Automation.com e-News - April 12, 2006

Dear %%if(%%firstname%% is empty,"Colleague",%%firstname%%)%%: Here is this week's issue of the Automation.com e-Newsletter...


News Archive \| Suppliers \| Integrators \| Product Showcase \| Resources \| Jobs \| Classifieds
April 12, 2006 - Volume VII, Issue 15
Please forward this e-news to a colleague \| Subscribe to future issues \| Read past issues
In this Issue	Sponsored by ifm efector
From One Techie to Another: What did we do before? Featured Article: Don’t Get Run Over: The Evolution of PC Bus Technologies Product & Company News New on Automation.com Matrikon Featured Event AM Expo 2006 Featured Application Tool eAutomation Master Solution Guide Featured Products: E-direct Online Shop Single Board Computer Unmanaged Ethernet Switch KM Terminal I/O Modules Bulk Terminal Management System New Job Opportunities New Auctions & Classifieds Dilbert Pick of the Week	The efector PMD Laser Sensor The efector PMD laser sensor from ifm efector provides non-contact distance measurement with a 10-meter sensing range. Contained in a compact, robust metal housing that measures only 42mm x 42mm, the sensor is designed for industrial applications and mounts easily in applications with limited space. The sensor’s large 4-digit alphanumeric display precisely indicates the measured distance within a few millimeters. The display allows the sensor to be programmed for two setpoints or for one setpoint and one analog ouput. For more information visit www.ifmefector.com
From One Techie to Another
What did we do before? Before what, you ask? Before you and I had a PC at our desks. Yes, it’s true. If you are young enough, a computer has probably always been an important part of your day. But, if you’ve been in the workforce for a while (15+ years), you will remember when none of us had computers. Some of us may have been lucky enough to share a computer with other colleagues. But, we certainly didn’t have daily (if any) access to the Internet, email, Microsoft Office, an electronic contact database or an electronic calendar. All we had was a phone, note pad, daily planner, etc. How did we function? Not very effectively, I guess. Or did we? I don't really remember. Then, we had to pick up the phone and possibly wait on hold until we could speak to someone. Now, we just send an email and move on to another task until we get a response (we hope). Have you noticed that some people are more apt to respond to an email than a phone call? Of course, there will always be cases where picking up the phone is much more effective than sending an email. Today, it seems that we are much more efficient (at least we should be) and probably accomplish more in one day than we could in a week. We work differently. We communicate differently. Information is easily available on the Internet with just a few key strokes. We can contact dozens, hundreds and even thousands (as is the case with this e-newsletter) of people at the push of a button. Think about all the other things we currently use our computers for. We program and configure our controllers. We monitor our plant floor machine or process. We have access to online training and webinars. We read up-to-the-minute news. We update our web sites with the latest news (ok, that's just me). We have become so dependent on computers that most of us couldn't do our jobs without them. Heck, without my computer and the Internet, I wouldn't have a job. Think about how the PC has evolved over the past few years and then imagine where we will be in 15 more years. It's mind boggling to say the least. One of Jim Pinto's previous articles, The 3 Technology Laws, states three generally accepted laws on technology evolution and discusses how future technologies will or already are affecting all of us. This is great segway to our featured article, Don’t Get Run Over: The Evolution of PC Bus Technologies, which discusses the history of the PC and its increased use in industrial automation applications. My inspiration for this article came from our founder and president, Alan Carty, who heads automationtechies, our recruiting and contract staffing group. Alan recently placed an Automation Specialist at a distributor. Since Alan himself worked as an Automation Specialist, he was speculating how different the job must be now compared to 15 years ago. How has your job changed in the past few years? Send me a message. Enjoy the rest of this eNews! Rick Zabel Vice President, Editor-in-chief
Featured Article	Sponsored by Citect
Don’t Get Run Over: The Evolution of PC Bus Technologies Over the last decade, there’s been an increasing trend toward the use of PC-based automation solutions. In the early 1990s large automakers and other manufacturers began using standard PCs for machine control. These systems often replaced the compact, microprocessor-based solutions – programmable logic controls or PLCs – that were found in most plants at the time. Since then, PCs running Microsoft Windows and other operating systems have worked their way into a wide variety of industrial applications, experiencing growth that outstrips competing solutions. Read complete article by Tiger Yeh, Advantech Corporation, Industrial Automation Group. More articles and white papers More application stories	Make business improvements. Manufacturers are using Manufacturing Execution Systems, like Citect’s Ampla, to reveal opportunities for improved performance and increased profit margins. MES solutions enable corporate, IT and plant managers to improve OEE and increase production and profitability. Citect uses a modular approach and complements existing automation to deliver significant ROI in 12 months. More information on Citect’s Ampla.
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: Emerson Announces ATEX Approval for Fisher® DVC2000 Digital Valve Controller 4/11/06 Invensys Introduces InFusion, World’s First “Enterprise Control System” 4/11/06 National Instruments LabVIEW 8 Wins EDN Innovation of the Year Award 4/11/06 NI Announces PCI Version of Industry’s Highest Dynamic Range Digitizer 4/11/06 Phoenix Contact's Ethernet Radios Offer Truly Secure Wireless Communication 4/10/06 Emerson's Micro Motion® SIS Coriolis Flow Meters are the World's First to be Safety-Certified to IEC 61508 Standards 4/10/06 ASI’s New Magnetic Sensors Work in Extreme Environments 4/10/06 ACCES I/O Products Introduces the Smallest Embedded Motherboard for Industrial I/O Using Both ETX CPUs and PC/104 Modules 4/10/06 Symbion Systems, Inc. Announces Standard Software Platform to Reduce the Cost of Process Analyzer Deployment and Ownership 4/10/06 SpaceAge Control Offers Sensor Total Cost of Ownership White Paper 4/10/06 New Quickdraw® Conveyor Meets Highest Cleanroom Standards in the Smallest Footprint 4/10/06 K-TEK Expands Product Management Team to Handle Innovative Family of Level Measurement Instrumentation 4/10/06 Omron’s New NSJ HMI Series Integrates Control, Display and an Open I/O Network, Saving Cost and Space While Simplifying Programming 4/7/06 FANUC Robotics Introduces New R-2000iB Robot and R-J3iC Robot Controller 4/7/06 Drive Configuration Made Easy with Baumüller sizemaXX Software 4/7/06 Midwest Motion Products Introduces DC Power Supplies with 320 Watts of Continuous Power 4/7/06 Pepperl+Fuchs Simplifies Fieldbus With FieldConnex® Advanced Diagnostics 4/7/06 Pepperl+Fuchs Introduces PROFIBUS Segment Coupler With Full Redundancy 4/7/06 Pepperl+Fuchs Introduces The C-Series Of The K-System Intrinsic Safety Interfaces 4/7/06 Pepperl+Fuchs Introduces Single Rod For Bulk Materials Level 4/7/06 Advantech Launches Stainless Steel Front Bezel Panel PC 4/6/06 ControlEng Releases ServoSoft v2.3 Servo Sizing Software with CAM Profiles, Sequence Templates and Thermal Overload Models 4/6/06 Sealevel Systems Introduces Industry’s First 16-Port RS-485 PC/104 Module 4/6/06 ControlAir Expands Series of Stainless Steel Pneumatic Regulators and Filter Regulators 4/6/06 Automated Assemblies To Introduce New Raptor Vision™ Software at NPE 4/6/06 Sena Introduces Promi Bluetooth Serial Adapter to Replace RS-232 Serial Cables 4/6/06 MTL Releases Process Control and Functional Safety System Updates that Leverage Wonderware ArchestrA Technology 4/5/06 GE Fanuc Automation Develops Biometric Interface for Proficy™ HMI/SCADA iFIX Operator Audit Trails 4/5/06 Phoenix Contact Expands Sensor/Actuator Cable (SAC) Family to Include MINI (7/8”) Connectors 4/5/06 Spartan Scientific Announces New Solenoid Valve Designed for Food Service and Processing Applications 4/5/06 'Z' Card Enhances Network Control for Zero Pressure Accumulation Conveying 4/5/06 Company & Organization News: Siemens Plans to Acquire Controlotron 4/11/06 National Instruments Joins ZigBee Alliance for Standards-Based Wireless Connectivity 4/11/06 Omron Boosts RFID Inlay Manufacturing Capacity to 250 Million Per Year 4/11/06 Moteiv Corporation Brings Leading Wireless Technology to Asia Through Partnership With Bandwave Technology 4/11/06 Inductive Automation Establishes New Forum, Promises Next Day Response 4/7/06 Hannover Fair to Showcase Integrated Ethernet Connectivity 4/6/06 ISA Announces Release of Test Measurement Instrumentation Resource 4/6/06 OMRON Announces First-ever European CEO, Roberto Maietti 4/6/06 Escort Memory Systems and Automated Control Concepts Announce RFID Plans 4/5/06 ICS Launches Free IMAC Alarm Management Products Technical Support Hotline 4/5/06 KUKA Robotics Donates $1.5 Million to College of Computing at Georgia Tech 4/5/06 Application News: Progress Paint to Replace Multiple Software Systems with Single ERP Solution 4/11/06 Siemens Partners With Interstate Paper for Successful Paper Machine Startup 4/10/06 Photo Labs Incurring Thousands of Dollars of Unnecessary Yearly Expenses by Not Automating a Simple Task 4/5/06 Emerson Awarded $30 Million Contract to Supply Control Valves for Qatar Liquefied Natural Gas Plant 4/5/06
New on Automation.com
Matrikon Automation.com welcomes Matrikon as a Featured Supplier. Matrikon provides web-based products and optimization services to leaders in oil and gas, petrochemicals, cement, utilities, pulp and paper, automotives and heavy equipment, discrete manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and food and beverage processing. Matrikon has the tools and expertise to help plants achieve operational excellence by transforming production and operational data into knowledge to predict and prevent problems, identify opportunities for improvement, and plan and execute production more efficiently. For more information about Matrikon, please use the following links... Matrikon Company Profile Matrikon Product Showcase Matrikon Alarm Management Workshops Matrikon Product & Company Announcements
Featured Event
AM Expo 2006 AM Expo 2006, located right on South Carolina's I-85 "Boom Belt", is the Southeast's only event for executives, engineers and their teams, who are responsible for advanced manufacturing and productivity solutions. Bringing the region's manufacturing professionals together for this annual gathering, AM Expo 2006 offers product demonstrations and an all new, in-depth educational program that will further enable our attendees to innovate, profit and succeed in the highly competitive global manufacturing market. Click here for more information
Featured Application Tool
eAutomation Master Solution Guide The new eAutomation Solutions Vol.25 from Advantech Automation is dedicated in bringing you an inclusive coverage of Industrial Automation Group's most updated solutions and products. In order to align with our product segment strategy, the eAutomation Master Solution Guide introduces a full range of products incorporated in the following four product divisions: Industrial HMI Platform, Industrial I/O, Industrial Communication, and eAutomation. There are a total of around 436 pages, with contents covering company & Industrial Automation Group introduction, solution forum, new product highlights, and product specifications. Printed version and CD-ROM version are both available for ordering. Click here to request your free solution guide
Featured Products
E-direct is the On-line Instrument Shop for process control instrumentation from Endress+Hauser. More Information on E-direct Online Shop Contact Endress+Hauser for Product CD or Application Assistance
Advantech launches LGA 775 full-sized Single Board Computer with optimized speed and dual PCI Express gigabit Ethernets. More Information on Single Board Computer Contact Advantech for Product CD or Application Assistance
MOXA industrial 8-port or 5-port unmanaged Ethernet switch – EtherDevice™ Switch EDS-208/508. More Information on Unmanaged Ethernet Switch Contact MOXA for Product Literature or Application Assistance
Beckhoff KM Series I/O features up to 64 digital inputs or outputs in an extremely small package. More Information on KM Terminal I/O Modules Contact Bekhoff for Product Catalog or Application Assistance
Bulk Terminal Management System enables seamless database connectivity to corporate hosts for truck, rail, and marine operations. More Information on Bulk Terminal Management System Contact ProSoft for Product Information or Application Assistance
Product & Supplier Search Other Featured Products for April Find Products by Category Find Manufacturers & Suppliers
New Jobs
Here's a list of new jobs posted on Automation.com: Senior Controls/Electrical Engineer: Lake Forest, IL - Colborne Corporation 4/10/2006 Project Engineer: Des Plaines, IL - Automation Horizons Inc 4/10/2006 Network Technician: Springdale, AR - Advanced Environmental Recycling Technologies 4/07/2006 Controls and Automation Application Engineer: Lexington, KY - Intelligent Products Company Inc 4/04/2006 Systems Engineer: Albany, OR - automationtechies 4/11/2006 Senior Engineer: Albany, OR - automationtechies 4/11/2006 Field Engineer: Northern Atlanta, GA - automationtechies 4/11/2006 Controls Engineer: Twin Cities, MN - automationtechies 4/10/2006 PLC Programmer: Dallas, TX - automationtechies 4/06/2006 IT/SCADA Industrial Controls Engineer: Pleasanton, CA - automationtechies 4/06/2006 DCS Systems Engineer: Denver, CO - automationtechies 4/06/2006 Controls Engineer: Dayton, OH - automationtechies 4/03/2006 To view other recent job postings, please use our Job Search Function.
New Auctions & Classifieds
eBay hosts over 8000 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
Maybe you should ask a few more questions before you agree to go on the next sales call.
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.