Control System World

Rockwell Automation has introduced a HART-enabled Allen-Bradley FLEX I/O-XT module, an industrially hardened I/O platform that helps OEMs and end users reduce wiring, installation time and enclosure costs.  As industrial applications continue to move into remote locations of the world, the market requires specially designed control equipment to survive extreme environments. The new HART-enabled I/O modules access data from smart field devices that were previously isolated in harsh environments, helping feed performance data into asset management software for a more holistic view of operations and maintenance needs.

“FLEX I/O modules remain one of the top selling distributed I/O platforms today,” said Chan Wai, product manager, Rockwell Automation. “The HART-enabled FLEX I/O-XT module further strengthens our portfolio, and is an ideal fit for the Integrated Architecture and PlantPAx applications from Rockwell Automation with extreme environments.”

The FLEX I/O-XT modules are conformally coated to protect against corrosives, dust, gases, salt, condensation, humidity and fungal growth. This industrial hardening eliminates the need for an enclosure, and the additional installation and energy costs associated with auxiliary heating and cooling systems.

The industrial coating to protect from airborne pollutants and moisture, paired with a minus 20 C to 70 C (minus 4 F to 185 F) temperature range, make the FLEX I/O-XT modules ideal for environmentally demanding environments, including energy and power generation, water/wastewater and on-ship applications.

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Join the OPC Foundation for OPC Day Europe 2015 on May 19-20, 2015 hosted by Microsoft Paris, France.

This OPC Day conference will be held at the Microsoft Conference Center, Le Campus in Paris. Click the Location tab above for more information. The conference will feature OPC Unified Architecture experts and users from a number of industries. Catering will be included during the conference sessions.

For those who are new to OPC Unified Architecture (UA), there will be a Pre-Conference on Tuesday morning which will cover the basics of the technology, a look at security and how to get started with OPC UA. The Main Conference will begin with Registration and Welcome remarks on Tuesday afternoon followed by a networking reception with the speakers and the exhibitors on Tuesday evening. The Conference finishes on Wednesday afternoon. This event is open to both OPC Foundation members and non-members.

Benefits of attending:

This conference will focus on the rich feature set of OPC UA and the unique ways that End Users are putting these features to use in their applications. By attending this conference you will:

• Hear how Microsoft is positioning Azure with OPC UA extensions
• Learn how OPC UA fits into the Internet of Things and Industry 4.0
• Hear why end-users are requiring vendors to build OPC UA into their products,
• Learn how active collaborations with other industry organizations are working to revolutionize the transformation of data, providing an infrastructure for the modeling of information
• Network with industry experts and peers

Register

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National Instruments, the provider of platform-based systems that enable engineers and scientists to solve the world’s greatest engineering challenges, today announced its acquisition of BEEcube, a technology innovator and leading supplier of high-performance FPGA prototyping and deployment products for advanced wireless research, wireless infrastructure and military/defense applications.

“As the Internet of Things (IoT) drives greater demand for data and an increasing number of connected devices, NI is excited to be at the forefront of research and prototyping tools for next-generation 5G wireless technology,” said Charles Schroeder, NI director of RF communications. “NI and BEEcube share a common philosophy and vision of platform-based design, and we believe the combination of the two companies will strengthen our leadership position as 5G progresses toward commercialization.”

Chen Chang, BEEcube’s founder and CEO, added, “For many years, BEEcube has been at the forefront of technology innovation in telecommunications applications. By joining NI, we will have the resources to continue to drive 5G research and provide our customers solutions which enable infrastructure deployment on a global scale.”

BEEcube will operate as a wholly-owned NI subsidiary under the leadership of Chang and continue to sell and support its products under the BEEcube brand through its direct and distributor channels. The BEEcube acquisition is not material to National Instruments consolidated financial statements.

The Model 5700 transmitter delivers the best in measurement technology and offers unparalleled support -- providing you with total measurement confidence, valuable process insight and improved productivity through simplified solutions.

With the 5700, you are no longer confined to one variable. You can now get mass flow, volume, temperature, concentration and density data – through one, easy-to-use interface. This intuitive design was based upon Emerson’s Human Centered Design discipline. The basic premise is to “Design for Purpose,” with users in mind so that our products meet our customers’ needs. Using this approach, Micro Motion engineered a graphical user interface that allows for intuitive operation, with simplified installation, configuration, maintenance and troubleshooting.

• Some other benefits to the 5700 include:
• Time-stamped history files for process and meter health data – logs for alarms and configuration changes
• Fastest flow response time available
• Suitable with most hazardous area installation practices
• Includes options for analog, pulse, discrete and Modbus outputs and an analog or HART input
• Compatible with Micro Motion ELITE Coriolis sensors (new and previously installed)

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Schneider Electric, a global specialist in energy management, has released an updated version of its market-leading Wonderware® Recipe Manager Plus software. Designed specifically for food and beverage and any other batch manufacturer, the new software will speed up and optimize how new recipes and recipe variations are adopted and how new products are brought to market.

“Because it is designed as a client/server web application with a central data repository for standardizing recipe management operations across the business, Wonderware Recipe Manager Plus software simplifies the process of taking new products to market,” said Dirk Kozian, batch software product manager, Schneider Electric. “We believe adopting this unique approach to recipe management reduces engineering and implementation costs by up to 40 percent compared to bespoke recipe management solutions. And when rolled out as a company standard, we believe it can reduce new product time to market anywhere from 20 to 40 percent, depending on the industry.”

Wonderware Recipe Manager Plus provides easy-to-use recipe formula management in a secure, webbased client/server environment. Flexible integration and connectivity enables formula parameter download to any automation system, making it easier to manage more product variations and streamline the process of introducing new products. It is control and automation system independent so it can be used on any automated production and packaging equipment, and it integrates seamlessly with existing automation systems, helping to unify and standardize the user experience and recipe data management.

The software is accessible through a web-based, secure, platform-neutral user interface on any computer, HMI workstation, operator panel or mobile device with an HTML5 compatible browser. It provides formula management, procedure management and execution functionality, as well as a rich user interface for all related recipe management, execution and system administration tasks, which improves the time to value for the investment. Role-based security, automatic item versioning, approvals, automatic change and execution history records and report views provide deep governance to ensure and document consistent product quality.

Rockwell Automation has added a new custom-device plug-in capability to its FactoryTalk AssetCentre v6.0 asset-management software. System integrators can now develop re-usable plug-ins to connect the software to unlimited third-party devices. For manufacturers, this connectivity expands monitoring, backup and recovery capabilities for their critical automation-related assets.

FactoryTalk AssetCentre software is an asset-management tool that allows manufacturers and industrial operators to centrally manage controllers and other automation-related assets. It archives asset configurations on a regularly scheduled basis, tracking changes and providing a point of return for faster recovery following an unscheduled downtime event. Archived asset configurations can also be saved and used as a “golden copy” configuration, allowing customers to pinpoint exactly what should be running in their automation layer and compare it with what is actually running.

“The FactoryTalk AssetCentre software now provides extensive access to equipment across an entire automation system,” said Mohit Singhai, product manager for Rockwell Automation. “Additionally, plug-in definitions created for one third-party device can be re-used with other devices or even in other automated industrial systems to help speed up commissioning and deployment.”

The software also archives user actions and changes. This allows operators or technicians to audit any changes that have been made to more easily identify a problem’s root cause, such as when a temporary code fix to keep a line running leads to an unanticipated downstream issue. Regular comparison reports can also inform operators of any discrepancies that might be occurring between an asset’s last saved configuration and its current parameters.

FactoryTalk AssetCentre software provides configurable levels of security. Administrators can establish role-based data access and activity limitations, and monitor individual user activities.

In addition to the new custom-device, plug-in capability included in the v6.0 software release, independent agent-group functionality has also been added. It allows users to place interrelated programs or agents into groups and then independently configure each agent group as needed, which allows for more scalable and flexible architectures.

ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has won an order worth over $160 million from Eskom, South Africa's national electricity provider, to supply control systems,software and instrumentation for the 4,800 megawatt (MW) Kusile coal-fired power station under construction near Witbank in the country’s north east.

Kusile will be the fourth largest coal-fired power station in the world and will help boost South Africa’s capacity. It’s among a new generation of high-pressure, high-temperature power installations, also known as supercritical, whose efficiency surpasses that of conventional coal-fired power plants, producing lower emissions and reducing fuel costs.

Kusile will be the first in Africa to use wet flue gas desulphurization technology in all its plant boilers. Eskom, which generates more than 90 percent of its electricity from coal-fired stations, is installing state-of-the-art clean coal technology in one of its largest plants to help ensure a long term, reliable source of baseload electricity for the region.

ABB is supplying a complete control and instrumentation solution for the entire plant, including boiler protection and plant simulator, engineering, installation, commissioning, optimization and training. ABB is a leader in providing automation and software for advanced clean coal power plants, including supercritical installations like Kusile.

The project further strengthens ABB’s leading position as a provider of advanced automation and software solutions to electricity utilities globally and in the Southern African region, with systems already installed in South Africa, Lesotho, Malawi, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

“ABB’s state-of-the-art energy efficient technology solutions will help boost power supplies and bring reliable power supply to consumers” said Claudio Facchin, president of ABB Power Systems division. ”We are pleased to continue with our contribution to the development of South Africa’s power infrastructure through our power, automation and software capabilities.”

ABB power plant automation and software ensure more effective plant operations, providing greater awareness and enabling faster response and better decisions that improve plant availability and efficiency.

These guaranteed-for-life CAT5e/6/6A cables from Black Box give you three levels of security, depending on the locking pin option you choose.

1. Red: Locked. Prevent unauthorized access and tampering. Requires a tool to unlock.

2. Green: Secured. Prevent accidental port disconnects. Manual pin removal.

3. No Pin: No tools required. Protected. Patented hard-polymer boot protects the connector and cable.

Secure network ports—only when you need to:

Use these high-performance cables for all your network applications and connections, including CAT6A F/UTP, CAT6 UTP and S/FTP, and CAT5e UTP and F/UTP. Then when you need to secure network ports, you can in seconds. Just slip an optional Locking Pin into the tab on the patented LockPORT™ boot. Choose from two Locking Pin options. The red pin can only be released with the Removal Tool. The green pin is released by squeezing the butterfly tabs.

Protect mission-critical network ports from unauthorized access and removal.  Prevent accidental disconnects and downtime, particularly in industrial and manufacturing applications.  These cables offer easy Layer 1 security for many environments including healthcare, education, finance, government, transportation, retail, and more.

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