As of October 3rd, HMS Industrial Networks will offer the Netbiter Remote Management solution under the newly acquired brand name eWON®. Alongside eWON Cosy and Flexy, Netbiter will be one of the three main product lines within the eWON Remote Solutions offering. Further to the rebranding, all the elements of Netbiter (gateways, Argos cloud service…
New Micro PLC Performs Like a PAC
IDEC Corporation announces the release of its FC6A MicroSmart, a powerful PLC with up to 520 I/O. The MicroSmart PLC provides the power of a PAC (programmable automation controller) in a low-cost controller with a small form factor, making it an ideal fit for demanding applications. Industries particularly well suited to the MicroSmart PLC include…
Opto 22 Releases PAC Project Automation Software v9.5
Enhanced software suite includes IIoT integration through a RESTful API to controller tags and I/O—an automation and controls industry first Industrial automation manufacturer Opto 22 has announced immediate availability of version 9.5 of PAC Project™, a Microsoft® Windows®-based integrated software development suite for industrial automation, process control, remote monitoring, and Internet of Things applications. The…
Control system makes MEMS coating process a SNAP
Reducing MEMS wear and stiction requires controlling the topography and chemical composition of MEMS contacting surfaces during manufacturing. But reducing wear and stiction isn’t just about the type of coating used; it’s also about the process. As MEMS become smaller, it’s increasingly difficult to apply a complete coating to the entire surface of these mechanical…
HMI boosts production on blown film lines
When a multi-national blown film company sought to gain trackable improvements at its plant, they needed a key upgrade: an extrusion system with more flexible temperature control zones, real-time monitoring and adjustment of all machine conditions, and greater ease of use for system operators. The company looked to Massachusetts-based Hosokawa Alpine American. Alpine, a supplier…
Energy efficient signal conditioner saves space
Modern factories need to monitor a range of parameters requiring a high number of signal conditioners. All factories need to be more efficient and save costs by conserving energy and space wherever possible. Control cabinets located on a factory floor house many types of equipment typically mounted on a DIN rail inside the cabinet. Equipment…
Applying Industrial Ethernet
Tips and techniques that will help you set up and maintain an industrial Ethernet network. Industrial Ethernet is used to connect devices such as PLCs, local and distributed I/O, servo controllers and drives on the plant floor and in industrial facilities. In this capacity, it links many pieces of hardware—and has many cables, connections and…
Leak Testing Just Got Easier
EtherNet/IP™ is now a standard selectable communication option for CTS Sentinel I28, C28, and Blackbelt instruments that will reduce integration costs using standardized CIP™ programing. For CTS, EtherNet/IP provides the capability to control, configure, send, and receive messages between CTS Sentinel test instruments and Allen-Bradley PLC’s. EtherNet/IP is a Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) utilizing an…
Everything is really in the drive
For almost two decades, Dunkermotoren has pioneered brushless DC motors with fully integrated control electronics at a power range up to 550 W. With the BG 75 DMC (Direct Mains Connection), Dunkermotoren has succeeded in making an external power supply unnecessary by incorporating it into the motor housing. The 550W BG 75 DMC contains the…
Industrial IoT gateway for Cloud applications
The UNO-1252G industrial computer acts as a gateway for industrial applications. As small as a micro-sized PLC, it is 10 cm high and DIN-rail mountable. It comes with a low power Intel Quark processor that only uses 10 W but is powerful enough to perform data transmission and sensing in IoT gateway applications. Gateway computers…
Smart motors feature Ethernet/IP
The Class 6 Ethernet/IP SmartMotor is available in standard servo and hybrid versions. In addition to standard features, the Ethernet/IP version easily integrates as a position controller device for: access to SmartMotor commands and parameters improved uptime and optional redundant cabling through device level ring (DLR) simplified, modular programming through Add On Instructions (AOI) Additionally,…
AMCI Adds Sales Rep to Florida & Georgia
Automation Support Group is now representing Advanced Micro Controls Inc (AMCI) in Florida and Georgia. AMCI has realized growth in Florida and Georgia, and recently added sales representation to better service the expanding market. AMCI’s local sales representatives have a deep knowledge base of AMCI products, and provide assistance with product selection and support. AMCI…
PLC controls vertical wind tunnel, simulating freefall
Jumping out of a perfectly good airplane is foolhardy to some, but for others it’s the thrill of a lifetime. SkyVenture of Austin, Texas, re-creates the experience without ever boarding a plane. But providing a safe and realistic freefall simulation on the ground comes with challenges. SkyVenture built the first vertical wind tunnel with wall-to-wall…
Connecting the Factory Floor to the Cloud
Perhaps one of the biggest roadblocks related to the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is the inability to easily move manufacturing data into enterprise applications for analysis. In an effort to overcome that hurdle, Kepware Technologies, a maker of industrial communication software, has released a gateway that pushes data coming from it’s KEPServerEX communication platform…
Controller enables IoT connectivity
The VersaGateway controller is an enhanced communications controller for translating between various protocols and enabling Cloud Communications with the Divelbiss VersaCloud M2M platform. Programmed using the EZ Ladder Toolkit in Ladder Diagram, Function Block and Structured Text, and based on P-Series PLC on a Chip technology, the controller delivers flexibility when translating between different serial…
Automation of measuring and testing machines in one step
National Instruments and Bosch Rexroth have introduced a perfectly matched control and drive solution at this year’s NIWeek conference. The advantages of the control hardware CompactRIO and the programming environment LabVIEW are combined with dynamic servo technology. Rexroth’s pre-configured drive systems for measuring and testing machines cover a wide range of services and shorten the…
Add-On Instructions expedites and simplify the integration of Unidrive M with a variety of PLCs
Emerson industrial Automation has led the energy efficiency market for many years and aims to provide ever more effective and cost effective solutions. This initial Add-On Instruction (AOI) offering makes it easy to integrate Unidrive M with Allen-Bradley CompactLogixTM and ControlLogixTM PLCs. An open and editable file, the Unidrive M AOI integrates easily into the…
Renishaw Inc. appoints MillenniTEK as U.S. reseller of vacuum casting systems and consumables
Renishaw Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Renishaw plc, has appointed MillenniTEK of Knoxville, Tennessee, as its reselling partner for vacuum casting consumables and systems in the U.S. MillenniTEK will offer the full range of Renishaw vacuum casting systems, material and consumables along with service and installation. “MillenniTEK’s expertise in the manufacture of high-quality, high-tolerance ceramic…
Integration with SNAP PAC control systems from Opto 22
Industrial automation manufacturer Opto 22 has announced its new .NET Controller Software Development Kit (SDK) for writing custom Microsoft Windows software applications that communicate directly with Opto 22 SNAP PAC controllers. This new SDK is well suited for machine builders, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and others who integrate custom applications with Opto 22 control systems.…
Designing a Motion-Control System…Software in 2015 Makes It Easy
Designing a Motion-Control System … Software in 2015 Makes It Easy will show how software is simplifying the work of motion-control designs. It will cover programming and software tools that help engineers pick component faster and with the physical layout of a motion system. Then the webinar will segue into an explanation of programming options…
Groov now has event notification and lower-cost options
groov 3.0 adds event-based email notifications and a mobile operator interface system that connects machines, equipment and control systems with mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. Now, industrial automation end-users, system integrators, machine OEMs, or any authorized person can receive immediate email messages when a connected machine or system needs attention. groov is a zero-programming,…
Connect Modbus PLCs to sensor network
Modbus Interface Module (MODIM) offers an easy-to-use gateway between Modbus PLCs and the Solartron Metrology’s Orbit3 Digital Measurement System. The Orbit3 system is a flexible, accurate measuring system that can interface with any sensor with an analogue output as well as Solartron Metrology linear measurement sensors. The system can be used for temperature, pressure, force,…
Vision430 compact PLC from Unitronics
The award-winning Vision series of controllers welcomes a new member, the Vision430™. This compact PLC with onboard I/O has an integrated landscape, 4.3-inch color-touchscreen for clear, simple operator interfacing. The touchscreen and five function keys are housed in a flat fascia unit with an IP66/IP65/NEMA4X rating, making the Vision430 a great fit for industries with…
AutomationDirect releases DirectSOFT6
AutomationDirect’s DirectSOFT6 PLC programming software, the 32-bit Windows certified programming software for the entire DirectLOGIC line of PLCs, provides faster status updates and contains many new and upgraded features to make ladder logic programming faster and easier. DirectSOFT6 includes over 40 additional “IBoxes”. The popular packetized fill-in-the-blank style instructions (compatible with DirectLOGIC DL05, DL06, D2-250-1,…
Software helps you add intelligent functions to machine tools
Higher productivity through intelligent functions is an increasingly critical factor in the competitive ability of machine tools. One option for adding new and unique functions is with the Open Core Engineering system. Open Core Engineering enhances classic PLC programming by bridging the gap to IT automation. It increases engineering efficiency through its use of open…