17/11 Automated Buildings, December 2011 By Clark Northcott, Schneider Electric Both access control and video surveillance have completely embraced IP Technology. With this embrace, manufacturers are able to share information across platforms. The fluidity of this information is how the modern building will move to the future.

		The Importance of Building Automation Systems Visualization - 12/17/11 Automated Buildings, December 2011 By Korey Warzala, DGLogik, Inc Through flexible and intelligent building automation visualization, disparate systems, which would otherwise be an obscured asset, can be easily and quickly comprehended.

		Putting Advanced Metering Infrastructure to the Test - 12/17/11 Electric Light & Power, December 2011 By Lisa Wood, Institute for Electric Efficiency Smart meters, as part of an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) system, enables utilities to measure electricity use in real or near-real time. AMI also creates a two-way communications link between utilities and their customers.

		Remote location power surge protection - 12/07/11 InTech, December 2011 By David Torres When planning a remote installation, consider proper grounding and bonding, the correct surge protection device (SPD) for the job, and proper installation. When installed correctly, it is possible to protect a remote site from lightning or other surge events.

		Improve efficiencies using industry experts - 12/07/11 InTech, December 2011 By Bill Lydon Hiring expensive consultants or having automation vendors recommend ways to improve your plant should be the last place to start. The first place to start is with the people in the plant.

		Is the cloud right for manufacturing? - 12/07/11 InTech, December 2011 By Maryanne Steidinger There is much discussion these days on whether cloud-based technology is “right” for manufacturing. Given the security concerns, what applications should manufacturers look for to help them get started? And, more importantly, why should they even care about the cloud?

		A New HMI Software Product. Why? - 11/28/11 Automation.com, November 2011 By Bill Lydon, Editor I was recently introduced to a new HMI software offering, Tatsoft FactoryStudio. My first reaction was - Why does the industry need another HMI software product? I interviewed Tatsoft CEO and founder, Marcos Taccolini to learn more.

		Energy-efficient sensorless motor control, variable speed motor control - 11/24/11 Control Engineering, November 2011 By Wu Kang Sensorless speed control motor and variable speed motor control technology are key energy-saving technologies.

		ERP, MES: When accountability meets agility - 11/24/11 Control Engineering, November 2011 By John Weber ERP and MES are not an either/or proposition. The two serve different functions, and should be partners within a given manufacturing organization.

		Direct Digital Controllers: Building Management The Smart Way - 11/24/11 Industrial Automation Asia, November 2011 By Philip Tang, Mitsubishi Electric Asia The latest generation of Direct Digital Controllers (DDC) can help building owners to meet these performance goals in conventional building management, while providing a complete energy management solution that reduces the carbon footprint.

		In Redundancy We Trust - 11/18/11 Control Design. November 2011 By Jeremy Pollard Be very careful with any cloud implementation, private or public. Make sure you know what you are getting and get proof of the redundancy.

		Temperature Measurement Strategies - 11/18/11 Process Heating, November 2011 By Ted Lund, Fluke Understanding infrared thermometers and using them properly in industrial applications goes a long way toward improving the process and product.

		The right time to maintain equipment - 11/18/11 Instrumentation, November 2011 Predictive Maintenance (PdM) – which is sometimes referred to as condition-based maintenance, or CBM – has been around for some time, but it is far from universal.

		What is PAS 55 - 11/18/11 Control, November 2011 By Nancy Bartels It provides clear definitions and a 28-point requirements specification for establishing and verifying an optimized management system.

		Help Is on the Way - 11/18/11 Control, November 2011 By Nancy Bartels Specification 55-1:2008 for Asset Management (PAS 55) provides clear definitions and a requirements specification for establishing a comprehensive, optimized management system for all types of physical assets across their lifecycle.

		Merging Thermal Storage with Load Shifting for Efficient Cooling - 11/16/11 Automated Buildings, November 2011 By Adam VanOort, DataNab Power costs are highest during peak times of the day — say 1-4pm — when energy usage is maxed out. The theory behind load shifting is to use more power when it’s cheap and less power when it’s expensive.

		Valve Selection Crucial in System Design - 11/16/11 HPAC Engineering, October 2011 Many factors influence the selection of valves and process tubes in refrigeration and air-conditioning systems. Before implementing a solution users must consider the factors specific to each application, including ease-of-use, flow rate, leak rate, cost, and field-service requirements.

		Refrigerator, Refrigerator-Freezer and Freezers Rulemaking - 11/16/11 Department of Energy, November 2011 The Department of Energy recently unveiled new standards that will cut energy use of the common household fridge by 25 percent. Here’s a look at what’s required.

		Have We Maxed Out On Efficiency? - 11/16/11 Plumbing + HVAC, October 2011 By Simon Blake Premium furnaces are as high as 98 percent efficient. Can manufacturers make them any more efficient? And even they can, is there any point?

		Everything Old Is New Again - 11/16/11 Maintenance Solutions, November 2011 By Andrew Meyers When it comes to managing a building’s HVAC system, have you considered circuit-level monitoring? Or in-duct humidification? You might say no, because these technologies have been around for a while and they don’t seem that efficient. But they’ve been updated.

		7 Steps of Automation Project Success - 11/16/11 Plant Engineering, November 2011 By David McCarthy, TriCore These seven steps will help avoid common pitfalls in an automation project, and put the project on solid footing. Automation engineering can be one of the hardest to gauge for quality and basic completeness until it is actually installed and operational on the targeted processing equipment and network systems.

		Where Is The BAS Industry Going? - 11/16/11 Engineered Systems, November 2011 By By Paul Ehrlich and Ira Goldschmidt Today, industry consolidation has resulted in a small group of dominant suppliers: Honeywell, Johnson, Schneider, and Siemens, depending on how you add up the numbers and where you draw the line. So what does this mix of manufacturers tell us about the future of the industry’s products?

		What is the Value of Reliable Power? - 11/16/11 Building Operating Management, October 2011 By Loren Snyder In the case of power reliability, facility managers have to measure both the direct and indirect costs of outages. By assessing the effects of an outage, planning for additional reliability, and then making the case with an organization's executives, facility managers can minimize revenue loss.

		Step-By-Step Approach Ensures Workers Have Access to Spare Parts - 11/16/11 Building Operating Management, October 2011 By Frank Murphy By investigating these problems and the reasons for them, managers can develop an effective strategy for setting up and keeping an accurate, reliable inventory of the parts in their facilities' MRO storerooms and warehouses.

		Expansion Advantages of Wireless Controls - 11/16/11 Automated Buildings, November 2011 By Casey Laughman Wireless networks provide facility managers with a number of options to both save money and expand into areas they might not otherwise have been able to reach. After all, running a wire requires additional materials and a hole in the wall.

		Cutting the Cord: Wireless Controls Bring Flexibility - 11/16/11 Automated Buildings, November 2011 By Casey Laughman By taking advantage of what wireless can do, facility managers can not only save money, but greatly expand what they can ask their building to do.

		Avoid the Crisis - 11/16/11 Automated Buildings, November 2011 By Roy Kok, AutomationSMX While High Availability is always a goal, the areas of HMI/SCADA, Historians, and Business Analytics would benefit greatly from Zero Downtime – something that is achievable today. Varying solutions exist in the market and are proven to minimizing downtime and ensuring your job security by dodging the crisis bullet.

		Controls Spring - 11/16/11 Automated Buildings, November 2011 By Alper Uzmezler, BAS Services & Graphics What if the controls contractor had a standard open programming language? When they are building DDC code they are actually generating the O&M manual and graphics by definition and the code is vendor independent.

		Critical Mass - 11/16/11 Automated Buildings, November 2011 By Jim Sinopoli, Smart Buildings Industry activities indicate ISA, NIST, ASHRAE and other organizations not only understand but actually embrace system openness and integrated building systems, and are moving to standardize the process of integration in building design and operation.

		Must Industry Choose Between Security or Efficiency? - 11/14/11 Automation.com, November 2011 By Eric Byres, Byres Security Inc. On one hand, industry is becoming increasingly concerned about just how vulnerable control systems have become to outside attacks. At the same time, new tools and applications that improve efficiency, but increase that exposure, are appearing daily. So must we sacrifice these gains in efficiency if we want to be secure?

		Optimizing Maintenance through Information - 11/14/11 Automation World, November 2011 By Gary Mintchell You might think that it takes a very expensive and time-consuming software project to accomplish a major upgrade that provides better asset performance and monitoring. But how about a smaller project?

		Stuxnet Raises 'Blowback' Risk In Cyberwar - 11/02/11 National Public Radio By Tom Gjelten The challenge of managing a Stuxnet-like attack is compounded by the possibility that the U.S. government itself had a role in creating the cyberweapon. Concerns now are about the "blowback" risk to the U.S. homeland from the development of this potent cyberweapon.

		Leveraging embedded technology to empower building automation - 10/21/11 Industrial Embedded Systems, October 2011 By Louis-Nicolas Hamer, SCL Elements Embedded gateways and Web servers at the controller level simplify the transition to wireless technology and IP integration in the building automation industry.

		Find benefits in automating boiler systems - 10/21/11 Hydrocarbon Processing, October 2011 By Ali Bourji, WorleyParsons, et al Dynamic models unravel potential problems in high-pressure steam production and consumption.

		The Danger With Time Bombs - 10/21/11 Control, October 2011 By Pierre Grosdidier Time bombs prevent the execution of programs past a certain date and time. Vendors use them to enforce license agreements. Can your software vendor lock up your software so that you have to buy an upgrade? Maybe not.

		The real cost of water purity - 10/17/11 Process and Control, September 2011 By Mark Bosley, Purite For most industrial and process businesses, water is one of their key utilities along with electricity, gas and perhaps compressed air. Companies that use large volumes of raw water as an inherent part of the process can also make significant savings through water reuse or recovery.

		Equipment Criticality: Assessment For Reliability - 10/15/11 Maintenance Technology, October 2011 Equipment criticality assessment is a key process in the development of any maintenance and reliability process. It provides the basis for determining the value and impact that specific equipment has on the manufacturing or production process, as well as the level of attention that equipment requires in terms of maintenance strategy and tactics.

		Everything Gets Old: Dealing With Obsolescence - 10/15/11 Engineered Systems, October 2011 The vast majority of the control systems are going to have a short lifespan. How short? The answer is “it depends.” Here are some general rules of thumb.

		Gain the Advantage of Open Standards to increase OEM Product Sales - 10/15/11 Automated Buildings, October 2011 By Jack McIntyre, Open Automation Software Customers are no longer satisfied with equipment that only communicates using proprietary technology, and can no longer afford to be locked into one vendor's product line. The challenge for OEMs is how to overcome these issues and sell more products with documented stats.

		Open Systems - Is an Open Protocol Enough? - 10/15/11 Automated Buildings, October 2011 By Andy Davis, Siemens Building Technologies Articlel summarizes building automation protocols including Modbus, LON, KNX, BACnet and DALI with their strengths and weaknesses.

		Compelling Reasons for Common Programming Language (CPL) - 10/15/11 Automated Buildings, October 2011 By Winston Hetherington, B.A.S.S. Consulting Services For those who may presently be burdened with the responsibility of obtaining and retaining skills to maintain five or more different BAS products, each with their own proprietary implementation of Control Application Logic (CAL), CPL might seem like wishful thinking.

		What is Sedona - 10/15/11 Automated Buildings, October 2011 By Brian Frank, SkyFoundry Sedona is a complete "platform" to speed the development of smart, networked devices such as I/O controllers. Sedona is essentially a ready-to-use software platform which is designed to be easily added to a networked device to give it smarts. The Sedona software can be used to augment existing software or be the primary software application on a device.

		Criteria for BAS Open Programming - 10/15/11 Automated Buildings, October 2011 By David Fisher, PolarSoft This is the second part in a series of articles that intend to expose issues and topics for discussion centering on the idea of creating an open standard for programming of BAS applications.

		Chevron launches world's largest solar enhanced-oil-recovery project - 10/10/11 Process & Control Engineering, October 2011 By Morgan Crinklaw The project uses over 7,600 mirrors to focus the sun's energy onto a solar boiler. The steam produced is injected into oil reservoirs to increase oil production. The project is the largest of its kind in the world.

		Smart Grid avoiding the real challenges? - 10/06/11 InTech, October 2011 By Bill Lydon There is no doubt electrical energy can be managed better, and the Smart Grid concepts will provide more data and can be used to control the flow of energy from generation to users. This does not address the heart of the issue.

		How much is downtime costing you? - 10/06/11 InTech, October 2011 By Dave Crumrine and Doug Post, Interstates Construction Services Many of the real costs of downtime are hidden in other cost areas and do not show up unless you account for them properly. To effectively calculate total downtime cost, uncover all of these costs and list them in a separate “downtime” category.

		Thermocouples: What one needs to know - 10/06/11 InTech, October 2011 By Thomas W. Kerlin and Mitchell P. Johnson Thermocouples are widely used and are here to stay. Problems are infrequent, but potentially serious. Users need to know how to use thermocouples properly and to troubleshoot effectively when problems arise.

		Downtime analysis - 10/06/11 InTech, October 2011 By Wayne Matthews, Yokogawa Marex Downtime analysis (DTA) is an essential part of plant operations management, as it provides a powerful tool that enables a better understanding of the underlying issues that affect plant availability and rate loss.

		Energy management key during plant downtime - 09/26/11 By Mark Freeman, Siemens International Power Engineer, September 2011 By selectively switching off any energy consumers that are not currently in use, the demand for energy and the associated costs can be drastically reduced. This is particularly relevant to downtime in production. During breaks in production, many energy consumers continue running even though they are not required.

		Getting the best value smart meter for your money - 09/26/11 International Power Engineer, September 2011 By Mark England, Sentec Utilities and governments must think ahead when planning a smart meter rollout - early obsolescence is an expensive error. Customise and build in future-proofing to stay ahead of the game.

		The Risky Side Of ERP - 09/24/11 Manufacturing.net, August 2011 By Michael P. Collins This article exposes the problems and the dark side of ERP and other IT software, if for no other reason than to make the sellers work harder on guaranteeing the benefits and exposing the problems that happen during implementation.

		Achieving Furnace Lining Efficiency - 09/24/11 Process Heating, September 2011 By Steve Chernack, Morgan Thermal Ceramics An efficient furnace lining is key to reducing overall maintenance costs and ensuring that facilities run smoothly without undue revenue loss due to downtime. Follow these five tips to keep your furnace lining running efficiently.

		Capture Tribal Knowledge for the Next Generation - 09/20/11 Sustainable Plant, September 2011 By Jim Montague While collected know-how begins with formal, documented procedures, most efforts also include gathering tacit data or "tribal" knowledge that was never preserved anywhere before now.

		The value of good maintenance practices - 09/20/11 PlantServices, September 2011 By Mike Bacidore Having a maintenance strategy in place isn’t enough. It requires execution of the program, a top-down commitment to the care of physical assets and employees who understand the significance of their duties.

		A Simple Lesson in Arc Flash Avoidance - 09/20/11 IEN, September 2011 Few workplaces have taken the necessary steps to implement procedures that ensure arc flash safety. Instead, many have delayed the installation of equipment that can help them prevent arc flash accidents from occurring in their facility.

		Energy Intelligence: Making The Sustainable Choice - 09/20/11 IMPO, September 2011 By Anna Wells, IMPO Equipment purchases are one thing, but getting involved with your community, utility providers, and employees may be what makes a bigger impact.

		Commissioning: Trend Logs- Worth the effort? - 09/20/11 Engineered Systems, September 2011 By Rebecca Thatcher Ellis, P.E. Using data trend logs to supplement in-field functional performance testing (FPT) has always been an option in the commissioning process, particularly for HVAC systems controlled by DDC systems. Author proposes that trend logs be given a more prominent place in the commissioning toolbox.

		The New Visibility & Interactions in the Building Automation Industry - 09/20/11 Automated Buildings, September 2011 By Ken Sinclair, AutomatedBuildings Our powerful far reaching real time network connections transport the invisible via the cloud but it is the graphics and their dashboards representations that convert the Invisible to Visible.

		How to save money with presence detectors - 09/20/11 Automated Buildings, September 2011 By Andrey Golovin, BIG-RU and KNX Russia A BAS will reduce energy consumption in a building, but very often the building automation system has no precise procedures for controlling the lighting system. Using presence detectors, motion detectors and twilight switches provides many possibilities to increase energy savings efforts in a building.

		The “Moon Shot” for Building Energy Performance - 09/20/11 Automated Buildings, September 2011 By Jim Sinopoli, Smart Buildings The goals have been set and the bar is high, as we enter a transitional period where voluntary actions related to building energy performance will soon be mandatory.

		The Challenge to Legacy Building Management Systems - 09/20/11 Automated Buildings, September 2011 By Jim Sinopoli, Smart Buildings Improved or advanced BMS systems will need to have “middleware” software tools and be able to standardized data from a variety of sources and systems into an open database structure.

		Open Programming Language for Building Automation - 09/20/11 Automated Buildings, September 2011 By David Fisher, PolarSoft If you buy in to systems that are proprietary, you also buy in to a restricted source of humans with the expertise to provide those services. This means that owners and consultants are locked out of making ongoing changes and improvements, not to mention future vendors.

		Availability in the cloud - 09/08/11 Control Engineering Europe, August 2011 By Mike Lees, Hardware PT In order to decide whether manufacturing is right to put its trust in the cloud, one has to consider the implications of any potential downtime – from a production and safety perspective.

		Is the Cloud Safe Enough? - 08/18/11 Control Design, August 2011 By Jeremy Pollard The Cloud is not a safe place. but is it really any different than any other client/server type arrangement?

		All Quiet on the Wireless Front - 08/18/11 Control, August 2011 By Walt Boyes Survey says: When asked which wireless networks they use now, over 50% said they used 802.11x networks, 34% said they used one or more proprietary wireless networks, and WirelessHART continues to grow at 23%. ISA100 is only 4.4%.

		Building Oversight Management: Revisited - 08/18/11 Engineered Systems, August 2011 By Larry Clark, LEED It’s time to revisit expectations for BAS and chiller optimization controls, and then have a look at several of today’s options for anyone managing chilled water flow to wring the last drop of efficiency out of a system.

		Creating Interactions in Building Automation - 08/18/11 Automated Buildings, August 2011 By Ken Sinclair, Automated Buildings We must create interactions worthy of our visibility and strive to better understand how to interact with the powerful presentations of our information.

		Variable Frequency Drives and Building Automation Systems - 08/18/11 Automated Buildings, August 2011 By Paul Ehrlich, et al, Building Intelligence Group The use of variable frequency drives (VFDs) for controls of pumps, fans, and even compressors have become common on both new construction projects and retrofits. Here’s how to integrate them with a BAS.

		Where Should We Start When Developing A Smart Grid? - 08/18/11 Automated Buildings, August 2011 By Allan McHale, Memoori Demand response and pricing signals to homes and businesses could be better achieved via the internet through a combination of Home Area Networks and Energy Management software.

		Would you run your business without financial analysis tools? - 08/18/11 Automated Buildings, August 2011 By John Petzy, SkyFoundry Specialized analytics tools are being applied to analyze the operation of equipment systems, energy consumption and costs, and facility operations activities as a whole. The result is the ability to move to data driven management of our building equipment systems and physical assets.

		The Unheralded Network Topology - 08/18/11 Automated Buildings, August 2011 By Jim Sinopoli, Smart Buildings Unquestionably Ethernet is ubiquitous, popular and visible - but in the guts of most buildings are RS-485 networks. RS-485 may be the “forgotten” or “taken for granted” “boring” network, but it is the mainstay of many building and industrial automation systems.

		FM Goals Drive BACnet Planning - 08/18/11 Building Operating Management, August 2011 Facility managers should do diligent homework to ensure they are taking full advantage of the capabilities of BACnet and that the system fully addresses facility requirements in such areas as energy, sustainability, flexibility and comfort.

		SCADA Security's Air Gap Fairy Tale - 08/17/11 Automation.com, August 2011 By Eric Byres This tale doesn’t have princes or frogs in it, but instead it deals with SCADA and industrial control system security. It is the myth of the "air gap" between control systems and the rest of the world. Believing in it leads to a false sense of complacency by both end users and vendors, making it a very dangerous fairy tale indeed.

		Harvest time - 08/13/11 What’s New in Process Technology, August 2011 By ABB Energy harvesting is the process by which energy (ambient, motion, wind, light), derived from external sources, is captured and stored to supply power for low-energy electronics. Ambient energy is available in abundance in the process industry and it is here that energy harvesting is beginning to make its mark.

		Walt Disney Imagineering Improves Project Results - 08/12/11 Automation.com, August 2011 By Bill Lydon, Editor David Van Wyk, Vice President of Project Management for Walt Disney Imagineering, explained the team's Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) process at the recent Siemens Automation Summit. The IPD method helps Imagineering produce some of the world's most distinctive storytelling experiences that continue to deliver a high wow factor.

		Smart Grid for industrial disciplines - 08/07/11 InTech, August 2011 By Barry Contrael Smart Grid is a new buzzword in industrial circles. As with every previous initiative, it requires a bit of education to get to the point where you understand how you can implement it in a way that does more than go through the motions.

		Choosing a Metering Pump for Boiler Water Treatment - 08/07/11 Process Heating, August 2011 By Neptune Chemical Pump Metering pumps are used to pump many chemical solutions and additives. For boiler water applications, these devices must dispense accurate chemical dosages every time to ensure the proper chemical treatment for the conditioning of boiler feed water.

		CMMS for the asset lifecycle - 07/25/11 Plant Services, July 2011 By David Berger Many CMMS vendors provide a healthy balance of functionality that comes out of the box as a core CMMS offering and functionality obtained through seamless integration with CMMS partner software.

		Don't Procrastinate...Innovate! - 07/25/11 Maintenance Technology, July 2011 By Ken Bannister Sadly, for many maintenance departments, “stagnation”—the antonym for innovation—would be a more appropriate description of the situations in which they find themselves.

		Does Your Maintenance Contractor Care For Your Assets? - 07/25/11 Maintenance Technology, July 2011 By Dave Rosenthal, Jacobs Engineering Manufacturers have long contracted out various facets of their maintenance work. Owners are now looking to expand the leverage of their maintenance contractors in maintaining their assets.

		Plugging Into Automation - 07/25/11 Automated Buildings, July 2011 By Annette Bellafiore, ThinkEco Manually tackling plug-load energy waste can seem challenging since it occurs throughout the building at each individual plug. The good news is that there are now technological options that help simplify and automate these savings.

		Experience Needed! - 07/25/11 Automated Buildings, July 2011 By Roy Kok, Aware The most useful information is disappearing at an alarming rate – Experience – and it will be systems like PDM, that have the ability to put experience into a database, that will become the next wave of system automation.

		Pushing Alarms Beyond the Building Walls - 07/25/11 Automated Buildings, July 2011 By Dane Overfield, Exele Today’s users expect more from their automation systems. Software allows users to implement an intelligent monitoring, alarming, and notification system that keeps users aware of current activity and allows them to recognize activity trends based on event history.

		Raising the I/Q of Intelligent Buildings - 07/25/11 Automated Buildings, July 2011 By John Pitcher, Scientific Conservation, Inc. New companies are appearing that use advanced algorithms to keep constant vigilance on facility operation on a daily basis. These algorithms are run on every piece of equipment and sensor available from the building automation system.

		Strategies for Energy Monitoring - 07/23/11 Design News, June 2011 By Al Presher Standard Ethernet networking and PAC technology, new software tools, and demand-response programs team up to identify energy savings and reduce consumption.

		Missing Link… OSHA Combustible Dust Rulemaking Process - 07/22/11 HazardEx, July 2011 By John Astad, Combustible Dust Policy Institute Concern arises in the US with the current OSHA Combustible Dust rulemaking process. This is especially so where a multitude of combustible dust related fires in the manufacturing sector is ignored in the vein of normalisation of deviation.

		Detecting Hydrogen Gas and Flames - 07/22/11 HazardEx, July 2011 By Cliff Anderson, Detector Electronics Hydrogen gas is very flammable and only a small amount of energy will ignite it. In fact, if leaking from a pipe at a high enough pressure, hydrogen gas can self ignite without an external energy source.

		All Eyes on Energy - 07/22/11 Control Engineering Asia, June 2011 By G Venkatesh With considerable cost savings to be had and green credentials to be gained, the topic of energy efficiency is increasingly moving to the top of the corporate agenda. Registration required to read article.

		Giving your plant a cyber health checkup - 07/22/11 Control Engineering, July 2011 By Jason Urso and Kevin Staggs, Honeywell Creating a strong cyber security health regimen so you can defend against threats, external and internal.

		Death of the Loop Drawing - 07/22/11 Control, July 2011 By John Rezabek Loop drawings have become mere "wiring" diagrams. Are they needed for fieldbus projects?

		Getting The Best Smart Meter Value For Your Money - 07/06/11 Power Engineer, June 2011 By Mark Englund Getting the best for your money is an important focus for those tasked with selecting the best option for meter design. It's tempting, when planning your smart meter rollout to go for the simplest and seemingly safest design option. But does that get you the best bang for your buck?

		Advanced Lubrication Technology For High Voltage Electrical Equipment - 07/06/11 Energy-Tech, May 2011 Industry experts estimate that about half of all wear in industrial equipment is in some way related to lubrication. High voltage electrical equipment found in transmission and distribution substations faces different challenges than mechanical equipment located in food plants or manufacturing plants.

		Prices Are Falling On Solar Power - 07/06/11 Climate Progress, June 2011 By Stephen Lacy, Thinkprogress.org There’s a joke in the solar industry about when “grid parity” – the time when solar becomes as cheap as fossil sources – will happen. But according to two top solar executives, “ferocious cost reductions” are accelerating that crossover in a variety of markets today.

		Save Space & Time With Vertical AS/RS - 06/29/11 Automation.com, June 2011 Automated storage and retrieval systems take advantage of unused overhead space to recover 60% to 85% of the floor space typically required by shelving and drawer systems.

		Thermoelectric Energy Harvesting - 06/28/11 Sensors, June 2011 By Jim O'Callaghan, EnOcean Thermal energy harvesting can capture the power from the temperature differentials, enabling its use to power HVAC controls such as water valves, variable air volume vents (VAVs), and diffusers.

		Roadway Barriers Go Electric - 06/28/11 Design News, June 2011 By Charles J. Murray Roadway barriers, the last line of defense for hundreds of military installations and utility plants, are undergoing a transformation. Once powered exclusively by hydraulics, the giant barriers are now moving to simpler, greener electric actuators.

		Where Have All The Leaders Gone? - 06/27/11 Maintenance Technology, June 2011 By Enrique Mora, Mora International Group The maintenance and reliability field is awash with countless examples of “here today/gone tomorrow” improvement initiatives. Each of these sad stories reflects costly efforts where results may have been lost forever. A lack of leadership leads to big losses and unsustainable operations.

		Smart Grid: Managers Have Incentives for Reducing Demand - 06/27/11 Building Operating Management, June 2011 By Kelly Mamer, P.E. This naturally symbiotic relationship between supply — utility — and demand — facilities — means managers should have a great deal of interest in the Smart Grid, which is the most important innovation utilities have undertaken in many years.

		Modern Bioclimatic Facades - 06/27/11 Automated Buildings, June 2011 By Dr Serge Neuman, Somfy Automation for dynamic passive solutions not only reduces energy costs and waste, but increases interior environmental quality (IEQ), which has been scientifically shown to increase occupants’ comfort and productivity.

		When Two Worlds Collide - 06/27/11 Automated Buildings, June 2011 By Brian Russell, Streamside Solutions Facility managers are in charge of the building automation system, which controls HVAC, lighting, security, and other systems. Meanwhile, event planners are in charge of scheduling events in the building. So how does coordination between them usually work?

		Smart Building Automation ROI - 06/27/11 Automated Buildings, June 2011 By John Greenwell, CEPORT Effective automation depends on pro-active monitoring and instant control of HVAC, lighting and power supply elements to create a smart building.

		Real-time Data for Real-time Demand Management - 06/27/11 Automated Buildings, June 2011 By Peter Sharer, Agilewaves By combining new sensor technologies for real-time energy data collection, a data store and energy diagnostics reports, building energy management systems (BEMs) now make it economical to access and manage demand in real-time – in any building.

		The Management of Building System Data - 06/27/11 Automated Buildings, June 2011 By Jim Sinopoli, Smart Buildings Building system data must be viewed as an asset: it has value, is necessary for properly operating and maintaining the building and it must be managed and treated as such. The question is how do we get accurate, validated and well organized data from our building systems?

		Physical Security 101: Evolving ‘defense in depth’ - 06/12/11 InTech, June 2011 By Scott Hillman What good is cybersecurity if the bad guys can walk through the front door? A site vulnerability assessment determines possible holes in a plant’s overall security system and prioritizes improvement opportunities.

		Every Project Needs a Contingency Plan - 05/27/11 Control Design, May 2011 By Jeremy Pollard Contingent thinking: if we don't train ourselves in proper planning, contingency included, then we’ve learned little from the 100-year floods past.

		Network Security Requires Multi Layer Defense - 05/27/11 Automation World, May 2011 By James R. Koelsch A rash of recently published vulnerabilities and exploits prove that the conventional methods of blocking them are not enough. Here’s how to exploit the stability of automated processes to secure control networks.

		Game changer - 05/27/11 What’s New in Process Technology, May 2011 By Charlie Mohrmann, Invensys Operations Management From the shop floor to the top floor, automation has caused a revolution. Despite this, mobile field workers are often still running around with clipboards. By empowering these workers with tools that enable them to learn new skills, make suggestions and directly tie their activities to their KPIs, job satisfaction and effectiveness can be increased.

		Electrical And Enclosure Safety For Solar Energy Projects - 05/18/11 IMPO, May 2011 By Jeff Seagle, Stahlin Non-Metallic Enclosures Photovoltaics (PV) is a method of generating electrical power by converting solar radiation into direct current electricity using semiconductors. As more plants move towards alternative sources of energy, building maintenance personnel face new demands when it comes to safety and compliance.

		Getting Into The Flow - 05/18/11 Engineered Systems. May 2001 Commercial system experts see flow as a key step to optimizing system efficiency. Cutting down required tubing size, insulated PEX for district systems, and variable-speed pumps to pin down a chiller’s exact needs are three points of attack in the modern campaign against waste.

		Managers Need to Keep up with Changing Technology - 05/18/11 Building Operating Management, May 2011 By Andrew Meyers Keeping up with the latest building technology is difficult, due to the huge number of advances every year. But if maintenance and engineering managers do not keep up, they risk missing opportunities to decrease costs and improve tenant comfort and staff productivity.

		Don't Be Panicked by Alarm Management of Building Systems - 05/18/11 Automated Buildings, May 2011 By Jim Sinopoli, Smart Buildings LLC Building system alarms are not just nuisances; they affect system performance, equipment lifecycles, life safety, regulatory compliance issues, energy consumption, lost occupant production and building technicians’ efficiencies. To really handle alarms you need a detailed plan.

		Bridging the Islands of Automation - 05/18/11 Automated Buildings, May 2011 By Christopher J. Volpe, O&M Engineering In today’s facility, we are faced with different systems and sub-systems. The individual system supplier is responsible for making sure that their system functions to the required specification. These suppliers, however, are not usually concerned about having their system monitored or controlled remotely.

		Fiber--Fit for Purpose - 05/18/11 Industrial Networking, May 2011 By John Rezabek When the mission is critical, the speed, reliability and durability of fiberoptic communications are hard to beat.

		Seismic & Wind Concerns - 05/14/11 Engineered Systems, May 2011 Steven G. Liescheidt, CCPR Earthquakes and strong gusts of wind cause are threats that need to be considered when designing isolators, supports, and special louver considerations for HVAC systems. Not only that, codes, insurance, and liability can leave inattentive engineers, owners, and manufacturers sweating.

		Energy Data Clouds - 05/14/11 Automated Buildings, May 2011 By Anno Scholten, OpenKin In recent years, many new and innovative energy applications have become available in the commercial building market, and in order to use them effectively, it usually means PCs, networks, servers, security and plenty of supporting gear. However, cloud computing technologies eliminate this overhead.

		How To Calculate Temporary Cooling Loads - 05/14/11 Maintenance Solutions, March 2011 By James Piper To support a growing demand for temporary cooling, manufacturers now offer an expanding portfolio of systems. Equipment options now include small, portable, room units and trailer-mounted systems capable of cooling entire buildings.

		In Pre-Design, Define HVAC System Requirements - 05/14/11 Building Operating Management, April 2011: Because it accounts for 33 percent of commercial building energy use, the HVAC system can provide a great opportunity for big gains in operational efficiency. But building owners should be aware of pitfalls to avoid and steps that can help ensure the project will be completed on time, on budget and on target.

		Facilities management for manufacturing - 05/14/11 South Africa Instrumentation & Control, May 2011 By Leon Williamson, Wonderware The benefits of facilities management in a manufacturing environment are well documented. When facilities and manufacturing management are integrated on a common platform the benefits are apparent in every aspect of the business model.

		Environmental Monitoring: Making MCERTain with Accreditation - 05/14/11 Process Industry Informer, March 2011 By Jon Murthy, UKAS Many process operators choose to use the services of a third party organisation to carry out this monitoring, but may not be aware that in certain circumstances the use of an organisation with the relevant accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025 for the Monitoring Certification Scheme (MCERTS) is mandatory.

		Energy Optimization - Creating another Tower of Babel? - 04/25/11 Automation.com, April 2011 By Bill Lydon, Editor Energy has become a hot topic with vendors and standards organizations, many of which are offering and creating solutions for energy users.

		Identifying Automation System Tribbles - 04/25/11 Automation.com, April 2011 By Roy Kok How did Scotty know? How do you know when your systems are normal? Are the Dilithium crystals at their proper temperature and vibrational frequency for this Warp Speed and area of space? Could he be sure he caught every last Tribble, and none are blocking the cooling ducts to the Anti- Matter Drive?

		Things to Watch Out For with Variable-Speed Pumps - 04/18/11 Sustainable Plant, April 2011 By Cecil L. Smith It’s increasingly popular to team a centrifugal pump with a variable speed drive (VSD) rather than couple a constant speed pump with a control valve on the discharge. However, many engineers don’t understand a VSD’s impact on flow and how that affects control.

		Choosing The Right Power Supply For Portable Hydraulics - 04/18/11 IMPO, March 2011 by Jon Tan, Enerpac Because of the varying operating ranges and capabilities of these portable labour-savers, many factors have to be taken into consideration when deciding which type and style of hydraulic tool is most suitable for any particular application.

		BAS Upgrades: Develop a Master Plan - 04/18/11 Building Operating Management, April 2011 By Doug Yon, P.E. The challenge for maintenance and engineering managers related to the installation, maintenance, and operation of the technology, including BACnet-based systems, is ensuring the specification properly accounts for post-installation issues.

		Controls Devices (3 of 3) - 04/18/11 Automated Buildings, April 2011 By Steven R. Calabrese, Control Engineering Rules of thumb to follow for TC installation & design. This is part three of the three-part series on control devices. This final installment discusses Safeties & Limits and End Devices.

		Smart Grid’s Killer App - 04/18/11 Automated Buildings, April 2011 By David K. Roberts, Cypress Envirosystems Since utilities across the country are implementing new rate structures with the deployment of Smart Grid technologies that can leave unprepared facilities with much higher utility bills, it is important for building managers to understand demand response, the Smart Grid and their impact on commercial buildings.

		Dynamic Energy Management - 04/18/11 Automated Buildings, April 2011 By Peter Kelly-Detwiler, Constellation Energy Using demand response as a foundation, dynamic energy management takes the load monitoring and curtailment strategy a step further to combine the power of spot market intelligence, real-time monitoring, and automation technology to provide a complete and instant picture of current power usage and cost.

		BACnet's Continuing Growth - 04/18/11 Automated Buildings, April 2011 By Jim Butler, Cimetrics, Inc. The original authors of the BACnet standard developed a method of organizing application data using objects, and the standard was structured in such a way that new object types and application services could be added to the BACnet standard in the future.

		Hannover Messe 2011 – More than 230,000 Visitors Automation.com, April 2011 By Bill Lydon, Editor Hannover Messe 2011 was larger than any other in the last 10 years, with more than 230,000 visitors. More than 6,500 businesses from 65 countries came to Hannover to display their solutions. The attendance numbers represent a growth of 10 to 15 percent over the comparable 2009 event.

		Measuring Motors - 04/17/11 Control Engineering Asia, March 2011 By Fluke A thermal imager and an insulation multimeter are two effective tools for spot checking of motor operation and diagnosis of problems.

		Information Wants to Be Everywhere - 04/17/11 Control, April 2011 By Nancy Bartels Vendors large and small are lining up with large-scale solutions and simple apps to access everything from KPIs to simulations via a cell phone or tablet.

		How Do We Minimize Murphy Consequences in Automation? - 04/17/11 Control, April 2011 By Roy Kok, AutomationSMX In today's automation world, we are building ever more complicated automation and management systems. How do you design for Graceful Degradation? And, how do you design for a quick recovery?

		The Infrared Choice - 04/09/11 Vision Systems Design, April 2011 Despite being relatively expensive, infrared (IR) cameras have found a number of niche applications where traditional visible spectrum CCD and CMOS cameras will not suffice. To choose an appropriate IR camera, system developers must understand more than the specifications listed on data sheets.

		Skid Integration Problems Solved by PLCopen Standards - 03/29/11 Automation.com, March 2011 By PLCopen North America The use of skid mounted equipment has become popular for a number of reasons but they pose some unique automation and control challenges that can be solved by using IEC 61131-3 and PLCopen standards.

		Get Out of Your Enclosures Box - 03/26/11 Control Design, March 2011 By Aaron Hand Custom enclosures can mean anything from getting a better fit for the desired space to filling the box with needed components.

		An All-or-Nothing Proposition? - 03/24/11 Flow Control, February 2011 By Grant Van Hemert When updating, many people think of a complete removal of existing equipment, and therefore, tons of money; however, technologies have been developed that can prevent or mitigate possible issues. To minimize challenges associated with an update, first decide how the migration will be accomplished, will it be done at once or over time.

		Condenser tube failures and their effect on steam generator corrosion - 03/21/11 By Brad Buecker Energy Tech, February 2011 The loss of heat transfer can be quite serious and can cost a plant hundreds of thousands of dollars or more if a problem occurs during a peak generating period or becomes a long-term event. Just as serious, however, is the potential effect condenser tube fouling/scaling can have on tube integrity and how tube leaks can cause extreme damage in steam generators.

		ODVA Industrial Networks Energy Initiative - 03/20/11 Automation.com, March 2011 By Bill Lydon, Editor The intent of this energy initiative is to create a comprehensive approach to the optimization of energy usage for the industrial consumer that is scalable, open and inclusive for both users and suppliers.

		Ethernet Infrastructure - Is IPv6 another Y2K? - 03/15/11 Automation.com, March 2011 ODVA is taking IPv6 seriously because it could have major implications for existing EtherNet/IP installations and product developers. This is not unique to EtherNet/IP, the change has an impact on all Ethernet devices and infrastructure including business, industrial, home, and mobile communications.

		Achieving Higher Efficiencies & Lower Emissions - 02/28/11 Process Heating, February 2011 By Alan L. Stehman, Cannon Boiler Works Inc. More than 24,000 installed boilers operate in the 10 million BTU to 100 million BTU range. What are the trends for this important segment?

		Industrial Wireless Update – where no wires have gone before - 02/23/11 Automation.com, February 2011 While the intense debates continue over industrial wireless standards many automation professionals are applying industrial wireless solutions to achieve greater efficiency and profits for their companies.

		Can Pump Maintenance Contribute To Lower Operating Costs? - 02/17/11 Process Industry Informer, February 2011 By Bryan Orchard Running a pump without any checks on component wear and maintenance will reduce operating life and increase operating costs over the medium to long term.

		Don’t be misled by commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technology labels - 02/17/11 InTech, February 2011 By Bill Lydon The cost savings from adopting COTS products can be significant, but evaluating automation and control COTS alternatives can, in some cases, be challenging. Careful consideration of COTS is most important when selecting new plant automation and control systems because the selection may impact plant operations.

		Optimistic for '11 - 02/17/11 Control Engineering Asia, January 2011 Unbridled enthusiasm and promotions for their own companies fills this collection of predictions from 40 or so industry leaders in Asia. Every automation vendor predicts it will do well.

		New electrical test tools let technicians work safely in hazardous environments - 02/16/11 Automation.com, February 2011 By Fluke Technicians working on hazardous equipment and high-voltage circuits deserve every advantage to complete electrical test and measurement jobs safely. New test tools provide new ways to work safely and reduce exposure to electrical shock.

		A Risk-Based Approach to Energy Conservation - 02/14/11 Sustainable Plant, February 2011 By Paul Thomas Want some ideas to cut your site’s energy usage? The possibilities are many, but lasting energy responsibility requires more than checking off items on a list. It requires a new way of thinking and a risk-based approach.

		Contracting MRO services could mean trading control for cost benefits - 02/14/11 Plant Services, February 2011 By Mike Bacidore Many organizations move slowly through the strategic considerations that define what they will manage and control with their own resources and which services they will contract another company to perform.

		Innovations in CMMS and EAM are making life easier for the plant maintenance department - 02/14/11 Plant Services, February 2011 By Sheila Kennedy Vendors are taking steps to leverage trends and technologies in their ongoing quest to improve and simplify asset management processes. CMMS and EAM are expanding their offerings.

		Are You Ready for April Showers? - 02/14/11 IMPO, February 2011 By Greg Bruce, LPS Labs What happens after the flood water recedes? How do you go about cleaning up flooded electrical equipment? How do you protect sensitive connections against future water damage? Here’s a 3 step process to get a facility back on line and protected against the next water event.

		Boiler Safety On The Front Burner - 02/14/11 Engineered Systems, February 2011 By John R. Puskar Combustion equipment safety is critical to the daily operation of industrial facilities and the safety of employees. However, this critical equipment is far too often overlooked or taken for granted.

		Better Off Without Us - 02/14/11 Engineered Systems, February 2011 The industry has been too focused on making operator interface with the system easier to understand and implement, while the reality is that the operator is not skilled enough to make correct and timely adjustments to the system, no matter how easy it is.

		Controls Devices (Part 1 of 3) - 02/14/11 Automated Buildings, February 2011 By Steven R. Calabrese This installment is part one of a three-part series. It’s a “quick reference” guide to temperature controls devices, covering not all but a good amount of what makes up a typical HVAC temperature control system in this day and age.

		The Industry Demands Better Demand Response - 02/14/11 Automated Buildings, February 2011 By Michael Zimmerman, BuildingIQ To provide a scalable, widely-adopted and valuable Smart Grid program for the commercial building sector, the industry needs a much more fundamental increase in the intelligence of their Inside the Meter DR systems.

		Cyber-Security - 02/14/11 Automated Buildings, February 2011 By Nino Kurtalj, Elma Kurtalj For the last ten years the whole industry has been talking about IP, Web, interoperability and open systems. Security however, has been mostly left behind, somewhere in the pre-internet age.

		Designing An Integrated Building System - 02/14/11 Automated Buildings, February 2011 By Jim Sinopoli,Smart Buildings Given the transformation and changes in building design, construction and operation since the last revision of the MasterFormat, we can expect many changes will be warranted in the next revision, including the growing importance of technology and building systems.

		Assemblers Go Off-Grid to Cut Costs - 02/11/11 Assembly, January 2011 By John Sprovieri Manufacturers have been studying their energy bills lately, and a growing number are discovering that they can save money by getting some—or even all—of their power from alternative energy sources. Solar and wind are the two biggies.

		Success in energy conservation - 02/07/11 InTech, February 2011 By Troy Miller Successful energy conservation programs begin with the development of a comprehensive, long-term plan of continuous improvement. Often this step is skipped, left incomplete, done once and not revisited, or is not broadly communicated throughout an organization.

		VFDs Can Control Multiple Motors - 02/02/11 Automation.com, February 2010 By Kay Dekker and Joe Koepke Many applications use one or more motors operating in parallel at the same desired speed. Using one Variable frequency drive (VFD) to control these multiple motors provides a host of advantages as summarized in this article.

		Powering Data Centers - 01/22/11 Power Engineering, January 2011 By Christopher Johnston and Robert Bolin, Syska Hennessy Data centers are increasingly viewed as poster children for extraordinarily large energy consumption. And onsite power generation is increasingly viewed as a viable alternative to reduce the reliance on utility-generated power for various types of building projects.

		Building the Smart Meters Business Case - 01/22/11 Powergrid International, January 2011 By Lisa Wood, Institute for Electric Efficiency Moving to smart meters, along with advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), requires significant utility investments. The costs include system hardware (primarily meters) and software, installation labor, customer education, and integrating the new hardware into a utility’s existing computer systems.

		Bonding And Grounding Issues In Power Distribution Systems - 01/22/11 Maintenance Technology, January 2011 By Frank Waterer, Schneider Electric A stable power supply is the backbone of any building, plant or facility. Failures or instability resulting from a poorly designed power distribution system can negatively impact safety, production and the bottom line of a company's operations.

		Data Center Security Design - 01/16/11 Building Operating Management, January 2011 By Maryellen Lo Bosco The risks of a fire or security breach should be of constant concern to facility managers responsible for data centers.

		Establishing the Need for New Controls - 01/16/11 Building Operating Management, January 2011 By Rita Tatum During the 1980s and 1990s, design professionals were often more focused on improving comfort conditions with controls. Now that energy use is a bigger priority than it was then, building controls need to be able to respond to energy management needs.

		Determining and Stretching the Useful Life of Controls - 01/16/11 Building Operating Management, January 2011 By Rita Tatum One way to justify building controls upgrades is by changing them over in affordable phases. This option works well in multi-building campuses, such as university and medical campuses.

		Common Problems for Aging Controls Systems - 01/16/11 Building Operating Management, January 2011 By Rita Tatum There comes a time when the building controls no longer perform optimally. But how do you justify replacing those controls at perhaps $3,000 a controller in this economy?

		Making Money From Demand Response - 01/16/11 Automated Buildings, January 2011 By Jim Sinopoli, Smart Buildings For building owners demand response is a real opportunity to generate small or modest revenue. DR payments vary widely, but owners can expect payments in the range of $20-45K per MW curtailed each year.

		Back to Basics: PID - 01/16/11 Automated Buildings, January 2011 By Nirosha Munasinghe, Open General This article examines the common principle behind control; the PID algorithm, and examines the common mistakes and assumptions used in the industry.

		Technologies that will win in building automation - 01/16/11 Automated Buildings, January 2011 By David Lamarche, CAN2GO There hasn’t been this much innovation in building automation in a while. Here are a few technological breakthroughs, including Lighting and HVAC in one controller, wireless, and the convergence of IP and building automation network.

		Is Wireless technology ready for the commercial arena? - 01/16/11 Automated Buildings, January 2011 By Billal Vindhani, Greenologic The benefits of this technology are simply too great to pass up; on one hand the economic conditions have changed over the last 2 years; resulting in budget constraints and unaffordable maintenance expenses; on the other hand legislative changes demand building owners and facilities managers achieve greater efficiencies from their facilities.

		Predictions for Smart Buildings in 2011 - 01/16/11 Automated Buildings, January 2011 By Jim Sinopoli, Smart Buildings LLC Traditional Building Management Systems (BMS) from major international manufacturers will become obsolete, there will be a major shakeout in the “energy management software” sector, and more.

		New Technology Keeps Projects On Time and On Budget - 01/09/11 Automation World, December 2010 By Rob Spiegel Most projects have two things in common—they break the budget and they're late. New technology tools have emerged to help project managers keep their projects from slipping off the rails.

		Will Panel Builders Soon Rule The World? - 01/09/11 Process & Control Today, January 2011 By Stuart Harvey, SoftStart UK Previously, the battle cry was always “cut costs.” But now the drive is to improve value, add functionality, integrate operations, improve performance, increase system working life, design out operating costs, cut energy use, and reduce downtime. And the humble control panel is at the heart of all the above.

		File this under: Bad habits for control engineers - 01/09/11 Control Engineering, December 2010 By Dennis Brandl Most computer file systems are modeled on paper filing systems, even having a filing cabinet metaphor and “folder” icons as the file system interface. While this model worked in the 20th century, it is increasingly counterproductive for modern automation projects.

		Sustainable Engineering: Energy master plan reduces costs - 01/09/11 Control Engineering, December 2010 By Jerry Carter and Zach Platsis, SSOE Group Need higher efficiency? Drop the piecemeal approach to managing energy and sustainability initiatives. An integrated energy master plan, including discrete, batch, and processing lines, helps industrial and manufacturing companies realize cost, efficiency, and operational benefits.

		Significant Financial Gains Come with Upgrading an Aging Control System to More Modern Technology - 12/21/10 Automation.com, December 2010 By upgrading aging control systems, manufacturers and processing companies are optimizing production flow and enjoying significant gains in productivity and ROI on their control system investments.

		Achieving High Performance through Analytics - 12/18/10 Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, December 2010 By Bikash Chatterjee, Pharmatech Associates Analytics is much more than just measuring and reporting data. The concept of using analytics as a catalyst for business improvement involves transforming an organization’s decision-making process and offers a foundation for business strategy and tactics.

		Get to know the PAS 55 asset management standard - 12/18/10 Reliable Plant, November 2010 By Mike Poland, Life Cycle Engineering The new PAS 55standard will not only pertain to physical assets but to all other organizational assets as well. It will explain what to do, not how to do it, and finally allow organizations to self-declare conformity.

		Strategies to optimize shutdowns, turnarounds and outages - 12/18/10 Reliable Plant, December 2010 By Kevin Duffy, Kepner-Tregoe Without careful planning and risk management, delays can cause the cost of lost production to far exceed the planned maintenance costs of a shutdown.

		The 5 biggest risks to effective asset management - 12/18/10 Reliable Plant, December 2010 By Carl March, Life Cycle Engineering There are at least five risks that primarily contribute to an organization’s failure to optimally manage their assets: 1) not knowing what they have; 2) over- or under-maintenance; 3) improper operation; 4) improper risk management; and 5) suboptimized asset management systems.

		Don't allow motor repair practices to degrade motor efficiency - 12/18/10 Plant Services, December 2010 By Howard W Penrose, Dreisilker Electric Motors Be sure your repair shop can meet the minimum requirements of IEEE 1068-2009.

		Manage energy used during non-production time - 12/18/10 Plant Services, December 2010 By Peter Garforth When the office is closed, when the plant is not producing, or when the skeleton or maintenance shift is on-site, energy usage should be as near zero as is feasible.

		Keeping Projects On Track - 12/18/10 IMPO, December 2010 By Bob Harrell, Management Controls Project teams constantly evaluate real-time information from automated contractor cost management systems. This system is integrated with CMMS, scheduling and badge in/out access control systems. Manufacturers are using these real-time metrics to effectively manage costs and support spur-of-the-moment decisions.

		Green Building Design Can Pose Fire Safety Challenges - 12/18/10 Building Operating Management, December 2010 By Loren Snyder Due in part to an April 2009 fire in a Bakersfield, Calif., Target store, professional organizations, code writers, and fire-protection engineers are beginning to re-think the code and construction concerns for green buildings — particularly how life-safety precautions are addressed in green construction.

		Reponsibilities Must Be Spelled Out In a Green Building Contract - 12/18/10 Building Operating Management, December 2010 By Greg Zimmerman There isn't much new in terms of green building legal issues that traditional construction and contract law doesn't cover. The only unique legal issue in green building is LEED certification.

		Making Commercial Controls Work - 12/18/10 Automated Buildings, December 2010 By Paul Ehrlich Most building controls are installed as part of general construction projects in which making the controls work does not seem to be at the top of the priority list. Nearly everything about a controls system—the points, architecture, integration, etc.—comes from the requirements defined in the sequence of operation.

		Interoperability. So, what’s in it for me? - 12/18/10 Automated Buildings, December 2010 By Anto Budiardjo Despite the fact that interoperability facilitates the “greater good” for all Smart Grid players, interoperable features often have little or no bearing on a product’s core function.

		Dashboards for Buildings - 12/18/10 Automated Buildings, December 2010 By Jim Sinopoli For years the user interface was the typical BAS graphics, which generally looked like something designed in the 1980s. Today the more advanced integrated building management systems use the increasingly popular browser-based dashboards to present information to users.

		Business Intelligence and Building Automation Analytics - 12/18/10 Automated Buildings, December 2010 By Nino Kurtalj, Elma Kurtalj Every intelligent management decision will pay back quickly. The question is, are we able to distinguish information from terabytes of data?

		Long March Toward Sustainability Begins - 12/18/10 Chemical Processing, December 2010 By Seán Ottewell Companies consider reducing carbon footprint only one of the key steps necessary for sustainability.

		Double up to contain leaks - 12/18/10 Chemical Processing, December 2010 By Nick Basta Chemical companies are faced with numerous decisions about how to address a variety of major environmental and safety issues. Many are finding a simple solution in dual-wall piping systems.

		Managing fire risk is critical to waste recycling - 12/12/10 HazardEx, November 2010 Much of the waste being combustible is particularly susceptible to fire due to the nature of the processing machinery which includes shredders, hammer mills and rotary shearing machines. All plants processing waste combustible material will have an incident eventually. Here’s how to reduce the problem.

		Energy-Efficient Electric Motors - 12/12/10 Control Engineering, November 2010 By C.G. Masi You have to do more than just look at the motor nameplate to get maximum energy savings. Here's how to get inside motor efficiency to maximize savings.

		A postcard from the promised land of alarm management - 12/12/10 InTech, December 2010 By Nicholas Sands and Donald Dunn Once you have achieved the benefits of a well-managed alarm system, you wonder how you ever ran the plant without it. We haven’t seen a nuisance alarm or major alarm flood in months. The plant has never run so well. The weather is fine. Wish you were here.

		How Can the NERC CIP Standards Be Improved? - 12/12/10 Control, December 2010 By Jay Abshier, Sentigy and Phil Marasco, Ison Many people familiar with the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) and its Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) standards say the standards are flawed. The requirements in the CIP standards are pretty good, but they do not address common methods of attacking a protected network.

		Networked Building Automation System - 11/21/10 Automated Buildings, November 2010 By Paul Ehrlich, et al, Building Intelligence Group It is amazing how little we know about what really goes on in most buildings. There are several valuable tools we would recommend for gaining better understanding into the depths of system operation.

		Control System Upgrades - 11/21/10 Automated Buildings, November 2010 By Steven R. Calabrese, Control Engineering Corp Building Automation Systems have a useful lifespan, just like any other product or system of products. And at the end of that lifespan, it’s time to depart with the old system and procure a new system.

		OPC UA Adoption Update - 11/21/10 Automated Buildings, November 2010 By Manny Mandrusiak No one is certain where technology trends in BAS will take us in 2011 but one thing is certain: OPC UA will be the protocol of choice in taking data from the field and making it useful information in the cloud.

		The Protocol Implementation Conformance Statement (PIC) - 11/21/10 Automated Buildings, November 2010 By Nirosha Munasinghe, Open General This article examines what is a PIC statement in BACnet and outlines the main characteristics of the document.

		Connecting Building Automation to Everything - 11/21/10 Automated Buildings, November 2010 By Nino Kurtalj, Elma Kurtalj In an ideal world, we will be able to be vendor and protocol independent. Everything will talk to everything.

		Wireless Meters--The Real Hotspot - 11/21/10 Automated Buildings, November 2010 By Jim Sinopoli, Smart Buildings Wireless communication can be built into the meter or a wireless transceiver can be added as an adjunct to an existing meter. Here’s a roundup of what’s available.

		Green Buildings and EZ Electricity - 11/21/10 Automated Buildings, November 2010 By Jack Mc Gowan, Energy Control The topic of smart buildings has been generally been dominated by a focus on improving environments and optimizing energy performance, along with integrating the host of electronic systems in the typical building. The next frontier for smart buildings will be to integrate communities or campuses of facilities.

		Industrial data now in the Cloud - 11/01/10 Automation.com, October 2010 By Bill Lydon Software Toolbox is now providing a cloud-based repository for industrial plant data which can be accessed with web-based clients. Industrial applications using cloud computing are starting to emerge. The IT world has been using cloud computing to lower ongoing support costs and provide greater flexibility.

		Hybrid Communication Networks? The Key to Meeting Smart Grid Requirements - 10/26/10 PowerGrid International, October 2010 By Ken Monro, S&C Electric Stimulus funding has created a gold rush mentality. Suppliers are entering the electric utility marketplace armed with products not specifically designed for electric utility applications. Suppliers frequently claim their offerings can meet rigors of the electric utility environment, but they lack an in-depth understanding of the requirements.

		Operators use diagnostic data to optimize production and eliminate maintenance problems before they start - 10/21/10 Plant Services, October 2010 By Paul Studebaker Instead of predicting and planning maintenance work, condition-monitoring principles and technologies can inform operators directly, so they can make machine, process or operation adjustments, continue to run and maintain quality levels.

		Control the flow to optimize compressor operation - 10/21/10 Plant Services, October 2010 By Hank van Ormer, Air Power USA Is an efficient compressed air system an oxymoron? Receivers and controls might be useful, if configured correctly.

		Value-added work leads to higher ROI - 10/21/10 Plant Services, October 2010 By Tom Moriarty The idea behind improving wrench time is to work smarter, not harder. Most workers don’t like traveling across the refinery only to find that the job plan didn’t identify the actual work that needed to be done, that they didn’t bring the right tools and that the repair parts supplied were incorrect.

		Uptime: Hide-And-Seek — Find The Hidden Losses - 10/21/10 IMPO, October 2010 By Bob Williamson Is it "normal" for maintenance to be blamed while the actual causes of the downtime and other equipment-related losses go unseen? When maintenance is incorrectly blamed, it may keep the true causes and other losses hidden inside an equipment performance-history time warp.

		PPAs and Other Ways to Pay for PV Systems - 10/21/10 Building Operating Management, October 2010 By Greg Zimmerman In a power purchasing agreement (PPA), a third-party company installs and maintains a PV system on a facility's roof, and then sells the renewable power back to the facility at lower-than-market price.

		Solar Panel Efficiency Going Up as Costs are Falling - 10/21/10 Building Operating Management, October 2010 By Greg Zimmerman As manufacturing technology is improving and panels are being produced more cheaply, and as the panels themselves are becoming more efficient, both expense and payback numbers are coming down.

		Smart Meters Bring Time-of-use Electric Rates - 10/21/10 Building Operating Management, October 2010 By Lindsay Audin While the vast majority of smart meters have been accepted without a ruckus, some areas have seen near revolts by groups of customers who felt they were being overcharged due to the new meters. To ensure no sticker shock from your first smart-metered bill, here are a few tips.

		Smart Grid's Rapid Deployment Brings Perks - 10/21/10 Building Operating Management, October 2010 By Lindsay Audin Through collection and near real-time analysis of interval data, building and plant operators may realize new ways to understand how their facilities are running, while finding ways to improve operations and cut electric bills.

		Energy Information Management - 10/21/10 Automated Buildings, October 2010 By Tim Kensok, AirAdvice Web-based solutions provide the obvious advantage of remote access from a plethora of locations and tools. Depending on the case, desktop computers, laptops and smart phones can be used by end-users to manage the desired applications.

		Integrating EnOcean and BACnet - 10/21/10 Automated Buildings, October 2010 By The S4 Group This article explores the role of ASHRAE’s BACnet standard in today’s BAS marketplace and how EnOcean technology can be brought into this industry wide environment.

		Too Many Choices For Wireless Building Systems? - 10/21/10 Automated Buildings, October 2010 By Jim Sinopoli, Smart Buildings Sometimes we’re given too many choices which can lead to confusion and paralysis. That may be the case with wireless network platforms for building systems, where we have wireless technologies such as ZigBee, EnOcean, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi, RFID, Insteon, Bluetooth, etc.

		IECEx Certification of Personnel Competency - 10/21/10 Oil & Gas Engineer, October 2010 After a number of years in the planning, the new IECEx Scheme for Certification of Personnel Competency is off the ground. Plant owners now have an opportunity to use a worldwide standard for judging whether or not the staff they employ to install, inspect and maintain their plant are truly competent for the purpose.

		Optimising Ethernet Performance in Manufacturing Plants - 10/20/10 Industrial Automation Asia, November 2010 By Bill Wotruba, Belden The consideration of environmental risks and the selection of suitable hardware are essential to long-term network performance and reliability.

		Opt for innovative design partnerships - 10/20/10 South Africa Instrumentation & Control, October 2010 In South Africa, there are too few qualified persons with water and wastewater plant experience to handle the growth in the utilities market.

		TETRA network coverage in hazardous areas - 10/19/10 HazardEx, September 2010 As far as European and Asian countries are concerned, TETRA, a digital trunked mobile radio standard, is the leading technology to assure the communication of government agencies, emergency services, rail transportation staff, transport services and the military.

		Plant safety engineers take aim at a wireless future - 10/19/10 HazardEx, September 2010 By Dr.Patrick Hogan, Honeywell Analytics We are on the cusp of a new era in plant operations characterized by sensors obtaining and transmitting information on temperature, pressure, transportation, tank levels, vibration, corrosion, gas concentration levels — over a wireless grid.

		Simplifying Connections - 10/13/10 Control Engineering Asia, September 2010 By Nathan Pettus Electronic Marshalling of I/O focuses on the areas of commissioning a process automation system that are the most complex, involve many hours of labor, or that can disrupt a project the most.

		The Service Solution - 10/13/10 Control Engineering Asia, September 2010 By G Venkatesh Equipment suppliers and automation solutions providers, who not very long ago used to “supply it, install it and forget it”, are now being called on to nurture the equipment and systems they supply, all through their lifetimes.

		7 tips for an industrial Ethernet cyber security strategy - 10/13/10 Control Engineering, September 2010 By Peter Wood, GarrettCom Industrial operations are becoming more aware of their vulnerability to cyber mischief or cyber attacks. Here are seven tips that can create the foundation for a cyber security strategy.

		Control architecture, who needs it? - 10/13/10 Control Engineering, September 2010 By Dennis Brandl, BR&L Consulting Unsuccessful projects will often fail to have anyone clearly assigned to the architect role or will not have a well-defined architecture. This will not make a project successful, but lacking both will leave your project “out-of-control.”

		Evaluate network plant floor coverage before using Ethernet - 10/13/10 Control Engineering, September 2010 By Rick Griffin, Molex Ethernet convergence offers the ability to meet real-time data traffic requirements with reliability, security and ease of integration. That is why the trend toward operating on an enterprise-wide technology platform has steadily been growing, especially among larger manufacturers.

		A look into the Position Sensors Markets - 10/05/10 Automation.com, October 2010 Earlier this year, VDC Research Group’s Industrial Automation and Control Practice teamed up with Automation.com and other Industrial Automation and sensor industry partners to conduct a survey on the position sensing market. This article will provide readers with a few selected insights into the Photoelectric, Proximity and Limit Switch markets.

		When Process Safety Efforts Fail: The Risks to Corporate Executives - 09/25/10 Power Engineering, September 2010 There are few places on earth more lonely than the space occupied by a corporate executive who is potentially responsible for a process safety mishap resulting in significant injuries to property, the environment and people.

		Green Collars--Where are the Jobs? - 09/25/10 Electric Light & Power, September 2010 By Kristen Wright Where are the 5 million green-collar jobs 2008 presidential candidate Barack Obama pledged to create within 10 years? Two years into his presidency, nobody knows what qualifies, including government agencies and environmental groups.

		Ensuring industrial electrical safety - 09/24/10 Plant Services, September 2010 By Michael Sa, OSHA Training Center Raise the level of electrical hazard awareness: Every employee should know these elements of electrical safety.

		Mobile asset fleets need to be managed differently - 09/24/10 Plant Services, September 2010 By David Berger Your CMMS can be an active partner in minimizing mobile asset operating cost.

		Mobile assets create a special management challenge - 09/24/10 Reliable Plant, September 2010 As assets shift in location from place to place, establishing their status levels, and performing routine tasks like preventive maintenance, becomes significantly harder.

		Symptoms of ineffective maintenance planning - 09/24/10 Reliable Plant, August 2010 By Bobby Rivenbark, Life Cycle Engineering Why do some maintenance departments that have planning in place fail to produce desired results? Delays, mismanagement, ineffective supervision, poor performance and unavailable materials all can contribute to ineffective planning.

		Integrating CMMS with Other Building Systems - 09/24/10 Building Operating Management, September 2010 By Lindsay Audin CMMS programs import and export information from and to other programs, saving time and work hours in the process. The end result may be a reduction in necessary maintenance, fewer (or less frequent) service calls, and lower energy bills.

		CMMS: Worth the Cost? - 09/24/10 Building Operating Management, September 2010 By Lindsay Audin A good rough budget number, which includes software, setup, and basic training, would be about $15,000 for a typical facility with several user stations, plus 15 to 20 percent per year of that cost for annual maintenance and upgrades by the software provider.

		CMMS Capabilities - 09/24/10 Building Operating Management, September 2010 By Lindsay Audin While initially used to handle complex industrial operations, CMMS now routinely also support many building management tasks.

		From the Silo to Open Collaborative Facility Internetworks - 09/24/10 Automated Buildings, September 2010 By Nino Kurtalj, Elma Kurtalj Ltd Today we have to anticipate a new kind of network in the facility - The Facility Network. That particular network has to be developed before the building automation subsystem details.

		Open - 09/24/10 Automated Buildings, September 2010 By Nirosha Munasinghe, Open General It can be argued that the word ‘Open’ is the most fundamental key word that has driven the BAS industry over the last decade and will continue to drive it in the future.

		Why is it that control systems don’t work? - 09/24/10 Automated Buildings, September 2010 By Ehrlich & Ira Goldschmidt Focus on thorough control design and installation, coupled with good training and tools for continuous commissioning and monitoring. These are the keys to the delivery of high performance building operation platforms.

		U.S. Economic Recovery Faces Setback - 09/24/10 Manufacturing.net, September 2010 The economic recovery appears to be stalling as companies cut back last month on their investments in equipment and machines and Americans bought new homes at the weakest pace in decades

		The Counterfeit Conundrum: Protecting Company And Customer - 09/24/10 Manufacturing.net, September 2010 By Duane Sword, vice president, Thermo Scientific Manufacturers need to be prepared to protect their brand, product and customers. Technology is needed to differentiate between legitimate products and counterfeits so that fakes can be kept out of the supply chain and out of customers’ hands.

		Future Hiring To Benefit Highly Skilled Workers - 09/24/10 Manufacturing.net, September 2010 Of 8 million-plus jobs lost to the recession -- in fields like manufacturing, real estate and financial services -- many, perhaps most, aren't coming back. In their place will be jobs in health care, information technology and statistical analysis.

		Sophisticated Surveillance - 09/16/10 Vision Systems Design, September 2010 By Ross McNutt and John Egri Coupling Gigabit cameras, GPS, and INS systems to an onboard computer allows high-resolution, airborne surveillance images to be captured and analyzed.

		Your Next Network Connection Could Be a Powerline - 09/12/10 Machine Design, August 2010 By Leland E. Teschler Goodbye to fieldbus? Maybe so, if a new generation of powerline-communication gear lives up to expectations. Smart-grid applications for power-line communications could pave the way for using the technology as a less-expensive fieldbus networking scheme.

		Distribution Management Systems: Smartness In Control - 09/12/10 Industrial Automation Asia, August 2010 By Marina Ohrn and Hormoz Kazemzadeh, ABB Power Systems IT systems that support transmission and distribution operations have become more robust and powerful, and have now reached the point where multiple applications can be presented on a single platform. The future grid will be largely automated, being able to apply intelligence to operate, monitor and even heal itself.

		Find the Bottlenecks - 09/12/10 Control Design, September 2010 By Jeremy Pollard If you're going to be creating a server-based system with some clients on the floor and using any connection method, then you'll need to find the bottlenecks. So, where are the bottlenecks and the big issues?

		Integrating distributed energy resources into the smart grid - Part 2 - 09/12/10 What’s New in Process Technology, September 2010 By Gary Frederich and Patric Dove, Advantech Integration of DERs into the utility generation, transmission and integration system presents numerous challenges. Modern automation systems, especially those powered by PC-based industrial controllers, are one of the best methods for dealing with these challenges and successfully integrating DERs into utility systems.

		Condition monitoring: An insurance policy against unforeseen plant downtime - 09/10/10 HazardEx, August 2010 By Kate Hartigan, Schaeffler By using the latest condition monitoring systems and automatic lubrication systems for bearings, oil and gas processing companies can reduce the risk and costs associated with unforeseen breakdowns to critical production plant and machinery.

		Convergence-or Not. That's the Question - 09/10/10 Control, September 2010 By Walt Boyes We have a serious problem with the adoption of wireless field devices in the process industries. Now that the Chinese WIA standard has been approved by IEC, we are very close to having four standards. The drive of the ISA100.11a team to produce a new version of ISA100.11a-2010 could actually produce a fifth standard.

		Electrical design software gaining more acceptance Automation.com, September 2010 By Bill Lydon As U.S. companies gain a better understanding of their costs and risks on projects, more are beginning to use electrical design software. This shift has led to a greater focus on efficiency and systemizing knowledge – ideal for what these software systems accomplish.

		Copper Theft: Out of Control - 08/30/10 Utility Products, August 2010 By David Lambert The 2008 Copper Theft Report showed that U.S. utilities spent more than $60 million and experienced over 456,000 outage minutes. It also showed that 52 injuries and 35 deaths occurred because of copper theft. With 95% of U.S. utilities experiencing some degree of copper theft, it is a big problem.

		More Than 90 Percent of Damaging Lightning Storms Occur From April Through September - 08/30/10 Utility Products, August 2010 Lightning season, from April through September, is when more than 90 percent of damaging thunderstorms occur, So now is the time for companies with mission-critical equipment in rural sites to prepare for Mother Nature's onslaught.

		Shedding Light on Right to Know Bill - 08/30/10 Transmission & Distribution, August 2010 By Joel Hoiland, Utilimetrics One of the big challenges facing the utility industry when it comes to smart meter deployments and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) are the questions of who owns energy-usage data, how it will be protected, and how privacy will be administered and secured.

		Securing the smart grid: the road ahead - 08/30/10 International Power Engineer. August 2010 With the help of the government and security experts, utilities are taking strides to improve the security of the smart grid and all of its components. As a result of improving security protocols, both consumers and utilities will thrive from the vast benefits of the smart grid, while ensuring the present and future safety of the world's critical infrastructure.

		Rebuilding aging feedwater heaters on-line, with minimal downtime - 08/30/10 Energy Tech, August 2010 It used to be an old myth that rebuilding a feedwater heater took longer than installing a new replacement, or that it couldn’t be done with the unit in operation or on-line. Not any more. Today’s rebuilding companies can rebuild aging units in a matter of weeks.

		Get Smart and Cut Energy Costs with Integrated Motor Controls - 08/26/10 International Chemical Engineer, August 2010 By Ian Heathcock, Siemens Industry Automation The integration of smart motor controls (MCCs) into a process automation system can play a vital role in energy conservation strategy.

		The Role of Human Factors in Accident Prevention - 08/26/10 International Chemical Engineer, August 2010 Human factors have always been central to accident prevention in the process industries. Now a major European safety body has published a detailed report which identifies the barriers that exist to understanding them.

		VFDs: Beyond Fans and Pumps - 08/26/10 Design News, August 2010 By Stephen Prachyl, Siemens Industry When discussing energy savings and variable frequency drives (VFDs), the attention often focuses on centrifugal fan or pump applications. Don’t overlook other applications which also have large potential energy savings and energy recovery.

		Justifying Cyber-security Expenditures - 08/26/10 Automation World, August 2010 By Wes Iversen Here are some tips from one cyber-security program manager on what to say—and what not to say—when making your pitch to top management.

		Continuous emission monitoring - 08/23/10 What’s New in Process Technology, July 2010 By Group Instrumentation The requirement for continuous emission monitors has changed significantly over the last 10 years. This has been brought about by the increase in use of flue gas treatment systems, reducing the levels of pollutant to be monitored, and environmental agencies worldwide requiring smaller processes to be monitored

		Oxygen measurement for combustion optimisation - 08/23/10 What’s New in Process Technology, August 2010 By Group Instrumentation Combustion optimisation for boilers and other combustion processes has long been an important issue with increasing fuel prices. Combustion involves the burning of fuel to generate heat. To optimise the amount of heat generated, the level of available oxygen must be controlled.

		Remote monitoring and diagnostic centres - 08/23/10 South Africa Instrumentation & Control, August 2010 By Gerhard Greeff, Bytes Systems Integration With the advent of more reliable wide area networks and web-accessible technology, some companies have implemented or are actively pursuing implementation of Remote Monitoring and Diagnostic Centres.

		Value from Vibration - 08/23/10 Control Engineering Asia, August 2010 By Jonas Berge Developments in wireless instruments and device management software are helping to deliver a more cost-effective solution for vibration monitoring of machinery health.

		Powering the Smart Grid - 08/23/10 Control Engineering Asia, August 2010 By G Venkatesh A smart grid refers to an electricity network that can intelligently integrate the actions of all users connected to it. But why should smart grids be applicable only to the power supply sector?

		A Big Change in Motor Efficiency - 08/22/10 Plant Services, August 2010 By Emmanuel Agamloh Explore how December’s federally mandated requirements will affect the industry.

		Design, Install and Maintain a Reliable Network Infrastructure - 08/22/10 Plant Services, August 2010 By Sheila Kennedy As companies get more sophisticated about networking, they’ll build reliable enterprise communication networks that they can grow with.

		Don’t Let System Components Kill Air Compressor Efficiency - 08/22/10 Plant Services, August 2010 By Ron Marshall How to minimize cycling, pressure differentials and unloaded runtime.

		Verifying and Customizing Interoperability - 08/22/10 Building Operating Management, August 2010 Checking the BTL listing is an important first step to guarantee the device actually has been tested in a BACnet system and behaves the way it is supposed to behave.

		Understanding BACnet Capabilities, Getting Past Obstacles - 08/22/10 Building Operating Management, August 2010 It’s important to most installations to be able to connect “up top” at the Ethernet or BACnet I/P level so a system can be connected to another system. Down lower, it matters very little how they communicate with each other.

		What is BACnet Interoperability - 08/22/10 Building Operating Management, August 2010 It’s important for facility managers to dig below the surface of claims for interoperability of various systems. That’s because true interoperability can bring benefits for the life of the system.

		Facility Managers Should Reassess Security Plans as Terrorism Threats Change - 08/22/10 Building Operating Management, August 2010 By Desiree J. Hanford Facility managers can take any number of steps to make it more difficult to attack their facilities, yet not diminish the use of those facilities.

		Security Threats to Facilities are Changing as Terrorists Becoming Decentralized - 08/22/10 Building Operating Management, August 2010 By Desiree J. Hanford Immediate responders are trained to arrive on the scene of any incident within two to three minutes while law enforcement officials are still mobilizing. The objective is to help law enforcement address the actual incident instead of training people to help them.

		Looking In On BACnet - 08/22/10 Automated Buildings, August 2010 By Andy McMillan, Philips Teletrol Through integrated connected virtualization, the world of large buildings will soon view everything connected differently.

		Energy – How much do we have, how much do we need, and where do we find it? - 08/22/10 Automated Buildings, August 2010 By Manny Mandrusiak, OPC Foundation PROFIenergy is a profile of the PROFINET communications protocol which enables the power consumption of automation equipment in manufacturing (such as robots in auto assembly cells, laser cutters and sub-systems such as paint lines) to be managed over a PROFINET network.

		When Does Building Automation Become Industrial Automation? - 08/22/10 Automated Buildings, August 2010 By Paul Ehrlich and Ira Goldschmidt, Building Intelligence Group There generally appears to be a clear division between the building and industrial automation markets, but not always. Industrial automation involves applications that are often one-of-a-kind, with an importance placed on the handling of most contingencies and minimizing “downtime”, and integration with various systems and other controls.

		VFD Retrofit Opportunities - 08/22/10 Automated Buildings, August 2010 By Steven R. Calabrese, Control Engineering Corp Installing VFDs is certainly by no means restricted to HVAC equipment. Other non-HVAC equipment (domestic water pumps come to mind) can be operated from a variable frequency drive. You need to weigh the options and see if it makes sense, of course.

		OPC Xi Overview - 08/22/10 Automated Buildings, August 2010 By Randy Kondor, OPC Training Institute, et al This article briefly compares OPC Xi with Classic OPC and OPC UA, and provides an overview of OPC Xi.

		A Window into Shading and Electrically Switchable Glass - 08/22/10 Automated Buildings, August 2010 By Jim Sinopoli, Smart Buildings LLC The automation issues with shading may seem simple and straight forward but they are not. There are multiple effects we try to optimize with shading. Shading done properly reduces the demand for cooling and provides a modification of the lighting to a space that improves the amount and dispersal of the lighting.

		Monitoring-based Commissioning for Proactive Energy Management - 08/22/10 Automated Buildings, August 2010 By Peter Sharer, Agilewaves MBCx addresses the “performance drift” which occurs when building systems fall out of calibration or fail altogether. A sensor network gathers discrete data measurements and with analysis capabilities identifies trends, detects leaks and alerts building engineers to hidden problems that waste energy.

		Products of Interest from Niagara Summit Automation.com, August 2010 By Bill Lydon The Niagara Summit, held in May 2010, is an event where professionals come together to exchange and share experiences on building automation infra-structure technology and device-to-enterprise integration. This year’s summit featured over 30 partner companies displaying solutions that leverage Tridium system architectures. Here are some that caught my eye as particularly interesting.

		Honeywell makes move to capture business through SIs - 08/03/10 Automation.com, August 2010 By Bill Lydon HPS is pursuing relationships with independent system integrators (SIs) to "capture incremental business" for smaller systems in applications including specialty chemicals, food & beverage, and pharmaceuticals. This article reviews the details of the Systems Integrator Program.

		Smart Grid tour educates industry and consumers - 07/27/10 Automation.com, July 2010 By Bill Lydon While the Smart Grid is going to take some time to develop, investing in energy conservation and efficiency has always made sense. Siemens Smart Grid Tour educates industry and consumers using thought-leadership panels, videos, interactive demos, and educational sessions on topics including automation, power distribution, generation, and transmission.

		Solving problems after plant energy upgrades - 07/24/10 Reliable Plant, July 2010 By Fluke While most energy-saving electronic lighting ballasts, lighting controls and VFDs work just fine on modern electrical distribution systems, this equipment can create troubleshooting nightmares in older facilities.

		Maximize your equipment life by determining failure modes - 07/24/10 Reliable Plant, July 2010 By Terry Harris Programs such as root cause analysis (RCA) and Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) can be educational processes for critical plant equipment and lead to longer life cycles of the components.

		Early bearing failure detection - 07/24/10 Reliable Plant, July 2010 By Dr. Jay Lee One of the key issues in bearing prognostics is to detect the defect at its incipient stage and alert the operator before it develops into a catastrophic failure.

		Predicting maintenance with NDT - 07/24/10 Plant Services, July 2010 By Sheila Kennedy The findings you get from nondestructive testing (NDT) allow maintenance to be predictive, which can be more cost-effective and safer than interval-based or break/fix approaches.

		Examining cloud computing formations - 07/24/10 Plant Services, July 2010 By David Berger Despite the perception that cloud computing is a cheaper, cleaner and more expeditious option, this silver lining sometimes comes with a darker interior. Here are some potential disadvantages of cloud computing to consider when weighing CMMS options.

		Still Chasing The Chickens? - 07/24/10 Maintenance Technology, July 2010 By Enrique Mora, LeanExpertise.com With today's proven maintenance strategies, there's no reason for your operations to be in chasing mode, but there's hope if you are.

		Refine Your Condition-Monitoring To Prevent Recurring Failures - 07/24/10 IMPO, July 2010 By Paul Michalicka, SKF USA Review your condition-monitoring strategy. Programs most likely to succeed are those that have a formal structure and feature route-based monitoring activities that emphasize the routine collection, trending, and analysis of machine data.

		Five Steps To Safety - 07/24/10 IMPO, July 2010 By Dana A. Weeks, Pilz Automation Safety doesn’t have to be complicated, confusing or costly. Here are five steps you can take to keep employees safe and costs down.

		Facilities Software Takes a Strategic Role in FM - 07/24/10 Building Operating Management, July 2010 By Phil Wales Facilities are a key component of how corporations deliver their service or product, and the facility manager must now have access to strategic planning tools. This is where software vendors are seeking to bring value.

		Energy Benchmarking and Monitoring - 07/24/10 Automated Buildings, July 2010 By Priscilla Koeckeritz, EnergyPrint Often the missing piece of the energy management picture is a lack of benchmarking before a project starts monitoring. Before trying to establish an energy plan or improve energy performance, take a moment to review your goals and determine how to track your progress.

		Wireless Pneumatic Direct Digital Control - 07/24/10 Automated Buildings, July 2010 By Mark O’Hearne, Millennial Net How can the pneumatically controlled building advance with the times to be more sustainable without a disruptive and costly overhaul?

		The Benefit of a Virtual Environment to BAS - 07/24/10 Automated Buildings, July 2010 By Nirosha Munasinghe, Open General The bottom line is that studies have proven that using a virtualized server saves 7000 kWh of electricity and four tons of carbon dioxide per year.

		Industry Perspectives from Honeywell User Group 2010 - 07/20/10 Automation.com, July 2010 By Bill Lydon Review the industry perspectives, technology and solutions from HUG Americas 2010. Highlights include an overview of five megatrends identified by Norm Gilsdorf, Honeywell's commitment to legacy products, training and service, and introduction of a new RTU, safety remote IO, in-controller batch manager, and turbo machine controller. Plus, see an example of control system virtualization.

		Shedding new light on the fluorescent versus LED debate - 07/18/10 Chemical Engineer, July 2010 While LED technology has developed rapidly, there are certain areas in which LEDs or solid state lighting (SSL) products are not yet ready to replace all conventional light fittings, particularly when it comes to fluorescent tubes installed in hazardous areas.

		Should you automate to regulate? - 07/18/10 Manufacturers’ Monthly, June 2010 By Emily Mobbs Energy management has become a top priority for business managers and systems integrators responsible for controlling a manufacturing plant’s bottom line.

		The elephant in the room: corrosion and its cost to industry - 07/18/10 Manufacturers’ Monthly, June 2010 By Steve Drury The high cost of corrosion continues to be a major challenge for mining, defence, manufacturing and general industry. An extremely difficult issue to manage, corrosion continues to present a highly intrusive and disruptive cost impost to business & supply chain operations.

		Are You Overlooking A Prime Source Of Cost Reductions? - 07/18/10 Manufacturing.Net, July 2010 By Bob Zak, Powerit Solutions Take full advantage of proven but not widely used energy efficiency strategies, such as peak-demand control, utility demand response, and real-time pricing programs, as well as the technologies that enable them.

		Is There a PC in Your Control Systems Future? - 07/18/10 Control, July 2010 By Dan Hebert There's no longer any technical reason why a PLC or a DCS should be more reliable than an industrial PC.

		Driving Technology and Innovation Together Automation.com, July 2010 By Bill Lydon Review the technology and innovations presented by Siemens at their recent 2010 Automation Summit, held in Charlotte, NC. Highlights include Siemens’ focus on energy, advancements in their process control offering, their industrial communications strategy and new distributed panel devices.

		Cost savings realized with Energy Management Software - 07/13/10 InTech, June 2010 By Steve Norman The monitoring of energy resources through Energy Management Software can help you understand where and when these resources are being used and can give you the knowledge to target the areas of waste or overuse.

		Power conditioning - 07/13/10 InTech, June 2010 By Michael A. Stout This article keeps the scope limited to power conditioning products under 10kVA, however much of the discussion is applicable to larger capacity products as well.

		Upgrading (or updating) instrument calibration programs - 07/13/10 InTech, July 2010 By Mike Cable Significantly improve your calibration program efficiency and compliance with a CCMS upgrade.

		Better information for better energy performance - 07/13/10 InTech, July 2010 By Stan DeVries How should energy performance be measured? The answer depends upon the user, but most often it needs to be expressed in the context of produced product for a given part of the corporation over a specific time period.

		Smart Grid: Energising The World - 07/11/10 Industrial Automation Asia, July 2010 By David Mayne, Digi International The Smart Grid will continue to evolve and will demand solutions that include wired connectivity, public wireless and private wireless networks.

		Stop and Think! Solving Problems More Effectively Automation.com, June 2010 By Bill Lydon Leveraging the knowledge and know-how of the people in an organization is a powerful way to make improvements and solve problems. The difficulty is getting this done effectively and avoiding an ineffective committee that creates more problems. The Kepner-Tregoe processes and techniques are powerful tools to achieve better outcomes. This article explores the Kepner-Tregoe methods as a tool for automation professionals.

		Managers Can Maintain Building Service Levels While Saving Money With BAS - 06/23/10 Building Operating Management, June 2010 By Naomi Millán Of all the energy management strategies available, figuring out how to use controls to turn things off is perhaps obvious. The art comes in figuring out how to maintain service levels while shaving a little here and squeezing a little there.

		Climate Change Still Battling Court of Public Opinion in US - 06/23/10 Building Operating Management, June 2010 By Naomi Millán Whereas in much of the rest of the world climate change is accepted as scientific fact, in the United States it is still the subject of debate. There are some who do not deny climate change, but question how it should be addressed.

		Kaiser Permanente Qualifies Old Building for Energy Incentives - 06/23/10 Automated Buildings, June 2010 By Harry Sim, Cypress Envirosystems Almost all of Kaiser’s facilities are modern buildings with Energy Management Systems (EMS). That made it easy to program the EMSs to receive and act upon PG&E’s internet signal during times of high electricity prices or grid emergencies. Except for one.

		Wireless Energy Management Systems Building Bottom Lines - 06/23/10 Automated Buildings, June 2010 By Davis Watkins, Advanced Telemetry An entire segment of commercial buildings that was previously unable to afford a sophisticated EMS now has some very compelling options.

		The Future of Cloud Connectivity for BAS - 06/23/10 Automated Buildings, June 2010 By Nirosha Munasinghe, Open General It is clear that cloud computing has the potential for the BAS to seamlessly integrate with other business services to provide a user friendly, cost effective and in depth solution to the client, transparent of the underlining technology.

		Where The Rubber Meets The Road - 06/23/10 Automated Buildings, June 2010 By Jim Sinopoli, Smart Buildings How difficult can it be to calculate energy savings by measuring energy usage before and after energy conservation measures (ECM) are implemented? The reality is very different.

		Expand Your Plant Not Your Problems - 06/16/10 Chemical Processing, June 2010 By Dirk Willard Did you know that 18% of instruments fail on delivery and another 18% fail during testing? Careful project planning and good communications with vendors can avoid hassles.

		Energy automation systems for reliable control and optimised energy import - 06/16/10 International Energy Solutions, June 2010 By Jürgen Resch Modern energy automation software systems support the users in their attempt to optimise engineering and production processes, to cut down energy consumption and wastage and, thus, to reduce costs.

		The Many Faces of Quality Data - 06/16/10 Managing Automation, June 2010 By Julie Fraser Disjointed quality data leaves a company open to higher costs and higher risks. To best control quality, all of this data needs to be correlated to become useful. Vendors are battling it out to make their software the system of record for quality information.

		Look, Up in the Sky … It’s Cloud Computing! - 06/16/10 Managing Automation, June 2010 By Chris Chiappinelli An apt metaphor, the cloud remains hazy and undefined to many business leaders in manufacturing and the broader economy. Here is a primer on cloud computing’s formation and its industrial forecast.

		Integration Management: Aiming for Agility - 06/16/10 Managing Automation, June 2010 By Jeff Moad In a post-recession climate, manufacturers are focusing on plant-to-enterprise integration projects that will move them closer to the long sought-after goals of strategic decision making and real-time adaptability.

		Intelligent metering solutions are key to energy and resource management - 06/16/10 Industrial Embedded Systems, June 2010 By Keith Odland Meters are no longer spinning mechanical contraptions; they’re embedded devices with MCUs inside. Here’s an overview of metering functions and considerations for designers.

		Finding the Plant’s Intelligence - 06/16/10 Automation World, June 2010 By Alex Anderson Software applications and connectivity give managers insight into plant operations, enablng them to improve performance.

		Plant Video: Opening Secret Corners of the Plant - 06/16/10 Automation World, June 2010 Cameras have become an inexpensive way to view the world, and now they’re being introduced into human-machine interface/supervisory control and data acquisition (HMI/SCADA).

		Displays Put Plant Data on the Dashboard - 06/16/10 Automation World, June 2010 By Rob Spiegel While the latest visualization and display technology doesn’t always get a warm reception from older-generation operators, it does provide a greater view into plant production and health.

		Tracking, tracing and maintaining equipment in the process industries - 06/16/10 What’s New in Process Technology, May 2010 By Tony Repaci, Intermec There are a variety of technologies which can be used to effectively track assets across the processing industry, ensuring their effectiveness and maintenance. The two most widely used are barcode technology and radio frequency identification (RFID).

		What you really need to know about sample rate - 06/16/10 What’s New in Process Technology, June 2010 By Total Turnkey Solutions Everyone knows that you only need to sample at twice the frequency of your signal of interest to get good results, right? If you answered “right!” to that last statement, perhaps you should read on.

		Commodity manufacturing processes - 06/16/10 South Africa Instrumentation & Control, June 2010 By Gavin Halse, ApplyIT Business leaders have come to regard their IT systems as mere commodity infrastructures, unable to add new strategic value and in the same category as office buildings, telephones and photocopy machines.

		Preparing for higher energy prices - 06/16/10 South Africa Instrumentation & Control, June 2010 By Sal Spada, ARC Advisory Group To best prepare for higher energy prices and more restrictive regulations, a company should perform an energy audit or plant assessment that will be used as an initial benchmark for energy improvement initiatives.

		Reaping The Benefits Of Predictive Maintenance - 06/12/10 Process & Control Today, June 2010 By Jez Palmer, Schneider Electric Managing processes and equipment through predictive maintenance presents significant benefits. With the rapid evolution of technology, companies can obtain a higher level of intelligence while simultaneously monitoring plants, reducing downtime and ultimately cutting costs.

		Who is the control system expert – customer or manufacturer? - 06/12/10 Control Engineering Europe, June 2010 By David Clough, Yokogawa With modern systems having so much functionality and requiring specialist knowledge, who is the expert these days? The customer knows what he wants to achieve but maybe not the most efficient way.

		Questions of Security - 06/12/10 Control Engineering Asia, May 2010 By Matthew Luallen and Steven Hamburg While the awareness of potential cyber security threats to industrial control systems has increased over the last few years, a recent survey reveals some still significant gaps in users’ defenses.

		Could Cyber Terrorists Attack Our Company? - 06/12/10 Control, June 2010 By John Cusimano and Eric Byres When cyber-related events cause outages and plant shutdowns—whether they were caused by accident, employee, hacker or terrorist—the first question should be, "What made our system unstable and susceptible, and what can we do to prevent it from happening again"?

		Automated Load Shedding Over Smart Grids - 06/06/10 Automation.com, June 2010 by Andy Stadheim, President of Barix Technology The flexibility of the smart grid and the many tools and devices available can be used to build a manageable and effective load shedding system.

		The power of integration exemplified at ABB A&PW 2010 By Bill Lydon, Automation.com The "Connect, Learn, Succeed" theme of this event was about users forming stronger working relationships with ABB. The event brought the opportunity to connect across disciplines and apply products and knowledge - focusing on the power of integration, particularly between automation and power systems. The event attracted more than 4,000 people and offered more than 400 educational and hands-on sessions and a 100,000 sf. exhibit area.

		Understanding Power Factor - 05/25/10 Maintenance Technology, April 2010 By William C. Livoti, Baldor Electric If your organization is focusing to any extent on cutting energy consumption, driving sustainable growth and reducing operating costs, it's a good idea to review power factor.

		Making Energy Audits Feasible - 05/25/10 Maintenance Technology, April 2010 By Kate Anderson, ActionEco On the hunt for big bucks? Target in on these tools, techniques and useful resources.

		Meet The Flywheel: Green, Clean Energy-Storage Technology - 05/25/10 Maintenance Technology, April 2010 By Frank DeLattre, VYCON Since batteries are the weakest link in the power continuity scheme, flywheels with batteries reassure facility managers that their batteries are safeguarded against premature aging and unexpected failures.

		The ERP Umbrella - 05/25/10 IMPO, May 2010 By Anna Wells In any modern plant, communication is key. But just what level does your facility really need and, perhaps more importantly, what can you manage? ERP is quite an undertaking, and many manufacturers find even the initial steps daunting.

		Wireless Sensors In Real-Time - 05/25/10 IMPO, May 2010 By Aaron LaJoie, Electrochem Solutions Latency is an inherent trait of all wireless. Unlike a conventional analog signal, there are delays associated with the analog-to-digital conversion process, as well as radio frequency transmissions.

		How to Squeeze More Savings From the EMS - 05/25/10 Building Operating Management, May 2010 By Lindsay Audin Getting energy savings out of Energy management systems involves a multipronged approach that includes commissioning, ongoing staff training, routine verification of settings, and pursuing options for improving existing EMS capabilities.

		Fair, Flexible Contract Can Foster Cooperative Relationship - 05/25/10 Building Operating Management, May 2010 By Michel Theriault Without a fair, balanced and flexible contract, you aren’t likely to get the cooperative relationship that a partnership relies on.

		Outsourcing May Not Equal Partnership for Facility Managers, Service Providers - 05/25/10 Building Operating Management, May 2010 By Michel Theriault For a partnership to work, a solid foundation must be laid from the very start. Four questions — covering everything from goals to ongoing management — can help facility managers determine if they’re on track to develop a true partnership.

		Overcoming Pump Alignment Challenges - 05/25/10 Machinery and Equipment MRO, April 2010 By Eugene Vogel A successful pump alignment requires planning, careful execution, the proper tools and documentation of the results.

		Improving Motor Management In A Weak Economy - 05/25/10 Machinery and Equipment MRO, April 2010 By Thomas H. Bishop Effective decisions regarding motors can be made when a good repair/replace policy is based on scientific facts.

		Making It Work - 05/25/10 Machinery and Equipment MRO, April 2010 By Peter Phillips Got problems with your CMMS? They may be caused by issues with your procedures, not the software.

		The Next Gold Rush? Could Be Your Meter - 05/25/10 Automated Buildings, May 2010 By Dave Krinkel, EnergyAI We analyzed a year of interval use data for 588 electric, chilled water, and steam meters in commercial and industrial facilities in the US and Canada. Potential operational savings opportunities were identified in 93 facilities, totaling 2.3 million dollars. The average avoidable savings was US$24,600 and 153 tons of CO2 emissions per load.

		What is a Web Enabled Building Management System? - 05/25/10 Automated Buildings, May 2010 By Nirosha Munasinghe, Open General The philosophy of designing a fully web enabled system is not only to take advantage of the current web technologies available in the market but also to be future ready with concepts such as cloud computing.

		Accelerating Wireless Controls in the Retrofit Market - 05/25/10 Automated Buildings, May 2010 By Louis Viglione, Viconics Inc Many new wireless control upgrades have failed to provide the required total installed cost reductions in order for the retrofit project to be economically viable. Additionally many wireless controls introduced additional complexity and reliability issues.

		Gunning for Hot Spots - 05/25/10 Transmission & Distribution World, May 2010 By Dan Wood and Bruce Draper, Palmetto Electric Cooperative Do you want an immediate, inexpensive, guaranteed way to enhance system reliability and eliminate some potential outages before they happen? Then you need to get a thermal imager, also known as an infrared gun.

		Niagara Building Automation Summit Illustrates Diversity By Bill Lydon, Automation.com Attendance has increased significantly each year and the striking thing about the Niagara Summits is the high level of energy, large number of knowledgeable automation professionals, and sense of community where people openly share ideas. Niagara Summit is also an opportunity for users and systems integrators to “show and crow” about their application accomplishments.

		Top tips for boiler draft systems - 05/23/10 Power Engineering International, April 2010 By Allen Ray, Process Barron Any plant operator can optimize the efficiency of their mechanical draft fans by following a few simple steps, which will ultimately help to reduce the parasitic load on the boiler.

		Safety Systems Only The Start - 05/23/10 Automation World, May 2010 By Alex Anderson It takes more than buying a product or two to make your plant safe.

		Consortium Reports New Findings on Alarm Rates - 05/23/10 Automation World, May 2010 By Wes Iversen New research funded by the Center for Operator Performance shows that process operators may perform better at high alarm rates when alarms are grouped by priority, rather than chronologically.

		Industrial Cyber-security Incidents Revealed - 05/23/10 Automation World, May 2010 By Wes Iversen With cyber incidents affecting control systems on the rise, a new report lays out trends seen in 2009 and makes comparisons to historical data.

		Video With Your SCADA - 05/23/10 Automation World, May 2010 By Gary Mintchell Adding live video streams with a SCADA system is an emerging trend for both security and operations. New technologies give operators an eye on the system.

		System migration projects begin with strategic supplier partnerships Automation.com, May 2010 By John Boville, Schneider Electric Companies are partnering with their supplier of electrical distribution, automation and control products and solutions to ensure seamless process changeovers.

		Technology boosting supply chain efficiencies - 05/19/10 Manufacturers’ Monthly, April 2010 By Alan Johnson The decision to invest in supply chain management systems has got a whole lot easier for the manufacturing industry following recent technology advances. Companies can now expect real ROIs in 6 months or less.

		Automation Platforms - Getting Energy Usage in Hand - 05/19/10 Managing Automation, May 2010 By Stephanie Neil A new era is dawning in automation, in which plant floor platforms control everything from energy usage to building security.

		Diagnostic Tools Are Only As Good as the Display That Operators See - 05/19/10 Control Design, May 2010 By Mike Bacidore HMI plays role in diagnostics: engineers can't troubleshoot problems without an operator interface that tells them what's wrong.

		Thin Clients Can Eliminate Software Issues - 05/19/10 Control Design, May 2010 By Jeremy Pollard Appications are installed and run from the server, and the clients just need run software such as VNC, VMware client or RDP protocol to connect to the server to use the server-based applications. The applications could range from Open Office to HMI and SCADA software.

		Exercise Control of Software Versions - 05/19/10 Control Design, May 2010 By Frank Riordan The best version-control technology does you no good if you don't have the discipline to follow it consistently.

		Search for a Single Spine - 05/12/10 Industrial Networking, May 2010 By Jim Montague Integrating controls, power, security, environmental and enterprise systems is a pain. Some network designers are pursuing a single backbone approach.

		Gas detection – A potentially explosive subject - 05/12/10 HazardEX, April 2010 By David Fenton and Steve Robinson, Draeger Safety UK Both portable and fixed gas detection systems play an important role in keeping plant and personnel safe. Used to eliminate risks in areas where toxic substances might be found, gas detection systems are also able to detect combustible gas leaks to prevent fire and explosions as well as environmental pollution.

		Wireless technology moves into industrial applications - 05/12/10 HazardEX, April 2010 By R. Stahl Wireless technology has become an everyday phenomenon in the home and office environments, but a recent trend is its foray into industrial applications. Although tried and tested standards such as WLAN and Bluetooth play a significant role here, other options are now being introduced.

		Employing an Adjustable Frequency Drive with a Soft Starter Bypass Improves System Reliability Today's comprehensive drive packages typically combine several solutions to provide a reliable and robust system. Using a drive with a soft starter built into the bypass offers a spectrum of advantages. In general, soft starters are designed for customers requiring reliable and efficient soft-starting of three-phase motors.

		Time For Action: When Windows Can't Protect You Automation.com, May 2010 By Torsten Rössel, Innominate Security Technologies The clock is ticking. In a few months, untold numbers of Windows 2000 systems will no longer have access to Extended Support and Security Updates, when these end in July 2010. Nor may there be adequate time for analysis and evaluation of alternatives, decision making, planning, preparation and implementation of a new operating system.

		An Example of a Sustainable Light Commercial Building - 05/06/10 Automation.com, May 2010 By Bill Lydon Environmental Systems Inc. (ESI), a system integrator located in Brookfield, Wisconsin, needed more space and made the decision to be in a sustainable building, utilizing the technologies they apply in a wide range of buildings.

		Larger Microturbines Make Inroads In Industrial Cogeneration - 04/16/10 Plant Engineering, April 2010 If your plant needs reliable cogeneration and has use for the considerable heat output of a mid-sized microturbine, this may be a solution worth investigating. The obvious attraction is the high-efficiency use of natural gas for electric generation, heating and cooling in an installation that makes full use of the energy.

		Exploding the misconceptions and myths about arc flash issues - 04/16/10 Plant Engineering, April 2010 By Jim White, Shermco Industries There seems to be some common misconceptions among people that are like urban legends; they just don’t go away. Take the initiative to learn how to protect yourself – for you and your family. And don’t believe everything you hear on the grapevine.

		The Changing World of the Plant Engineer - 04/16/10 Plant Engineering, April 2010 By Bob Vavra With a growing emphasis on environmental and sustainable manufacturing, a greater need for IT functions and a still-fragile global economy, plant managers say they have more challenges facing them in the next three years.

		The cost of higher motor efficiency - 04/16/10 Plant Services, April 2010 By William H. Yeadon How manufacturers improve electric motor efficiency and why they cost more.

		CMMS/EAM software tackles today's toughest challenges - 04/16/10 Plant Services, April 2010 By David Berger 10 key trends in the industry, including important features and functions to consider if you're contemplating the purchase of any CMMS/EAM products or services.

		Time For Action: When Windows Can't Protect You - 04/16/10 IMPO, April 2010 By Torsten Rössel The clock is ticking. In a few months, untold numbers of Windows 2000 systems will no longer have access to Extended Support and Security Updates, when these end in July 2010. Nor may there be adequate time for analysis and evaluation of alternatives, decision making, planning, preparation and implementation of a new operating system.

		Eliminating Moisture In Electrical Cabinets - 04/16/10 IMPO, April 2010 By David J.Connaughton, Parker Hannifin Moisture in electrical cabinets, control panels and motor compartments can affect plant efficiency and product quality, leading to significant downtime and expensive repairs. Purging the compartment with air dried by a system using a filter and membrane provides a reliable solution with considerably lower initial and operating costs.

		Installation of Wireless Systems, Integration With Existing Controls Can Be Cost Effective - 04/16/10 Building Operating Management, April 2010 Because wireless, batteryless devices do not require new cabling, the peel-and-stick devices usually require little more than integration with existing controls.

		Self-Powered Wireless Sensors Eliminate the Need for Batteries - 04/16/10 Building Operating Management, April 2010 By EnOcean The flexibility of wireless products has been limited by the need to provide power. Batteries eventually need to be replaced. Instead of batteries or wired power, EnOcean devices use a variety of methods to generate or store electricity: inductive switches, solar cells and thermo-energy harvesters.

		Change or Die—Part 1 - 04/16/10 Automated Buildings, April 2010 By Richard K. Warner & William L. Parrish II, O&M Engineering Recent history has shown that the building automation and systems integration industry has focused more on short term financial performance than on actually solving customer problems. That gap represents a tremendous opportunity for those who can implement strategies that balance the equation.

		Smart Grid - 04/16/10 Automated Buildings, April 2010 By Roy Kok, Kepware Building applications of the Smart Grid require the coordination of existing automation systems. They require interfaces to legacy systems through a wide range of existing protocols. They also require a higher level of interaction, real-time communications enabling B2B communications for automation. OPC is the answer.

		Cutting Costs and Carbon With Wireless Controls - 04/16/10 Automated Buildings, April 2010 By Alan Braybrook, Sontay Tthe latest wireless sensor and control technology has proven to drastically reduce whole life costs, most notably through a much lower total install cost at the outset.

		BAS-IT Convergence - 04/16/10 Automated Buildings, April 2010 By Greg Turner, Honeywell Building Solutions BAS-IT convergence is an everyday reality. New Web-based technologies are driving open standards (e.g., XML) that improve ease-of-use by delivering information to those who need it, when they need it, and how they want it, whether it’s a desktop computer or (highly evolved) mobile device.

		FDD Going Mainstream? Whose Fault Is It? - 04/16/10 Automated Buildings, April 2010 By Jim Sinopoli, Smart Buildings Software tools based on fault detection and diagnostics (FDD) have taken information and system intelligence to a new level. But FDD needs data from the BAS systems. If there are not enough sensors, if the sensors are inaccurate, or if the building has a legacy control system, there can be issues with obtaining the data required.

		Let the Seller Beware - 04/16/10 Sensors, April 2010 By Kenneth F. Stern, Synxronos Selling your sensor company? Over the years, larger companies have broadened their product portfolio by acquiring smaller sensor companies. As a prospective seller of a sensor company, it is important to understand the true value of your company to such prospective acquirers.

		It’s Not Easy Being Green, But You Have To Be - 04/16/10 Manufacturing.net, April 2010 By Amy Radishofski Are you green enough for your suppliers? How about for your customers? Even if you feel global warming is a farce, your customers may not.

		Smart Grid: On the Money - 04/14/10 Power, April 2010 By Gail Reitenbach Building a more robust and "smarter" grid seems like a good idea to many people. But even setting aside the gnarly political, regulatory, and jurisdictional issues that make grid projects a nightmare in the U.S. in particular, there’s another big hairy concern: paying for an improved grid.

		Managing Assets For Improved Performance - 04/14/10 Automation World, April 2010 By Rob Spiegel Asset performance management (APM) has become the new buzzword for getting more out of existing equipment. The term includes everything from condition monitoring to analysis of historical data to determine when a valve may stick and cause a stoppage.

		Machine and Instrument Calibration Advances - 04/14/10 Automation World, April 2010 By C. Kenna Amos Wasting time and money represent end-users’ biggest calibration problems. That’s because the users haven’t figured out the boundaries of how long the instruments can go between calibrations.

		OPC - What are my options in 2010? By Manny Mandrusiak, OPC Foundation The OPC Foundation has been receiving a lot of email lately regarding the different technologies that are now offered in the OPC portfolio in 2010. It is very easy to see where individuals could become overwhelmed with the number of options that now exist. Here at the OPC Foundation we have taken steps to bring some clarity to the marketplace by simplifying the OPC message regarding the three core OPC technologies: OPC Classic, OPC Xi, and OPC UA.

		Protecting Intellectual Property - 04/08/10 Control Engineering, April 2010 By Peter Welander If a company’s knowledge is a valuable asset, how do you keep it from eroding? Can it be protected during critical times such as control system upgrades and migrations?

		Flywheels: A Power Protection Alternative - 04/08/10 Control Engineering, April 2010 By Frank DeLattre, Vycon Increasingly viewed as a dependable industrial power back up system, flywheels offer predictability, require less maintenance, have less potential environmental impact than UPS batteries, and a lower total cost of ownership

		Mechanical Engineering Career Assessment - 04/08/10 Control Engineering, April 2010 By Mark T. Hoske and Renee Robbins CE’s survey says while three-quarters of those practicing mechanical engineering are positive about their jobs, 10% advised against pursuing a mechanical engineering career. Almost half (47%) make $75,000 or more.

		Overcoming Ethernet’s limitations - 03/26/10 Plant Engineering, March 2010 By Karie Daudt, TURCK The issues with determinism, network latency and jitter are the largest concerns of applying Ethernet for industrial control networking. This is because most control networks are designed to send small amounts of data through a network more frequently than Ethernet does.

		The next big thing in plant communication networks - 03/26/10 Plant Engineering, March 2010 By Charles Lukasik, CC-Link Partner Association The next generation of industrial Ethernet communications networks will be 1 Gbps bandwidth – 10 times faster than today’s 100 Mbps. What will this ten-fold expansion in bandwidth mean for plant operations?

		Understanding panel temperature increases - 03/26/10 Plant Services, March 2010 By Doug Wilson If the heat load within a control enclosure is beyond the cabinet’s capacity for natural convection cooling, heat buildup will cause problems or even complete failure. This chart shows temperature differential over ambient conditions as a function of waste heat generation for different cooling capacities.

		Choices in panel cooling - 03/26/10 Plant Services, March 2010 By Doug Wilson Choosing the appropriate and most cost-effective and energy-efficient cooling solution from the many types available requires knowledge of the individual strengths and weaknesses of the most commonly used designs.

		Designing For Stiction, Among Other Things - 03/26/10 Maintenance Technology, March 2010 Here’s what it takes to boost gear pump reliability in remote locations.

		Web-based Wired and Wireless Controller For Better ROI - 03/26/10 Automated Buildings, March 2010 By David Lamarche, SCL Elements BAS still require the use of several wired devices, which means that wired and wireless technologies need to be integrated together within a single system to enable centralized control.

		Timing is critical when purchasing a CEMS - 03/26/10 Energy Tech, March 2010 By Robert L. Mullowney Putting in power generation? A boiler, Thermo Oxidizer, gas turbine or process that is fired? The last thing some companies think of when putting in these projects is purchasing their Continuous Emissions Monitoring System (CEMs). After all, you have 6 months to install it after going commercial. Or do you?

		Smart Grid, Advanced Metering Infrastructure Change Business Landscape for Electric Utilities - 03/21/10 Electric Light & Power, March 2010 By Kristopher Brown and Matthew Labovich, PricewaterhouseCoopers The smart grid is an adoption of technologies to transform the existing electricity grid—which is fitted largely with 20th-century infrastructure—to 21st-century standards. The backbone of the smart grid is the integration of two-way communications between utilities and consumers.

		World’s First Skyscraper With Built-In Wind Turbines - 03/21/10 Inhabitat, March 2010 Measuring in at 42 stories tall, the Strata tower has enough height to eclipse the buildings surrounding it, allowing it to take full advantage of the area’s 35mph wind speeds. The tower is also designed to utilize the Venturi effect created by nearby structures to force wind through the turbines at accelerated rates, generating an expected 50MWh of electricity annually.

		Appropriate Network Connectors Bring Best Service - 03/19/10 Automation World, March 2010 By C. Kenna Amos Not having the right connection devices or technologies can cripple the potential of an automation network.

		The future is integrated operations - 03/13/10 Control Engineering Europe, March 2010 By Colin Pearson, ABB Automation vendors, EPCs and end-users can no long ignore integrated operations. No longer is it a matter of cost whether to include integrated operations as part of the overall long term automation strategy, it’s becoming a matter of necessity.

		Field Calibrators Make Everything Better - 03/13/10 Control, March 2010 By Jim Montague Users are opening their eyes to how much clearer their data is - and how much better their processes can run - with field calibrators.

		Best friend? - 03/10/10 Plant Services. February 2010 Substantial growth in remote services is expected to continue into the foreseeable future as conditions force companies to view outsourcing as a value-added business model, and as security advancements and the passage of time make the prospect a little less foreboding.

		Get pumped - 03/10/10 Plant Services. February 2010 By Sheila Kennedy Incorrectly applied pumps lead directly to higher maintenance and energy costs, greater CO2 emissions and shorter life cycles. New materials, designs, and technologies allow pumps to operate more efficiently, effectively, and reliably, and for a wider range of applications

		The growing value of a CMMS - 03/10/10 Plant Services. February 2010 By David Berger Now more than ever before, building a business case for upgrading or purchasing a new CMMS has become much easier. A CMMS can be used to maximize asset availability, reliability and performance, while minimizing total cost of ownership for every asset class across your enterprise.

		The Beat Goes On - 03/10/10 Machinery and Equipment MRO, February 2010 By: Dr. Edwin Becker And Florian Buder “Beating” generated by two neighbouring machines can lead to enormous vibration damage and even machine failure. Here's an example of what to do about it.

		Going Back to Basics —Using Vibration Time Waveform Data - 03/10/10 Maintenance On Line, February 2010 By Nick Williams, Advanced Maintenance Solutions Assessment of the Time Waveform in conjunction with the spectrum can often highlight problems with the gathered data, high acceleration amplitudes, repetitive impact sources, low frequency sources and abnormal waveforms.

		The role of vibration monitoring in predictive maintenance - 03/10/10 Maintenance On Line, February 2010 By S J Lacey, Schaeffler UK Part 1 of this article discusses the role of CM in maintenance, and the basic principles and techniques of monitoring and analysing the vibration of bearings in rotating machinery.

		What You Need To Know About ‘Self-Priming’ Centrifugal Pumps - 03/10/10 Maintenance Technology, February 2010 By Gene Vogel, Electrical Apparatus Service Association Savvy pump users will want to consider these approaches, remember these tips and, by all means, heed these cautions.

		Go Lean And Green: Align The Machine - 03/10/10 Maintenance Technology, February 2010 By Bill Hillman, Ludeca Approximately 50% of vibration-based damage to rotating equipment involves misalignment issues. When machinery is well-aligned, MTBF increases and power consumption drops. Not a bad way to cut operating costs!

		Human Centered Design Supports Improved Job Performance - 03/10/10 Maintenance Technology, February 2010 By Adam Lund, Emerson Process Management The human centered design concept is aimed at identifying the information most needed by plant personnel and getting it to them in an easy-to-use format. This requires understanding the tasks frequently performed by end-users and presenting helpful information in a consistent fashion.

		New Control Room Management Regulations Require Structured Management Approach - 03/10/10 Pipeline & Gas Journal, February 2010 By W. R. Byrd, RCP On Dec. 3, 2009, PHMSA published its final regulations for control room management (CRM). This article describes the applicability of the regulation to various types of facilities and notes key differences in the rules for gas pipelines versus liquid pipelines.

		Alternative fuel applications ensure economic and environmental gains - 03/10/10 Energy Tech, March 2010 By Normand Bujold There are a number of innovative solutions that companies have successfully implemented to improve their energy and environmental performance. Among these solutions is the combustion of alternative fuels, such as biogas refinery fuels, hydrogen and flammable liquids, to produce usable power.

		Products of Interest from AHR 2010 There were a number of new and interesting building automation products demonstrated at AHR Expo 2010. This is a review of the products that caught my interest. My areas of product interest included energy conservation, alternative energy, and sustainability. Not surprisingly, hundreds of exhibitors were featuring energy-efficient solutions.

		Review and Highlights from 2010 AHR Expo The 2010 AHR Expo held on January 25-27, 2010 in Orlando Florida was a busy event. Exhibitors and attendees were upbeat but cautious about the economy. Major areas of interest included energy conservation, government stimulus, alternative energy, and sustainability. Not surprisingly, hundreds of exhibitors were featuring energy-efficient solutions and there were a variety of educational sessions on that topic.

		The new manufacturing illness: IMDS - 02/28/10 Manufacturers’ Monthly, February 2010 By Harald Rossman Whether driven by regulation, technology or customer demand, problems have become so pervasive that an identifiable organisational malaise has taken hold across several different markets, one that we have labelled Information Management Deficiency Syndrome (IMDS).

		Unifying the Physical Infrastructure to Advance Lean - 02/28/10 Managing Automation, February 2010 By Stephanie Neil Moving all building automation systems into a unified physical infrastructure that can control the lights, security cameras, and climate from one box makes it easier to manage all aspects of the entire building and saves money as well.

		Technology Directions - A Fuller Lean Toolbox - 02/28/10 Managing Automation, February 2010 By Stephanie Neil ERP, supply chain, warehouse management, and even PLM software products are teaming up with lean practices to drive overall operational excellence gains for many manufacturers.

		Gas Fired Back-up Power - Back-up power for wind: Striking the right balance - 02/26/10 Power Engineering International, February 2010 By Mikael Backman, Wärtsilä, Finland Balancing power in a grid that has a significant amount of wind capacity is a challenge for any utility. Some utilities in the USA are finding that installing reciprocating gas engines for ‘wind firming’ can be a good solution.

		Thermal Imaging For Cost Savings, Energy Conservation, and Innovation - 02/25/10 IMPO, February 2010 By Sandra J. Blum, FLIR Systems Thermography is used for monitoring and troubleshooting the condition of machinery, structures, and systems — not just inspecting electrical equipment. IR cameras are effective for improving manufacturing efficiencies, managing energy, improving product quality, and enhancing worker safety.

		Three BAS Design Points Essential for Sustainability - 02/25/10 Building Operating Management, February 2010 The three critical components are a networked controls design, remote Internet access and a commissioning process managed by facility operations.

		Linking the BAS with the IT Enterprise Takes Building Integration Beyond FM - 02/25/10 Building Operating Management, February 2010 The power of BACnet systems and the importance of the information that these systems help convey offer new opportunities for facility managers. This can occur when BACnet connects the BAS into the enterprise network.

		Getting FM and IT to Cooperate - 02/25/10 Building Operating Management, February 2010 By Lacey Muszynski It's essential for facility managers and IT to work together in implementing and managing wireless building networks. Many facilities will already have WiFi networks or distributed antenna systems in place, and the IT department will be concerned about building networks interfering with those signals.

		Security and Reliability of Wireless BAS and Lighting Controls - 02/25/10 Building Operating Management, February 2010 By Lacey Muszynski A wireless approach may make it easier to justify the investment in BAS or lighting controls because wireless systems don't typically cost as much to install as wired systems. A wireless network may be more secure than a hardwired network.

		FMs Can Take the Lead in Energy Efficiency Projects - 02/25/10 Building Operating Management, February 2010 By Greg Zimmerman Energy efficiency is a familiar concept to facility managers. But when the goal is net-zero energy use, the term takes on a whole new meaning.

		Net-zero Energy Buildings Becoming More Common - 02/25/10 Building Operating Management, February 2010 By Greg Zimmerman The idea of buildings producing as much energy as they use each year is an idea whose time is nearing. In fact, experts say, net-zero energy buildings is the next big movement in green design.

		The Cost(s) of BACnet - 02/25/10 Automated Buildings, February 2010 By Andy McMillan Cost and pricing are complex issues and there is always some risk in over-simplifying or over-generalizing. Answering the question “What is the cost of BACnet?” has to be situation-specific. Even so, it’s clear that the emergence of BACnet as the industry standard communications interface is impacting the cost equation in building automation.

		Our Clouded Future is Bright - 02/25/10 Automated Buildings, February 2010 By Ken Sinclair Buildings connected with open protocols to the internet cloud and its web services are redefining our industry. Our clouded future includes new virtual connections to our buildings from the communities they are part of with both physical and social interactions.

		Building Automation Considerations - 02/25/10 Automated Buildings, February 2010 By Andy Stadheim, Barix Technology U.S Building automation systems enable more intelligence as additional control and monitoring points are added. With the right software platform and a well-planned budget, there are few limitations as to the number of devices that can be added to enable that control.

		Raising Your Intelligent Building’s IQ - 02/25/10 Automated Buildings, February 2010 By Mark A. Ascolese, EDSA To help lower energy consumption, intelligent building designers are taking steps towards a more systemic view of building operations, like intelligent heating and cooling controls, automated control of energy-hog systems, and improved management of power-intensive “hot spots” like data centers.

		Green Buildings: Protecting The Environment - 02/25/10 Industrial Automation Asia, December 2009 By Augustine Quek With the rising tide of environmentalism, green buildings will be the norm in eco-cities of the future.

		Selecting A Motor and Drive Architecture - 02/22/10 Design News, February 2010 By Joaquin Ocampo, Bosch Rexroth In the past few years, the concept of integrating servo drives and motors together outside of the control cabinet and directly onto the machine has gained a lot of momentum among design engineers. But how do you know if this style of drive architecture is appropriate for your application?

		Network Security Demands Less Complexity - 02/22/10 Automation World, February 2010 By C. Kenna Amos As threats multiply, network security technologists rush to neutralize them.

		One Network Topology Is Not a Silver Bullet - 02/22/10 Industrial Networking, March 2010 By Ian Verhappen No one network is the right answer in every situation, which means that engineering and thought is required to determine the optimal solution.

		How Much Network Access Should You Allow? Industrial Networking, March 2010 By Jim Montague The two main questions in network security are: How closed does your network need to be? And, how open can you afford it to be?

		Prevent 24 VDC overloads from stopping production - 02/19/10 What’s New in Process Technology, February 2010 By Siemens Along with the laws of physics, engineers have to be aware of the law of unintended consequences. Take, for example, something as simple as the 24 VDC power supplies that feed the control circuits in automation systems as a case in point.

		Cyber security: Vendors fight back - 02/16/10 Control Engineering Europe, January 2010 There is increasing attention by control system vendors to enhance cyber security and operate better in corporate IT environments. This attention is good because cyber threats are not decreasing and, at the same time, corporate IT environments are becoming more protected.

		Build a cyber security incident response plan - 02/16/10 Control Engineering Europe, January 2010 By Kevin Staggs, Honeywell Process Solutions A plan lets everyone respond properly to a control system security breach, whether it’s a failure of a critical cyber component or an intentional break.

		Leveraging predictive maintenance to achieve greener field operations - 02/16/10 InTech, February 2010 By Jim Fererro The ability to proactively address field problems, avoid shutdowns, and reduce miles driven each day saves hours of time and expense. It also makes a positive impact environmentally and has a significant effect on safety statistics.

		Smart grid: A value proposition for industry - 02/16/10 InTech, February 2010 By Dave Hardin New transmission lines, distribution systems, electric cars, and smart meters in homes are all well and good, but they have not been very interesting to industries such as manufacturing. Maybe it is time to reconsider involvement.

		When updating your computer security, why patch? - 01/27/10 Plant Engineering, January 2010 By Michael Bush, Rockwell Automation While the installation of a buffer zone in a manufacturing environment provides an excellent barrier to block direct attacks from the outside, no buffer zone provides a perfect security solution for your automation system. This is why you patch.

		New automation architecture puts the power at the device - 01/27/10 Plant Engineering, January 2010 By David Voynow, Schneider Electric Distributed logic is the most recent IT architectural offspring that is already moving the automation community away from a centralized logic architecture to putting just enough computing power at the mechanical prime mover – such as motor starters and drives that operate conveyors.

		Take a closer look at your alarm management system - 01/27/10 Plant Engineering, January 2010 By Alan Cone, Siemens When was the last time you really looked at your facility’s alarm management system? Is it doing the job it is supposed to do? Is it doing the job it could be doing?

		Boiler Controls: Low-Cost/No-Cost Energy Conservation - 01/27/10 Maintenance Technology, January 2010 By Gary Burger, HVACR Heritage Centre Canada The boiler installer sets up your boiler controls. As far as energy savings are concerned, however, this way of operating is the absolute pits. That's because owner/operators rarely change those original settings later on.

		A Security Vulnerability Analysis Helps Identify Real Threats - 01/27/10 Building Operating Management, January 2010 By Sean A. Ahrens A security vulnerability analysis seeks out root causes for a security vulnerability and applies physical, technical and operational controls to deter, delay and minimize the impact on the organization for an incidence.

		Brainy Buildings - 01/27/10 Building Operating Management, January 2010 By Carlos Petty and Val Loh Intelligent-building technologies focus on monitoring and controlling systems. It's not just a matter of collecting and processing traditional building data to perform numerical or logic-based analysis. Systems in an intelligent building interpret the collected data automatically, reach viable solutions and implement the appropriate corrective actions without human intervention.

		Choosing a Submetering Solution - 01/27/10 Automated Buildings, January 2010 By Daryl Cowie, Wescon Technologies Part 3: While there is no question that submetering projects are one of the most effective ways to drive down facility operational costs, there are plenty of questions surrounding the best way to move forward with a solution that will provide a good return on your investment.

		Copenhagen – A One-Act Farce - 01/27/10 Power Technology, January 2010 By Mitch Beedie The accord has been described as a sham by developing countries and calls into question why a hundred or so world leaders turned up to Copenhagen in the first place. There was, however, one item of good news from Copenhagen. The ineffective and largely fraudulent carbon market – which has been a huge pit into which participants have thrown money – now has an uncertain future.

		The global heat is on: preparing for a carbon-constrained world - 01/24/10 International Energy Solutions, January 2010 No longer are we asking whether there should be limitations on emissions, but when and how. Measuring carbon emissions along the value chain is now vital.

		The electrical grid of tomorrow will be flexible and self-healing - 01/24/10 International Power Engineer, January 2010 By Dr Richard Charnah A smart electrical grid has the potential to play a key role in the effort to lower energy costs for consumers, achieve energy independence and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. How can all of this be realised and what can government do to ensure such a grid can be made a reality?

		Three Bugaboos to Avoid When Designing a PC into Your Application - 01/24/10 Design News, January 2010 By Franklin Flint, Dell OEM Solutions Three common "gotchas" often show up too late: Planning for the PC form factor that best fits your requirement; Considering the reliability options available to the solution; Taking into account the long-term consistent supply of the PC hardware.

		Databases – The Perfect Complement to PLCs Automation.com, December 2009 By Steve Hechtman, Inductive Automation SQL and relational databases form the bridge to integrate processes, machinery and people together. Working with SQL is remarkably similar to working with PLCs and ladder logic. And that’s why the PLC programmer is best suited to implement solutions involving PLCs and relational databases.

		Automation Innovation: Where We’ve Been, Where We’re Headed - 01/20/10 Automation World, January 2010 By Gary Mintchell People whose job involves scanning new technologies in order to lead their company’s innovation efforts discuss what has had the greatest impact on automation and what they see on the horizon.

		Automation Profession Faces Transition into Complexity and Opportunity - 01/20/10 Automation World, January 2010 By Marty Weil We’re experiencing a major resource crunch in the process industries at just about every level: operators, mechanics and engineers. What to do?

		Don’t cloud your compliance data - 01/20/10 Control Engineering, January 2010 By Dennis Brandl Cloud computing is coming! Even the best security and data integrity processes may not be enough. Make sure your company’s legal advisors are involved.

		Invest in Your Own Backyard - 01/20/10 Control, January 2010 By Paul J. Galeski Capital expenditures (Capex) may seem like discretionary costs that could be eliminated during these lean times. However, your best opportunity—with lower risk and higher returns—is to invest in your own interests in the fields of automation and enterprise integration.

		Functional Security–Walking the Walk - 01/20/10 Control, January 2010 By Walt Boyes Fundamentally, the issue is how to make all these things actually work. From upgrades to monitoring the fence line, we have to make this stuff is as automatic as streetlights, or we won't be any safer or any more secure.

		OPC UA - New Secure, Platform-Independent Standard Offers More Value Bill Lydon recently spoke with Roy Kok of Kepware to gain a better understanding of OPC UA. It is important with new technology to thoroughly understand its advantages so you can gain value and avoid misapplying it. Kepware, founded in 1995, has a great deal of OPC knowledge and knowhow as a leading supplier of OPC software.

		Attenuating Vibration: Look To The Dynamic Support System - 12/24/09 Maintenance Technology, December 2009 By Paul E. Feuerstein, Feuerstein Engineering One of a machine's costliest maintenance issues can begin to gel before the equipment ever starts up. How the dynamic support system of a machine is designed will impact the amount of attention a maintenance team must devote to it later on.

		Workload-Based Budgeting For Maintenance - 12/24/09 Maintenance Technology, December 2009 By Richard G. Lamb, Cost Control Systems The line items of the traditional budget are resources—which is a mismatch with what is being managed. What is being managed is all types of work for which resources are engaged. Accordingly, work rather than resources must be the basis of budgeting.

		Motor management - 12/18/09 Plant Engineering, December 2009 By John Malinowski, Baldor Electric We don’t give much thought to replacing motors until they stop working. By then, we’re often in a hurry to get the machine back in service and production running again. Companies should know how many motors they have in their facility, their specifications and have a plan for what to do if any of them fail.

		Security vs. Sustainability - 12/18/09 Building Operating Management, December 2009 By Daniel O'Neill There is no shortage of conflicts between sustainability and security goals. Fortunately these conflicts can be resolved to the mutual benefit of both parties, resulting in sustainable and secure buildings and campuses.

		Outsmarting the Grid - 12/18/09 Building Operating Management, December 2009 By Brandon Lorenz The term "smart grid" is a deceptively simple phrase used to describe a complex idea. The easiest way for facility executives to think of Smart Grid is to consider it as an upgrade to the nation's electric generation and distribution infrastructure that sends power and data on the grid in two directions instead of just one.

		Retrofitting Commercial Buildings for the Smart Grid - 12/18/09 Automated Buildings, December 2009 By Harry Sim, Cypress Envirosystems For older buildings which do not have Auto-Demand Response ability, building managers undoubtedly wish to retrofit them. Unfortunately, this can be a very significant and expensive undertaking, particularly for buildings 15 years or older. These often have pneumatic HVAC control systems.

		Submetering 101 - 12/18/09 Automated Buildings, December 2009 By Daryl Cowie, Wescon Part two of a three part series on the business case for submetering, the measurements required to succeed, and a comparison of available submetering models. By the end you should know the right questions to ask when choosing a submeter supplier.

		How Buildings Will Communicate With The Smart Grid - 12/18/09 Automated Buildings, December 2009 By Jim Sinopoli, Smart Buildings What are the attributes and characteristics of the connection between smart buildings and the smart grid? What are the applications? What is the communications interface? How will it be addressed technically?

		Building the New Electric Grid - 12/15/09 Mechanical Engineering, December 2009 By Bridget Mintz Testa Utilities are revamping the American power system—one headache at a time. Expect it to be ten to fifteen years of unexpected headaches and hiccups—and clever engineering solutions.

		Robust communication systems migrate into building intelligence - 12/15/09 Industrial Embedded Systems, November 2009 By Herve Branquart, ON Semiconductor With so many networks to choose from, could a mature, tested, familiar industrial network be the answer for building intelligence? Here's the case for CAN in long-distance applications.

		Enterprise Control System Defined - OpsManage 2009 Sudipta Bhattacharya, President & CEO Invensys Operations Management (IOM), opened OpsManage09 with his keynote presentation. Bhattacharya displayed energy, vision, conviction, and a plan that he openly shared, including the rationale for the company's new organization and business approach.

		Get ready for the smart grid - 11/24/09 Plant Services, November 2009 By Sheila Kennedy How the smart grid links you and the utility, with benefits to both.

		VFDs In HVAC Systems - 11/24/09 Building Operating Management, November 2009 By James Piper Drives can be installed in practically any HVAC application found in commercial and institutional buildings. Systems can be operated at higher voltages than those used by earlier generations, resulting in off the shelf systems for motors up to 500 horsepower.

		Making BAS And Enterprise Systems Work Together - 11/24/09 Building Operating Management, November 2009 By Rita Tatum How do vendors move data from intelligent devices to the link layer and then up to the application layer? The short answer is vendors are using Web services and Internet connections, with various combinations of open protocols, standards and proprietary solutions.

		BAS And Enterprise Systems - 11/24/09 Building Operating Management, November 2009 By Rita Tatum Many in the industry believe that the integration of building automation and enterprise systems is the wave of the future. But getting those systems to communicate is a different process than expanding or upgrading the building automation system. Because it involves the corporate network, IT is far more involved.

		A “BACnet System” Procurement Challenge - 11/24/09 Automated Buildings, November 2009 By Andy McMillan, Teletrol Systems BACnet is a standard. Systems incorporating BACnet are not standard. Understanding the difference is important in establishing a procurement process that builds positive supplier relationships and generates maximum value in acquiring an energy management or building automation system.

		Integrating BAS To Everything All The Time? - 11/24/09 Automated Buildings, November 2009 By Paul Ehrlich & Ira Goldschmidt Use of open protocols to connect BAS to mechanical equipment, VFDs, fire alarm systems, lighting controls, etc. has become commonplace. We have even seen designs requiring all systems/equipment be integrated and all data shared. Putting aside the dangerous legal ramifications of the word “all,” is this a good idea?

		Understanding Specifications (Part 3 of 3) - 11/24/09 Automated Buildings, November 2009 By Steven R. Calabrese In this third of a three-part series on control systems specifications, we now reach the all-important section on Execution, or perhaps more aptly put, How To Get The Job Done!

		Energy Reporting - 11/24/09 Automated Buildings, November 2009 By Gina Elliott, Smart Buildings LLC Unlike many European countries, the US has yet to penalize companies for energy consumption or lack of conservation measures. However, the coming wave of energy reporting appears to be the first of many strategies to induce companies to monitor and manage energy, leading the way for perhaps more “negative” reinforcement.

		A New DC Power Standard - 11/24/09 Automated Buildings, November 2009 By Brian Patterson, EMerge Alliance The use of DC-powered devices has already surpassed the use of AC-powered devices in a building. Does this mean that a building should immediately create a wholesale conversion to DC power? The fact that buildings are normally set up to distribute AC power and devices are increasingly becoming DC power consumers, we have a second need for power conversion, which is often hidden inside of the devices themselves.

		New Energy Initiatives Energize Submeter Deployment - 11/24/09 Automated Buildings, November 2009 By Don Millstein, E-Mon, The myriad of public and private sector energy policies, while at times complicated, provides fertile ground for submeters as energy profilers and program verification tools. This article briefly overviews several key policies now in effect, with an eye to how submeters can help facility professionals comply with the appropriate guidelines.

		The Business Case for Submetering - 11/24/09 Automated Buildings, November 2009 By Daryl Cowie, Wescon Technologies This three part series looks at the business case for submetering, the measurements required to succeed, and a comparison of available submetering models. By the end you should know the right questions to ask when choosing a submeter supplier.

		Machines Have Their Say - 11/21/09 Control, November 2009 By Nancy Bartels Machines are getting better at telling us what's wrong with them. more and better sensors and sophisticated algorithms make predictive maintenance practical—and help close the loop between the plant floor, EAM systems and ERP.

		Mobile Networking: Getting Your Priorities Right - 11/17/09 Industrial Automation Asia, November 2009 By Kelly Ungs, Intermec The success of mobile computing is based on the ability to accurately capture and share data electronically and to enforce a method of data collection that consistently meets the business needs of the organization

		Networks In Buildings: A Central Role - 11/17/09 Industrial Automation Asia, November 2009 By Daniel Santos and Don Winn, Connexion Technologies Remote management of building network infrastructures is critical when it comes to supporting service providers who utilise third party networks.

		Video monitoring of process control and automation systems - 11/11/09 What’s New in Process Technology, October 2009 By Telvent Australia Video monitoring is a proven technology for security monitoring in many industries. So why not use video to monitor process control and automation systems? Why can’t video be another sensor? Why not use video to allow operators to see what is happening in the plant? Answer: Nobody is doing any of this, but it is certainly possible.

		Hire me, for now - 11/11/09 InTech, November 2009 By Ellen Fussell Policastro A glimmer in the unemployment tunnel could be the demand for temporary and contract staffing, which rose slightly from August to September in 2009, according to the ASA. For those starting over, this could mean you might find yourself looking more for part-time gigs, project contracts, or freelance work.

		RFID technology in industrial applications - 11/11/09 Control Engineering Europe, November 2009 By Kevin Canham, Harting In any industrial process a wide variety of items of equipment come under particular scrutiny and have to be monitored continuously to ensure that they are fulfilling the demands and requirements made on them.

		An intro to infrared thermography for mechanical applications - 10/22/09 Reliable Plant, October 2009 By Harold Van De Ven and John Snell, The Snell Group While infrared imaging systems are relatively simple to use, interpreting images taken with this equipment can be far more complex and challenging. With training and experience, however, remarkable information can be extracted from an infrared camera.

		Why do steam traps fail? What can you do about it? - 10/22/09 Reliable Plant, October 2009 By Bruce Gorelick, Enercheck Systems, and Alan Bandes, UE Systems Properly functioning steam traps open to release condensate and automatically close when steam is present. Failed traps waste fuel, reduce efficiency, increase production costs and compromise the overall integrity of the steam and condensate systems. Traps should be tested on a regular basis – or the neglect may be quite costly.

		The Smart Grid: Getting smart about possibilities, challenges - 10/22/09 Plant Engineering, October 2009 By Mark Feasel, Schneider Electric One of the more important reasons for building a Smart Grid would be the proliferation of automated electrical solutions that allow integration of renewable energy resources and energy storages devices such as electric car batteries. Such a grid would have the ability to distribute electricity to wherever it’s needed, and even have the ability to store it for later use.

		Motor management in a weak economy - 10/22/09 Plant Services, October 2009 By Thomas H. Bishop When production drops in a weak economy, plant managers often try to control costs by delaying replacement or repair of failed electric motors. A better approach to motor management during slack periods is to target mission-critical equipment with a sound motor repair/replacement policy.

		Certification – how to achieve results using Infrared Thermography - 10/22/09 Maintenance World, October 2009 By Austin Dunne It is easy to buy equipment, but quite another matter to find an effective person able to provide quality data that will enhance a maintenance programme. As with many condition monitoring techniques, infrared thermography is a skilled art form that requires technician and engineeers to be educated and certified.

		The bad news has arrived: Your plant is undergoing severe curtailment/closure - 10/22/09 Maintenance World, October 2009 By Bernie Price Just as with any critical situation, a long-term strategic approach coupled with a series of medium-term tactics and detailed plans are needed. You should also consider how long the shutdown is probably going to last (guesstimate) and whether or not the plant will most likely be: (a) restarted, (b) sold as a complete unit or (c) sold piecemeal.

		New Generation IR Cameras - 10/22/09 Maintenance World, October 2009 By Alan Thomson Three years ago the markets were hit by the first low cost, high resolution cameras that have revolutionised the use of thermography and vastly enhanced the appreciation of the benefits of the technology.

		Skimping on the training puts your CMMS project at risk - 10/22/09 Maintenance World, October 2009 Training for users of a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) is a multiple-phase process. There are three areas of training needs. Make sure people who will operate the CMMS are familiar with computer basics and the operating system. If not, provide them with basic training so they are ready for CMMS application training.

		Getting The Best Results From Thermal Cameras - 10/22/09 Maintenance On-Line, October 2009 Thermal cameras can be used within virtually every industry to help businesses make significant cost savings through predictive maintenance.

		Integrating Application Silos With Your CMMS - 10/22/09 Maintenance On-Line, October 2009 For companies that view maintenance management as critical to achieving their business objectives, some of the biggest pieces of the puzzle are the core CMMS modules.

		Wireless Technology Offers Cost-$aving Convenience - 10/22/09 Maintenance Technology, October 2009 By Dave Holloway, Cooper Crouse-Hinds Recent advancements in wireless technologies can address many of the difficult challenges inherent in traditional plant maintenance. One area that has seen real benefits from improved wireless technology is the monitoring of critical components throughout an industrial plant.

		What Tier 4 Emissions Rules For Backup Generators Mean - 10/22/09 Building Operating Management, October 2009 By Rick Focke Because emergency standby engine generators typically operate for a low number of hours, EPA exempts emergency diesel engine generator sets from Tier 4 regulations. However, if the engine generator is used to support the load when normal power is present, it will be required to comply with Tier 4.

		Preventing UPS and Generator Compatibilty Problems - 10/22/09 Building Operating Management, October 2009 By Paul Schlattman and Robert W. Weber As the demand for power reliability continues to spread from industry to industry, creating a reliable, efficient, scalable and compatible infrastructure of UPS, generator and switchgear systems will be crucial. Avoiding the many pitfalls that can accompany these designs will be even more so.

		Reliable Backup Power Requires Careful Design Attention - 10/22/09 Building Operating Management, October 2009 By Paul Schlattman and Robert W. Weber Organizations are requesting designers to reconfigure the electrical distribution system so every desk or portion of the office can be supported by UPS power. While redundant components are not the critical issue in these applications, they do present great opportunities for using higher efficiency UPS systems that can cut energy costs.

		Energy Modeling, ASHRAE 90.1 and LEED - 10/22/09 Building Operating Management, October 2009 By Andrew J. Kamnik An energy model is a computer software simulation that starts with specified materials and systems for a building, calculates the energy cost for one year, and creates a report of the anticipated energy performance of the building. The model will reveal how energy efficient the building can be, while there is still time to enhance it.

		The Cloud Beyond the Network - 10/22/09 Automated Buildings, October 2009 By Ken Sinclair As more software and computer services move off-site, a look around suggests that the collaborative power of cloud computing has already begun to reign for those looking to harness real-time building information most efficiently.

		A New Era of Building Automation Software - 10/22/09 Automated Buildings, October 2009 By Eugene Mazo, DGLogik, Inc Imagine being able to take a virtual tour of your facilities worldwide, whether it be your corporate offices or your datacenters, and see all of your equipment in its actual environment being rendered in real-time. With graphics nearing realism to the extent that it becomes difficult to distinguish between a photograph of a chiller unit and its 3D rendering, this virtual “real” environment is not so far-fetched.

		The Emergence of Proactive Building Management Automation - 10/22/09 Automated Buildings, October 2009 By David Wolins, SCI All automation systems deployed in the future will require data streams containing all available performance characteristics of a piece of equipment be made available to the customer in a highly useable format. Only by doing so will facilities operators finally be able to fully implement proactive management for all components in their buildings. The good news is that this day is not far off.

		Automate to Get Energy Costs Under Control - 10/22/09 Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, October 2009 By Martin Dittmer and Jeffrey Soplop, Rockwell Automation To remain competitive in the marketplace, pharmaceutical manufacturers must set and achieve energy objectives for usage and budget, with a focus on minimizing operational costs.

		Use Thermal Imagery For Process Problems - 10/22/09 Chemical Processing, October 2009 By John Pratten, Fluke Thermography Advances over the last several years have transformed thermal imaging from a tool for the specialist to one that plant personnel can use for regular maintenance and troubleshooting process equipment.

		Tackling the Smart Grid Challenge - 10/19/09 Automation World, October 2009 By Wes Iversen Electric utilities and others around the nation are deploying a range of Smart Grid automation and communication technologies as a way to save energy, reduce costs and boost reliability.

		The seven habits of highly successful control engineers - 10/10/09 What’s New in Process Technology, September 2009 Highly successful control engineers didn’t become that way by accident. The most successful engineers develop habits that improve results and the recognition of those results.

		Coping with change - 10/10/09 South Africa Instrumentation & Control, October 2009 By Deon van Aardt, Wonderware Southern Africa The problems manufacturers are trying to solve today are far more complex than they were 10 years ago and there is every indication that this trend will continue into the future. What has plagued industry is the ability of software to cope with change.

		The robotized field operator - 10/10/09 InTech, October 2009 By Trond Michael Andersen, et al Oil and gas companies have started to explore broader applications where robots may also have a positive impact on productivity and efficiency. One such application is the remote operation of oil and gas fields, particularly those in hazardous environments.

		Squeeze play - 10/10/09 InTech, October 2009 By Gregory Hale InTech survey: Pressure to cut costs intensifies; salary levels remain consistent; safety knowledge is the top skill new automation professionals are missing.

		Tuning up for global standards - 10/10/09 InTech, October 2009 By Bill Fiske and Ellen Fussell Policastro Standardization should support your business strategy, otherwise, why bother? You cannot support a strategy unless you have one.

		Is the need for local plant indication a thing of the past? - 10/10/09 Control Engineering Europe, September 2009 By Alec Robshaw, Beka Associates It would be logical to assume that the use of large local control panels full of controllers and gauges is becoming truly extinct. Good engineering practice suggests the old-school practice of ‘walking the plant’ lends a pair of eyes and ears to the process that no end of sensors and transmitters can replace.

		Using Algorithms to Increase Motor Efficiency - 10/10/09 Control Engineering, October 2009 By Christian Fritz, National Instruments When you can’t just replace lower-efficiency motors, you can use sophisticated control techniques built on FPGA-based devices to improve energy efficiency.

		Protecting Mission Critical Electronics In Industrial Environments - 09/20/09 Maintenance Technology, September 2009 By Paul Haake, Chloride North America Don't let power and electrical noise problems disrupt your operations. Check out these solutions.

		Lawyers And Computerized Maintenance Management Systems - 09/20/09 Maintenance Technology, September 2009 By Dave Bertolini, People and Processes Ever wonder what would happen if the data in a CMMS had to help defend maintenance decisions in a court of law? If only this were something out of a fictional television drama or vivid, sweat-inducing nightmare. It's not.

		BACnet and Enterprise System Integration - 09/20/09 Building Operating Management, September 2009 By Rita Tatum Today, the technology exists to extract data from BAS and send it to enterprise systems, then send it from those systems back to the BAS. But the technology is complex. Even in sophisticated companies with significant IT expertise, the process is a challenge.

		The Growing Integration of Enterprise Systems and BAS - 09/20/09 Building Operating Management, September 2009 By Rita Tatum The marriage of BAS and enterprise systems is made possible by Web technology — essentially XML and web services. Though the technology has been available for several years, its use is now gaining ground as large organizations strive for an integrated enterprise infrastructure.

		The Coming Evolution of BAS Design - 09/20/09 Automated Buildings, September 2009 By Paul Ehrlich & Ira Goldschmidt Two philosophies towards design are being considered: BAS Design should be the responsibility of the design engineer, though a performance-based design is sufficient; BAS Design should be relegated to the temperature controls contractor.

		Bringing BIG Building Automation to The Small Building Market - 09/20/09 Automated Buildings, September 2009 By Trevor Palmer, Viconics Today’s new building owners have more sophisticated needs and wants. They are looking for big building automation features for their “mid-market” facilities

		Energy Dashboards Inform and Educate - 09/20/09 Automated Buildings, September 2009 By Sarah Erdman, Quality Automation Graphics An EEED is a GUI that displays a building’s resource use in real-time by “talking” to a building’s automation system. It not only shows energy efficiencies, but provides information about the green features used throughout the building, photo-realistic graphics, company information and more.

		Mothballing Requires More Than Idle Thought - 09/20/09 Chemical Processing, September 2009 By Bernie Price, Polaris Veritas 75% of idled plants or rigs eventually were reactivated in some form. The bottom line is that while it only should cost 5% or less of Plant Replacement Value (PRV) to reactivate a well-preserved unit, restarting an inadequately mothballed plant will cost 20+% of PRV. This often is a deal breaker. Here’s how to mothball a plant.

		Abandon-in-Place Must End - 09/20/09 Chemical Processing, September 2009 By Dirk Willard Plants sideline equipment and processes for weeks, months or even years. The units are isolated, or perhaps not, and allowed to rust. I've seen this at refineries, chemical and food plants, and even in municipal water-treatment facilities. This approach euphemistically is called, "abandon-in-place." Regardless of what you call it, it's a poor engineering practice.

		Simplify Your Energy Message - 09/20/09 Chemical Processing, September 2009 By Gary Faagau Process engineers deal with complex systems with many independent variables. However, to get operators to react, we need to give them information in a way that allows for maximum impact. Adding calculated efficiency management variables, or “Money Loss” calculators, will alert operators to energy waste

		The OPC Connection - 09/20/09 Control Engineering Asia, September 2009 By Randy Kondor OPC UA (Unified Architecture) represents the OPC Foundation’s most recent set of specifications for process control and automation system interconnectivity. With all the expanded connectivity that the new OPC UA offers, expect a sharp increase in OPC’s penetration of plants.

		The Virtual Plant - 09/20/09 Control Engineering Asia, September 2009 By Maurizio Rovaglio and Tobias Scheele Until recently, the use of virtual reality (VR) had been limited by systems constraints. Advances in hardware processing power and software development will allow VR to be used as the interface with computer-based multimedia activities that include training, process design, maintenance and safety.

		Wireless: Access All Areas - 09/20/09 Control Engineering Asia, September 2009 By Madanmohan Rao The right wireless solution in an industrial setting can reduce if not eliminate “blind spots” in a plant, areas of operation which have been previously either technically or economically unreachable with wires. It can also improve efficiency and security in areas already wired up. Eventually, wireless industrial solutions will play a major role in the overall performance and safety of a facility.

		Enterprise Mobility – Let’s Get to Work - 09/16/09 Managing Automation, September 2009 by Stephanie Neil Wireless technology is readily available, smart devices are ubiquitous, and manufacturers are adopting corporate strategies that mandate mobility. There’s just one piece of the puzzle still missing: off-the-shelf applications.

		Network integrity - 09/13/09 South Africa Instrumentation & Control, September 2009 By Rodney Callaghan, Schneider Electric Despite advances in computer technology, power outages continue to be a major cause of PC and server downtime. Protecting computer systems with uninterruptible power supply (UPS) hardware is often part of a total solution, but power management software is also necessary to prevent data corruption.

		Keeping Fluid Systems Clean - 09/13/09 Power Engineering, September 2009 By Brad Buecker The common location for a particulate filter is just after the condensate pumps, with the filter placed in a valved, bypass loop around the main condensate feed line. The devices will remove iron oxide particulates and other “crud” within a short period of time, allowing for potentially significant reductions in hold periods.

		Are you looking forward to Windows 7? I’m not - 09/13/09 Control Engineering Europe, September 2009 By Mike Babb Windows 7 is the same old stuff, just re-arranged a little bit to make you think you’re getting ‘the latest technology.’ In the past 15 years Microsoft has done nothing new in the way of office software technology, yet they have millions believing the illusion that they have.

		Ethernet Enthusiasm: Will it Saturate the Plant? - 09/13/09 Control Engineering Europe, September 2009 Zealous Ethernet champions see the day when all instruments, actuators, and controllers are connected in one vast harmonious plant network—and, by natural extension, to the Internet. Never mind Profibus, serial communications, or 4-20 mA: they will all fade away.

		Dashboards present more than just information - 09/13/09 Control Engineering Europe, September 2009 By Christina McKeon, Infor Today's software dashboards are not your typical user interface, portal or report generated by the IT department. Three areas of dashboard evolution will impact your day-to-day manufacturing life sooner rather than later. Here's what you need to know.

		The smart art of handheld calibration - 09/13/09 Control Engineering Europe, September 2009 By Mike Babb Calibration is an important aspect of an instrument’s life cycle. However, it can be difficult to choose the correct calibration method to suit your requirements and specification. This article discusses the benefits of employing electronic verification and calibration methods using handheld equipment.

		Planning Cuts Automation Project Risk - 09/13/09 Control Engineering, September 2009 By Vance VanDoren System integrators share tips on how avoiding surprises helps them succeed. Clear communications and documentation top the list. Tools follow for project management.

		Energy Audits: Starting Point for Sustainable Production - 09/13/09 Control Engineering, September 2009 By Doug Burns and Marcia Walker, Rockwell Automation Energy audits permit tracking all water, air, gas, electric, and steam usage in a plant to help companies reduce consumption and improve the bottom line.

		Another kind of integration - 09/13/09 Control Engineering, September 2009 By Mark Voigtmann What is contract integration? It is, quite simply, knowing the boundaries of the "deal." It is amazing how many companies neglect this most basic of legal principles—to the point where the process may be integrated but the legal requirements are not.

		How and when to fold an IT project - 09/13/09 Control Engineering, September 2009 By Dennis Brandl Many manufacturing IT projects do not finish, not necessarily because they failed, but because of changing requirements, changing business conditions, company mergers, or changes in products and processes. It's important to know when to fold a project, but it is equally important to know what to do when you fold a project.

		AC permanent magnet motors - 09/13/09 Control Engineering, September 2009 By Peter Welander Permanent magnet (PM) motors can offer higher efficiency levels than induction motors since they have no I2R losses in the rotor. While ac PM motors aren't for every situation, their growing list of capabilities offers advantages that might solve your next application problem

		Explanations and applications of Statistical Process Control - 08/27/09 Reliable Plant, August 2009 By Mettler Toledo SPC is far more than a control chart or a mere capability index. It is a system that uses process data to describe a prototypical manufacturing process in connection with its environment. The goal of the method is to intervene in the process before tolerance violators occur, and thereby optimize the entire process.

		Get IT, engineering together on MES effort - 08/27/09 Plant Engineering, August 2009 By Bianca Scholten Traditionally, IT departments handle the ERP and other systems used in the office. The functionality in these systems belongs largely on ISA-95 Level 4. Engineers are working in a completely different world, with programming methods like ladder logic, SFC and function blocks. They’re active on ISA-95 Level 2 and lower. But who takes care of automating activities on ISA-95 Level 3; in other words, MES?

		Managing an open system - 08/27/09 Plant Engineering, August 2009 By Shawn Gold, Honeywell Process Solutions For all the benefits open systems provide, they pose significant IT challenges. End users can only rely so much on their automation suppliers for support to keep process control networks secure. The reality is that plant engineers are now responsible for increasingly complex open automation architectures and the specialized IT support functions that go along with them.

		Heat Seeker - 08/27/09 Machinery and Equipment MRO, June 2009 By Colin Plastow Thermal imaging using infrared technology can capture thousands of points at once, for all of the critical components -for example, the motor, shaft coupling, motor and shaft bearings, and the gearbox -to create a comprehensive temperature profile in a short space of time

		The problem with renewable energy - 08/27/09 Plant Services, August 2009 By Peter Garforth Why does it seem to be so difficult to incorporate renewable energy into manufacturing? With notable exceptions, few companies have clear renewable targets. Even fewer use renewables for a significant portion of their energy. This is changing, but exploring the potential of renewable energy often raises more questions than answers.

		If you fail to plan — plan to fail - 08/27/09 Plant Services, August 2009 By Harley Denio Your thermal scan accuracy can benefit from a structured approach. This is Part 2 of a two-part series on the use of infrared thermographic surveys as part of preventive maintenance programs.

		Heat-Seeking Diagnosis - 08/27/09 Control Engineering Asia, August 2009 By Fluke To locate trouble already hit or used as part of a routine preventive maintenance program, thermal imaging can be effective in identifying electrical problems.

		OPC UA Redefines Automation Architectures By Bill Lydon, Automation.com The new OPC UA technology provides an efficient and secure infrastructure for communications - from sensor to business enterprise computing for all automation systems in manufacturing and process control. OPC UA leverages web services to provide a single programming paradigm in a scalable architecture that can be implemented is a range of devices - from embedded to enterprise.

		Only Get Clever When You Need To... - 08/24/09 Maintenance On Line, August 2009 As with many such challenges, solutions are often sort with the assistance of the ubiquitous computer controlled management system and Building Management Systems (BMS) have often been seen as the way forward.

		Why Calibration Matters - 08/24/09 Maintenance On Line, August 2009 Calibration can be as confusing as it is important. In simple terms, calibration involves the comparison of a test instrument against a known standard in order to determine whether the instrument under test is reading to its correct accuracy specification.

		Data Security and Integrity On Your CMMS - 08/24/09 Maintenance On Line, August 2009 Your CMMS data is never 100% secure from mechanical breakdown, natural disasters, human error, or malicious acts.

		Focus On Thermography - 08/24/09 Maintenance On Line, August 2009 Thermal Imaging or Thermography is a very versatile maintenance tool. In the hands of a skilled operator it instantly shows anomalies in mechanical, civil and electrical engineering components.

		Four Building Security Hotspots - 08/24/09 Building Operation Management, August 2009 By Lacey Muszynski If a company hasn’t had a serious security incident for some time, C-suite executives often become complacent and may wonder if all the security systems, regulations and jobs already in place are necessary. But complacency isn’t a good reason to cut the security budget, especially in a recession when crime often increases.

		Wireless BAS Networks Benefit from Mature Standards and Security Improvements - 08/24/09 Building Operation Management, August 2009 By Josh Thompson The benefits of a building automation system are well-documented: energy efficiency, cost management, accessibility and flexibility. But if cabling is required, even the latest IP-based BAS can be difficult to deploy and integrate in an existing building

		Automated Continuous Commissioning - 08/24/09 Automated Buildings By David Wolins, Scientific Conservation Without continuously managing the operation of an energy efficient device, the benefits of the energy improvements will be reduced or eliminated altogether. So how does one best maintain energy efficiency with the added benefits of preventative maintenance?

		What Do We Really Know About Pipeline Pigging And Cleaning? - 08/24/09 Oil & Gas Journal, August 2009 By Randy L. Roberts This article addresses the application side of pigging while discussing rules-of-thumb for liquid and dry cleaning of pipelines in concert with running mechanical cleaning pigs and the effectiveness of the respective results.

		Beyond the Data Warehouse - 08/24/09 Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, August 2009 By Joseph S. Rothman, Aegis Analytical It’s time to shatter the myth of one-stop process data access—dynamic mapping engines allow users easier access to both discrete and time series data.

		Energy improvement: look at the big picture for real savings - 08/24/09 International Energy Solutions, August 2009 By Russell Page, PICME There is more to saving energy than fixing steam and compressed air leaks, investing in energy efficient motors and having boiler efficiency surveys. To achieve maximum energy efficiency, a holistic approach should be taken with representatives from all departments involved.

		Ageing plant and the implications for asset integrity - 08/24/09 European Chemical Engineer, August 2009 Many assets around the world are currently operating beyond their nominal design life and require an effective asset integrity management approach to be implemented to combat the issues of ageing plant.

		Asset performance management: improving process productivity - 08/24/09 European Process Engineer, August 2009 Plant operators face ever greater challenges due to the increasing level of automation, rising diversification in product structures and the growing trend towards integrated industrial assets.

		Please Don’t Hire Me! - 08/24/09 Chemical Processing, August 2009 By Dirk Willard Some contracts simply aren’t worth winning. Especially a client you always lose money on. Let the other guy win the contract. You can’t afford that kind of job.

		Implementing Automation - 08/20/09 Machine Design, August 2009 By Richard K. Hubert, Pelco When designing automated systems, a significant challenge is getting all the information needed to best understand requirements and anticipate results. In large companies, it’s sometimes difficult to obtain information without a committee, but accurate data helps ensure a successful project.

		Cyber Security Lessons from Electric Utilities Industry - 08/14/09 Control Engineering, August 2009 By Frank O Smith Compliance with regulations in version 2 of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s Critical Infrastructure Protection (NERC CIP) standard becomes mandatory this year. Within it are lessons for plants and SCADA systems of all types.

		Video Technology Developed In The Water Industry Can Monitor Pipeline Facilities Pipeline & Gas Journal, July 2009 By Steve Rubin, Longwatch Video technology makes it possible to install video cameras anywhere along a pipeline, from offshore platforms and wellheads to compressor stations, LNG plants, and distribution points. By using existing communications capabilities and bringing video directly to HMI/SCADA screens, operators can see what is happening at remote facilities, diagnose problems, and minimize the need for personnel site visits.

		Return on Imagination - Honeywell User Group (HUG) 2009 Honeywell Process Solutions continues to grow in a number of dimensions including: additional products, wireless, energy, PLCs, independent system integrator initiatives, and Integrated Master Automation Contractor (IMAC) focus. This year’s attendance was lower than previous years, but David Wade, Honeywell Users Group Americas Chairman, officially opened the HUG 2009 conference commenting that there were more than 50% new attendees.

		Remote service reduces maintenance costs - 07/19/09 Plant Engineering, July 2009 By John W. DuBay, ABB Remote service provides you with a cost effective way to keep your plant running at peak performance, for a fraction of the cost of traditional approaches.

		Infrared lights the path to proactive maintenance - 07/19/09 Plant Services, July 2009 By Ken Leonard and Robert P. Madding Part 1: Infrared surveys are particularly important for electrical equipment because it’s usually critical to an enterprise’s mission. Moreover, certain kinds of electrical failures pose life-threatening risks to workers.

		Step by step - 07/19/09 Plant Services, July 2009 By David Berger Process mapping is a technique that allows users to represent key processes graphically to more easily discuss and evaluate their effectiveness. By comparing “current state” process maps with “future state” maps, users can visualize the changes required to achieve expected savings and benefits. At a more detailed level, process maps also show how systems such as your CMMS support the process flow.

		Balancing CMMS User Configurability with Centralised Control - 07/19/09 Maintenance World, June 2009 By David Berger For most companies, gone are the days when users were forced to conform to a rigid framework dictated by the CMMS vendor and strictly controlled by the Information Systems department. Users today enjoy freedom to customise the content, look and feel of their CMMS environment on a variety of devices, from handhelds to desktops.

		Three- And Four-Channel Vibration Data Collection - 07/19/09 Maintenance Technology, July 2009 By Robert Collyer, SKF Working with a three/four channel data collector with a tri-axial accelerometer can greatly speed up the data-collection process, provide enhanced analytical data, and display more data to assist in making effective machine diagnostic decisions. The resulting benefits can include more efficient use of plant personnel, reduced maintenance costs, and increased plant uptime and overall profitability.

		Facility Software Implementation: Facts to Consider - 07/19/09 Building Operating Management, July 2009 Most vendors have a cadre of dealers or consultants who will do implementations, so one of the first decisions facility executives should make is whether they prefer to buy directly from a vendor and task the vendor with the implementation, or whether they’re comfortable letting one of a vendor’s business partners or dealers handle the sale and implementation.

		Evaluating Facility Software Vendor Business Models - 07/19/09 Building Operating Management, July 2009 Because training is rarely free, determining how much can be spent on training and what exactly that money will buy is important. Decide whether training will be onsite – which is usually preferable and less expensive – or at a vendor training facility

		RFPs Scorecard Make it Easier to Evaluate Facility Software Vendors - 07/19/09 Building Operating Management, July 2009 How are facility executives to find a quality software vendor amidst the clutter? What are the characteristics facility executives should look for in a long-term software partner? And, just as importantly, what red flags indicate that facility executives should run for the hills?

		BACnet Legacy Migration Can Ease With an Older BAS - 07/19/09 Building Operating Management, July 2009 Legacy migration is the orderly changeover of existing building management and control systems from older technologies, usually those using proprietary protocols. Through that process, facilities professionals can integrate new networks, devices and programs into the building by operating on a standard protocol like BACnet.

		BACnet Offers Path to Energy Efficiency - 07/19/09 Building Operating Management, July 2009 Whether it’s because of volatile energy prices or concerns about an organization’s carbon footprint, top management has become aware that commercial buildings gobble up vast amounts of energy. Automation helps to bring such information to the minds of the facilities team, tenants and other occupants, and BACnet systems allows multiple vendor systems to communicate ‘mission critical’ data to one another.

		Can OPC Bridge the Engineering-IT Divide? - 07/19/09 Automated Buildings, July 2009 Randy Kondor, OPC Training Institute Driven by technology, the IT-Engineering convergence continues to affect control and security systems where they overlap. The contentious and disputed area of intersection between Engineering and IT is also where OPC lives and works.

		Maintaining Your Control Valve Investment - 07/19/09 Automated Buildings, July 2009 Paul Balazovjech, Spartan Peripheral Devices Replaceable control valve cartridges allow the preservation of your original labor and embodied energy investment while reducing the total generated waste in facilitating upgrades and maintenance.

		Open Automation Object Model - 07/19/09 Automated Buildings, July 2009 By Alper Uzmezler, BAS Services & Graphics Open Automation Object Model (OpenAOM) will enable programmers throughout the world to program building automation devices from a common object model. It will engage the programmer in the automation industry without necessary knowledge of controls drawings and engineering specific diagrams.

		Manufacturing Mobility: The Key To Productivity - 07/15/09 Manufacturing.net., June 2009 Surveyed manufacturing IT decision-makers cite an increase in mobile solutions’ importance and found mobility applications save a daily average of 42 minutes per employee.

		"Going Green" Isn't Easy, but MES Can Help - 07/15/09 Control, July 2009 For many companies, “going green” is no longer a buzzword, but an important business imperative that can lower costs and provide a competitive advantage. Manufacturing execution systems (MES) can be a crucial tool to reach that imperative

		OEE Goes Real Time - 07/14/09 Automation World, July 2009 By Rob Spiegel Plants find efficiencies through dynamic or real-time measurement of equipment effectiveness. More and more, plants are turning to OEE to get increased efficiencies from their existing equipment.

		Intelligent Diagnostics: A Smarter Way To High Production Availability And Cut Costs - 07/10/09 Process Industry Informer, July 2009 By Gary Provis, Siemens intelligent diagnostics is not just ‘nice to have’ for companies but, nowadays, more a strategic necessity to help stay ahead of the competition.

		Too Many Fingers in the Smart Grid Pie? - 07/10/09 Power, July 2009 By Brian Gish Because the smart grid promises to address so many components across the industry, smart grid initiatives are being overseen by many — perhaps too many — different organizations and agencies. This raises the question of whether the smart grid effort could be advanced more efficiently by using a more centralized approach.

		Condition monitoring matures - 06/24/09 Plant Services, June 2009 By Sheila Kennedy Recent innovations in condition-monitoring technologies address the key barriers to implementation by minimizing the upfront investment, simplifying installation and use, improving speed and accuracy, supporting diverse technologies, and streaming complex analytics.

		Flexible, agile and scalable - 06/24/09 Plant Services, June 2009 By David Berger As your company’s needs shift, it’s critical to monitor the transformation and report how your business is doing to support timely and effective decisions. The more advanced CMMS packages provide comprehensive business intelligence tools that assist users in data collection, analysis and reporting.

		Web Based CMMS Systems - 06/24/09 Automated Buildings, June 2009 By David Knight, Web Work by Tero Thanks to advances in Computerized Maintenance Management Software (CMMS) technology, maintenance professionals are able access their work database from anywhere, using their BlackBerry, cell phone, laptop or other mobile device.

		Business Performance Management -- The New Operational Strategy - 06/20/09 Manufacturing.Net, June 2009 By Thomas Silvestri, Opus Global Group Business performance management -- the measurement and implementation of the most successful operational standard or strategy available in an industry -- can be one of the most effective tools for increasing a corporation's efficiency, productivity, and, ultimately, earnings.

		Performance Management - Looking for the Hidden Clues - 06/20/09 Managing Automation, June 2009 By Stephanie Neil Business performance management tools can help you discover much-needed operational efficiencies. But, particularly in tough times, it’s best to keep it simple.

		Automation Tools: Managing Supply Chain Risk - 06/20/09 Automation World, June 2009 By Alex Anderson The latest automation supply chain tools help companies avoid problems, or deal with them quickly if they do occur, to minimize damage to their brands.

		The Future of Workflow Is Automated Knowledge - 06/20/09 Automation World, June 2009 By Rob Spiegel In the not-too-distant future, workflow structures may carry the knowledge that typically lives in the brains of long-time plant operations staff.

		Workflow Automation Is Ready To Change Plant Operations - 06/20/09 Automation World, June 2009 By Rob Spiegel Plants are discovering workflow tools are a handy way to turn operator knowledge into repeatable processes. In doing so, plants are creating best-practice templates that can be fine-tuned for efficiency and implemented from plant to plant.

		Open warfare - 06/16/09 South Africa Instrumentation & Control, June 2009 By Richard Creighton, Honeywell Today, most organisations are aligned with one of two key open protocols for automation and control – LonWorks or BACnet. The decision to go down either path can be dependent on a number of factors.

		Facilities optimisation - 06/16/09 South Africa Instrumentation & Control, June 2009 By Deon van Aardt, Wonderware Two of the major components of facilities management are the ability to contain costs while providing a competitive level of service to retain current clientele. One way of doing that is through the adoption of building automation principles.

		Protecting Critical Machinery - the value of a complete solution Maintenance On Line, May 2009 By Dave Gill, Emerson Process Management Online vibration monitoring integrated with process control and combined with shutdown protection, predictive maintenance and performance monitoring is a sure-fire way to keep your rotating equipment up and generating revenue.

		Balancing CMMS User Configurability with Centralised Control Maintenance On Line, May 2009 By David Berger For most companies, gone are the days when users were forced to conform to a rigid framework dictated by the CMMS vendor and strictly controlled by the Information Systems department. Users today enjoy freedom to customise the content, look and feel of their CMMS environment on a variety of devices, from handhelds to desktops.

		Cutting Costs With OEM Parts Maintenance Technology, May 2009 There’s lots more than purchase price to consider when replacing pump parts. Can your operations afford the risk of simply buying on the cheap? To a purchasing agent, the parts look identical, and the replicators claim that the performance will match the OEM part. But in the end, all parts aren’t created equal.

		Electronic Signatures and Data Quality Pharmaceutical Processing, May 2009 By John Avellanet, Cerulean Associates You will have a problem if you rely on electronic data capture, review and approval, and you are unable to prove that the person who was supposed to collect/review/approve the information was the actual person who did the collection/review/ approval.

		Security Technology Value Engineering: Mistakes to Avoid Building Operating Management, May 2009 By Sean A. Ahrens Consider the time it takes to review an incident on an analog security camera system. That review may require hours and possibly days. New digital camera recording technologies allow security investigators to review footage from multiple security cameras simultaneously, rather than individually.

		Making the Case for a BAS Upgrade Building Operating Management, May 2009 By Carlos Petty If cost reduction is a top priority for an organization and facility executives are faced with shrinking resources, including maintenance and operational staff reductions, it is important to emphasize the potential of EMS/BAS upgrades to reduce energy use.

		BAS Optimization Tips Building Operating Management, May 2009 By Carlos Petty One way to add credibility to the case for upgrades is to verify that existing systems are at their most productive. Review all active or available energy optimization programs and applications. Consider standard strategies, both individually and in conjunction with each other.

		Is It Time For a BAS Upgrade? Building Operating Management, May 2009 By Carlos Petty Energy management systems (EMS) and building automation systems (BAS) achieve operating efficiency and reduce energy consumption when properly applied. The challenge is to make the case for EMS/BAS upgrades.

		SGIX – Smart Grid Information Exchange Automated Buildings, May 2009 By Toby Considine, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill The smart grid is one of the more exciting efforts of today, one that reaches beyond the utilities and into the buildings. The smart grid moves beyond traditional demand response to using direct system integration between the systems of the power grid and those in buildings. But what does this interface look like? Who will control the interaction, the building owner, or the utility?

		Green Intelligent Buildings… what next? Automated Buildings, May 2009 By John J. Mc Gowan, Energy Control The next frontier for integration will look like a variation on energy services and will be built around the idea bringing value propositions to owners. At the heart of that offer will be a hot new technology that might be called enterprise energy management on steroids.

		Thermal Imaging Automated Buildings, June 2009 By Colin Plastow, Fluke Leakage issues can be a prime cause of wasted energy. While there are a number of measurement tools that can do a creditable job of identifying leaks, handheld thermal imaging equipment is becoming an increasingly popular device of choice for conducting inspections.

		Future of Building Automation Automated Buildings, June 2009 By Alper Uzmezler, BAS Services & Graphics The BAS industry has seen vast improvements in the last 8 years. Protocol wars have ended during the last couple of years. It seems that a majority of the buildings are web enabled. We have more tools to analyze data and we can communicate better with our buildings. What does the future hold for the building automation industry?

		Improving boiler reliability through NDT Energy Tech, May 2009 Non-Destructive Testing inspections during planned outages can prevent many forced outages. A good practice is to study the history of the unit and determine where to focus the inspections in the boiler.

		Scale Back on Heat Tracing - 06/02/09 Chemical Processing, May 2009 By Andrew Sloley To prevent freeze expansion damage, plants in chilly areas generally use electricity or steam to heat trace water lines. While this addresses an obvious hazard, it also can pose pitfalls for pumps, as one plant discovered.

		Power conditioning - some common pitfalls Design Product Applications, May 2009 Sensitive electronic equipment frequently suffers as a result of power quality problems. Facilities with numerous traditional power loads often generate power disturbances that result in a ‘low technology’ environment supporting ‘high technology’ systems. Power conditioning is the answer.

		Next-Generation Wireless Asset Management Sensors, April 2009 By Scott D. Constien, Enfora Next-generation wireless asset management systems are incorporating lower power electronics, cellular technologies, and GPS to enable more robust, flexible, scalable systems that reduce operating expenses and improve business productivity.

		Honeywell Momentum 2009 Conference empowers contractors By Bill Lydon, Automation.com Honeywell is proliferating building automation systems though distributors and contractors while increasing the sophistication of its product offering. Over 300 contractors and distributors attending the Dallas conference were introduced to a range of new products that enable them to deliver more functions and features to a broader group of customers. Here’s our report on the conference.

		Update: Government Spending leads to Automation Opportunities - 04/28/09 By Bill Lydon This update provides additional information since the first article was published, and since the government stimulus is so large and is a moving target. It is important to be on the lookout for automation opportunities from these investments. In addition, the stimulus in other countries may well create business opportunities for companies that are in your area.

		Tomorrow has not been canceled! Report from ABB Automation & Power World 2009 Mark Taft, Group Vice President, Process Automation, Global control System Business opened with, "...it is important for us to remember that tomorrow has not been canceled." Mark's point was the conference was designed to provide a great deal of useful and actionable information that will help attendees survive and thrive in the current economy, and be prepared to take advantage of the future. Mark further noted that having a combined event encompassing automation and power is timely.

		Sustainable Design of Building Automation Systems Automated Buildings, March 2009 By J Patrick Winkelman, Distech Controls A sustainable BAS is achievable with proper initial design considerations that include the use of open protocols, standardized Network Management tools and open access to product and training.

		Connecting BACnet Devices to an IP Infrastructure Automated Buildings, March 2009 By George Thomas, Contemporary Controls Why are BACnet plugfest participants encouraged to attach to an IP network when testing for interoperability? Why at trade shows are IP networks used for interoperability demonstrations? It is because connecting to an Ethernet backbone running the IP protocol is convenient. Attempting to do the same with a BACnet MS/TP bus network is not as convenient.

		What About The Other Mobile Workers? IMPO, February 2009 By Stephen Woram, Form Automation Solutions The advance of wireless, mobile technology has enabled solutions that deliver the decision support tools that front-line workers need and eliminate paper-based manual systems for data collection and reporting.

		Beware the bite Plant Services, March 2009 By Paul Studebaker Sags and harmonics contribute to downtime, off-spec production and shortened equipment life. Like so many potential projects that improve uptime, product quality and life cycle cost, it’s hard to make a financial case for spending on power conditioning. But paying attention to power quality in the form of power factor and peak demand can reduce some industrial power bills as much as 30%.

		Automation Takes On Facilities Management Automation World, March 2009 By Rob Spiegel With the drive to go green, plant managers are finding they’ve already got what they need within their production control systems to automate their facilities and trim costs.

		Winning Strategies and Best Practices for Sustainable Manufacturing By Bill Lydon, Contributing Editor The initial focus of the ARC Forum in Orlando was sustainable manufacturing strategies as they relate to environmental performance and resource management. Based on the recent economic downturn, the conference was expanded to address strategies for bottom line business sustainability of process and discrete manufacturing companies.

		It’s Time to Review Your Plant Energy Systems Chemical Processing, February 2008 By Gary Faagau Once a year, review your basic energy systems to see how well they do against accepted industry practices, your goals and last year and five years ago. For some who have Energy Management System software, this job is relatively easy, but it doesn’t hurt to also do a field check to confirm that things are up to date.

		Extend the Value of ERP Chemical Processing, February 2008 By Fred Reever, CISUG, and Frank Kochendoerfer, SAP Chemical companies have adopted ERP systems and made them their “transactional hubs.” Such systems have shown tremendous business benefits, but the benefits to the manufacturing arena are less defined and a correlation of ERP benefits to manufacturing hasn’t been evident.

		Choosing a thermal imaging camera: Some are “hot,” some are not - 02/28/09 Oil & Gas Product News, January/February 2009 Adding a thermal imaging camera to your in-house electrical predictive maintenance program is a virtual no-brainer. The question is, which one is best suited to your company’s unique requirements?

		Robots in Every Building? Automated Buildings, February 2009 By Jeanne Dietsch, MobileRobots, and Stuart Rich, PenBay Forces are converging to pull mobile robots into facilities. These include: Building Information Model (BIM) requirements; supplying data for LEED documentation; staffing problems; management & maintenance costs; high liability risks; and increasing security demands.

		The Role of Networked Sensors Automated Buildings, February 2009 By Roland Acra, Arch Rock Networked sensors in the form of networked thermostats or ambient light sensors are critical to the benchmarking of business processes, highlighting deviations from expected optimal operation or industry-best standards, pinpointing faults that require maintenance actions, etc.

		Buildings, Industry, Automation, and Smart Grids Automated Buildings, February 2009 William Cox, Cox Software Architects LLC As wholesale energy markets have developed, and mandates for re-purchase by utilities and power grids of alternate energy such as wind and solar, your building may be a net consumer at one time and a net provider at another.

		Control Valves – Sizing & Selection Automated Buildings, February 2009 By Steven R. Calabrese, Control Engineering Corp. The three types of control valves that we mostly encounter in the HVAC industry are globe valves, ball valves, and butterfly valves. Here’s a refresher on choosing the right valve for the right application.

		Efficient Asset Performance Management Process Industry Informer, February 2009 By Frank-Uwe Hess, T.A. Cook Consultants. One particularly important aspect of every optimisation project is the acceptance of change by company employees. A consultant always incorporates both management and employees in the change process early on and in this way achieves greater acceptance for new solutions.

		Applying The Heat - An Overview Of Industrial Heat Tracing Process Industry Informer, February 2009 By Neil Malone, Heat Trace Winter is almost over, so save this for next year: An introduction to heat tracing, including the various systems available and an overview of the use of heat tracing across all process industries.

		More Than a Scorecard Automation World, February 2009 By Gary Mintchell The concept of Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) has been developed to provide a model for defining measurements and their analysis. This is a metric that manufacturers should be even more concerned with now, given the current economic climate in which they are trying to extract more capacity from current assets.

		Network Management Struggles At Grassroots Level Automation World, February 2009 By C. Kenna Amos Though still in relative infancy, there’s a turf struggle in network management. IT [information technology] managers are penetrating the plant-floor space and making security and purchasing decisions that control engineers historically have made

		Living in a Virtual Machine Automation World, February 2009 By Gary Mintchell Managing a large number of personal computers (PCs) in an organization can be a nightmare for information technology (IT) professionals.

		System Integrators Expand Engineering Duties Automation World, February 2009 By Rob Spiegel Systems integrators are taking a larger role in the installation and even maintenance of plant control systems. In difficult economic times, plants cut their engineering staffs. When conditions improved, engineers were not rehired. Many plants have effectively outsourced their engineering to integrators. Consequently, integrators are brought in earlier on projects and they’ve given more responsibility.

		Socializing Plays a Role In Network Security - 02/24/09 Automation World, February 2009 By Terry Costlow Technology plays a big role in securing corporate networks, but it won’t work unless companies set up good processes for employees. Employees need to understand not only the rules, but also why those rules are needed, before they will remember to implement them at all times.

		Assembly Line Control and Sequencing: Make or Buy? Automation World, February 2009 By Ralph Rio Today, being competitive and growing the business demands product variety. A second trend is reducing set-up so the line is easier to change over. This helps manufacturers move to assemble-to-order (ATO) and eliminate finished goods inventory. A third trend is just-in-time (JIT) inventory management. These trends are driving the development of advanced software applications that can manage the complexity.

		Cisco Pushes Beyond the Edge By Bill Lydon, Contributing Editor Cisco's non-residential building strategy continues to unfold pushing beyond the edge of the network infrastructure into building systems. "By converging disparate systems over a single building information network, the Cisco Connected Real Estate solution offers stakeholders proven benefits that will help transform their organization, improve business processes, and enhance real estate value."

		The great migration InTech, February 2009 By John Bryant, Arkema, and Mike Vernak, Rockwell Automation Instituting a phased migration is a major step for any manufacturing system. Although replacing an old DCS system with a single, plant-wide system poses some risks, it is important to help your production team realize the potential benefits. If executed correctly, a phased migration can offer increased productivity and a sharper competitive advantage.

		Peer-to-peer RTU networking becomes a reality PACE, January 2009 By David Walker, Yokogawa Australia For the past 15 years, the widely used DNP3 protocol has worked well as a means of communicating data over slow and intermittent links. But it does have a number of shortcomings. To combat this, a quiet revolution is underway in the world of remote terminal units (RTUs).

		Enhancing Plant Asset Management with Wireless Retrofits Power, February 2009 By Paul Sereiko Wireless technology is a mostly untapped resource in the power generation industry that can have a significant impact on the way business is done. It enables a greater degree of connectivity among devices for enhanced monitoring and asset utilization and has led to the development of new applications that improve productivity, uptime, and overall business performance.

		Wireless Technology Unlocks Possibilities Power, February 2009 By Jeff Becker Modern wireless systems improve productivity, monitoring activities, and safety at power plants by enabling the right people to be at the right place at the right time. Wireless technology can put hard-to-access process and asset information at your fingertips, wherever you are, to enable more accurate and timely decisions.

		Convert to Digital Safety Industrial Networking, February 2009 As networks move to digital technology, some of them take on safety. Users integrate control and safety where possible and keep them separate when necessary.

		Industrial Quality Adds Up vs. Commercial Industrial Networking, February 2009 By Phil Burgert The extra cost of industrial-grade network components sometimes can be a problem for designers of manufacturing networks. They might be encouraged to learn that a surprising number of vendors will endorse some limited use of less-expensive, commercially available products.

		Users Get Out of Their COTS Industrial Networking, February 2009 By John Rezabek One of the first challenges for COTS is when we venture outside the control house. For a relatively small premium relative to the security and peace of mind they afford, users should be considering today’s line of industrially hardened network devices for their process control network applications.

		Important considerations when transitioning to Higher Efficiency Motors Control Engineering Europe, January 2009 By Robin C H Cowley, Baldor Changing motors to reduce energy cost is good for the bottom line and will be good for the environment, so what could be a problem? An understanding of the mechanical and performance differences of these motors is essential in order to realise maximum financial benefits and a trouble free installation.

		AHR EXPO Still Strong By Bill Lydon, Contributing Editor The 61st AHR EXPO was among its biggest and best events of all-time with approximately 35,000 attendees and more than 19,000 exhibitor personnel for a total of more than 54,000. Bill Lydon reviews the building automation show with overall impressions and products of interest.

		An Aspect on Networked Area Control Automated Buildings, January 2009 By Rocky Moore, American Auto-Matrix As there are multiple philosophies associated with control through various manufacturers, it has been a challenging task for some manufacturers to relinquish some of their beliefs for the sake of interoperability.

		Introduction to BACnet Routers Automated Buildings, January 2009 George Thomas, Contemporary Controls Each data link is treated as a separate network and the collection of data links is considered a single BACnet internetwork. BACnet routers facilitate the connections — but when BACnet/IP is used as one of the data links, adjustments must be made to how BACnet routers are used in an IP network.

		Choosing the Right Integrator Automated Buildings, January 2009 By Norman O’Leary, CSIA There are many options: Automation Vendors, Distributors, Architectural engineering and construction firms, and Independent control system integrators

		BAS Use of Ethernet / IP Infrastructure II Automated Buildings, January 2009 By Paul Ehrlich & Ira Goldschmidt, Building Intelligence Group This month focuses on the special challenge of data security. This is a topic that often does not get much attention, but is one that has a high risk if not properly addressed on any shared network installation.

		Standards and Opportunities when Smart Buildings meet the Smart Grid Automated Buildings, January 2009 By Toby Considine, University of North Carolina By moving to OASIS, we are acknowledging that demand response is a business interaction more than a control transaction. The end nodes of the power grid contain far too diverse a mix of systems for grid operators to control well.

		Specifying BACnet Building Operating Management, January 2009 BACnet makes it possible to integrate a facility’s various control systems to a single front end for ease of operation. It also allows users to expand and upgrade controls using technology from multiple vendors. This is possible due to common communication infrastructure and front-end building automation systems.

		BACnet: Beyond HVAC Building Operating Management, January 2009 It’s not surprising that many facility executives think that BACnet is strictly for HVAC applications. After all, it was developed by ASHRAE. And, in reality, most of the early applications of BACnet were HVAC-related. But things have changed since those early days.

		Bacnet: Pieces of the Green Puzzle Building Operating Management, January 2009 Thanks to BACnet’s range of objects, services and networks, the protocol provides meaningful performance data that facility executives can gather quickly, analyze and review to better understand the impact of building occupant behaviors and make better choices for energy management.

		What You Should Know Before you Buy – A Guide to Buying an Infrared Camera Maintenance World, January 2009 By Paula Bowie This article aims to help the camera buyer understand what basic camera specifications mean, and also help them determine what type of camera and options are suitable for their application.

		Calculating Arc Flash Hazard Levels Pure Power, Winter 2008 By Peter R. Walsh, Ferraz Shawmut Relying on the IEEE equations to compensate for an inaccurate available fault current can yield unacceptable results. IEEE 1584 wasn’t designed with safety factors to accommodate all bolted fault current inaccuracies. This article focuses on some specific pitfalls in calculating the arc fault current for up to 1 kV.

		Solving Electrical Problems with Thermal Imaging Maintenance World, January 2009 By Mike Shekhtman, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Today's thermal imagers, which produce live images of the heat emitted from equipment, are rugged, easy to use and much more affordable than just a few years ago. This makes them highly practical and cost-effective solutions for everyday electrical maintenance.

		CMMS versus EAM Plant Services, January 2009 Some vendors, consultants and industry analysts continue to push the distinction between CMMS and EAM but it causes nothing but confusion in the marketplace. Most of the more popular CMMS packages can be used as an EAM solution.

		The basics of energy optimization Plant Engineering, December 2008 By Mark Price, Fluke Best practices for energy savings refers to a strategy that keeps equipment operating at maximum efficiency. It allocates staff time to regularly scheduled inspections of key equipment and systems. Here are four key areas of a facility where best practices can reduce expenses.

		Don’t Fumble Your Tech Funding Opportunity Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, January 2009 By Peter G. Martin, Invensys Process Systems Need money from the bosses for IT and other technology investments? Don’t drop the ball. Getting the ear, and pocketbook, of senior management requires a game plan based on a firm appreciation of the stats—both costs and ROI.

		Changing Perspectives Improves Asset Management Automation World, January 2009 By Gary Mintchell Bringing asset management up to global best-in-class status often requires a change in perspective and approach. The process needs a defined strategy to know where to go and how to get there.

		Enablng Technologies: Visualizing the Agile Manufacturing Enterprise Managing Automation, January 2009 By Jeff Moad Software vendors are enabling agility with tools that deliver real-time data, automated exception alerts, and more flexible applications. Vendors also are focusing on tools that allow manufacturers to quickly make decisions and take action based on that real-time visibility

		New Economy Requires Manufacturers To Plan Better Manufacturing.Net, January 2009 By Ric Ratkowski, Host Analytics A manufacturer’s ability to plan and navigate its activities in a downturn can be critical to its survival. Integrated business planning is designed to help manufacturers become more agile; tie detailed sales forecasts at the production-line level to materials plans, plant scheduling and costing models.

		Energy Management: First Steps Toward Greater Efficiency Control Engineering, January 2009 By David Greenfield Article series provides specific examples of how engineers can identify and address --at relatively little or no cost --the principal sources of energy waste in their production facilities. Part one focuses on facility and machine power use and motors and drives.

		Oil-Filled Transformer Explosions Power Engineering, November 2008 By Guillaume Perigaud, et al, Transformer Protector Corp. Power transformers are one of the most dangerous pieces of electrical equipment because of the large quantity of oil they contain, which is in direct contact with high voltage elements. Experiments show the efficiency of a direct mechanical explosion and fire prevention strategy method.

		Integrating Your EAM Software Into Your ERP Solution Manufacturing.net, December 2008 By Amanda Earing EAM software allows maintenance managers to write up work orders, schedule personnel and manage other aspects of its department, but integrating with an ERP solution will tie the EAM into other departments, making inventory, purchasing and communication with the entire company much easier.

		Capture More Savings on an Ongoing Basis Chemical Processing, December 2008 By Gary Faagau Energy systems aren’t as complicated as most plant controls. Most of the time, there’s no worry about catalyst, reactions, or non-linear responses. However, the key variables must be known for the systems to do the right thing. Here are four systems that are sure winners.

		Improving your Vibration Predictive Maintenance Program Energy Tech, December 2008 By Anthony Dematteo Many industries have a predictive vibration analysis program. What does it take to keep the program alive and healthy?

		Protocol Blenders and Information Creators Automated Buildings, December 2008 By Jim Sinopoli and Neil Gifford Middleware deals with the babble between building automation systems. The bulk of systems are legacy propriety systems in existing buildings that have little or no integration and generate little or no meaningful information about the performance of the building. Middleware can leverage those existing investments.

		Introduction to Modbus Serial and Modbus TCP Part 2 Automated Buildings, December 2008 George Thomas, Contemporary Controls The second part discusses two implementations of the Modbus Protocol that were introduced in our previous article. The first is the traditional implementation of Modbus over a serial line. The second is more modern with Modbus operating over a TCP/IP network.

		The Front End Automated Buildings, December 2008 By Darryl Trombley, Metro Environmental Today’s climate of open systems, competition and integration has left many building owners and facility managers wondering what the heck they bought and left them dealing with a Building Management System (BMS) that has created more frustration than help.

		How Cogeneration Systems Can Save Energy Costs Building Operating Management, December 2008 By Lindsay Audin Consider combined heat and power (CHP), also called cogeneration. In that process, on-site generating equipment provides part of your power and heat, at a total cost lower than what you would have paid without it.

		Metering Strategies for Cogeneration Systems Building Operating Management, December 2008 By Lindsay Audin Deficiencies in metering of the electric and thermal output from a CHP system may make it difficult to verify the amount and value of CHP-generated energy.

		Cogeneration Systems and Paybacks Building Operating Management, December 2008 By Lindsay Audin As with other energy alternatives, payback periods for CHP may be long (seven or more years) and PPA terms may be even longer (15-20 years). It pays to consider what types of changes may occur at a facility during such extended periods of time.

		IP Camera Or Analog? CCTV Technology Update Building Operating Management, December 2008 By Sean A. Ahrens Digital camera technology is the future of CCTV. For those who have not embraced digital, realize that the train is boarding and will soon leave the station.

		Steam trap surveys reveal £28,000 in potential energy savings per site Maintenance & Engineering, December 2008 By Rick Plummer, Spirax Sarco A steam trap survey will help to keep a system running smoothly and will almost certainly reveal impressive savings through reduced fuel consumption, fuel emissions, water and effluent charges.

		Call it convergence: Software strategists raise emphasis on integration - 12/27/08 Plant Services, December 2008 By Paul Studbaker Everywhere software is spoken, the emphasis is on what’s being done to make connections, build custom dashboards, enable automatic alarms and notifications, and empower individuals with the information they need when, where and in the context required to help them squeeze out higher productivities, reliabilities and efficiencies.

		Find the low hanging fruit in your plant and automate Advanced Manufacturing, December 2008 By Chris Stergiou Identification of opportunities to automate is a high impact manufacturing activity that has the transformative effect of clearing bottlenecks and can change the basic manufacturing cost structure and improve overall profitability.

		Arc flash blowout Control Engineering, December 2008 By C.G. Masi There are three strategies available to protect workers from arc flash: de-energize any electrical equipment before working on it, keep as much distance from the danger zone as possible, and wear protective clothing.

		'DONA' forget about security Control Engineering, December 2008 By Dennis Brandl Patching control systems is a problem. Use the acronym “DONA” to remember the four main elements that must be considered in patch management: Databases, Operating systems, Networks, and Applications.

		How to Control asset maintenance PACE, November 2008 By George Buckbee George Buckbee, Expertune Most large process plants have invested millions in their control systems. Yet it is typical that more than 30% of the system is off-line at any given moment. Getting the best performance from the control system requires a structured approach to control system asset management

		Optimize Asset Lifecycle Performance through Better Asset Information Management ARC's Asset Lifecycle Management (ALM) Forum began with a keynote presentation from ARC Vice President Sid Snitkin who discussed Asset Information Management (AIM). Tom Fiske, ARC Advisory Group Senior Analyst discussed the value of modeling and simulation of manufacturing processes to improve actual results. Greg Toomey, VP Traditional Power Segment, SKF presented a case study describing an effective lifecycle maintenance program.

		Wireless & Networking Dominate ISA EXPO 2008, Product Highlights The emphasis on networked communications whether wired or wireless was visible at the event. We review the ISA Wireless Industrial Automation Standard (SP100) Committee meeting in Houston, which drew a standing-room-only crowd. Other product highlights include: PLC/Programming Learning Package, EtherNet/IP Controller, Single Board Industrial Controller, Remote Eyeballs for Wireless Reading Gauges, Quad Process Safety System, Universal Gas Transmitter and HMI Enhancements.

		The Need for Asset Information Management in the Utilities Industry Electric Light & Power, December 2008 By Terence Leung, NRX Organizations invest billions in physical assets but largely ignore the information that keeps them running. To reduce schedule and cost in capital projects and ensure the integrity of operating assets, organizations must significantly upgrade the information foundation that enables safety and business improvement.

		Are You Playing The Lean Game? Manufacturing.net, November 2008 By Karen Langhauser Ten years ago (with a few exceptions), the food manufacturing industry was very much lagging behind in its pursuit of lean thinking; however, today’s food industry is rapidly gaining ground and offering further proof as to the versatility of lean.

		Using Structured Cable Solutions For BAS Automated Buildings, October 2008 By Jim Sinopoli Using structured cable in a BAS environment is different than its use in a typical data network. The cable topology and the location of the end devices are different. More consideration has to be given to signal loss budgets, devices placed on a link or bus, and the cabling distances supported.

		OPC Security: Seven Years, Seven Fears - 11/24/08 Automated Buildings, October 2008 By Eric Murphy, MatrikonOPC The first OPC Security specification was released in 2000, and the next major OPC security revision, OPC UA Security, was released in 2007, seven years later. It’s said that a little fear is a good thing. Here are seven security fears every OPC systems owner should consider, and what OPC options exist to soothe them.

		Wireless Sensor Networks Move Onto The Internet Automated Buildings, October 2008 By Brian Bohlig, Arch Rock Because rewiring an existing building is costly and often impractical, wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are growing in popularity. The latest IETF 6LoWPAN (RFC 4944) standard allows IP communication over low-power radio.

		Effective Energy Monitoring Control Engineering Asia, October 2008 By Dennis Stewart As increasing costs and environmental concerns make manufacturers re-evaluate their use of energy, a well-designed monitoring system can provide a valuable picture of where it’s all going.

		Automation Insights Network By Rick Zabel, Publisher Automation Insights Network is a select group of controls and automation professionals who agree to help us cover news, emerging trends and technologies on various automation topics. Every two months, we will ask people in the Network to share their observations, knowledge and expertise with us. We take that information, distill it, and pass it on to our reporters and editors for use in future stories.

		Integrated Facility Management Systems Yield Sustainable Results By Jeff Seewald – Building Intelligence Group An integrated facility management and maintenance program provides a more empowered and productive staff, increased operational efficiency, and support for operations and maintenance. Addressing management issues in a timely manner can improve the longevity of equipment and systems.

		Integrating Asset Management and Maintenance Control Engineering Europe, September 2008 By Bill Broussard, Emerson Process Management A goal of 80 per cent planned maintenance is attainable when a plant asset management (PAM) platform is integrated with maintenance strategy during engineering design. When PAM is a consideration from the beginning of a capital project, the long-term benefits will include greater equipment availability, fewer emergencies, and lower maintenance costs over the life of the plant.

		ISA - Change the name to represent the industry By Rick Zabel, Automation.com The proposed name change of ISA (to "International Society of Automation") is up for a vote again during ISA Expo in Houston, October 14-16, 2008. Last year, the change was voted down, but I have yet to hear a compelling argument against the change. And there are many reasons for the change. If ISA is truly the global society of automation professionals, then its name should reflect its cause. It's time for a change!

		Get Physical with Security By Bill Lydon, Contributing Editor While there is a great deal of legitimate concern about cyber security, many industrial facilities may be at high risk due to poor physical security. There is a need for a comprehensive security strategy for these facilities and other critical infrastructure. Honeywell Process Solutions' industrial security initiatives go beyond cyber security to address physical plant security.

		Integrating Environmental Processes Control Engineering, August 2008 By Rob McGreevy, Wonderware Environmental controls are a critical part of manufacturing and can be fully integrated into larger plant-wide control systems to leverage reporting and historian capabilities.

		State of Manufacturing & Automation in the U.S. Looks Good Could it be that high fuel prices, the weak dollar and crises in the U.S. manufacturing industry are creating opportunities? Andy Chatha of ARC Advisory Group thinks so. He says the U.S. industry has suddenly become competitive on the world market, and companies are no longer moving operations overseas. Instead, many are expanding their facilities, and he predicts a boom in automation right here in the U.S.

		Passive Infrared-Motion Sensors Machine Design, July 2008 Passive infrared (PIR) sensors detect infrared energy radiating from objects within their field of vision. The most common object a PIR sensor detects is the human body, so these sensors find use in automatic light switches, alarm systems, and door openers.

		Honeywell 2008 Users Group - Heroes Gather in Phoenix By Bill Lydon, Contributing Editor The 33rd annual Honeywell Users Group Conference was held June 15 - 19, 2008 at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix, AZ with over 700 customers in attendance. According to Honeywell Vice President/General Manager, "The conferences super hero theme, Power to Perform, highlights the heroic efforts of process industry professionals to perform well despite rising costs and resource constraints."

		Tridium Niagara Summit Attendance Increases 52%! By Bill Lydon - Contributing Editor The Tridium 2008 Tridium Niagara Summit titled, "Carry the Vision Forward", was held at the Saddlebrook Resort, Wesley Chapel, Florida May 4-6, 2008 with a record number of attendees and sponsors with 667 in attendance and 50 sponsors participating in the event.

		Open for Business By Ron Bernstein, LonMark International Open systems allow access to the total facility, providing the resources building owners need to evaluate energy use and resource consumption. The result is better educated decisions about how to improve utilization as well as reduce costs. Here’s an in-depth look into the meaning of having open building controls and a guide to purchasing a genuinely open solution.

		Don't judge a supplier by its name By Frank Hurtte, Contributing Author. For those of us who live and breathe the rarified vapors of technology based automation, it's pretty hard to fathom how life existed without electronic automation. Yet, it has been a short 30 years since the venerable PLC became anything more than a novelty outside of the Big 3 in Detroit. Sometime in the late 1970s, microprocessors changed our lives forever. Since those early days, the power of these tiny chips forever changed the way we think about manufacturing.

		Custom Controls Survey - Complimentary assessment, tips and tricks We are conducting a brief survey on custom controls — that is, board-level controllers used in place of standard PLCs or process controls. If you use custom controls in your automation applications, please take a minute to tell us why you use them and what challenges you face. You may be eligible to receive a complimentary controls assessment, plus tips and tricks on how to lower your control costs.

		Regional Manufacturing Expos Prove Most Valuable By Thomas R. Cutler Deciding which conferences, webinars, and expos are worthwhile for manufacturing engineers and buyers to attend often feels like a dangerous yellow brick road, never knowing quite what to expect.

		Wireless Sensor Networks for Building Automation Industrial Embedded Systems, May 2008 By Rainer Wischinski, Spinwave Systems The new wave of wireless sensor networks will change the building automation industry by reducing costs and increasing flexibility, making the use of sensors to establish and maintain highly energy-efficient building operation affordable in an increasing number of existing and new applications. (Registration required to read text).

		Wireless Technology Migration: Mitigating Risk and Increasing Supply Chain Efficiency IEN, May 2008 By Peak Technologies Many supply chain management solutions rely on wireless technology for Automatic Identification/Data Capture (AIDC) to ensure supply chain efficiency. With the rapid evolution of wireless networks, along with compliance issues and ever-changing logistics, migration to advanced wireless systems is inevitable.

		Ingredients for Success Control Engineering Asia, April 2008 By Jim Ricigliano In all areas of manufacturing and pharmaceutical companies particularly, adopting new information technologies has become serious business. Collaboration, real-time, agility and visibility are words used to describe the desired end results and how production and business processes should work..

		Use people skills and your CMMS to build management excellence Plant Services, April 2008 By David Berger Frontline supervisors are absolutely critical in ensuring the success of any major change initiative, such as implementing a new CMMS or getting more out of an existing one.

		Counterfeits can kill Plant Services, April 2008 By Jim Montague and Paul Studebaker There’s more evidence than ever before that fake products and parts are detrimental to those who purchase them. Don’t risk lives, reliability and profits just to save a buck. Counterfeiters are producing fake industrial equipment and components complete with bogus marks, packaging, documentation and certifications.

		Risks of refurbishing Plant Services, April 2008 Though not defined as counterfeiting or copying, misuse of identification when devices are repaired or refurbished is at least as unethical, and can cause many of the same problems and possible hazards. Several engineers report they haven’t seen fake process devices, but routinely see misrepresented or missing plates on those devices.

		IT: The eighth hidden waste Plant Engineering, April 2008 By Kevin Prouty, Motorola When lean principles are embraced by IT, the IT department can become a multiplier of efficiencies throughout the enterprise by moving information closer to the point of activity throughout the company. The implementation of continuous improvement initiatives in IT further amplifies the “Lean factor” in manufacturing processes.

		Application of RFID technology in the manufacturing process Plant Engineering, April 2008 By Mark Waggoner, Kim Automation The use of RFID technology in the manufacturing process can bring many benefits and potential cost savings. RFID technology has been more rapidly accepted in the manufacturing process because the RFID technology can be a reusable product when the RFID tags are embedded into fixtures used in the manufacturing process.

		6 Steps for Evaluating Water-Damaged Electrical Equipment Buildings, April 2008 Know what actions to take and questions to ask when evaluating water-damaged electrical equipment

		Object modeling for BACnet devices – Part 1 Industrial Ethernet Book, April 2008 By George Thomas The latest Ethernet protocols are all based upon Object Modeling which can be quite confusing to those unfamiliar with this abstract concept. This two part series explains how BACnet devices are constructed and certified, with emphasis on the latest BACnet/IP standard.

		Manufacturing 2.0 Advanced Manufacturing, March 2008 By Scott Bury If there was a software tool that could help you find the information you didn't know you had, could leverage the knowledge of your customer base while you’re developing new products, and could speed the time to market for those new products, would you use it? Manufacturers are definitely interested in “Web 2.0,” and the possible use of blogs, podcasts and wikis in their businesses. But there seems to be some hesitation about implementing them internally.

		Automating Energy Consumption Automation World, March 2008 By Rob Spiegel With rising energy costs and the growing interest in reducing carbon emissions, plants are becoming more interested in making their facilities more energy efficient. One of the critical requirements to reduce energy consumption is the ability to track and monitor energy consumption.

		Coping with Higher-Priced Energy Automation World, March 2008 By Harry Forbes, ARC The first step in coping with energy price increases is to refine the existing energy measurements within a manufacturing operation. New and less-expensive technologies for electric-power measurement using wireless mesh networks should be on the market in the near future.

		Building Manufacturing Efficiency Control Engineering Europe March 2008 Today, many pharmaceutical plants typically operate at somewhere around 30% efficiency, with a few world-class operations reaching the 70% range. The Pfizer facility in Puerto Rico formed a cross-functional team to focus on creating more competitive costs through implementing an OEE data gathering and reporting system.

		Control Technology for Future Generations By: Ron Bernstein, Executive Director, LonMark International The concept of a control networking architecture, which provides fair competitive bidding on all levels of a system and over the life of the system, is something the user market has been demanding for years. LON and other network protocols, such as BacNet, ModBus, and Zigbee, have been developed to deliver on this need

		Put Lightning in the Ground Design News, January 2008 By Jon Titus, Contributing Editor Contrary to popular belief, you don't need a direct strike to turn expensive instruments or sensors into junk. Lightning within a few kilometers of equipment can induce destructive voltages and currents on conductors. You can do a quick cost-benefit analysis to determine what to protect and how to protect it.

		Implementation Issues of Open Networks AutomatedBuildings.com, May 2007 Jim Sinopoli, Sinopoli and Associates The idea of open architectures, interoperability, improved functionality, infrastructure consolidation, and capital and operating costs savings is music to the ears of building owners and facility managers.

		Commissioning and the Engineer Consulting & Specifying Engineer, April 2007 By Carl C. Schultz, URS Corp. The commissioning process can be an important element in the success of a building program, especially one that involves complicated mechanical and electrical systems.

		CMMS: Managing Facilities as a business The APWA Reporter By Harry Kohal, Eagle Technology, Inc. Building automation systems aid in controlling and managing the environment in modern intelligent buildings, and can control everything form the HVAC system to the elevators, security cameras, window blinds, lighting, fire alarm systems, chillers, and power distribution.

		What does it Really Take to be an Intelligent Building? AutomatedBuildings.com, April 2007 By Thomas Hartman, P E, The Hartman Company To get our industry to meet its commitment to owners, occupants and the energy and environmental performance expectations of our society, we need the connectivity we incorporate into intelligent buildings to add valuable function.

		Wireless Technology: Overcoming Obstacles Building Operating Management, April 2007 By BOM Editorial Staff An emerging wireless standard being adopted by building device manufacturers could improve reliability and reduce costs of wireless networks

		Achieving Energy Savings with Building Automation Systems AutomatedBuildings.com, April 2007 By Kristin Kamm, Sr. Associate Research, E SOURCE Building automation systems (BASs) can be a powerful tool for commercial-building energy managers, but some managers are unsure about the prospective energy-savings benefits and first costs.

		UPS Module Selection for Large Scale Data Centers Consulting & Specifying Engineer, March 2007 By Keith Lane, Engineering SASCO In specifying uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems for the large-scale mission-critical facility, the first step is to determine the amount of load the UPS system will serve. Once load is determined, it is essential to determine the amount of redundancy that is required.

		Plugging into Power Line Communications Buildings, March 2007 By Frank T. Matarazzo In-building Broadband over Power Line (BPL) or Power Line Communications delivers high-speed Internet access using a building’s internal electrical wiring.

		If 10-Gigabit is in Your Future, Choose the Right Cable Pathway By Kenneth Freeman Building system designers employ a variety of wire and cable management pathways to provide optimal cabling flexibility. However, today’s familiar pathways may not be adequate for new technologies such as “augmented” Category 6 (Category 6a) cable.

		Product Costs: The Conflict between Engineering and Finance by Thomas R. Cutler and Frank V. Azzolino Manufacturing in North America today is under siege as companies struggle against increasing challenges to deliver quality products, on time, and at the required price. All these functions must be performed while managing the profitability and growth requirements of a very demanding public marketplace.

		Industrial CRM: General Practitioners Need Not Apply by Thomas R. Cutler With up to ten years of continued process improvements on the plant floor, back office, and distribution operations, manufacturers have finally arrived at the front door of customer relationship management (CRM). Still engineering and operations focused, many senior manufacturing executives are strongly resistant and visibly uncomfortable in approaching lean CRM.

		Answer: An Enterprise Business and Facilities Planning System by Thomas R. Cutler A machine at a manufacturing plant has just gone down. The estimate of the engineers is between two weeks and a month of down time on the machine. How does a manufacturer minimize the impact of the outage on the ability of the organization to service its customers, while maintaining at the least possible cost?

		Buildings 2.0 By Anto Budiardjo, President of Clasma Events Inc. Buildings 2.0 is a vision that intricately intertwines buildings with Internet technologies. It says the future of buildings is one which is controlled, managed and connected to the Internet in a way that goes far beyond simply placing a web server to the control system or in the use of IP. This article describes the concept of Buildings 2.0.

Automation.com Real-time Information for the Automation Professional May. 16, 2012

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