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Oct. 06, 2008

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		Sensors & Instruments e-Newsletter Archive

	Software-Defined Instrumentation Design News, August 2008 By Kevin Bisking, National Instruments Next-generation test systems must be flexible enough to support the wide variety of tests that differ among convergent products and they must be scalable enough to accommodate a larger number of tests as new measurement functionality is required. Software-defined instrumentation is the essential differentiator for meeting this test challenge.
	Automation Weekly - Feedback on ISA name, ETO manufacturers double output, Guide to HMI design, OPC analyzer spec, IEC approves WirelessHART & FDT specs, Top ten new products The October 1, 2008 issue of our Automation Weekly eNewsletter is online now. This issue includes feedback from last week's editorial on the proposed ISA name change, a new article on how ETO manufacturers can double output, guide to HMI design, plus the top ten products introduced this week and the other latest automation news. Sponsored by SIXNET, Northwire and Software Toolbox.
	Advances in pH Measurement in High-Temperature Biotech Processes Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, September 2008 By CD Feng, Rosemount Analytical Liquid The secret to long life for pH glass electrodes may be found through technologies which add robustness to the gel layer and reference junction. This article presents recent research on the aging mechanism of the pH-sensing glass after high temperature exposure by using the non-destructive complex impedance spectrum method.
	ISA - Change the name to represent the industry By Rick Zabel, Automation.com The proposed name change of ISA (to "International Society of Automation") is up for a vote again during ISA Expo in Houston, October 14-16, 2008. Last year, the change was voted down, but I have yet to hear a compelling argument against the change. And there are many reasons for the change. If ISA is truly the global society of automation professionals, then its name should reflect its cause. It's time for a change!
	PROFIBUS hits new highs, PROFINET to follow? By Bill Lydon, Contributing Editor This year's PTO General Assembly Meeting again was attended by an enthusiastic group of users, suppliers, and distributors that apply PROFIBUS and PROFINET technology. Michael Bryant, Executive Director, was master of ceremonies and forecasted PROFINET will be the leading Ethernet Technology for automation applications.
	Automating Pipeline Integrity Monitoring Sensors, August 2008 By Colin Lippincott, FreeWave Technologies Inc. Cathodic protection devices have been used for decades to monitor steel pipes for corrosion. A new family of radios is designed to automate this process, connecting directly to the corrosion monitoring system.
	Color Contrast And Luminescence Sensors By Bill Letterle, EMX Industries Photoelectric sensors are powerful tools that, when properly applied, can produce highly reliable solutions to some tough automation challenges. While each application is different from one another, applying the guidelines discussed in this paper will help to make the sensor selection process a bit easier.
	Torque Telemetry Goes Digital Machine Design, August 2008 By Brian Duffy and Chris Novak, Honeywell Sensing and Control If you haven’t taken a good look lately at torque-measurement technology, it may surprise you. Digital RF technology leads the way to more accurate noncontact measurement of torque.
	Dealing With the ATEX Directive By Gus Elias, Moore Industries Safety compliance issues and legislation are becoming increasingly complex and detail-oriented, hence more of a burden to manufacturers. This article cannot describe all the minor differences between ATEX and other requirements, but it reviews some of the fundamental differences between North American and European requirements.
	A more intelligent approach to rotating equipment monitoring Power Engineering International, July 2008 By Peter W. Hills, Mechanalysis The majority of condition monitoring regimes for power plants’ rotating equipment is focused the detection of mechanical faults, with little attention paid to electrical faults in equipment. This could be about to change with the introduction of an on-line monitoring system that ‘learns’ to detect both types of fault.
	Wireless Level Monitoring Control Engineering, August 2008 Better inventory measurements, higher efficiency and safety, and environmental compliance are among results from three wireless level monitoring implementations.
	How Encoders Make Automated Motion Safe Control Engineering, August 2008 By C.G. Masi An encoder makes it possible for the control system to know where it is and how fast it’s moving. With that knowledge, the system can not only avoid trouble, but act appropriately when circumstances bring trouble to its door.
	Properly Monitor Your Scrubber Chemistry Power Engineering, July 2008 By Brad Buecker Within the last several years the flue gas desulfurization (FGD) market has mushroomed and many utilities have purchased wet FGD systems. Critical to proper operation of these systems will be accurate liquids and solids monitoring of the process streams. This article examines many of the most important analyses for which new scrubber personnel must prepare and equip laboratories.
	Think Things Are Small Now? Control, August 2008 By Jeffrey R. Harrow, The Harrow Group What might it mean to automation if virtually every sub-component in a machine or system could participate in a mesh network, within every device, to report its condition and allow it to tune its function based on the other sub-components around it?
	Pressure-Based Level Measurements Keep Getting Better and Better Control, August 2008 By Paul Miller While radar and ultrasonics are getting most of the attention, automation vendors are quietly improving their pressure-based level measurement instrumentation.
	A Better Mousetrap Control, August 2008 By Bob Sperber The New Sampling/Sensor Initiative (NeSSI) seeks to standardize sample transport, digital networking and breakthroughs in analyzer miniaturization. Along with its smaller footprint, NeSSI systems greatly reduce piping. Less piping, a shorter flow path, lower dead volume, less liquid circulating in the lines all add up to high reliability and faith in sampling.
	Hall Effect Finds Niche in Current Sensing Design News, July 2008 By Charles J. Murray The venerable Hall Effect sensor is gaining popularity these days in electrical current sensing applications, where it is sometimes replacing transformers and shunt resistors. There, it's helping engineers reduce power consumption, save money and eliminate bulk.
	Wireless HART Signals a Change in Plants Process Industry Informer, July/Aug 2008 By Gareth Johnston and Alan Munns, ABB HART 7 gives plants a real incentive to consider wireless. Article examines the advantages and typical applications of a wireless instrument network, whether now is the right time to consider a wireless project, and how a WirelessHART instrument network works.
	The use of vibration monitoring as part of a predictive maintenance regime - 08/11/08 Process Industry Informer, July/Aug 2008 By Andy Hammond, Emerson Process Management Plant equipment rarely fails without giving some form of signal, well in advance. Watching and listening for the warning signs can often help predict these breakdowns. There are many tools and techniques available to help look for these signs, including vibration monitoring.
	Motor Condition Monitoring Efficiency does Matter Process Industry Informer, July/Aug 2008 By Timothy M Thomas, Whitelegg Machines Monitoring motor performance using modern equipment allows plant and facility managers to dictate their own down time, improve plant operation and quickly identify poorly performing equipment.
	State of Manufacturing & Automation in the U.S. Looks Good Could it be that high fuel prices, the weak dollar and crises in the U.S. manufacturing industry are creating opportunities? Andy Chatha of ARC Advisory Group thinks so. He says the U.S. industry has suddenly become competitive on the world market, and companies are no longer moving operations overseas. Instead, many are expanding their facilities, and he predicts a boom in automation right here in the U.S.
	Take Some Basic Steps with pH Measurements Chemical Processing, July 2008 By Bhupen R. Patel, and Fred Kohlmann, Endress+Hauser, Inc. Many processing operations depend upon pH measurement. Yet, too often plants find it challenging to get accurate readings. So, we’ll discuss the variety of factors — ranging from the nature of the pH sensor to process conditions — that come into play.
	Protecting Critical Machinery Maintenance Technology, July 2008 By Deane Horn, Emerson Process Management For the most critical rotating equipment in the plant environment, three scenarios must be accounted for: the unpredictable, the predictable and the controllable. The complete solution covers all three scenarios by providing protection monitoring, prediction monitoring and performance monitoring all integrated with the process control system.
	Fix me Plant Services, July 2008 By Bob Sperber While developers of computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) or enterprise asset management (EAM) packages are steadily adding capabilities for handling condition-monitoring tasks and opening their technology platforms for greater connectivity, CMMS and condition-monitoring systems still aren’t capable of being plugged directly into each other.
	Coriolis Meters Tackle Oil and Gas Issues Automation World, July 2008 By C. Kenna Amos Two application areas in which Coriolis flowmeters now arouse increasing attention are upstream oil-and-gas (O&G) processing and multi-phase flow.
	Sense a Presence Control Design, July 2008 By Philip Burgert Presence sensors assist in many processes and offer a multitude of options how they should be applied and what benefits they will provide.
	Passive Infrared-Motion Sensors Machine Design, July 2008 Passive infrared (PIR) sensors detect infrared energy radiating from objects within their field of vision. The most common object a PIR sensor detects is the human body, so these sensors find use in automatic light switches, alarm systems, and door openers.
	Smart-but-Simple Wireless Sensor Networking IEN, July 2008 The term smart-but-simple refers to a new generation of wireless sensor networking (WSN) products. Today, WSNs are gaining acceptance in a wide variety of industrial applications ranging from tank level to motor vibration to relief valve monitoring.
	PAT System Reliability Control, July 2008 By Gary D. Nichols Part 2 of this series covers how to maintain a mixture of chromatographic, photometric, environmental and special process analyzer systems housed in an assortment of analyzer shelters and three-sided enclosures, and field-mounted.
	Powering instrumentation: Batteries Control Engineering, July 2008 By Peter Welander The variety of applications that demand self-contained power supplies is growing with the wider deployment of remote and wireless devices. While many alternative sources of energy are emerging, batteries still represent a reliable and inexpensive method.
	Boiler water for powerful plant InTech, July 2008 By Dan Livermore, James Yarbrough, and John Connelly The reliability of the pH measurement in low ionic composition streams, such as pure water, depends largely upon the technician understanding the measurement and the factors that affect the process of obtaining an accurate measurement.
	Honeywell 2008 Users Group - Heroes Gather in Phoenix By Bill Lydon, Contributing Editor The 33rd annual Honeywell Users Group Conference was held June 15 - 19, 2008 at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix, AZ with over 700 customers in attendance. According to Honeywell Vice President/General Manager, "The conferences super hero theme, Power to Perform, highlights the heroic efforts of process industry professionals to perform well despite rising costs and resource constraints."
	Choosing The Right Temperature Sensor For Your Application Process Industry Informer, June 2008 By JR Madden, Moore Industries A very efficient way to measure temperature is with either a thermocouple (T/C) or a resistance temperature detector (RTD). This article explains how to select the best one for your application.
	Will This Machine Work? Control Design, June 2008 By Dan Hebert There are many different ways to test and verify that your machine and its automation system will perform as intended prior to final fabrication, installation and commissioning. Includes examples of PC, PLC and PAC-based controls.
	ABCs of Refrigeration Pressure Sensing Machine Design, June 2008 By Chris Dixon, Kavlico Supermarket refrigeration systems, rooftop chillers, walk-in fast-food-restaurant freezers, and refrigerated rail cars vary greatly in size and appearance. Yet they all share the same basic principles of refrigeration. In each system, pressure sensors are vital in controlling the refrigeration cycle and keeping the system efficient.
	Measure and Gather New Process Data Control, June 2008 Today, wireless is giving users low-cost access to additional measurements and process variables that were previously economically infeasible. Estimates range up to 90% savings in installation cost per measurement using wireless.
	Is PAT a Silver Bullet? Control, June 2008 By Jim Montague Process Analytical Technologies (PAT) are beginning to inject quality-by-design (QBD), model-predictive control, risk management and other well-known process control methods into long-resistant pharmaceutical applications
	IEC 61508 Product Approvals – Veering Off Course Control, June 2008 By Angela Summers, SIS-TECH Upon close examination it appears that the product approval process of IEC 61508 (1) has veered seriously off course, possibly rendering many safety instrumented system (SIS) applications less reliable than expected or required.
	Don't judge a supplier by its name By Frank Hurtte, Contributing Author. For those of us who live and breathe the rarified vapors of technology based automation, it's pretty hard to fathom how life existed without electronic automation. Yet, it has been a short 30 years since the venerable PLC became anything more than a novelty outside of the Big 3 in Detroit. Sometime in the late 1970s, microprocessors changed our lives forever. Since those early days, the power of these tiny chips forever changed the way we think about manufacturing.
	Magnetostrictive position sensors: a revolution in linear position measurement South Africa Instrumentation & Control, May 2008 By ATI Systems Recent developments in magnetostrictive technologies can attain accurate absolute linear position feedback in virtually every application. Further, the position information is available at fast repetition rates, even in high vibration and high pressure applications.
	HART monitors extract data from smart instruments Plant Engineering, May 2008 By Greg Feliks, Moore Industries A simple and cost effective solution for gathering HART information is to use a HART interface device. Fortunately, HART interface devices, available from several manufacturers, make acquiring HART data a fairly simple proposition. This HART data is then made available to the control system via analog signals, discrete outputs or serial communications.
	Infrared Insights Machinery and Equipment MRO, April 2008 By Colin Plastow How to create a successful infrared thermography maintenance program.
	Regional Manufacturing Expos Prove Most Valuable By Thomas R. Cutler Deciding which conferences, webinars, and expos are worthwhile for manufacturing engineers and buyers to attend often feels like a dangerous yellow brick road, never knowing quite what to expect.
	Hydrogen-Specific Sensing for Industrial Process Control and Safety Sensors, May 2008 By Prabhu Soundarrajan, H2Scan Monitoring hydrogen in the process industries is important for both process optimization and for safety. Inline, solid-state palladium-nickel based sensors are highly selective to hydrogen, do not require oxygen to operate, and can detect hydrogen in concentrations from a few ppm to 100%.
	Fiber Optics For Environmental Sensing Sensors, May 2008 By John Selker, Oregon State University Distributed temperature sensing (DTS)—capable of measuring temperature along a length of fiber-optic cable—is finding utility in environmental monitoring, helping researchers to tease out the hydrology of streams, air flow in valleys, and health of glaciers.
	Know Your Flowmeter Chem.Info, May 2008 Interview with Roger Saba of Turck on the major issues involving flowmeter technology today.
	What’s needed in process automation? Chemical Processing, May 2008 By Mark Rosenzweig A recent survey of end users by Jacobs Engineering Group provides an extensive wish list for field instrumentation, including disposable instrumentation for disposable process components; Class 1 Division 1-rated I/O modules; power-over-Ethernet instruments; and built-in control module logic, including alarming. Wish lists also cover controllers, HMI, control systems, batch, and more.
	BioProcess Control: What the Next 15 Years Will Bring Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, May 2008 By Michael Boudreau, Emerson, and Trish Benton, Broadley-James Corp. Sensors are being developed that will advance process control in biopharmaceutical manufacturing. This article takes a look at the anticipated changes in bioprocess control in the upcoming years.
	NIR-Based Chemical Imaging as an Anticounterfeiting Tool Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, May 2008 By Jean-Claude Wolff, GlaxoSmithKline, et al Near infrared (NIR) chemical imaging-as distinct from NIR spectroscopy-is a powerful analytical technique that is being used increasingly in the fight against counterfeit drugs. Capable of simultaneously analyzing a number of tablets or capsules, NIR imaging can be automated to provide rapid “genuine/ fake” detection.
	Monitoring Bioprocesses Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, May 2008 By Ravindra Gudi, Honeywell Technology Solutions The fermentation process is already fraught with risk. Monitoring offers an early warning system that can ensure batch-to-batch consistency and minimize waste. An early detection of “events” such as faults or sub-optimal behavior, can lead to corrective action, when possible, to alleviate the fault or to shut down the batch to prevent depletion of expensive feed material.
	Wireless Sensor Networks for Building Automation Industrial Embedded Systems, May 2008 By Rainer Wischinski, Spinwave Systems The new wave of wireless sensor networks will change the building automation industry by reducing costs and increasing flexibility, making the use of sensors to establish and maintain highly energy-efficient building operation affordable in an increasing number of existing and new applications. (Registration required to read text).
	ABB is powered up and running at high efficiency! By Bill Lydon The products and services shown at ABB Automation World in Houston, Texas along with the enthusiasm of the ABB employees and users would seem to explain why the company’s 1st quarter 2008 earnings beat investment analysts’ consensus by over 40%. The three-day trade show and conference ran from April 29 through May 1 in Houston, Texas. There was a great deal of energy and enthusiasm at the event which showcased ABB products, ABB services, partner products, and over 300 workshops/training sessions.
	It's the law, now what? Intech, May 2008 By Dr. Nenad Sarunac By January 1, 2009, continuous monitoring of mercury emissions will be necessary for all stationary sources where annual Hg emissions exceed 29 pounds of Hg. Collecting a representative flue-gas sample for Hg analysis from coal-combustion flue gas produces many challenges.
	Safety Sensors Rise to New Heights Control Engineering, May 2008 By Mark T. Hoske An integrated safety system, like any control system, contains sensors, logic, and actuation, with I/O connections, networks, and software to tie it altogether. As connected sensors advance in functionality and fall in cost, redundancy and fail-safe designs reduce risk.
	The Advantages of Small Form Factor HMI By Hector Lin, Advantech A modern small form factor HMI can be purchased for about the same cost as a dozen push buttons and indicator lights, providing better control, easier operator interaction, easier maintenance and support, and much greater operational utility for the same cost.
	Considerations for Specifying, Installing and Interfacing Rotary Incremental Optical Encoders By Scott Hewitt, SICK STEGMANN The vast majority of encoder users have a solid understanding of the type of encoder they need to accomplish their objective. What they don’t always know, at least without painful experience, are the major factors that need to be considered when specifying, installing, and interfacing with the encoders they select for their machine.
	Wireless: Bluetooth vs. Bluetooth Control Engineering Europe, May 2008 Most industrial applications require more than a standard Bluetooth wireless solution. Looking at traditional Bluetooth technology versus industrial Bluetooth technology can illustrate necessities for tough industrial applications.
	Finding the Right Pressure Switch Sensors, April 2008 By:Michael F. Horn, Whitman Controls Pressure and vacuum switches have been around for at least 100 years and are considered well-established, end-sensor technology. It is, therefore, surprising how many potential users don't know the fundamental considerations of specifying one of these devices.
	Ultrasonic level measurement: still the best option Process Industry Informer, April 2008 By Keith Flint, Pulsar Process Measurement Although there are undoubtedly other noncontacting measurement techniques available, reliable ultrasonic level measurement remains the most cost-effective and versatile method. Very few applications now lie outside the scope of this established and very successful technology.
	How often should instruments be calibrated? Process Industry Informer, April 2008 Plants can improve their efficiencies and reduce costs by using calibration history trend analysis. With this function, the plant can analyze whether it should increase or decrease the calibration frequency for all its instruments.
	Sensor-Driven Error Proofing Control Engineering, April 2008 By Henry Menke, Balluff Sensor-driven error proofing, often in concert with RFID, provides a simple and effective means of ensuring that a part is present and in the correct orientation or position. For sensors to work correctly, Parts need to be well fixtured; There needs to be a manageable number of inspection points per part; and the location of the detail on the part in question needs to be relatively constant.
	Finding the Right Pressure Switch Sensors, April 2008 By:Michael F. Horn, Whitman Controls Selecting a pressure switch that is well suited for a particular application is a multi-faceted process. The trick is to know what questions to ask to optimize your application.
	Radar Set on the Gulf Coast Processing, March 2008 Radar technology helps a petrochemical company reliably measure level of plastic pellets and powders.
	Measuring Displacement Using Accelerometers Maintenance Technology, March 2008 By Richard Klubnik While it’s the easiest vibration parameter to understand, it’s also been the most rarely measured one. That’s all about to change, with loop-powered displacement sensors now offering a simple, continuous way to get the job done.
	Airborne Leak Detection Maintenance World, March 2008 When valves or steam traps leak or fail, it can be extremely costly in terms of product quality, safety and energy loss. Valve operation effects the way fluids will flow through a system. Ultrasonic sensors can find the leaks.
	Automating Energy Consumption Automation World, March 2008 By Rob Spiegel With rising energy costs and the growing interest in reducing carbon emissions, plants are becoming more interested in making their facilities more energy efficient. One of the critical requirements to reduce energy consumption is the ability to track and monitor energy consumption.
	Wireless Networking moves from Instruments to Infrastructure Control Engineering Europe February 2008 Three major wireless providers, Honeywell, Emerson, and Invensys are pursuing widely different approaches—with specific benefits and weaknesses—but have clearly articulated long-term strategies and resources to achieve their goals.
	Getting quality down PAT Intech, March 2008 By Baha Korkmaz, Arnold Martin, and Cenk Undey Using the concepts behind process analytical technology (PAT) is one effective tool to achieve better quality, especially when incorporating batch standards, such as ISA88.
	Piezoelectric Force Sensors Machine Design, February 2008 Unlike strain gages that can measure static forces, piezoelectric force sensors are mostly used for dynamic-force measurements such as oscillation, impact, or highspeed compression or tension.
	Three’s a Crowd for Instrumentation Amplifiers Sensors, February 2008 By Prashanth Holenarsipur, Maxim Integrated Products This article explains the architectural limitations of conventional three op amp IAs, and introduces an indirect current-feedback circuit topology that provides specific advantages for single-supply operation.
	Quality Control and the Art of Error Proofing Sensors, February 2008 By:Brian Schriver Because sensors are a fundamental part of a quality-control process, you need to know their strengths and weaknesses so that you can match the right sensing technology with your application.
	Isolate the noise, not the signal Plant Engineering, February 2008 By Greg Feliks, Moore Industries Some engineers think that the need for isolators and signal converters is eroding with the advent of smart instruments, isolated electronics and digital fieldbuses. However, isolators and signal converters can also be used to solve difficult or complex problems.
	Safety Instrumented System design is all about the process Plant Engineering, February 2008 By Charles M. Fialkowski, Siemens Energy & Automation Designing a single component may be viewed as a relatively simple matter – one that a single person can handle. Designing a large SIS, however, is typically beyond the ability of any single individual. Large systems require a multi-discipline team.
	Sensing With Sound Assembly, February 2008 By Alex Gasser Ultrasonic sensors are valuable components in automated production environments. Similar to photoelectric sensors, which rely upon light, ultrasonic sensors use sound waves to detect the presence or absence of objects.
	Machine Vision Takes a Global Look Control Design, February 2008 By Loren Shaum Machine vision systems are getting more compact, faster, with better resolutions, and can be adapted quicker to production changes without much knowledge.
	Absolute Noise Corrupts Absolutely Control Design, February 2008 By Mike Bacidore Since most wiring is fixed in place, varying currents are the usual cause of magnetic coupling. A good design rejects as much noise as possible.
	Suppress Those Surges Design News, February 2008 By Jon Titus In addition to protecting exterior sensor and communication lines from transient pulses caused by nearby lightning strikes, you should protect inside equipment from transients or surges that can travel through power lines.
	Designing for Robotics Design News, February 2008 By Kamran Shah, National Instruments Robot engineers have to interface with the right sensors and actuators. These could include analog input and output, digital lines, GPS sensors, LIDARs, cameras, motors and CAN interfaces for vehicles. This makes software a key component of any robotic system.
	Keeping on the Level Control, February 2008 By David W. Spitzer Measuring the level of solids such as plastic pellets, coal, coke or flour is not necessarily easy, and the difficulty starts before the measurement system is even designed. Simply put, why are you making this level measurement? Do you want to measure the level in the bin or hopper or the amount of material?
	Pressure Sensor Technologies Control Engineering, February 2008 By Peter Welander For most garden-variety applications, any approach will likely do an adequate job. However if you want truly optimal performance, or when more extreme conditions enter into the discussion, some do not perform as well as others.
	Custody transfer in tank gauging dilemma SA Instrumentation & Control, February 2008 By Johan van Jaarveldt, Endress+Hauser Custody transfer in South Africa requires apparatus to be in accordance with a South African standard. However, there is no standard that covers custody transfer by tank gauging, needed because flowmeters are not large enough for metering the discharge from ocean-going supertankers.
	Nuclear Myth Busters Chem.Info, January 2008 By H. M. Schwartz and Dr. Dirk Moermann High temperatures, pressures, and other difficult industrial processes usually pose no problem for a nuclear measurement gauge. Despite thousands of satisfied users of this technology worldwide, nuclear measurement gauges are sometimes a pariah to companies and their employees.
	Tank Gauging Systems Control Engineering Asia, January 2008 By Richard Siereveld, Honeywell Enraf Automatic tank gauges are mandatory for the accurate determination of the liquid level inside bulk storage tanks. On shore, servo or radar technology is mainly used to determine the approved product level measurement in storage tanks for accurate custody transfer and legal metrology.
	Performance Improvement for Cooling Water Systems Availability of cooling water system is critical to operation of a plant. This white paper provides an update on real-time process control technology based on corrosion measurement that provides a comprehensive understanding of unit operating condition and fouling/scaling activity in cooling water and process water systems.
	Sensor Sense: Detecting reflective targets Machine Design, January 2008 By Robert Repas Targets with highly reflective surfaces can bounce enough light back to the sensor to effectively pass unseen in front of it.
	Hot tips on thermocouples Machine Design, January 2008 By Mike Nager , Phoenix Contact What may be the most common method of measuring industrial temperatures is mostly misunderstood by engineers and technicians
	Infrared temperature measurement Motion System Design, January 2008 By Frank Schneider, Raytek Noncontact infrared temperature measurement provides a telling metric to improve the reliability of demanding operations, saving end users thousands of dollars and hundreds of man-hours.
	Tiny, wireless and self-energized Plant Services, January 2008 By Sheila Kennedy, contributing editor A new generation of sensors is poised to revolutionize predictive maintenance. New software and emerging technologies are simplifying condition monitoring and streamlining the process of predictive maintenance.
	Striking at the heart of condition assessment Power Engineering International, December 2007 By: Dave Randl, QinetiQ, UK Remote visual inspections of machinery and pipework have always had limitations because of the inherent inflexibility of fibrescopes and videoscopes. The unique articulation of a guide now opens up the possibility of navigation through areas not previously possible, allowing a more comprehensive plant condition assessment.
	3D-Based Machine Vision in Automotive Production Lines Machine Vision On-Line, December 2007 By Nello Zuech, To gain insight into some current machine vision activity in the automotive industry, we asked a number of companies to We asked for input from those companies specifically engaged in online 3D-based machine vision applications.
	Temperature Sensor Tips and Tricks Sensors On-Line, January 2008 By:Emmy Denton, National Semiconductor Corp. When you're adding temperature sensors to a PCB, correct placement can make all the difference. Here are some tips and tricks to place your sensors effectively.
	Flexible Temperature Sensors Solve Maintenance Problems Sensors On-Line, November 2008 By:Robert Poole, Process Measurements & Monitors Flexible temperature sensors offer a solution to maintenance dilemmas. A flexible sensor fits nearly everywhere, can be cut to the correct length, and reduces the number of spare parts a plant has to keep on hand.
	Remote monitoring closes the gap between meters and breakers Plant Engineering, January 2008 By Jack Smith Remote monitoring helps plant managers make informed decisions about operational efficiency, system reliability, employee safety and energy costs.
	Precision, patience required for pH sensor calibration Plant Engineering, November 2007 By Christopher P. Roderick, ABB Instrumentation Calibrating pH sensors is usually viewed as challenging. In order to remove the “magic” behind a successful calibration it is helpful to understand the two main parts of a pH sensor.
	Isolator and signal converter basics, Part 1 Plant Engineering, December 2007 By Greg Feliks, Moore Industries Isolators are useful devices to solve instrumentation problems in process control applications. However, be sure to check the specs carefully. Not all isolators are created equal. Isolators can be used for many applications in process control beyond just eliminating ground loops and conditioning signals
	Advanced applications for isolators and signal converters, Part 2 Plant Engineering, December 2007 By Greg Feliks, Moore Industries a selection of advanced applications for isolators and signal converters, including HART, digital converters, signal conversion, VFD noise, AC current/voltage conversion and isolation and Hazardous area isolation.
	Build reliability in during design Chemical Processing, December 2007 By Dirk Willard Instrumentation that promises to improve reliability may not always be what they seem. You have to consider whether a site can properly maintain sophisticated instruments.
	Take equipment diagnostics to a new level Chemical Processing, December 2007 By Todd Anderson Many of the effects of machine degradation are avoidable, so being able to identify struggling equipment at an early stage is essential to renewing its productivity. Advances in performance monitoring can provide critical insights.
	FE Update: Use surface contact for more accurate simulations Machine Design, December 2007 By Dennis Sieminski, Noran Engineering Structural behavior in the real world is often quite complex. Continual enhancements in FEA codes allow constructing models with higher levels of real-world fidelity and accuracy.
	FE Update: Use surface contact for more accurate simulations Machine Design, December 2007 By Dennis Sieminski, Noran Engineering Structural behavior in the real world is often quite complex. Continual enhancements in FEA codes allow constructing models with higher levels of real-world fidelity and accuracy.
	Use Sensors to Error Proof the Factory Floor Design World, December 2007 By Dave Bird Effective error-proofing programs integrate sensors in the manufacturing process to eliminate errors through 100% inspection. Post-production checking stations and human based “eyeball checks” in post production can’t possibly verify that all components going into a product are perfect nor in the right location with proper orientation.
	Sensors Plug&Play – The New Standard for Automated Sensor Measurements By National Instruments Article explains the IEEE 1451.4 standard, Mixed-Mode Interface for Smart Transducers. Developed jointly by sensor manufacturers, instrumentation and software suppliers, and users, IEEE 1451.4 defines the concept of a mixed-mode transducer that supplies both an analog and digital interface
	Networking 101: Down at the Bit Level Control Engineering, August 2007 By Peter Welander Many large machines use lots of small sensors. Specialized networks designed for these devices can save wire and time.
	Level Measurement: The Very Last Resort Control, August 2007 By Walt Boyes The level product that “dares not speak its name.” It is the level measurement product of last resort—the one you take to your boss after every other one has failed. It’s…nuclear.
	The state of MEMS in automation InTech, August 2007 By Avinash K. Bhaskar and Menaka S MEMS-based sensor technology tends to be limited to process monitoring applications, industrial safety, machinery monitoring, and to some extent in assembly line manufacturing applications.
	Optimizing Motion Control—Getting the Most from Resolvers Sensors, July 2007 By Thomas Tokar, Rockwell Automation To take full advantage of the resolver's potential, you have to compensate for error sources. Simulating resolver and cable functions go a long way toward helping you achieve this goal.
	Proximity Sensors Control Engineering, July 2007 By Dick Johnson Wide ranging capabilities have become the hallmark of these familiar devices. 'Network ready’ and limit switch replacement are among trends.
	Where to Use Flow-through Conductivity Sensors Automation World, July 2007 By C. Kenna Amos Use flow-through conductivity sensors in any application where the measurement of liquid conductivity or the percent concentration of a liquid is required.
	Choosing Level Sensors Control Engineering, June 2007 By Peter Welander Selecting a level sensing technology, like any process instrumentation, begins with an analysis of the application to determine the best approach.
	Using Flowmeters Control Engineering, June 2007 By Dick Johnson Accuracy, repeatability, economy top list of 'most wanted’ features for flowmeter technologies and applications. Users share views and opinions.
	Hazardous Area Sensors Control Engineering Asia, June 2007 By Jeanine Katzel UL, CSA, FM, ATEX – just some of the certification standards for sensors used in hazardous parts of the plant. There are increasing demands for harmonization to meet the needs of global manufacturers.
	Choosing the Right Pressure Transmitter: Which Technology Is Right for Your Application? Sensors, June 2007 By Lorens Todsen and Max Robinson, Danfoss Industrial Controls Choosing the right pressure transmitter for your application involves more that specifying the pressure range. Don't forget to consider the technologies available, the environmental stresses and strains that will be involved, and the lifetime cost.
	Color-Blind No More By Jeff Allison, Product Manager Pepperl+Fuchs Contrast and Color Sensors Open Eyes to Packaging/Converting Applications. Bridging the gap between photoelectric sensors and vision systems, they are equipped to detect even the slightest variations of the same color.
	Material Handling: Sensing Challenges & Solutions By Thomas Corbett, Product Manager, Gary Frigyes, Product Marketing Manager Pepperl+Fuchs In today’s material handling market, OEMs are faced with a number of concerns when choosing a sensor manufacturer and specifying sensors.
	Background Suppression with Photoelectric Sensors By Gary Frigyes, Product Manager, Ed Myers, Product Manager, Jeff Allison, Product Manager Pepperl+Fuchs When using photoelectric sensors in simple diffused mode (a.k.a. proximity mode), the sensor uses the target to reflect light back to itself, eliminating the need for a secondary device such as a reflector.
	Networking I/O Increases Reliability of Metal Forming Applications By Helge Hornis, PhD, Intelligent Systems Manager Pepperl+Fuchs Metal forming applications are among the toughest and most demanding on sensors and sensor wiring. High shock and vibration not only destroy sensors but also severely limit the reliability and expected service life of the cabling needed to bring them back to the PLC.
	Fundamentals of Photoelectric Sensors By Gary Frigyes, Product Marketing Manager Ed Myers, Product Manager Jeff Allison, Product Manager Pepperl+Fuchs This article is focused on photoelectric sensors and defines what they are, their advantages and some basic modes of operation.
	Lining Technology for Magnetic Flowmeters Process Industry Informer, May/June 2007 By Yasuo Oonishi, Yokogawa The accuracy and reliability of magnetic flowmeters have become increasingly higher thanks to advances in lining materials and manufacturing methods.
	Changes in temperature can cause subtle errors in LVDT readings Machine Design, May 2007 By Harold Schaevitz, Macro Sensors Changes in temperature can cause subtle errors in LVDT readings.
	The ABCs of using ultrasound to monitor bearings Plant Services, May 2007 By Roger Earley Using ultrasound to identify bearing wear in its earliest stages is a valuable tool that avoids costly downtime.
	Eye on Hazardous Area Sensors Control Engineering, May 2007 By Jeanine Katzel, Control Engineering Increasing use and advancing technologies in an ever-shrinking global environment are changing the focus of these critical process control devices.
	Are wireless sensors ready for me? Control Design, May 2007 A reader wants to know what his best options are for reliable, and easily connectable wireless sensors for vibration monitoring, temperature and presence sensing. Various experts answer.
	Accurate pressure measurement Intech, May 2007 By Blair Chalpin, Charles A. Matthews, and Nicholas Sheble This safety purge system isolates and protects PC-based pressure sensors from steam pressure media while providing high accuracy, serviceability, and automation.
	Keep it clean Intech, May 2007 By Keith Briegel and Russell Kane Corrosion is a major factor accounting for petrochemical plant failures. Corrosion monitoring technology leads to real-time results for specialty materials.
	Why calibration measurement software? Control, April 2007 By Dan Hebert, Senior Technical Editor Field calibration of instruments and analyzers used to be a simple, albeit time-consuming affair. No more.
	What’s in the air for continuous emissions monitoring? Chemical Processing, April 2007 By Mike Spear, editor at large More attention to mercury and increased acceptance of predictive approaches is emerging. Such monitoring not only can keep plants on the right side of regulators but also can help provide insights for optimizing operation of equipment.
	pH Sensor Improves Product, Process, and Profits Control Engineering, April 2007 By John P. Connelly, Foxboro Measurements and Instruments When the only thing you can count on is that the pH sensor will fail, it's time to find a new solution, especially in pharmaceutical applications.
	Pressure-Resistant Proxes: New Generation Proximity Switches For Hydraulic Applications Sensors, April 2007 By: Peter Heimlicher, Contrinex Industrial Electronics, Tom Horstman, US Automation Group LLC A new generation of inductive proximity sensors are engineered to withstand the high pressures now common in fluid power applications.
	The Sensor Web: A Distributed, Wireless Monitoring System Sensors, April 2007 By: Kevin A. Delin, NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory The Sensor Web is a distributed sensing system in which information is globally shared and used by all networked platforms. It's already been deployed long term in different environments and is opening up new avenues for distributed sensing and control.
	Laser photoelectric sensors Machine Design, March 2007 All photoelectric sensors use a beam of light to detect the presence or absence of a target. Standard incandescent light was the source for the old electric eye. Visible red or infrared LEDs provide the light for photoelectric sensors today. Like any normal light source, the light emitted by the sensor spreads out and weakens over distance, limiting the sensor's useful range or the size of the target it can detect.
	A New Breed of Tilt Sensors Sensors, March 2007 By: James Fennelly, Semaj Design LLC High accuracy at a low cost over a wide temperature range makes thermal MEMS accelerometers the hot choice in tilt sensing.
	Using Vibration Analysis to Detect Early Failure of Bearings Process Industry Informer, March/April Issue Dr. S. J. Lacey, Engineering Manager, Schaeffler (UK) Vibration produced by rolling bearings can result from geometrical imperfections during the manufacturing process, defects on the rolling surfaces or geometrical errors in associated components. Noise and vibration is often perceived to be synonymous with quality and often used for predictive maintenance.
	Pressure-Resistant Proxes: New Generation Proximity Switches For Hydraulic Applications Sensors, April 2007 By: Peter Heimlicher, Contrinex and Tom Horstman, US Automation As the hydraulics industry continues to advance, higher pressures are being used in more applications. When end-of-stroke signals are required, a switch located in the end cap is the most reliable sensing choice. The sensor industry has evolved to produce reliable end-of-stroke sensors that can operate in today's high-pressure environments, with safety margins approaching 40%.
	Cross-talk Compensation for Force Sensors Using Matrix Methods By David Schrand, Sensor Developments Inc. Cross-talk compensation involves mathematically manipulating the load-cells output data to correct the cross-talk outputs. It is effective for any number of extraneous loads, and can be characterized as mathematical cross-talk compensation by the application of “cross coupling coefficients”, or the inverse matrix method.
	How to Optimize pH Measurement in Corrosive Fertilizer Plant Conditions Chem.info, January 2007 Given its extremely harsh production environment, the fertilizer industry presents many process measurement and field instrumentation challenges. This is particularly true when producing single superphosphate fertilizer, which involves mixing crushed phosphoric rock with a highly potent solution of 90 percent sulfuric acid. Here’s how one company is handling its pH analysis and achieving improved emissions monitoring, reducing its maintenance, and lowering its equipment costs.
	Weighing Accuracy Fundamentals for Cement Production Belt Feeders Process Industry Informer, January 2007 By Mike Slack, H & H Services Several fundamental practices maximize the accuracy performance when dynamically feeding bulk materials such as limestone or clinker. The “weighing basics” in this article allow for extremely sensitive and reliable recognition for both material load and belt speed - the two fundamental measurements that provide accurate and repeatable gravimetric feeding.
	In search of encoder accuracy Control Design, January 2007 By Loren Shaum, Comtec Encoders have been around for so long as the standard for displacement measurement that they’re sometimes taken for granted. As the technology has improved, encoders have become the dominant rotary and linear displacement measurement means. Today it dominates North America and Asia, while resolvers still hold Europe.
	Visualizing temperature Control Engineering, January 2007 C.G. Masi, Control Engineering Industrial thermography has grown beyond predictive maintenance to become a primary sensor technology. Just as thermal imaging is becoming white hot for predictive equipment maintenance, industrial engineers are becoming increasingly aware that it makes an excellent primary sensor to keep control systems on track.