Should PLCs be networked?
The decision of whether to put a PLC on a network depends on interrelated factors that you define by evaluating your requirements. You must weigh what you want to get out of PLC networking against how much you want to pay for it. Networking a PLC should not be done just because it can be done. If you are to connect PLCs to a network, there should be sound business and technical reasons for doing so.
Read more...

SPS/IPC/Drives 2004: Updates from OPC Foundation, PLCopen, SERCOS interface, and more
Besides showing a gamut of automation technologies ranging from controllers, electric drives and motion systems to sensors, computers, software and industrial communications, SPS/IPC/Drives Exhibition and Conference provides a venue for companies and associations to make announcements significant to industry. It was the case during this year’s staging of the event, Nov. 23-25, 2004.
Read more...

Schneider Electric introduces thin client, compact PCs
Schneider Electric recently expanded its family of Telemecanique industrial PCs by introducing its Magelis Smart iPC, a thin client for Ethernet architectures, and its Magelis Compact iPC, which is designed for embedding in small machines or enclosures. The firm says its new industrial PCs are aimed at OEMs and industrial users, who want PC and touchscreen technology in a compact footprint. At just 100 mm deep, Compact iPC is reportedly ideal for machine builders, who want an easily installed and integrated graphic interface.
Read more...

Open up PLM systems; it is the only way PLM will be successful
By now we can all define product lifecycle management (PLM). Many of you have been bombarded with ROI value statements, like cost reduction and time to market efficiencies. But, what many of us can't define is a simpler word that is only four letters. The word is "open." Vendors across all industries are making ad agencies rich with marketing campaigns promoting the message that they are open and can interoperate. But what does open mean and why does its definition seem to depend on who you ask? Fundamentally, there are three flavors of openness in information technology, including open standards, industry standards, and de facto standards.
Read more...

Industrial ethernet switches The standard function (SF) switch line combines high-performance switched Ethernet connectivity for eight or 16 10/100 Mbps ports, with a range of one or two multimode 100 Mbps glass fiber port options. Read more... Phoenix Contact, Inc., 800/586-5525. www.phoenixcon.com

Linear displacement transducers The EZ-Track Q21R Series of programmable, noncontact linear displacement transducers offers an internal resolution of 0.001 in., in an auto-tuning, low-profile package. The series has the ability to sense a magnet other than the standard slide magnet and adjust the signal strength accordingly. Read more... Turck, Inc., 800/544-7769. www.turck.com

Return to top

Use these links to visit Packaging Digest's and Control Engineering's website.
www.packagingdigest.com | www.controleng.com