NEW! CILS Industrial-Grade Rating Plate Labels

REQUEST SAMPLES!

Print your own CILS-9100 high-performance Rating Plate Labels straight from your standard Laser, Inkjet or Thermal Transfer printer - Perfect for motors/drives, hydraulics, sensors, transformers, etc.

Ultra-tough label constructions - Resistant to extreme temperatures (+388°C), chemicals, solvents, hydraulic fluids, abrasion, etc.

Click here for your CILS Label Sample Pack!

The cloud makes it affordable, inKumo makes it easy.

inKumo provides highly competitive pricing and premier service that meet the unique needs of heavy industry and manufacturers.

From document and project management to maintenance software and business support, we offer many market-leading brands. Don't get left in the dust, join the cloud.

Visit us today.

What's Your Next Move?

We'll help make your next move the right one. No recruiting firm is better connected with companies that hire Automation Professionals. Have a conversation with an experienced automationtechies recruiter today.

Contact a recruiter.

Looking for automation talent?

Automation.com attracts more automation and controls related professionals than any other job site.

Your job posting includes being featured in our Job Center, plus the Automation.com home page, our Automation Weekly e-newsletter, and our mobile site at no additional charge.

Post Your Job Today.

ISA Conferences and Symposia

Click here for more information.

Controls Systems Engineer

Your opportunity to join a large, progressive, high growth organization in the food industry. Located in Colorado looking for controls and MES experience.

View job details and apply!

Automation Software Developer

Join a global company that manufactures high quality products in the medical device industry. Reverse commute from most Boston suburbs. Looking for VB, SQL and experience with MES.

View job details and apply!

Now browse all the latest automation News, Products, Resources, Trends, Jobs and Cartoons on your mobile device at m.automation.com

Get RSS feeds of Automation.com's news headlines.

For editorial inquiries, please contact either Rick Zabel or Bill Lydon.

For advertising inquiries, please contact Richard Simpson or Chris Nelson, or see our Media Kit.

Have suggestions or comments about improving Automation.com or our e-newsletters? We would like to hear from you.

View our Privacy Policy

Innovation & Radical Thinking Simplify Gear Machining
By Bill Lydon for Automation.com
Sandvik Coromant, DMG / Mori Seiki USA, and Siemens PLC collaborated to replace multiple machines and cutting tools with intelligent design of a new method to accomplish gear hobbing using one machine and one cutting tool.

We're being acronymed and jargoned to death
By Paul Gruhn, P.E. for InTech
Within the automation industry, we certainly have our own fair share of acronyms and jargon. However, business communications are meant to clarify, not obfuscate, so we should be careful about their use.

Compliance with new pipeline rule offers opportunity to implement best practices
By Russel Treat for InTech
Many pipeline operators will spend substantial time and effort reworking their control rooms and systems to comply with the new PHMSA's CRM rule by 1 August 2012. With a small amount of additional effort, pipeline operators can leverage compliance efforts into best practices that will serve them now and well into the future.

Browse more Articles by topic on our Automation Portals.

Unbreakable SCADA Security: Protecting Hydrocarbon Facilities and Pipeline Networks
A simple industrial network security solution is readily available and being deployed to protect oil fields and transportation in Russia.

Strain Solutions uses thermal imaging camera for internal inspection of structural components
Strain Solutions Ltd is using Micro-Epsilon's thermoIMAGER TIM160 inline radiometric thermal imaging camera for thermal non-destructive evaluation (NDE) projects.

Asahi uses simulation to develop optimized tablet shape for food supplement
FEM-based tablet hardness and punch strength simulations in Optimus software revealed the best possible design trade-off between durability and ease of swallowing.

Browse more Application Stories by topic on our Automation Portals.

Safety Instrumented Systems: Design, Analysis, and Justification, 2nd Edition - $99.00
This revised best-seller addresses the increased realization that today’s engineering systems - and the computers used to control them - are capable of large-scale destruction. This book is a practical how-to text on the analysis, design, application and installation of safety instrumented systems.

Sercos publishes Sercos III Specification Update V1.3
V1.3 specification broadens the functionality and the range of applications of the international Sercos real-time standard, while considering new trends in machine and plant construction.

Bosch Rexroth introduces IndraMotion MTX micro Trainer software
The training software offers realistic operation and programming capabilities for milling, turning and drilling sequences, independent of any machine tool hardware.

IEC publishes EDDL Technical Report
IEC 61804-6 report explains the requirements for field device integration and how they are met using the EDDL standard (IEC 61804-3).

ISA publishes Foundation Fieldbus, fourth edition
This edition provides in-depth coverage on Fieldbus communications and configuration, including calculation of macrocycle for Control-in-Field and in the host system.

Browse more Resources by topic on our Automation Portals.

AutomationDirect releases metal guard foot switches
These switches, in single and double units, have die-cast aluminum foot cover guards and heavy-duty ABS plastic bases and pedals.

ASI Introduces DS2 Area Sensor
The DS2 series covers controlled heights ranging from 15-250cm, including 5m operating distances for 6mm resolution versions, or 10m for 25mm resolution versions.

Eaton anounces Series 6001 Utility-Scale Inverter
The Series 6001 provides high-performance conversion in utility applications for wind, solar and other heavy industrial power applications.

Opto 22 upgrades PAC Project software
Enhancements in PAC Project 9.2 include support for SNAP-SCM-CAN2B CAN module, SNAP-IDC-32D digital input module, and mechanical relay output module.

Exlar releases Tritex II DC Powered actuators
Tritex II actuators integrate power and control electronics with brushless servo motors and actuators in one compact package.

QA Graphics updates Data Manager Energy Efficiency Dashboard
Enhancements in version 3.0 include viewing on touchscreens, on the web, and on mobile devices including Android, BlackBerry and Apple iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

Novotechnik releases ML Rotary Sensors
ML sensors measure angle up to 100 turns or 36,000° of mechanical travel and have a life of over 15 million turns.

Toshiba releases IK-WR14A IP Dome Camera
IK-WR14A is a two-megapixel IP network dome camera with remote optical zoom, one-touch remote focus, and Power over Ethernet (PoE).

Servo2Go.com introduces A-BLQ-E Series Belt-Driven Linear Stages
A-BLQ-E series are computer controlled belt-driven linear stages with integrated stepper motors and controllers for rapid positioning over large distances.

Phoenix Contact releases ETD-BL narrow relays
The ETD-BL relay housings measure just 6.2 mm, 70 percent narrower than its conventional timer relays.

Browse more new products introduced this week

B&B Electronics Acquires Conel in Czech Republic
Conel is a manufacturer of reliable and secure wireless communications routers, gateways and devices that connect cellular networks to Ethernet, serial and other data networks.

Paul Gruhn to present keynote address at Instrumentation Symposium
Process safety expert Paul Gruhn will deliver a keynote address at the 58th Annual International Instrumentation Symposium (IIS) on Wednesday, 6 June 2012, in La Jolla, California, USA.

JB Titus to host presentation at ABB Automation & Power World
Titus will present "Using Functional Safety as Part of your Machine Safety Plan" on April 24th and 25th of the four day event.

Sensors Expo covers MEMS Technology
Sensors Expo takes place June 6-7 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL.

Siemens Announces 2012 Automation Summit Program
Lt. Col. Rob "Waldo" Waldman, also known as "The Wingman," will provide the keynote address during the 2012 Automation Summit at the Renaissance Washington, D.C. Downtown Hotel, June 25-28.

Other Company & Organization News:

• Schroff Announces Partnership Program for System Integrators
• Exlar achieves CSA approval for Tritex II DC Actuators
• Flow Research says Turbine Flowmeters are hanging on
• Schaeffler UK opens customer training centre

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

Emerson to supply control valves for Vogtle nuclear units 3 and 4
Emerson will provide critical control valves to be used in two AP1000 pressurized water reactors at the Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant in Burke County, Georgia, USA.

ABB to supply gearless mill drives to Cerro Verde
ABB will supply six 22 MW GMD systems for 27-foot ball mills comprising of transformers, ring motors and complete containerized electrical houses.

Rockwell Automation to control plastic-to-fuel plant in UK
Rockwell will supply process skids, automation architecture, a PlantPAx Process Automation System, software, power control and engineering/startup services.

Browse more Project News by topic on our Automation Portals.

New Job Postings

• Senior DCS Programmer/DCS Programmer: Bakersfield, CA
• Electrical Engineer: Twin Cities, MN

To view all job postings, please use our Job Search Function. For recruiting and contract staffing services, please visit www.automationtechies.com.

Is your company hiring?
If so, Automation.com can help. Post your job and tap into more than 90,000 unique industry professionals that frequent the web site each month. Plus, your job postings will be featured right here in future issues of this e-newsletter.

It's easy! Set up an Account today. Call us at 1-877-300-6792, ext. 3, with any questions.

Featured ISA Events:

• ISA Safety & Security Symposium (Anaheim, CA): 04-25-12
• 58th Intl. Instrumentation Symposium (Lajolla, CA): 06-04-12
• ISA Automation Week 2012 (Orlando, FL): 09-24-12

Featured ISA Training:

• CMRT Exam Review Course (RTP, NC): 04-10-12
• Advanced Regulatory Control Online Program: 04-15-12
• Advanced Safety Integrity Level Selection (RTP, NC): 04-16-12
• Technician Training Boot Camp (RTP, NC): 04-16-12
• Safety Instrumented Systems (N. Brunswick, NJ): 04-16-12
• Advanced Design and SIL Verification (RTP,NC): 04-18-12
• Advanced Industrial Cybersecurity (Burbank, CA): 04-23-12
• Boiler Control Systems Engineering (RTP, NC): 04-23-12
• Burner Management Systems Engineering (RTP, NC): 04-26-12
• ANSI/ISA99 to Secure Control System (Columbia, IL):04-26-12
• Installing, Calibrating, & Maintaining Instruments (N. Brunswick, NJ): 04-30-12
• CCST® Level I Review Course (RTP, NC): 05-01-12
• Introduction to HMI (RTP, NC): 05-07-12
• PLC/PAC AUTOMATION (Houston, TX): 05-07-12
• Instrumentation in Hazardous Locations (RTP, NC): 05-10-12
• Intro. to Industrial Automation & Control (RTP, NC): 05-14-12
• Standard I&C Documentation (N. Brunswick, NJ): 05-16-12

Featured Events:

• OSIsoft User's Conference (San Francisco, CA): 04-23-12
• Hannover Messe 2012 (Hannover, Germany): 04-23-12
• ABB Automation & Power World 2012 (Houston, TX): 04-23-12
• CSIA Executive Conference 2012 (Scottsdale, AZ): 04-25-12
• Sensors Expo & Conference (Rosemont, IL): 06-06-12
• Honeywell Users Group Americas (Phoenix, AZ): 06-10-12
• Siemens Automation Summit (Washington, DC): 06-25-12
• NIWeek 2012 (Austin, TX): 08-06-12
• Automation 2012 (Mumbai, India): 09-07-12
• Industrial Automation North America (Chicago, IL): 09-10-12
• IMTS (Chicago, IL): 09-10-12
• Emerson Global Users Exchange 2012 (Anaheim, CA):10-08-12
• Pack Expo 2012 (Chicago, IL): 10-28-12
• Rockwell Automation PSUG (Philadelphia, PA): 11-05-12
• Rockwell Automation Safety Automation Forum (Philadelphia, PA): 11-06-12
• Rockwell Automation Fair 2012 (Philadelphia, PA): 11-07-12

Featured Training:

• Advanced Regulatory Control Online Program: 04-15-12
• Dynamic Simulation with MiMiC (St. Louis, MO): 04-16-12

See our Calendar of Events for other upcoming events and training. Add an event to our calendar.

Dilbert
A new angle on getting that raise.

Automation Cartoon

View this cartoon online and email it to a colleague.

Submit your Cartoon Ideas and share your humor with our audience. If we use your cartoon idea, we'll publish your name with the cartoon and send you an Automation.com mug.

View Cartoon Archive