Features

Maximising operational efficiency 16/01/2012
Maximising throughput, availability and product quality, while minimising operating, maintenance and energy costs, helps to get more out of a process plant. Simon Ellam, of Siemens Industry Automation, outlines some of the areas that can have a big impact on maximising a process plant’s operational efficiency. Full Story...

Addressing the perils of DIY DCS 20/12/2011
Tim Sweet, of Honeywell Process Solutions, discusses the ‘top seven’ issues to consider when evaluating a DCS, versus building a DIY distributed control system using a PLC-based architecture. Full Story...

Benefits of entire drive train optimisation 12/12/2011
Optimisation of the complete drive train, and consideration of how the individual components interact, can offer some impressive energy savings. Full Story...

Coriolis benefits for oil and gas industry 06/12/2011
Andre Verdone, KROHNE business manager in Canada, discusses the advantages of Coriolis flowmeter technology in oil and gas measurement applications. Full Story...

Medium voltage drives in oil & gas 06/12/2011
2011 will see medium voltage drives sales into the oil & gas industry outpace the market owing to the high oil prices seen in 2010 and early 2011, increasing investment for production capacity expansion, according to a new study from IMS Research, ‘The World Market for Medium Voltage Motor Drives’. Full Story...

Condition monitoring facility opens in Hungary 06/12/2011
A new remote condition monitoring centre has been opened by the Bently Nevada business of GE Measurement & Control Solutions in Fot, Hungary. Full Story...

Robotic upgrade for automotive fitting line 28/11/2011
As part of a major investment by Norgren at its Lichfield manufacturing site in the UK, Kawasaki Robotics has replaced two aging robots with Kawasaki RS06L robots. The new robots will allow faster cell tool change times and are able to work more comfortably within target cycle times. Full Story...

Enhanced Camera Link and GigE Vision-compliant dual line scan cameras 28/11/2011
Teledyne DALSA, a Teledyne Technologies company, has optimised the performance and improved functionality of its Spyder3 Camera Link and GigE Vision-compliant dual line scan cameras. Full Story...

Emerson announces Smart Energy Initiative 21/11/2011
Emerson Process Management has announced the ‘Smart Energy Initiative’, a global programme designed to combine its industrial energy expertise with advanced energy management technologies. Full Story...

New dimensions in decentralised drive architecture 21/11/2011
B&R is expanding its range of drives with a series of motor-integrated servo drives with IP65 protection. Full Story...

Mobile SCADA increases staff efficiency in logistics operation by 15% and cuts support call costs by 60% 21/11/2011
SCHAD, the developer of the EXTEND7000 mobile SCADA system has implemented a mobile solution for BAUR, a German multichannel retailer. Full Story...

Wireless conductivity transmitters help prevent chemical discharge 16/11/2011
Korsnäs Gävle is using Emerson Process Management’s Smart Wireless conductivity and temperature transmitters to collect critical leak-detection monitoring data at its board and paper production unit at Gävlebukten, Sweden, enabling it to verify its compliance with environmental monitoring legislation. Full Story...

SCADA virtualisation – delivering real benefits? 14/11/2011
Virtualisation for SCADA systems brings many benefits such as time and cost savings, greater levels of security and operational efficiency advantages. Tony Chapman from Siemens Industry Automation highlights some of the key areas where SCADA virtualisation can add real value. Full Story...

Strategies for reliability in oil and gas 14/11/2011
A plant breakdown or accident in the oil and gas sector can have huge financial implications, which puts a strong emphasis on maximising safety, reliability and performance in every aspect of operation. These three crucial factors are not independent of each other – it is impossible to maximise plant safety and performance without addressing reliability. Full Story...

AC drives for largest ever active heave-compensated winch system 14/11/2011
AC drives manufacturer Vacon is to deliver liquid-cooled AC drives with a total power of 2.7 MW for active heave-compensated winches onboard a Norwegian-built Inspection, Maintenance and Repair (IMR) ship. The delivery will take place in March 2012. Full Story...

First working prototype of FDI 14/11/2011
A Field Device Integration (FDI) host system prototype and the use of FDI device packages for Foundation Fieldbus, HART, and PROFIBUS device integration was presented at the NAMUR AGM, based on a multi-vendor system. Full Story...

Fieldbus Foundation issues Transducer Block Specification for Wired and WirelessHART devices 11/11/2011
The Fieldbus Foundation has issued a FOUNDATION Wireless and Remote I/O (WIO) preliminary specification addressing fieldbus transducer blocks for wired HART and WirelessHARTdevices, together with updates to the WIO System Architecture and WIO Data Structures related to the transducer block specification. Full Story...

Fieldbus Foundation issues Transducer Block Specification for Wired and WirelessHART devices 11/11/2011
The Fieldbus Foundation has issued a FOUNDATION Wireless and Remote I/O (WIO) preliminary specification addressing fieldbus transducer blocks for wired HART and WirelessHARTdevices, together with updates to the WIO System Architecture and WIO Data Structures related to the transducer block specification. Full Story...

Integrated safety, control and hazardous area capability 08/11/2011
Addressing functional safety and regulatory control in a single system has been a challenge for many years – even more so when systems are destined for use in a hazardous area. Full Story...

Motor control – Making a case for intelligence 08/11/2011
Conventional low-voltage Motor Control Centres (MCCs) are ubiquitous in the oil and gas sector and in general, meet industry requirements for safe, reliable and efficient operation. So, are there any real benefits to be gained by choosing the new generation of Intelligent Motor Control Systems (IMCSs) for future projects? The answer is undoubtedly yes except, perhaps, for the most undemanding of projects. Full Story...