Adept Technology, a provider of intelligent vision-guided robotics and global robotics services, has announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has awarded the company three patents on its Smart Camera systems. The patents cover the application of Smart Cameras with robotics or motion mechanisms where the image processing is done within the camera versus traditional PC-based systems. This lowers the cost of vision adoption in assembly and material handling manufacturing applications. The company now owns more than a dozen patents covering the core technology for vision-guided robotics systems.
Afcon Software and Electronics has announced the release of a new major version of its P-CIM scada/HMI. Version 7.70 includes new strategic features and improvements such as a powerful data analysing and reporting tool, improved right-click-menu with actions for creating historical trends on the fly and improved security environment using file security rules.
GE Fanuc Automation has announced that it has entered into an agreement with Softing North America to provide Foundation Fieldbus connectivity to the upcoming release of GE Fanuc's new Proficy Process Systems solution for process control.
Hirschmann will be holding its third Annual Industrial Ethernet and Network Design Seminar, 17-20 September in Potomac, MD (Metro Washington DC). The sessions are intended to help control engineers and plant personnel design, implement and maintain their Ethernet networks. And for specifiers to better understand the specific requirements of Ethernet in an industrial and mission-critical environment. Topics include Ethernet basics, network design and troubleshooting, layer 3/routing and security and delegates can select their own track. Crucial classes will be complemented by separate hands-on networking training classes with individual laptops and a high instructor/student ratio. More information can be found at [email protected]
Endress+Hauser has acquired the French measurement engineering provider PB Mesures, a company with a wealth of experience, particularly in the calibration and maintenance of measurement instruments. This acquisition will strengthen the position of Endress+Hauser's French sales centre in the increasingly important service sector.
PB Mesures provides highly accurate calibration techniques for work in laboratories and for mobile use. Its customers come mainly from the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, food and chemical industry and rely on PB Mesures' wealth of experience in this field.
PB Mesures will continue as an independent entity under the auspices of the French distribution company.
GE Fanuc Automation has announced that it has entered into an agreement with Pepperl+Fuchs North America to provide interface components that create connections in industrial automation systems including Profibus-based analog signal transfer and digital fieldbus communication. Proficy Process Systems will use Pepperl+Fuchs for Profibus connectivity.
Honeywell's board of directors has declared a regular quarterly dividend of US$0,25 per share on the company's outstanding common stock. The dividend is payable on 10 September, 2007 to shareowners of record at the close of business on 20 August, 2007.
Hitachi America has been selected as the recipient of the 2007 Frost & Sullivan Award for Excellence in Technology & Product Value in the variable speed drives market. The company is known for its practical and economical products such as the SJ300-EL series of inverters. Each year Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has demonstrated commitment to continuously evolve and remain a leading participant in the drives market by adopting technologies and providing products that offer better value to customers.
Invensys Process Systems has announced the successful completion of its automation project in a major expansion of the Samsung Total petrochemical complex in Daesan, Chungnam Province, Korea.
The process revamp included an overhaul of the ethyl benzene and styrene monomer units at the complex. The Invensys project scope included automation replacement and expansion with Foxboro I/A Series distributed control systems, and the implementation of a Triconex emergency shutdown system, both supported by extensive technical design, engineering, and implementation services.
ISA's SP104 committee has completed adoption as an American National Standard of the generic electronic device description language (EDDL) specified by IEC 61804 for device integration. The committee has announced the publication of ANSI/ISA-61804-3 (104.00.01)-2007, Function Blocks (FB) for Process Control - Part 3: Electronic Device Description Language.
The standard establishes an operating system independent language, used to declare device parameters and their dependencies, device functions, graphical representations, and interactions with control devices.
ISA EXPO 2007 takes place from 2-4 October at the Reliant Center, Houston, Texas. The expo will put the spotlight on security. ISA brings the full strength of its standards-making machine to bear in this year's Security Exchange. With a focus on ISA-99 Manufacturing and Control Systems Security and ISA-100 Wireless Systems for Automation, novices and experts alike will benefit from hearing the latest on best practices and techniques for securing systems, networks, and data. The Security Exchange Technology Briefings allow participants to listen and talk with the world's leading authorities on automation.
LS Industrial Systems has reported business results for the second quarter 2007. Sales are US$346 million, operating profit $42,7m and the net $31m. The sales are up by 7% compared to the same quarter of last year, net income up by 41%, and operating profit decreased by 4%. Export sales for the half year have increased by 22% compared to the same half of last year. The company expects that sales will grow by 8,1% ($14bn) and that operating profit will increase by 2,9% ($168m).
MTL Instruments Group, represented in South Africa by Extech Safety Systems, has announced that it has acquired a 90% stake in RTK, a leading specialist in the design and manufacture of process alarm equipment, displays and interface products. RTK has established a strong position as an international provider of alarm handling and annunciation equipment for the utilities and process control markets and has specific expertise in the application of alarm handling apparatus in hazardous and potentially flammable environments. It is a natural fit for MTL, which provides hazardous area control and instrumentation equipment.
Pepperl+Fuchs has won the contract to be the fieldbus interface and PC operator terminal supplier, partnering with Emerson Process Management, for the project awarded by GE Healthcare's Lindesnes plant in Norway. Emerson will implement the Pepperl+Fuchs fieldbus installation system FieldConnex, a range of Foundation Fieldbus interface solutions between the Emerson DeltaV digital automation system and Foundation Fieldbus field devices being installed.
Rockwell Automation and IBM have announced the signing of a strategic alliance to provide the global automotive manufacturing industry with a complete set of collaborative technologies, services, and experiences that will allow seamless information flow throughout a manufacturer's entire enterprise.
Ruggedcom has announced its financial results for the first quarter of fiscal 2008, ended 30 June 30 2007. Total revenue for the quarter was US$8,8 million, up 28,8% from the comparable quarter of 2006. The revenue growth was primarily due to increased sales in RuggedCom’s electric power, industrial process and military markets, which set new company records. Customer purchase orders totalled $9,5 million for the quarter, a company record representing an increase of 37,0% over the same quarter last year.
Schneider Electric has announced the acquisition of California-based Pelco, a leader in the design, development and manufacturing of video security systems. Pelco will further strengthen Schneider Electric’s Building Automation offering. Building Automation, which encompasses power and HVAC control, electronic security and fire safety, is one of Schneider Electric’s new businesses. The acquisitions of TAC, Andover Controls and Invensys Building Systems have enabled the group to become a major player in that business.
Wonderware, a business unit of Invensys, has announced that, for the fourth consecutive year, it has received Frost & Sullivan’s coveted North American Company of the Year Award for innovative software solutions. This year’s award was for the Adaptive Manufacturing and Supervisory Controls category, addressing the unique requirements of customers implementing human-machine interface (HMI) and manufacturing technology.
Frost & Sullivan noted that Wonderware’s new plug-in application modules, including the Equipment Operations Module, the Equipment Performance Module and the Manufacturing Execution Module, feature powerful communication and execution capabilities that address the production and performance management needs of industrial automation and information personnel.
Local news
Matrikon has announced that Sasol’s Synfuels operations at Secunda are deploying Matrikon's alarm management solution throughout their plant. The alarm management solution includes Matrikon's Alarm Manager for alarm management, archiving, alarm system auditing and the management of changes made to the system. MatrikonOPC enables the solution to interface to the various process control systems deployed throughout the massive Sasol Synfuels operations. The solution will be deployed throughout the Sasol Synfuels site in an ongoing roll out programme over the next 6 to 12 months.
Siemens: Delegates attending this year’s TIA User Forum will be able to view and interact with students participating in the Siemens’ Cyber Junkyard Challenge. In this competition, various educational institutions will be sponsored with equipment from Siemens and others and tasked with building a solution to a specific problem. The winners will be announced at the Gala Dinner on 26 October.
Siemens has announced that its Automation Innovation Tour will be participating in this year’s TIA User Forum. The Tour offers delegates the opportunity to discover the prospects presented by Profinet and experience, in a live presentation, how the open, multivendor Industrial Ethernet Standard can help achieve long-term improvements to competitiveness with real advantages for industrial automation.
Live presentations are centred on the production of an optical mini-radio mouse, and throughout the entire production workflow, the presentations show Profinet in use. Siemens advocates this as a technology that unleashes enormous potential in industrial automation.
© Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd | All Rights Reserved
printer friendly version