Automation.com e-News - August 3, 2005



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August 3 , 2005 - Volume VI, Issue 31
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In this Issue	Our Sponsor
From One Techie to Another: Dog Days of Summer Featured Article: Smarter than “Smart Labels”? - Alternative for Slap-and-Ship RFID Product & Company News Application Tool: RFID Starter Kit Featured Products: NI Motion Assistant Supply Chain Management RFID Fuses, Fuse Holders and Fuse Blocks New Job Opportunities Featured Training: Industrial Ethernet Control Seminar New Auctions & Classifieds Dilbert Pick of the Week	SIXNET Introduces -- Super Fast, Gigabit-Enabled Ethernet Ring Switches The same great features as SIXNET Real-time Ring Switches -- now 10 times faster! Offering Fully Configurable Ports: Six 10/100 RJ45 ports One 10/100/1000 RJ45 port Two flexible Gigabit ports -Copper or fiber -Distances up to 70+ km Fault-tolerant rings with ultra-fast gigabit fiber optic ports will ensure the deterministic performance of your system! Get your FREE Product CD today!
From One Techie to Another
Hello everyone, The phrase "Dog Days of Summer" is usually used to describe the hot sultry days of summer (in the northern hemisphere) between July and September. During late July, Sirius, the dog star, is in conjunction (i.e. rises and sets) with the sun. Since Sirius was also the brightest star, the ancient Romans believed its added heat created the stretch of hot sultry weather. OK, that's my history and astrology lesson for this week. Sometimes the phrase is also used to describe a period of stagnation or inactivity. We all know that the automation industry has seen its fair share of stagnation in the past few years. But, here are a couple of observations indicating "Dog Days of Summer" is a misnomer, at least for July 2005. Our site traffic reached an all-time high of 159,960 visitors during the month of July. And, we had a significant increase in job posting activity during the month of July, i.e. the number of job postings added to the site in July almost doubled any other month. And judging from the first few days of August, I don't see a slow-down coming. Is this a sign of things to come? Could the automation industry finally be turning around? After 5 years of being in business (Can you believe we are 5 years old already?), we've come to expect a slow-down during the summer months. Of course we started this business in 2000 when the automation industry and the dot coms were taking a nose dive, so our point of reference may be a little askew. Either way, this upswing in July activity has been a pleasant surprise. I've got my fingers crossed (as I'm sure you do) that this trend will continue. Enjoy the rest of this e-news! Rick Zabel
Featured Article
Smarter than “Smart Labels”? - Alternative for Slap-and-Ship RFID Radio frequency identification (RFID) is gaining wider adoption among consumer packaged goods (CPG) suppliers, driven in large part by a recent mandate by Wal-Mart Stores Inc. In 2004 Wal-Mart announced that its largest 100 suppliers were required to begin using the technology by the beginning of 2005. This announcement, along with the technological standards that have made B2B use of RFID technology possible, has contributed to the boom in interest and sales of RFID solutions. Read full article by Giles Manias of Paragon Data Systems. More articles and white papers on various automation topics More application stories using various automation products
Product Announcements & Company News
Hear all about it...industry news is published on our site daily. Here are the latest news headlines for your review...use the following links to read the full article. Check out our Daily News Headlines page frequently to stay up-to-date on the industry events. Product Announcements: Advantech Releases Industrial Touch Screen LCD with USB Interface 8/2/05 Control Microsystems Introduces RealFLO 6, Operator-Friendly Gas Measurement Software 8/2/05 ASI Announces August Product of the Month - AC Outlet Power Module 8/2/05 SoftNoze Introduces New Inductive Proximity Sensors that Stop Heavy Loads and Sense Around Corners 8/1/05 Sealevel Systems Introduces Eight-Port RS-485 PC/104 Module 8/1/05 Mosaic Industries Introduces Handheld Controller for Designing a Custom Portable Instruments 8/1/05 Aspectrics, Inc. Offers a New Product Brochure, 'Chemical Analysis in the Real World' 8/1/05 EMS Releases HS500E Integrated RFID Antenna/Reader 7/29/05 igus Introduces Chainflex CF98 Continuous-flex Control Cable 7/29/05 igus Introduces E-Z Chain for Fast, Simple Cable Installation 7/29/05 Allen-Bradley MicroLogix 1100 Controller Gives Manufacturers Online Editing in a Cost-Effective Package 7/28/05 ACCES I/O Announces 36-Channel Optically Isolated PC/104 Utility Board 7/28/05 Computer Aided Solutions Introduces New High-accuracy, Portable Temperature Logger 7/28/05 JAI PULNiX Introduces New CV-A2 Analog Machine Vision Camera Based on 1/1.8 Inch CCD Image Sensor 7/28/05 AREAL to Present Version 4.0 of TOPKAPI VISION SCADA Software 7/28/05 Korenix Launches JetNet 3500 Series Industrial Unmanaged Redundant Ethernet Rail Switch 7/27/05 Company & Organization News: Contemporary Controls Implements RoHS Compliance Plan 8/2/05 igus Inc. Sponsors National Student Robotics Competition 8/2/05 Citect Wins the Double at Microsoft Australia and New Zealand Partner 2005 Awards 8/1/05 ifm efector Expands Operations with New Office in Michigan 8/1/05 Honeywell Signs Agreement To Acquire Lebow 8/1/05 OMAC Showcases Panels of Experts at ISA EXPO 2005 8/1/05 FKI Logistex Appoints Gary Savarese as Project Manager 8/1/05 Contemporary Controls Offers the Convenience of E-Commerce to Their Customers 7/29/05 Tegron Executive Honored by CSIA 7/29/05 Schneider Electric Announces Strong Growth in First-Half 2005 7/29/05 ITC Launches Investigation of Symbol Technologies Based on Allegations of Unfair Trade Practices and Infringement of Intermec Patents 7/29/05 Bosch Rexroth Announces Industrial Hydraulics and Electric Drives and Controls Training Courses for 2005 7/28/05 ASR Technology Launches Innovative Online Automation Superstore, Scadacentre.com 7/28/05 Leading Engineering Contractors Attend Fieldbus Foundation Event In London, UK 7/28/05 Gemba Solutions Appoints Product Distributor for Its Manufacturing Execution Software in Australia and New Zealand 7/28/05 OMRON Reports Consolidated Financial Results for the Fiscal First Quarter 7/28/05 ABB's New Berlin Office Earns the OHSAS (Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series) 18001 Certificate 7/28/05 Measurement Computing Promotes New Engineering VP 7/28/05 Beckhoff Automation Hires Three New Regional Application Engineers/Specialists 7/27/05 Invensys' Wonderware Achieves Gold Certified Partner Level in Microsoft Partner Program 7/27/05 Application News: Invensys Selected by Canadian Natural Resources Limited to Supply Triconex Safety and Critical Control Systems at Horizon Oil Sands Project 8/2/05 Packaging OEM Increases Machine Performance, Enhances Flexibility with Integrated Control System From Rockwell Automation 8/1/05 TaiPower Selects Invensys for Maanshan Power Station DCS Upgrade 8/1/05 Intermec Named to Provide RFID Technical Engineering Services to U.S. Government 7/28/05 Honeywell Signs LifeCycle Management Contract with Delesto 7/27/05 Schneider Electric Leads Industry in Environmental Systems Management 7/27/05 Power Management Creates New Opportunities for Schneider Electric's North American Operating Division 7/27/05
Featured Application Tool
RFID Starter Kit Omron has the advanced products and technology to help you track & trace your assets, reduce waste from misdirected shipments and measure your ROI. Omron’s RFID Starter Kit offers: Unique "Compliance in a Box" concept! Completely scalable from one device to enterprise deployment Minimal investment to set up initial testing Includes cables to tags to software – no additional component purchases Request more information on RFID Starter Kit
Featured Products
NI Motion Assistant converts motion control projects into ready-to-run code in LabVIEW and C code. More Information on NI Motion Assistant Request Measurement & Automation Catalog or National Instruments Assistance
Siemens Factory Automation Sensors introduces intelligent link in Supply Chain Management RFID – SIMATIC® RF600. More information on Supply Chain Management RFID Request Product CD Catalog or Siemens Assistance
Huge savings on industrial Fuses, Fuse Holders and Fuse Blocks for overcurrent and overload applications from AutomationDirect. More Information on Fuses, Fuse Holders and Fuse Blocks Request Product Catalog or AutomationDirect Assistance
Product & Supplier Search Other Featured Products for August Find Products by Category Find Manufacturers & Suppliers
New Jobs
Here's a list of new jobs posted on Automation.com: Servo and Motion Specialist: Cumming, GA - AutomationDirect 8/02/05 Electrical Controls Engineer: Tampa, FL - Technical Associates 8/02/05 Senior SW Development Engineer: Lake Forest, CA - Invensys Wonderware 8/02/05 Principal SW QA Engineer: Lake Forest, CA - Invensys Wonderware 8/01/05 Senior SW Quality Assurance Engineer: York, PA - Invensys Wonderware 8/01/05 Sr. Controls Engineer: Marshfield, WI - ESEInc 8/01/05 Sales Engineer: Charlotte, NC - RTP Corp 7/31/05 Business Development Manager: Columbus, OH - RTP Corp 07/31/2005 Controls, Test & Field Engineers: Alexandria, VA - H2Gen Innovations Inc. 07/28/2005 Controls/Project Engineer: Memphis, TN - Bachelor Controls, Inc. 7/27/2005 Application Engineer: Anywhere in North America - Invensys Wonderware 7/27/2005 Controls Engineer: Stratford, WI - A & B Process Systems 7/26/2005 HMI Developer: Houston, TX - automationtechies 8/02/2005 Motion Controls Engineer: DFW/East, TX - automationtechies 8/02/2005 Project Manager: DFW/East, TX - automationtechies 8/02/2005 Electrical Maintenance Engineer: Syracuse area, NY - automationtechies 8/02/2005 Senior Engineer: Albany, OR - automationtechies 8/02/2005 PLC Validation Engineer: Fairfield, NJ - automationtechies 8/02/2005 Controls Engineer: Fairfield, NJ - automationtechies 8/01/2005 Controls Engineer: Cokato, MN - automationtechies 8/01/2005 Electrical Engineer: Cedar Rapids, IA - automationtechies 8/01/2005 HMI Engineer: Cedar Rapids, IA - automationtechies 8/01/2005 Controls Engineer: Denver, CO - automationtechies 7/29/2005 Sales Engineer: Oklahoma City, OK - automationtechies 7/29/2005 Sales Engineer: Tyler, TX - automationtechies 7/29/2005 Sales Engineer: Dallas, TX - automationtechies 7/29/2005 SCADA Engineer: San Antonio, TX - automationtechies 7/29/2005 To view other recent job postings, please use our Job Search Function.
Training & Seminars
Industrial Ethernet Control Seminar WAGO Corporation is offering a FREE 3-day seminar on Industrial Ethernet Control. Attendees will receive an introduction to the WAGO-I/O-SYSTEM hardware, overview of Industrial Ethernet components and protocols, hands on IEC 61131-3 programming session with live demo nodes, and review/create web services or applications (such as alarm emails, web pages, etc. from the controller) using the new 750-841 Ethernet Programmable Controller. Click here for more information on this course Browse other training courses, seminars and web-seminars
New Auctions & Classifieds
eBay hosts over 6500 auctions for industrial automation, control and instrumentation products. From PLCs to sensors, from motor controls to robotics...Use the links below to browse the latest new, used and surplus automation products by category: Control Systems & PLCs Drives & Motion Control Fieldbus, DeviceNet, Ethernet Instrumentation Operator Interface Panels Power Supply, Circuit Breakers Relays, Timers, Counters Robotics Sensors Switches Temperature Controllers Valves & Flow Controls Wiring, Connections & Cables Other
Dilbert Pick of the Week
Find clever ways to defeat your evil IT guy
I hope you enjoyed this e-news update. If you have any comments or suggestions regarding the content in this e-newsletter or on Automation.com, please don't hesitate to contact me. Rick Zabel Vice President Automation.com View our Privacy Policy For editorial and advertising inquiries, please contact Rick Zabel or see our Media Kit. For automationtechies recruiting and contract staffing services, please visit www.automationtechies.com.