Articles and News

Certification of the Mechatrolink field network for safety makes it possible for MMA members to build motion control and machine control systems for use in applications that comply with safety standards.

Automation.com, September 2011 By Bill Lydon, Editor Bill Lydon talks with Jeff Kodosky, Cofounder of National Instruments and Father of LabVIEW, to discuss real-time control and particularly his continuing work on the problem of visually programming real-time- control applications.

Automation.com, August 2011 By Bill Lydon, Editor Norm Gilsdorf of Honeywell Process Solutions sits down with our editor, Bill Lydon, to discuss their organizational changes, asset management, PLC competition, wireless, skill crisis, energy and sustainability.

Grizzly will use the PlantPAx and Endress+Hauser instrumentation to help produce more than 5,000 barrels of oil per day at the first phase of its Algar Lake Project.

VAKUMIX builds mixing and homogenizing systems using Allen-Bradley CompactLogix PAC with Distributed Point-I/O, PowerFlex variable-frequency drives, PanelView Plus HMIs and industrial components.

Cerutti selected EtherNet/IP and Rockwell Automation to automate its flexographic printing machines. The system handles 500 nodes and 13,000 I/O.

IFCO uses a combination of Allen-Bradley ControlLogix programmable automation controllers (PACs), control components, and Rockwell Software RSLogix 5000 to control industrial furnaces.

Hungerford, the first employee of ProSoft Technology, was promoted from Managing Director of North America.

The MMA is a group of Mechatrolink product developers and users who promote the use of Mechatrolink, the most widely used motion control network in Asia.

Automation.com, July 2011 Mosaic, a Florida-based fertilizer producer, asked Polk State College (PSC) to create a training program. PSC worked with Rockwell Automation and RWD Technologies to develop the curriculum.

Copalp successfully passed tests performed by the test laboratory of iƒak in Germany, for certification of a system according to PLCopen Conformity Level ST (Structured Text).

The Quad PAC controlled switchgear was designed with a voting scheme where triple inputs are sent to the PLC system. The best of the three dictates the state of the device.

With a year-to-date total of $1,984.87 million, 2011 is up 108.0% compared with 2010.

Siemens published safety guidelines which operators of industrial plants can follow to minimize the risk of external intervention from the start.

Siemens released a firmware update of its S7-1200 PLC that eliminates vulnerabilities and improves the security and robustness of its S7-1200 product family.

Automation.com, June 2011 By Bosch Rexroth Packaging containers can sometimes be quite elaborate. The faster, the better, the more accurate so as not to damage delicate products. This is the challenge for pick-and-place robots and the control technology behind them. Chocolate, for example, is one such product that must be handled with care.

Automation.com, May 2011 By Bill Lydon, Editor ABB creates new role, appoints Brice Koch, to oversee relations with ABB’s largest customers and the development of opportunities in strategic growth areas such as rail, wind, water, solar, energy efficiency and smart grids. Koch will also be responsible for developing ABB’s service business.

Automation.com, May 2011 By Roy Kok Over the years, we’ve had sensor upgrades, improved controllers, better operator visibility, data archiving and analytics, and now we have enterprise integration for improved material management, corporate agility, regulatory compliance and a host of other features.

Modernization of a municipal waterworks with SCADA standardization: Past, present, and planning for the future

Automation.com, May 2011 By Bill Lydon, Editor The size of Hannover Fair can be overwhelming but there were industry and technology trends reflected in products and presentations at the event. Here are some specific examples for illustration - in most cases there are many more companies that have products supporting these trends.