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Editorial archive;
AI-enabled robotic picker 22/05/2023 ABB Robotics has launched the Robotic Item Picker – a new artificial intelligence (AI) and vision-based solution designed to detect and pick items in unstructured environments in warehouses and fulfilment centers. Full Story...
ABB expands support for the Irish automation market 11/04/2023 ABB has opened a new office, offering expanded support for the Irish automation market. Full Story...
New ABB SWIFTI™ industrial cobot 03/04/2023 ABB has launched the SWIFTI™ CRB 1300 industrial collaborative robot, bridging the gap between industrial and collaborative robots. Combining class-leading speed and accuracy with expanded load handling capability of up to 11kg, the SWIFTI CRB 1300 can be used in a wide variety of production and product handling applications – from machine tending and pelletizing to pick-and-place and screwdriving. Full Story...
Cobots: your flexible friend 13/03/2023 Suzanne Gill reports on how cobots are being used in industrial environments. Full Story...
Cement producer achieves multi-site digitalisation 21/02/2023 Global building materials and sustainable solutions company, Votorantim Cimentos has embraced Industry 4.0 to simultaneously optimise production and decarbonise its operations, with the help of ABB. Full Story...
World first virtualised substation protection and control solution? 24/01/2023 ABB is launching what it believes is the first virtualised protection and control solution, with Smart Substation Control and Protection SSC600 SW, which enables users to choose the hardware of their choice and gain access to the same protection and control functionality that they would with an ABB turnkey solution. Full Story...
Envisioning a new future for process control 31/10/2022 The world is changing, and today’s industrial control systems need to change with it. Johan Björklund offers his thoughts on process automation systems of the future and the benefits they will deliver. Full Story...
Cyber security solution simplifies the protection of industrial infrastructure 24/10/2022 ABB has launched ABB Ability Cyber Security Workplace (CSWP) which is said to enhance the protection of critical industrial infrastructure by consolidating both ABB and third-party security solutions into one, all-encompassing digital platform. Full Story...
CERN aims to boost energy efficiency of critical cooling systems 04/07/2022 CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, and ABB have entered into a partnership to identify how to improve the energy efficiency of cooling and ventilation systems used for lab experiments at its site close to Geneva, Switzerland. Full Story...
Variable speed drives save energy on Archimedes’ screws 20/06/2022 Successful trials at three Anglian Water sites prove variable speed drives can cut the energy used by Archimedes’ screws. Full Story...
Book an ABB Energy Snapshot 09/05/2022 Turn the hidden potential in your motor applications into real energy savings with ABB’s free, no obligation Energy Snapshot, giving you all the information you need to make a compelling case for investment in energy efficiency motor and VSD technologies. Full Story...
Reduce Energy Losses by 40% 25/02/2022 ABB’s ultra-high efficiency IE5 SynRM and drive packages can significantly reduce energy losses by up to 40 percent whilst also offering 30°C lower winding temperatures – lowering emissions, saving money and increasing the reliability of your motor-driven applications. SynRM motors are the first choice for improving global energy efficiency. Full Story...
Is it time to switch to non-invasive measurement? 12/10/2021 Thermowells have long been considered the best solution for measuring temperature in industrial applications. Dr. Guruprasad Sosale explains how developments in non-invasive temperature measurement are offering new possibilities for comparable performance while cutting the time, cost and disruption associated with setting up new measurement points. Full Story...
Reality augmented with remote support technologies 24/09/2021 ABB Electrification’s Service business has launched a range of solutions to provide interactive remote support using immersive extended reality. Adapting to today’s rapidly changing world, augmented reality (AR) technology is at the heart of the latest global solutions - ‘CLOSER’ and ‘RAISE’ - from ABB Electrification’s Service offering. Full Story...
Sewage works saves energy on filter bed application 20/09/2021 Variable speed drives, supplied by ABB, have improved energy efficiency, with payback of less than three years, at a sewage treatment works. Full Story...
Braking distance simulator improves safety and reduces robotic cell footprint 28/04/2021 ABB's RobotStudio offline programming and simulation software has been upgraded with a new virtual robot braking distance function that is designed to create an exact simulation of the real-world stopping distance of a robot. Full Story...
ABB joins forces with Nozomi Networks to strengthen cyber security of industrial infrastructure 29/03/2021 ABB and Nozomi Networks Inc. have announced an agreement to jointly address demand for improved Operational Technology (OT) cybersecurity solutions for energy, process and hybrid industries. Full Story...
Delivering efficiencies for 630MW power plant 11/01/2021 Automation technology will provide efficiencies, plant and turbine control benefits, environmental impact improvements, regulatory compliance and greater cyber security capabilities for a power plant in Turkey. Full Story...
Providing SIL3 protection for mine hoist systems 30/12/2020 A safety programmable logic controller (PLC) has enabled a series of mine hoist systems to attain the highest SIL3 functional safety certification. Full Story...
Making process control more flexible 10/11/2020 For decades large-scale automation systems have been at the heart of production line control. Today, driven by changes in consumer demands, an alternative plug and produce modular automation approach is emerging, says Ralf Jeske. Full Story...
Adaptable pressure transmitters 01/09/2020 A new range of pressure transmitters, designed to meet key requirements in most manufacturing and production industries, has been launched by ABB. Full Story...
3D inspection robot system speeds up quality control testing 10/08/2020 Fast and accurate robotic testing is said to enable validation of more batches in much less time for the automotive, aerospace, heavy machinery and construction sectors. Full Story...
Integrated motor drive promises efficiency gains 16/03/2020 ABB’s Baldor-Reliance EC Titanium product line utilises Ferrite Assisted Synchronous Reluctance (FASR) technology with non-rare earth magnet materials to exceed IE5 efficiency requirements. Said to be suitable for constant and variable torque applications, it promises up to 16% efficiency gains when compared to alternative motor designs. Full Story...
Smart sensor technology provides real-time health information for Dodge 04/11/2019 ABB Ability Smart Sensors are providing wireless condition monitoring for Dodge gear reducers to help prevent unexpected downtime and extend equipment life. Full Story...
Predicting when drives need replacing 14/10/2019 ABB has extended the scope of its ABB Ability Digital Powertrain concept, which connects drives, motors, pumps and bearings, with a new Condition-Based Maintenance service option for drives to provide an early warning of any abnormal conditions that might cause a drive to fail prematurely. Full Story...
Starting a sweet revolution in productivity 21/09/2019 Harri Vaara explains how sugar beet processors are increasing productivity and energy efficiency through the use of variable speed drives (VSDs). Full Story...
Control system cuts costs and boosts production for cable maker 27/08/2019 An ABB control system is helping to increase productivity, lower waste and reduce energy costs for UK cable manufacturer. Full Story...
Moving towards Industry 4.0 with a factory full of ageing assets 27/08/2019 Suzanne Gill visits British Salt to find out more about the plant’s Industry 4.0 aspirations. Full Story...
ABB appoints Betech as UK provider for NEMA motors 10/05/2019 Betech is appointed the first UK ABB authorised value provider for low voltage motors covering the North American NEMA standard. Full Story...
Smart Sensor now also monitors pumps 10/06/2018 The ABB Ability Smart Sensor provides data for the predictive maintenance of low voltage motors. In partnership with pump producer, Emile EggerABB has now developed the solution to remotely monitor pumps. Full Story...
Complimentary service protects drive investment from day one 30/05/2018 ABB drives customers now benefit from a complimentary support agreement during the warranty period. Full Story...
Secure datacentre solution at the edge 25/04/2018 ABB, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) and Rittal have introduced the Secure Edge Data Center (SEDC) for industrial and telecommunications environments which enables customers to run enterprise-grade IT in close proximity to their operational technology (OT) environments, machines and equipment to enable low-latency, secure and reliable digital processes. Full Story...
Cyber security services to protect collaborative operations centers 12/03/2018 A series of cyber security services that support the entire infrastructure of an ABB Ability Collaborative Operations Center is available from ABB. Full Story...
Water-cooled megawatt-class motor offers space savings 18/12/2017 ABB’s new water-cooled M3LP 500 motor offers a solution in space constrained applications, not just in the marine environment. Full Story...
Overcoming the barriers to energy efficiency 04/12/2017 The drive towards energy efficiency is not as straightforward as it might appear and it is important to recognise and overcome any barriers to reap the benefits, says Heikki Kervinen. Full Story...
Variable-speed drives gain more fieldbus options 02/02/2016 ABB has introduced a number of features and additional tools that offer variable-speed drives users more options when connecting drives to fieldbus networks. The new features are available on the company’s general purpose drive, the ACS580 and its industrial drive, ACS880. Full Story...
Optical sensing improves dissolved oxygen control 13/08/2015 Developments in dissolved oxygen sensing technology are opening up new possibilities for accurate measurement and energy and maintenance costs savings in aeration processes. Jonathan Penn explains how. Full Story...
When operations and maintenance see eye-to-eye 02/06/2015 Operations and maintenance staff can work more effectively together if they use the same plant data, says Will Leonard, Oil, Gas & Petrochemical UK marketing manager for ABB. Full Story...
IE4 motor efficiency and advanced control technology combined 06/01/2015 The need to balance energy efficiency improvements against process control requirements has been removed with the introduction of synchronous reluctance (SynRM) motor and variable-speed drive (VSD) packages by ABB. Full Story...
Keypad simplifies the use of variable-speed drives 02/12/2014 ABB has launched a keypad with features that are said to make programming and operating variable-speed drives more straightforward and which is a feature of the ACS880 variable-speed drive range. Full Story...
Drive offers better diagnostics and lower downtime 21/10/2014 A range of diagnosis and keypad display features from ABB are said to reduce the time needed to investigate process interruptions in variable-speed drive applications. Full Story...
Motor overcomes reliability challenges 30/09/2014 A company producing extruded PVC-U profiles for double-glazing product applications is using ABB’s synchronous reluctance (SynRM) motor to cut the number of motor failures on two of its main extruders. Full Story...
Growth of Safety Execution Centers demonstrates global demand for safety solutions 19/08/2014 ABB’s global network of Safety Execution Centers (SEC) has grown significantly over the past four years, expanding from ten to 30 centers located in every region and supporting high hazard industrial sectors. Full Story...
New generation motor control platform promises greater speed and torque control 12/08/2014 ABBs direct torque control (DTC) motor control platform, which is used in the company’s variable-speed drives, has been improved to bring higher accuracy in motor speed and torque control, as well as the ability to control more motor types. Full Story...
Boiler contaminants: jeopardising power plant operation 05/08/2014 Optimum positioning of analytical instruments at key points throughout the water and steam cycle and water treatment plant on modern power stations can provide operators with a valuable insight for improving plant efficiency and cost effectiveness. Les Slocombe, of ABB Measurement Products UK, explains the benefits of balanced boiler chemistry and how key contaminants can be kept in check to ensure a safe and efficient process. Full Story...
Tata Steel - energy saving projects 20/05/2014 A plant-wide series of energy saving projects has saved more than 7,400 MWh a year from Tata Steel’s energy use at its Port Talbot steelworks. Altogether 62 ABB variable-speed drives (VSDs) were installed ranging from 15 kW to 200 kW. Full Story...
Safety upgrade for stainless steel rolling mill 15/04/2014 A safety PLC from ABB has provided the platform for Sandvik Materials Technology to add zoned safety guarding to a cold rolling mill at its Sandviken plant in Sweden. The mill has been upgraded a number of times throughout its life – including recent changes that added servomotors, and new machine control using ABB's standard AC500 PLC and touchscreen operator interface panels. Full Story...
Europe-wide drives and motors network 04/04/2014 Andy Love, service channel manager at ABB, explains the rationale behind the company’s new Authorised Value Provider programme and what this initiative means to industry across Europe. Full Story...
Reliable damper testing for Wabtec Rail 18/03/2014 Higher reliability and quieter operation are two benefits to come from fitting an ABB variable-speed drive to a damper tester used in the upgrade and refurbishment of railway equipment by UK-based Wabtec Rail. Full Story...
The cyber security checklist 11/02/2014 Security measures aim to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of an industrial automation and control system (IACS) from being compromised through deliberate or accidental attacks. Paul Gogarty, Cyber Security for Oil & Gas at ABB UK, explains how control system security improvement needs to be a continuous activity. Full Story...
Technical channel network for drives and motors launched 28/01/2014 ABB has announced the amalgamation of its UK variable-speed drives and electric motors networks into a single brand identity, to create a new technical advice, delivery, life cycle services offering. Full Story...
Retrofitted drives cut pump repairs in mining application 17/12/2013 A major producer of energy from coal mine methane (CMM) is aiming to cut its pumping costs by using variable-speed drives (VSDs) to make its process more reliable. The specified VSDs will ensure the pumps are not over stressed, allowing them to last longer. Full Story...
Cutting refrigeration costs with low harmonic drives 10/12/2013 The McCain Food’s plant at Whittlesey, Peterborough, is the UK’s largest chip factory, producing 30 tonnes of frozen chips an hour. The company is using ABB low harmonic variable-speed drives to cut its site load from 7 MW to 6 MW. Full Story...
Regulations and standards - security considerations 03/12/2013 While cyber security for industrial automation and control systems suffers from a lack of solid data on incidents and attacks, there is common agreement that more needs to be done. The picture is made fuzzier by the array of regulations, legislations, directives and guidelines that are being worked on. Paul Gogarty, cyber security, Oil & Gas, ABB UK tries to make things clearer. Full Story...
Safety PLC simplifies safety engineering for control projects 22/10/2013 ABB has launched a new safety PLC that offers flexible programming facilities designed to speed and simplify the development of safe control solutions for complex control applications. Full Story...
Rugged PLC requires less protection 16/10/2013 A new PLC, the AC500-XC from ABB, is protected against a wide variety of threats including high and low temperatures, high humidity, low air pressure, salt mist and hazardous gases, and vibration and shock. Full Story...
Fast pump testing with variable-speed drives 08/10/2013 Flowserve, a provider of fluid motion and control products and services, is using variable-speed drives (VSDs) and motors from ABB for quick and easy testing of its new pump variants at different speeds. Full Story...
Ethernet-based motion control for innovative plastic bag machine 01/10/2013 Based on ABB's Ethernet Powerlink compatible motion control range, two UK-based plastic bag machine support specialists have co-operated to launch a machine offering new levels of programmability and bag production flexibility. Full Story...
Take control of IT to reduce cyber-crime vulnerability 01/10/2013 With the ever-present integration of the Internet into day-to-day aspects of our lives, cyber-attacks are becoming all too common. Organisations need to act now to protect themselves, says Paul Gogarty, Cyber Security, Oil & Gas at ABB UK. Full Story...
Functional safety through the supply chain 11/09/2013 John Walkington and Stuart Nunns argue that process and functional safety management is complicated by the fact that process owners have a duty of care to ensure that everyone in the supply chain is providing equipment and services that comply with safe practice. Full Story...
Packaging manufacturer cuts annual energy costs on baler machine 06/08/2013 A manufacturer of cardboard packing is saving nearly £2,800 a year on electrical energy costs following the installation of an ABB variable-speed drive on its baler machine. Full Story...
Drives eliminate production stoppages for circlip maker 29/07/2013 Variable speed drives have helped a manufacturer of circlips to cut production stoppages – from typically three a week to none – as well as saving £11,000 a year in energy costs. Full Story...
Quick wins blind manufacturers to long term energy savings 12/06/2013 Manufacturers are still looking in the wrong places for energy savings, according to a new energy report sponsored by ABB. Full Story...
Drive and motor help develop marine renewable energy systems 28/05/2013 A medium voltage drive and matched 12-pole motor are providing the motive power for a new test facility for proving marine energy generating systems. Full Story...
Super premium motors offer even greater energy efficiencies 21/05/2013 Suzanne Gill reports on some ‘super premium’ motors, designed with IEC’s IE4 requirements in mind, for those looking for greater energy efficiency today. Full Story...
SEC certification confirms ABB as leader in functional safety 17/05/2013 ABB confirms its position as number one supplier promoting functional safety in oil and gas industry. Full Story...
Energy harvesting technology in action at Tata Steel 14/05/2013 Tata Steel is trialling an ABB thermocouple that is able to generate the energy needed to drive it from the heat in the surrounding process. Combining this energy harvesting technology with wireless communications eliminates the need to run any wires to or from the device. Full Story...
ABB CEO announces his departure 14/05/2013 ABB chief executive officer, Joe Hogan, has announced that he is to leave ABB for private reasons. Full Story...
New catalogue offers complete guide to ABB motion control 30/04/2013 The new ABB motion control catalogue offers a comprehensive guide to ABB’s fully integrated range of motion control products and solutions. Full Story...
IE4 motor and drive package goes into action 30/04/2013 ABB’s IE4 synchronous reluctance motor and drive package (SynRM) has replaced an induction motor-based variable-speed drive package at South Staffs Water in the UK, resulting in an additional 6% energy saving. Full Story...
8 MW high voltage flameproof motor 12/12/2012 A new 8 MW high voltage flameproof motor from ABB offers benefits for the chemical, oil and gas industries, including low vibration levels which increase reliability for an extended lifetime, and reduced maintenance requirements for a lower cost of ownership. Full Story...
Motor efficiency rating reflects motor performance 30/10/2012 The introduction of Minimum Energy Performance Standard (MEPS) has re-focused attention on the energy use of electric motors, but the age-old habit of over specifying motors still persists. If the motor is oversized, efficiency gains achieved by using energy efficient motors are not as relevant, as the motor runs less efficiently at partial load. However, there will soon be a regulation to address this type of wastage too, says Ian Allan of ABB. Full Story...
Drive helps improve mixing capabilities for biscuit manufacturer 09/10/2012 A UK-based biscuit manufacturer has succeeded in improving the quality of its products and potentially reducing the amount of wastage caused by the use of aging slip-ring motors. It has also improved its ability to develop new products, following the installation of a new drive on one of its dough mixers. Full Story...
Drives offer energy savings in extraction system application 28/08/2012 A UK-based galvanising company is hoping to save over £10,000 a year in electrical energy costs while also cutting CO2 by 60 tonnes a year, following the installation of a standard drive on its fume extraction system. Full Story...
ABB survey reveals attitudes to instrumentation 22/08/2012 A survey by ABB into the use of process instrumentation has produced a snapshot of how process instrumentation users employ their instruments, as well as their thoughts on the use of intelligent instrument and their attitudes to upgrading and investing in their control systems. Full Story...
Steel maker set to save on pumping energy costs 14/08/2012 A specialist UK-based steel manufacturer looks set to save around £68,000 a year on energy costs of its pumping applications following the installation of five industrial drives. Full Story...
Gauge your performance against the best in the industry with ABB’s new online survey 09/08/2012 Full Story...
Making wireless instruments self-sufficient 10/07/2012 Suzanne Gill reports on a recent development in energy harvesting technology, which looks set to pave the way for the first generation of truly autonomous wireless instrumentation. Full Story...
Carbon capture pilot plant unveiled at Imperial College 19/06/2012 Students at Imperial College, London recently took control of a £2 million carbon capture pilot plant which is believed to be the most sophisticated of its kind in an academic institution in the world. The pilot plant demonstrates how CO2 emissions can be captured by a power plant, which will enable students to learn the principles that can be applied in a range of industrial settings, including petrochemical plants. Full Story...
Driving forward with fieldbus 10/04/2012 Steve Malpass, principal applications engineer at ABB Limited, explains how the trend towards the provision of enhanced fieldbus capabilities is allowing more useful data to be collected from drives to provide energy management information as well as offering a greater insight into process performance. Full Story...
Plant-wide drives save £100,000 annually for Ricoh 13/03/2012 Variable speed drives supplied by ABB are saving office equipment manufacturer, Ricoh, over £100,000 per annum on energy costs at its UK-based production plant which manufacturers colour imaging technology as well as undertaking the processes of machine recycling, toner production, injection and blow moulding. Full Story...
ABB set to acquire Thomas & Betts 31/01/2012 With the aim of increasing its share of the North American low-voltage products market, ABB has announced that it is to acquire Thomas & Betts. Full Story...
IE3 motors promise impressive energy savings for odour control facility 20/12/2011 High-efficiency, IE3 class motors look set to save a UK-based pet food manufacturer around £26,000 per year on energy costs for a new odour control facility. Full Story...
ABB retains leading distributed control system market share worldwide for 2010 01/11/2011 An ARC study into DCS states that new projects in heavy process industries, power generation contributed to overall market growth. Full Story...
ABB to conduct major electrical service of Transocean drillship 06/10/2011 ABB has won an order from Transocean Nigeria to conduct a major service of the electrical generation sets on its 46,000 ton drillship GSF Jack Ryan. Full Story...
ABB secures major contract with Spirax Sarco 19/09/2011 ABB has secured its single largest UK OEM account to date for ABB PLC and HMI products following the signing of a two-year agreement with Spirax Sarco. Full Story...
ABB aids particle research at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory 26/07/2011 An ABB controller is helping cutting edge research into high energy physics at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL), in Oxfordshire. Full Story...
Reducing drive harmonics: a look at the options 28/06/2011 Nick Brown, of ABB Ltd, explains the different options for reducing harmonics caused by AC drives. Full Story...
ABB introduces UK’s largest Energy Appraisal Team 31/03/2011 ABB has launched a 50-person Energy Appraisal Team that can provide industry and commerce, within half-a-day, an analysis of the energy saving potential within a plant’s motor-driven applications. Full Story...
ABB completes testing facilities for oil and gas drive systems 15/02/2011 ABB has completed its electromechanical equipment test facilities at CESI’s headquarters in Milan, Italy. The facilities will be used to test the load capacity and reliability of large motors and medium voltage drives used in a range of oil and gas applications, from offshore platforms to remote production sites. Full Story...
Cabinet designed crane drive lifts productivity and safety 08/02/2011 A compact AC drive with built-in crane control functions has been introduced by ABB for side-by-side installation within crane cabinets. Full Story...
ABB drives cut costs for dryer users 10/01/2011 Operational and capital costs are significantly reduced following the installation of ABB variable speed drives (VSDs) by drying machinery maker, Simon Dryers.Full story Full Story...
ABB to acquire Baldor Electric Company 30/11/2010 In a bid to become a global leader in industrial motion ABB has announced that it is to acquire Baldor. Full Story...
ATG joins ABB’s System Integrator partner programme 15/11/2010 Automation specialist, ATG, now has access to the ABB industrial drives portfolio, having joined the ABB System Integrator partner program. Full Story...
Campaign aims to make motor management manageable in the UK 11/11/2010 ABB, is launching a scheme in the UK to encourage the process industry to take a closer look at the true cost of running electric motors. Research by the company has revealed that industry is failing to efficiently manage its motor inventory, thereby incurring millions of pounds of unnecessary downtime, repair and energy costs. Full Story...
ABB drives cut £25,000 off energy costs 09/11/2010 Over £25,000 of energy costs per year are being saved by an asphalt production plant following the fitting of ABB variable speed drives. Read more Full Story...
Efficiency confusion 26/10/2010 New international standards for measuring and categorising efficiency of low voltage motors are now in place. Steve Ruddell, division manager of discrete automation and motion at ABB, argues for more clarity in the marketplace. Full Story...
More drives save Leixlip Water Treatment Works €500,000 a year 18/10/2010 The Leixlip Water Treatment Works in Co. Kildare is the second largest water treatment facility in Ireland. With a capacity of 175,000 m3 a day, it supplies over 30% of the drinking water requirements of the Greater Dublin Region. Full Story...
ABB tool demonstrates the power of variable speed drives 14/09/2010 ABB is promoting energy efficiency with a simple tool its says can demonstrate potential energy savings. The company’s slide rule demonstrates the savings that can be made when a direct-on-line motor is replaced by variable speed drive control. Full Story...
Trelleborg overhauls energy inefficient hydraulic power packs 10/08/2010 An aerospace manufacturer claims to have cut its energy bill by £12,000 (€14,000) after implementing ABB variable speed drives. Trelleborg Sealing Solutions has designed the drives into hydraulic systems at its Burton-on-Trent, UK plant. Full Story...
Power plant produces more electricity using variable speed drives 12/07/2010 A Swedish energy company has increased the amount of energy it can sell by 35 GWh/year thanks to the installation of medium voltage drives. Full Story...
ABB swappage scheme aids ISO14001 compliance 08/07/2010 The new ABB swappage scheme is supported by a recycling programme that this year recycled 13 tonnes of waste variable speed drives, recovering over 90 per cent of their component materials by weight. The ABB swappage scheme offers at least 17.5 per cent off the list price of a new ABB drive and will swap out incumbent drives from any manufacturer. Read more Full Story...
ABB drives cut £18,000 recurring costs 22/06/2010 ABB drives have cut the need for a manufacturer of specialist chemicals to replace gears on its product kiln, saving £18,000 each time. Thermphos UK Ltd. is a manufacturer of special chemicals used in a wide range of applications, including pharmaceuticals, hygiene, industrial cleaning, household cleaning, food additives and feed additives. Read more Full Story...
ABB launches drives and motors swappage scheme by offering to pay your VAT 27/05/2010 ABB launches its drives and motors swappage scheme, allowing companies to trade in their old products from any manufacturer for new ABB drives and motors. Read more Full Story...
ABB first for IECEx 29/03/2010 ABB is the first motor manufacturer in the world to be granted a license to use the IECEx Conformity Mark which allows ABB to display the IECEx Conformity Mark on products covered by an IECEx Certificate of Conformity, as well as on packaging and promotional materials. Read More Full Story...
Major UK System Integrator becomes an ABB partner 02/03/2010 ABB has signed a system integrator agreement with MacDonald Humfrey Automation (MHA), one of the UK’s largest privately owned system integrators. Read more Full Story...
Ginsters cuts costs at Cornish bakery 12/11/2009 Ginsters is saving approximately 17 per cent a year on its chilled water energy bill at its Callington bakery in Cornwall, UK. The food manufacturer cut its costs after installing eight ABB standard drives for its chiller pumps. Full Story...
ABB guide tackles Machinery Directive 22/10/2009 ABB is addressing the new EU Machinery Directive with the publication of a guide to functional safety for machine builders. The guide, which is available as a PDF, explains the practical steps required for compliance and describes the applicable standards, background and theory. Full Story...
Driving efficiency 15/10/2009 Once a valuable tool for dynamic process control, variable speed drives are increasingly being seen as a means to energy saving. Anna Mitchell talks to ABB’s Steve Ruddell about the industry’s changing attitudes. Full Story...
ABB bolsters UK and Ireland service network 14/07/2009 ABB has added four locations to its network of Ex motor repair workshops throughout the UK and Ireland. Workshops in Sittingbourne, Hertfordshire, Cookstown and Dublin join Central Electrical in Liverpool as certified ABB Motor Service Partners. Full Story...
ABB’s ‘next generation’ of industrial drives 05/05/2009 ABB’s drive module ACS850 was introduced at the SPS/IPC/Drives show in Nuremberg, and exhibited at Hannover Messe this year. It features a built-in energy saving calculator, embedded Modbus and drive-to-drive link, intelligent user interface with a series of assistant wizards, integrated safety functions, modular hardware and software, and a removable memory unit. Full Story...
Oil at $40 per barrel? Not for long 13/04/2009 The steep decline in oil prices may have sent sighs of relief through Europe, especially among those who drive automobiles. But most of us who know something about manufacturing know that this price level won’t last for long. Full Story...
ABB standard drive family becomes first to hit one million units 03/03/2009 The one millionth ABB standard drive has rolled off the production line, marking a historic milestone as the first of an ABB drive range to hit this significant figure. Full Story...
Kemsley mill boosts efficiency 26/02/2009 St Regis Paper Co. has overhauled automation and production equipment at its Kemsley Mill in Kent, UK. ABB will be involved in the project after it won the upgrade contract that included automating a new stock preparation plant that feeds recycled fibre to the mill’s PM6. Full Story...
McKechnie energy drive 25/02/2009 McKechnie Automotive and Engineered Plastics, a manufacturer of engineered plastic assemblies, embarked on a drive to save energy at its Pickering, North Yorkshire, plant, turning its attention on an inefficient injection moulding machine. Full Story...
OPC targets pharmaceutical industry 20/02/2009 The OPC Foundation has released the draft Analyzer Devices Integration (ADI) Specification, providing the pharmaceutical industry with a common method for data exchange for analyser data models for process and laboratory analysers. The specification was developed as a logical extension of the OPC UA specifications and serves as an information model for analyser devices. Full Story...
UK manufacturing show: industry giants take the stage 17/02/2009 The Advanced Manufacturing Shows in Birmingham, UK have added a seminar line-up to their repertoire, boasting speakers from ABB, Emerson, Honeywell, Siemens and Yokogawa. Speakers at the March 25 and 26 show, held at the NEC, will take the stage in the Industrial Networking Theatre. Full Story...
ABB’s new ProcessMaster calculator 06/02/2009 Find out how you could make your process more efficient by using ABB’s new online ProcessMaster calculator. Full Story...
Paper plant ups productivity, cuts errors 12/01/2009 St. Regis Paper boosted production 17 per cent and cut errors by 63 per cent at a UK mill after implementing a new process control solution, according to the solution provider, ABB. The production increase at the Wansbrough site was achieved without increasing machine speed. Full Story...
Dedicated crane control program 06/01/2009 Crane control software that brings increased safety, reliability and improved performance to industrial, harbour and tower cranes has been developed by ABB for use with its variable speed drives. Full Story...
MTEC pushes for common wireless standard 23/12/2008 Speakers at MTEC will propel the industry towards a common wireless standard, according to Canon Communications, which has organised an education programme titled ‘Wireless Solutions for Automation. The event, to be held on March 25, 2009, will feature speakers from ABB Instrumentation, Emerson Process Control, Honeywell, Siemens and Yokogawa. Full Story...
ABB revamps 22-year old excavator at LaFarge Cement in Germany 12/12/2008 An energy-efficient ABB drive system was put into place to reduce the machine’s operating costs by 15 per cent and at the same time, it substantially extends the equipment service life Full Story...
Lafarge cements reliability with drives 24/11/2008 UK cement manufacturer, Lafarge Cement has boosted reliability of its cement kiln pre-heater fans with ABB drives. The two 1.8MW drives were installed at the company’s Hope, UK plant which produced 1.2 million tonnes of cement a year. Full Story...
Wireless under discussion as Frost & Sullivan announce workshop 24/11/2008 Frost & Sullivan will host a one-day event on the Adoption of Wireless in Industrial Automation to discuss the latest trends in the industry. The workshop will be held on February 5, 2009 at the Moevenpick Hotel, Frankfurt, Germany. Full Story...
FDI achievement result of co-operation with process control suppliers 14/11/2008 The FDI (Field Device Integration) team has completed the draft architecture and inventory of use case analysis, describing the achievements as a milestone. The Steering Committee of the EDDL Co-operation Team has worked closely with the FDT Group to advance a common solution for field device integration. Full Story...
OPC Foundation to release analyser devices integration draft specification 22/10/2008 OPC Foundation members representing process analytical technology (PAT) and laboratory industries are extending OPC UA capabilities to enable multivendor interoperability for analyser devices. Progress has been made on the goals of a common method for data exchange, and a data model for process and laboratory analysers. OPC Foundation says it will release the OPC Analyser Devices Integration (ADI) draft specification for review in December 2008. Full Story...
ABB, Eskom shore up South Africa's electricity network 25/09/2008 ABB and Eskom have signed an agreement, worth $75 million, which covers the supply and installation of ABB circuit breakers to the South African national electricity provider. Full Story...
ABB first with Ex motor repair shop certification 24/09/2008 ABB has become the first manufacturer in the world to receive certification for its qualification programme of service facilities for hazardous area motors. Full Story...
ABB thermowells head for Nigeria 24/09/2008 Shell Oil is measuring process temperatures on its Bonny Island refinery in Nigeria with products from the UK. Full Story...
PolymerLatex cuts maintenance costs 16/09/2008 UK Polymer producer PolymerLatex says it has cut maintenance costs by 10 per cent. Full Story...
Upgrading Control: Migration or Evolution? 12/09/2008 When a process control platform needs upgrading, the answer can be an incremental change, a system-wide rip and replace, or anything in between. Users have more options than ever. Full Story...
Messier Dowty keeps instruments in check 04/09/2008 Messier Dowty has ordered instrumentation from ABB for five new ovens at its Staverton, UK site. Used in the production of aircraft landing gear the ovens will be fitted with temperature controllers and videographic data recorders, amongst other instruments. Full Story...
Guide from ABB tackles PPC regulations 02/09/2008 An application fact file covering pH measurement in the dairy industry has been released by ABB covering a real-life example of a dairy plant. The guide is designed to help the monitoring of wastewater prior to discharge. Full Story...
Standardisation of temperature transmitters 19/08/2008 Following the installation of an ABB TTF3000 temperature transmitter more than a year ago, Rugby cement has decided to use the products as standard throughout its Warwickshire, UK based plant. Full Story...
Free Instant Guide provides starting step for improved energy management 19/08/2008 Companies facing spiralling energy bills can now take advantage of ABB’s latest Instant Guide. Full Story...
ABB’s IndustrialIT System 800xA sales exceed 4,000 since introduction 18/08/2008 Extended automation provides integration foundation to improve productivity Full Story...
Fieldbus Foundation: Better Device Descriptions, Device Coupler Test Spec, board member 08/08/2008 Fieldbus Foundation has streamlined fieldbus development for device and system suppliers by enhancing its Device Descriptions (DD). In separate announcements, the organisation released the final Device Coupler Test Specification and named a DuPont executive to its board. Full Story...
ABB scoops Swiss power order 06/08/2008 Kraftwerke Linth-Limmern AG (KLL) has shored up regional power supplies with refurbishment and expansion at its Tierfehd hydro power plant in Switzerland. The expansion included a $31 million (€20 million) order from ABB, incorporating two turnkey substations and auxiliary power equipment. Full Story...
MP to speak at industry awards 06/08/2008 Ian Pearson MP will be the keynote speaker at the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s (IET) award ceremony. On November 3, 2008 the institution will celebrate products, technologies and processes at its Innovation Awards in London, UK. Full Story...
Fieldbus heads for Wembley 04/08/2008 Fieldbus Foundation is to host its next UK roadshow at Wembley Stadium, London, UK, following similar events in Reading, Manchester and Middlesbrough. Presentations and practical demonstrations will aim to demonstrate how Foundation fieldbus technology can be used as part of a single plant-wide solution. Full Story...
ABB scoops Indian smelter contract 30/07/2008 Automation and electrical systems, worth $113 million (€72 million) and described as ‘the backbone’ of an Indian smelter plant, will be supplied by ABB. Vedanta Aluminium has made the purchase as part of a greenfield expansion of an aluminium smelter plant in Jharsuguda, in the eastern state of Orissa. Full Story...
ABB to acquire US transformer company 21/07/2008 ABB hopes to expand it power products portfolio in the Americas with the acquisition of a US transformer company. Kuhlman Electric Corporation will be bought, for an undisclosed amount from The Carlyle Group. Full Story...
Application case study: Upgrading flowmeter stabilises control of process slurry flow 18/07/2008 Replacing a faulty magmeter with new advanced design helped eliminate erratic flow signals, resulting in improved control of catalyst slurry flow. Full Story...
ABB shares Functional Safety expertise with release of new guide 14/07/2008 A new guide explaining all you need to know about Functional Safety is now available from ABB. Full Story...
ABB scoops Turkish steel contract 14/07/2008 ABB will provide power systems equipment to a Turkish steel plant in a deal worth $28 million (€18 million). The power and automation specialist was chosen by MMK-ATAKAS, a joint partnership between Turkey’s Atakas Metallurgy and Port Management and Russian company, Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK), to ensure a reliable power supply for the plant. Full Story...
ABB commissions gearless mill drive system at Peru’s largest gold mine 09/06/2008 ABB announced it has successfully completed commissioning of a 16.5 MW gearless mill drive (GMD) system for a SAG (semiautogenous) mill at Minera Yanacocha. The mine, located in Cajamarca, Peru, is the largest gold producer in Latin America. Full Story...
RAC drafts in ABB to ease information access 21/05/2008 RAC Autowindscreens has simplified access to production information with a videographic recorder from ABB. At its Chesterfield, UK factory, the SM1000, with batch functionality, has eliminated the need for RAC to sift through paper charts. Full Story...
Wireless: Bluetooth vs. Bluetooth 25/04/2008 Most industrial applications require more than a standard Bluetooth wireless solution concerning robustness, optimised performance and enhanced reliability. Further, the implementation should be flexible enough to configure for a specific application by optimising throughput, latency, power consumption, range, or a combination. Full Story...
Kiln of the Castle 23/04/2008 Birmingham headquartered Castle Cement has brought ‘kiln 4’, at its Padeswood works in north Wales, into operation with speed control from ABB industrial drives. The drives and control specialist has installed two, 300 kW drives in master-follower arrangement. Full Story...
Glenfiddich measures up for energy cuts 15/04/2008 ABB has supplied eleven swirl meters in a bid to cut energy consumption at a Scottish whisky distillery. To achieve the savings William Grant required accurate data on current levels of steam consumption at its Glenfiddich distillery in Dufftown, Scotland. Full Story...
ABB signs Motion Control Products 05/03/2008 Motion Control Products is targeting machine builders following the signing of a deal that saw it become the first national distributor of the new ABB machinery drive. Full Story...
Trends: The ever-shrinking ac drive 01/09/2007 The attitude of end users towards ac drives has shifted over the past ten years. Today they want drives that are simple to buy, install, start-up, commission, and to own and run. Full Story...
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