Articles and News

Laplace Technologies is a global provider of advanced process control, engineering and instrumentation services. Based in Houston, Texas, Laplace specializes in process, DCS, PLC and fault-tolerant systems. MAVERICK Technologies is an engineering, systems integration and operational consulting firm.

ABB's net income rose 89 percent to $1,390 million in 2006 amid strong demand for technology to increase power grid reliability, industrial productivity and energy efficiency. Revenues for 2006 reached $24,412 million, an increase of 11 percent (10 percent in local currencies) over 2005, while orders were 22 percent higher (22 percent in local currencies) at $28,401 million.

The site contains videos, quick-start product guides and a library of code that help customers reduce the complexity of selecting, designing and configuring control systems. The site includes tools such as CompactLogix System Quick Start, an easy-to-understand guide designed to help reduce the time and cost associated with engineering, configuration and installation of a midsize control system.

An I/A Series DCS was installed at the recently constructed Cilacap Power Plant, a two-unit, 600-megawatt coal-fired generating plant located at Cilacap, on the south coast of central Java in Indonesia. The new plant is to date the largest coal-fired generating project imported to Indonesia from China.

Umetrics and Matrikon will combine Matrikon's ProcessMonitor products with Umetrics' SIMCA-P+ and SIMCA-Batch On-Line data analysis products for the seamless installation of Process Analytical Technology (PAT) solutions in the pharmaceutical market.

The term "multi-axis synchronization" refers to the motion which requires coordination, and the techniques used to achieve control of the motion. With today's increasing automation and machine sophistication, the control applications have become more demanding, and the control techniques have improved.

By Moxa A mine uses a combination of Moxa's AWK-1100 wireless AP/Bridge/AP Client and an industrial Ethernet switch. PLCs connect to the switch, which connects to an AWK-1100 wireless AP. Another switch/AP combination is used at the control end of the system.

He will be responsible for managing Beckhoff’s technical support, field service and repairs departments at the company’s Burnsville, Minn. headquarters.

"Design Patterns for Flexible Manufacturing," by Dennis Brandl, documents effective rules that should be used when applying the ISA-88 standard to both batch manufacturing (called the S88 design pattern) and continuous and discrete manufacturing problems (called the NS88 design pattern for non-stop production).

Organon, one of the largest manufacturers of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) worldwide, has installed PAS-X MES software in their new API-powder processing production facility in Oss, The Netherlands. Organon uses PAS-X for recipe management, weighing and dispensing, shop floor management, electronic batch recording, and warehouse management.

Calvin Wallace has been hired as Regional Sales Manager for Southwestern Ontario. Wallace will provide direct sales support to Beckhoff customers located in an area that extends from Windsor to Guelph.

Invensys will supply a mesh network-based Foxboro I/A Series distributed control system (DCS) to Plasco Energy Group for use in Plasco's Plasma Gasification Process (PGP). The DCS will provide process and facility control in the Plasco PGP, a non-incineration thermal decomposition process, which breaks down municipal solid waste (MSW) into simple components such as hydrogen, nitrogen, and carbon monoxide.

Ralph Harris has been promoted to vice president, U.S. sales. Harris joined the company in 1991 as a regional sales manager in the Retail Products Division. Since that time, he has held numerous key leadership positions in sales, marketing and organizational development. Most recently, Harris held the position of regional vice president, Southern Region.

The Distributed Control System (DCS) market experienced the strongest growth in a decade between 2004 and 2005, increasing at a rate of close to 9%. This strong growth is expected to continue through 2010, with the global market increasing at an average annual rate of almost 7%, according to the new ARC Advisory Group study, “Distributed Control System (DCS) Worldwide Outlook”

A three-step migration program from Rockwell Automation helps manufacturers replace aging DCS systems with the Logix Control Platform. Phase one involves replacing legacy HMI consoles with FactoryTalk; in phase two, the legacy process controllers are replaced with Logix controllers; phase three involves removing the legacy I/O infrastructure and replacing it with the Logix 1756-based I/O platform.

Honeywell has been awarded a $2.5 million contract from TonenGeneral Sekiyu to oversee the Wakayama Control House Consolidation Project – which will combine the oil refinery’s existing process control operations into one central location. Honeywell will also monitor three other subcontractors performing DCS relocation, civil, structural, electrical and instrumentation work.

To increase sales and engineering support for customers in South America, Beckhoff Automation has opened its newest subsidiary in Brazil. Together with distribution partners in Argentina, Uruguay and Chile, Beckhoff is now represented in four countries on the South American continent.

The Magni Group, a manufacturer of protective coating systems for metal products, has chosen the DEACOM Integrated Accounting and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software System to standardize all business processes, including quality control, batch formulation, and production scheduling.

Measurement and Automation Catalog 2007 describes software and hardware for test, control and design applications. For 2007, NI has made it even easier for customers to find what they need by providing the catalog in a searchable, downloadable eBook format.

Invensys will upgrade existing Foxboro distributed control systems (DCSes) at Saudi Aramco's Shedgum and 'Uthmaniyah Gas Plants to the latest Mesh Control Network technology. Invensys Middle East will provide all engineering, procurement (hardware and software), and site services for the DCS upgrade project.