Total Recall for your HMI
By Rick Zabel, Publisher
Have you ever wished you look back at what your operator was seeing at some point in history? Now you can. The Console Recorder from Longwatch is a virtual time machine, a software package that lets companies see what the operator was watching on the HMI when an event occured.

Digital Prototyping Comes Naturally to 140 Year Old Company
By Bill Lydon, Automation.com
On a recent visit to A.T. Ferrell Company, I learned how they are using digital prototyping, modeling, 3D CAD, finite analysis, stress analysis, and other new tools as a transformational business strategy to improve sales, quality, efficiency, and productivity.  Using the Autodesk Inventor software suite, A.T. Ferrell is taking advantage of these advanced methods at a fraction of the cost of other solutions.  Access to these lower-cost digital design tools is a game changer that levels the playing field for smaller companies that take advantage of it.

TechLine uses TURCK components in cable tray system
Snap Track aluminum cable tray system uses TURCK instrumentation tray cable (ITC), cordsets and quick disconnect junction boxes.

Evonik uses round RFID pills to track filter panels
Because of the harsh environment and no way of sticking any labels or screwing and thick plastic RFID packages to the panels, the company sealed round RFID pills into the plastic panel material.

Other Application Stories:

• Picking system automates Gardner Denver warehouse

Browse more Application Stories by topic on our Automation Portals.

Seven Ways Today's Distributed Control Systems (DCS) Can Save You 20% or More
By ABB
In the past, DCS Systems were large, expensive and very complex. This drove many control engineers to use PLCs and HMIs in order to lower cost. Today, these implementations are consistently more expensive than DCS systems for the same process or batch application. This report documents the key advantages of DCS systems over PLC/HMI engineered systems and the typical value of each.

SICK STEGMANN updates Encoder Selection Guide
Latest Selection Guide for Encoders is designed to help users quickly select the appropriate incremental, absolute, wire draw or linear encoder for their application.

Thomson publishes Profile Rail Linear Guides catalog
Catalog contains a 36 page profile rail engineering guide that includes educational information on sizing, selection and life load calculations, deflection vs. applied load, and other factors.

Other Resources & Literature:

• ASHRAE publishes building information modeling (BIM) guide
• LXI Consortium presents six webcasts on the LXI Standard
  

Browse more Resources & Literature by topic on our Automation Portals.

TUV Rheinland conducts East Coast Seminars on EU Exporting
October 2009, various cities in U.S.
The workshop helps exporters understand the updated Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC), the Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive (2004/108/EC), and other European Union directives and standards.

Other Upcoming Events & Training:

• FOUNDATION Fieldbus Segment Design Seminars: September-Nov, 2009
• Control Systems Technology - SCADA and PLC Training: September-November, 2009 ONLINE
• 2009 IPS North America Client Conference: September 20-24, 2009
• PLM Road Map 2009: September 22-23, 2009
• Emerson User Exchange: September 28-October 2, 2009
• EtherNet/IP Proven & Complete Introductory Seminar: September 29 & October 22, 2009
• ARC's Asset Lifecycle Management (ALM) at ISA Expo 2009: October 6-8, 2009
• SOUTH-TEC: October 6-8, 2009
• ISA EXPO 2009: October 6-9, 2009
• Filtech 2009: October 13-15, 2009
• Fieldbus Foundation North American End User Seminar: October 15, 2009 & November 3-4, 2009
• Canadian Manufacturing Technology Show (CMTS): October 19-22, 2009
• PLC Troubleshooting Workshop: October 21-23, 2009
• ControlLogix and RSLogix 5000 Training Seminar: October 26-29, 2009
• Using WirelessHART Technology in Process Industries: October-November, 2009 - various cities
• Invensys OpsManage'09: November 3-5, 2009
• Practical TCP/IP and Ethernet Networking for Industry: November 9-10, 2009
• Automation Fair: November 11-12, 2009
• Practical Boiler Control and Instrumentation for Engineers and Technicians: November 16-20, 2009
• Practical Instrumentation for Automation and Process Control: November 20-24, 2009

Softing to supply PROFINET to Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems has selected Softing’s PROFINET stack to enhance the IE 3000 Series Switch family with PROFINET I/O capabilities.

GE Fanuc to supply Proficy to water plants in Haverhill, Massachusetts
The city purchased Proficy Workflow to computerize paper Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) documents including State-mandated Emergency Response Plan (ERP), Low Chlorine Residual, and other SOPs.

Invensys to provide operator training simulator for LNG plant
The Petronas LNG Complex is the world’s largest integrated LNG production facility, with eight production trains and a combined capacity of approximately 23 million tons per annum.

Honeywell to provide utility asset management software to Synengco
Honeywell will license and sell Australia-based Synengco a suite of advanced applications that optimize operations and provide sophisticated asset management for utility power customers.

Other Project News:

• Yokogawa to supply operator training system to LNG Plant in Norway

Browse more Project News by topic on our Automation Portals.

ISA ratifies ISA-100.11a document
The ISA Standards & Practices Board (S&P) has voted to approve the ISA-100.11a wireless standard "Wireless Systems for Industrial Automation."

U.S. manufacturers call for Federal strategy to transform factories
A federal strategy and support is critical if American manufacturers are to thrive in the post-recession global economy, leading U.S. manufacturing experts said Wednesday.

GE Fanuc's Proficy and WebSpace available in multiple languages
Proficy iFIX HMI/SCADA and iFIX WebSpace are now available in Chinese, German, French, Polish, Japanese and Russian.

Longwatch signs Industrial Network Systems as systems integrator
Longwatch signed Industrial Network Systems as its distributor and systems integrator in Illinois, Indiana, Western Kentucky and Eastern Missouri.

ARC says control valve suppliers face a drop in orders
The worldwide market for control valves will decline over the next two years but is expected to rebound in 2011.

MatrikonOPC to supply software to AVTEP in Russia
AVTEP, a Russian integration company, has chosen MatrikonOPC as the OPC vendor for its data connectivity solutions.

Sixnet LLC acquires JBM Electronics
Founded in 1975, JBM has specialized in protocol conversion technologies, serving legacy environments such as SNA, Bisync, and async dial amongst others.

Other Company & Organization News:

• Macro Sensors appoints John Matlack Manager of business development
• EnOcean emerges as lighting control wireless standard
• What are you doing to improve business performance?
• Omron starts Systems Integrator partner program
• ABB names Brice Koch to Group Executive Committee
• B&B Electronics to sell N-TRON products
• ELUTIONS acquires eMAC and uMAC energy controls from Lime Energy

Browse more Company & Organization News by topic on our Automation Portals.

New Jobs Postings:

• Automation Control - Systems Integration: Instrument Control Services - Ventura, CA

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