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Laser Sensor Measurement Application Guides
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| Visit our Product Portals |
Our Product Portals organize information by topic and include new products, company news, articles, white papers, application stories, training, resources, events, and more.
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| From One Techie to Another |
How do you stack up? Take our 2008 Salary Survey!
It’s that time of year again – time for our annual salary survey. The past couple of years we’ve had a great response to our salary survey – not only in the number of survey submissions, but in the great feedback we received from industry professionals on the compiled results. Each year we tweak the survey a bit to provide better, more focused results.
I’ve always felt that automation engineers are grossly underpaid given their skill-set and responsibilities. Put it in perspective. Automation and control professionals are usually responsible for million-dollar systems that manufacture products. When those systems go down, manufacturers can lose thousands of dollars each hour, if not more, depending on the product produced. You would think the keeper of the systems would be worth more than $82,622.00, the average 2007 salary for an Automation/Control Engineer. After all, some manufacturers can lose that amount in a day if a system goes down. Combine that with the growing shortage of experienced engineers. It just doesn’t make sense. Wake up manufacturers! If you lose your automation talent, it IS going to be hard to replace them.
I know you are all pressed for time, so rather than giving you an editorial to read this week, I’d rather have you spend a couple minutes completing the Salary Survey. I’m curious to see how 2008 salaries compare to 2007.
Although our audience is comprised of automation professionals from all around the world, we just can’t compile salary information for every geographic location. As a result, we will only be compiling salary information for those automation professionals located in the U.S. and Canada. I apologize to all of our other readers and subscribers, but we just don’t have the resources (and in many cases we don’t get enough responses) to compile results for other countries.
Depending on how long it takes us to accumulate an adequate number of responses, we hope to have the results compiled and published by late spring.
Complete our 2008 Salary Survey and invite any and all of your automation colleagues to participate in the survey.
Share your comments on salaries in our Perspectives on Automation Salaries discussion forum. If you are currently not a member of MyAutomation.com, please take a minute to Register, so you can participate in this and any other upcoming discussions.
Enjoy the rest of this Automation Weekly!
Rick Zabel
Vice President, Publisher |
| Featured Article |
Wanted: Partnerships to develop energy alternatives
The development of energy alternatives is a big, new market with major opportunities for automation companies, an inflection point that could bring burgeoning growth for leaders and innovators who are willing to develop partnership and take bold new steps.
Read full article by Jim Pinto
Read more articles by Jim Pinto
Browse Portals for more articles, white papers and application stories by topic |
| Product Announcements |
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Moore Industries introduces HTZ Humidity and Temperature Transmitter
A request from a semiconductor manufacturer led to the HTZ, which offers HART Communications and high accuracy for both humidity/dewpoint and temperature measurements. |
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Software Horizons introduces InstantHMI for Watlow
InstantHMI for Watlow is a specialized OEM-vesion of InstantHMI 5.0 and inherits all the design and runtime HMI functionality. |
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Advantech adds AMAX-2000 motion control modules
RTDs have highly polished all 316 S.S. wetted parts, which exceed 3A requirements for temperature sensing in food, beverage, dairy, biotech and pharmaceutical applications. |
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GE Fanuc announces Industrial Grade Servers
IS-100 and IS-200 industrial grade servers have extended operating temperature and shock and vibration specifications to allow deployment in challenging industrial environments. |
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Phoenix Contact introduces VALVETRAB-SQ surge protective devices
VALVETRAB-SQ surge protective devices (SPD) offer safe, reliable surge protection from 40,000 to 200,000 amps. |
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Emerson adds WirelessHART to transmitters
Smart Wireless pressure, flow, level, temperature, and vibration transmitters and gateways are available with WirelessHART communications. |
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National Instruments Expands C Series data loggers
The NI USB-9219, USB-9229 and USB-9239 modules provide USB, bus-powered connectivity to the C Series for data-logging applications.
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SIXNET announces EtherTRAK-2 Fault-tolerant I/O
EtherTRAK-2 has dual Ethernet ports. Each port has MAC and IP addresses allowing two module connections to independent networks providing more configurations and flexibility.
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NI announces M Series USB DAQ devices with 18-bit accuracy
USB-6281 and USB-6289 have an 18-bit ADC, which provides a 4X increase in resolution over traditional 16-bit devices.
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Honeywell Limit Switch Adapter fits Deutsch DT4 connectors
When purchased with a Honeywell limit switch, this adapter is ready to mount and plug into a Deutsch DT4 mating connector. It is available in an adapter kit.
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MTS redesigns Temposonics MT sensor for hydraulic lines
Temposonics MT magnetostrictive position sensor can be embedded in welded and tierod style cylinders or any space-limited cylinder application with its diameter of 48mm. |
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Sprint Electric introduces PLA to replace PLCs or PCs
Programmable Logic Arithmetic unit (PLA) works with analog or digital drives, simplifies system design, and reduces or eliminates need for PLC or PC based systems. |
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REOTEMP releases Sanitary RTD
RTDs have highly polished all 316 S.S. wetted parts, which exceed 3A requirements for temperature sensing in food, beverage, dairy, biotech and pharmaceutical applications. |
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KFA introduces KFA1 TDR level sensor
KFA1 has a coaxial probe and analog and switching outputs for continuous level measurement and point level detection in liquids. |
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SICK releases C4000 Safety Light Curtain
This light curtain has DIP switches for configuration, an integrated laser alignment tool, and intuitive diagnostics.. |
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ADLINK announces GEME-12000 fanless embedded controller
GEME provides a fanless and completely sealed design to prevent dust contamination and increase reliability for operational stability. |
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HEIDENHAIN introduces TNC 620 Contouring Control
TNC 620 with digital drive control is suitable for use on milling machines and machining centers with up to 5 axes plus spindle.
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Softing introduces BC-200-CAN CAN-bus tester
BC-200-CAN automatically analyzes the physical layer of a CAN-bus network and visually displays the signal quality for each connected CAN-bus device separately.
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Hoffman introduces Type 4X painted stainless steel enclosure
Type 4X wall-mount enclosure is painted with a white polyester powder finish inside and out to reduce solar radiation absorption and keep internal components cooler.
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For MORE of the latest product announcements, go to our Daily News Headlines page.
Product & Supplier Search
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| Resources & Literature |
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Webinar: Introduction to Communications Converters
March 21, 2008 - 9am (CST)
Repeaters, media converters, switches, routers, gateways, protocol converters…Have you wondered how all of these technologies are used in solving industrial communications applications? This webinar will help you better understand all of the differing technologies and how they are best used. The OSI model for protocols will be explained and how different technologies address challenges at each layer of the OSI model. There will be a discussion on the technologies that HMS provides to help solve these challenges.
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TURCK publishes welding sensor catalog
Welding Solutions catalog covers sensors, cordsets and accessories able to withstand the abrasion, physical impact, weld slag and splatter created by welding cells.
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Other Resources & Literature:
Go to our Daily News Headlines page for the latest automation news.
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| Events, Seminars & Training |
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IndConn - Industrial Connectivity
May 20-22, 2008: Santa Clara, CA
IndConn is a new addition to the 2008 ConnectivityWeek events and is focused on Industrial Automation, IT and Connectivity. Industrial Automation has been at the forefront of the use of smart connected devices for decades ever since the creation of PLC (Programmable Logic Controllers) in the 1970's. This event brings together the leading industry players and organizations to drive the increased use of IT techniques, products and methodologies, whilst underlining the importance of interoperability and information standards.
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Other Upcoming Events & Training
- 2008 WBF North American Conference: March 24-27, 2008
- FLOWEXPO 2008: March 26-28, 2008
- WESTEC 2008 Exposition and Conference: March 31-April 3, 2008
- Endevco Technical Training Seminars: Begin April, 2008
- Misumi hosts configuration seminars in Texas: April 1-3, 2008
- Adept Global Conference 2008: April 2-4, 2008
- Yokogawa's 2008 Technology Fair & User Conference: April 7-10, 2008
- Lean Product Development Conference: April 14-16, 2008
- ISA Process Analyzer Training Course: April 20, 2008
- 53rd Analysis Division Symposium: April 20-24, 2008
- ExperTune and TiPS User Conference: April 23-25, 2008
- ABB Automation World: April 29 - May 1, 2008
- 54th ISA International Instrumentation Symposium: May 5-8, 2008
- FDT Technology Roadshow: May 6 and May 8, 2008
- International Conference on Thermal Treatment Technologies: May 12-16, 2008
- European Manufacturing Automation Forum: May 14-15, 2008
Go to our Calendar of Events to see other upcoming events. Add an event to our calendar. |
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| Company & Organizational News |
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Other Company & Organization News:
Go to our Daily News Headlines page for the latest automation news.
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| Application News |
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Other Application News:
Go to our Daily News Headlines page for the latest automation news.
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| New Jobs |
Here's a list of new jobs posted on Automation.com:
- Industrial Sales Representative: Mettler-Toledo - Los Angeles, CA
- Area Manager: Pro-face (Xycom Automation) - New England, USA
- Field Application Engineer: Pro-face (Xycom Automation) - New England, USA
- Automation / Control Engineer: Alternative Staffing, Inc. - Canonsburg, PA
- SIS Reliability Consultant: Meridium - Roanoke, VA
- Project Leader for Growing System Integrator: Avid Solutions Inc. - Raleigh and Winston-Salem, NC
- Automation Manager: Phillips Plastics Corporation - Prescott, WI
- Automation Technician: automationtechies - Twin Cities, MN
- Field Sales Engineer: automationtechies - Sacramento Area, CA
- Field Sales Engineer: automationtechies - Los Angeles South Area, CA
- Field Sales Engineer: automationtechies - New York Area, NY
To view other recent job postings, please use our Job Search Function. For recruiting and contract staffing services, please visit www.automationtechies.com. |
| Recent Forum Posts |
Rosemount Vortex Meter
Does volumetric flow from a vortex shedding meter need to be pressure compensated?
OPC server for GCOM
At my plant we currently run a custom GCOM>>DDE interface and we have had operability numbers close to 100 % (99,997 last year) the last 5 years. The system is very stable when it runs, but requires lots of time and resources during changes in data collection. The future of DCS/Process computer comunication seems to be OPC. While we are not prepared to invest millions in new DCS equipment, we would like to upgrade the data collector servers to OPC>>GCOM. We would however like to make the transit without any significant data loss as well as to keep the system at a high operability when running. Does anyone have any experience in such a switch over? How did it go? Any difficulties or bugs to look out for? Please share any info!
Login or Register to reply to these or other discussion forums. |
| Humor of the Week |
Dilbert - Make sure you have direct deposit before criticizing your manager’s philosophy. |
I hope you enjoyed this Automation Weekly 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, Publisher
Automation.com
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