Articles and News

Three companies--3S, logi.CAD and KW-Software--have incorporated the PLCopen XML specification into their products.

ABB provided 15 motor drives and PLCs to the Milwaukee Area Technical College.

PLCopen Motion Control Specifications have been extended with the release of Part 5 and Part 6, adding fluid power to the spec.

The catalogs list more than 25,000 different products.

Linear programs and real-time optimization need the prediction to violation of constraints inherent in MPC.

Automation.com, December 2011 Gram Equipment in Denmark is a manufacturer of equipment for industrial ice cream production. To simplify system complexity, it based its control topology on an Allen-Bradley GuardLogix platform and EtherNet/IP.

Automation.com, December 2011 Askim Mek Verksted in Norway builds Battpacker wool production machinery. It upgraded to Control Logix PLCs, PanelView Plus HMIs, Festo plug-in pneumatic valves, and EtherNet/IP communications.

Automation.com, November 2011 By Bill Lydon for Automation.com Rockwell Automation introduced the new low-cost Micro800 PLC product line suited for standalone machine applications - a completely new architecture and not based on or compatible with the Logix Platform and Integrated Architecture.

Automation.com, December 2011 By ABB Describes the thinking that went into developing the ABB Process Automation Decision Tool.

Automation.com, November 2011 By Eric Byres, Byres Security Inc. On one hand, industry is becoming increasingly concerned about just how vulnerable control systems have become to outside attacks. At the same time, new tools and applications that improve efficiency, but increase that exposure, are appearing daily. So must we sacrifice these gains in efficiency if we want to be secure?

The distinction between PLCs and distributed control systems is narrowing, but their combined market in Europe will hit €6.45 billion in 2017.

Rockwell will replace the DCS at Nyrstar Hobart’s zinc smelting operation in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, with a PlantPAx process automation system.

Automation.com, November 2011 By Bill Lydon, Editor Discussion of the industry issues and trends with Steve Sonnenberg, Emerson Process Management's Executive Vice President, and Peter Zornio, Chief Strategic Officer. Topics include Emerson's energy initiative, the economy, PLC/DCS debate, disposable automation, and more.

Simatic STEP 7 Safety Advanced V11 part of the TIA Portal provides users with all configuration and programming tools required for generating a fail-safe program within Siemens TIA Portal.

Automation.com, October 2011 By Bill Lydon Since the 1980s, the automation industry has been adopting standards for networked industrial communications, software, and applications. Have users gained all the benefits originally envisioned?

Automation.com, October 2011 By ICP DAS The Inner Mongolia Wind Farms Project uses large inverters and PLCs with ICP DAS TCP Server / RTU Slave to CANopen Master Gateway, RS-232 to RS-485 Converter and Industrial Ethernet Switch to monitor and control the wind turbines.

Automation.com, October 2011 By Bill Lydon, Editor The CArS architecture is a modern systems level approach defined by the joint Chrysler and Fiat Manufacturing Engineering Council that improves the process flow for designing and implementing production lines.

August U.S. manufacturing technology orders totaled $460.61 million according to AMT and AMTDA.

ABB PLCs control the modular natural free cooling system at the Thor Data Center in Reykjavik.

Automation.com, October 2011 By Bill Lydon, Editor National Instruments typical applications in the automation industry require very high speeds, high precision, and special functions. According to Christian Fritz, in these challenging applications, they are not competing against PLCs - PLCs just cannot do the job.